Officially OFF THE GRID!

The Pelican has landed. Yup, it's true, I have found a new home, and my address is:

UN-GOOGLE-ABLE!

I can't tell you how much chuckling pleasure this little fact gives me. You can enter the address all you want and Google remains mute. The satellite map shows the area but not the road! Tee hee hee hee... I didn't think it was possible. It's high in the hills above Santa Barbara not someplace like... the Appalachians for heaven's sake! But I am reveling in the anonymity. It reminds me of the movie where Dudley Moore tells a friend: "I'm incommunicado." and the woman on the phone asks: "Where is that?" Dudley says: "Next to Cognito".

If you look closely you will see the road on the top of the ridge that is now my home training ground.

"Cognito" is at the top of a well worn epic hill climb. Santa Barbara cycling pals will easily guess where it is (expect summit brunch party soon). The house itself is rather cabin-like but contains all the modern conveniences. There is a pot bellied stove and fireplace to lessen dependence on the electric heaters for warmth. However, no cable, so satellite is necessary for TV, and radio reception depends on tricky antenna placement. God bless Blue Tooth!

One thing there is plenty of here: QUIET and lots of stars. We also have something called "sundowners", high gusting winds that come up as the sun sets. They routinely blow the plastic deck chairs over the railing where they fall to the ground two stories below. There are lots of welcome animal sounds day and night, nice neighbors with beautiful gardens, a babbling creek and swimming holes. Yeah, I said swimming holes! I'll be starting my own veggie garden too.

Once again, in more pictures than words:

The view from the top

Alarm clock

Pest control

If the phone cuts out I'm blaming this guy

In the gardens

Poppies at the roadside

On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams...

Maybe this is the Appalachians!
(actually a former director of the Botanical Gardens lives here, go figure.)

Top of the creek bed

Creek

"I have made fire! I... have made fire!
(Tom Hanks ain't got nothin' on me)

Those close to me know that this relocation (after 12 years in Del Mar) has been a long journey indeed. As a special bonus that is evidence that the Great Spirit is watching over me after all my new house mate is a partner in a local winery: "Help yourself to all the wine you can drink. Plenty of wine!"

It's going to be a cozy year.