Day-Trip to Dunsmuir

     Hello again, viewers.

     Today, I shall share with you the day-trip to Dunsmuir, CA. I took with my family a few weeks ago.

     Dunsmuir is another tiny town we've driven through many a time, yet never stopped to explore.  And, inasmuch as this seems to be a summer of new experiences, we decided to go ahead and have a look.

     The town has a sort of "arts" section, which we mainly focused on.  Unfortunately, most of the art galleries were being renovated, and were therefore closed.  There were, however, several diverting little antique shops, and at least one open art gallery in which we amused ourselves.

     At the first one, an amazing little shop of old-fashioned curiosities called "The Brown Trout," I found a beautiful, scarcely worn, vintage-style dress in my size, and on sale for only $5, due to a tiny little tear above the zipper, hardly visible, and very easy to mend. 

     It's a rich chocolate brown rayon, with bishop sleeves, silk neckline, hem and long cuffs, and these said cuffs held together with several buttons.

     There were also the most beautiful pair of vintage grey suede pumps, also in my size, which I wanted terribly.  Unfortunately, they bore no tiny defect to reduce the price, and were therefore out of my price range.  Such a pity...  (fun fact:  Solemn Wood Nymphs love shoes).

     At another antique shop, this one privately owned by an elderly music-lover, my mumzie and I got my brother Ace's girl Lina a hand-painted sunflower tunic and a little antique sunflower-bead pendant, while the shop owner cornered Ace and kept up a steady stream of music-related conversation, after learning that he has musical talent.

     After we'd done enough shop-hopping, we returned to our car and drove a very little ways to Hedge Creek Falls, which, incidentally, is the waterfall I visited earlier this summer (see post "Anwen's Hen Weekend").

 

     Does not Lina look fetching amongst the falls?  Quite like a pretty water nymph.

 

     After we'd picnicked, we lazed about with our feet in the water, collecting pretty little stones, and such.

 

     At some point, Ace found a little water-dog.  After a bit of a chase, he finally caught it, and the little thing quickly seemed to grow used to him, and didn't struggle a bit as he examined it, showed it to us at all angles, put it in and out of the water, and passed it to me to hold for a moment.

 

     After Ace had let it go, and went off exploring with Lina, it continued to swim around our feet, and several times let me reach into the water and pet it.  I thought it a cute little creature.  It reminded me of a mix between a puppy, a seal, and a salamander.

 

 

 

     After passing a few hours at the Falls, I inevitably grew very tired, and a trifle over-heated, and, as it required a bit of trecking uphill to get back to the car, my mum and I headed back up first.  I was in quite a state when we at last reached the car.  My grandma handed me a beach towel which she had dampened with the cool spring water, and my mum wrapped it around my neck like a scarf.  I felt like Ford Prefect from Hitchhiker's Guide, sporting my towel.  "Always know where your towel is," right?

 

     As we were preparing to head home, I realized that I had not purchased postcards, and as I did not with to eschew this little tradition of mine, I requested that we stop at one more shop before leaving town.  At that point, most of the shops were shut, but there was a little gift shop still open, so Ace, Lina and I took a few minutes to examine it. 

 

     I got a postcard for my year-board, and one each for Marlow and Daisy, along with a pair of pretty little glass earrings, blue for Marlow, pink for Daisy.  For Ace, I got a little hand-made bit of pottery he took a fancy to. 

 

     Then, we returned home.  I enjoyed the day.  It was nice to sit leisurely at the Falls, and I always enjoy shop-hopping in tiny towns.

 

     More to come, viewers.  Until then, fare-thee-well.

 

    

Day-Trip to the Mt. Shasta Lavender Farm

     Good morrow, viewers. 
    
     Life has been very...life-like lately; thus, as usual, I'm dreadfully behind on my blogging (among other things).

     Inasmuch as I have the entire day free, I thought I'd backtrack a bit, and show you some of what I've been doing this summer.

     Last month, my mum, my grandma, my brother Ace, his girlfriend Lina, and I went to the Shasta Lavender Farm.  We went last year, and quite loved it.  Since Lina is with us this summer, we were pleased to go again and share it with her.

     It's easy to miss the road and get turned around up there, and we forgot to bring the map, so we...took the scenic route, if you will.  We didn't mind, however; it was a pleasant drive.

     When you do come upon the correct road, you turn again onto an even more unlikely looking road, from which all you can see are rocks and sagebrush.  The first time we went, we thought there surely must be some mistake.  After some patience and perseverance, when you reach the top of the hill, a breath-taking view awaits you.

     A picturesque Italian-style summer house rests quaintly before far-reaching fields of purple-blue lavender, stretching toward Mt. Shasta, which appears nearly close enough to touch.  Down the hill, past verdant fields, and blue mountain haze, appears the slightest shimmery glimpse of Lake Shastina.

    We began by browsing the gift shop, which is quite lovely itself.  Ace and Lina got a bottle of lavender oil and a lavender plant, and I bought them a Shasta Lavender Farm poster.  My mum bought some lavender cookies for us, and bought me a tea-infuser.  I bought some lavender madeleines, and some Shasta Lavender Farm postcards for my friends, and one for my year board.

    After we'd finished shopping, my mum paid for us to take a basket and go out into the fields to cut bouquets of lavender.  It was supposed to be a certain fee to cut a hundred sprigs, but they apparently don't literally mean a hundred, and encourage a lot of lavender-cutting.  So, Ace, Lina and I went out and meandered lackadaisically in the fields, comparing varieties of lavender, slowly filling our baskets, and pausing now and then to take photographs, and enjoy the general splendor.  It wasn't unbearably hot, but it was rather warm, and I finally had a chance to use my parasol.

     After we returned with our fragrant spoils, we settled down at a table in the shade, and had a late picnic-lunch. 

     And then, as the farm's visiting hours end rather early in the evening, it was time to leave shortly after we ate. 

     On the way home, I asked to stop in the tiny town of Weed (odd name for a town, quoi?).  We'd passed it ever so many times in past years on our way in and out of town, but had never stopped there, so I asked if we could take a look.

     We first went into a tiny little art gallery run by a very friendly man.  Apparently his wife contributed much of the gallery's art.

     There were some lovely wood sculptures, which Ace particularly enjoyed, as wood-carving is his forte. 

 

     Then, we went the town's tiny museum.  There was much to look at, and the fellow working there was most obliging, and let us touch things, and try things on, and sit in the refabricated stagecoach, and such.  Lina and I each bought a "Weed" souvenir button from the museum's gift shop. 

 

 

 

     We ended our tour of the town at a souvenir shop.  Ace and Lina bought a souvenir mug, and my mum and I each got an abalone necklace.  Mum's is shaped like a heart, and mine is shaped like Saturn, which, incidentally is my favourite planet (besides Earth, of course).  It reminds me of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.  Now I just need a towel to go with it~  Kudos to those of you
who understand the reference.

     Thus concluded our day-trip.  It was a very pleasant day; I think we all enjoyed it.