Pandemic Birthday

I'm usually on a cruise this time of year at my birthday. In fact, for 2020, the plan had been to be on a Transatlantic cruise from Spain to the States, arriving to spend the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays with Emily. In addition to celebrating my birthday, I was looking forward to being at sea during the election period, blissfully away from the inevitable drama and trauma. Well, at least part of the plan is on track. And, silver lining, my birthday celebrations got to include Emily, which has not been the case for the past four years! 

Since I wasn't cruising, I did at least want to get on the water for my birthday, so I scheduled a pontoon nature boat tour at Cachuma Lake. This is a really beautiful spot, and we started out with a nice picnic near some of the campgrounds.

After lunch, we headed on over to catch our ride. We saw many different types of birds, including coots, herons, hawks, and even a bald eagle. Magnificent! We also learned that under the lake there is an old dairy, bridge, ranch and stagecoach route! These artifacts become visible when the area is experiencing extreme drought conditions. 

Bradbury Dam and a cistern from the time when a dairy and ranch were part of the topography.

Cachuma Lake was established when the Bradbury Dam was completed in the mid-1950s. The lake provides 85% of the water source for about 250,000 residents and 12,000 agricultural acres in Santa Barbara county. No body contact is allowed, but there are opportunities for camping, fishing, kayaking and general enjoyment of nature.

The funniest sight was the floating outhouse. I guess that's to help reduce the body contact?!

The older outhouses on the right have been sold. I wonder what they'll be used for?

On the way home, we stopped at Vista Point along Highway 154 between Santa Barbara and the Santa Ynez Valley. What a view!

On my birthday, Emily made a delicious dinner of wonton soup and Chinese green beans. We enjoyed local favorite Crushcakes (one of the to-do items on the Santa Barbara bucket list) for birthday dessert. I also received an especially fun gift. Be Excellent to Each Other! 

   

It wouldn't be a Chris birthday without some beach time, so I made sure to squeeze in plenty of that over several days.  

Follow the leader: Black Skimmers

Vitamin Sea, so good for the soul.

Black-Bellied Plover and Whimbrels

John and I also made time to complete the third leg of the Santa Barbara Waterfront hike, the section from the Marina to Leadbetter Beach. At the marina, I managed to capture a snowy egret and a boat-tailed (how appropriate!) grackle for my Seek app. We also found a cute statue, Boy on a Seahorse, with another Puerto Vallarta connection: it was gifted in 1980 to the people of Santa Barbara from the people of its sister city, Puerto Vallarta.

All in all, a very nice pandemic birthday!

Emily's Wonton Soup

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger or ginger paste

1 32-oz package chicken broth

2 cups water

4 ounces sliced shiitake mushrooms (baby portobellos also work)

2 baby bok choy, torn into pieces

3 green onions, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons yellow or white miso paste

1 package premade wontons, any flavor, up to 36 total

Optional toppings: Green onions (green parts), fresh cilantro, chili paste, sesame seeds and oil

Instructions:

Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.

Stir in chicken broth, mushrooms and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until mushrooms have softened, about 10 minutes.

Stir in bok choy and green onions. Stir in miso paste until well combined, about 1-2 minutes.

Stir in wontons until cooked through, according to the package directions. Serve hot, topped with whatever you like.