"LONG TIME GONE"

"..And it appears to be a long - Appears to be a long - Appears to be a long time - Yes, a long, long, long, long time.."

Yes it does seem like I have been a long time not blogging but that is the way it goes sometimes. I have been settling in slowly here on the figurative island of Fort Bragg, CA (not to be confused with FB,NC which is military). I call it an island as the only ways into this coastal town are long and winding and time consuming to drive. To the north and south are cliff drives along Highway 1 and to the east Route 20 winds through redwood forests. All are incredibly beautiful but you best allot plenty of time and keep your wits about you. There's no room for error on those curvy roads. So yes, I feel at times that I am on an island. If I am going to make friends they have to be here in this town of 7,000. This is the challenge I have undertaken and I am getting on it this week.

I have already joined the community center where there is a pool, gym and many workout classes. Yesterday I went to the Ranger Headquarters for the many State Parks in the county and asked about hiking clubs - no luck on that. There are no MEETUP groups around. I have been to the Chamber of Commerce and have gotten the numbers for the Rotary, went to the local winery and brewery shops, farmer's market too. I am not shy. I am just running out of ideas. I am on Mendocino's listserv (an old fashioned kind of forum) which is dumping hundreds of emails into my inbox each week. Soon when I get my act together I will be posting too. Right now I don't have a billy goat to breed or a washer for sale.

I would really like to get a routine going for myself. That too is challenging. I am talking about the HELPX sort of routine of 4 hours of work a day in exchange for accommodation and food. HELPX is the website/tool that I am using to hang out in different places for extended periods. (Remember the villa in Umbria, Italy that I stayed in in 2013? I had my own cottage for two weeks in exchange for landscape cleanup.) I am in this area of the country to see if I like it enough to move here. Spending a week in a place in not long enough for me to make a commitment of changing my car registration, tax returns and mess up with my MA Obama care records. HELPX and other sites such as WORKAWAY connects me to local stays that last more than a week and sometimes for months.

So why no routine yet after 11 days? The owner of the inn recognized that I am not a usual helper. I am a mature (older) experienced business owner and manager. She wanted a long weekend off for herself to go to San Francisco and dance Argentine Tango. (Not kidding). Last week I received a crash course in "INNKEEPING 101" and I was "on" 24/7 for 4+ days greeting and serving guests and handling situations. The other helpers here for the weekend don't handle the guest side of things. They are making renovations in the TOWER. The historic inn's tower is the highest point in Fort Bragg and is located about a block from the shore. Being attached to the property to take phone calls kept me from the routine that I had started at the gym. There is no excuse save for a badly sore right elbow from doing dishes (they appear from nowhere and the sink is too high for me) for not starting classes up again now that the owner is back but when I got time to leave the inn I went eastward to check out Ukiah instead. What the "routine" desire really comes down to is my engineer brain wants things to be black and white for schedule and responsibilities and that is just not going to happen here. I don't have to clean rooms. Angelina, our one employee comes in and does that a few days a week. What I need to do is be flexible. Some days there are guests and others days there are projects, extra helpers from around the world to manage or get to the bus stop at the crack of dawn when they leave.

HIGHWAY 20

This inn is going on the market very soon. I have been asked to stay on for a couple of months during preparations. I am not sure if I will agree to that yet. I have to wrap my mind around the idea. Is there enough of a benefit if I stay? Right now I am cold. I am not being housed in one of those lovely rooms. I have a drafty spot in the back. The inn however is just a few blocks from Glass Beach. When the sun is out and I am outside it is beautiful. And there are coastal hiking trails and redwood forests all around. But nature gal needs some friends. I really need some socialization so that I do not feel so isolated. Any new young helpers that arrive I am now in the position of being a manager so I can't get too close to them. And I am cold - yes I wrote that already. I don't like cold. I went Ukiah the other day not only to see what the town was like. I went because I needed slippers and turtlenecks from Walmart. The biggest store we have in FB is the Dollartree and they don't have everything.

FALL COLOR - INLAND IN UKIAH

Goals - make some friends to get some balance in my life then see if I can get some workshops happening. I have such a passion for my work, especially LIVE workshops. Money flow is nice on the inbound as well.  In fact it is necessary. Holiday season is traditionally not the best time of year to organize workshops but who knows in Fort Bragg. Ranger Dave told me yesterday that harvest season is now finished (and we are not talking about corn baby - this is pot growing country). Maybe people will have more time available to come to a workshop - maybe. 

... Hear you must hear what the people say
You know there's something that's goin' on around here
The surely, surely, surely won't stand the light of day...

PS - I had the oil changed on Matilda the car. When seeing her the mechanic said "Oh she fits right into Fort Bragg." Maybe I really am a bit of an old hippie. One that truly hates the smell of pot but still wears tie-dye on occasion. Onward!

CABRILLO LIGHTHOUSE SOUTH OF FB

And it appears to be a... youtube music interlude from 1969 and Crosby, Stills and Nash...