Coastal Trip Episode IV: A Carmel Valley Hope

I arrived in Carmel Valley around 7:30 pm, just in time for dinner. As I walked into my future roomie's house, I was greeted by a full house, warm welcome, and great food! Lucky for me, Shannon's family and friends are dinner party people, so I relaxed over hors d'ouerves, wine, soothing music, a beautiful view, and good conversation. Then we made up some dinner of spaghetti, salad, grilled veggies, and bread. After the nice dinner, we gathered around the living room table to chat some more over fruit for dessert where I learned of the history of the house and how it came into her family's hands.

The house had once been owned by a woman who was an artist and one-time well-known hat maker in New York. Shannon's grandfather had known the woman's husband from Texas and her parents became friends with the couple when they moved out to California. Shannon's parents eventually bought the house and when the woman passed away, began coming to stay there. But the house is still full of the woman's furniture and art, and it makes for a very unique and homey place. While I was there, I couldn't help but feel like I was in Sperryville. I think it was the ties to Texas and art, as well as the house itself -- it looked like some other houses I had seen in Sperryville. This all together made me feel like I had arrived at an oasis.

The view from the balcony, overlooking Carmel Valley. On Sunday morning we heard the call go out for volunteer firemen -- just a simple siren that echoed throughout the valley. I thought it was so neat that they did that -- no phone trees needed. It made me think that's how it must have been way back in the day when villages of people lived close together in a valley or canyon.

The porch had many hummingbird attractors on it, so we watched hummingbirds fly up to them as we sat in the house.

The woman who owned this house did many pieces of art in her later years made of little pieces of paper. She did this piece after her husband passed away, called My Heart Leaps Up, after a Wordsworth poem. It was amazing. (Yes, that is a 3-dimensional wave.)

This is a bit of the piece close up so you can see what I mean by "little pieces of paper"!

The house was actually made up of 4 buildings -- the main house, this cottage where we stayed, a garage, and an office which was the woman's old studio. Between were gravel paths and fountains.

This is where we girls slept (Shannon also had two other friends visiting that weekend). I had to jump at the opportunity to take the loft. :-)

My view as I woke up looking out to the valley.

This is Shannon! I really appreciated the chance to visit her and stay in this beautiful place, especially on such short notice.

I felt like Odysseus, having traveled a long way, visiting Circe to get some respite and rejuvenation (although reading wikipedia I'm not sure if that is the right person I'm thinking of, but you know, where he gets direction and healing to go back home). I must say in reference to the titles of this portion of my blog (thank you Star Wars), this one is so appropriate: A Carmel Valley Hope. I didn't realize how violent the other episode titles have been! Anyway, I guess this worked out perfectly. :-)

Sunday morning I had to be on my way, and it was off to the much anticipated Monterey Bay Aquarium!