Eh? - Saturday 3/21/2009

Yeah, yeah. It's a beautiful day in Heritage Valley, but I didn't take any pictures of the oranges and orange blossoms on the trees, or the mountains wreathed in clouds.

I took a photo of this bizarre egg salad sandwich Hydra bought at Starbucks. There was a whole danged egg in the middle of it.

Yeah, I don't have any illusions that those sandwiches at the 'Bucks are made with a lot of care, but you'd think someone would have noticed a whole egg getting into a sandwich unchopped.

Starbucks is in trouble, and it's not just because they've saturated the market.

Guitars. No Cadillacs - Friday 3/20/2009

Now really. Is there a better way to spend the day than in the company of musicians?

We went in to Fillmore in the early morning for our Starbucks fix and to sit and read the Ventura County Star. The Voice came in for his daily brew and we sat and talked for quite a while.

We met up again back at the campground. Click below for a sample of The Voice's voice. Wish I'd thought to hit the video sooner!

We are so lucky to have found Songmakers. It's an amazing group of people.

Fillmore, CA - Friday 10/12/2007

Sunrise over the Starbucks parking lot in Fillmore. On Thursday night we joined friends to camp out and make music all weekend. Crept into town early in the morning for coffee and chai tea latte and reading, and watching the locals come and go. Perfect.



Another ice house! I'm pretty sure.


A little girl's sandal in the street in front of the ice house.

New Homes - Sunday 7/22/2007

Some kids make a whole new art form out of this, bopping to mp3s and flipping the sign like they're doing a high school flag corps routine. It was hot and humid Sunday as we headed home. This kid looked fairly grim and I don't blame him.

I fear for Fillmore, CA. We've been going up there for about 7 years, I guess, and for most of this time it's seemed like there wasn't a big disparity in income amongst the residents. But the times they are a'changin'.

The have-mores have moved in on the east side of town. There's a gigantic subdivision going in called The Bridges at Heritage Valley. Pretentious much?

While it's nice to see the buildings in the small downtown with their turn of the 19th-century architecture begin to fill up with businesses again, it's a little sad for the people already there. I grew up in a rural community where the few people who had money certainly didn't flaunt it. It would be hard to take some of the changes in the air, to feel that you don't really belong in a community your family has called home for generations.

Even the once-humble Von's supermarket has been overhauled. It's like shopping in a Whole Foods Market. Not that everyone shouldn't have a nice shopping environment, but you almost feel like you should dress up before you drop in for a pint of milk.

One of the common themes you hear from people who were kids during The Depression of the 1930s is that everyone was in the same boat, so they never knew they were hard up. I think people in Fillmore are going to become increasingly aware of their economic standing.

Sigh.

Morning Shadows - Friday 7/20/2007

Yeah, I know. Most people's idea of going camping doesn't include Starbucks. But at home, it's a longer drive to get to one so Hydra usually goes to the one in Fillmore at least one morning. I went with him.

Most of the people we're camping with won't arrive until this evening, so there's not much of a crowd around the coffee urn at the campground on Fridays.


Life doesn't get much better. Except maybe later in the weekend when we'll sit outside our camper for hours with the birds in their cages on the picnic table, reading, writing and talking to friends who stop by to chat.


An old church in Fillmore. I think it may be used as a home now.

What Does This Building Do? - Saturday 3/17/2007

No, really. I'm curious.

I'm guessing it has something to do with fruit, since Fillmore, CA is such a big citrus growing town. This building is near a railroad track.

We went into town for lunch and dinner. I did, however, make a pretty fabulous egg dish for breakfast, with shrimp, artichoke hearts, leeks, tomatoes and garlic. We have a breakfast tradition with a couple of friends at these campouts.

I stayed up late singing around a campfire. Three other women and I got into a groove and were singing backup harmonies for one of the guys who does a lot of fifties songs. Dean and the Lollipops was born around 9pm on this date.