California Dreamin'

I was a busy week last week here in Lake Desperanza Farms..  started off with another visit “up the road” to Johns Hopkins.  Was a follow up, but Doc wanted to do update a couple of tests.  The famous “Six Minute walk” test and another echo cardiogram.  Early reports are that nothing is (more) amiss, so we won’t spend any more time on it. 

That same day, our dear friends from San Diego arrived for a visit.  Been a couple of years since we’ve seen them so it was good to get together again.  We still confer fairly often, but it is so nice to be face to face.  You can’t hug a smart phone!

He is an avid birder and quite an accomplished photographer. I was of course not able to go, but through my contacts with the local Audubon Society we found a “guide” who took him on a morning trek (the next morning starting at 7am our time) through Calvert Cliffs State Park.  She is one of those people who can bird by ear, identifying species just by their voice.  Quite a talent.  Oh, before he left I hefted his camera with a lens (roughly) the size of a megaphone, whicih was attached to a rather large camera.   Wow.  I admire him lugging that around the bush!  But he gets some great shots.  He has a website and if you're interested PM me on Facebook. 

He and I first met at Michigan State University (long before their recent troubles).   It was in the midst of the “Hippie/Folk Music” days of the 60’s, and at that time I played the banjo and he was a guitarist, so we taught each other to play the other's instrument, and have remained close friends ever since, despite the miles involved.  After undergraduate studies he pursued advanced degrees in Ethnomusicology while I went into the exciting world of engineering.  Before retirement, he was a professor at San Diego State.

So anyway, if birding was out, what’s something we can all enjoy?  EATING OUT!  We had two meals, one at Cow & Fish, and the other at the old standby Dry Dock.  C&F continues to fascinate me for some reason.  After our last meal there, I sent the owner an email complaining about the runner not knowing who had what, even at a two top, and my new cause: “No Mason Jars ON the Table”. On this visit neither had been addressed so we had the Mason Jars for water and the “Who had the?” for food.   We did however have a choice table, and the food was very good.  I had a lamb shank, which was a special on the board posted as: “Lamb Shank Leg” with a reduction of some kind.  Ever conscious of sodium intake, I asked for the sauce on the side.  Although it had good flavor it did tend to be a bit dry.  Scallops at the table were good, and the owner stopped by and chatted with no mention of my lucid observations.  They do, however, have some new tables that are quite nice.  

I did have a note the other day from a stringer, who was among a party of ten at the place, and didn’t have a good experience.  The whole front of the house operation remains spotty I think, but things are moving in the right direction.   The next night at the dry dock was a typical dry dock experience.  Such a lovely place.

So our last view of our friends was as they headed for BWI the next day

Sad to see them go.  Hope we can meet again.

Somewhat related, during the time when we were musically involved during our student days at MSU, I splurged on a Martin D28 guitar.  I have fallen out of practice for a large number of years (I believe the phrase is “lost my chops”) and had kind of a long term lease arrangement with another friend who has his chops, but has recently acquired another guitar, so decided to return mine.  It still is a beautiful instrument. 

MFO has been thinking about “de-aquisitioning” our stuff and so with the help of more musically alert friends we tried to establish its worth.  We did have the serial number which placed it in the late 60’s, and more research determined it had a two-piece Brazilian Rosewood back.

Several sources have placed an (eye opening) figure on it..I may have to start learning all over again.  It sounds beautiful.  Upon its return another friend who plays virtually every instrument with strings and some with human wind power joined us and I enjoyed listening to them all play.   Oh, the guitar that "displaced" mine is made entirely of carbon fiber, all in one piece and a gorgeous blue.  An amazing instrument both visually and acoustically.   The times they are a changin’

Well, I still have a rather long list of this’s and that’s to pass on, but think I’ll end here, because I don’t want to sully the visit experience with more banal stuff.  So I will close with an image they sent us when back in SOCAL.  To me, it somehow characterizes the experience perfectly.   Anybody know the fast food/(quick service/fast casual) place?  A California icon…

 A whole different look for
DFD