Missions Accomplished; Family Reunion Underway

Scheduled for 2 hours, the judicial settlement conference stretched longer. At 3:15 p.m., when Allyson arrived home, I was still on the telephone with the Judge and the eight parties, seven of whom were about 300 miles away in court. At 3:30, I continued the conference in the car. Between that time ad about 3:50, my phone dropped the call at least 4 times, irritating everyone, but we made our airplane to Southern California last evening, and the Judge set forth the agreement on the record. Missions accomplished.

Today, we walked along Huntington Beach before breakfast. By lunch, we gathered Jay and Gloria, and made it down to San Juan Capistrano, where we enjoyed a great meal at L'Hirondelle before visiting the Mission. The gardens in the Historic Mission, founded in 1776, are beautiful. The audio tour claims that the Spanish missionaries planted California's first wine grapes there right here in San Juan Capistrano.

Back in Huntington Beach, by late afternoon, the empty morning beach was full of sunbathers and others. A National Surfing Championship is contested here this weekend. As the girls parade around the shopping streets downtown in their skimpy bikinis, I know we are no longer in Portland. This is classic California.

It's great to get together with the Allyson-wing of the family.

P.S. The photo refers to the birds that return to the Mission on March 19, not to anything brother Scott said.