Capt Chris
06/15/2008, Glen Ellen California

Today's picture is one of many redwood groves in Jack London State Park. Over the passed 48 hours I've become rather obsessed with the short life of Mr. London. It is one of those strange things that happen to locals. It seems that many people who reside in an area neglect to take in the tourist sights that surround them. While I don't live in Glen Ellen California, where Jack London lived and died nearly a century ago, I do have a modest cottage here and should have taken this Jack London thing for action long ago.

I have spent the passed two days hiking and touring around Jack London State Park, including a 10 mile hike today to the top of the Sonoma mountain. The scenery is stunning. I seem to sound like a recording, as most places I visit are full of beauty, lucky me! But this area would be on the higher end of natural beauty. I took some good photo's that have been uploaded to My Google Photo Album for posterity sake.

What struck me about good ole Jack is the parallels to Thomas Jefferson's and George Washington's life. All three men were on the cutting edge of farming technique. And in the case of Jefferson, they both were excellent with words. Although Tom and George had the use of slaves to implement their farming visions. Jack was already famous and wealthy by the age of 27. He took his wealth and purchased 114 acres in Glen Ellen and started ranching in earnest. Over the years he did many firsts. The first concrete silos ever built in California were built by Jack's ranch hands to feed his pig's in his pig pen. You see Jack designed what the locals called a "Pig Palace" to feed his throughbreed pigs. But he built it in such a way where only one hand was needed to feed the lot. Labor savings paid for the Palace within ten years. The Palace still stands today.

I was surprised to find out he was a socialist. Had no idea. But the little placard in the museum did point out that he may have claimed to be a socialist, but in life and deed, he was a individualist of the frontier type and was very proud of his accomplishments. It seems he really adhered to the theory of socialism based upon the brutality he witnessed through out his travels as a reporter for the San Francisco Examiner. But he never could square how his individualistic tendencies fit in with the idealism of socialism.

I hiked up to the knoll where Mr and Mrs London's ashes were placed. It was very quite and still, no other visitors other than me, so I sat for awhile, a little freaked out that Jack perished from liver failure at 40. I happen to be 40. So Jack and I bonded over this piece of happenstance. In the 1870's the Greenlaw Family lived on the parcel that Jack eventually bought. They had some children and two of them, brother and sister died at 4 and 5 years old. The Greenlaw's fell on tough times and sold the land and left the two youngsters buried under an oak. Jack was apparently pretty moved when he stumbled upon the neatly hand hewn grave markers. He casually mentioned to his wife and sister that he would care to have his ashes scattered next to the two children and then have one of the volcanic rocks used to build "Wolf House" rolled over him. And so it is. Mrs London died in 1955 and is presumably mixing it up with Mr London on the hill top over looking The Valley of the Moon.

So tomorrow I wrap up my stay in Sonoma County and head out to stay with some friends amongst the tech giants in Silicone Valley.

Capt Chris

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Capt Chris, weather is perfect
06/14/2008, Glen Ellen California

Here is a shot from today......

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Capt Chris, sunny and hot
06/14/2008, Kenwood, Sonoma County California

Dateline Saturday morning. So on Thursday I secured a rental car in the city and headed north across the Golden Gate bridge bound for Glen Ellen in Sonoma. It is the same, not old story. After having vacated this portion of the country and now upon my return I'm reminded again how beautiful it is. The valley's are choked with vines almost as far as the eye can see.

So I have little cottage in Glen Ellen that I rent out. A little nautical history for you. Our good friend Jack London resided in Glen Ellen back in the day. Jack loved to roam around "The Valley of the Moon" on horseback and wrote a little known book in 1913 by the same title. He built a hilltop cabin called "Wolf House" which is now Jack London State Park. Like many, Jack got the bug to go to sea after sailing around San Francisco Bay in his 30 foot yawl named "Roamer." He decided he would strike out and sail out past the Marin Headlands and sail around the world. He built the Snark with his own hands and set out with his wife Charmian. The trip lasted 27 months and took them all over the south pacific and as far as Australia. Jack liked his cocktails which lead to some health problems so he returned to Glen Ellen and never did make it around the planet. But he did write an awesome book called "The Cruise of the Snark" which I read while stationed in Honolulu prior to my purchase of Christa. Safe to say this book was one of the reads that fueled my own grandios plans.

So I am now staying in a lovely cottage in Kenwood which is just down the road from Glen Ellen. A darker sadder side of my return here is the absense of my friend Jerry how passed away last summer. Tina and Jerry have been like second parents to me over the years. I first met them in the 90's while I was stationed at Lake Tahoe. Tina and Jerry have always been involved with the CG Aux and Jerry spend 8 years active duty a long time ago. So I became very good friends with them over the years. In fact Jerry who was a master negotiator, negociated the deal for me to buy Christa. So anyway I'm staying here in Kenwood at one of Tina and Jerry's homes which sits along creek and is about as pleasant as it gets. In fact the silence is interuppting my sleep!

So I will be here in the wine country until Monday and then I head to Silicone Valley to spend a couple of days with Friends before flying back to San Juan next week.

I clearly have the itch to get back to Christa. I've now been on the road for a month and a half. I miss Christa, I even miss the crowing of the Puerto Rican chickens that howel at sunrise. I am really bummed that it is hurricane season. I have the bug to start cruising again after this long rest in Salinas and elsewhere. So it could be a long five month wait......and even longer if a storms strike or come close to PR. Oh well. This could be much worse! Gotta jam.


Capt Chris

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Capt Chris
06/08/2008

Yesterday I checked out Malcolm's spare mountain bike for a trip across the bridge to Marin County and the old haunt of Sausalito. As you can tell the weather was just about perfect. I truly had forgotten how beautiful the Bay Area is.

The bike ride was not all fun and games as I did set out to get some exercise and get the heart rate up to a respectable level. Mission accomplished. While busy forgetting about the beauty I also forgot about the serious hills throughout! So yes, I did take a stroll down memory lane in Sausalito to include a stop at the Indian Restaurant I used to frequent and I also went to the marina I lived at.

More Sausalito history to follow...........

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Capt Chris
06/08/2008, San Francisco

Sausalito or bust......

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