Staycation

It was basically a staycation, but it was great to have a couple days away from the office and the daily grind.
My response to the question lots of you pholks have asked in recent days is: “It was great but too short and no, I didn't really go very far.”

Any real vacation remains close to the top of the wish list but still out of reach.

I spent several days with my wife, Kathy, at our home in Knight's Ferry, venturing as far as Pinecrest near Dodge Ridge about 50 miles from home. It was a couple hours well spent. We played with our two dogs near and in the water at one of the few dogs-allowed areas on the shore of Strawberry Lake. Mini-waves created by small boats occasionally made just a few sounds but fell well short of being at the coast. But still it was relaxing and a break from the routine.

It was still pretty warm in Pinecrest but a few degrees cooler than home where the heat is usually identical to the rest of the Valley.

The rest of the time, I helped my industrious wife in her outstanding ornamental prayer garden in the early morning hours. Despite working up a little sweat, it was rewarding and great preparation for our afternoon naps which seemed to be the best way to cope with the triple-digit temperatures later in the day.

My travel to the homestead was by Amtrak from Hanford to Modesto where Kathy picked me up and dropped me off for the return trip.

If you haven't taken Amtrak in the Valley, you should try it. It's reasonably cheap, relaxing and can be entertaining. I've met several interesting people on my trips, including this time. Matt, a young man from Bakersfield who was going to Sacramento to spend the weekend with his mother who works there, turned out to be a good travel companion. The Bakersfield College student seemed to have a lot on the ball and we shared an hour or so of worthwhile discussion.

Matt is studying history and art but hasn't decided what career path he wants to follow. Hearing him talk about getting a good education behind him at a rather young age was rewarding and encouraging. Matt said he had several artistic interests but favors working with silver, which he says could someday become an income source. We talked our mutual interest in world history and I suggested a couple based-on-history fictional novels. And then we talked about how much there is to see in the world and how to it would be to be able to travel to far and distant places.

After I de-trained in rural Modesto and settled in to wait for Kathy, who had a prior commitment for my scheduled arrival, I saw a woman and her young daughter who were scheduled to get off the train at the Denair/Turlock station but didn't make it. The woman was on her cell phone with her mother who had to drive from Turlock to Modesto to pick them up. The train passenger and her daughter live in Southern California and were on a weekend visit. Grandma had headed to downtown Modesto thinking the train station was at the city transit station. With the help of another woman waiting for the next southbound train, we were able to help direct “grandma” to the Amtrak station which is several miles from downtown.

In case you didn't know, Amtrak trains make very brief stops and since the woman was riding in the upper level seats, she was keeping her 6-year-old daughter in sight at all times. Making two trips up and down the stairs with baggage and a youngster in tow, she didn't get off in the three to four minutes at the Turlock stop. Although a little unsettled about having to inconvenience her mother, the train passenger was grateful she hadn't set her baggage off the train in Turlock as she was finishing getting ready to exit the train.

I've made it a habit to round up my small carry-on bag and hanging clothes case when approaching my departure station. The woman's ordeal enforced my precautionary action.

And that pholks, is about all the excitement I could muster on my staycation. I didn't take any photos to bore anyone and I didn't get stranded or lose any possessions. Maybe next time I will get a little further and have some more excitement.

But having quality time with my wife, working in the yard and playing with our two dogs anytime I wanted weren't bad at all.

Miles can be reached at mshuper@valleyvoicenewspaper.com