Jesus By The Yuba River

 Kerry and I picnicked by the Yuba River on our way home Monday. On one side of the car we had the river. On the other this massive stone wall. He said, "Do you think we can find Jesus or the Virgin Mary on the wall?" We joked about the old donut that looked like the Virgin Mary and other such ridiculous things. Then he said, "I think I see him." So here's a close up of the wall where we both saw him. See if you can find him. We are not telling anyone where this is. Folks in the area wouldn't appreciate millions of Christians arriving on the scene to pray. Just not enough beer in the closest saloon for everyone. If I've offended someone...well, you are just too sensitive. Laugh a little; it's good for you. 

The Skipper Wears Red Fleece Not Prada

 Here we are skimming across the water in Emerald Bay at Lake Tahoe. The boat was great fun. Einar and Susan are lounging in the back and Kerry is the photographer. The deepest part of Lake Tahoe is 1,600 feet. The average depth is 1,000 feet. It's the second deepest lake in the U.S. Crater Lake in Oregon is deeper (1,949 feet). 

On The Water At Lake Tahoe's Emerald Bay; Hedonism Is So Wonderful

  This is where we had lunch on Sunday with our friends Einar and Susan aboard our 20-foot speedboat (we rented it for four hours for $390 US). Emerald Bay is one of the most beautiful spots on the lake. I have to admit, however, that it looks better from the perspective of the photograph than from the water. We motored slowly into the bay, circled the island, cut the engine and proceeded to have a wonderful lunch: blueberries, Elena Zinfandel, stilton cheese with apricots (Trader Joes and yummy), vegetable chips (so we would feel virtuous and healthy all at the same time), Cambazola cheese (camembert and gorgonzola cheese), sesame crackers, bits of barbecued boneless ribs, and homegrown tomatoes cut into bite-sized pieces. We bobbed in the water under the shelter of the boat cover and nibbled our repast. It was wonderful.

I was done driving so Einar took over the helm. We headed across the lake to the Nevada side. Yes, California is forced to share this beautiful lake with the folks in Nevada. Susan wasn't ready to take the helm but the rest of us were. The speedometer was broken so we have no idea how fast we went, but it felt great.

The big trick is finding the spot from which you started your journey on the lake. The boat rental company told us to look back as we were leaving the dock so we could figure it out. Well, there was a difference of opinion on what each person saw when we left the dock. I was busy driving to didn't look. But eventually we found our way.

We didn't go far, despite our best intentions. The porch of a local bar, just a stones throw from where we docked, beckoned us. There we gazed at the lake and tried out the local libations and a few tasty treats like crab cakes, popcorn shrimp and calamari.

Finally we headed to our accomodations: The Cottages at Sunnyside. It looked like a place that Hansel and Gretel and the Little Red Riding Hood sans wolf might have once lived. We stayed in the Fishing Hole room, which faced the lake. Einar and Susan were next door, but I don't remember the name of their room.

Einar and Susan had to go home early Monday morning but we didn't. Our trip home took us to Sierraville (huge open valley surrounded by mountains), Downieville, which vied with Sacramento to be the state capitol many years ago (lost by one vote; this is before L.A. registered on anyones radar) and then down through Nevada City and Grass Valley.

We love being the only people on the road. It's like the earth is ours and no one elses. We picnicked next to the north fork of the Yuba River which even now has a lot of water. Gold miners spent a lot of time back in the mid to late 1800s on the Yuba. We stopped at the musem in Downieville. There is a photo of a 39 pound gold nugget. The best part about the museum is the volunteer who staffs it. She had the keys to the community center where there was a bathroom, which was as clean as any McDonalds I've stopped at.

So now we are home. Kerry spent the last couple of hours doing some leveling of our land with his tractor. He just walked into my office covered with dust and heading for the shower but grinning from ear to ear. Tractors make men smile.

My lungs don't do well when they experience lots of change in altitude and humidity so I've had a hard day when it comes to breathing. Most people don't think about breathing, but asthmatics do. But, thanks to lots of inhalers and some herbs (nettles) I'm doing well. I feel like we were a million miles away for a couple of days. We came home to a glorious sunset and the promise of temperatures in the mid-80s. Fall is just about here. Time to plant winter vegetables. 

Great Music, Fierce Storms, Good Friends And Good Food...It's Albuquerque

  We spent last weekend in Albuquerque, NM visiting my son Mark. He plays in the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra and it was the season opener. Great concert. I thought I wouldn't like the contemporary piece but ended up loving it. Most contemporary composers write stuff that sounds like screeching birds. Ida Kafavian was the violin soloist who played the work by Bill Dougherty. He wrote the work after seeing Diego Rivera's murals that depict working in Detroit on assembly lines and other blue collar work. The music was wonderful plus the symphony showed sections of the mural on a large screen above the orchestra. My son had lots of solos in the piece.

You can see his murals at www.diegorivera.com.

We also got to experience great rain storms while we were there. Albuquerque has been in a drought for about 7 years. Now this summer they are setting records for rainfall. I love the storms which are complete with thunder and lightning. They are fierce but don't last very long. It rains enough, however, to fill up the concrete arroyos that whisk the water to the Rio Grande River so the town doesn't flood. We don't get storms like that in California very often. Because of all the rain, the desert is in bloom. We took a hike in an open space area and saw beautiful flowers like the ones in the photo which Kerry took.

And the food, well, Albuquerque has lots of wonderful places to eat. Probably the dish I remember most is a dessert called the Chocolate Pot at the Charma River Brewery. There are actually two pots. The larger one contains a creamy, rich dark chocolate that is hot. The second pot is smaller and contains a creamy vanilla pudding-like mixture that is served cold. First you get a small spoonful of the hot chocolate and then you dip it in the creamy vanilla. Yum. It is scrumptious.

I managed to stay away from spicy food by being a lot more diligent in my ordering. I don't enjoy spicy stuff and my stomach doesn't like it either.

We spent our last day trainwatching with my son. He loves trains. We wemt to a very busy spot northwest of Albuquerque and just waited for trains to come through. Then he took pictures of the trains. His train fixation started when he was three and has not abated. It's just changed.

And my friend Beverly and I spent several hours in our favorite shoe store in Albuquerque. I got two pairs and she tried a lot on but didn't buy. We wear the same size and both have wide feet so it's great fun to shop with her. The sign on the window of the store says, "If you are looking for your wife, she's probably here." The store is "Shoes on a Shoestring". There are two in Albuquerque and one in Phoenix. The prices are great.

The temperature here is wonderfully cool so I'm going back to gardening. 

I Actually Recognized A Famous Former Football Coach In An Airport!

 For all the time I spend in airports and on airplanes, I seldom see anyone famous. Now I'm not saying that Mike Ditka, former Chicago Bears Coach, is famous in the circles in which I run, but there are thousands, perhaps millions, who know the face, the name and the temperament (which probably led to his health problems).

I'm standing in line at Starbucks in the Phoenix Airport on Friday late morning. The line is taking forever. Kerry is sitting down with our sandwich and I'm starving so I want the line to move. I turn around in the line and there is Mike Ditka, former coach of the Chicago Bears. His name popped into my head and out of my mouth. He's actually fairly short but has great hair and he banters very well. We did that until I order my coffee ala "L.A. Story" half caf, half decaf, room for cream, on ice, grande size. He gave me tons of grief about my coffee order. Meanwhile the skinny stooge behind him was trying to impress me with all the things Mike is doing. I asked Mike, "Is that your agent?" Reply, "Nah, he's my assistant, he follows me around." My reply, "sounds like a wife in the 1950s to me". The stooge looked very uncomfortable. Another way you can tell male celebrities...they have twice as much product in their hair than normal men. He was going to New Mexico for some reason. I never asked why. I saw him on the plane way up front in the good seats on Southwest (that was a joke, the only good seats on Southwest are the ones that are not close to a crying baby). He said hello and I noted that he must have boarded with the children because he was so close to the front. He grinned from ear to ear and his stooge just grimace. Banter is so much fun. I hope I never get out of practice. 

Miss Kate Has Left The Building...On to Albuquerque

 It was great to have Miss Kate (pictured here) with us but alas her owner, Doug, came back from Burning Man. Kate and Doug are on their way to a fly fishing spot in eastern Oregon. We, on the other hand, are on our way in the morning to Albuquerque. My son Mark plays trumpet in the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra. This weekend is the start of the new season so we will be there to applaud his fine musical ability. The main piece of the night is "Pictures at an Exhibition". We will eat far too many spicy foods at The Range, which my stomach and taste buds don't like but most of all we will be with Mark and our friends Beverly and George. The weather report calls for cool and rainy. Love it. 

Burning Man Festival 2006

 
  My long-time good friend, Doug, is at the Burning Man Festival in the Black Rock Desert about 130 miles north of Reno, Nevada. He took these wonderful photos. This is his second time at the festival. Approximately 35,000 people arrive for one week at the end of August. Before they arrive there is nothing there; after they are gone there is nothing there. The land belongs to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

The weird and the wonderful are a big focus of the week. Aren't the cupcakes wonderful? The sand surfer looks like a ballet dancer to me. People build things there, bring things and improvise. And of course the usual deviant behavior occurs, I'm told by Doug. If you want to find out about that you'd better go to the Burning Man web site: www.burningman.com You can even view the webcast which supposedly is real time. The New York Times is also featuring photos from Burning Man. You can see those at www.nytimes.com/art

Meanwhile, Kate, Doug's dog (they aren't allowed at Burning Man) and I are heading out to water the vegetable garden. Life is good. 

Hummingbirds: Ace Fliers At Warp Speed

 First of all, I didn't take the picture. I found it on Google Images. Hummingbirds are one of my favorite birds. They are amazing for a bird that weighs less than a paper clip. Some hummers migrate twice a year between the the Texas coastline and the Yucatan Peninsula. They do it in one non-stop flight over the Gulf of Mexico. If there is a stiff wind or a storm they drop from the sky because they've run out of energy. That's why birdwatching is good along the Texas coast in both the spring and the fall. In the spring it's the first place migrating birds land for food. The Audobon Society has set up feeding stations with water for the birds right near the beach. About 20 feet away from the food there are bleachers for birdwatchers. Very cool. In the fall it's the last place they eat before they start their incredible voyage. Birds are tougher than any human I've ever known. Back to why I started this blog.

For three years now we have had one hummingbird feeder. It's right outside my office window in the shade of a big, old oak tree. Lots of other feeders there too, mostly for finches.

This week I decided to add another hummingbird feeder about three feet to the left of the original one, but still under the oak tree. This one is a different shape. Hummingbirds are very territorial so I wanted them to know which was which so they could decide if one or the other suits their needs. This has caused a great deal of confusion and bickering among the hummers. They make a little clicking sound that is barely audible. The ones using the first feeder want to lay claim to the second one as well. First they feed at one feeder and then move to the next. Any intruders are chased away at warp speed. Meanwhile the finches just try to stay out of their way.

In Costa Rica I stood in the midst of ten humming bird feeders. I didn't move and closed my eyes. The hummingbirds flew so close I could feel the touch of their wings on my cheeks. It felt like an angel or a spirit had kissed me. Very mystical. In Costa Rica I saw 8 different types of hummingbirds. Amazing creatures. 

Trip To Lake Tahoe In August

When it gets really hot in our area we sometimes head for Lake Tahoe and the cool mountain air. This is the restaurante where we ate a few weeks ago. It's literally right on the water so you can watch the boats and kayaks go by. Great breeze and wonderful crab sandwiches.
This is a paddle wheel boat that takes people out on dinner cruises around this beautiful lake. We are going back to Lake Tahoe the middle of September with our friends Einar and Susan. That time we are going to rent a speedboat and travel around the lake looking at homes of the rich and famous which are only visible from the water.

Okay, Just One More Golden Retriever Picture

 Notice the bundle of reddish fur on the bow of the boat; that's a Golden Retriever who's been for a ride. When I first spotted him he was sitting with the humans. As soon as they got close to the dock he leaped onto the bow just as though it was his job to guide the boat in. Well, maybe it was. I watched the family put into their dock where the Golden leaped off wagging its tail. Not a bad life for a dog, any dog. 

No More Gas Hogs For Me

 This is me backing my gas-guzzling Toyota Sequoia out of our garage for the last time. I drove to the Bay Area and returned it to my leasing agent. Then I took the train home. Great ride on Amtrak to Sacramento. It's been two weeks since I returned it and I still don't have a car. Kerry has many so I'm not without wheels. I think today is the day I will go to the Toyota dealer in Auburn and attempt to buy a Prius. If the salesperson gets too obnoxious I will simply leave. I did love driving the Sequoia. It's a great car. I just didn't want to pay $72 to fill it up each time. 

Meet Gracie The Golden Retriever

 Gary (the one holding Gracie) has a daughter, Tammie, who breeds Golden Retrievers. This is a new puppy she got in California. She expects to breed her in about two years. She's also going to show Gracie. I just love Goldens so had to post this photo. 

Cochlear Implant Activated Successfully

 
 These two photos tell the story. The first one is my brother's reaction when he first heard sound in his left ear. The other shows the configuration around his ear. The thing sticking to his scalp is a magnet that connects the whole thing in his cochlea. He has not really heard in his left ear since birth. He's found out just how noisy the world is. He can even plug his ipod into the processor and listen to music. And when he and his wife are driving together she can wear a tiny lapel microphone that is attached to him so they can talk despite the road noise. It is truly a medical miracle. I cried when I saw the activation photo. 

Miss Kate Arrives This Weekend

 I'm going to be a dog au pair for about a week thanks to my friend Doug's prurient interests in naked women at The Burning Man Festival in the middle of no where in Nevada. They don't allow dogs so Kate, a border collie who flunked herding, stays with us each year. She is the best behaved dog I've ever seen. As many of you know, Golden Retrievers are known for their sweet, gentle nature, but never for their ability to follow commands. Life just gets too complicated when you have to do what your mistress or master says. So Kate will get to romp and play. We may even invite Barnie the Corgi puppy for a play date. We will have to wait to see if their calendars match up. But meanwhile I'm in dog heaven. The gentleman in the photo is Doug. 

The Cochlear Implant Is Working

 First I want to thank all of you who prayed to whomever you pray to. It worked. Richard had the implant last week and yesterday was activated. The photos show a bleary-eyed Richard on his way home from the hospital just three hours after surgery, which lasted four hours. The photo of his incision behind his ear is hard to see but that's because the whole process was so non-invasive. The third is a diagram of the cochlear implant. Anyway, I'll let my brother tell you in his own words about the activation.

"So I got activated this afternoon. This means they gave me the speech processor and programmed it at the basic level and testing my ability to hear little beeps and things. Then they actually let me hear environmental sounds, which in this case were Charlotte (his wife) and Darcy (the audiologist/wizard talking. And they sounded just like they were supposed to, which is somewhat astonishing when you think about the technology. Here's the wild part. The world is noisy. Just how noisy I now know --sorta--though she has me set on a very low volume level and will adjust it upwards four times for the next four weeks. Also, the refrigerator is a noisy beast. How do you hearing people manage all this noise?"

Kerry and I have been on vacation in the Northwest celebrating his 60th birthday or I would have posted this sooner. I'll tell you about that in a later post with some pictures.

Again, thank you everyone. It's hard for me to express just how amazing it is to have a brother who can hear. He lost his hearing as a infant so he has no idea about the world of the hearing. 

Surgery For My Brother...Cochlear Implant

My baby brother, okay he's 50, but he's still younger than I am, is having cochlear implant surgery on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2006. Surgery begins at 7 a.m. mountain time and takes about 4 hours. If all goes well he will actually be able to hear out of both ears. Many of us take it for granted. He doesn't. So your prayers, thoughts, energy or whatever you believe in would be greatly appreciated tomorrow. Thank you.

My Next Car...Not An SUV

 For the past four years I have been driving a forest green Toyota Sequoia. It seats 8 with lap belts, has ten cup holders and five places to charge cell phones. On occasion I have had people in the back seat but rarely in the back, back seat. I have loved driving it. You are up high, which is very nice when you are as short as I am. But alas, it guzzles gas. I've been averaging 15-17 mpg. for the four years of the lease. Recently I have been spending between $60 and $75 for gas. The tank holds 23 gallons. Just don't want to do that anymore.

My lease is up so it's going back to Golden Bear Leasing in Walnut Creek. My next car will be a Prius, which is a hybrid. The photo shows the actual car and color I will get. One weird thing about this car is that you just push a button to start the engine. No key. Also, there is a small camera mounted in the back of the car so you can see your way into a parking space. I wish I had had one on the Sequoia. I'm going to charge the whole thing to my Visa card so I get the mileage. I'll be carless until early September. The man with whom I live has enough vehicles for both of us so I won't have to stay home. I can't face going to a dealership just before we leave on vacation. I've never had a good experience with a salesmen. So when we return on August 23rd I'll make the trek to the dealer. 

Dead Heads And Other Things From The Past Two Weeks

 This poor critter is a Mongolian Elk that is now hanging on the wall of an office lunchroom in El Centro, CA. There are lots of other dead heads on other walls, but this is the biggest. I actually had to sit through a meeting in this room. It was hard to pay attention to the meeting. The trip where I met the Elk started last Sunday, Aug. 6th and ended on Thursday Aug. 10th.

I had the privilege of flying home on the first day the "no gel, no liquid" rule. Luckily I heard about it while I was still packing. I put everything liquid in the bag I checked. A lot of people had not heard about the new rule so were busy throwing away anything liquid or gel into a big trash can at the security checkpoint. If you didn't fess up there then they searched your bag just before you boarded the flight. People lost yet more liquids and gels. Surprisingly nobody complained.

Yesterday was a platelet donation day. I'm one pint shy of donating 9 gallons of platelets. That pretty much wiped me out for the rest of the day. We barbecued Japanese eggplant on the barbecue along with steak. Yum.

Yesterday I also started my first batch of tomato puree from tomatoes in my garden. This morning I turned the flame on under the pan again to get a little more evaporation going so the flavor would be really strong. Well, I forgot all about it so now have burned on tomato puree. I haven't figured out how I'm going to clean the pan. Any suggestions out there. The stuff is really burned on.

I'm taking it easy today too. I usually need about 24 hours to recover from the platelet donation. Kerry is at an art class, and I'm just taking it easy. The weather here is beautiful today. It's 1:30 and I still haven't turned the AC on. Our electic bill last month when we had the heat wave was $669.

Next week Kerry and I leave on a driving vacation to see his family in Washington. We will also celebrate his 60th birthday while we are there. On drive home we are going to come down the Oregon coast. It's a beautiful part of the world and we have a couple of friends to visit.

I'm going to take a nap. No sense wasting an unmade bed. 

It's Never Too Early For The First Xmas Catalog

I got one in the mail today, August 3. This may be my earliest Christmas catalog. Has anyone out there received a Christmas catalog so far? I have nothing against the company, I just think we shouldn't skip Labor Day, Halloween, and Thanksgiving. The company has a website if you are interested: www.lakeside.com 

First Ripe Tomato Of The Season

 It's an Early Girl variety that is getting redder everyday. I'm planning on a tomato sandwich for lunch tomorrow. I like to eat them when they are still warm from being on the plant. Yum.