SAT - DOWN DAY IN THE PARK - SO WE THOUGHT

NOT SO! It's 49 degrees outside and 59 degrees inside but it sure was warm under the covers. We sleep well in the camper but you should see the padding on the mattress. Like sleeping on a cloud.

After out big day at The Huntington, we thought we would have a low key day at the park. It started out that way, we walked up to the laundry and did a load of dark clothes. We were bad as we ate lunch out, Jim got Arby's and I love Taco Bell. All that good lettuce and hot sauce together. Yum Yum. We went to Wal-Mart to exchange our atomic clock. You know the kind. Tells you the temp inside, outside, the humidity, the name of your Mother's Mother. Anyway the one we bought was defective and we needed a new one. We got it and it works well, now we just have to display it so I can read it. It is in a weird spot.

While having our to go lunches at our table outside, our neighbor came over and told us about some breakin's at the park. Here we don't even take our keys out of the truck or lock anything up. That changed. In one park model they crawled up under the trailer and broke in where the air conditioner went in to the trailer. What a mess they would have to make. There is a huge wall around the park and they have to climb over it. What a bunch of desperate people. How rude. Back to our fun day.

We were sitting outside and the Pastor that taught our Bible study on Wed. came over to let us know about something he and his wife did the night before that we might be interested in and we were. The High School Play "Oklahoma". It was playing for three nights and we decided to go. It was wonderful. Folding chairs were really hard but if only some of my padding from what I used to have on the back that is now on the front were back there again. Now that's confusing. What a wonderful job they did, They had 40 members in the cast and the dance sequences were lovely. The guy that played Jud Fry even looked like Rod Stieger. The Curly and Laurey characters were wonderful. What wonderful talent we have in our schools, and Ado Annie, she was priceless. Any of you that are familiar with Oklahoma will know what I mean. We got there at 6;30 and it started at 7 and went till 10. There were 20 in the Orchestra. The music was great. What a break and fun thing to do for us. Boy could they sing. Heidi and I went to see The Beauty and the Beast at Kennedy a few years back, it was as good as that. We will have to thank the Pastor when we see him Sunday at church. Can you just see us at a Dutch Reformed Church.

Today is a big day - Jim is going to go with a neighbor and they are going to fly his huge model air planes. I saw them from a distance and the wing span must be three feet. I will have to ask him. From what I could see they looked like war planes from by gone days. Speaking of that we passed an airport not far from here that had old war planes. It was a museum of old planes and Jim wants to go to that. Maybe this morning after they fly this guys planes they can go there. They are leaving at 8am so I had best get breakfast. I feel like waffles. Wait till you taste them on my new waffle iron that flips. Too fun. Gave the old one to Sonja, wonder if she has made any yet. She sure enjoyed them when I made them for her. I have got to stop. I do go on and on.

HUNTINGTON ROSES

There were just so many interesting things going on. There is a picture of the Japanese Tea room in here and we talked with a worker building scaffolding to repair the plaster trees. If you look closely you will see the Oak trees that line the walkway. Well they are all plaster and there are hundreds of them and they are in need of repair and this man is probably going to be there forever doing it. It is unbelieveable how real like they are.

There is a picture of me in the cloud room. Jim wanted to capture the cloud on a picture. It just looks like a defective picture but it's not, it is a cloud. So many fun rooms to walk through.

THE HUNTINGTON CHINESE GARDENS

We went through the Subtropical, Herb, Jungle and walked and walked, we were there for 4 hours and enjoyed every minute of our time there. We ate in the cafe outside and it was very pleasant, It is funny how we lucked out. Today is very cloudy and cool and yesterday was sunny and warm, just lovely out. The Japanese Garden was closed for restructuring.

Henry married Arabella shortly after his uncle died. She was Henry's age. She shared the same passion for art collecting. He was born in 1850 and died in 1927. She predeceased him by three years. The man who designed their mausoleum on the property, John Russell Pope later designed the Jefferson Memorial in D.C. There was a bust of Lincoln in the Gallery that I wish I would have taken a picture of. The bust was so lifelike - the artist put a plaster on Lincoln's face and later did the bust. It is sans beard.

THE HUNTINGTON ART

Yes that is Blue Boy by Gainsboroughh and Pinkie by Lawrence and the Bronze is Diana the Huntress, and look at Little Red Riding Hood. Can't remember who did her.

Their art collection is breath taking - he loved collecting Gainsborough. His collection was extensive as you can see. I just had Jim take some pictures of our favorites.

THE HUNTINGTON HOME

Their home. The grandeur, it was just incredible. So fun to see. Henry Huntington was a railrod and real estate magnate. It is 55,000 square feet. He wanted o be able to show off his expansive art collection. Link to it is http://www.huntington.org/ .

THE HUNTINGTON GROUNDS

The Flowers were so beautiful - what a huge place.