Catching Up

Thursday, October 17, 2013

We shopped for supplies and a couple things we forgot this morning then drove out to Valencia to meet Sandee's best friend from high school for lunch. Let me give you the tour of a common route when we lived here.

The Santa Susana Pass on the 118 which we drove to visit family and friends in Thousand Oaks and I drove to Cal Lutheran.

Looking out over the San Fernando Valley from the 118.

The California Aqueduct at the split of  I-5 and the 14.

Heading down into Santa Clarita, where we lived for eight years.

Gina and I have stayed in contact all these years but it had been three years since we visited her and her family in Washington. We had a blast catching up on all the events, and there have been many, in our lives.

Following our 3 1/2+ hour lunch with Gina, we did a bit of shopping at Valencia Town Center mall. This bear was near the entrance and represents the California state animal displayed on the state flag which is the California Grizzly Bear. Oh! You didn't know that there are grizzly bears in California. Well, you were right.

"Before the grizzly bear was exterminated in California, this magnificent animal thrived in the great valleys and low mountains of the state (probably in greater numbers than anywhere else in North America).

As humans began to pour into California, the grizzly would not retreat from advancing civilization. Standing their ground, grizzly bears killed livestock and interfered with settlements. Less than 75 years after the discovery of gold, every grizzly bear in California had been tracked down and killed." Source: statesymbolsusa.org

This next photo shows the "collapsing freeways" as Rich called them today. You do not want to be on or under these in an earthquake because they have collapsed twice...yikes! And we drove those every day, as many folks still do.

We came back to the RV to check on the girls and then went to our nephew Ted's & Johanna's house to catch up with them.

His mom, our sister-in-law Helen, was over too! Helen hates having her picture taken so don't tell her that you saw her on my blog...giggle  We'll see all of them and more at the party tomorrow night...can't wait!

Lovin' Life ~~ Catching Up With Our CA Life