We welcomed Jim and Becky Powers to our house on Cinco de Mayo. They are having a bit of a drive through California for a week or so in their little go-go car, an electric blue Vette (can you see the Sube and the Camry looking on from the shadows? I couldn't tell from which one, but I thought I could just hear a little sigh). Becky is doing most of the driving because Jim is working on his laptop as they zoom along, connected by his cell phone to the internet and the other guys at work. Fixed a couple of programming bugs somewhere on I-5 in the San Joaquin Valley on the way up here. Then, after they arrived mid-afternoon, he set up on the dining table to work some more. Jim might need to learn how to relax a little more...
So, of course, we took them to Nevada City for a little walk (doesn't take long to see the whole thing, including the beautiful Victorians at the top of the hill). Fortunately, it was long enough to explain the invention of the Pelton Wheel (see last entry) and show them a sample of that and other mining equipment one can't help but notice scattered about town. I'm pretty sure they were grateful for the information though they didn't say so, in so many words. I think they look fascinated, don't you?
After compulsively snapping more photos of the blooming dogwoods (you can see Jim and Becky captivated by the one tree that produces both pink AND white flowers), we went back home for some green cheese enchiladas. After that, an introduction to the PBS show "Antiques Roadshow". Doesn't get any better, they were probably thinking.
This morning, after Becky and I walked to get the newspaper, they took off like a, well, blue streak, headed toward Ferndale, near Eureka. Just about one minute after they'd pulled out of the driveway, Jim chimed in to the regularly-scheduled partners' meeting from the car. That Jim. They'll be back. We didn't have time to show them the old silo from the Idaho-Maryland Mine, and although they didn't mention it, specifically, I'm sure they meant to.
