Dan and Pete’s Excellent Adventure in Port Hueneme, California (2026)

Pete and I go way back.  I mean to fifth grade at Radburn School in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. Years later, we learned that our fifth grade teacher, Mr. Bien, was the favorite teacher of each of us.  We traveled in different circles through the high school years.  Then, being 1966 and no Internet, we went our separate ways and lost touch. He a proud UConn Husky, and me a Wild West Arizona State Sun Devil.

This is where Roz, the connector comes in. As our classmate from the Fair Lawn (NJ) High School Class of ’66, she mentioned to me that Pete and his wife Lois had moved to Santa Monica.  Being 90 miles up The 101 in Carpinteria, I thought let’s get together and see if we have much/anything in common.

And it appears we do, as Pete has been a regular on my dance card over the last three years while Hannah and I winter in California – hiking at Paradise Falls in Thousand Oaks, hanging out at the Santa Monica Pier, and meeting up with classmates Roz and Lenny in Westlake Village.

On day of a five-inch storm at our home in York,…

Our place on Chases Pond Road two miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean

…, Pete and I meet on a California sunny morning in the 60s in Port Hueneme (pronounced why-knee-me) for coffee at Einstein’s Bros. Bagels.  

Sitting outside at a coffee shop is my jam whenever I’m in California. Pete and I talk of the importance of relationships in our lives and how our family of origin influenced who we are.  It gets meaningful with Pete.  And for that I am, indeed, grateful.

Once caffeinated (me, not Pete, a borderline health freak having orange juice instead of coffee!), we head to the Port Hueneme Beach Park on the Pacific.

Port Hueneme Beach Park

And here’s one more reason why Pete is my guy – and it has to do with paying for parking.  Let me explain.

Looking for parking on this Martin Luther King, jr. Monday, we slide into one of the many paid parking spots along the beach. I am torn.  What to do?  In Maine I never pay for parking.  Come on, it’s Maine. But here, it’s probably only a dollar or two for an hour.  I don’t want to appear cheap, but I also don’t want to pay for parking without trying to find a side street.  How will Pete react to my stance on parking?

Turns out that we are in sync, drive one hundred yards away from the beach to find free two-hour parking.  The universe reminds Danny to speak up rather be afraid of what another might think.

The walking/biking path above the beach is ideal for conversation and exercising/soaking up the sun.  I share the Native American wisdom that helps guide me.

I learn of the upcoming arrival of his first grandchild and the joy he has that his son lives nearby; similar to the parental delight that Hannah and I have with our daughter Molly’s family and son Will’s family living within an hour of us in Maine. When I mistakenly assume he is retired, he reminds me that he continues to be a life coach. If you love what you do, you never work a day in your life. By the way, I am 15 years retired and think of it as the best 15 years of my life. For me, work was work.

Pete and Dan on the Port Hueneme Pier

It turns out that our get-together is the prelude for a mini-reunion of the Fair Lawn High School Class of ’66 with other California transplants (Roz, Shiffy, Lenny, and maybe Paul and Alan).

Dan and Hannah Say Good-bye to Nancy Rose (January 27, 2026)

Hannah was standing in the courtyard after the service at Unity of Santa Barbara back in February 2017.  The minister, Rev. Larry Schellink, had suggested to the congregants to move out of their comfort zone and greet someone new.  As a newbie and one who finds large groups daunting due to her spasmodic dysphonia speech condition, Hannah lingered to the edge.

Undaunted, Nancy Rose sidled over to Hannah for the start of a beautiful friendship.  Why a week later, Nancy and her hubby Duncan invited us to the first of many annual meals at the local Summerland Beach Café.

Each winter when we returned to the Santa Barbara area, Hannah and Nancy would meet up on Wednesdays to go thrift shopping at the Assistance League in SB and then lunch together.  With Duncan and me, we four never missed a February 6^th (Hannah’s birthday) at the Summerland Beach Café.  You see, SBC gives the birthday girl or boy a free meal on their birthday.

Jump forward to 2026, Hannah and Nancy continued their Wednesday shopping and lunching.  Why just last Friday with friends, Nancy, Hannah, and I lunched outside at Cody’s on a Santa Barbara sunny day.  Nancy beamed. Though she usually spends Sundays (and every other day of the week) with Duncan at the Valle Verde Nursing Home where he resides, this past Sunday she joined us to listen to the very same, now retired, Larry Schellink at Unity of Santa Barbara in person.

Hannah and Nancy were set for another shopping/lunching afternoon this past Wednesday.  Nancy had asked if Hannah would cut her hair that afternoon, too.

Hannah texted Nancy to confirm their Wednesday together.  Oddly, she didn’t hear anything back.  And Nancy is very responsive.  Concerned, Hannah texted Nancy’s dear friend Maureen who shared the sad, sad news.  Nancy had fallen on her driveway the day before due to a likely heart attack.  Once she was found, she was unable to be revived.

We lost a dear friend.  Hannah lost a soul sister.  The light of the world dimmed ever so slightly this past week.

Rest in peace, dear Nancy.

Hannah and Nancy Rose

Nancy and her husband Duncan remembered at Unity of Santa Barbara on February 1, 2026

Dan’s Wednesday Quote of the Week #249 – Aging Gratefully (January 28, 2026)

It was just a simple phrase—I get to age— but as soon as my friend said it over lunch that day in the crowded cafe, my whole body relaxed with the truth of it. Suddenly, every laugh line, every crease of my forehead and ravine of crows’ feet in the corner of my eyes seemed like a privilege granted to me, evidence not so much of worry, but of the many joys now carved into my skin, held in aching knees and creaky ankles that pop when I walk.

James Crews, poet and the author of the essay collection, Kindness Will Save the World, and editor of several bestselling poetry anthologies: Healing the Divide, The Path to Kindness, How to Love the World, and The Wonder of Small Things. He has been featured on NPR’s Morning Edition, People Magazine, The Boston Globe, and The Washington Post.

Thanks to our friend Rose for sending this along.

Dan and Hannah Hike the Buena Vista Trail in Montecito, California (2026)

Carpinteria has received 318% of its average daily rainfall this year.  Blasted by drought for much of the 2010s, this quasi-coastal desert area, home to prickly pear cactus, welcomes this liquid manna from heaven. It’s no hyperbole saying that this is an existential blessing.

Personally, I’m all for California getting all the rain it needs! But is it too much to ask just not in January through March when Hannah and I are here?  I know, I know the winter is their rainy season! Tell you what, here’s what I’ll do for the locals. I’m fine with one rainy day per week to keep the reservoirs full.  You probably are thinking, What a guy! And you would be right!

This year Mother Nature has come through for Dan and Hannah like the Academy Award winner that she is.  Buckets upon buckets of rain fell for the two weeks before we arrived! The total would be zero for how much has fallen since we’ve arrived in the Golden State.  Mother Nature is da Woman!

With all this rain, the creeks are rockin’ and rollin’.  We found that out five days ago hiking to the Hot Springs of Montecito. (Click here for that blog.) Today, Hannah and I drive a mere ten miles from our home away from home in Carp to hike the Buena Vista Trail along, what can’t surprise you, the Buena Vista Creek.  It’s possible that we’ll be turned back by high water crossings.

Let me show you how we did on the Buena Vista Trail.

We begin at the San Ysidro trailhead (TH – Estas Aqui), take a right on the Old Pueblo Trail to the trailhead (TH) of the Buena Vista Trail. We hike a mile on the BVT to the Edison Catway, then take a sharp left on the San Ysidro Trail back to the trailhead on East Mountain Drive. It’s nearly a four-mile loop with 1000′ of elevation gain.

Within 300 yards of the trailhead, we pause as we pass the staging area where the EMTs in 2017 came to work on Hannah’s leg sliced to the bone; she had fallen 25′ into the ravine, ripped up her leg on the jagged rocks, and thankfully was rescued by our son-in-law Tip! The crack Ivy League surgeon at the ER at the local Cottage Hospital worked his magic and stitched her back together such that Hannah continues to hike these mountains to this day.

Within a half mile we turn onto the rutted Old Pueblo Trail.

After 1.4 miles of uphill hiking and heavy breathing, we arrive at the Buena Vista Trail that will take us into the Santa Ynez Mountains.

I’ve got some simple math for you! 68 is not 78, let alone 58. Hiking these relentless climbs has me stepping a little more slowly and breathing a little more deeply. But, tortoise-like, slow and steady carries us up the mountain.

It turns out our three creek crossings are easy peezy. A few stone steps here and there and we cross without getting soaked.

Looking out to the Pacific with the Channel Islands in the distance

After an hour climbing some two miles, we reach the top of the trail. These towers are a welcome sight.

With baby steps down the Edison Catway, which is wide enough for a jeep or pickup truck, we find, due to the recent rains, the gravelly path is not as slippery as in years past.

We are in Montecito nonetheless with its mountainside mansions. The average domicile herein goes for a cool $5 to 6 million. Montecito is home to the Royals, Harry and Meghan, of course Oprah as well as Jeff Bridges, Rob Lowe, Gwyneth Paltrow, Drew Barrymore, and Grey’s Anatomy favorite, Ellen Pompeo. You just might see Larry David or Steve Martin. Alas, our stargazing comes up empty.

Later that afternoon, the sun sets over the Pacific Ocean in Carpinteria.

Dan’s Image #246 – Sending Sunshine and Love to Our East Coast Family and Friends Under Siege (January 23, 2026)

Carpinteria sunset over the Pacific

Dan’s Wednesday Quote of the Week #248 (January 21, 2026)

Sent to use by our friend Rose Reba.

Dan’s Image #245 – Martin Luther King, jr. (January 19, 2026)

Dan and Hannah Hike the Trails of Arroyo Verde, Ventura, California (2026)

Our friend, Jena Jenkins, is Carpinteria’s dynamo of possibilities and creative programming. She directs the AgeWell Program for us seniors here in Carp.  And thanks to our resident powerhouse, Dan is now your new Tai Chi Man.  Though mechanical as a wind-up toy at the outset, I did begin to unlock my inner Chi and get into the flow.  On the plus side, I was not asked to not come back.

On this second Tuesday in January, Hannah and I have a California trifecta that makes us winner, winner, chicken dinner.

First, it’s coffee at the Brass Bird with the aforementioned Jena Jenkins. Coffee/tea and muffins/scones are my idea of kicking off the day in style. It’s January and we are comfortably sitting outside at one of the many tables just off Carp Ave.

Second is sunshine hiking twenty miles down The 101 in Ventura. Fully caffeinated, we are ready to lace up for some fine hillside switchback climbing at the Harmon Canyon Preserve.  Unfortunately, I did not check the HCP website, assuming that after nine days of full sun and no rain since our arrival in Paradise, the HCP would be open. The closed gate (below) indicates that the Preserve is still drying out from the two-week deluge over Christmas and New Year’s.

Fortunately, a mile and a half down Foothill Road lies Arroyo Verde Park for our hiking pleasure.  Let me take you there on a California Chamber of Commerce 70F day.

Technically Ventura is San Buenaventura honoring a saint of the Catholic Church.

Recent rains have made this city park golf course green.

The trail begins above the city park and is used for high school cross-country meets. The Bates College mantra is “It’s a great day to be a Bobcat.” You might wonder why I bring that up?

Besides two-legged bobcats from Bates, there are the genuine four-legged variety here. For the record, we did not see one lion, a single bobcat, or a rattling rattlesnake.

Inland, the trail descends steeply. As seniors we come full circle by taking baby steps down the mountain.

Green as far as the eye can see. We’ve been here winters when it was brown on brown.

Hannah pauses above the city park heading for the trailhead with the Channel Islands in the distance.

Those of you still paying attention may wonder what is the final point of our trifecta. After hiking, we drive to the Cinemark Century Ventura Downtown 10 Theatre for the showing of Song Sung Blue, the Neil Diamond Experience. As an added bonus, it’s Senior Tuesday and we pay a mere $6.50 each!

Run, don’t walk to see this show! Especially if you love Neil Diamond’s music.

Dan’s Wednesday Quote of the Week #247 (January 14, 2026)

On occasion, in years past, I planted daffodil bulbs on Rosh Hashanah, as a reminder to myself that hope for better times is not enough – that one must be an active participant in the quality of the future. If I want flowers in the future, the planting must be now. Hope and faith must be active verbs.

From UH-OH: Some Observations from Both Sides of the Refrigerator Door

Robert Fulghum, b. 1937

I picked this book up at a Little Free Library in Columbia Falls, Montana this past August 2025.

Dan and Hannah Seek the Fountain of Youth at the Hot Springs, Montecito, California (2026)

For the two weeks around Christmas 2025 and New Year’s Day 2026, 8.43” of rain fell on Carpinteria, California.  Annually, Carpinteria averages 18” of the wet stuff .  Do the math! Half the annual rainfall fell in two weeks! Montecito where we are hiking today was drenched in 10.51” of rain in that same period.

With impeccable timing, Hannah and I arrive on the Pacific Coast the day after this period of deluge for our winter near Santa Barbara.  Ergo, we are able to hike in abundant sunshine this first full week of January.

So, what’s this about the Fountain of Youth? Though I have no hard evidence, it seems the warm waters of the Hot Springs in Montecito might have the key to eternal youth. You be the judge.

Thinking the trail might be quite muddy with all this recent rain, we are pleased to discover that it is mud-free and ready for our hiking pleasure into the Santa Ynez Mountains.

Ah, but Mother Nature is not done with us. With five crossings of the Hot Springs Creek to negotiate, we find that the water is turbulent, the rocks are slippery and lie menacing below the water’s surface.

Let my pictures take you with us to the Hot Springs.  You be the judge if we don’t like far younger than our 78 years after submerging into the warming waters!

A map of some of the many trails we have at our disposal in the Front Country of Santa Barbara

A close-up of our 1.3 mile trek to the pools of the Hot Springs just past the Ruins

First Hot Springs Creek crossing. No problemo

Not a piece of cake crossing, but we manage without slip sliding away or in

Hannah brings her deep well of enthusiasm to our rocky trail with 900+’ of elevation gain to the Hot Springs

Silky pool of youth

More youthful hydration

Looking out to the Pacific Ocean with the Channel Islands in the distance

A more challenging crossing. Three and four point stances are required for our fording of the creek.

Returning to the trailhead along the Hot Springs Creek

By the way, if you wonder if Dan used sunscreen for the first time in forever, having been given a wake-up call by his skin cancer diagnosis and surgery in November, he did!