Black Diamond Mines
3.24.01
 It
was a beautiful, sunny day even though the weatherman had predicted rain,
so we packed up our picnic gear, picked up some friends, and headed into
the hills for a picnic. Crystal recommended the Black
Diamond Mines park from previous hiking experience and the thought
that the rain (if it did roll in) would hit the coast first. Black Diamond
Mines is just outside of Antioch and well away from the coast. With our
friends, Gina, Ken, and Kevin, Crystal and I drove out to the park and
left the cars to hike up to the cemetery.
Why is there a cemetery in the park, you ask? Well, the park used to
be two small towns, the mines, the cemetery, and all the land around them.
The town sites and the mines are open for tours and the visitor's center
has lots of information on the people and the area. We skipped all that
and headed straight for the dead people.
 We
have a tradition of picnicking in cemeteries (usually in the fall), but
this time we picked the spot for it's view and the shade. It was a short
hike from the parking area to the cemetery (about a 1/2 mile, but mostly
uphill). The hills were intensely green with some California oaks scattered
picturesquely about. Once we climbed to our chosen spot, we had a wonderful
view of the rolling hills and blue sky with a few hawks and wildflowers,
too. We spread our blanket under a large, shady tree, sipped wine (or water),
ate pasta and crackers and cheese and dried fruit and bread, talked and
laughed till we were breathless.
After lunch, we wandered among the weathered headstones and took pictures.
Kevin and I played some football (our version of football is playing catch
with a nerf football so that I won't injure myself) and Ken climbed up
the hill to see what he could see. About then the clouds started to roll
in and the wind picked up, so we packed the remaining food and the blankets
and started back down to the cars.
 We were
so happy we decided to sing. We don't sing very well, but we are enthusiastic
which caused some of the kids ahead of us to give us strange looks, but
the adults ignored us as we sang camp songs like I've Been Working on the
Railroad and The Ants Go Marching...
In all, it was a magnificent day full of beautiful scenery, sunshine,
yummy food, and great friends. I recommend it as the ideal way to welcome
spring.
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