A Father's Day Report from the Innkeeper ........................6/21/11

Palomares Canyon Road

      Good evening,
Hello, to the visitors from Malaysia. You've been a loyal, consistent visitors. Thank you, for dropping by. May I ask you to share a comment, sometime? It would be great hearing from you! I've had a tremendous weekend. Monday and Tuesday were terrific, too. I've some catching up to do, with the visitors to this inn.

     Sunday and Monday were spent celebrating Father's Day with my three sons. On Sunday, we went to a restaurant they've been going to since they were knee-high to a St. Bernard dog. Dinner and ice cream was had. Afterwards, we meandered
along a country road that wound itself through the narrow, tight, Palomares Canyon. Click here for an idea of the road. Unfortunately the rider in this video didn't take in the views, off to the side. This road eventually took us to Niles Canyon, in Fremont, where I grew up as a lad. Traveling further south, we went through the one lane Morrison Canyon Road until we approached Sunol.

Another shot of Palomares Canyon

      The roads recalled of a quieter, less populated California, circa 1920's. Life is slower out here. Hawks soar above, horses extend their necks over fences, baby calves suckle from their moms.  Farms, ranches, cattle, sheep and turkeys greeted us, as we leisurely strolled through the bucolic views of tucked-away portions of this state. Eucalyptus tree-lined roads, with took roller coaster-like dips and curves, were traversed. We passed by weathered, grizzled farmhouses that sat next to new mega-homes of those seeking refuge from the urbanized Bay Area and Silicon Valley.

     Vistas of rolling Oak-tree clad hills, unfolded for 16-20 miles.  Scenes of white picket fences enclosing livestock and red barns, which could have been used to adorn many a cover of a jig-saw puzzle boxes, greeted us, as we moseyed along. At one point, I stopped the car and read poetry with my sons. They loved it, so did I. The readings were about grace, service, love for others and values not often proclaimed by Madison Avenue. I'm thankful for having sons who know there's more to life than what meets the physical eye. Everything that the eye sees is temporary. And everything that the eye does not see is eternal. It's reassuring knowing that one of my legacies is that my sons understand this fact.

      I will share some of the poems read, here. You'll better understand why I have a heart of thanksgiving, hope and love for others. I've said it before, we are the average of the five people we hang out with. We want to relate with those who are positive or uplifting.

I'm grateful for:

1. Time spent together as a family.Sunday we were together until 12:30 a.m.; Monday, until 11:30 p.m.
2. The serenity that nature provides and its refreshing power to our spirits.
3. Slowing down my lifestyle for two days.
4. Celebrating family traditions.
5. Being blessed with polite, caring, generous, loving, spiritual, fun-loving sons.
6. Delightful, positive memories, we did more than eat and travel. More about that, in future posts. I was happy that during our time together, there was much laughter, silliness and carefree time, where love abounded. I'm very fortunate to have three marvelous sons.