The Village of the Chickens

Little Fair Oaks Village may not have intended it to be so, but the roosters and their hens rule the roost in the quaint little community oddly just east of Sunrise Boulevard and south of Winding Way in the midst of Sacramento suburbia. The roosters crow and strut, making a pleasant background and creating the illusion of stepping into a time long gone.

Saturday morning found me exploring this dreamy little hamlet and happy as a middle-level adventurer could be. Middle-level you ask? Yes, I find myself truly enjoying discoveries rather than exertions. I doubt I’ll ever be found on a rock face climbing to its peaks, but I do find escapades into unfamiliar territories exciting.

So, on instructions from my sister, who lives in Fair Oaks but not in the village area, I wandered around until I happened on the two-block Main Street, which is actually Fair Oaks Blvd. On my way out, I found an easy route; take California Avenue off of Sunrise just south of Winding Way. Just up and down a tiny hill, and you’ll find yourself smack in the middle of old Fair Oaks.

There are several places to eat, but I chose the Fair Oaks Coffee House & Deli, pictured here, and had an inexpensive breakfast sandwich and small coffee. I soaked up the atmosphere while I sipped my coffee and noted that interior chotchkes add interest and color. The service was extremely friendly – Michelle Sanford, who was working the counter, shared lots of information with me - and I enjoyed watching the locals wander in for what was obviously their regular fare. It was a bit too chilly to enjoy a table outside, but they are umbrella-ed for when the weather is more cooperative.


I wandered the sidewalks peering into windows and admiring the charm, when I stumbled upon what can only be called an “accessory shop” – The HART Collection. Inside, I found Carla Martin, who runs the place with her family that produces about half the jewelry to be found inside – and that’s no small amount.

An entire wall is dedicated to their creations and other pieces, from earrings to necklaces and even hair ornaments. There is another section devoted to the ladies of the Red Hat Society, larger and more diverse than I’ve ever run into before.

This little shop is a treasure; reasonable prices, a glorious selection of items ranging from hats to party purses to any kind of fun jewelry you can imagine.

If you are an antique aficionado or perhaps enjoy artistic quilts, you’re also in luck in Fair Oaks. Additionally, when it warms up, you may want to experience one of the performances at the Veterans Memorial Amphitheater, home of the Fair Oaks Theater Festival.

Old Fair Oaks is a walk back in time, but unlike some of the little town in the Gold Country, this feels more like the 1940s or 50s. I highly recommend setting aside a couple of hours to explore this tiny burg. I’ll be returning myself, as soon as I can, to further uncover the riches I missed this weekend.

City of Trees

One of Sacramento’s nicknames is City of Trees. During the spring and summer there is an overwhelming profusion of greenery, especially in the form of leafy trees. There are also pines, palms, cedars and the like. If you have been starved for trees, as I had when I arrived in Sacramento, it is a welcome and lovely sight.

It is easy, however, to become so used to seeing multiple trees in every yard, stands of them in all the parks and their treasured presence at the Capitol, that as a Sacramento resident one forgets how special this attribute can be.

A trip to downtown Sacramento in springtime may renew appreciation. In the fall a trip to the outer limits of this Capitol city can inspire one by offering a view of the turning of the leaves. It’s a shorter season here in California than some other places, but none the less colorful.

In the dead of winter still, I was urged by my inner artist to capture the beauty of a lone oak tree in the midst of a walk in my local park, the tiny Edgar H. Ahren Park on Manzanita.

There, among the scampering youngsters and basketball players, yet off to one side, stood this marvelous, craggy old oak tree. The park planners had established a ring of sidewalk around the thing, as if to say, “Look what we preserved!” And a good job they did.

My favorite sound in the world is the sound of wind rustling the trees, all types from oaks to pines. In Sacramento, there are many places to enjoy that sound, and in the winter there are still treasures to be found, like this grand aged oak tree.

Sacramento’s Home-Grown Art Museum – The Crocker

The biggest bargain in Sacramento may be the free Sunday outings offered by The Crocker Art Museum, every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The architecture is an amazing experience, both in and outside the Victorian Italianate gallery designed by Seth Babson and completed in 1872. This is only one of the many ornate and gracious staircases throughout the museum.


PORTRAIT OF MARY BLANCHE HUBBARD, 1889, BY MARY CURTIS RICHARDSON

From the luscious landscapes that fill the museum to the portraits, both old school and modern, there is much to look at in the Crocker. One of the best features, in my opinion, is the many varied types of seating available. I really like to simply sit and soak in the surroundings in an art museum.


PORTRAIT OF MY FATHER BY STEPHEN KALTENBACH

The permanent collection at the Crocker includes European, American and Asian art as well as California contemporary pieces. There is also a collection of Meissen porcelain.

Special exhibitions occur and change regularly. When I visited recently, “The Art of Warner Bros. Cartoons” was on display and a very popular exhibit.

If Sundays don’t work for you, there is a small admission price Monday-Saturday, of $6 for adults, $4 for seniors and $3 for students. The museum is located at Third and O Streets downtown. For more information, log on to www.crockerartmuseum.org.

A Change in Christmas Attitude

If I wasn’t already happy to be back in California, the holidays would have put me there.

First of all, I just have to take a short ride up to visit my folks to get a little of the snow show that’s not unusual in the Sacramento area. See the picture of Bebe, my Toyota Yaris, loving the clumps of snow leftover from the previous weekend in Pine Grove.

Then there’s the brisk feel of wintry air all around, something I had missed terribly during my encampment in Arizona. There is a stillness about things when the air gets cold. I really enjoy that sense of waiting for spring, but enjoying the moment. I’ve found myself sitting in my outdoor lounge chair with my feet propped up on the “visitor’s” chair watching the leaves fall and the squirrels chasing each other across the nearly bare branches of the oak tree across the street.

Tonight, I’m off to Oakdale (near Modesto) to spend Christmas Eve with my youngest sister and her family. My parents will be there, too. I haven’t been around for Christmas in years, so it will be very enjoyable for me, reconnecting with my family and memories of my youth.

I’m apart this year from my daughter, Vanessa and my son, Erik and his family. That’s very difficult for me, but we’ve made special arrangements so that we’ll spend some quality phone time together tomorrow.

I almost forgot! The Universe brought me a nice little Christmas present – winning $600 at Jackson Rancheria, the casino that’s between my folks and home.

To all of you, wherever your Christmas will be, I’m wishing you sweet moments with the ones you love.

Baby, It's Cold Outside...and Wet!

The past few weeks I’ve been caught up in a thousand Christmas chores (okay, maybe simply a hundred or so, but it has felt like a thousand) and the rewriting of the novel I hope will push me into the ranks of heralded and financially comfortable authors.

So, I have missed the pleasures of exploring the Sacramento area. There is so much more to see, experience and write about, so I plan to renew my forays into myriad adventures awaiting me in earnest after the New Year comes skipping over the horizon. In the meantime, I took a look around myself today and realized there is so much to enjoy in my own front yard.

It was raining today as I read in my cozy little nest of a bed in my RV, Wanda. I stopped for a few minutes as I heard the wind pick up a bit and glanced out the window. I found myself smiling as I watched a cascade of leaves being persuaded to leave a tree by the gusts. They came tumbling over each other by the tens, creating such a lovely sight of yellowed migration.

I marveled at those that remained on the stark branches, still clinging to their usefulness and life. It made me think of the human struggle to remain and survive, but I was also able to see the drifting beauty of those golden leaves that couldn’t hold on any longer, that simply let go and created a new carpet of intricate patterns on the earth below. There is an analogy here greater than any observer or writer’s ability to convey it.

The chill in the air hovers in the mid-forties most days lately. I love the brace of walking from a warm building into that biting cold and the instant alertness that goes with it; the realization that everything around me is a bit crisper than in the spring and summer. This feeling is something I sorely missed while I lived in Arizona.

Even the comfort of the indoors is amplified and distinctly more appreciable in this lovely climate.

The tinkling of rain on tin roofs is a sound I’ve always loved and here I get to experience that every time it so much as sprinkles when I’m in Wanda. The sound is slightly different but just as enjoyable.

In retrospect, perhaps my adventures have been more introspective of late, but in Sacramento all it takes is a cold, rainy day to feel as if you’re somewhere special.

Sophistication Hidden In A Grocery Center

THE COZY LITTLE BAR AT THE RAVINE

You wouldn’t normally find this kind of sophistication in culinary fare and atmosphere in a shopping center anchored by a grocery store, but welcome to The Ravine.

The bistro leans towards an updated version of décor you might have found in a restaurant/lounge frequented by Frank Sinatra. It has that “swingers” feel, with a dance floor and piano player who happily tinkled the ivories with tunes from the forties and fifties, like Blue Moon and Sentimental Journey, but accommodated younger patrons with more recent tunes as well.

The food choices were limited but varied with prices for entrees hovering in the $25 to $30 range. I had the pork tenderloin and added a salad. The flavors added to the pork, which was served in beautiful stuffed rounds, were both engaging and different. I was one of a party of fourteen and all seemed quite satisfied with their meal.

This isn’t a hurry-up-and-eat sort of place, so if you don’t have time for a leisurely dining experience, wait until you do.

The owners, Jonathan and Gita Rolls, have done a wonderful job of making the patrons feel important. Gita visited our table more than once, as it was my parents’ anniversary and she was determined to make it special.

The bar is very retro and hip, a great place to meet and sip martinis.

I would highly recommend The Ravine, especially to a couple looking for a quiet and elegant dining experience.

The Ravine is located at 25005 Blue Ravine Road, Suite 140, in Folsom. You can visit their website at www.theravinefolsom.com or call 916-983-5070 for reservations.

Artfully Yours - Sutter Creek

THE WINDOW BETWEEN GALLERY 10 AND SUSAN'S

A recent outing with family members took me to Sutter Creek, a community in the thick of history, smack in the middle of Gold Country. The wonderfully intact Main Street attracts tourists all year long for a trip back in time and also for its antique shops.

It had been years since I'd been to Sutter Creek and didn't realize the there's a thriving art scene there too. We stopped into a gallery and what I would call an "art shop."

Gallery 10 is located just off Main at 15 Eureka Street. Tucked into a two story ancient storefront, with a popular bistro "Susan's" next door, the works of art welcome you right through the plate glass windows, which on the side of the building give customers a cozy view into the patio courtyard of Susan's. Between the two hang strands of three-inch round glass balls, blown into being with diverse swirling colors.

The space is cut up into alcoves which feature different types of art, from paintings to sculpture to jewelry to pottery, ad infinitum. Turn a corner and you will walk into a new experience. However, the gallery is smallish, so don't move too quickly. You'll get through all of it and feel you've just experienced your own small renaissance.


Painting by Margaret Soegaard

Gallery 10 is open Thursday through Monday, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you'd like to call ahead, here's their number 209-267-0203.

The Fine Eye Gallery at 71 Main Street feels more like a shop, but its art is no less spectacular, however in most cases more contemporary with enough practical and crafty objects to attract those that enjoy wearable or usable art.

The Fine Eye Gallery

This gallery is a delight to the senses and you may well find yourself turning around and gasping with surprise one minute then examining with deep concentration the next.

Fine Eye is open daily from 10:30 a.m to 5 p.m.

So, if you haven't already, think of Sutter Creek next time you're hankering for a little art pleasure.