August 04, 2017
It was so quiet . . .
Today we found one of the few places near the city where you can enjoy the sound of silence. Just the rustle of the wind in the pines. The buzz of a bee. The whispering, rushing cascade of the river about a hundred steps away. Picnic time in the mountains near Boulder.
July 29, 2017
Watermelon? Cake?
I wondered what to serve my health-conscious family for a birthday celebration.
Watermelon, I knew, would be safe bet.
But a "watermelon cake" turned out to be absolutely calorific!
A little hard to push candles in . . . but the birthday girl insisted on at least one.
The "cake" sliced nicely and was enjoyed immensely--all without a gram of guilt.
I wish I could say I invented the Watermelon Cake recipe, but there's actually several on the Internet. My only advice is that when frosting the shaved melon with whipped cream is to keep plopping dollops of the cream "frosting" on top and ever-so-gently push it--or let it slide--down the sides.
Contrary to what some recipes say, the cake doesn't need to be served immediately. I rearranged the shelves in the fridge to accommodate the tall cake plate, and it kept nicely until party time.
Watermelon, I knew, would be safe bet.
But a "watermelon cake" turned out to be absolutely calorific!
A little hard to push candles in . . . but the birthday girl insisted on at least one.
The "cake" sliced nicely and was enjoyed immensely--all without a gram of guilt.
I wish I could say I invented the Watermelon Cake recipe, but there's actually several on the Internet. My only advice is that when frosting the shaved melon with whipped cream is to keep plopping dollops of the cream "frosting" on top and ever-so-gently push it--or let it slide--down the sides.
Contrary to what some recipes say, the cake doesn't need to be served immediately. I rearranged the shelves in the fridge to accommodate the tall cake plate, and it kept nicely until party time.
July 05, 2017
He? She? It?
We have a friend who had trouble naming his dog. When asked what the dog's name was, he would answer truthfully: "Don't Know." In truth, that was the dog's name.
So what to name our new little smart car? It's no longer "Don't know. . ." —at least for me. I've just elevated his status as an inanimate noun to a higher plane. Now when I ask Tom "Should we bike to the store or take the car?" I think of "the car" as his proper name, as in "Should we bike? Or take The Car? The little guy who spells his brand name in all lower-case letters appears to like the proper upper-case attention.
I realize that the article "the" in English, unlike its counterpart in French and Spanish, appears to be a gender-neutral pronoun. But in the sentences above, I --without thinking about it-- gave our little car a masculine identity.
I confess that the previous use of "his" and "the little guy" were written without a pre-determined sexual decision on my part. But now I can't say "Don't know" about his sexual orientation. It was determined, albeit serendipitously--by me at least. Tom may have a different opinion.
I'll agree that some cars exude much more testosterone and masculinity. Nevertheless, from my perspective, he is what s/he is.
So what to name our new little smart car? It's no longer "Don't know. . ." —at least for me. I've just elevated his status as an inanimate noun to a higher plane. Now when I ask Tom "Should we bike to the store or take the car?" I think of "the car" as his proper name, as in "Should we bike? Or take The Car? The little guy who spells his brand name in all lower-case letters appears to like the proper upper-case attention.
I realize that the article "the" in English, unlike its counterpart in French and Spanish, appears to be a gender-neutral pronoun. But in the sentences above, I --without thinking about it-- gave our little car a masculine identity.
I confess that the previous use of "his" and "the little guy" were written without a pre-determined sexual decision on my part. But now I can't say "Don't know" about his sexual orientation. It was determined, albeit serendipitously--by me at least. Tom may have a different opinion.
I'll agree that some cars exude much more testosterone and masculinity. Nevertheless, from my perspective, he is what s/he is.
June 25, 2017
June 21, 2017
One size fits two!
Three years ago, when Tom said a Mercedes convertible was on his bucket list, I asked him: "What color smart car did you say you want?"
We were smitten with the cute car, and "cute" has been the operative word for everyone who sees it.
Nevertheless, our kids chose to name the little vehicle "Wannabe," insinuating that most likely it wanted to be a full-fledged car, but just stopped growing.
Obviously, this little smart was meant to be Tom's, and Wannabe loves it when Tom lets him wear his Tilley!
Alas, there may be sibling rivalry ahead, for there's been a new arrival in the family. Another smart convertible.
The two little ones may never meet. Wannabe is a Floridian, happy to stay on Marco Island all year long--even when we're not there. And the new arrival (girl?, boy?)— as yet un-named—will live in Boulder, even when we're not here.
As a dear friend here at Horizon West said, "Congratulations to the proud parents of two premature cars."
P.S. Any suggestions for a name would be appreciated.
June 13, 2017
Butchart Gardens ...with Haiku
When I asked Donna "What should I write in a blog?" because we're not traveling much any more, she said, "Write whatever you want to write."
So this morning I was writing Haiku. Not for the blog. Just for me.
"But why not for the blog?" I asked myself. It's what I want to write today.
So looking at photos from my recent visit to the Butchart Gardens in Victoria, British Colombia, I sought inspiration and then wrote Haiku poems to convey my thoughts about each.
So here goes, an inspiration share-athon:
Each bright bloom dances
on a single slender foot.
A springtime ballet.
A tree rises up
while its roots push down deeper.
And soon it grows old.
If I stand up tall
and push against earth's follies,
will I soon grow wise?
So this morning I was writing Haiku. Not for the blog. Just for me.
"But why not for the blog?" I asked myself. It's what I want to write today.
So looking at photos from my recent visit to the Butchart Gardens in Victoria, British Colombia, I sought inspiration and then wrote Haiku poems to convey my thoughts about each.
So here goes, an inspiration share-athon:
 |
When red and blue came
to Purple's garden party,
they wore daisy masks.
When the yellow sun
invites blue sky to tea,
Green becomes the guest.
Pink happened when rain
splashed the face of a red rose
and she coyly blushed.
Each bright bloom dances
on a single slender foot.
A springtime ballet.
A tree rises up
while its roots push down deeper.
And soon it grows old.
If I stand up tall
and push against earth's follies,
will I soon grow wise?
Oh dear. I'm getting maudlin. The truth is:
Inspiration comes.
and then inspiration goes.
It leaves me wordless.
June 11, 2017
The Bolder Boulder!
We arrived back home in time for the "Bolder Bolder" 10k race.
This is the 39th year for this Memorial Day event, and this year over 55,000 participants "wheeled," ran, jogged, or walked the course. We cheered on those hard-core athletes who were aiming for a specific time and cheered as well for those whose goal was--yes, to finish--but most of all to be as creative as possible with their race attire.
Sitting on the curb, watching the racers run or walk by, I'll have to admit it's the costumes that catch the camera's eye!
Here is a photo collage of those who were proud to show their red, white, and blue Memorial Day spirit:
And some of the more unusual costumes. There were many, many more--but I was not always quick enough to catch them as they went by.
The racers love it when you cheer them on. " High Fives" are common.
Some of the racers run hot . . .
And some run cool . . .
I would say Boulder's own Naked Cowboy could give New York's a run for his money.
This costume has my vote for the "Most Appropriate" BoulderBoulder attire:
And this little fellow had the best idea: He could run and sit at the same time:
Everyone waits for the "elite" runners to pass by. They are an international bunch: USA, Ethiopia, Kenya, Eritrea, Mexico, Cuba . . .
We were lucky to have curb-side seats , and my daughter, Donna, turned the camera on us for one final shot:
This is the 39th year for this Memorial Day event, and this year over 55,000 participants "wheeled," ran, jogged, or walked the course. We cheered on those hard-core athletes who were aiming for a specific time and cheered as well for those whose goal was--yes, to finish--but most of all to be as creative as possible with their race attire.
Sitting on the curb, watching the racers run or walk by, I'll have to admit it's the costumes that catch the camera's eye!
Here is a photo collage of those who were proud to show their red, white, and blue Memorial Day spirit:
And some of the more unusual costumes. There were many, many more--but I was not always quick enough to catch them as they went by.
The racers love it when you cheer them on. " High Fives" are common.
Some of the racers run hot . . .
And some run cool . . .
This costume has my vote for the "Most Appropriate" BoulderBoulder attire:
And this little fellow had the best idea: He could run and sit at the same time:
Everyone waits for the "elite" runners to pass by. They are an international bunch: USA, Ethiopia, Kenya, Eritrea, Mexico, Cuba . . .
We were lucky to have curb-side seats , and my daughter, Donna, turned the camera on us for one final shot:
May 28, 2017
Victoria
What should you do when the ship pulls into Victoria, British Colombia, at 6 p.m. and you have to be back on board by 10:30 p.m., a ridiculously short stay?
Tom decided he would stay aboard, don his earphones, and listen to his recent sci-fi download. I decided that even though I would love to walk and explore the inner harbor, I didn't relish doing that on my own. Instead, I joined a group and visited Victoria's Butterfly Gardens and, most importantly, the world-renowned Butchart Gardens.
My iPhone camera and I had a good time on the tour.
This Giant Owl Butterfly became my best friend! He (she?) stayed with me for a long time!
The Butchart Gardens are proof that a decimated landscape can be transformed into something of exquisite beauty.
Originally, the landscape was that of a spent limestone quarry.
Here are just a few photos of what can be seen now.
Night came on, and I did get lost. I had roamed the gardens more or less alone. I was lucky that I stumbled on these two who led me back to the bus.
Luckier yet was the fact that I was only "almost" the last one to climb aboard.
Tom decided he would stay aboard, don his earphones, and listen to his recent sci-fi download. I decided that even though I would love to walk and explore the inner harbor, I didn't relish doing that on my own. Instead, I joined a group and visited Victoria's Butterfly Gardens and, most importantly, the world-renowned Butchart Gardens.
My iPhone camera and I had a good time on the tour.
This Giant Owl Butterfly became my best friend! He (she?) stayed with me for a long time!
The Butchart Gardens are proof that a decimated landscape can be transformed into something of exquisite beauty.
Originally, the landscape was that of a spent limestone quarry.
Here are just a few photos of what can be seen now.
Night came on, and I did get lost. I had roamed the gardens more or less alone. I was lucky that I stumbled on these two who led me back to the bus.
Luckier yet was the fact that I was only "almost" the last one to climb aboard.
May 20, 2017
Ketchikan
I went ashore alone in Ketchikan and took a crab fishing tour.
Before the Aleutian Ballad was transformed into a tour boat, she had become famous, featured several times on the reality TV program " The Deadliest Catch."
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=A2KqofR05TE
Until recently, there was nothing like a crab fisherman tour, and the owner thought, now that his boat was famous, that he would have an easier time catching the "crabs" walking off a cruise ship than those walking the bottom of the Bering Sea.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=A2KqofR05TE
Until recently, there was nothing like a crab fisherman tour, and the owner thought, now that his boat was famous, that he would have an easier time catching the "crabs" walking off a cruise ship than those walking the bottom of the Bering Sea.
He budgeted $200 thousand dollars to turn the Aleutian Ballad into a crab-fishing tour boat with stadium seating. The actual cost came to $2 million.
Now that it's a tour boat, the Aleutian Ballad doesn't go offshore and into the treacherous Bering Sea. We landlubbers would get seasick. Instead, special arrangements have been made with a native tribe to fish in their protected waters. So, in effect, it wasn't a REAL fishing trip. If it were, everything we saw would be happening in high seas with crashing waves, and not just one trap at a time, but many, many of the several different kinds would be lowered and hauled up.
Now that it's a tour boat, the Aleutian Ballad doesn't go offshore and into the treacherous Bering Sea. We landlubbers would get seasick. Instead, special arrangements have been made with a native tribe to fish in their protected waters. So, in effect, it wasn't a REAL fishing trip. If it were, everything we saw would be happening in high seas with crashing waves, and not just one trap at a time, but many, many of the several different kinds would be lowered and hauled up.
The two seasoned fishermen aboard, Paul and Andy, were friendly, funny, and yet very serious as they explained and demonstrated the work and dangers aboard while "catching"...a better description, they said, than "fishing." They related stories of their near-death experiences and other catastrophes, yet each one said they loved their life at sea.
I'm attaching a few of my photos--most of them screen shots from my videos. I'm also giving you links to several YouTube videos that capture the whole process. (Mine never did.) Watch them if you're interested because it will be like actually taking the tour.
Andy is baiting the hooks for long-line fishing. To see what we saw about long-line fishing, go here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DeD7k3OFWNk
Dungeness crab were hauled up in these baskets. To see the men at work, click here:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8WlJzWmRYUQ
Next, catching prawn in a smaller kind of basket:
Tsk. Tsk. My prawn was pooping:
Next hauling (fake) King crab in the memorial basket:
Because these giants must be caught in the deep waters of the Bering Sea, and not in the quiet waters we were in. The memorial tags represent donations to the families of fishermen lost at sea.
A real King crab with Paul.
And two with Andy.
Now, what could be in that barrel trap they're hauling in?
Now, what could be in that barrel trap they're hauling in?
An octopus!
The biggest surprise, and the most incredible (and memorable!) experience, was watching 20 or more bald eagles swoop down and catch the fish Andy would throw in. I took some awesome slow-motion videos of these "fishermen." Too bad those videos won't work on the blog,
All in all, the tour was great! No wonder it is rated Ketchikan's #1 tour (out of 96) by Trip Advisor.
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