A day trip to Mendocino County
 |
| Not a contender for the cover, but pretty nonetheless. |
This outing was slated to occur over a month ago. Then I was laid up by diverticulitis. Yet I still needed a book cover photo for Home and Far Away, so yesterday my husband and I traipsed down 101 on a most gorgeous early autumn day, enjoying lunch and snapping pics as we traveled.
I began the driving, as my better half likes to snooze whenever possible, lol. First off I noticed how deciduous trees speckled amid the Redwoods had altered from our last trek south; golds and oranges and reds and dusty green-grays were their hues, sparkling as though wishing to out-muscle the giants for recognition. We wondered how the grapes further south would appear; Home and Far Away takes place in fictional Jumpville, California, standing in for Hopland. I was hoping for grapevines still with leaves, but would take what nature provided.
After reaching Willits, vineyards appeared, and to our joy almost all were still leafy, in a variety of colours. Most were turning yellow, a few red, others that tired-looking green. California gets no rain in summer, in case you're curious, not even here in Humboldt, although we benefit from morning drizzle close to the coast. We took some off-ramps, but rare were the spots along the road to pull off for actual photographs. How difficult would this task be, I began to ponder.
I didn't grow up on this side of the state; had that been the case, more period-friendly shots would be within my possession. Yet on the cover, I wanted to set the stage for this story, firmly placed in California's wine country. Finally we found some acceptable landscapes, and I snapped quickly, then we moved on, locating better vistas. After an hour, I had enough photos, and we stopped for a break, enjoying the warm temperatures, in the upper seventies. At home it was sixty-one, and we smiled, a perfectly great day for our neck of the North Coast. We lamented the chickens being literally cooped inside, but Tuesday was forecast to be spectacular, perhaps reaching seventy at home. They could be in the run all day, while we slipped back into our routine.
Fortunately we made it home before the sun set; all eight chickens burst from the coop, a few flying as if wishing to bust outta the run! They nibbled on grass for about forty minutes, then as darkness arrived, into the coop they went as if they had spent all day outdoors. Our road trip accomplished what I needed, and now the rest of the week will be spent writing a synopsis, making up tags, sorting a genre or two, then fashioning that cover. I'm hoping to publish Home and Far Away early next week, a little behind its original schedule, but semi-retirement allows me to choose the when and where, or to let my body heal, then get on with things. Either way, I'm eager to share this novel, so here's a snippet from when Richard takes Sooz for a tour. Enjoy your week, and I shall do the same!
As they approached the truck, Richard considered opening Suze’s door for her, then he discarded that idea for she probably wasn’t aware of the significance and he didn’t want to make this more awkward. She clearly wasn’t keen on leaving Chella alone, what Richard chose to think, not wanting to assign more to this outing than what he wished it to mean. He felt badly for not previously asking if she wanted to explore the area, but work had intruded and she had never mentioned it. They got in the truck, then Suze fastened her seat belt. Richard never did, though he made sure Gilly was strapped in whenever they went somewhere. “I won’t go fast,” he said, starting the engine.
“Oh, I just assumed this was a mandatory practice.”
“It probably should be.” He put the truck into gear, then slowly headed for the road. “I do make Gilly wear one.”
“What is its proper name?”
“A seat belt.”
“Interesting.”
“Uh-huh.” Richard reached the road, looked both ways, then went left. The sun shone brightly, but the air was cool, and he breathed deeply, gesturing toward the eastern hills. “We’re mostly on the coast, in that the rest of the country lies east. This area’s pretty rural, agricultural I mean. Not much to see really, but I thought….”
“How far is the beach?”
“The beach?”
“Yes.”
“Uh, about an hour and a half, depending on traffic and how often I gotta stop for Gilly.”
“Why do you need to stop for Gilly?”
“Because the road’s pretty windy and she gets car sick.”
“Oh.”
Richard made a rolling stop at the main road, then went left. “The Pacific’s just over those hills, but there’s no straight way to get there. It’s been over a year since I took her, she might be a little better now. Do you wanna see the ocean?”
Suze nodded, then shrugged. “Noth spoke of the ocean, the Pacific,” she said slowly. “He described its beauty. Chella asked me to take pictures for her if I ever saw it.”
“We can do that before Gilly goes back to school.”
“I suppose,” Suze said, staring out her window.
Richard stole a glance at her, hands clasped together in her lap, her long hair loose over her shoulders. Her curls were now more like thick waves, and for a second he ached to run his fingers through those tresses. He cleared his throat, then pulled over, putting the truck in neutral. “See those rows of squat vegetation? Those are grapes, that’s a vineyard.”
“Like where you worked recently?”
“Yeah.” He wanted to scoot closer to her, merely to not point over her. “This whole area’s planted in grapes. Well, not my road, but if you look, they’re everywhere.”
Suze gazed out the front windshield, then out Richard’s window. “They’re invasive,” she murmured.
“Seems that way. Big money in it. Someday the whole valley’s gonna be one big winery.”
“Will you sell your property to a winery?”
“Grandpa sure thought I should when the timing was most beneficial.”
“So you would be well compensated.”
Richard smiled. “You like that word.”
“It’s what I’m familiar with.”
“Yeah, it’s apt.” He glanced out his side mirror, then put the truck in gear, getting back on the road. “101 runs north-south through this part of the state, but we’re so far north of Santa Rosa, there’s not a lot of hub-bub, just people getting to where they wanna go, truckers and the like. They speed through town, I suppose that’s to be expected. Every few years there’s a big wreck and the CHP descends for a while, then it’s back to business as usual.”
“CHP?”
“California Highway Patrol,” Richard said, also explaining what truckers were. Then he turned right, again pulling off the road. “Gilly would love going to the beach before school went back. But I don’t know about Chella, I mean….”
“Take Gilly.” Suze said. Then she sighed. “And your camera. Chella would love to see photographs.”
“Gilly wouldn’t wanna go unless, well….”
“Chella couldn’t enjoy it.”
“Maybe if we waited for a cloudy day, though a lotta times the Pacific’s pretty fogged in.”
“Whatever makes Gilly happy,” Suze shrugged.
Richard sighed softly, her tone resigned. “It was just an idea.”
“Perhaps another time.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
Suze sighed. “We should get back. But this’s been enjoyable.”
“Sure.” Richard put the truck into gear, then turned around in the road. He drove back the way they came, then turned right onto Mason Road. “There’s Enrique and Lupe’s house,” he said, then he waved at Lupe, hanging wash on a clothesline.
“Is that little girl Juana?” Suze asked.
“Yeah.”
“Gilly mentioned her when we first arrived. Why don’t they play together?”
“Well, Lupe and the kids have been in Mexico most of summer visiting relatives. They only got back this past week.”
“Will Gilly reconnect with Juana soon?”
“Maybe, or they’ll wait till school starts.”
“Why would they wait?” Suze asked.
“Well, it’s a far walk for five-year-olds either way.”
“But you could drive her, correct? Or walk with her.”
“Yeah, but she doesn’t ask. They’ll see each other every day in a couple weeks.”
“Do people here keep their distance?”
“Whatdya mean?”
“I mean no one stops here other than the mailman. Your friend Bruce, Gilly mentioned him this morning. He drove by one time, but hasn’t returned.”
“Word got out I was working. No reason for him to come by if I’m not here.”
“Someone drove past the house late last night. I went to turn off Chella’s light, but I could hear a vehicle along the road. After I turned off her light, I peered through the window, a vehicle driving slowly away.”
Richard nodded, wondering if someone had been watching his place. Only he and the Hernandezes lived on this stretch of Mason Road. “Might’ve been Bruce. Maybe I’ll run over to his place today, see what he says.”
Suze nodded, but didn’t speak. Richard stopped near the mailbox, but before he could get out, Suze did, checking for mail. She returned to the truck with a couple of envelopes and Richard thanked her, then he turned into the driveway. Gilly and Chella sat on the porch, Max lumbering from Chella’s side, then waiting at the bottom of the steps. Richard parked several feet from the house; Suze got out, but left the mail on the seat. Gilly ran to meet her, asking where they went and what they saw. Richard tuned out her chatter as he eyed the top letter. Immediately he recognized Lydia’s handwriting, his name on the envelope. He scowled, then checked the other envelope, just the electricity bill. He grabbed both pieces, took the keys from the ignition, then exited the truck. Gilly’s smile turned to a frown. “What’s wrong Daddy?”
“Oh nothing.” Richard sighed, then gestured to Chella. “What, cartoons over?”
“No, but Chella wanted to wait for you and Suze. Daddy, are you okay?”
Richard forced a smile, then stared at his left hand, the mail clenched within his fist. “Fine honey, I’m just fine.” He headed to the house, waving at Chella, but didn’t say anything, opening the screen door, then letting it slam behind him.
