June 16: northern California

Dear Friends and Relatives,

Greetings from Rohnert Park, where Maureen and I are spending the night in an Air BnB, with our hosts, Tina and Tom Moore.  He is a retired general practitioner, which just a few minutes ago was like a Godsend, as I fell with my right foot into a gopher hole at Fort Ross and sprained or hyperextended some muscles behind the knee.  No breaks, and the doctor said I should put ice packs on it, take Advil, and walk with a knee brace.  What a bummer, but I am thankful I didn't break anything!  But this little tale relates to the late afternoon, so let me take you through the first part of the day.  

We left SF at about 10:00 a.m., crossing the Golden Gate Bridge in a cloudless sky, except for a patch of fog just as we were about to cross into Sausalito.  We passed the towns of San Rafael, Novato, Petaluma, Sebastopol, Bodega Bay, and Jenner.  Along the way, at a lookout of sweeping waves and seastacks, we had lunch, consisting of leftovers from previous meals.  From Jenner we drove on to Fort Ross State Historic Park, one of the oldest parks in the California State Park System, established in 1906.  This park preserves North America's southernmost Russian settlement.  The Fort Ross Colony was founded in 1812 by members of the Russian-American Company, who built it with the help of the Alaskan Alutiiq natives.  Northwest of the fort, the old Call Ranch House and buildings represent the ranching era that followed the Russian settlement.  Park facilities include a visitor center with interpretive exhibits and a research library, a museum bookstore, gardens, and the Russian cemetery (which we, unfortunately, did not find).  The fort and its buildings, filled with Biedermeier furniture, tools, a smithy, a church, and officers' headquarters, have a sweeping view of the Pacific Ocean, coastal terraces, and densely forested ridges.  

Restored or reconstructed buildings within the stockade include the chapel, officers' barracks, the Kuskov House, two blockhouses, and the newly reconstructed Magazin, or Arsenal.  Also within the compound is the Rotchev House, a National Historic Landmark and the oldest original surviving structure between SF and the Alaskan border.  It was as I was walking towards a windmill on the premises, at the end of a field, that my right foot sank into a gopher hole and pitched me forward.  

Icing it, I got into the car, and Maureen and I drove back to Rohnert Park, close to our BnB, and had dinner at an In and Out Burger.  Having ridden so long, I could barely make it to a table, and was quite shaken by that.  Maureen suggested an Ace bandage and some Icy Hot gel, which we purchased at a Walgreen's before setting out for our landlords.  We have a second floor apartment (stairs were difficult, however). No air conditioning, but it is still not as hot as in Dallas, and the fans are oscillating.  I have been icing the knee, and the pain seems to be tapering off a bit.  Unforeseen snafu, but thank God our landlord is a doctor and told me I would be fine.  AAAARghghghghghg!  As ever, Sylvia