Craig's Beach area
Hiouchi area
Near the mouth of the river
Friday, January 30, 2015
Why is the Smith River so BLUE?
It is blue, the bluest of blue that water could be. Every picture I take is breathtakingly blue. So I am asking, what makes the Smith River so blue? I did some searching, and got two different answers, (1) mineral content, (2) sunlight reflecting off the rocky bottom through crystal clear water. I really don't know which is correct. Here are some pictures of the Smith River, taken in different locations.
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Some Dry Flowers and the Promise of Spring
We moved here in September, when most things were finished blooming. I still see little flowers hiding in the grass here and there. The deciduous trees are bare. Grasslands are a mix of green underneath and brown on top. And then there are these dry flower bracts, shining silvery in the sun, standing tall on long stems, having finished blooming long before I came. They catch my eye when we walk. I wonder, "What flower were you when you were blooming? What splash of color will you paint the fields when again you bloom?" It is a mystery to me. I could just look it up, or ask someone, but I prefer the poetry of wonder. I want to be surprised.
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Things are more normal now
The Allegra seems to be working. My hubby can breathe better, he's not wheezing, and the tickle in his sinuses and mouth are gone.
Eyes forward to spring! This much we know:
(1) We are on the list for a town home.
(2) The 2 bedroom model we are interested in should be available this spring.
What we don't know:
(1) How long the waiting list is.
(2) How many other people want the same model, and are they above or below us on the list.
Del Norte County is the poorest county in the state. Crescent City is an enigma. It is charming, artistic, surrounded by natural beauty, and has a community of homeless people living in the woods behind Walmart. Most people here are nice, some have money, most scrape to get by. People come here for the nature, and stay for the nature. They don't come here to get rich. Other people move here because of the notorious Pelican Bay Prison, to work there or to be close to a family member who might be an inmate.
Back to the town home. Seawood is THE place to rent in Crescent City. Basic description:
"Seawood Village is a 280 unit duplex style apartment complex located where the Redwoods meet the Sea. All units include pellet stoves, central heating, cable hook-ups, garages, dryer hook-ups, carpeting, mini-blinds, dish washers, refrigerators, stoves, ovens and garbage disposals. The amenities include indoor mail rooms, indoor laundry rooms, indoor Jacuzzi's, recreation room, tot lots, basketball court, and free video rental."
Oddly it's is hard to find good pictures. My hubby and I think the place is beautiful. Some people don't like the uniform exterior gray all the units are painted. We think it just blends well with the nature. Inside the units are bright and clean. Most have been remodeled with hardwood floors and new carpet in the bedrooms. Kitchens, bathrooms and laundry rooms have ceramic tile. Here are some pictures I found on the internet. I don't know who they belong to, so I apologize for the lack of credits.
Eyes forward to spring! This much we know:
(1) We are on the list for a town home.
(2) The 2 bedroom model we are interested in should be available this spring.
What we don't know:
(1) How long the waiting list is.
(2) How many other people want the same model, and are they above or below us on the list.
Del Norte County is the poorest county in the state. Crescent City is an enigma. It is charming, artistic, surrounded by natural beauty, and has a community of homeless people living in the woods behind Walmart. Most people here are nice, some have money, most scrape to get by. People come here for the nature, and stay for the nature. They don't come here to get rich. Other people move here because of the notorious Pelican Bay Prison, to work there or to be close to a family member who might be an inmate.
Back to the town home. Seawood is THE place to rent in Crescent City. Basic description:
"Seawood Village is a 280 unit duplex style apartment complex located where the Redwoods meet the Sea. All units include pellet stoves, central heating, cable hook-ups, garages, dryer hook-ups, carpeting, mini-blinds, dish washers, refrigerators, stoves, ovens and garbage disposals. The amenities include indoor mail rooms, indoor laundry rooms, indoor Jacuzzi's, recreation room, tot lots, basketball court, and free video rental."
Oddly it's is hard to find good pictures. My hubby and I think the place is beautiful. Some people don't like the uniform exterior gray all the units are painted. We think it just blends well with the nature. Inside the units are bright and clean. Most have been remodeled with hardwood floors and new carpet in the bedrooms. Kitchens, bathrooms and laundry rooms have ceramic tile. Here are some pictures I found on the internet. I don't know who they belong to, so I apologize for the lack of credits.
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
My sweet hubby is back
You have no idea how bad his reaction was to the Zyrtec....agitation, anger, wheezing, increased phlegm. It was the frog in the pot of water effect, starting out fine and gradually worsening to the point where I thought I might need to rush him to the doctor. Well, I did one day. His doc wasn't available. He saw someone else. He ordered a scan of hubby's sinuses, to check for infection. No advice about antihistamines. This is day 2 with no Zyrtec. I feel bad that I didn't catch the reaction to the medicine sooner. The bioAllers seems to have limited help. He just now took an Allegra. Such a battle for his health right now. I really, really hope he clears up after we move....might be April or May. Unless we took the one we looked at. It's a 3 bedroom, 1450 sq feet and $880 per month. That's way more room than we need and $85 more per month. It would be virtually empty. We have a bed, two computer desks, one cabinet and one dresser. All we really need is one bedroom, but we want a guest room. My hubby's sister in Kosovo would like to visit, as well as his brother, and my other daughter and her husband. A nice guest room would be awesome.
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Approved!
We are on the list for a town home! However, I am still waiting to hear about my job. I stand corrected, it takes 2 to 3 weeks before the drug test is complete.
My poor hubby. He's been taking antihistamines for allergies but we discovered the Zyrtec was making him worse. So now he's not taking anything, except bioAllers homeopathic treatment, when he remembers to take it. A large part of our decision to go for renting a town home as opposed to buying a place is the town homes are clean and well-maintained, whereas our budget for buying a home would be in the fixer-upper range. Also, if hubby's allergies don't clear up in that kind of pristine environment, then maybe there is no hope for him living on the coast. At least being in a renting situation only makes us stuck for the length of the contract, not stuck trying to sell a place we just bought.
Hubby started out fine. September, October, most of November were all sunny and dry. Then rainy season hit, mold began to grow, and hubby's sinuses went crazy. He tried most of the antihistamines on the market, no help, except just a little from Zyrtec. But the Zyrtec caused mood changes and increasing congestion, to the point where my hubby sounded like he was drowning as he slept. We didn't realize it was the medicine until he stopped taking it and then took it one last time. That was it, the bottle hit the trash can.
Anyway, to explain the situation here. There are many pets in the house, and because we are living in one room, our bunny lives in here with us. This house is under the redwoods. The front room is damp and cold and moldy. One must walk through the front room to go in and out of the house. I can't believe I am doing so well here. I'm the one with the mold allergies.
Moving into a town home will create these changes...no dogs or cats in the house, the bunny will not be in the bedroom, and we will run the pellet stove to keep the place warm and dry and free of mold. We are already buying bags of pellets. A 40 pound bag costs less than $5. One bag could last one to three days, depending on how cold it is, so heat could cost between $50 and $150. We will pay electric and gas for the water heater. Water and garbage is included in the rent. No one has air conditioning here. The warm days of summer are dry and pleasant. If it gets cool and damp, light the pellet stove! We will see how this works out for my hubby. I really feel bad for him. He has been miserable for two months and to the doctor twice. They just tell him to move from this house.
My poor hubby. He's been taking antihistamines for allergies but we discovered the Zyrtec was making him worse. So now he's not taking anything, except bioAllers homeopathic treatment, when he remembers to take it. A large part of our decision to go for renting a town home as opposed to buying a place is the town homes are clean and well-maintained, whereas our budget for buying a home would be in the fixer-upper range. Also, if hubby's allergies don't clear up in that kind of pristine environment, then maybe there is no hope for him living on the coast. At least being in a renting situation only makes us stuck for the length of the contract, not stuck trying to sell a place we just bought.
Hubby started out fine. September, October, most of November were all sunny and dry. Then rainy season hit, mold began to grow, and hubby's sinuses went crazy. He tried most of the antihistamines on the market, no help, except just a little from Zyrtec. But the Zyrtec caused mood changes and increasing congestion, to the point where my hubby sounded like he was drowning as he slept. We didn't realize it was the medicine until he stopped taking it and then took it one last time. That was it, the bottle hit the trash can.
Anyway, to explain the situation here. There are many pets in the house, and because we are living in one room, our bunny lives in here with us. This house is under the redwoods. The front room is damp and cold and moldy. One must walk through the front room to go in and out of the house. I can't believe I am doing so well here. I'm the one with the mold allergies.
Moving into a town home will create these changes...no dogs or cats in the house, the bunny will not be in the bedroom, and we will run the pellet stove to keep the place warm and dry and free of mold. We are already buying bags of pellets. A 40 pound bag costs less than $5. One bag could last one to three days, depending on how cold it is, so heat could cost between $50 and $150. We will pay electric and gas for the water heater. Water and garbage is included in the rent. No one has air conditioning here. The warm days of summer are dry and pleasant. If it gets cool and damp, light the pellet stove! We will see how this works out for my hubby. I really feel bad for him. He has been miserable for two months and to the doctor twice. They just tell him to move from this house.
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Things are beginning to move :)
Hubby's job is going well. I start training for Pharmacy OTC as soon as my drug test is clear (it takes a week to clear for pharmacy). We went to look at town homes today. They are for rent, and very nice. They are CLEAN, and no mold. If any mold pops up, they will take care of it. The place is nicely maintained and newly remodeled. Small pet OK. They do a background check. They will let us know.
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Summer Break
We're having a run of beautiful weather, like summer. Back in Indiana the weather is frightful. Yesterday it was 75 in the bedroom, and it felt just as hot waiting in the car in the parking lot for my hubby to run in and buy a Red Bull and some snacks for our walk.
We have walked the 4 mile loop at Lake Earl several times, and Tolowa Dunes twice. We needed another area. So about 1:30 pm we took off for Howland Hill Road, east of town. This road quickly turns into a one lane road with turnouts as soon as you cross into the Jedediah Smith National Forest. From there it is a good 4 mile drive through giant Redwoods. It's slow going, as the road has many potholes. After parking we walked along a trail that follows the Smith River.
We have walked the 4 mile loop at Lake Earl several times, and Tolowa Dunes twice. We needed another area. So about 1:30 pm we took off for Howland Hill Road, east of town. This road quickly turns into a one lane road with turnouts as soon as you cross into the Jedediah Smith National Forest. From there it is a good 4 mile drive through giant Redwoods. It's slow going, as the road has many potholes. After parking we walked along a trail that follows the Smith River.
Howland Hill Drive
Stout Grove, some of the "little" trees - the log on the left is 7 feet in diameter
My hubby, walking among giants
The river path
The Smith River
If any of these places look like the movies, some of them were filmed here in Del Norte County and Humbolt County to the south. Check out this Map of the Movies
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Belated Happy New Year!
I began this post on New Year's Eve, a chilly, sunny day in northern California. The night's low was predicted at 32, about as cold as it gets here. I was bored because my hubby had to work that night...New Year's Eve on my own. My hubby and I are looking forward to what 2015 will bring.
I have been blessed by this new climate, in spite of the winter dampness. My hubby, however, has been suffering allergies, nasal problems and chest congestion ever since the rainy season started. We continue to take walks in the woods on sunny days. Hubby insists his problems are because this house is under the trees and has mold problems, and there are pets in the house. One of the dogs is huge, 110 pounds. He is old and sheds like a buffalo. He is too big to bathe in the house and it's too cold to bathe him outside. It also doesn't help that we are living in one room with our bunny. Tuki has never lived in a cage.
When we had the house, Tuki lived in the kitchen. He only came into the bedroom at night, when he stood guard under the bed. He still stands guard every night at the foot of the bed (on the floor), but now he is also living in the same room with us. If you are wondering what I mean by "standing guard", he actually rests, half-awake, on the carpet at the foot of the bed. If he hears a noise he thumps his feet. It used to wake me up, but not so much anymore. I think he is thumping less. Noises he would hear during the day wouldn't bother him, but the same noise at night would alarm him.
So in spite of the trials and tribulations of living with family, we are doing ok. I'm still adjusting to hubby working at night. I don't like to sleep during the day, but I wake up when he comes home for lunch between 2 and 3 am. When he comes home at 7 am I'm too sleepy to get up. Maybe if I went to bed right after he went to work at 10 pm I would do better, but I'm not sleepy at 10. I also take that time to do some cleaning in the bedroom.
We've been looking at some properties to get a "feel" for things here. We need to save more, for a bigger down payment. My hubby's job needs to be upgraded from temporary to permanent. Can't do anything when your job is temporary. He continues to put out job applications. Life just takes time. Somethings happen fast, some things happen slow.
I have been blessed by this new climate, in spite of the winter dampness. My hubby, however, has been suffering allergies, nasal problems and chest congestion ever since the rainy season started. We continue to take walks in the woods on sunny days. Hubby insists his problems are because this house is under the trees and has mold problems, and there are pets in the house. One of the dogs is huge, 110 pounds. He is old and sheds like a buffalo. He is too big to bathe in the house and it's too cold to bathe him outside. It also doesn't help that we are living in one room with our bunny. Tuki has never lived in a cage.
When we had the house, Tuki lived in the kitchen. He only came into the bedroom at night, when he stood guard under the bed. He still stands guard every night at the foot of the bed (on the floor), but now he is also living in the same room with us. If you are wondering what I mean by "standing guard", he actually rests, half-awake, on the carpet at the foot of the bed. If he hears a noise he thumps his feet. It used to wake me up, but not so much anymore. I think he is thumping less. Noises he would hear during the day wouldn't bother him, but the same noise at night would alarm him.
So in spite of the trials and tribulations of living with family, we are doing ok. I'm still adjusting to hubby working at night. I don't like to sleep during the day, but I wake up when he comes home for lunch between 2 and 3 am. When he comes home at 7 am I'm too sleepy to get up. Maybe if I went to bed right after he went to work at 10 pm I would do better, but I'm not sleepy at 10. I also take that time to do some cleaning in the bedroom.
We've been looking at some properties to get a "feel" for things here. We need to save more, for a bigger down payment. My hubby's job needs to be upgraded from temporary to permanent. Can't do anything when your job is temporary. He continues to put out job applications. Life just takes time. Somethings happen fast, some things happen slow.
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