Sunday morning I had breakfast with Sarah from Hemet and her daughter. They were down to spend the weekend at Barona. We planned to take photos around Lakeside but the weather was rainy with low clouds and was totally miserable. Still we had a lovely time talking.
My father used to own property in Hemet and my mother and stepfather at the time, Don Lease, took us past their place to visit on our way to Washington state. My Dad and stepmom lived in a small trailer in the middle of farmland. There was lots of empty space there in 1949. My dad was growing watermellons and also working as a heavy equipment operator.
My stepfather had a job at Hanford and we were going to get a house in Richland Washington. Don had a coupe and he made a place behind the seat for Barb and I to ride. There was no place for us to put our feet down. We pulled a rented trailer with Mama's stuff in it. Don wasn't happy that Mama had agreed to visit my Dad. Then they had a time finding the place. We didn't visit very long. Don drove us up Hwy 395 and since it was March it was cold. We stayed one night at a motel. When we got into Northern California it was snowing. Somewhere Don and Mama stopped and shipped our things and turned in the rented trailer. That took awhile to arrange and the lost time upset Don. We drove through Oregon in the night. It was slow going. Don kept having to stop to wipe the snow off the windshield. Mama kept wanting to find a motel and just stop. Finally in the very early morning before day light we came to the Columbia River and the ferry was not going to open for hours and Mama was angry because Don didn't get us that motel room. So we sat in the cold car waiting for the ferry listening to Mama and Don be mad at each other. My legs and feet cramped up and it was too wet and cold and dark to get out and stretch. I was crying. Then Barb started crying too. Mama made us be quiet.
Hemet doesn't look any thing like it used to look. All the fruit orchids and fields are gone. All Covered with track homes now. Before I left the casino I just had to loose a little money. I seldom play the machines at Barona because I'm not much of a gambler and I usually loose. . . well doesn't everybody? . . . most of the time anyway. So next time Sarah and her daughter are down we will try again on the photo taking. . . and I will stay away from the machines at Barona.
Monday morning E.R. and I drove over to Borrego Springs to see the wildflowers. They are wonderful. First I've never seen the hills around Borrego so green. So there is lots of water. I took lots of photos and will get some posted soon. I will add them to my other wildflower photos from past years. This year saw some flowers we've missed in the past by being just a little to late. The ocotillo isn't blooming yet. That is the way it has always been for me. . . getting over there once or twice during the bloom. There are always some flowers we see every time, but then there are some we only see once. Every year I always wish I lived there.
On the way back we stopped for lunch at Santa Ysabel at the Apple Country Restaurant. They serve pies from the Julian Pie Company. After beef stroganoff for lunch, I had the rhubarb strawberry and E.R. the apple. Yum!
Hailey went to school with a cold and Elizabeth brought her home from the nurse's office. We arranged that before we left for Borrego. In sixth grade, Hailey missed so much school that they threatened me with arrest if I didn't change things. After that unless Hailey has a doctor's note I have to send her to school sick or not and let the nurse send her home. Seems a little hard to me but that's what we do. So even if Hailey says she doesn't feel good I send her off the school.
She stayed home today and is a very crabby girl. I told her if I'd known that was how she would be I would have made her go to school anyway!
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