To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips, Tricks and Rules" post lists some helpful information to get you started.
Most of our rules boil down to two simple over-riding principles: 1) What you post should provide good information (like your introductory post), and 2) Any response to someone else's post should make them feel glad they are part of this forum community.
Barbara - I'm considerably further north, near the Oregon border. I hope you can find new friends nearby. Monterey is one of my favorite California towns. Have you been there long?