Bright and early, Monday morning, Charlaine, Jonniann and I drove to the Sacramento Airport. With lots of hugs we bid Charlaine so long for her flight home to San Diego. Jonniann had planned to spend the day with her daughter Elaine who attends my alma mater UC Davis - Go Aggies! Sadly Elaine was held up by car stuff, and I got to keep my cuzzie all to myself for another day.
We did a little bit of 'joy riding' during which I showed off my favorite park Sailor Bar. We called up Jen & Andrew's house and invited Dave & Tom out to lunch. Tom - poor guy - was a bit under the weather so we only absconded with David. We enjoyed a Nepalese lunch at a local restaurants. Then we went to my house.
The whole day was a lovely bonus Pop-up day for me. I enjoyed having my cuzzies with me for chats and giggles. After our lovely visit, Jonni and I dropped David off back at his friends. Later chatting with Jonni I was thrilled to find out she had an interest in something dear to me, that despite it's sentimental value, has been neglected & dusty in a back room - my old nylon string guitar. I got it in the early 1970s when wanted to learn classical guitar. The Yamaha guitar when new sounded like stroking rubber bands strung on a cracker box. Now, with age, the guitar wood has a lovely deeper sound and the instrument has reached maturity. I like to think of it as a Red Violin, minus the mayhem. I am happy to think that maybe it will be in the Carter family, passed from member to member for eons. A girl can dream!
Jonniann however has been actively attempting to play guitar but at home she and her hubby have a steel string guitar which has played havock on Jonniann's gentle fingertips. Hurrah! I have found a forever home for my dear old guitar! Here enjoy Jonni playing a few notes on her new found friend.
[UPDATE: I recommended Joniann not take the guitar with her on the flight back to San Diego as it would be a hassle and the instrument lost its case eons ago. Since that day I did just wrap the guitar and ship it to her. I bet she nd the guitar are becoming fast friends. Life is good!]
Today was the big day of our Family Pop-up Reunion. Charlaine, Jonniann and I made it to our rendezvous spot where we were greeted by Cousin's David & Tom who are staying with now-officially-family, Andrew & Jen.
Our gracious as heck hosts: Jen and Andrew
Wasn't long before the-cousin-of-my-birth-month Yvonne arrived. She is staying with her nephew - who is my second cousin - Vincent and his family, Peta-Gaye and their kids, Elyse and Gavyn. Lots of greetings and hugs, followed by our Hobbit 2nd breakfast as prepared for us by incredible head chef Jen.
Everyone gathered and ready for Pop-up Reunion Fun
Before long, the limo bus that David arranged to pick us up, arrived & we were off.
Loaded up and ready for fun: left to right are David, Tom, Charlaine, the twins, Gavyn & Elyse, Vincent, Peta-Gaye, Yvonne and Jonniann
Arriving at the McClellan Air Force Base Museum.
David, took on the task himself of doing all the planning for our Sacto reunion - thanks again David! He wisely guessed that as Cousin Yvonne's father, Calvin had a long career in the air force, we would all enjoy the legacy he left to all of us.
Marveling at aerial view of the museum's many exhibits
A tiny bit of the View
The first thing we did was the most fun - certainly in my view. All of those of us who are air-sick proof, got to pilot our own planes - at the Flight Simulation Center. So cool!
Look at the concentration on the face of young pilot Elyse
The Flight Simulation room had many simulators set up so several of us could have a go all at once.
There will be video of our actual flights, and bombing runs & crashes (!), later in this post.
A pilot's eye view
The simulated flights were the bees knees, or wings as it were. Loved it!
Our guide was a former pilot and he really knew his stuff.
The museum had a lot of things from the Apollo Moon missions including a couple of claustrophobia inducing space suits.
Examining the 'Snoopy' Reconnaissance Drone used in Viet Nam
Getting some questions answered for potential Air Force recruit Gavyn
After touring the massive hanger and it's many jets and planes, we went out side to continue our tour.
The twins enjoyed handling big ole' bullets
Took a lickin' and kept on tickin'
Some of the planes, still have the holes to show the damage those bullets could do. The planes on display served through WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and the middle east. Some planes were fighters, others were used to rescue and serve.
There was a Mig fighter back from the days of the Cold War. The Migs weren't on our side but yikes, they are legendary.
There was a nice old Blue Angels jet with paint all scuffed up. I have been lucky enough to never go to a Blue Angels demonstration, but to luck out and see the jets shooting by, in formation, up to loops and such, practicing over San Francisco and later again, over San Diego. I used to have all the luck!
This Blue Angels jet is in its well deserved retirement
We even got to climb on board several planes & make our selves comfy while our guide gave us the scoop on the plane's history.
Vincent enjoys the seat that various dignitaries once relaxed in
Under Restoration? I wanna fly this baby NOW!
This particular jet was used to transport dignitaries from one place to another. It's official famous status is because it transported the likes of the Shah of Iran and his wife, Empress Farah, Henry Kissinger, and former California governor George Deukmejian among others. It's local fame at the air museum is because the jet was at the use of a General, whose bossy wife got the last say in the sky blue decor of the jet. As they say, happy general's wife, happy general's life.
We also climbed on board a Coast Guard rescue plane.
Coast Guard Clipper
End of our tour, but not the end of our day
Headed back to Jen & Andrew's place
The fam dug into some family history via computer & big screen
It as a long and wonderful day. A full day of fun and family wasn't all of it. Vincent as our birthday guy and Peta-Gaye just happened to bring along big old delicious red velvet bundt cake to celebrate, and celebrate we did.
I didn't get photos - was quite busy stuffing my face, thankyouverymuch, so that's on me. I videotaped the singing of happy birthday and such, but made the rooky (idjit) error of only thinking I'd turned on the camera so that was no go too. Oh well... Suffice to say, Vincent enjoyed his celebration and we all had cake. Yippy!
Cheer was the order of the evening
Thanks for this photo Yvonne!
Vincent blows out the candles on his red velvet birthday cake.
We had a fantastic day together, and the chatting and catching up took us into the evening. Thanks again to Jen & Andrew for so amiably & generously hosting our family's Pop-up Reunion here in Sac'o tomatoes. And thanks to David & Tom for doing all that planning. I mean, geez, I didn't even know there was an Air Force Museum in my neck of the woods.
And last, here is my video of our day together. At almost 30 minutes it's long for one of my end-of-post vids, but I have watched it a couple of times because I love the heck out of it. Lots of footage of our Flight Simulations, including us loop the looping, me flying over Manhattan and Cousin David bombing her majesty's Olympic stadium in London. How is that not fun & worth a look?
Yay! Time for a Carter Family Pop-up Reunion, this time in my current home town of Sacramento. This morning I picked up my two San Diego cousins Charlaine and Jonniann at the airport. I thought I was going to take them straight back to my house, but miraculously it occured to me they might enjoy seeing Old Sacramento.
Jonnie in the doorway of the one room school house by the Sacramento River
It takes another miracle to find a parking place in Old Sacramento, but we managed. Our first stop was the Old Sacramento Schoolhouse, which I've only been inside of once or twice before. It's more fun going there with family I guess.
The beautiful Franklyn Stove was in use and it really warmed up the place
School Marm Dollies
As we left the schoolhouse, a stranger offered us candy... a nice lady, who told us if we went directly across the street from the schoolhouse, we could get free candy samples at the candy shop. Well, we were innocent enough to take her up on that offer, right quick!
Jonni & Charlaine
We were allowed to sample a candy or two from any barrel with a blue tag. So we sampled super gingery ginger candies, licorice suckers (one of which is in my mouth as I type), peanut butter balls, and key lime balls. Yum... we now had enough sugar to power us up for a stroll along the boardwalks.
California State Capital
We spent a fair amount of time in and out of the little shops and had a delish lunch at a Thai Chinese Fusion. We ordered our food, then sat outside a little picnic table. We had company there, a beautiful Whippet girlie dog, who made me want to go dog hunting like right now. So sweet & elegant! It took a while for our food to arrive, but when it did, we agreed, it was all so delicious and well prepared, it was well worth the wait.
On leaving old town, we headed for the State Capital. I normally just drive by there but the girls were excited to go in so we fed the meter and approached the stately dome.
Sisters at the front door of the capital
The view from the capital's front door is the one below. In the far distance you can even see West Sacramento's golden bridge. There was a quinceanera taking place. The birthday girl's colors were blue with silver and her maids were all dressed in foofy- peach dresses.
Columbus Before Queen Isabella
Looking straight up from the statue, you get a near hypnotic view of the capital dome - beautiful. We took pix of it and the photos appeared to make the dome alternately look either concave or convex. Magical!
The magic Coffee & Sky Dome
Charlaine and Jonniann took the beautiful, carpeted stairway up to the second level under the capital dome. I, being an elevator loving woman, shocked myself by also using the stairs. Hey, a girl wants to impress her fitbit with her stair climbing abilities.
How could I not want to climb such a beauty of a staircase?
The equally beautiful second story under the dome.
Looking down from the second level
The second floor had a display dedicated to Black History month.
Looking up at the dome, or sideways at the history month displays wasn't the only direction of interest. Looking down an intricate mosaic of tiles at your feet. We overheard a tour guide explain that the man who pieced together and grouted the tiles was not allowed to sign his name to his work. HA! Well, that did not stop him from leaving his mark. Look for a miss-matched tile in the photo on the right. Give up?
Hint: compare the middle circle below with the circles on either side of it.
Gotta love the tiler-man!
At one end of the second level, we found the Speaker of the Assembly's offices. I wouldn't dream of ratting one of my cousins, if one of them crossed the gateway into the forbidden halls...
Who then may have looked up to photograph the stained glass Seal of California....
Nope. I'm not one to rat out a cousin!
The last thing we did before leaving the capital building was go back to the lower levels to find the display for Charlaine and Jonniann's home county of San Diego. It was a decent little display and it won the approval of its native daughters and meself, a former denizen of San Diego.
Our capital tour as just under an hour. And we headed back to my car, taking a bit of time for a nice selfie by selfie expert Jonniann.
Yikes! I was looking a tad goofy there
We made one final stop at the old victorian Governor's Mansion, then it was off to Fair Oaks to get the cousins all bedded down and comfy at my house. For an unplanned day, it was certainly a good one.
Bonus! A quick revisit to the one room school house in Old Sacramento.
