Half Moon Bay Memories & El Granada Observer

Tom,My  name is Gray Gardner,I communicate with June ,Time to Time.I lived on the Coastside  1967 thru 1975,I was the first Occupant of  # 4,on top of The El Granada Hardware in 1970,and my friend Farris Wilson ,from Missouri also  ,lived in #3.Up to that we had Studios in Lewis Apts to theEast.Rex and Margaret Thomas were good friends of ours.My friend,Bill Ruth,Who lived in #3 &  later #4 still sees Rex’s Daughter in Chico.June,Bill was building the Sail Boat off the back of the Hardware Store,when you moved to El Granada

Tom,Dean & Dean,who built the Housing Development on the north side of El Granada,also built the Shore Bird,probably in 1972 or  early 1973.I’m thinking that Westinghouse bought the Housing  development and the  “Bird” in 1974.I remember,because ,Westinghouse was Firing the entire staff shortly after that ,and  we had a”Humungous” “ Meal-all the  “Locals showed up the last night,and the Staff kept bringing free  plates of Crab Legs  and Pitchers of Wine all night.We paid a small bill;and left a huge tip.

I’ll get in touch with

Farris,in  Hawaii,and see if he has any photos of the Shore Bird he can E- mail to you.

Regards

Gray Gardner

Excelsior Springs,Mo.

Email Gray: ggtaylorvertex.com

Email Gray Gardner: ggardner@taylorvertex.com

June-The best place for me was our old Beach House,on the beach below the Distillery,with the Waves breaking against the Reef and the”Pillar”,with the Lights of Distillery illuminating it all. The house was built  on the same lava formation as the Reef,and would shake with the wave hits .If  it was High Tide,the waves would fill the depression in front of the house………we would fire-up the  cast-  iron Fire Place, put Wagner on Bob’s Stereo  (Which was one of the best on the Coastside at that time).Turn the lights off and drink Hot  Spiced Rum until  Dawn!

—–

June: Gray, who’s the “Bob” you mention?

——–

Bob, Was Bob Garretson who I’m sure still has a few friends on the Coastside.We shared the Beach House from 1971 to 1975,

Bob later moved on to live on the North Fork of the Feather River Canyon at the Maple Leaf Inn,Steve Clark,who used to play Guitar  at the Distillery  lived there also. .For those who remember Steve,and his long hair, the last time I saw him in 1985 he had a crew cut.Bob later moved to Tucson,He was the one who saw the former owners of the “Ace of Cups”,I noted a while back.

—–

Best Regards

Gray Gardner

Excelsio Springs,Mo.

DEAR JUNE;I WAS TALKING TO ONE OF MY FRIENDS HERE IN MISSOURI(FROM SAN BRUNO) AND TOLD HIM THAT WHEN I WON THE LOTTERY,I WAS MOVING BACK TO THE COAST,BUYING THE GIFT SHOP IN PRINCENTON HARBOR AND RECREATING “GENE’S BEER AND PIZZA”.

I GUESS WHAT TRIGGERED THIS WAS READING THE HMB REVIEW YESTERDAY AND SEEING THE NEW DEVELOPMENT IN PRINCETON.

MY NAME IS GRAY GARDNER; I MOVED TO EL GRANADA IN OCT. 1967, SPENT MY FIRST NIGHT IN GENE’S, WOKE UP WITH A TREMENDOUS HANGOVER, HEARD THE SOUND OF THE WAVES, AND KNEW I WAS HOME.

TWO OF MY FRIENDS FROM MISSOURI WERE LIVING IN THE STUDIOS BEHIND THE HARDWARE STORE–I MOVED IN–AND LATER LIVED ON TOP OF THE HARDWARE STORE WHEN REX BUILT THE APARTMENTS..

MY LAST FIVE YEARS I LIVED IN THE BEACH HOUSE BELOW THE “DISTILLERY” IN MOSS BEACH.

JOE DOSHER (“MIRAMAR JOE”). IS STILL A CLOSE FRIEND OF MINE AS WELL AS DAVID AND PAT ANDREWS,WHO OWNED THE DISTILLERY.

I STILL GET BACK TO THE COAST AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR,BUT MISS THE “MINIATURE CANNERY ROW”. I WISH TODAY THAT I HAD TAKEN MORE PICTURES OF PEOPLE AND PLACES AND FEWER SUNSETS.

I’VE TOLD PEOPLE FOR YEARS THAT A LITTLE BIT OF “CANNERY ROW” WAS STILL ALIVE ON THE COAST WHEN I MOVED THERE,AND LASTED A LITTLE WHILE. I WONDER NOW WHERE THE POOR COMMERCIAL FISHERMEN AND COWBOYS GO TO DRINK AND FIGHT.

SOMETIMES, WHEN YOU’RE LIVING HISTORY,YOU ARE TOO MUCH IN THE MIDDLE OF IT TO KNOW.

I HAVE THE RAILROAD BOOK AND “HALF MOON BAY MEMORIES’ AND PLAN TO ADD YOUR “PRINCETON-BY-THE SEA ‘ BOOK.J UST WANTED TO SAY HI.
REGARDS-GRAY GARDNER
EXCELSIOR SPRINGS,MISSOURI