The Month of June

I've always liked the month of June. It's my birthday month, but it has always also been a transition month of some kind for me. It's the real transition from spring to summer, the transition month from one age to another, etc. This one has been an interesting one too!

More on the Iphone

A couple of posts back I mentioned that I got and iphone and I wanted to give you an update on that experience. What an incredible phone! I am still learning about it and am trying to use it as much as I can so I can learn more about it. There was just an upgrade to the 3.0 operating system for the iphone which I downloaded the other night and it adds even more great stuff.

I'm finding that I especially like the GPS capability: you can use the phone to map where you are and get directions (map and text) to where you want to go. In the new 3.0, they have added a slick "Voice Memos" app that will be very useful. I also really like it for reading books. I used my Palm PDA to read books and am now using the iphone—the iphone is better since the screen automatically adjusts to the ambient light and becomes brighter or dimmer as needed (and it's great for reading books in bed before you go to sleep).

I also love the sleek design of the iphone—it just feels good in your hand. Its surface is smooth and it's weight is just right. I did get a screen protector from Zagg and a skin for the back from Gelaskins to protect front and back from scratches. I also find that I enjoy the little touches that they included in the operating system of the phone—like having a text message button right in the contact list, being able to end one call and answer another or put one call on hold and answer another very quickly.

Anyway, it's a great phone and highly recommended!

Books I've Read or am Reading

I've always got several books loaded on my iphone and have read several over the past couple of months that I have really enjoyed. Right now, I'm hooked on David Baldacci books and am reading the second of his four-book King & Maxwell series (Split Second, Hour Game, Simple Genius, First Family). Great books all!

I'm also hooked on anything by Clive Cussler and James Patterson. I read Cussler's Dark Watch most recently and Patterson's 8th Confession, along with The Whole Truth (another by David Baldacci)—Deb is reading this one now and loves it. I highly recommend any of them.

Wagon Train/Founder's Day

On Saturday, June 19th, there was a great event called Placerville Founder's Day and Wagon Train. This year, it was the 155th birthday of Placerville and the 60th anniversary of the Wagon Train. The whole city was decked out and ready to celebrate! The Wagon Train left Zephyr Cove (on the southeast shore of Lake Tahoe) and made its way over Echo Summit to Placerville over the week preceeding the event in Placerville.

There was a lot going on all over Placerville that day, but especially downtown on Main Street. The Wagon Train came through Main Street about 2:30 pm or so and there were about 13 or so wagons and lots of horses (pulling the wagons and individual horses being ridden throughout).

I really enjoyed just being downtown and taking LOTS of pictures (like the one on the left, above).

Trip to Santa Cruz

On the day after the Founder's Day/Wagon Train, we went to the Santa Cruz area to visit Deb's sister Jeton and her daughter Jeni and to just be in the area for a few days. Santa Cruz is about 200 miles from Placerville, so it's not a bad trip. We drove directly to the coast and took Highway 1 south to Santa Cruz. For the majority of the 3 days we were there, it was overcast but still beautiful.

We love the ocean and miss being closer sometimes. We got there Sunday afternoon and had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants there, The Crow's Nest (highly recommended). On Monday, we drove south to the Monterey/Carmel area and had lunch at the California Market Restaurant at the Highlands Inn.

The pic above is of one of the cypress trees in Carmel on the day we were there. On our way home from Carmel, we drove the 17-Mile Drive past Pebble Beach and the beautiful coastline along that area. One of my favorite stops there is "The Lone Cypress" whose image, I found out, is actually trademarked by Pebble Beach!

I got to spend a little time in one of my favorite all-time bookstores—Bookshop Santa Cruz. While at the coast, I took lots of pics and a few movies (mainly for the sound of the ocean!). One of the pics I took along the Santa Cruz coastline is shown at the top of this post.

Yard Sales

I've decided to have a bunch of yard sales this summer to help get rid of some of the "stuff" we have. The first one is tomorrow and Sunday (6/20 & 21) and I've got lots of old stuff (frames, books, collectibles, household items) that I will be selling. I want to get my garage and storage shed cleaned out by the end of the summer. Seems like the more space you have, the more "stuff" you have!

Gold Country Artists Gallery

I have quite a bit of new work at Gold Country this month. Here's the link to my page on the GCA website --> Bill's page on the GCA website. Check out my work; there is some from the car shows last month and one that I did of the stagecoach (it gives rides on every Third Saturday downtown).

I hope to have more new ones at the Gallery in July of the trip to Santa Cruz and from Founder's Day/Wagon Train.

Hope you have a great summer!