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| Gilroy Golf Course |
Little golfing has been happening. Between sickness, some rainy days and the price of some of the courses in the area, not a lot of club swinging has been happening; but a few on-line purchases were in order to keep the stock up to speed.
The Marc report says the Gilroy course is a fairly challenging course and the price is right ($15.00 at specific times for 18 holes). A 7 day a week unlimited pass is $1290 for non-residents. Slope is 112 from the whites.
Just ten minutes away is this Gilroy 11 hole golf course. The course can be played as a nine hole course or 18. On the back nine, you play seven of the same holes that you played on the front nine but from different length and angles, plus two different holes that you don't play the first time around.
Originally built in 1923 by local farmers & businessman, few changes have been made from its original design. It has been very soggy and at times very slow with beginners but all in all, a pretty challenging course.
Cinnabar Hills is another close-by course: $5300 annual fee; for public rates range from $60 Mon-Thurs and over $100 weekends. Three distinct 9-hole courses, named as the best public course in Silicon Valley. Slope is from 118 - 140, depending on which nine you get to golf - when booking you are put onto two of the four choices.
Coyote Creek - A Jack Nicklaus Signature Course open to the public. Two 18-hole courses; a Tournament Course and Valley Course. Slope of between 124(Red)-137 (Blue).
Again, around the $75-$105 range to golf but the driving range is very reasonable - $10 for 110 balls.
On the sunny Saturdays we head to San Jose & join up with the Pickleball gang. A number of tennis players make up part of a large and newly formed club. A few young tennis players mix up their game and play with us 'older' types.
Tuesday nights they play after people get off work, under the tennis lights. Thanks to Steve & Gloria for organizing the meet ups and always providing great munchies. A special mention to your son (of about 14 & a fabulous tennis player), Michael (sorry if I spelled your name incorrectly) for your fun games and 'not' eating all those great munchies!
Young tennis player Forest (on far right)
first time out for pickleball - great games & a tough challenger
The San Jose Flea Market was founded in March 1960 by George Bumb Sr. He decided to open a flea market sparked while working in a solid waste and landfill business. Makes sense --- someone's junk is someone else's treasure, as they say. He witnessed treasures thrown out every day and saw an entrepreneurship in the making.
He bought 120 acres of an old meat-processing plant and the market was born with approximately 100 visitors per day. Today, the market is the largest open-air market in the U.S. (with over four million visitors each year) and is supervised/partially owned by sons and family members of George Bumb Sr.
EIGHT MILES worth of aisles and on a Sunday around 11 am, it started off very quiet.
Some 'great' cruising bikes - the children's bike is $1500 -
love the 'rumble seat' at the back.
Over 2000 vendors: aisles and aisle of trinkets, clothing, "Honey-boo-boo" bags, plastic Christmas ornaments and nativity figurines. By noon, the aisles became crowded. We were about two of about eight white people we saw in three hours (yes, we wandered that long).
A very large Mexican influence at the market and the majority of shoppers & vendors were Mexican or Asian.
Every corner had some type of food booth and colorful pinatas of very shape and form.
Pinantas originated in China and dating back to 14th century (or earlier). The moral of the piñata is all are justified through faith. Today, it has lost its religious symbolism and most participate in the 'game' solely for fun - especially popular during processions ringing in the Christmas season and birthday parties.
The blindfolding of the participate represented the leading force in defying evil, "Fe," faith, which must be blind. People gathered near the player and spun him/her around to confuse his/her sense of space. Sometimes, the turns numbered thirty three in memory of the life of Christ.
The smell of roasting nuts brought us here ---- a vendor roasting raw peanuts. Yummo!!!!
Roasted peanuts on every corner but these ones were 'freshly' roasted - the best.
On weekends, two stages feature a variety of entertainment - one of which is consistently reserved for a Mexican Mariachi band.
There are playground, a vintage carousel and carnival rides among the attractions.
Vendors 'stalls' vary from open-air tented areas, enclosed metal storage areas for items such as furniture, appliances, painting and oriental rugs. A car dealership even has a sales area at the market.
Then, there are those that are in true flea market style: can you see the woman in the centre of the photo? Not sure how all that stuff gets crammed into that RV!
Above is freshly blended juices and smoothies from fresh fruit and cups of freshly cut fruit. One of the most popular items - the Mexicans then sprinkle several different types of hot sauce on the fruit.
Interesting market to wander through . . .
Most vendors had samples laid out - sample like guava (sprinkled with a hot spice - with cayenne pepper), apples (with hot spice), cucumber (smothered in hot spice), persimmons, papaya.
Piles of bagged corn husks, raw sugar cane, lemon grass, the usual carrots, cucumbers, sweet potatoes, etc.
Many things we have not seen or heard of or know how to spell . . . until I looked up this mean, prickly item. Its Spiny Chayote (a pear-shaped green squash).
OK - if you can get past the backdrop . . .
I am sipping icy cold clear coconut water from a baggy.
After you purchase the coconut, the vendor 'thwacks' with his machete and in a flash you're handed chunks of milk-white tender coconut meat.
Interesting place - we came out with some fruits and vegetables and spicy mouth after taste testing.
A "Prowler" on our way back to Morgan Hill.
Been checking into the real estate market in the area ----- just curious.
Been checking into the real estate market in the area ----- just curious.
Alot of fabulous homes and either vineyards or horse farms surrounding this area in Morgan Hill. Approximately 5,000 - 8,000 sq ft houses - starting at around $1.8 million.
A new home being built.
Mobile homes available for $80,000 and homes of about 1,000 sq ft for $400,000.
$555,000 for a 3 bedroom, 2,125 sq ft home. 2 br, 1,375 sqft condo sold for $303,000.
Majority of homes around the area we are staying in are over the $1.5 million mark and gated. On Uvas Rd a 5,171 soft home with 7 acres is $2.5 million. $1.4 million with a lot and 4,420 sqft house - 5 bedrooms.
Well, we haven't met up with any of these people (that we know of) - maybe they are there, playing pickleball with us! Many of the yards have private soccer fields, of course, pools but also tennis courts. I am just so curious - how on earth do you furnish all those rooms and which ones do you use?
Okay - let's not even go to Carmel and Pebble Beach - a whole new level!
Tazz and Kylie continue to have fun in the area and managed (so far) to keep away from ticks. Kylie had one on her ear (eeeewww) one day and so far, that sounds like an anomaly. I was coming back on the walk from the dam and one of the water district surveyors said to check them for ticks ...... he says the ticks are "very friendly and like to jump up on you." Lovely!
They have their favorite play (frisbee) area just below the RV park and it is great as I can let them off leash just down the way without taking the car. There are few people that go down there and the one guy that takes his old 14 year old fit & healthy golden retriever is fine - Tazz thinks that dog is her best buddy.
Had a great evening and dinner with Marc's cousin and family in Menlo Park, Rick & Janet and Elizabeth.
"Boots" - enjoying the 'lid' from a box and the attention.
Was great that Randy (from Sacramento), Ricks brother, was in the area and could join us for the evening.
And "Fluffy" enjoying a shoe box and not to mention - enjoying that we didn't bring the kelpies to visit. In 'normal' traffic they are about forty minutes away --- took us an hour and a half at 5:30 but going home after 10:00 pm - 40 minutes return trip. We are in the Bay area!
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