Reading yesterday’s post (Make Way for William) will catch you up – if you want to catch up – on who William is and why I’m writing about his visit. Today I’m starting with Day Two of a three-day visit.
William, like almost every Bakersfield teenager including my three daughters, vowed to never return to Bakersfield because it is such a crummy city with nothing to do. Isn’t “nothing to do” the perpetual lament of young people? So William may not return to live like all three of my daughters did (one left again for Colorado), but as long as I’m here, W has to visit me. And I’m going to be here until I go up in smoke.
I was aiming for a low-key, calming type of visit, although I’m not sure which one of us needed to be calmed. In the morning we headed out to Hart Park, my favorite peacock-watching spot.
I took grape nuts to feed them but they didn’t seem to be tempted. W had a good time, though, as we pursued peacocks with our cameras. I mean, dozens of preening peacocks are pretty impressive, especially when they rattle those feathers on the back, and a tree full of sleeping peacocks is something to behold.
Next we went up to Panorama Park for a view of the oil fields. The Kern River Field would not be termed beautiful by most people, but it has its own beauty, especially at night when it’s all sparkly.
All that stuff in the distance as far as you can see is oil wells.
William has a sense of style that gets him noticed. When I was in London with him, a stranger asked if she could take his picture because she liked the way he was dressed. I don’t understand cool, but W has it. For instance, I would never wear something sleeveless, implying heat, with a knit cap, implying cold.
While we were up there an interesting guy, spotting my camera, asked if I was a photographer. Would I take his picture with his mother and send it to him at the Sacred Gypsy Tattoo Parlour? Sure I could, and I did.
Did you know that if you click on a picture, you can see it full size? Then just use the back arrow to return to the blog. You may want to do that for this fellow.
Next we went downtown to the Museum of Art, Metro Galleries, an antique store (William is a shopper par excellence), Surface Gallery and the Padre Hotel. William was suitably impressed. Bakersfield does have a lively arts district and it’s getting better every day.
Thursday was visiting day. We went to my daughter Jennifer’s and had a nice visit on the wine patio – a small area Jen and Matt created in their backyard. I like the idea of a wine patio and want to work that into our landscaping! Then we went to my parents.
My dad thinks William is amazing – movie-star handsome, brilliant, and poised to succeed in art if that’s what he chooses. Which he has chosen. Really, it’s more like art chose him. I’ve had one other student who was chosen – Ries will be a writer. I feel blessed to have taught two students who have been truly captured by their muse – William must paint and Ries must write.
Except for a small bit of repetition, W couldn’t tell how different my mom has become. I marvel at how her lifetime of good manners and ability to comport herself around company has created this pattern of behavior that camouflages her dementia.
We concluded with a late lunch at Moo and our customary self-portrait.
The next morning, sadness at the Greyhound Station as I said goodbye for who knows how long, and William continued his travels across the U.S. I’m glad he found out that it’s not so bad to visit Bakersfield – it looks like he’ll be visiting me more than I’ll be visiting him. I would really like to go to London once more next fall, however. We’ll see. Depends upon the economy in general and our economy in particular.
I hate goodbyes. My goodbyes come with abundant tears. W knows to expect this, but I did pretty darn good this time – at least, until I got back to my car.
Tags: bakersfield CA, peacocks, travel, visits
[...] William finds Bakersfield better than he left it [...]