More Spanish and a Baby Fix

Tuesday

Cindy and I walked downtown (Oceanside) on Tuesday morning and had manicures. We also had “second breakfast” and chai tea at Swami’s café, a popular spot across the street, while waiting for the manicurist.

 

Swami's Café in O'side, site of our "second breakfast"

 

That and going to my second Spanish class in the afternoon were the highlights of the day. I believe I’m making progress on Spanish—I’m biting the bullet and memorizing all the verb conjugations that I’ve pretty much forgotten over the years, which are essential for actually understanding a native Spanish speaker. My instructor recommends watching Spanish films with English subtitles, to improve comprehension of spoken Spanish. Sounds like a great idea. For the rest of today, I worked on the book I’m editing and did my Spanish homework.

Jack and Bud finally came back into cell range and he called me this evening. Sounds like they have had a great time so far and they’ve caught a lot of trout. It’s a bit colder than expected where they’ve been, near Yosemite; there’s snow on the mountains and some of the streams are still a little high from the snowmelt. I’m sure he will fill you in when he gets back and will have some photos for us. They are due to arrive home on Thursday afternoon.

Wednesday

This morning I got up early and drove down to Solana Beach to meet my friend Lynne for breakfast. After breakfast we planned to visit a friend with two-month-old identical twin boys. (Sara took a science writing class from Lynne several years ago and we met through Lynne—she attended my alma mater Mary Washington College and she also was in the Coast Guard, so we had two connections.)  The boys, Scott and Brett, were just waking up from their nap when we arrived, and I got to hold and feed Brett while Sara tended to Scott—a great baby fix! So cute…

Me holding Scott and Brett (not sure in this photo which is which!)

After the visit, we hustled back up to Solana Beach, so I could be on time for my Spanish class in Carlsbad. Today it meets earlier than usual, at 12:30 pm, and I have a different teacher, since Anamaria had a schedule conflict.

I haven’t said much about Carlbad in this blog. It’s a picturesque and historic little town by the sea. It has some interesting buildings, some that look like Olde English Tudor and some German, and it has a replica old-style windmill that’s a landmark for a restaurant/hotel. Carlsbad is famous around here for its colorful flower fields, about 50 acres of ranunculus flowers that bloom in big stripes of color in the spring. This can be seen from the interstate, and it’s really something! Unfortunately, we arrived too late this year to see it, as it’s gone in early May.

Carlsbad and its flower fields (didn't take this photo--we missed the bloom)

Windmill reproduction, a Carlsbad landmark
 

 

My Spanish teacher today, Monica, is from Spain, a beautiful blonde who says she always wanted to be a “California girl” even when she was young and living in Spain. For the first hour, we walk by some of the quaint shops of Carlsbad and down to a beach overlook, chatting away in Spanish. I have to ask her for the meanings of many words, but it’s a great way to learn. I’m getting better at conversing. For the second hour of class, we practice verb conjugations back at the class building.

When I got home, I helped Tom assemble a new “bistro” table for their patio, while Cindy makes supper. We have supper up on the “ocean deck” again with Cindy and Tom, and then Cindy and I watch the rest of Princess Bride before retiring. Cute movie. Jack called again and verified what time they’d be getting home tomorrow.

Bird species count: Vermilion flycatcher, turkey vulture, Bell’s vireo, *golden-fronted woodpecker, Say’s phoebe, northern cardinal, greater roadrunner, house finch, common raven, *northern rough-winged swallow, *summer tanager, *prothonotary warbler, *yellow-breasted chat, *yellow-rumped warbler, northern mockingbird, mourning dove, cliff swallow, Mexican jay, black-headed grosbeak, black-chinned  hummingbird, Wilson’s warbler, *Scott’s oriole, chipping sparrow, house sparrow, lesser goldfinch, black-crested titmouse, acorn woodpecker, scrub jay, *western kingbird, white-winged dove, *canyon towhee, *Grace’s warbler, *zone-tailed hawk, *curve-billed thrasher, Bullock’s oriole, Gambel’s quail, great horned owl, black-throated sparrow, *cactus wren, ladder-backed woodpecker, white-crowned sparrow, brownheaded cowbird, Brewer’s blackbird, *pyrrhuloxia, hooded oriole, verdin, crow, Anna’s hummingbird, dark-eyed junco, white-throated swift, Steller’s jay, mallard, common egret, brown pelican, western bluebird

State count: 11 [Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California]