"RUNNING INTO THE SUN BUT I AM RUNNING BEHIND"

Coughing, spitting, hesitating - "But Matilda don't you want to get out of the heavy torrential rains and cold?"

"YES - I was ready last week and now I have the flu."

PATRICK AMIOT'S JUNK ART

Not me, not Patt. Matilda. Matilda is the name of my car and she finally short circuited. Thursday I went out to do some errands. The car had sat all day the day before in heavy winds and torrential sideways rains. Soon out of the inn's driveway she began bucking. At first I thought with the severe weather some water had gotten under the hood and was shorting out the wires but the local tire shop where I had my oil changed a few weeks earlier found a spent coil pack. Luckily they could get the part the next morning, make the fix and send me on my way to Santa Rosa.

I pulled into Sacha and John and Rose's house at 6 pm. They have a daughter Zoe and a high school exchange student from China living there PLUS a few more people. This was to be one of my few times in couchsurfing I actually slept on a couch. Sacha had told me that had I waited two more evenings she could have given me a private sleep space but I really wanted to come on Friday so I took a couch. I adored the pellet stove and Charles Eames chair.

MOLLIE

QUINN

Saturday I visited redwood-filled Armstrong State Park. It was cold in that forest. I vowed to come back more bundled up. On my way back to the house the CHECK ENGINE light came back on and the bucking started again. MATILDA! I had to go the entire weekend without knowing why and what was happening. SIGH Monday Sacha's husband John connected me with his mechanic and I got things fixed. The coil pack that they put in in FB was faulty. I got a new one, mailed the old one back to the shop to get reimbursed on the warranty and actually ran into John at the post office. Small world. I then went over to another part of town to meet my two holiday dog wards. I begin dog sitting on Sunday so I will not be alone for Christmas. I will have Mollie and Quinn.

Onward to Sebastopol to stay at Big Bob's house. Again there are many people around this property. I was greeted with a smile and transport to a friend's place for a small dinner of homemade turkey soup, then we headed to a bar with live music and dancing. This helped me to put aside the annoying fact that as I was driving to Sebastopol my CHECK ENGINE light went on again. At least the car is running fine and not bucking. I will be back near the second repair shop tomorrow to have them look at it again. It is driveable this time. In fact, I went over to Bodega Bay yesterday. It was magically beautiful with full sun and no wind. I could have hiked it in a t-shirt. "RUNNING INTO THE SUN..."

STEPHEN SQUARED

I met a few super interesting people of like minds in Bodega. Stephen squared (two fellows with the same love of nature as myself) and Larry the Whale Watcher (he's out there almost every day). All told me I had to stop and eat clam chowder on my way home. I did and they were correct. Even this native New Englander ranks the chowdah as SUPER GOOD!

Ok- so I have to finish this up. There is more live music tonight. Tomorrow I am leaving Sebastopol and going to Petaluma for two nights. It's raining and I am just hoping that the forecast and weather changes for the better. "RUNNING ON, RUNNING INTO THE SUN."

Bob's place has a nice fire too. That's Mocha the black lab and my buddy. This is my office today. I was cold so had someone build me a fire.

Below are more photos of Patrick Amiot's Junk Art. These pieces can be found on Florence St. in Sebastopol. There are more but just how much fun can you have reading a blog? ;) CLick to enlarge at the blog site.

Enjoy!

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Are you Running on Empty? Then get fueled with Jackson Browne from 1977...