Two snakes, one fox, a fortune of lizards but no grizzlies. That counts as a ‘win’ for us, especially our dear editor. When growing up, she obviously never got to know Winnie the Pooh intimately. We set off in deep mist wondering what we would be able to view along the way and particularly, at the peaks. ‘Mist,’ our editor informed us. What would we do without her well-rounded knowledge and information.
The hike was amazing. The weather was cool. The visibility was limited in the beginning. However, we were invigorated. We moved up to the first peak of some 1400 feet quite quickly. Thereafter, it was on to the next two peaks, which involved a drop of 500 feet and of course, a climb again to a higher altitude. All in all, we gained well over 2,000 feet in our eight-mile round-trip. The clouds, the mist, the sheer beauty—we look at clouds differently these days. What can a person say or write. Leave it to the pictures. To watch the valleys fill with clouds and mist reminded us of Switzerland and Hawaii. Nora Laiken and Uncle Issy Klein from Melbourne, both pointed out that the previous scenes reminded them of the latter state. Today’s pictures will justify their perception completely.
At one stage, we discussed briefly the chances of getting lost in the mist or perhaps stepping too close to the edge. Our editor provided the solution. She would walk on the risky outside edge and we would remain on the safer inside. It made sense to us and we continued, visiting three peaks.
At Oats Peak, we noticed the bench positioned on the small summit surface. We were fascinated. The bench is chained to the ground. This encouraged us to ponder and think but mostly wonder. In the great State of California, the financial position is precarious. Why should that be the case? Look how the state takes care of its property. Imagine if these priceless benches were not strapped down. A gang of thieves could hike some four miles uphill, lift the bench, carry it all the way down the mountain and probably sell it for twenty or so bucks as scrap. We were embarrassed by our rash judgment as we had often thought the officers of the state were not careful with taxpayers’ money. We do wonder who has the key to the lock, though.
We enjoyed another wonderful Shabbos. The fifth book of the Torah, together with the commentary of R’ Hirsh, is stunning. During our Shabbos afternoon stroll around Morro Bay, we realized that we had only seen a partial view of the famous city rock in five days. The mist is constant and consistent in these parts. We understand that the warmest month of the year is October with a mean temperature of 69 degrees. For those fond of hot, sunny days, that is, indeed, mean.
Cheers,
Jenni and Jeffrey
Post-game show:
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