Flat Susan is now in Florida having flown across America.  Gosh, what a busy passport she will have when she gets home.  Hope there are enough pages.

Nan is linking up with Elizabeth and Bleubeard for T for Tuesday and her visitor from across the pond via California is none other than.....Flat Susan!! Here's what Nan has to say:  

I am so excited to be hosting her for a visit to central Florida.  She actually arrived on Saturday and was such a dear to wait patiently while I finished my cleaning chores this weekend.

So here's Flat Susan with all of her traveling gear and a few pieces of my art and since it's T day, my beverage glass.

 We awoke this morning to a beautiful sunny Florida day. To celebrate FS's arrival and our planned activities, I presented her with her very own Harley Davidson! The next pic shows FS standing next to her motorcycle ready to go!

In the corner you see a bit of a gorgeous tag. Here's a better pic of this fabulous tag that Krisha has sent me. I love it, Krisha! Thank you!

Well, we're off to enjoy this lovely day and see what we can see around my hood. Have a wonderful day!

Bye Bye California - Florida Here I Come

Well, Flat Susan has now left California after her fabulous stay with Krisha and is now heading for Florida to visit with Nan. Here's Krisha's final account of FS's stay with her:

Flat Susan and I took a drive into Bakersfield last week, so I could show her what this area is known for.  Bakersfield is about 20 miles from Shafter, but where I do all my shopping and business.

This is the original sign that used to be across Union Ave. (old highway 99) coming into Bakersfield.  When it was still in it's original location you could walk across it.  Buck Owens bought the sign, from the city, and had it moved to the corner where his famous Crystal Palace is.  Buck was such a country music legend I doubt I have to explain who and what he was.

This is the sign for the Crystal Palace.  It is a restaurant, bar, music and dance hall.  Great food and a lot of country western stars have performed here.  They also have a great Sunday buffet.

Here is the Crystal Palace from across the street.  It hadn't opened yet, so we couldn't really get any closer because of all the traffic.  It is like a small museum inside with a lot of country music memorabilia, including Buck's red, white and blue guitar and his convertible Cadillac mounted behind the bar.

This is his new recording studio, business and  home of KUZZ the local country music radio station.  Buck Owens did so much for Bakersfield with his music, and calling it his home, that they renamed the street in front of the Crystal Palace after him: Buck Owens Boulevard.

Next up is one of MY favorite places....DEWARS.  This is the sign at the original Dewars down town.  The BEST ice cream, but probably best known for their taffy chews that are shipped all over the world.

Behind this building is a huge warehouse that they ship from, but when I was in high school they made all the candy in this small building, and the smells were divine.  There is a small soda fountain, of the old school style with turning round stools.  This is about 2 blocks from where I went to high school, and if quick enough you could walk over there, get ice cream and make it back to ride the bus home.  I say quick enough because the place would be packed in less than 5 minutes of the last bell and you wouldn't have time to get ice cream and make it back in time to catch the bus. FS thought that was funny.  They have built a new one closer than all the way down town , and it is very retro, and cute, AND the one we take the GDs to.  BUT it really isn't the same, ice cream and candies are, but the ambiance is totally different.

Here is one of the buildings of the high school I went to, BHS.  When it was built it was the college, and when they built the Jr. college this became one of two high schools in Bakersfield.  Now there are about 12 high schools.  I wanted to take FS around the campus, but school was in session, and we were really in Bakersfield on an errand for the BBQ competition, so there was work to be done.

Friday was the day we headed for Lancaster, only about 2 hours from here, up on the Mojave desert.  We always seem to stop in Tehachapi, at this fueling station that has a Mac Donalds inside.  It is only  about an hour from home, but a good fueling spot for our trucks with long trailers.  Both trucks, ours and DS's, take desil, so truck stops are the best.

So while DS was fueling, the rest of us decided to get a bite to eat.  FS loves egg and sausage Mc Muffins.  Tehachapi is a pretty mountain community as is probably know best or the Tehachapi Loop.  From the valley floor to Tehachapi the trains have to climb over 4000 ft., sometimes at a 6% grade.  You can only see the whole loop from the air.  Long trains will cross over themselves as they make the loop.

From Tehachapi to Mojave you have to go through a small pass, where the wind always seems to blow.  About 20 years ago they erected these windmills all over the mountains.  They are HUGE!

As you can see by the trees and the telephone poles.  I was shooting through my window as we were driving by, that's the mirror there in the corner.

There are thousands of them on both sides of the mountains and through the pass.

This monocotyledonous tree is native to southwestern North America in the states of California, Arizona, Utah and Nevada, where it is confined mostly to the Mojave Desert between 400 and 1,800 meters (1,300 and 5,900 ft) elevation. It thrives in the open grasslands of Queen Valley and Lost Horse Valley in Joshua Tree National Park. A dense Joshua tree forest also exists in Mojave National Preserve, in the area of Cima Dome.  Good history lesson!

We finally made it to the BBQ Cook-Off.

The fairgrounds was large and very clean, these are just some of the buildings.
FS was a "hit" with the GDs and their cousins.  They had tons of questions to ask her and all wanted to have a picture taken with her.  I feared her head would not fit back into her match box.  So here they are, drum roll please!

GD Megan and Flat Susan.

GD Hannah and Flat Susan

Rachel and Flat Susan

Madeline and Flat Susan

Still here?  Must be for the BBQ pictures.  Ready to have your mouth water?  Okay, here goes!

chicken thighs

pork ribs

pulled pork

beef brisket

Everything tasted so good.  What was FS favorite?  Well, she really couldn't make up her mind, but believe me her little dress sure got tight from trying to decide LOL.

So now FS will be sent off to Nan G, clear across the USA to Florida today or tomorrow, or when I get her all packed up and ready to go.

Thanks for hanging in here and looking at all the photos, sorry about it being so long, but we had a busy week and I wanted to share my area of California.
Inky Hugs

A Whirlwind Trip in California

So while DS was fueling, the rest of us decided to get a bite to eat.  FS loves egg and sausage Mc Muffins.  Tehachapi is a pretty mountain community as is probably know best or the Tehachapi Loop.  From the valley floor to Tehachapi the trains have to climb over 4000 ft., sometimes at a 6% grade.  You can only see the whole loop from the air.  Long trains will cross over themselves as they make the loop.

Such adventures Flast Susan has been having and she has got to meet so many new people whilst staying with Krisha who now gives you an account of her final trip out.

Flat Susan and I took a drive into Bakersfield last week, so I could show her what this area is known for.  Bakersfield is about 20 miles from Shafter, but where I do all my shopping and business.

This is the original sign that used to be across Union Ave. (old highway 99) coming into Bakersfield.  When it was still in it's original location you could walk across it.  Buck Owens bought the sign, from the city, and had it moved to the corner where his famous Crystal Palace is.  Buck was such a country music legend I doubt I have to explain who and what he was.

This is the sign for the Crystal Palace.  It is a restaurant, bar, music and dance hall.  Great food and a lot of country western stars have performed here.  They also have a great Sunday buffet.

Here is the Crystal Palace from across the street.  It hadn't opened yet, so we couldn't really get any closer because of all the traffic.  It is like a small museum inside with a lot of country music memorabilia, including Buck's red, white and blue guitar and his convertible Cadillac mounted behind the bar.

This is his new recording studio, business and  home of KUZZ the local country music radio station.  Buck Owens did so much for Bakersfield with his music, and calling it his home, that they renamed the street in front of the Crystal Palace after him: Buck Owens Boulevard.

Next up is one of MY favorite places....DEWARS.  This is the sign at the original Dewars down town.  The BEST ice cream, but probably best known for their taffy chews that are shipped all over the world.

Behind this building is a huge warehouse that they ship from, but when I was in high school they made all the candy in this small building, and the smells were divine.  There is a small soda fountain, of the old school style with turning round stools.  This is about 2 blocks from where I went to high school, and if quick enough you could walk over there, get ice cream and make it back to ride the bus home.  I say quick enough because the place would be packed in less than 5 minutes of the last bell and you wouldn't have time to get ice cream and make it back in time to catch the bus. FS thought that was funny.  They have built a new one closer than all the way down town , and it is very retro, and cute, AND the one we take the GDs to.  BUT it really isn't the same, ice cream and candies are, but the ambiance is totally different.

Here is one of the buildings of the high school I went to, BHS.  When it was built it was the college, and when they built the Jr. college this became one of two high schools in Bakersfield.  Now there are about 12 high schools.  I wanted to take FS around the campus, but school was in session, and we were really in Bakersfield on an errand for the BBQ competition, so there was work to be done.

Friday was the day we headed for Lancaster, only about 2 hours from here, up on the Mojave desert.  We always seem to stop in Tehachapi, at this fueling station that has a Mac Donalds inside.  It is only  about an hour from home, but a good fueling spot for our trucks with long trailers.  Both trucks, ours and DS's, take desil, so truck stops are the best.

From Tehachapi to Mojave you have to go through a small pass, where the wind always seems to blow.  About 20 years ago they erected these windmills all over the mountains.  They are HUGE!

As you can see by the trees and the telephone poles.  I was shooting through my window as we were driving by, that's the mirror there in the corner.

There are thousands of them on both sides of the mountains and through the pass.

This monocotyledonous tree is native to southwestern North America in the states of California, Arizona, Utah and Nevada, where it is confined mostly to the Mojave Desert between 400 and 1,800 meters (1,300 and 5,900 ft) elevation. It thrives in the open grasslands of Queen Valley and Lost Horse Valley in Joshua Tree National Park. A dense Joshua tree forest also exists in Mojave National Preserve, in the area of Cima Dome.  Good history lesson!

We finally made it to the BBQ Cook-Off.

The fairgrounds was large and very clean, these are just some of the buildings.
FS was a "hit" with the GDs and their cousins.  They had tons of questions to ask her and all wanted to have a picture taken with her.  I feared her head would not fit back into her match box.  So here they are, drum roll please!

 GD Megan and Flat Susan.

GD Hannah and Flat Susan

Rachel and Flat Susan

Madeline and Flat Susan

Still here?  Must be for the BBQ pictures.  Ready to have your mouth water?  Okay, here goes!

chicken thighs

pork ribs

pulled pork

beef brisket

Everything tasted so good.  What was FS favorite?  Well, she really couldn't make up her mind, but believe me her little dress sure got tight from trying to decide LOL.
So now FS will be sent off to Nan G, clear across the USA to Florida today or tomorrow, or when I get her all packed up and ready to go.
Thanks for hanging in here and looking at all the photos, sorry about it being so long, but we had a busy week and I wanted to share my area of California.
Inky Hugs
Krisha

So Much to See in Shafter

Surprise!! I do own a tea cup and I actually have tea in it, and I still have Flat Susan with me. SO, we are linking up with Elizabeth of Altered Arts for T stands for Tuesday. A weekly trip around the blog block to see what everybody has in their cups, glasses or what ever they are drinking out of.  This is a spiced herbal tea, that I picked up at the store, now everybody knows I am a coffee drinker, but this sounded good.  A little bit on the sweet side for me, but I have enjoyed a couple cups of it in the evenings. 

Since last we had Tea, I was super busy getting the Playhouse loaded and all the BBQ stuff gathered to make it to Lancaster, CA for an other competition over the weekend.  More will be posted about that later this week.  But I did grab my camera on one trip into Bakersfield, so I thought I'd share some of my stomping grounds with you, and what some of the things this area is known for.  So grab a cuppa and stroll along with me.  (Actually I drove LOL)

This place is about a 1/2 mile from my house and is quite well know for supplying living caterpillars, butterflies and insects to anywhere in the world.  There is even a bug-museum inside.  It is a well visited place for school field trips, and is really fun on the inside.  I took my oldest GD (when she was the only GD we had) and we really enjoyed it.  About 12 years ago the painted the building and added LARGE wooded bugs to the outside.

For more information do a web search for Insect Lore, Shafter, CA and check it out.

This area is mainly agricultural, so what do we grow here?

Almond orchard just around the corner from Insect Lore.  Almonds were harvested last month.  They have these small, low riding machines that look like they have pinchers on them, that grab the trunk of the tree and shake the nuts off them.  Then they sweep them up with a different machine.  Between the shaking and the sweeping the dust in the air is horrible, not to mention it gets on everything inside and out!

Right now they are cutting hay, this was down at the next road.  In the background they are taking an OLD almond orchard out and chipping up the trees, I'm gonna miss that orchard as I drive into town.

Grapes are grown a lot in this valley too.  They used to dry them in the fields for raisins, but I haven't seen much of that in the recent years.  I think most of them are shipped out now.  A couple of vineries have popped up here, but I have never been of one of them. The grapes come off before the almonds are harvested.

Cotton is an other BIG crop here too.  This has been defoliated and is almost ready to pick.  They spray a defoliant on them to turn kill the leaves and plants before they run the pickers to harvest.



Pistachios...MMMMMMM.  They are about the last thing harvested.  These trees still have nuts on them, they are those brown looking clusters hanging down.

And then there are these all over the place.  They used to paint then to look like bugs, but not so much anymore.  They have started putting in some new style ones, but I didn't get a picture of one of them.