SEBASTAPOL

"No Toto, we are not in Mexico"  Sebastapol is a small town in Northern California in Sonoma county, next to the Napa Valley (both are the wine country, but Sonoma is coastal).  Because I allowed my residency card to expire four years ago, I have to leave Mexico every six months.  It just became such a hassle dealing with the Immigration office here that I gave up.  The last time took me eight trips.  Then they changed the immigration laws so now you have to start in The U.S, so it would be impossible for me, as I am never there long enough.  So twice  year, I go somewhere (usually to Laguna).  But my lawyer where I had been staying in his guest house sold it and moved.  Also the car rental costs me almost twice what my plane ticket is.  So when my friends from San Francisco invited me to their place, I jumped at the chance.

They were to meet me at the airport in San Francisco and we would drive to Sebastapol.  I arrived at the airport in Vallarta two hours early (I always do) just to find out that the plane was delayed over an hour. I panicked and had a fit at the Alaska airline counter.  To my amazement, they agreed to call my friends in San Francisco.  But I did not have their number.  I had their Mexican phone and mainly used email to communicate, but I also did not have my computer.  The good news was that they have built a very attractive bar outside the terminal (where you can smoke).  I met a nice couple who were on the same plane to S.F.  After explaining my problem they tried to get into my email with an Ipod.  No luck! Then when the plane arrived late it got in just after a 747 from China.  Immigration took almost one hour (and I thought LAX was bad).  Fortunately my friends are not as dumb as I am and knew the plane was late.

Even though it was now about 9:00 at night, the traffic was almost at a standstill.  It took us hours to reach their summer home in Sonoma.  The area is totally rural and the homes are all on one or more acres.  Their home is two stories with four bedrooms (master on the bottom) so I had the top floor to myself.  Two sides of the house has a huge red wood deck overlooking the valley and vineyards.  We spent a lot of time just sitting on the deck and drinking (I was smoking) Although the kitchen had already been remodeled with lots of granite, they have plans to completely change the first floor.  I thought it was lovely just as it was.  The first morning was foggy (that is the sort of purple photo you see).  From then on, it was clear and very hot (but no humidity)   In front of the little fish pond is a huge pool.  They are also adding an additional four car garage for Jeff collects and restores old cars.They look brand new, inside and out.  I especially liked the Lincoln Mark III

Although their address is Sebastapol, they are closer to a little town called Graton.  A charming little town that looks like something out of an Old West movie (except for the cars).  We had dinner there one night. They also toured me around the area for several hours taking me along the Russian River where they used to own a condo.  The Russian River area is mostly redwoods and quite beautiful.

The area is devoted to wine, with vineyards everywhere.  Although years ago it was apple country as evidenced by the lone apple tree on their property.   They have a wine club membership in one vineyard where we stopped and sampled wine while sitting in a picnic area next to the grape vines.  It was lovely and the wine was good (but not cheap!)  The next day we also went to another small wine tasting in Graton.  I love wine and drink a lot, I am just not a wine connoisseur.  Then we took a long walk through the woods, passing vineyards.  It is mostly oak, pine trees and some redwoods (no palm trees)  It was decided that the last night we should drive back into San Francisco because I had a 10:30 flight in the morning.  They said the usual commuter traffic in the morning could take us four hours and we would have to leave before 4:30am.  I was just as glad as I got to see their place in San Francisco.  It is in an old Victorian, but totally redone and gorgeous with a small deck and fern garden in the back yard.   Unfortunately I could not get good pictures.  Photography is not my forte, so forgive me. All in all it was a wonderful relaxing trip and the flight home was without a hitch.  Well, except for my own mistake.  I checked in at one of the little kiosks.  I was surprised when after I paid the ridiculous price of  $26.00 for the checked bag it printed out the bag tag.  Why don't  they charge for the carry on bags.  They cause delays in boarding and deplaning.   The screen said "proceed to boarding"  I did and was half way through security when I realized I still had my bag.  The TS A people were not happy when I tried to get out of security.  I had to check my bag as I carry tooth paste too large to pass security.   As nice as the trip and the visit was, I am always very happy to be back home in Mexico.

It was not such a good time for kitty.  When I first thought about my trip, I decided to take her to the vet and let him keep her for the time I am gone.  He could "fix" her and check her out, give shots, whatever she needed.  So I went to arrange it with my local vet.  He did not want to keep her.  He said he already was boarding three dogs and it would not be a good idea.  I peeked around the corner and saw this tiny room with cages.  Kitty has never been confined in a house, let alone a cage.  She would go crazy even without the dogs.  So I decided that it would be best just to leave her here on her own.  She managed for the year or two before I met her.  Her sister does just fine living under the fish taco stand next door (well that, plus what she steals from kitty).  Her sister can share now.  But I still needed to get her "fixed".  I made an appointment with the vet to take her in at 9:00 and pick her up at 3:00.  Jennifer loaned me her carrying case for her dog so I placed it in the living room so kitty could get used to it.  Being the curious cat that she is, as soon as she spotted it she headed over, sniffed it and climbed in and laid down.  Wonderful!  But I could not give her any food after 8:00 the previous night, so that morning I left her on the balcony screaming.  After 8:00 I decided to get her in the cage.  Sure enough, she went right in.

But, I had never tried to attach the door before.  It has a hinge and two locks.  I could not get one of the locks closed.  Since I still had to shower and shave, I just pushed the cage up against a heavy chest I have.  She screamed so much that I closed the door to the bathroom.  Not too long later, she stopped screaming.  Good! I thought,  But when I opened the bathroom door, I found that kitty had opened the door and pushed herself away from the chest.  This time she was not anxious to get back inside.  Her four paws were splayed with all claws out.  Some how I manged to get her in and finally lock the door.  I dropped her off at the vet, but a few hours later he called.  I panicked!  Did she die on the operation table, or maybe she was really a boy?  No, it seems that she had already been "fixed"  By whom and when?  I told him I would be right down.  He said she was already sedated and not to come by until after 3:00.  She was still extremely groggy and when I opened the cage, she had trouble standing up.  Her back legs were not functioning.  He said the sedation would only last a few hours, but four hours later she was still staggering.  She kept screaming and pacing back and forth by the sliding glass doors.  She wanted out.  I could not let her onto the balcony as she has to jump three feet to reach the rail, or five feet to reach the hole in the wrought iron to get to the apartment next door,  Had I planned this better, maybe I should have got a kitty liter box and a bed for her.  But I had not, so I took her down to the front door.  She looked warily around (like she had no idea where she was) but eventually got across the sidewalk and under a car.  I thought this may be the last I see of her.  The following morning there she was waiting for her food.  She acted like nothing had happened and was just as affectionate as ever.  Did she really not remember, or was the desire for food over powering her judgement.  Who knows?

I fed her quite a bit the last day.  She is getting so fat, she could probably go for several days without eating (not that she would like it).  I was afraid that this would be the final straw and kitty would vanish before I got back.  But there she was waiting on the balcony in the blazing afternoon sun.  She was hungry, but otherwise acted like nothing had happened.  Maybe they really have no memory.  But then, my memory is not was it once was, so we make a perfect pair.