Our Road Trip to Santa Maria

My good friend Claudia and I took a road trip up the Coast of California to Santa Maria.  We visited her sister Christine in Ventura.  Christine lives on a boat in the marina in Ventura.

Starting out on our trip

Claudia's sister Christine's boat in Ventura, California

Their 43 ft sailboat which they sailed to Japan in

Its called "The Messenger" because they went to Japan to bring the gospel.

We walked around the Marina

There are many people who live in their boats in this Marina

It was a beautiful day!

The Tall Ships were in Harbor

People were climbing the masts and working on them

Beautiful Scenery on the way to Santa Maria

Orchards

The Fauf and her little Doodle

He looks just like a Drazin

Westly - 10 months old

Horse Farm

Beautiful sunset

The hills of California

Beautiful hills

Look at the sky!

Vineyards

More vineyards

Highway 101 - The Ocean

Claudia at Riley's Farm

Riley's Farm where Claudia's son lives

Grandma's house on the Farm

The Tavern where we stopped for tea

Colonial Fireplace in the Tavern on Riley's Farm

The Tavern

The backside of the farm

California Days

Its really hard to write a blog when one is out everyday doing things!  Its been such fun being here in the States and enjoying family and friends and fantastic weather!  Who can beat this?  Its perfect here in Southern California - beautiful, warm, sunshiny, just fantastic.  So I have been spending my days visiting friends, going to the beach, soaking in the weather and the beauty and storing it up for when I go back to Mongolia.  I hear the weather there is -40F!!!  What a contrast.

For the past two weeks our church has had old friends visiting and speaking at various events and meetings.  They are the Hulls - dear friends from way back, spiritual, godly, people, of real substance!  Here is a picture of them!

Bernard and Hazel Hull

Here are some other pictures of our trip to Florida.

Out for a walk near my Mom's house - Grandpa and Audrey

See how photogenic we all are?  haha

Me and My Mom near the pool at her house - not a good picture of Mom!  Sorry Mom!

Audrey loved the "Big Girl's Pool!"

Always the ham!

She was either not happy or contemplating something!

My happy girls!

Ahhh, the beach at Sanibel Island, Fort Myers, Florida

My beautiful girls

Enjoying the beach

As Dana says, "Me and My Hunny!"

Having a coffee at Sanibel

Playing cards with my Lovely Mom!  Again, not a good picture!  Why didn't we get better pictures?

Having a coffee with Christy and Audrey in Savaanah, Georgia

Back in Ohio with Eric's parents Jim and Kris

I don't know where all the other pictures are of my family including my sister and Eric!!!  We did not do well at all with photos this time.  Anyway, next post will be California pictures.

Smog and Cold

Taken from our window about 12 in the afternoon yesterday!

Visibility is quite limited!

Winter has come in full force now in Ulaanbataar with usual mornings at about -26F which is about -33C.  Not too much difference right?  But thankfully, it is a dry cold and so it doesn't feel terribly terrible!  Richard still walks to work in the mornings!  I like the warmth of the bus myself (0 degrees)!! but because we go to work at different times its okay!

The thing we have to be careful about is the air we are breathing.  Because of the levels of toxicity we don't want to be out in it too long, otherwise we will be susceptible to bronchitis and all the upper respiratory problems which so many have here.  Just last week our good friend, Tom, ended up in the hospital with bronchitis.

This is the picture at the same time today!!!

Getting worse!

And we thought California had bad smog!!

 Last night we were walking out near Sukhbaktar Square and it was snowing a little.  There was a Christmas tree set up in the square and another next to it at one of the prominent buildings.  It was such a a beautiful night with the snow and the lights - it actually felt a little like Christmas!  Here there are no advertisements for Christmas but in some of the shops there are decorations.  Its kind of nice not to be inundated with the materialistic side of Christmas!

One of two Christmas trees in UB

But someone told me last night they are New Years Trees!

Nevertheless it started to feel like Christmas!

Walking through Sukhbaktar Square

Loved the lights!

This is our last week here in Mongolia before we travel to the US for Christmas with family and friends.  We are looking forward to a break and a time of fellowship and fun with loved ones.