Catching up: California trip, etc.

OK, dear readers, you've had a couple weeks vacation from my ramblings, but now the party is over. Hope ya missed me--I'm baaaaacccckkk! Seriously, I've been working, traveling, working, resting, and working, all while trying to enjoy the last days of what passes for summer in these parts (Rainy and 60?? In August??? *Sigh*). I did write a post while I was on vacation, but I've misplaced the paper I wrote it on (again... *sigh*). So, this post will summarize what I've been up to, with some pictures for space filler visual interest.

When last we left our faithful blogger, it was mid-August, and I was busy planning my trip home to California. The trip was very low-key and relaxing. I carpooled down with E, who was visiting people near Sacramento. We were worried about how to amuse ourselves during a 10-hour drive, but that turned out not to be a problem. We managed to yak nonstop! Anyone who knows me will not be surprised to hear that.

Here are a couple scenes from the road. First, this cute little bat was snoozing under the eaves of the women's restroom at the rest area just over the CA border:

I thought he was adorable. E disagreed, but then she doesn't like bats.

Next, Mt. Shasta, which was surprisingly bereft of snow:


Once I got to Tracy, I hung out with a couple of my closest friends from the good ol' days, Diana and Kristy. We didn't do anything major, just talked, shopped, wandered around, and talked (I tell ya, it's a miracle I didn't blow out my vocal chords on this trip!). Diana and I roamed through the UOP campus, reminiscing about our years there. I walked around parts of Tracy, thinking about old times and marveling at how many years have passed. Inside I still feel 16, but they grey hair and wrinkles tell a different story. In case you've always dreamed of wandering around Tracy with me, listening to me reminisce about the Good Old Days (tm), here's a brief sample of what that would be like:

Lincoln Park, where I spent lots of time playing, walking my dog, and generally hanging out:

I remember when that gazebo was built, probably sometime in the late 70s. The building to the right of it is the public library, where I had my first ever library job, as a volunteer when I was about 12.

Tracy High football stadium:

I have lots of happy memories of that place, but I haven't been in it since Homecoming 1984. Was that really almost 24 years ago? Damn.

I guess I was on quite the nostalgia trip this time, because I even went to the Tracy cemetery to visit my grandparents' graves. I hadn't been there since not long after my grandpa died in 1976. I discovered that my aunt and uncle are buried right next to them. I never knew that.
Grandma and grandpa:


Aunt Verna and Uncle Louie:


Then I was off to my favorite part of the Delta, Trapper Slough.




Why it's bad to dump water hyacinths in waterways:


Kristy and I drove through Locke on our way to Sacramento:

Sunset in the Delta:


The historic village of Locke:


So there ya go. Other people visit cool, exciting places on vacation. I go back to Tracy.

Next time I'll post some pictures from the Oregon State Fair and Poison concert. For now, though, it's time to sign off. G'night!

Trip to Seattle, a/k/a being a tourist in my old backyard

I've lived in several places over the years, and each time I have a similar experience: While we live in a place, we travel to other places in the region or beyond, taking lots of interesting trips. We see a few things in our home area, but we never approach our home city as tourists. We don't study what's there and choose interesting things. Instead, we hit the obvious sites and a few other things sort of randomly. Then we decide to move, and we realize how much we haven't seen and done. By that time, though, we're busy with packing and planning our move. You would think we'd learn, but you would be wrong. We've lived in Portland for 12 years, and there's still a ton of stuff we haven't seen or done.

So why am I writing about this now? Are we planning to move? Nope. I've spent the last three days in Seattle, where I went to graduate school and therefore lived for the better part of two years. I've spent most of my time at a conference, so my exploring has been limited, but I did get out and about a few times. We took the Duck tour, seeing part of the city from a WWII amphibious vehicle. I used to watch them when I lived in Seattle, but I could never afford to do the tour in my student days. Then last night we went to Discovery Park, which is on a beautiful peninsula overlooking Puget Sound. We watched the sun set over the Olympic Mountains, and Jerry played on a small sandy beach, throwing driftwood in the water and covering himself with sand from head to foot (oh, to be 10 again...). I kept thinking how neat it would have been to go there while I was a student. It would have been a great place to relax and get away from the busyness of the University District -- and it's free, which would have fit my starving student budget perfectly. Yet I missed it, along with lots of other Seattle attractions. Ah, well... better late than never, I suppose.

Here are a few pics of our Seattle adventures:

Obligatory picture of the Space Needle:

I believe it's the law that all visitors to Seattle must take at least one picture of the Space Needle.

If you take your husband to Seattle Center, he will want to throw darts at balloons. If he throws darts at balloons, he'll win a prize. If he wins a prize, he'll pick out some hideous bunny ears and wear them for the rest of the evening. Just call him the Playmate of the Month... from hell.


Ride the Ducks!


The bunny ears have been replaced by a duck bill. This is not an improvement.


This is Seattle, so Everyday Music needs to have a statue of native son Jimi Hendrix out front:

I suppose if Kurt Cobain had been a native, there would be a statue of him out there too.

West Point Lighthouse, Discovery Park:


And a slightly fuzzy night shot of the dreaded Space Needle. I really need to get a tripod!


I spent today driving to Sisters and Bend with Laurel. Pics coming soon.

More beach pics

Till a few weeks ago, I hadn't been to the beach since September. Now I've gone twice, and I'm probably going again tomorrow. On the last trip, we drove to the Surfrider south of Lincoln City, then drove back up the coast to Tillamook on the way home the next day. Here are a few pics:

Jerry jonesing for coffee (yeah, they start young here in the Northwest):


Cape Meares lighthouse and one of the clearest, bluest skies I've ever seen on the Oregon coast:


This was a throwaway shot through the lens of the lighthouse, but it turned out sort of cool with my shadow and the view of the coast through the lens.


Ah, to be 10 again...


Chowin' down on some shellfish:


Next up: some pics from the trip to Seattle this week, then whatever pics I take at the beach tomorrow. Honestly, sometimes I wonder why I even bother unpacking my suitcase in the summer.

Beach pics

Last week I posted some pics of funny signs I saw on the way to Seaside and Cannon Beach, and I promised I'd post some pretty stuff later. Well, now it's later, so here we go:

Series of wave pics, all taken on Indian Beach in Ecola State Park:










Heart in the sand:


Cannon Beach and Haystack Rock from a viewpoint in Ecola State Park:


View from overlook above Sea Lion Rocks:

Interestingly, there wasn't a sea lion in sight.

Plaque at the overlook with a beautiful quote:

In case you can't read it in the pic, the quote says: "I dropped a tear in the ocean. When it's found, is when I'll stop loving you." It might be sappy if it weren't on a memorial plaque.

That's about it for that trip. I'm heading back to the beach tonight, this time to Depoe Bay, so I should have some new pics to post soon.

Garden pics...

Just posted on my garden blog. Come and see!

Sunset in scenic Boardman, OR

Here are those sunset pics I promised a couple of posts ago. These were taken at a park on the Columbia River in Boardman, OR. It was a beautiful night, as you can see, but the wind was so strong, it made my eyes water every time I looked up. Needless to say, that made photography a bit challenging.









Beach bums:


And a big barge:

You can see these huge Tidewater barges cruising down the Columbia all the time.

Dateline Washington Part 3: Monuments By Night

The night after we arrived in Washington, after a full day of sightseeing, we decided to go back to the Capital Mall in the evening to see some of the monuments at night. Several hours and many photos later, we staggered back to our hotel, completely exhausted. But it was worth it. Take a look:

Washington Monument in the waning light:

Those two red lights near the top are somehow both comical and a little creepy.

And another shot, a bit later in the evening, with the fountains of the World War II memorial in the foreground:


Fountains, part of the World War II memorial:




One of many quotes from the World War II memorial:


Lincoln Memorial against a midnight blue sky:

Amazingly enough, the Lincoln Memorial was swarming with tourists at 10 PM. Buses of teenagers disgorged their noisy, giggly contents, who proceeded to infest the both the Lincoln and Vietnam memorials. Though not exactly solemn, the teens did seem somewhat respectful in both places.

Jerry and me at the Lincoln Memorial:


I highly recommend a nighttime stroll along the Capital Mall. It's cooler and a little more sane, despite the busloads of tourists, and the monuments are gorgeous after dark.

Dateline Washington Part 2: National Air and Space Museum

What's the most-visited museum in the world? The Louve? Nope. The Met? Nope. It's the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum! Who needs Raphael and Da Vinci when you can have airplanes and rockets?

Since I'm no expert on aeronautics or astronautics, this post will contain very little actual information, other than what you just read. Instead, it'll have lots of pictures and a little potty humor. Here we go...

First, let's answer a deep, profound question:


And the answer:


Thank goodness the space station has indoor plumbing. The alternative is something I'd prefer not to think about.

Before Star Trek Voyager, a/k/a the Flying Toilet Seat (Wow... more potty humor. Dontcha love these intellectual posts?), there was Voyager, the space probe:

(No, not *that* kind of probe. That's something else I'd prefer not to think about.)

Now let's travel back in time about a century to visit those famous aviators, the Wright Brothers. Here's their first flying machine:




And some slightly less vintage aircraft:


Big ol' landing gear:




War planes:


747 as wall art:


More comfortable than a dog sled:


Thank you for flying with us today. Buh-bye!