HAPPY IS RIGHT & CALIFORNIA BOYS

THE DAY THE MAGIC BEGAN

    Fifty-seven (57) years ago today, Disneyland opened in Anaheim California and America was changed.

      We were married and making our first trip to California when I saw the magic kingdom for the first time.  Lana had been there as girl, shortly after the opening in 1955, but to me it was always the place I saw on television or in magazines and desired to visit. Until that day in 1969 when we passed through the front gates and onto a sun blessed main street it had been an aspiration.  

       I was overwhelmed by the light, the color and yes the true happiness the place exuded.  Years later I would meet with Roy Disney and other of the wizards and learned how things were painted, planted, laid out were all done to maximize the visual aura and appeal. It worked.  Of course the natural infusion of light is simply a California "special effect," but everything else was designed to capture, hold and maintain a youthful innocence, suspension of disbelief and joy.

       It was a natural extension of California light, color and mood, enhanced by the design and creative genius of Walt, Roy and their teams.  I have since learned there are real life main streets that come close to the same vibe as the Disney version.  Not surprisingly, most of those idyllic  villages are also in California, dotted around the golden state. Yet you can find them elsewhere, though too rarely.

      I wonder, though, if local communities would work as hard to maintain those charming towns, villages and small cities if it were not for the model of Main Street in Disneyland?  All too many places in America have seen their hometown main streets disintegrate under the competition of shopping malls. 

       And in what might be the ultimate "proof" of my hypothesis is how so many shopping mall developers have now begun to create "life style" centers, you know those rows of shops, restaurants and plazas that look like they were modeled after Main Street in Disneyland.

       It was July 15, 1955-the middle of the year, the middle of the optimistic '50's in the middle of the century that a kind of magic was loosened on America.  Where else but in

California would it be forever right, to be forever young of heart?

PERPETUAL ADOLESCENCE 

Spotted at a winery

AND THE PERFECT SEGUE

See you down the trail.

AFTER THE WINDS

GETTING BACK INTO THE 21st CENTURY

 The moon was the brightest thing on Main Street last

night during what was supposed to be the annual

village "Hospitality Night."

 Revelers were either detoured by or working at

sites like this.

 No official count yet, but many trees were felled

by the highest winds in more than a decade. Some say

more trees than any time they can recall.

 This is a block from our home. The scene was repeated through out Cambria.

 I can't tell you how many times in the last day and half

that I've walked into a room and flipped the switch.

We are dependent on that convenience aren't we?

 I read by lantern light, we used the fireplace for 

heat and hoped the refrigerator would hold it's cold.

 All evening we waited to be surprised by the return of

of power.  But when it was time for the

festivities to begin on Main Street, we were all

in the dark.  Merchants provide treats and snacks as 

the locals stroll through the stores.  It is a village 

tradition to kick off the gift buying and party season.

 But the combination reunion, party, social event

was illuminated only by headlights.

 As always when there is a power outage,

there was one place, powered by their huge

emergency generator-The Main Street Grill.

 You've surmised where people headed.  It was said several

times last night, if we sit here long enough we'll see 

everyone in town.  That was almost a literal truth.

 TODAY, BACK UP IN THE AIR

 Some were lucky to get power last night, but many

woke without toasters, coffee makers, radio, TV

and the Internet. It was also chilly in unheated homes.

 These signs were all over the village.

Ice for powerless refrigerators was flying out of the Cookie Crock Supermarket.

 PG&E guys told me they had been at it 30 hours

non-stop and have a 4AM call to head to Santa Cruz

tomorrow. I'm not sure the overtime pay is enough. 

 These scenes will explain why I'm at Mike and Jacque Griffin's sending this post.  That stuff you see on the downed line is the Charter gear.  Looks like cable, phone and the Internet will down a while.  

Great idea of "bundling" the services eh? 

Wondering now why I bought it. 

 This is a bundle of another sort.

Once the PG&E crews depart, the Charter guys

will have to jump it.

 WE LOVE OUR TREES, BUT

 Cambria is one of only a handful of places in the world

where the Monterey Pine grows naturally. They are a

unique tree and as you can see very shallow rooted.

 It doesn't take much to send them over.

Cambria in the Pines is one of the historic names

for our village.  Our friend Robert quipped today

we should change it to Cambria in the Pains or the Monterey Pain tree.

After 30 hours the power came on at our home on the 

ridge.  Nice to have lights at the flip of a switch, 

heat, a washing machine.  And soon, I hope, Internet and 

cable.  Spoiled aren't we?

Oh, and if you are out this way, the Hospitality night

will apparently be re-staged as a Friday night

sigh of relief.  The historic winds are gone but

so are some of the trees.

See you down the trail.