From Malibu to Merigold

Red Dog's back after a long day of travel. Waking up predawn in Southern California to see the sunrise on an L. A. Freeway and see the sunset in the Mississippi Delta while driving the "Blues Highway" from Memphis is something Red Dog is getting too old to do on a regular basis.

Talk about a contrast in two worlds! First of all, there is no such thing as a Los Angeles "Rush Hour" it's traffic 24/7. The locals fondly refer to the highways as "The" as in "The 5" (for Interstate 5) or "The 101" for Highway 101. It's the equivalent of telling someone how to get from Greenville to Cleveland by "Go to The 82 and turn East until you come to The 61 and go North." Don't ask for directions in L.A. unless you speak at least three languages and English doesn't count. Secondly, the scenery is changing in Southern California, the winter rains greened up the mountains which are now turning yellow, just before brown and wildfire material. It won't rain there again until January (Enero). The earth moves there. They keep building stuff, but it's all restricted by codes and covenants. A Blue Box Wal-Mart is a big no-no. Thirdly, no one can afford to live there. Gasoline from $2.57 to $2.68 by Red Dog's research. A pack of Marlboro in Malibu $4.95. (And we gripe about a $.50 cigarette tax.) Real Estate is not Real. $400,000 gets you a box rated just above a dump located outside the Barrio. So, we here in Greenville can be thankful for some things.

What's good about California? It's really all about the weather. Lows 50's, highs 70's, humidity 0%, sunshine all day. Sure there are drawbacks everywhere, but where else can you get a Starbucks Caffe Mocha at 5:30 in the morning? Last evening I ate at Duke's in Malibu, overlooking the Pacific Ocean watching the waves crash in on the rocks and the sun set behind pelicans diving into the water for their dinner. Simply breathtaking. Not quite the same as eating at Fergie's. There's more of everything there and, of course, more people. My son will soon be moving from California, company transfer, and I am sure going to miss going out there. But during those hot and humid summer days, I can at least do some California Dreamin'.

I just wanted to get something together while it was fresh in my tired little mind. I will catch up on what's been going on tomorrow and give a Red Dog view of it later. It's good to be home and my bed is calling my name.