BACK FROM CALIFORNIA

SWMBO and I returned yesterday from a week-long trip to central California to visit our friends, Tom and Lana Cochrun.  If you read Tom's blog, Light Breezes, regularly you're probably already aware of that.  We went, in January . . . in the midst of a cold wave that produced much laughter about the Golden California Weather . . . because Lana was opening a new show of her art at the Windward Vineyard just outside of Paso Robles.  Along with us, it drew a crowd that delighted the artist.

This show was a new venture for Lana as she added abstract art to her ouevre.

Previously she was known for her plein air art, which we found hanging at another winery, Stolo near Cambria.

But wait!  There's more!  But you'll have to wait a bit for that.

At the abstract show, I linked up with a pal from "the good old days", Mike Griffin, on the right here with Tom.

Tom and Mike and I all worked for a couple of radio stations in Indianapolis, Indiana, back in 1969 - 1972.  Mike branched out, got into racing and is now one of the owners of Panther Racing which placed second at the Indianapolis 500 four years in a row.  We all think it's about time to find him in Victory Circle.

While in Cambria, we stayed at the legendary Cambria Pines Lodge and ate a couple of meals there.  

It's a wonderful, funky old place.  But we didn't explore the many gardens on the property or follow any of the trails.  We were too busy with our friends.

When you visit friends who live at the ocean, you must see the ocean.  I've always been drawn to it and we spent as much time as we could there.

This last picture is the view from the rear deck of a house owned by a friend of Tom's.  Not bad.

One day we drove just down the coast to Morro Bay.  We had to stop for a picture of the Morro Rock framed by fishing boats.

That day we were on our way to San Luis Obispo where Lana's third show was hanging at Alegria Wine and Ware.  And this was yet another example of the artiste's talent and range.

She calls these her divas and since glasses or bottles of wine are featured and because they are framed with wine corks, they seemed perfect for a modern wine store.

You may notice that the eyes are obscured in most of the paintings.  That's something Lana decided on when she first began doing the divas back in the 1960's.  

I have to admit, though I am proud to own one of Lana's plein air paintings, I think I like the divas the best of all her styles.  I call them whimsical and she agrees, though she thinks this may be the last of them.

But, y'know, every day in California brings a beautiful sunet.

And the next day . . there's another one.

That's enough for this day.  Tomorrow, the saga of the elephant seals.