Pt 4: in which I plug A-Frame

We’re still only at Wednesday, even though to day is … um… Friday.

OK, so Wednesday…up bright and early, for ANOTHER six mile run. This is the best running I’ve done while traveling in a long time. It does not, however, make up for the insane amount of food I’ve been eating all week.

And then it was time to leave! We had two days to get all the way back up into Oregon…all the way to Portland – by Thursday night.

So we said our goodbyes…

 

 

Madhu, Sophie, and Eugene. (Not pictured: Bijou.)

 

 

 

 

I love you, Mom!

And then my saintly sister and I pointed the car north and put on the cruise control and zoomed up the coast to…drum roll please:

A-Frame Surf Shop, Carpinteria, CA.

Owned by our cousin Sam. Now, as far as we’re concerned, Sam is about ten, and no taller than our shoulders (Jen and I are both 5’4”). This, even though yes, I’ve seen him way more recently than when he was ten.

Somehow, time has passed and Sam has turned into a full-fledged adult.

The loveable, huggable Sam. Can you tell that I’ve been eating continuously for several days? ‘Cause I can totally see it.

Sam hooked us up with some sweet A-Frame swag (yay! thanks, cuz!). They have a really great logo.

Cool, no? We then hauled ass up the 101 til we got to San Luis Obispo where we bonded with our aunt Jen, Sam’s mom, who probably had no idea I was going to put her face out on the internets for all and sundry to see.

Grin!

You didn’t think you’d get away with a post without some sort of flower picture, did you? Here you go:

OK, pay attention here – those are apples towards the right. See the branches, how they’re perfectly horizontal? This is an espaliered apple tree. It’s been trained to run along completely horizontally, like a fence. Whoa!

 

And, who can resist a fuschia. Not I, apparently.

OK, almost done with Wednesday. Just imagine another four or five hours of driving – oh lordy. Well, the good news is, we took 41 from San Luis Obispo to I-5. Possibly the most beautiful road I’ve ever driven. Hair-raising at times – extra curvy and hilly. It winds through golden, rumpled hills dotted with oak trees. Just heavenly.

We made it as far as God Knows Where, Central Valley, CA. Crashed at a motel. Got up at O’ Dark Early on Thursday and drove allllllllll dayyyyyy til we hit Portland.