I thought I’d forgotten to take my camera but found it the night before we left Quincy. No wedding pictures but sometimes it’s just as well to focus on the moment. I took a picture or two of historic buildings the morning we left.
Nevada City was a result of a Great Old Broads auction I’d bid on last fall. We kept trying to figure out a good time to go plus coordinating with the homeowner. Kathleen K. had offered her home for two nights plus breakfasts. Sight unseen she was willing to take two guests, like a personal B & B. The wedding got us close and the timing worked well.
What a treat! It was so hot during that time and had been very smoky in that part of the state. But it all worked out. We don’t have Smart Phones and my GPS had malfunctioned but Nevada City is about the size of Weaverville and people were able to point us toward the correct street.
Her home was off the street and quite private. It was inviting even at that time of year but must be even more inviting in the spring when everything is green. The house backs up against a grassy hillside dotted with ponderosa pines and several blue oaks edge the driveway. She has a large, organic garden surrounded by a high fence to keep out the deer. I was delighted to find a little stream, a water ditch, running down one side of the yard. One afternoon I sat alongside on some rocks and soaked my feet in the cold water.
The upstairs was where our room was located. It was quite large, with windows on three sides, and we had our own bathroom–a thing of beauty in itself with wonderful floor tiles and a window view. No need to worry about neighbors. Bookshelves lined the bedroom walls. There was an oval wood table and wicker chairs. There was a fan and air conditioning if we needed it. At night, with the windows open, the only sound was the crickets.
After Kathleen had welcomed us and shown us around she led the way downtown for a quick overview by car. She went home and we went to a pizza place, where we’d stopped to ask directions on the way in, and ordered Greek pizza and salad for dinner. Kathleen had gone to see friends. When we got home we brought the extra pizza for her to have for dinner if she wanted it. She did.
The next morning Kathleen fixed waffles, bacon and fruit, including fresh blackberries she’d picked in her yard. We ate out on the patio. She is a gifted potter and we enjoyed using some of the items she’d made–a syrup pitcher, a bowl, etc. –with our breakfasts. 
Then she led us to where a trailhead begins above town. It’s a popular spot—a wide trail that goes along side a very large water ditch that runs from the Yuba River. The ditch and the trail are both about eight feet across. The water itself was probably 3-4 feet across the surface. The trail is for hikers, bikers and runners. We could see the edge of a subdivision above the ditch and some people had built little bridges to access the trail. Tom and I walked out a mile and back. Kind of hot and a bit smoky but still a good thing to do. There’s a woodpecker preserve along the ditch. 
After we rested awhile at the house we drove downtown again to look around. Really too hot to do much exploring. It’s an historic 1850s mining town and the buildings have been well taken care of–would be fun to explore more in cooler weather. We decided to eat an early dinner and went back to the pizza place, Northridge Restaurant, where we each had big salads (tri-tip for Tom and salmon for me) and a glass of beer.
Breakfast the next morning was out on the patio again–granola and bacon (Kathleen had offered eggs) and fresh fruit. What a good time we had! I told Tom I’d just stay there and he could pick me up on his way home. But off we went.