CALIFORNIA DREAMING BY R.L.HUFFSTUTTER

FROM THE TIME I TOOK A DEEP BREATH OF THE AIR CIRCULATING AROUND A LIVE ORANGE TREE IN THE MACY'S DEPARTMENT STORE IN DOWNTOWN KANSAS CITY IN THE LATE 50s, I KNEW THAT IT WOULD ONLY BE A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE I BOARDED THAT LEGENDARY "ORANGE BLOSSOM SPECIAL" AND HEADED WEST. WHEN THE SANTA FE PASSED THROUGH SAN BERNADINO ORANGE GROVES, I SENSED A PHYSICAL AND LIFELONG BOND HAD BEEN BORN BETWEEN MY SPIRIT AND THE GOLDEN STATE. WHEN I SAW THE PACIFIC OCEAN FOR THE FIRST TIME, IT WAS LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT...BUT IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG FOR ME TO REALIZE THAT LIFE IN THE GOLDEN STATE WAS NOT ALL IT SEEMED. THERE WERE SOME BIZARRE AND ODD SIGHTS FOR A YOUNG MAN TO COMPREHEND. THERE WERE THE GUYS AND GALS ON THEIR SOAPBOXES SHOUTING ABOUT THE END OF THE WORLD; THERE WERE SOME TALKING ABOUT BEING IN A FIFTH DIMENSION. SHOCKED? NO, JUST NAIVE AND THEN AMUSED. MY AMUSEMENT WITH THE BEACH PEOPLE WHO WERE A BIT ODD BEGAN WITH A TOLERANT SMILE AND ENDED WITH A KIND OF UNDERSTANDING I NEVER KNEW IN THE MIDWEST. IT WAS A PLACE WHERE FREEDOM REIGNED SUPREME, FOR SURE. THE OLDER I GROW, THE MORE I CAN REMEMER ABOUT THOSE CRAZY DAYS AT VENICE BEACH. OH, THERE ARE LOTS OF TALES YET TO BE TOLD. THERE WAS THE MERRY GO ROUND ON THE PIER. AND THERE WAS THE CAROUSEL BAR ON THE STRAND OR PROMENADE. THE SMELL OF THE BEER DRIFTED OUT THROUGH THE OPEN DOOR AND MIXED WITH THE SALTY AND BRINISH SANTA MONICA AIR AND ALL OF ITS AROMAS. WHEN NIGHT FELL, THE PLACE GOT EVEN WILDER AND MORE ZANY.