Lovin' San Diego!

Here we are (on the left) at Camp Wal-Mart in Bakersfield –

 one of eight RVs enjoying a night of free camping!

Sun Jan 9^th – Our longest driving day yet (246 miles!) from Bakersfield down through LA and on to Silver Strand State Beach in San Diego.   Pretty cool place to park, looking out on the glorious Pacific!

Our view of the ocean with Point Loma off to the right.   

Monday - A day of reminiscing – fond recollections of the highest degree – as we visited my Dad’s cousin Jean Leighton on Point Loma.  Growing up, my sis and I would visit the Leightons for a week or two most summers.  Memories of time spent there with Jamie, Kim & Chris (3^rd cousins - our ages) are among my most treasured. Jean and Jim were the original  “bohemians” and they opened my eyes to a different style of living.  Jim is gone now, but Jean (84 years old and still working!) has been in the house on Willow Street for over 55 years and is still the artistic lover of plants and all nature that I remember from years ago. And Kim happened to be there today, too!  We had a fabulous visit!  Now I’m going to post a bunch of pictures which may not be of interest to most, but one or two of you will no doubt feel the nostalgia of this post. Harold and I (also Robin!) were last here with Mike about 25 years ago when he graduated from Navy boot camp! 

Going back . . .

Front entry - unchanged for decades!

So great to be here with Jean!

The house happy with color!!

Kim got everything set up for lunch.  This is where we
always ate - on the front porch - same table!!

Harold admiring the details!

Always that smile!  Doesn't she look fabulous?

The living room - not much has changed!

Above & below - that funky kitchen where all the bread-baking
and abalone frying took place . . . mmmmmmmm

The house was always (and still is) so fun and interesting, but the garden and the ponds are the most amazing of all!!!!

Karen - remember the hammock???

New sculpture and brick paths added since my young days here.

And more sculpture has been added to the garden - isn't it great?

One of the ponds - with a huge koi!

Here's Harold by a 55 year old plus jade tree!

. . . and another little pond! 

I always loved the hammock - the brickwork is relatively new.

Looking down on the yard from the front porch.  Lush!!

Well, it has been great fun for me remembering this whole scene!  I'll try to minimize future posts!  

So, we've been in San Diego almost a week - loving every minute of it!  I want to do another post of some of our other fun activities here.  We are for the most part free camping here, so the only time I can get on the internet is when I can drag Harold to a Starbucks.

Keep in touch!