Christmas 2009 - Part 7

Morning comes again, as it always does, but this time it has brought with it fog from the San Joaquin valley to the Tehachapi valley. Everywhere you look, there is a thick blanket of it on the ground up to the sky. It does add a neat bit of spleandor to the surroundings. After having the beast breakfast we've eaten so far, we departed into the thick muck to sightsee around my home town. We drove around almost aimlessly, visiting old schools, churches, homes, buildings, anything that sparked a memory from my childhood. Stories were shared with my children, questions about my childhood were asked, and may sights were seen. Christy did a great job of forcing us to stand and take pictures in front of different locales.


The fog always makes me wonder what creatures are hunting me from within its dark confines


The hotel in Tehachapi. Odd spending the night in a hotel in your hometown


My first house on Welch Court. Tree gone. Bushes gone. Memories still intact.


My home. We drove down Sierra Vista drive, on my way home, and was flooded with memories of the countless trips down this road. My childhood home looked fairly similar to how i remember it, yet different. I knocked the original doors I remember dad hanging, and was greeted by some kid that apparently lived in my home. Odd. Soon, a man and woman met us, and the too appeared to be living in my home. Odd. Looking around, it was similar, yet odd. The floors in all the rooms have been tiled. The paint is different. The kitchen counters and cabinets have been brought up to an age more distant from their original 70's glamor. The rooms looked the same, yet odd. I wondered around, showing my family, as well as the current home owners different things that they didnt know about the home. I indicated where we buried the time capsule when the home was built. I showed them the cabinets that dad built in the game room and the rest of the woodwork that he installed in said room. I showed them the burn mark my corduroy pants left on the wood burning stove. I pointed out the alcove that used to be mom's sewing area that has now been converted to a closet. The home owner and I both told stories about the plethora of pins we've both stepped on in this area that seemed to be embedded in the carpet. I showed them the wall that mom built in the bathroom. On and on went the tour, both interesting to current home owners as well as my kids. We thanked the family and went out to the back yard. This still seemed to be the same as I remember it, with the exception of a dog run that was added. This dog run ended in the garage, where half of my old room has been converted to the dogs home. The garage portion of the barn was almost the same as I remember, and i even remembered the studs we used to use to climb into the attic. Behind the barn, we took a moment to talk about Pete and attempt to find his grave, which no longer remains marked. Stories were told about the yard, the dirtbiking, playing with pete, the garden, the fort, the decks, most of which no longer exist. It was so great to see the place, and we are so grateful that we had the chance to wonder around inside and out.


My old room in the barn


My old room in the barn, inside


Where I think Pete is buried.


Outside my home


Outside my home

Up the street live the Moat's, whom we were requested to visit by most of the Moats girls via facebook. So, we did, and had a great visit with Sister Moats, who said I should call her Cathy, yet that still didnt seem right, given the years and years of habit that were formed calling her Sister Moats. We talked about all our families, all the kids and kid's kids, and simply had a great little time reminiscing.

From the Moats home, we drove around where I used to ride my dirtbike and explore the empty fields west of our home. No longer are the trails present, having been replaced by progress, homes, roads and so on. Odd to drive my car where I used to walk or ride thru fields. More exploring of the area occurred. I stopped by and entered the glass shop I used to work in. It too looked largely untouched, as I stood next to the tables I used to use to build screens, windows and the like. We ended up eating at Jack in the Box, which is largely unknown to our tastebuds, after wondering around Golden Hills for a while. Once we got some foods in our growing vacation bellies, we jumped onto the freeway to head to Bakersfield. The quantity of oil rigs, orange orchards, as well as other farming seemed to amaze the kids. Oranges, oranges and more oranges were everywhere, all dotted with the occasional oil rig.

After an hour on the road, we arrived at the Cemetery and had a great visit with the deceased parents of my father. My kids got to know and love Grandma Belt, but never had the chance to meet Grandpa Belt. I retold stories of his life, my interactions with him, and how much he would have loved them. Tears were shed as well as smiles. Again, for the second time this trip, we were privileged to spend some alone time as a family, reflecting on our mortality as well as those loved ones that have passed on before us. It made me want to go up to Lake Isabella to visit the old cabin where so many memories were forged into the recesses of my adolescent brain. As one of my kids said, how cool it would be to be able to go back in time and watch the proceedings of some of these most favorite memories.





Belt Grandparents burial location

On the way back up the hill, we made a stop by the Tehachapi loop.. This location is one that I never visited while spending the first 18 years of my life only 10 miles from its existence. Firsts for all of us were on the agenda for this trip, and we satisfied this in many different ways. Learning about the loop, how it influenced the growth of LA as well as California was fascinating. As we drove away from the loop, we headed north, which I mistakenly assumed would return us to the freeway. It did not. Again, another first. I was able to drive on a road that I have never been on, in my hometown. Interesting road, compounded by the thick fog that engulfed us.

We were not terribly hungry, but stopped for some food anyways at the Apple Shed. I remember when it was an actual apple shed. Driving around new 'old town' was interesting, as one way streets caused us to go this way and that as we explored the night, seeing the old town thru the lingering fog. All of a sudden, I remembered the Hitching Post, recalling that it is a movie theater. We went to see a movie that we all were excited to see, Avatar. Pictures were taken to share with Anecia, from the locale she used to work when she was living here.


A shout out to Nisa

The night got away from us again, as we returned to the hotel late after the movie, hung out watching tv, blogging, and unwinding from the day. Only a couple days remain, and goals still exist for us to accomplish. Good night, and we'll begin again tomorrow with new adventures.