B's Balderdash Antiques - The hosts for the weekend

Well, if you didn't already know, my parents, Nancy and Tully Bryant, are antique dealers and gurus. They've been in business 22 years, following in the footsteps of my grandparents, Mette and W.D. Bee, who were in the business for 20 years.

My mother loves the primitive stuff, while Dad's more into the fancies. Mom collects pewter. Dad's a silver hound. Together they have a wealth of knowledge and regulars who sell their estate items to them because they can be trusted to give a fair price.

They used to have a shop of their own, but now B's Balderdash operates with seven booths in an antique mall in Pine Grove, Frontier Antiques. The mall is located at 20200 Hwy 88, in Pine Grove, on the way to Lake Tahoe. If you'd like to stop by and check them out, call the mall at(209)296-3311 for directions. If you're looking for a particular piece, my folks probably have it or know where to look for it, so email them at balderdash@volcano.net.

PICTURED HERE ARE: The Frontier sign so you know what to look for. Nancy and Tully in one of their booths. My baby picture (I was too cute for words.) A jewelry case in one of their booths, followed by another booth shot.

A Weekend in "God's Country"

When I was a girl, my parents bought 40 acres on the top of hill outside Sutter Creek, California. We would camp out there in a 13 ft. trailer with a covered deck my father added on in front. With two adults and us four girls, sleeping space included the bed of the Chevy pickup we rode up in.

We went nearly every weekend for years. There are many great stories associated with "the property" as we called it, which hopefully I'll eventually get around to writing about either here or in a book.

For years, whenever my folks told people we were going to the property, they would say, "We're going to God's country." Well, as a kid that doesn't mean a thing. But going back to visit the area 40 plus years later, it the vision is clear. My folks have since built a house on the property, sold it, and moved several times. But they still live in the general area and they were kind enough to give me a ride through the countryside on Saturday.

I found myself oohing and ahhing throughout the drive and made my Dad stop the car over and over for me to take pictures - 70 in all. So I'm going to post a new chapter of that tour everyday with just a few of the pictures.

There's a lot going on in the Gold Country (that's the official name for the area) and I'll try to start putting up little blurbs about events, etc. I'm starting to get local visitors to the blog - Yay. As many of you know, I plan to ultimately start a website for just that purpose - telling people what treasures there are to find in the areas BEYOND Sacramento. Get it?

The first photo is of the grounds of a winery we visited - Villa Toscano. Shot number two is of a creek that I took as we drove through it. Image number three is one side of Main Street, Volcano, California and last, but it is my favorite, a wonderful country barn between Volcano and Fiddletown.

Have a wonderful day!

More pictures from the Galleria de Laura

While alone in my sister's house yesterday, I skulked (yes, that is a real word) about and took a few more pictures of her artwork. I passed on the praise for the others and thought you all might like to see more.

Oh, by the way, I had the sunflowers going the wrong way - so you might want to go back and view that one again!

More later the afternoon!

The Universe has a sense of humor

So, the first job that becomes available to me is a temp job - lasting three or four months - covering a pregnancy leave for a lawyer's office. I got exciting thinking "Finally" and as the woman is telling me the contact information I can't believe what I'm hearing.

The gentleman's name rings a bell and I suddenly realize that it is a guy I worked for back in 1981 for about six weeks, until I quit because he was such a jerk. That job led me to try my hand at driving a cab. Of course, I told the gal "I don't want to work for him again" and she was very nice about it.

But can you believe that the first and only job so far to come my way is working for someone I worked unhappily for more than 25 years ago? I'm telling you - the Universe is run by one funny guy (or gal, as the case may be.) It took me about a half hour to recover from the shock of that one.

Had a financial windfall today! Yippee! So, it all evens out in the end.

Be good you citizens and beware of a prankster running loose in the corporate offices of the Universe!

Goodbye to Henrietta

Well, I've left the Folsom Lake Recreation Area for a slab next to a home. I've given up the outdoors life for the comforts of electricity and running water. Actually, I'm right in the heart of suburbia now, with Starbucks around the corner and all the megastores about 10 blocks away. Not a permanent solution for me, but a cheap, temporary one. In each place I stay, my goal is to appreciate what it has to offer. And this one is safe, "electrified" and near everything I could need.

However, I had to say goodbye to my almost daily visitor, Henrietta. Here she is forging for morsels. I saw her through the trees with a female friend the first day, and then all but one day afterwards by herself. I actually thought she was a Hank, until I looked her up on the internet and found that she didn't have the requisite plummage to be a male, or a certain style of strutting.

So, fair turkey damsel - farewell. Gobble, gobble, to you, too.

Country roads take me home...

I still haven't got any good news to report on the job hunt, but I've been consoling myself nicely. I took a drive around Folsom Lake day before yesterday and look what I found!

This is definitely one of the most beautiful areas I've ever been to. Absolutely deserted on a Wednesday. It was so quiet that is was a bit spooky, especially where the trees grow so close that everything is in shade.

I kept driving around a corner and gasping at the beauty. I hope you all like these photos. Folsom is going to be a my first "and beyond" for the website and I'm working that up now.

Have a FABULOUS weekend all you inhabitants of the Universe!

Rousted by the Rangers

Well, I have nothing much to do but post to this blog as I haven't obtained a job yet! Boo Hoo! Well, I can't expect miracles I suppose, although it would be great to have one occur right about...NOW!...Nope nothing! I'll keep you posted on the miracle watch.

But I did have an interesting night! Indeed! The men in uniform, park rangers, knocked on the RV door at 10:30 p.m. - in the dead of the night. Scared the begeezus out of me. I asked who it was and on the third request they finally identified themselves. They didn't have a record of anyone camping in that space. My tag on the window wasn't enough, so I produced a receipt and they apologized and went on their merry way. One guy, the big one, was very much a young Boss Hog, with a wad of tobaccy in his lower lip, and the smaller one was the embarrassed sidekick.

I had been reading, so it wasn't so awful.

Send good thoughts my way.