What's good for the soul...

We got away. 4 days on the coast. And it was so wonderful. I wouldn't have wanted our one year celebration any different. I'll let the pictures do most of the talking here, with a few notes.

And a side note... not much bike riding recently. Although tomorrow AM I am showing a friend some local trails, and it will be another clipped-in venture for me. So hilarity may follow.

Back to the anniversary though. We've been going to the same spot each fall for 5 of the last 6 years now. It's called the Howard Creek Ranch Inn (check out here if you please, although the site does it no justice). The proprietress's name is Sally though, so we just call it Sally's. It's a funky, hippie B&B that Sally and her soul mate Sonny bought in the late 70's. Before that they lived there in a hippie commune as squatters. In some ways, I don't think much has changed. But I feel at home there. There are eucalyptus groves, goats and llamas, dense forest to the east, and the Pacific ocean 200 yards to the west. There is no sound more wonderful than the deafening roar of the ocean. This is a place we've always gone with happiness in our hearts, but I feel that it would be just as perfect if I needed a place to recede to for soul searching, to get away, to hide or to be found. I truly feel like a piece of my heart lives at Sallys.

The entrance to Sallys. Maybe not so exciting, but so exciting to me!

This is perfect, to me.

Tucked in the forest, looking at the ocean.

This is the 5th time I've stood here and had this picture taken!

Isn't he cute?

These last couple pictures just make me so happy!

We canoed, hiked, picnicked, beached it, shopped, drank, meandered, conversed, wined & dined. Each was fantastic in its own right.

(Very off topic note here: Concannon red wine from Trader Joe's. $6 or so, and it is epic.)

Probably my favorite picture of the lot. And thats saying, well, a lot.

Reminds me of New Zealand. Reminds me of my dreams.

Mirror clear.

The botanical gardens at Fort Bragg makes me happy. Like, really happy. I highly recommend. Thankfully I've got a guy that understands this (or pretends to), and we spent a whole afternoon looking at plants and flowers and waves. And eating. Shockingly, I didn't take the majority of the pictures here. I don't know why.

Unruly!!!

These made us giggle.

Also unruly.

Lucky.

I've only been married one year, but I feel that I've had some amazing role models. My parents are happily married 32 years (yesterday, in fact!). My husband's parents are still married to each other (40+ years I believe). My grandparents were married 57 years, and some of my best friend's parents growing up were obviously crazy in love. And still are. So in the spirit of marriage (hey, this blog's not only about bikes!!!), some of the things I've been taught, learned, and noticed about a solid marriage:

Hold hands. Touch. Hug & kiss, always.

Don't fight in public. Keeping disagreements private shows respect for one another. And respect is a powerful form of love.

Support each other no matter what. Dreams are far more attainable when your other half is boosting you up to reach them. And no dream isn't worth chasing.

Don't use the bathroom in front of each other/together. (A personal favorite piece of advice from a good friend's mom!)

Honesty. Always.

Do not go to bed angry. And on that note - don't go to bed with a heavy mind. Talk it out. Cry it out if need be. Go to bed together.

No one has to "wear the pants" (life's totally better with no pants!)

Play.

And of course, say I love you. A lot. And then some.