A Cleddau crew visit to California in November is all about reunions. The first reunions were with Cal Son and Cal Guy Jnr (the latter taller than ever: how did the Cal Babe of 2010 become a six footer…?) Despite the jet-lag there was news to exchange and UK-bought items to deliver.

Two days later a gap in his work schedule made way for a breakfast reunion with Cal Guy Snr. The Captain and Boatwif duly handed over their “homework”, the return (on completion) of two books, ‘A Grandma’s Story’ and ‘A Grandad’s Story’, books that Cal Guy Snr had issued in November 2024…

*Books which have flown many miles: USA - UK - USA…*

A day later there was a further reunion, when WSU student Cal Gal flew in (via two air flights from Spokane in Washington State). Wonderful!

Then there was another reunion of sorts, this time with an item of clothing. A visit last year to March Field Air Museum in Riverside County (see here: https://www.boatwif.co.uk/boat-update/when-you-want-gloves ) had led to the Captain donating his (vintage 1976) RAF flying kit. The items had been shipped across from the UK in February and have been on display in the Cold War section of the Museum since mid-April.

It had to be seen in situ…

Up the Interstate 15 the car bowled, the freeway cutting through harsh terrain.

The Museum is about an hour north when freeway traffic is running smoothly. To the east coverings of early snow topped the mountains.

The group of five arrived at the air base, a familiar place from several past visits.

It was the beginning of Thanksgiving Week and Christmas trees and seasonal decorations were dotted between the static aircraft.

“It’s over here, Grampy,” said Cal Guy Jnr, indicating where he and Cal Son had seen the display six months previously.

Positioned in an area of the museum allocated to Cold War history were various exhibition cases featuring flying kit from American, Canadian and UK (Royal Air Force) personnel.

There it was…

Oh, it was so familiar, the flying helmet,

the flying overalls adorned with Wings and squadron badges (and with the pair of white flying gloves repossessed last year from Cal Guy Snr…)

It was a reunion of the Captain with his much younger self…

There’s a lot to see at March. There is a huge outdoor collection of aircraft grouped by operational and conflict era. There was an opportunity for a guided tour, in a buggy. This transportation though was a smart upmarket electric airconditioned buggy.

The driver / guide’s commentary was lively and informative but the visibility from inside an all enclosed space made it difficult to always identify which aircraft was being referred to.

*View towards March Reserve Air Force Base, C-17s and KC-135s on the pan*

Onwards then for Part 2 of a Grand Day Out (Anyone else come across Susan Calman’s series of visits with her ‘Helen Mirren’ campervan?) Cal Guy Jnr is a motorsport fan – and a fan too of go-kart racing. A diversion was taken off the I-15 heading back south and round the back of a fairly prominent hillside to find a K1 Circuit kart track in Winchester.

It was a fine place to while away an afternoon and early evening, watching the sun, a stunning sunset and then a moonrise.

On the track Cal Guy Jnr powered his way through three races - as the karts tore round he was identifiable only via his red racing gloves…

Separately, (for any blog peruser who got to the end of the previous post), two US residents have emailed to inform that the Tropical Krab Salad is not a misspelling but a marketing tool used to signal that the product is not made with real crab but is imitation crab, a processed fish paste. (Thank you Cal Son and Jaq, formerly of nb Valerie).

The list of folk who reach out to connect with a British accent continues:

· “My husband of six years was born in Bedford…” (lady of late middle age in a checkout queue)

· “How do you like your King?” (wedding guest mother of a bridesmaid, waiting for a taxi pick up)

· “I was born in South London, in King’s College Hospital.” (young retail worker at a Target store)

· “Do you come from York? You sound like my father-in-law, he lives in Bradford.” (lady at an information kiosk)

· “My son did a Master’s at the university in Oxford. I went to see him. The bathtubs were so deep…” (information kiosk co-worker)

What a surprising remark that last one was – since Boatwif finds the Californian bathtubs very low and very shallow! As for the public restrooms the individual cubicles provide minimum privacy and the toilets seem inclined to go into automatic flush mode…

Next time: some favourite haunts revisited

Reunions in the Fall

Californian Visuals