What's outside of your picture window today?

Jake, I passed through your city on a Greyhound bus in 1963 on my way home after spending some time with a shipmate who lived in Sacramento. My future wife got on the same bus in Lodi. I was supposed to change buses in Bakersfield for my home town of San Bernardino but decided to ride it all the way to LA to get to know a gorgeous Norwegian girl who was sitting beside me.

Fun fact on how your city got it's name - "It starts with a classic bit of lore, about the modesty of William Chapman Ralston, director of the Central Pacific Railroad, who didn't want his name affixed to the newly planned city near the Tuolumne River. So, for being modest, the village was named Modesto."

Merry Christmas!

@johnbiship
We have a winner!!!
How did you end up in such a brutal climate? Do you ever regret not staying in CA or couldn't you get out fast enough. Didn’t you live about 30 miles south of me at one time?
Didn’t you live about 30 miles south of me at one point,
Stay warm,
Jake

Hi Jake @jakedduck1, My wife was from Minnesota but was living in San Jose with her mother and twin sister. She was visiting a friend in Lodi as a first stop and then was going to spend some time with her cousin in Huntington Beach, CA which is why she got on the bus I was on. A year later we were married. Sigh, I did make a promise to her that we would move closer to her family in Minnesota when the time was right. On our move journey to Minnesota, we did have a six year layover in Aberdeen, South Dakota. As much as I loved living in South Dakota, I was happy when we moved to Minnesota where they actually plow the roads fairly quick when the snow is bad.

Not sure I ever lived that close to you. We did live in Long Beach when I was in the Navy and moved to Cerritos before moving to South Dakota. I have driven through Modesto a few times on my way north. Had a flat tire in my 1955 Mercury on one of those trips north and no jack to change the tires as I had let my sister use the car and her boyfriend took the jack out and never put it back. A nice farmer somewhere south of Modesto if I remember right, saw us and let us borrow his jack.

There are times like today that I would definitely welcome a warmer climate 🙃

I live in San Diego. When it’s 70 I start wearing layers. As the temperature goes down more layers go on. The worst thing is getting out of the shower. I have two electric room heaters that help but the electric bill goes up a lot. 80+ to 90+ I am happy.

@knip
Nice to know I’m not the only one in California who’s cold. I also have two electric heaters I turn on for showers. I keep telling the gym that the locker rooms are freezing cold especially if you’re going to take a shower, but they usually pay me no never mind.
Although I don’t know how accurate Alexa is it says it’s 67° in San Diego right now and 44° where I live. You might get a new neighbor. You like to cook and have dinalthough I don’t know how accurate Alexa is it says it’s 67° in San Diego right now and 44° where I live. You might get a new neighbor. You like to cook and have dinner guests?, lol
Burrr,
Jake

I think the amount of moisture or humidity in the air has a lot to do with how we are affected by the weather. Cold and rain seems okay to me. Cold and dry eats right into me. Last weekend we attended and helped out at a community event, held outside. It was mid-20s and clear. I had long underwear on [top and bottoms], plus a pair of flannel lined nylon pants. Long sleeve pullover under a fleece shirt, knit hat, and I was comfortable. It was the standing in most of one place, not moving around much, that was awkward for my knee! Layers worked well.
Ginger

What a delightful photo! All those turkeys; I love animal shots. I don't have a camera anymore; really should buy one. Just don't seem to have initiative anymore to buy one. Animal photos , especially wild ones, are so interesting! Thank you!

Oh dear......I was so close Jake. Modesto is 39 miles from Merced. I moved to Merced, CA from Helena, Montana via Lynden, Washinton in time to go to kindergarten in 1947. I knew we had to be close. I ended up teaching in Redondo Beach before heading off to places like New Orleans, Pittsburg, and a few beach towns in Delaware. And now I am in MN....one of the only states I had never even thought of visiting. What do you like best about CA now? Happy New Year.

Chris

Chris, what years did you teach in Redondo Beach? The college there was one on my customer accounts when I was working at the IBM Long Beach office. Just can't help myself 😁😂
https://youtu.be/2rTZ9UndNeI

@artscaping
You've certainly been around. how you ended up in Merced is beyond me. I bet it didn’t have much if any more than 5,000 or so people waaaaay back then.
I like the diversity and that I'm centrally located within the state.
No denying California is a beautiful state and although I gripe about it's weather, it is mild here compared to other places and not humid. I went to the Worlds Fair in New Orleans in 1984 and the humidity there was unbearable.
I'm close to the ocean & mountains. My favorite mountain is Mt Shasta (14,179 or so feet and is an active volcano. I guess it's my favorite place at least in the winter time when it’s covered with snow, along with the streams, lakes and forest. that south is inspiring, at least in the winter time. My grandparents and cousin lived there adding memories to it's charm and beauty.
I also enjoy Yosemite and love the Redwood & giant sequoia trees there. I always think about my dad going to Yosemite in 1919 in a model T. The cars had to back up since fuel was gravity fed pushing each other up the steep grade.
California has deserts too. Among the nine national parks here I have never been to the largest in the lower 48 states, Death Valley National Park which holds the distinction of the hottest place on earth at slightly over 134°. I’ll go one of these days but not in the summer.
What do you like best about Minnesota?
Surely not the weather. I understand that Minnesota has the most lakes in the US with around 11,000+. Great place if you’re into fishing. I’d like to see the mall of America sometime and of course the Mayo Clinic but not as a patient.
When it gets so wickedly, freezing cold in Minnesota do you ever wish you were back in Merced?
Take care,
Jake