23rd May

Hap's mother, Jane, and her brother Kevin, who lives with Jane in Indiana flew up from San Diego, where they had been staying with Hap's brother Chris, to stay with her other brother David who lives in Diablo. So, having met with them in San Diego earlier in our holiday, we met up with them again and now we are all staying with Chris and Gail in Diablo, which is east of San Francisco by about an hour's drive.

The house is a beautiful 'upside down' house - with the bedrooms downstairs and the main rooms upstairs to take advantage of the views. It's built on a slope so upstairs isn't really upstairs but just the ground at a higher level.

They have two greyhounds, Andy and Pinky. Pinky broke her leg and so sometimes has to be confined for her own safety. But Andy is a huge, very good natured boy.
Today we took it slow, prepared sandwiches and took Jane and Kevin and Erin, Hap's twelve-year old niece up Mount Diablo. It's a windy road about ten miles long and by the time you've reached the top you're at 3,890 feet. There's a museum at the top and and the most fantastic view. It was very clear and we could see all the way to the Golden Gate Bridge in the far distance. The pictures don't really show you how clear it was and how fantastic because they're quite hazy.
We had a picnic half way up. The huge pine cone on the table is from one of the firs on Mount Diablo.When we got home we took Andy (the greyhound) for a walk and then ate and turned in. Tomorrow it's the streets of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge. Nightie Night.