My Summer, So Far (part 3)

After Encinitas, I traveled to Riverside, CA, where the Riverside Knitters Guild graciously hosted me.  We made stranded colorwork hats, discussed what knitting has taught us, and had a fashion show.  Let me tell you: Not only do the knitters of Riverside know their way around String, they really know how to have a good time.  Pat, Vicki and Diane entertained me in grand style during our free time, doing all my favorite things:  Antiquing, movie-watching, and of course, eating!

Before catching my flight home, I had just enough time to take a walking tour of historic downtown Riverside:

The beautiful Chinese Pavilion honors the first Chinese settlers in Riverside.

Exquisite marble lions ensure good fortune and prosperity to visitors.

A Chippendale Chair of Unusual Size.  For reference, the chef statue on the left is taller than me.

The Former servants' quarters at the famous Mission Inn.  The inscription reads "A good head and a nimble hand are good as gold in any land".  Words to live by.

I chatted with a  Macaw named Napolean.  I think his vocabulary is better than mine.

And then I was off to the airport, where this was on every TV monitor in the place: Link to Story

Officer in North Hollywood standoff, courtesy of LA Times

The students and staff of Oakwood school were menaced by an armed gunman on their final day of classes.  While police in full riot gear encircled the building, he brandished his weapon from the rooftop.  Unable to evacuate, the teachers and children cowered in their locked-down building for over four hours before the gunman was finally apprehended.  

We watched the live broadcast in horror.  A woman next to me said "I have kids in school not far from there.  This is my worst fear."  I told her my kids are school age, too, and that my husband is a teacher.  I knew exactly how she felt.  All I could do was be thankful that I would soon be on my way home to them, and that their schools would be out for the summer in just one more day.

When I got there, I may have hugged them all harder than was strictly necessary.