Baked ... in which we experience 95 degree heat

by Jane

[Sunday, 9th September] Yes, indeed.  It was the day to visit 'Uncle Glenn'.  Gary and Glenn have been corresponding via email for years, mainly about their common interest in flight simulator flying.  (Glenn is the uncle of Marilynne, our hostess here in Laguna Niguel, hence the courtesy title of 'Uncle'.)

It was already very hot when we set out for Glenn and Jan's home, probably about 88 degrees Fahrenheit (31 degrees C) but by the time we'd driven inland for a while it had rocketed up to a whopping 95 degrees (35 degrees C).  I stepped out of the car and felt like I was being baked in an oven.

What a beautiful home Glenn and Jan have! I sat outside under a lovely pavilion (with me drinking water like my life depended on it - and actually starting to wonder if it did!) enjoying a chance to get to know Marilynne's extended family.

The Pavilion

While I was out in the hottest temperatures I had ever experienced Gary visited with Glenn and Glenn's grandson Sam (another flight sim pilot) in the air conditioned 'man cave'.  It was a relief to go and check it out.
 

The Flight Sim Trio (Sam flying)

Gary helps Jan

Gary's Food Photo

We ate outside and luckily the temperature had dropped a little (I could tell this because I was no longer wondering exactly people died from overheating).  Everything we ate was magnificent and I met two new-to-me foods - ambrosia (pineapple, mandarin, marshmallows, cream?) and almond roca (toffee, chocolate, almonds).  I might have tried a few extra bits of almond roca to check if it was really as good as I thought ...

Once it was dark the weather was beautiful, as was the setting under the pavilion with lights and lighted features all around.

The Water Feature After Dark

As we were leaving I managed to get a shot of the email correspondents - 'Uncle' Glenn and Gary.

Glenn and Gary

* * * *

It's not that we didn't do anything all day before we went to Glenn and Jan's!  We went down to Laguna Beach to have breakfast.  Another new food for me was a bagel with cream cheese from Starbucks.  We ate our breakfast on a bench on the beach board-walk.

After breakfast Gary, Pete, and Marilynne went off for a walk and I went back to Forest Ave where there were plenty of shops and (more importantly) plenty of shady places to sit and read.  (I might have stopped off at a small bakery for morning tea and had something nicely American - a chocolate brownie and milk.)

* * * *

Dad arrives at about 1pm today and so we expect to hear from him this afternoon.  Not long now until we hit the road on the big road trip.


Jane
in Laguna Niguel