Sojourn with Lisa

I left San Francisco at 7:15 am on April 6th. Dan drove me to the Golden Gate Bridge so I could avoid the city traffic on a Monday morning! The bridge has both pedestrian and cyclist lanes, protected from both the cars and the ocean below. There were so many cyclists coming from the north side of the bay down into San Francisco! They appeared to be workers and students, judging by their gear and their speed. They weren’t sightseers, that’s for sure! 

This incredible bridge is painted a reddish orange color--like a burnt orange. Magnificent in design. I understand that painting it is a full time permanent job. Once they paint it,  they start over!  It is called the Golden Gate Bridge because the port of San Francisco was THE major port for shipping out the California gold from the gold rush days in the 1800’s. The ships brought in supplies and goods from all over the world for this bustling, growing city. Then they sailed away again with pure gold. This felt like a momentous occasion, cycling across that bridge. Yet it is not a big deal to the hundreds of cyclists who cross it to work in the city. For me, it was magical.

I cycled through the hippy/yuppy towns of Sausalito, Marin City, Corte Madera, Larkspur, and Fairfax. This route takes you through some beautiful country of hills, redwoods, grassy hills, and the Talmapais watershed area. Then, I had to leave the towns behind to cycle through farm country to get to Petaluma and Santa Rosa. This land is where all those organic dairy farms are located. A scant few week ago, I had never heard of Clover Organic Milk, but that is what is sold in central and northern California stores. All of them. The pastures were huge and green and the cows strolled, ate, slept, and looked up to watch as I passed by. Some herds were ambling across hillsides, getting their exercise. This was not like the dairies where I live, where there are no green pastures and the cows are held in much smaller quarters, standing in mud that is wet from urine. I stopped at a little shop in the middle of this glorious cow country, advertising free cheese tasting. I went in and had a nice conversation with the lady at the counter. The dairy affiliated with the shop was owned by a close friend of hers. They went organic about 5 years ago and never looked back. Yes, it is more expensive to raise your herd “organically”, but the dairy products sell for a higher price. It is market driven; enough Californians want organic products and will pay for it. I pay for it too--in the dairy section, in the produce section. I want to support sustainable, sane  agriculture; family farms; respect for the planet. We must vote for the life of our planet with our dollars, our yen, our euro. Consider this when you shop. 

These organic dairies basically raise their dairy cows on meadow grass for most of the year. During the dry part--the summer actually, they are fed certified organic grains, hay, and feed. No hormones. No chemicals. No pesticides on the fields, feed, ground. 

Do you realize how pesticides and herbicides pollute our water? Every year, in Carlsbad, pollutants from the agriculture runoff upstream pollute the Carlsbad Pecos River and kill most of the fish. Then they are restocked. 

Anyway, back to the story. The cheese was processed on site; there was a large window separating the shop from the cheese making machinery. I tasted about 8 different cheeses. These were so unbelievably yummy. I purchased two spreadable cheeses to add to the dinner that night that my niece was preparing. 

Mary Jo, the lady at the counter, said that her son recently graduated from the university with a degree in environmental science and something like botany. She lives on a small piece of land and her son is going to raise food on it. They have rabbits, chickens, and either goats or a cow or two. She was obviously very proud of her son, who was taking the food raising issue very seriously. We talked about finances and survival here and she responded like so many have done: yes, our land and rent and housing is expensive, but we live very carefully and enjoy our lives in this beautiful part of the country. 

The road continued to be hilly, but manageable. I pulled into Petaluma about 2:15 pm and purchased some coffee at Starbucks while I paced outside in a little courtyard and talked to my son on the phone for about an hour. I figured it was time to head out and check my google maps. I thought it was only a 10 mile ride to Santa Rosa, but it turned out to be 20 miles. At this point, it was 3:30 pm, so I knew it was going to be a long day. 

About 1/2 block from Starbucks, I reached the corner and I was waiting for the light to change when 2 ladies in a car rolled down their window to alert me that I had a flat. I did indeed. I found the nail almost immediately. I checked my phone internet for the nearest bike shop and it was a block away. I walked HD up the street and the guys in the shop welcomed me warmly and had my tire changed with a puncture resistanct, slime tube within scant minutes. I asked them to check my chain as it had slipped twice on some steep hills that day. The tech checked it and called over the manager, Adam. They both agreed. My chains were on their final moments.  So, after a call to Lightfoot Cycles, Adam decided to change the chains and the cassettes and it was going to take several hours to do so. 

My niece came and picked me up and I left HD in the cycle hospital, called Mike’s Bikes, overnight.

Lisa lives in Santa Rosa in an adorable, cozy home. There are 2 homes on the property, with gardens, garden sheds, and space. The house in the front is occupied by Consuela and her son Nakai. Lisa lives in the house in back. They are like a family and Lisa and Consuela share coffee every morning and the three of them share most dinners. Like a mini-commune. Only better. They help each other out, cover each other’s back, and ensure that life continues on their little “farm”. Lisa travels alot and Consuela keeps the home fires going, so to speak.

Consuela made enchiladas and Lisa made the enchilada sauce, following her Spanish grandmother’s recipe. Lisa also prepared black beans, rice, salad, sauteed mushrooms, roasted chiles, and a great potato dish. Lisa looked as if she were in her element: a tall, slender lady with an exotic appearance, wearing a little apron and cooking away for the family. She has an affinity for India and Hinduism and it was obvious in her home: Indian music playing in the background; tapestries and statues and Hindi works of art strategically placed through the home. She is a vegetarian, following hindu practice. So, I could have stayed for days and helped her around the farm and ate great food. 

I kinda want to do that. For reals. 

We ate like queens that night. Nakai stayed at home, playing video games, as 10 year olds tend to do. He came to meet me and then scurried back home when we offered to share our dinner. Haha. What a handsome young man he is.

Consuela is easy to be with. She has incredibly long gray hair and a perfect complexion. She has a beautiful smile and full lips. She is friendly and warm and interested in others. What a great person to have as a neighbor, sister, mother, friend, for Lisa. I was very happy that they were all together. 

Consuela loves music; adores it. She loves gardening and can grow anything. She loves her children and her family. She is a devoted mom. She is also a very generous woman and gave me some beeswax candles and an extra gift to help me on this crazy, wonderful journey. She amazed me. 

When I asked Nakai what he loved, he said, “I love the things all kids my age love!” I see he has a wit like all 10 year olds!  Upon further prompting, he said he loves video games of all kinds, internet games, movies, being active, and, of course, music.

Lisa and I talked till fairly late that night. She told me stories of her time in India. She has been there mulitple times and has been to 22 countries. She has been certified by the best schools in India as an advanced yoga teacher. She listed some ashrams and swami names, but she would have to write them down for me to remember!!! She and Denny, the love of her life, have bathed in the Ganges, gone on meccas, meditated, and danced together. They own a cabin in Belize and a piece of land near Mt Shasta that they will develop over time. It was his birthday that very day, but his residence is in Tucson and he was heading her way in a few days. They have had their challenges but it was clear that Lisa loved him completely. Yet she will remain true to herself most of all. I like her integrity. 

In the morning, Lisa made oatmeal with apples and then placed sliced berries and chopped nuts in tiny bowls to dress up the cooked cereal. I had just a little bit as I was still full from the Mejicano feast from the night before. But, honestly, I could’ve eaten the whole lot. I just didn’t want to make a pig out of myself in front of her twice!! LOL!

Lisa and I did a few yoga stretches to the sun and then she showed me some crazy positions that, should I dare to atttempt them, I think I would surely break in half! Then Lisa, Consuela, and Nakai took me back to Petaluma to get the trike. But not until photos were taken to comemorate the occasion. Unfortunately, that was the last time I saw my Olympus camera. I think I left it on the bumper. It is probably in a ditch between Santa Rosa and Petaluma. Losing the camera was not so bad, it was the fact that I hadn’t upoaded the photos from the last several weeks onto my computer. Thus, I lost my personal photos of some of the most beautiful scenery in the world and some of my most favorite people. Consider it a lesson learned. Next camera: will make sure I upload photos every time I get electricity for my computer. Usually every 2-3 days. 

I got back on the road shortly after noon. I had to stop a few times to re-adjust the steering mechanism--which the technicians had to remove to change the cassettes and chains. The road conditions were fantastic--gently rolling hills through more beautiful farmland. The way got tough in the last 10 miles to Bodega Bay; the grade of the road increased as the temperature dropped and the clouds and mist rolled in heavily as I approached the coast. I was grateful to reach Doran Park Campground in Bodega Bay. I  cycled a bit to get out to the point at the bay. The Bodega Bay Coast Guard was right on the grounds. All day and all night, every 10 seconds, is a foghorn to guide the boats into the harbour. The water gently lapped the shore, not far from my tent. The air was wet but the sound of the waves heavenly. I took a walk, ate my trail mix, did my exercises, wrote a bit, and hit the pillow. 

A wonderful visit with my niece and her adopted family; a few days of pleasant cycling; and new chains for Henry David. Now I will be heading north without the safety net of family and friends. Just HD and I. 

I hope I can do thiwit