Friday

Friday morning and we’re safe and sound here in Orland after a trip to the big city. First, we went to Roseville and then to the Sacramento Airport to pick up my sister and brother in-law. My plan, ill conceived…was to shop for a few things that I needed at Restoration Hardware. That store was the only place I had found that sold a special nylon pan scrubber that I really like. And to our great disappointment, we found that Restoration Hardware was gone. Oh, the store is still there and the name can be found above the doors, but the spirit of the store has been sacrificed to the gods of mediocrity. They no longer sell exciting things. It looks like a Mervyn’s Outlet store now, with a touch of Pottery Barn thrown in. Now…where am I going to find my scrubbers? By the way, we asked the clerk at Restoration Hardware that question and she suggested, “A hardware store”! What?! We were in a hardware store! Or so I thought…

We left Restoration Hardware with a heavy heart and wandered the length of the Roseville Galleria, hoping to find some solace…and a store to replace the one we lost. No deal. So we headed to In-n-Out Burger instead and drowned our sorrows in a chocolate shake, plus a double-double and fries! Then we drove to the airport and picked up Kitty and Dean. The plane was on time and we were able to use the ½ hour free parking available in the new parking garage. Then we were back on the road to Orland.

And this morning we will head north to Redding to visit the bridge and the gardens at Turtle Bay…even if it’s raining.