All Hens to Asilomar

The Pacific; photo by Rhonda

Time for a Hen Party, the 2nd of 2015. Hen Ingrid put the weekend event together rather quickly, and the weekend seemed to shoot by just as fast. Happily, one can hastily stuff a weekend's worth of fun and togetherness with friends in short order. We took possession of the luxurious new roost late Friday afternoon. I drove down, picking up Barbara along the way, and we arrived at dusk.

the Director's Cabin

Arriving at first I thought the cottage two different buildings. Nope, not a 'cottage' - it was more like a mini-mansion. Three bedrooms, three massive bathrooms, huge kitchen (you're getting the general idea), a sitting room with a convertible couch/bed and a patio deck big enough for a party of 30.




We divied up the many rooms. Practically needed a map -->
to navigate around...



As Ingrid prepared chicken Chicken in Grape Sauce and Polenta with a Salad ala Nancy, the reconnective chatter proceeded.  Note to those concerned, all Hens and their varied dependents are faring well. Most are now mercifully retired with Hen Robbie the next to join the ranks of those no longer in need of an alarm clock.

Ingrid cooking up polenta, while Rhonda & Robbie attack the Clementines

Quorum of Hens over dinner with wine... lots of lovely wines, compliments of Rhonda

Saturday morning, all woke and followed a trail of breadcrumbs to find the kitchen for breakfast.

Lolling about

Post-breakfast, a brief brainstorming session happened. Decisions were made for what activities - if any - would fill the day. Energetic Hens, Rhonda, Ingrid, Nancy and Robbie were off for a hike to Pacific Grove to see the Monarch Butterflies.

Ingrid and Robbie enroute

Rhonda's photo of Monarch Butterflies roosting in a Eucalyptus 

If you assumed I forgot to mention that everyone went on the 'energetic Hen's hike', you are sadly mistaken. One hen stayed to stand guard at the so-called 'cottage'.

While I went for a not-terribly-long walk to the Asilomar boardwalk,

There are interesting old Asilomar buildings nestled in the sandy scenery.

Shady boardwalk leading off to the dunes and overlooks

View of with the Pacific

Soon I met up with a few of the locals.

I guess it is not amazing that deer, who roam a land saturated with people become quite tame. I was able to walk right up to a doe and speak to her, for which she was annoyed, as we had not been properly introduced.

Despite both of us holding still, iPhone photo is still a little blurry

All my pictures were taken with the iPhone - becoming a bad habit really. Barbara mentioned "Think of families taking all their children's photos on cell phones, and will in a decade or so, be in for a shock, as we were, the children of the '60s with all our childhood photos now tinted in decade-revealing pink."  And that, my dears, is what photo-shopping is all about.

Post hikes, of the energetic and the sluggish types, it was time for the usual cheesy, winey Hen celebration. A galaxy of cheeses were provided courtesy of generous Rhonda: smoked gouda, Wesleydale with cranberries, and for amusement, if not flavor, there was Fat Bottom Girl Bleating Heart and Buff Blue Bleating Heart.

Creatures with udders worked hard to make our treats

Umm.. some rich 'Humboldt Fog'

And some garlicky 'Vampire Slayer'!

We had a nice selection of wines, and we weren't stinted on the beers. Rhonda brought this favorite for us to share, from Fort Bragg on the California Coast, some 'Brother Thelonious' a rich as Midas, Belgium ale.

And back to our weekend get-together, when Sunday morning rolled around, we were all in shock. Truly, for some mysterious reason, of all the Hen Parties we've held, this one shot by the quickest. It felt to all concerned like it had lasted only half a day, tops. Had some wizard or witch of another dimension cast a time relativity spell on us? How could 2.5 days and 2 nights shoot by so 'don't-blink-or-you'll-miss-it' rapidly? We will never know, and we can only conclude we need to have another Hen Party, and fast!

Ah me! In closing, enjoy a few of Rhonda's wonderful sunset photos from Saturday night, from Asilomar's coastal dunes.