Meanwhile Back at the Ranch...

Whenever company comes to visit us here in Carmel, (and that is quite often these days), we hightail it down to the Ranch - Mission Ranch, that is. Nothing beats sitting out on the deck at sunset, looking out over the meadows and wetlands to Carmel Beach, and Point Lobos beyond.

This charming complex (lodging and restaurant) was purchased in 1986 by local legend Clint Eastwood, who has lovingly restored the property. Let me take you on a tour of the grounds.


Surely the "largest flower planter in the West"


The 1850's Farmhouse

Flowers planted in a tree stump

This must be the honeymoon cottage!


The historic bunkhouse, the oldest structure

The sheep are pets. No lamb on the menu here!

Happy Trails partners!
Marjorie

Dancing Chez Clint's

Diana Vreeland once said: "When I discovered dancing, I learned to dream. "

I have been a dancer my whole life. But never more than this past Friday, when we joined a hundred or so Carmel neighbors dancing the night away at Clint Eastwood's Mission Ranch. It is Monterey Jazz Festival weekend, and the old patio barn at the Ranch rocked to jazz, blues and sixies/seventies tunes played by a group of talented local high school musicians and their teacher. When my good-natured husband tired of the dance, my enthusiastic partner then became a trés elegant gal of seventy or so. All in red from her beret to her socks and shoes, how very Vreeland she was in her choice of color and in her love of dance! The evening ended with chants of "Bring Back the Barn!" So the dance gig may become a regular thing.

Walking back in the dark, we looked up at the sky and could see the Big Dipper for the first time in ten years (since we have been living in the Southern Hemisphere). This beacon guided us home.

In a twist on D.V.'s musing I would add: "I dream of dance, and I dance to dream!"

Marjorie

P.S. The photograph of the can-can dancers is from my collection of antique images. It is by a forties photographer named Tilley. Look closely at the dancers, as they are composed of vegetables-note the jolie cauliflower costumes.

Coming to You from Beautiful Carmel-by-the-Sea!

The fog rolled in from the ocean, and like two weary pilgrims walking the Camino Real, we arrived in Carmel. Both of us had our ideas as to what life would be like in this part of the world. Mine were formed by the sixties film “The Sandpiper”, which starred Elizabeth Taylor as an artist living the “life boheme”. Michael, on the other hand, pictured himself as Dave Garver in “Play Misty for Me”, driving up the coastal highway in his vintage jag roadster, with Erroll Garner on the sound track. It remains to be seen if any of these images will be true to life!

Some things do not change. I have resumed my early morning walks, which now take me past tiny fairy tale cottages set in lush green landscapes. Quite the opposite scenery of the sun-burnt land I have just left. There are dogs walking people everywhere, for Carmel is dog heaven. Even Doris Day’s Cypress Inn welcomes pooches, with their own list of amenities, rates and a newsletter.

How homesick for "Oz" I felt, when on my first beach ramble I came upon a surfing competition. On Easter Sunday we newcomers joined the crowds attending mass at the Carmel Mission. Not far from there is Clint’s Mission Ranch. Nestled at the edge of a salt marsh and inlet from Monterey Bay, its paddocks are home to a family of woolly sheep. To sit on the deck at about sunset and look over to Point Lobos is a spiritual experience. It is said “the man” himself comes by on occasion and plays the piano in the bar. Almost every-night of the week in Carmel, outdoor films play at the charming WPA Forrest Theater – Peter Sellers classics show next week. Around every corner and down every paseo are tempting choices for local food and wine. Intriguing shops and galleries abound.

For my part, I am look forward to exploring and refining my métier. So much has changed since we left the States 10 years ago. My travels have exposed me to the style idioms of Switzerland, Belgium/France, China and Australia, but it will be a challenge for me to catch-up with the trends here. It is my hope to bring something fresh to my field, and through this blog to introduce my readers to these influences and inspirations.