Monterey

Anyone out there recognize this location? It's the patio dining area of Nepenthe, the beautiful restaurant (nearly 60 years old now) overlooking the ocean in Big Sur, one of my favorite spots. (Trivia note: Nepenthe was featured in the 1965 movie "The Sandpiper" with Liz Taylor. As I recall, I felt she didn't make a very convincing "beatnik.") My quarterly CRS meeting is always held in Monterey in August, and I had the good fortune to be accompanied this year by my lovely Mom, who has a childhood friend in the area. While I was in my conference last Friday (the topic was blogging, incidentally), Mom and her friend took the drive to Big Sur. I was sorry to miss out on that opportunity (always a gorgeous drive!), but I enjoyed networking with other CRS agents from our Northern California region and getting the latest techno tips. As an added bonus, it was great to be breathing fresh ocean air after a month of smoke from the ongoing fires. Now back in Chico, and the air has cleared quite a bit--in spite of the "new" fire that broke out in the Berry Creek area just as we returned. My heart goes out to all of the people who have lost their homes.