Sonoma/Marin County Hills

Busy day today. Up early to visit with our hosts before breakfast. They both had to leave so we decamped to Peet's. Although Peet's itself is becoming more 'corporate', the courtyard with its benches looking up at the Claremont Hotel hasn't changed at all. We even found several old buddies there. And the coffee, which has been a bit inconsistent was really good this morning.

The dentist upstairs from The courtyard was a less exciting visit to an old haunt...the hygienist told me everything looked good, but the dentist herself found a crumbling crown which will have to be replaced at vast expense.

It wasn't even the money part that got me down, but the fact that I am fed up with being poked and prodded, cut and messed about with, and don't really fancy spending two hours in a dentist's chair, even one I like well enough to drive for an hour and a half to get to.

But I consider myself fortunate indeed to have nothing more than relatively minor complaints, so I will stop complaining. I
consoled myself with a visit to my all time favorite clothing boutique for a little retail therapy only to find out that the owner is considering retirement...now that is a tragedy though I can't say I blame her. A small business with unique merchandise is getting harder and harder in these days of Internet shopping and cookie cutter franchises....

I caught the green, green hills, and the blue sky filled with fluffy white clouds from the car window on the drive home.