FREE AS THE FISH IN THE SEA JULY 15, 2013
PROLOGUE
A little History Lesson in a capsule. It concerns the area known as DanaPoint where it adjoins CapistranoBeach at the Pacific Ocean. In very early days, all that property from that site through San Juan Capistrano to the Mission Viejo, Trabuco, Rancho Boca de la Playa, and the Rancho Santa Margarita y Las Flores to Oceanside was area owned by my Great Grandfather, Don Juan Forster. Quite a spread! But let’s just take the property around DanaPoint for this bit of a story.
As you may know, DanaPoint sits high above the ocean, and there were two high points, one at each end of a sort of a small harbor. It would remind you of the crescent of a new moon, so not really a regular harbor. But this is where Richard Henry Dana, Jr. spent time on the sailing vessel that he signed up on to work his way from Boston down around Cape Horn up the coast of Alta California as far as San Francisco, loading on cowhides— even at Dana Point — then back around the Horn to Boston. His story book where he narrated the passage is “Two Years Before the Mast.” Google him for some interesting stuff, then try Amazon. You will be amazed with Dana’s intelligence and his career.
My Aunt Mae and Titán (Uncle John) Forster were the owners of all this area: DanaPoint.
Sailing around Cape Horn was no smooth ride in those olden days, and it’s a wonder that the beautiful Italian marble table, along with its almost twin, ever made the trip from Europe to the Forster Family all in one piece. The stunning one ended up with me. The carved pedestal is 29 inches in height, and the separate top is 39 inches in diameter, in the middle there is a chess or checkers board. My table is done in subtle shades of grey, the game board in squares of a pale golden shade.
Well, well, well — this so-called capsule of a little history has gone on and on. I am not about to “X” any of it out so here is where I am making my own deal: I will leave the “Meat,” or more accurately the “Seafood,” of the story to be concluded next Monday. Besides, I have been unsuccessful in trying to find some pictures, which I know are around here someplace.
Adiós till next week.
MELITAS FORSTER MONDAYS WITH MELITAS
