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.
No comments:
Post a Comment