Northern California, revisited
Meeting Old Friends
Colin has very fond memories of the time when, as an ingenuous young Englishman, he first visited and lived in Northern California in the early ’70s. We stayed with Davey and Morag Paterson, with whom Colin worked at Measurex, in Cupertino. The Paterson’s live in a beautiful community in the Santa Cruz Mountains with views of the Bay Area to the East, and the Pacific to the West (pictured in the banner). While hosting us for a few days, they were gracious enough to invite some additional ex-Measurex people to meet us and, all of a sudden, we had a lovely party going, relating old stories, remembering old friends and fun times. Renewing friendships is one of the best presents life has to offer, especially when traveling.
Click on any thumbnail below to see larger image gallery.
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- Mount Shasta on our way to the Bay area
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- With Morag and Davey
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- Pacific view
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- Four ex-Measurex employees: Davey, Beverly, Jerry, and Colin
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- With the Patersons, Carol Bunker and John Higham
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- California wildflowers
Humming Birds
Whether it was the mountain air or the ‘special sugar’, the Paterson’s humming bird feeders were very well attended. It was great entertainment watching them vie for the best spots and having their fill of nectar. Pictured are two types of hummingbirds that we don’t have in the East, these are strictly West Coast hummers: Anna’s and Allen’s.
Click on any thumbnail below to see larger image gallery.
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- Anna’s Humming Bird
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- Allen’s Humming Bird
We hope you enjoy Cheryl’s ‘shadow-movie’ of all the activity.
Click on map below to see larger version
Las Cumbres Community, nr Skyline Drive, Los Gatos, California
Des oiseaux mouches en français?
From Cheryl: You bet, of course they speak French!! Perhaps even French kissing!!!! Love to you and the family.
Enjoyed seeing you at the wedding. Keep those AMAZING pictures coming. You two are incredible! Safe travels.
From Cheryl: It was great to see you, your daughter, and Dennis at the wedding. You are so kind how much you love our blog and following us. You are so generous with your loving and kind compliments. We really appreciate your feedback and thank you for being with us.
Mt. Shasta image: terrific. Hummingbirds: almost unbelievable! You must send at least one of them to the photo club Facebook page. What a treat to be able to see these little guys so up close and personal. And I also loved Cheryl’s video of the hummers flitting about. And of course, nice to see you so happily reunited with old friends from California.
From Cheryl: Thank you for loving our pictures yet again, you are so beautiful to share your kind words with us. Colin always seems to have the energy to hike to beautiful lakes and waterfalls to get that ever evasive beautiful picture. I’m so proud of his quality of photography, always improving. And always wanting to improve.
I never knew Colin lived in NoCa! The pics reveal stunning scenery. I really liked your friends’ home – would have liked to have seen more.
From Cheryl: Thanks Gayle! So glad you are enjoying the photos. Colin works so hard on getting the better every day! Colin lived with his first wife, Jenny, and two children in the Cupertino area in the 70s. The youngest, Ben, was born at Kaiser in NoCal! They lived there for quite a few years before Colin and the family were transferred to Cork, Ireland.
Hi Colin, I just happened to come across your post while exploring travel websites. I wanted to say hi. I worked at Measurex in the same timeframe that you did. I remember you. I had work related interactions with Davey and John. I remember the classic Porsche that Davey drove at that time and that perhaps subconsciously drove me to buy one many years later when I could afford it! Take care and stay well … Joe Mehta
Hi Joe, I remember your name, good to hear from you. I also remember a few scary rides up from Los Gatos to Skyline Drive in Davey’s Porsche. Colin