Ok, so now what?

My blogs seem to be titled according to where I live. Every time I move I need to find a new name. "Somewhere in Indiana" worked fine in Indiana. "Stories from the Mist" seemed to work here, though I never got any great stories like I hoped, because I was either killing my soul working at Walmart or watching my husband suffer from endless allergies. Now I have itchy eyes and I'm coughing. The cabin filter in the car is moldy and it makes me cough, so we need to change it. Stuff keeps growing on the car. It's hard to live in the Mist. Half the population here is on multiple medications just to make it through the day.

Hubby and I had a great time walking the trails. For all his suffering, he did immensely enjoy our walks, as I did with him. I have a bazillion pictures, some of them are pretty awesome. We are both ready to move. I'm not crying anymore. I broke up with the Smith River. I have pictures, rocks and a video. One day I will come back to visit my daughter, in summer, maybe August or September, and we will visit that spot again. I can't go now, the winter rains have turned the river into a killing machine.

I never really got used to the winding mountain roads. They were ok in summer, but in winter they just want to kill you. We passed 4 landslides on the way home from Eureka yesterday. They were cleared, but marked by Caltrans. Last Chance Grade has so many layers of new pavement it's like driving a roller coaster.

If you visit, come in July, August or September. Summer is glorious here. It's dry, so the roads don't fall apart. Summer is sunny and mild, you won't get sick here in summer. Leave before the rains start in mid-October.

So...what is next? Stories from the Mist doesn't seem to fit Wisconsin.

Some of the stuff on the car. As hard as it rains, you would think it would be squeaky clean.

Ok, so now, should I come up with a new name for my blog?

Lucky or Loosers

Crescent City is a bit of an enigma. I'm not the first person to arrive here in awe of the trees, the ocean view and the crystal blue of the Smith River, nor am I the first to notice the community of homeless who live in the woods behind Walmart and panhandle on the corners or the rows of empty businesses downtown. When my hubby and I first arrived here, my daughter and her hubby drove us to Endert's Beach Lookout. I was overwhelmed. I cried. I hugged her. I asked if I can really live here or do I have to go "home", which was silly, because "home" was sold. Here is the lookout at Endert's Beach. That's Crescent City on the horizon.

I haven't lived here long enough to know Crescent City in its heyday, though I've learned it had one. It has a logging history. People remember logging trucks piled so high they would practically run you off the road. Downtown was the home to many thriving businesses. At some point the logging stopped (there are still busy mills in Brookings and Eureka), and then the Tsunami hit. It was 1964, and Alaska had an 8.8 earthquake. The residents were warned, but complacent because they said nothing ever happened in the past. It was a cruel lesson in not second-guessing nature. 11 people died.
LA Times 1964 video of Crescent City

There was another Tsunami on March 11, 2011 because of the earthquake in Japan. My daughter lived here by that time. Warning systems and wiser people saved lives. Only one person was swept away, some man who rushed down to the beach to take photos.
Time-lapse video by engineering group

Only the downtown business area is within the Tsunami Zone. A few residences and apartments are within the zone as well, but most residences are above the Zone and safe. (Scroll down when the map opens to view the city).
Tsunami Zone.PDF

Apparently the town leaders had settled into complacency....everything is fine just the way it is, don't change anything. Environmentalists had the loudest words when it came to changing anything, including bypassing Last Chance Grade..."leave it alone, if it falls into the ocean, so be it, just don't cut a single Redwood to bypass it". Last Chance Grade is about 10 miles south of town on 101 where the side of the mountain is trying to slide into the ocean. It did in 1945 (I believe) and took a family down with it.

By the power of social media, I am happy to say that thinking has been changed. Someone had an idea, and created a Facebook group. The group grew to nearly 2,000 Crescent City residents in two weeks. The group has become a voice for the city, and has lit a fire under our leader's asses. It was only a short time before Real Estate agents, City Planners and other Movers and Shakers got on board. The group urges residents to attend meetings, and they have.

We also support Caltrans regarding Last Chance Grade and told the state of California we want a Safe Bypass even though it means cutting out a swath of Redwoods. Without 101 there is no way to access Crescent City from the south. We would be cut off. A Bypass had been in the works for years, but nothing was moving forward...it just stopped, stagnate and squashed under the protests of the environmentalists.

Now don't get me wrong, I am an environmentalist, but I'm not stuck in Stupid Mode, either. There needs to be balance.

Some of the things the group has inspired, supported or helped push forward:

Beautifying the Beach Front park
A concert to raise money to build a Dog Park
Possible Band Shell in the Beach Front Park center
Reopening of Glenn's Bakery in 3 months
A new Pub
A new Cafe in the harbor
The re-opening of Tsunami Lanes bowling alley
Promoting The Lighthouse Repertory Theater
Promoting local business and shopping local

Homeless people and bums are a long-term issue we are trying to figure out how to address.

So, to date, this is my adventure, where I live with my dear hubby. He has a good job, one of the few in town. He would like more shopping nearby, maybe to live in a bigger city, but he doesn't really want to change jobs. There are few doctors here and no specialists. We have a small hospital. People drive 111 miles to Medford, Oregon to see a specialist. Our little airport currently only has prop-job flights to and from Portland, Oregon and Life Flight Air Ambulance to major hospitals. I don't know what the future will bring, but for now we are here, maybe permanently, maybe not. Right now I feel like one of the Lucky ones.

It's Not Midnight Yet

I can't sleep. Well, I slept some, and then I woke up. Hubby is still sleeping. He has a long day of work ahead. My alarm is set for 4 AM. We had a nice day today. It was another sunny Sunday. We drank coffee in Brookings and did a little shopping. Hubby bought me pretty flowers. It was "reminiscent day", I guess, because we both started talking about when we first met, and our fun times in Kosovo.

It's been very cold. We've had frost on the roof and cars, even on the grass, every night all week. It's supposed to cloud up at midnight. I looked out the second story spare bedroom window and could see the moon and Orion. So far my succulents have been fine with a sheet of plastic over them. This cold is unusual. December is supposed to be warmer.

Tuesday is December, so I am going to try to do a quick "Ten on Tuesday" on Sunday night. My subject is:

Ten Things I Would Change

1. Windows....I would like more of them, and some facing south.
2. More sun....on sunny days I am in the shadow of other buildings here at Seawood.
3. Lower rent or buy....too much $$ goes for rent.
4. My job....I am planning to quit Walmart the end of this month. That's one down.
5. My health....stress levels, they go down on my days off, up on the days I work.
6. My diet...more home cooking, more veggies.
7. Local groups....have Saturdays off to join in on a "Cash Mob"
8. Photography....again, another local group...enjoy a Saturday Photo Shoot with the online group members.
9. Volunteering....another local Facebook group, active in promoting our city and getting projects started, chance to meet people, make friends.
10. More time for hubby, home evenings, cooking food we both enjoy, doing things together.

Numbers 4 through 10 will fall into place when I quit working. Hubby can take the car or I can pick him up. No more walking home in the dark or in the rain, or riding his bike in the rain. Better for both of us. If you are wondering what a "Cash Mob" is, that's when an event is planned where people show up with at least $20 to spend at a local business. It's part of the group I mentioned in # 9.

Here are the pretty flowers hubby bought me. The red Cyclamen flowers look like hearts to me :)

Life is Getting Better

At times I have thought about the isolation here. But I would rather take my chances with the best doctors being 60 miles away than to die slowly in the city. The trucks rumbling down I-80/94 did not whisper to my soul.

I mark my days by the sunsets I've seen and the rocks I've gathered.

A typical view of the sunset from my back window where I lived in Indiana. I did have a better view at the park, but it was often too humid, too cold, had too many mosquitoes or bad air. I cried a lot in Indiana.

Now, a three minute drive takes me here. The sweeping views heal me. I breath, and I don't cry.

Rocks and flowers make me happy.

I think I will be done at Walmart in the foreseeable future. That is a good thing, for I did not come here to work at Walmart.

Live from Crescent City! Harbor Sunset Cam

Click arrows to view full screen

Tomorrow...Arcata and Eureka!

Hubby has tomorrow off, so we planned an outing, shopping in Arcata and Eureka, about 80 miles south of us here in Crescent City.

I didn't know we had a live cam here. I wish I could just embed the cam but I don't know how.
Crescent City Harbor

Sick again....darnit

Tourist Season is booming, I have customers from everywhere! Scandinavia, Canada, other states, who knows where else. Some pull into the Walmart parking lot in huge motor homes. Crescent City certainly is a vacation destination. Unfortunately I have heard a lot of coughing. I have been extra careful, but Tuesday night my throat was scratchy. My days off are Tuesday and Wednesday. By Wednesday I was full-blown sick. I sat on the couch all night, unable to breath laying down. I sucked on a lot of Zinc tablets. I stayed home today. It was my 4 hour day anyway. My chest congestion is already starting to break up with the help of some Mucinex. Hubby was worried. He wanted to rush me to the doctor, but I told him I will be ok, I'll only go if it lingers or gets worse. It's common in Europe for people to rush to the doctor for just about anything. After all, it only costs a couple Euros. It's hard to explain to him we really can't do that here.

Anyway, hubby has been working the early shift at Rumiano, so he gets home about 2 or 3 pm, plenty of time to grab a bite to eat and do something together. Tuesday we decided to take a walk. We had not done that since December or January. The dry weather is leaving its mark. We rarely get rain and I must water my potted plants every week. I hear there may be a change coming, which might bring mudslides to the people who live on cliffs in Southern Cal. It's always something, no matter where you live.

Pretty white flowers or grass, not sure

Skunk Cabbage (no smell this time of year)

A dead fern shines like gold

A dry field. I assume the green area in the distance is what it should all look like.

Still waiting to exhale

However, we are now number 2 on the list!

In other news, I like my job, but my back doesn't. I pulled it, of course, because I can't lift much, and my job requires lifting. So I bought a back brace. My back is particularly catchy today, and that's not a catchy tune. I work from 3 to 7 pm.

My poor hubby is still suffering. He's on a 3 week course of antibiotics, but the mold is growing in this house and it's making him worse. The way to control mold is with bleach-water, but that gives my daughter an asthma attack. They say the mold doesn't bother them. Whatever.

We are a little apprehensive about signing the lease contract. It's a case of the "what ifs"....what if I can't continue working? My hubby would love to find a higher paying job so I don't need to work. Seawood is a bit pricey. There are some cheaper options (purchase a mobile home) but they are further away, more in the woods, and would require a down payment, which would liquidate our savings. We do not want to liquidate our savings.

On a brighter note, we are making friends. There are a lot of nice people around. My hubby has friends who like to shoot. He went crab fishing with another friend (unfortunately the crabs died before we could cook them, but that's another story). I get my .22 rifle on Monday, along with my California gun license. Then we can go shooting together.

We sat by the ocean

I bundled up and we drove to the ocean and parked in the sun. We sat in the car and enjoyed the waves. This was literally the first time we have done that since I started working.

Getting paid to excercize

I started working in OTC Pharmacy at Walmart this month. The 10th was orientation. I have been working full time while training. I'm very happy to be off for the next 2 days. It's a workout, and I'm tired. I've gotten some compliments. My manager is very happy. The OTC area of the store hasn't been properly cared for since mid-December, apparently, and the previous employee never rotated the stock. It just so happened that the store manager and assistant manager visited the store yesterday. My manager introduced me and they shook my hand and complimented my work. Ok, I am going to rest now.

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.

I promised some pictures...

So here they are. These are from December 6th, all from the Lake Earl Recreational Area. This is one of our favorite places to walk.

 I love taking pictures of cute mushrooms

 I spotted this pinky-nail sized yellow one

The Road Less Traveled

4 mile loop, a walking path along Lake Earl. It's hard to believe this is a 5 minute drive and a half-hour or so walk from town. Lake Earl is behind us to the right. We are looking toward the ocean, but at an estuary that is separated from the ocean by dunes. Many water fowl gather here.
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These are from December 13th.

 Honey Bee

 Small orange 'shrooms

 Beaver Pond sign...this is new, along with a picnic table and an observation bench.

 Beaver Pond

 Some dried flower bracts, along the path leading to Lake Earl

 Lots of 'srooms on a log. After reaching the lake we turn west and follow another trail that takes us back to the parking lot.

The trail back to the parking lot. The late afternoon air is cool and damp. You can see dew on the grass. The tire tracks are from the park ranger's vehicles. 

Bright yellow 'shrooms growing on a log.

Life on the North Coast

We have contemplated the differences between where we were and where we are now, and we are confident we made the right choice. I thought about it before, and discussed it in length with my husband. I didn't want him to have any regrets.

The nearest Target store is 79 miles south. Ditto for Kmart, Khols, PetSmart, all the stores we had in abundance all around us in northwest Indiana. We don't have Meijer's, with the long ethnic food isle. There is no Aldi store with its low prices in the west anywhere. The nearest airport where jets land is 6 hours drive away in any direction.

On the other hand, there are no steel mills, no oil refineries, no heavy industries, no smog, no congestion. Some people think that translates into no jobs. That's not entirely true. There are fewer jobs, but also fewer people. We were in a huge metro area in NW Indiana, and jobs were just as hard, if not harder, to find. One steel mill has a waiting list of 4,000 applicants and a wait time estimate of 12 years. Many places wanted 3 or 5 years experience only. No one was willing to train.

We are settling in, learning our way around, meeting people. We went to the Work One office. Nice, helpful people (unlike the office in Indiana). We met the neighbors. Nice people. My hubby has placed several job applications. He has several opportunities in the works that may bring results early next year, and they are willing to train.

There is a discount grocery store in town that carries many of the foods from Germany that we were buying at Aldi. Brookings Oregon is an easy 24 mile drive. An oil change here in California is $55. We got one in Brookings for nearly half that. Gas is cheaper in Oregon and they pump your gas for you. There is no sales tax in Oregon. Too bad the real estate taxes and home prices are so high there. Brookings also has several nice places to shop.

Nature is everywhere! Many people who live here moved here because of the nature. We can drive ten minutes north and we are at the Lake Earl Recreational Area. When it's not raining we take long walks. I take lots of pictures. Five minutes west brings us to the ocean. South of town is another beach and a look out. A road leading into the Redwood forests is on the west side of town.

Houses here are affordable. This is one of the few places in California where that is true. The town is decent. It has some dumpy parts, and a few unsavory characters, along with a homeless population that lives behind Walmart. There are million dollar houses along the coastal road, but there are much more affordable houses only a block or so away. Most people keep their houses and yards in good shape.

This is a town of people who love the Lighthouse, the Redwoods, and the ocean. The coastal road has several turnouts with ample parking. People go there to eat lunch, to meditate, and to take pictures. Artists live here. The land is art, the sky is art, the sea is art. The area is referred to as the "North Coast" and "Wild Rivers Coast". This is the land of wild-caught sockeye salmon, grass-fed beef, organic produce and California "happy cows". We have great local cheese.

Do we miss anything? Yes, my older daughter and her husband and his kids. We visit on cam now and then. Autumn leaves....there are a few here, but not like the Midwest. I don't miss the cold and I don't miss the heat. I honestly didn't want to go through another winter like last winter, with three polar vortexes. I was stuck inside, mostly snowed in, and shivering all winter. I didn't want any more sweltering hot, humid summers full of mosquitoes and tornado warnings. Add in bad air from the industry and all I had was misery. I was stuck inside in the air conditioning all summer.

I think I have rambled enough. Next post I will post some pictures from our many walks in the awesome fresh air.

Alone

My husband is in Kosovo. I told him he should go now, before starting a new job, because it might be years before he is able to take four weeks off, if that. The trip costs the same, whether you stay one week or four. So I said go....go see your mom and family and friends. His parents are elderly. You must grab opportunities when they come.

So I am alone for the first time since he immigrated. I was not prepared for how sad I would be. I didn't think I was sad, but I felt sick and slept much of the time he was traveling. With the layovers and delays, a 15 hour flight turned into 26 hours. At last we spoke on cam, and then he had to go, and I cried.

So here I sit, not feeling much like doing anything, and telling myself to snap out of it and write something.

Tuki, our bunny, is sleeping in the closet. He is a darling lump of cotton soft white fur who begs for attention and cereal. He sleeps on the rug next to the bed every night. He doesn't care where he lives, as long as it is with us. He is a surprisingly good pet. He uses a litter box full of hay. I keep all cords out of reach and give him lots of things to chew on.

Tuki

The weather here has been dryer than normal. I thought it rained all the time, but I have been enjoying perfect, sunny weather nearly every day. I can open the windows almost every day and smell only fresh air, no car exhaust, no steel mills, no oil refinery, no aluminum recycling. The fresh air is good for my health. No more chest pain from polluted air. My daughter told me summers here are like this. Glorious!

California does not have the autumn colors of the Midwest. I knew that. But for my health I needed a milder climate. We have driven around town and seen cute houses with rows of mums blooming in fall colors. I have seen succulents, agave and palm trees and fruit trees. My daughter tells me it's beautiful when everything blooms in the spring. My mom always had a beautiful outdoor garden in southern California. I was never able to replicate it in the Midwest. On my list of must-haves...Night Blooming Cereus and Jade tree. I really didn't think succulents would grow here with the wet winters, but I see them everywhere. Succulent happy dance!!!

They really do have "Happy Cows" in California. Well, dairy farms and cheese factories. I thought the California cheese commercials were a joke, until I came here. I'm munching on RUMIANO  PEPPATO (aged dry Monterey Jack with Peppercorns), bought locally from the Rumiano Cheese Company. The stores carry many fine cheeses and yogurts from the Tillamook Dairy in Oregon. Rumiano has a retail store right here in Crescent City.

Our airport is tiny and downright endearing. Where else can you drive 10 minutes, park, walk in and weigh your luggage, as many times as you wish, until you get it right? We stopped in at 3 PM, when the room was empty of passengers. Two friendly agents were on hand to answer baggage questions and make sure the scale was turned on. Before flights, a TSA agent does a full inspection of all luggage. They x-ray AND hand search! The security is just as tight as at a major airport, with the advantage of fewer passengers to scan.

When entering the parking lot, one passes a fleet of FedEX delivery vans. Small FedEx planes also land and taxi to the FedEx building there. I guess the large Cal-Ore Life Flight (air ambulance) building must be a hangar for maintenance. At the other end of the parking lot is Cal-Ore office, and in the same building, Hertz Rent-a-Car. In the middle is a small terminal that handles the few flights in and out of Crescent City.

Looking west toward the FedEX area. The passenger terminal is out of view to the right. My hubby's plane is in the air in this picture, maybe out of view.

My hubby's plane. Small planes operated by SkyWest in alliance with United are the only services in and out of Crescent City.

Looking east, Hertz and Cal-Ore Life Flight office. That's my hubby's plane zipping down the runway.

Del Norte County Regional Airport in the distance under a big, beautiful sky with trees and mountains in the background. The Pacific is behind me. 

Crescent City has many attractions, considering its small size. We have yet to try the seafood restaurants. Many artists live in the area. Apparently wealthy people do, as well, judging from the small row of million-dollar houses overlooking the harbor. Affordable housing can be found here, unlike many other places in California. 

For the most part the people are friendly. I have been complimented on my hair, my scarf and my earrings all by various ladies I don't even know. People say hello. Most people here appreciate nature. The overlooks almost always have a car or two, or more. Many are locals who drive (or bike) down to the waterfront to meditate on the ocean. It is a daily lunch routine for some.

So, I've written about many good things. Is there a downside? Of course there is. Every place has a downside of some sort. We have a homeless population living behind Walmart. Food prices are much higher than in the Midwest. Gas prices are higher. There is no Aldi store. I miss my older daughter and her husband. I gave away too many things. I wish I had kept my mother's wooden mortar and pestle. Silly, maybe, but sometimes the little things are what nag you.

Our blessings....being gifted with the chance to live here in my younger daughter's house while we get on our feet and get a place of our own. God willing, my husband has a possible job waiting for him when he comes home. I will write more another time.