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The weather this morning sucked - drizzle and a howling wind - but I ran any way and it felt good. But most people cringe if they thought they had to run or even worse, run in the rain. So here’s a little tidbit on what to do this Sunday that has nothing to do with rain - hopefully it doesn’t - and nothing to do with drinking - maybe afterwards.

Point Reyes. Over Valentines/President’s weekend that’s where the nature lovers went. It wasn’t too crowded but people were out because it was very “spring-like” weather. We started at the Visitors Center and walked the Earthquake Trail. It was beautifully quiet and educational at the same time.  Then we drove over to the beach, sat and watched the waves crash. It was so misty from the churning water but it wasn’t too cold. By then we were hungry and stopped in Inverness at Pricilla’s Pizza and Cafe for a tasty lunch before driving off to our last stop, what use to be Johnson’s Oyster Farm, and we bought two dozen medium, briny, bivalve molluscs - yum, yum.

Sometimes we forget what we have in our own backyard.

Heirloom seeds! Petaluma’s newest retail store at the corner of Petaluma Blvd. North and E. Washington Street is Baker Creek Seed Bank. Fittingly housed in the historic Sonoma County National Bank building, the seed bank sells heirloom veggie, fruit, flower and herb seeds that your Grandmother or your Grandmother’s mother use to plant. Baker’s main store is located in Mansfield Missouri and this is their 1st store in the West.

In a time where Marion Nestle and Michael Pollen are making us aware of what we eat, many of us are looking at trying our hand at growing the fruits or vegtables our grandparents grew or ate when they were growing up. This is the seed store to visit.

Baker Creek Seed Bank - 199 Petaluma Blvd. North, closed on Saturdays, www.rareseeds.com

A former employee of ours, Mike Lee, who use to work at our Quality Inn, is now a professional photographer and soon-to-be-med student. Besides having a thriving graphic design/photography business, www.Focus97, he gives his time to Operation Rainbow, www.operationrainbow.org, serving as their documentarian.

In the last week Mike has been serving with Operation Rainbow in Haiti bringing some relief to everyone who needs medical attention. Mike has blogged and posted photos of the tragedy and resilency of the Haitians. Please visit either http://blog.focus97.com or www.operationrainbow.org to see what’s happening real time and help financially if you are able. Thank you

Now that we’re all environmentally aware - reuse, readapt, renew - it might be a good time to make a little weekend jaunt to Sebastopol and see what antiquing and going to a flea market is all about. There’s no pretense with over priced mid-century finds, its purely one person’s junk is another person’s treasure. And you will find some treasures. Click onto this link and read what the SF Chron said about spending some leisurely time culling for those decorative items you didn’t know you needed.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/07/19/TRN918E1FT.DTL

oh, and coincidentally most of these places surround our hotel the Fairfield Inn & Suites Sebastopol because you do need to make this a two day thing.

“The only thing to do with good advice is to pass it on.  It is never any use to oneself .”  

Oscar Wilde, Novelist and Playwrite

Our little town of Petaluma is really lucky to have Cinnabar Theater as our own little slice of the cultural pie. Starting in August will be their Summer Music Festival and all cultures of music will be showcased, an Italian orchestra, Taiko drumming, jazz singing.  It’ll be San Francisco without the parking problem. www. cinnabar.2009-petaluma.summer.music.festival.htm

Petaluma's Cinnabar Theater Summer Music Festival

“I travel not to go any where, but to go.  I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” Robert Louis Stevenson