We did our little jaunt up into the Santa Cruz Mountains; and it was pretty nice, I must admit.

It was also a learning experience, since we were at a place we hadn’t stayed at before.

I will recommend to you Jaye’s Timberlane Resort – although the term “resort” is thrown about with abandon when it comes to places in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

This is no more a resort than Fern River Resort (also in the Santa Cruz Mountains).

Actually, maybe it’s more a resort because Jaye’s Timberlane does boast a (seasonal) swimming pool – but then I understand there is a place in the river that runs past Fern River Resort that is suitable for swimming too – not that I have ventured downriver to check it out.

You say potato …

Anyhow, both “resorts” feature small, non-luxurious, cabins.

But I’m liking the Jaye’s Timberlane cabins a bit more.

For one thing, the one we were in had a king size bed!

Whoo-hoo.

I love to stretch out on a king size bed

And napping is a much-cherished part of my idea of a vacation.

The cabins feel a lot more isolated at Jaye’s Timberlane too.

They are not more isolated, they just feel that way because each one is set on a steep hillside – so nobody is going to be strolling by peeking into your windows!

One weird thing though – the kitchen in the Jaye’s Timberlane cabin is missing two items I consider essential – an oven and a toaster.

Instead they provide a toaster oven.

Hmmmmm.

I’ve never used a toaster oven.

But – how hard could it be?

I mean, this thing was teeny – equivalent to an Easy Bake Oven, and I mastered that as a child.

Turns out, it’s a big step up from an Easy Bake Oven.

First, I had to figure out that it needed to be plugged in.

The toaster oven shared an outlet with the coffeemaker, so you had to choose which one was more necessary to the moment.

My first attempt at toast was pitiful.

My second attempt was toasting English muffins with varying degrees of success.

By varying degrees I mean beautifully toasted to charcoal depending on which side of the oven the muffins were in.

Ditto my attempt at bagels.

Ditto my first attempt with baking biscuits (Pop ‘n Fresh – but biscuits nonetheless).

Good thing I like the taste of charcoal first thing in the morning.

And, yes, I actually BAKED using a toaster oven.

And the second batch of biscuits came out beautiful.

You just have to keep a much closer eye on it than I am used to.

But I was (and am) inordinately proud of myself for having baked in a toaster oven.

Thinking of adding that to my resume under “special skills”.

And now we’re back home.

Bill got his tree fix and I had a culinary adventure.

And now we have two cats who need petting.