I drove back to Juli and Keith’s. I stopped at rest area and took this picture of a tree (with other trees) in fog.
[daily log: walking, 4km]
Category: My Photos
Caveat: … when I’m seven
Over the weekend. I visited my stepson Jeff and his family in the south suburbs of Seattle.
His wife Yvonne took this picture of the three of us (referring to the 3 generations). We were playing a game. Parker is 3 years old.
I gave Parker some legos as a gift. He was building a tower.
His mom asked him, “Don’t you wanna share them?”
Parker answered, “I’m gonna share when I’m seven. But not my candy.”
Being referred to as “grandpa” caused me to decide to shave off my gray beard and hair.
Caveat: Tree #11
Here is a tree from my inventory.
[daily log: walking, 1km]
Caveat: Tree #10
Here is a tree I saw walking the other day.
[daily log: walking, 3km]
Caveat: Tree #9
This is pretty good picture of an archetypal Oregon tree.
This is the Tualatin River. It has more water than it did during the summer.
During a walk up to the tree farm, Juli took this picture of me with the dog Walter on a stump.
Tomorrow I’m going to take a jaunt up to Seattle and come back to Forest Grove. I’m going to visit my stepson and his family there.
[daily log: walking, 5km]
Caveat: Tree #8
Here is tree number eight.
Here is Mount Hood, seen from the tree farm.
Here are some former trees, awaiting their fate.
Here is a very lonely apple seen on a tree by the road.
[daily log: walking, 5km]
Caveat: Tree #7
Here is tree number seven.
In the morning, Arthur and I drove to Astoria. That’s because he had a heater getting repaired up there, and apparently there was no place closer that would make the repair.
It’s about two hours up to Astoria. It was raining in a nice, pacificnorthwesty way, the whole time. It makes me nostalgic for my childhood, of course.
On the way back, we stopped at a restaurant-cum-logging-museum called Camp 18. We had a late breakfast. There are a lot of old pieces of machinery around there, as used in 19th century logging operations. This is a steam donkey – used for winching large loads up hills.
[daily log: walking, 1km; driving, 200km]
Caveat: Tree #6
Here is tree number 6. On Oak Street.
[daily log: walking, 4km]
Caveat: Tree #5
I took the dog Walter on a long walk up the hill through the tree farm.
Here is a tree in the cloudiness.
I took the Blueberry Tank to get its oil changed. There was another vehicle with an Alaskan license plate in the oil-changing bay. The poor Oregonians thought the Alaskans were invading or something.
[daily log: walking, 5km]
Caveat: Tree #4
I’m thinking of just posting a picture of a tree every day. I think living up in Prince of Wales Island, Alaska, I won’t run out of different trees.
Today, the tree is a cherry tree in Juli and Keith’s front yard.
Yes, we have arrived back at their house, west of Portland.
We drove down from central Idaho. Here are two more pictures from stops along the road.
Snake River Valley at dawn.
Some mountains fighting with a snowcloud.
This is our last major stop before returning to Alaska. I’ll make one side trip next weekend, up to Seattle, hopefully. We’ll do some shopping and things that we can’t do easily up in Craig. Then next Friday (Jan 18), we take the ferry northward.
[daily log: walking, 1km; driving, 700km]
Caveat: Tree #3
We drove back across Utah. This is daily tree #3 – some juniper at the side of a rest area.
At a different rest area I met this bird. It walked right up to me, utterly fearless, and tasted my foot.
[daily log: walking, 1km; driving, 700km]
Caveat: Chocolate Avenue
I took a walk this afternoon. This time I went west. I found the big chocolate factory. There is a street behind the factory called Chocolate Avenue (sign at right in picture – the big white building is the chocolate factory).
Now I understand why Arthur likes to visit his brother in Montrose.
Some other pictures.
Call this daily tree #2.
Tomorrow, Arthur and I drive northwest. It looks like we’re not going to meet Arthur’s friends in Reno, so we’ll be heading straight for Portland. Our holiday adventure is coming to a close. We’ll have a bit over a week in Portland and then we return to Alaska.
[daily log: walking, 9km]
Caveat: Hay
I took a long walk in the morning. I walked east up out of town.
I looked south from the top of a hill.
I saw a cold horse, who said nay.
I saw something for the horse to eat, called hay.
In the afternoon, we went to have beer with some of my uncle Alan’s friends at a craft brewery in downtown Montrose.
[daily log: walking, 8km]
Caveat: portraits
We spent the day mostly just hanging out with Patti and Alan.
My two uncles, Arthur and Alan, could almost pass for twins, though they’re not.
Later, I took a long walk, in a big circle around this subdivision and another, and the fields beyond.
I saw some sheep in a field. I said, “Happy Holidays!” to the sheep. The sheep answered, “Baa [humbug].”
I took a self portrait in fresh snow. This is a mere shadow of my former self.
[daily log: walking, 7.5km]
Caveat: Hello Snow
We drove the rest of the way to Montrose, Colorado, today. It was a bit of a monotonous drive, but the temperatures outside were quite cold. And there was quite a bit of snow scattered around.
I took some pictures from before departure from the motel.
This is the crescent moon and venus (upper right), from my predawn walk.
Here are some mountains out to the west, at sunrise.
We took a wrong turn and ended up on the planet Mars.
Finally, we arrived at my uncle Alan’s house.
I took a long walk. Arthur didn’t want to come, because it was too cold. I love the cold.
[daily log: walking, 5km; driving, 600km]
Caveat: driving from 10°C to -10°C
Yesterday I went back from L.A. to Jenna and Braden’s in Indio. We didn’t depart for Montrose.
Then today, in the morning, we departed. We drove across the Mojave Desert, taking a non-interstate highway shortcut between Indio and I-15 just south of Primm, Nevada. There was snow falling in the high desert.
Later we had lunch in Las Vegas, and we drove north on I-15. It went from 50 degrees (10C) in Las Vegas to 15 degrees (-10C) where we stopped for the evening in a motel. Much colder.
[daily log: walking, 2km; driving, 750km]
Caveat: The Arroyo not-so-Seco
This morning, my dad, my brother and I went on a hike up the Arroyo Seco canyon, which stretches up into the San Gabriel mountains above Pasadena from the NASA-JPL campus on the north western end of the city.
Here is JPL.
Here we are, setting out. A rather low-quality selfie. I’m looking pretty scraggly, these days: my new Alaskan look, I guess.
Here are some pictures from along the trail.
We hiked about 6 miles, up and back down.
Later, we met James and Leia and we had a brunch at the Red Hen Cafe, a somewhat historic location in Altadena.
In the afternoon, I walked around Pasadena some. I like Pasadena. I lived here for about half a year, in 1992. But it was my dad’s birthtown, and where my grandparents lived when I was small, so we visited here often. Here is Pasadena’s iconic city hall.
[daily log: walking, 10km]
Caveat: brackets, hats
We spent some part of the day working on the Model A, some more. Trying to solve an oil-burning problem. And my brother Andrew manufactured ad hoc brackets to hold some non-standard modifications in place – an altered throttle lever, a non-standard alternator.
For dinner, my dad and I met with his friend Fidel and his family at a Thai restaurant up the street here in Pasadena. I really like Fidel and his family. For some reason, Fidel brought an exaggerated Mexican-style hat (which doesn’t even make sense – he’s Salvadorean) and gave it to my dad. But he wore the hat for this photo.
[daily log: walking, 4km]
Caveat: A
I drove out to L.A. from Indio.
I arrived at my dad’s garage (adjacent to his old house – his current house is up in Pasadena, but he stills pays rent on the garage at the old place).
There, my dad and brother were working on the Model A.
My father bought this car before I was born, in Kentucky. It was the first car I got to try to drive – I was maybe 12 or 13, and we were on some rural bit of road, I think up in Fieldbrook or McKinleyville (north of Arcata). My dad’s working on this car has been a kind of constant in my life.
The last time it was running and drivable was 1998, maybe. Recently my dad has been working on it.
The engine fired up and ran for a short time. There are some things that still need to be worked out – it seems be burning a lot of oil.
I saw the sun set in my old neighborhood, which is a striking memory of mine.
Later, we went to my brother’s place and had a fine dinner with him and his girlfriend Lilit and James and Leia.
I’ll be meeting some friends tomorrow.
[daily log: walking, 2km; driving, 300km]
Caveat: west to Califerne
We left Phoenix and arrived at Jenna’s in Indio, California, around noon.
It was nice to see everyone here. This is where we will spend Christmas.
I took a picture of Arthur with a cat.
Juli and I took a walk (as we often do when we see each other) and I saw a roadrunner in park.
We walked up a hill and I took this picture of the Coachella Valley. It’s notable that the valley is below sea level.
We had a big pasta dinner with everyone who is here.
[daily log: walking, 4km; driving 400km]
Caveat: giant cookie party
My sister had a giant Christmas cookie party today.
I liked being there, and finally meeting (or meeting after such a long time) many of the friends she talks about.
Plus, there were a lot of cookies.
The Arizona lifestyle requires a backyard pool, and, perhaps, Christmas sweaters for the dogs.
Earlier, my nephews Dylan and Jameson were put to work as slaves raking the lawn (because this is Phoenix, and the leaves are only now falling from the trees).
Later, we went by a store where Jameson is working as a cashier. He is a very chill dude. When I lived in Korea, it was hard to explain to kids that most teenagers get part-time jobs in the US, but it’s true – this is the proof.
Personally, I think he could pretend to be a k-pop star and get away with it.
We had pizza for dinner. Around the table counterclockwise you can see Mark (Todd’s brother), my sister in a santa hat, Dylan, Todd and, of course, the gruncle.
Tomorrow, we drive to Indio.
[daily log: walking, 1km]
Caveat: rocks and canyons
We drove past many rocks, on our way from Tucumcari, New Mexico, to Phoenix, Arizona.
Here is a very traditional-looking hilltop village in western New Mexico.
Here is the Salt River Canyon, coming down an alternate route (avoiding interstate highway) from Holbrook, Arizona through Show Low and Globe to Phoenix.
[daily log: walking, 2km; driving, 900km]
Caveat: cows and windmill
A day of driving.
A picture: cows and windmill – somewhere in eastern New Mexico.
Before leaving Dean and Pam’s I took a portrait of the three of them.
[daily log: walking, 2km; driving, 900km]
Caveat: another day on the farm
Another day on the farm. Just kinda hanging out. I made my chupe de pescado – Arthur’s suggestion. Apparently he somewhat likes, within the scope of his laconicity. I think it was at least deemed edible by Dean and Pam.
The farm.
A pretty good tree on the side of the road with Ozarks in the background.
Tomorrow, we depart for Phoenix.
[daily log: walking, 4km]
Caveat: Anumpa Tosholi
In the morning, Arthur and I took a walk down the road.
Only a half-a-mile down the road, there is the Choctaw Nation Capitol and Museum. This is Native American country, and Dean and Pam’s farm is nestled up against the reservation land.
The museum was pretty good. There were historical exhibits on the genocide, called the “removal” and commonly called the “trail of tears.” Then a lot about the life since settlement in Oklahoma. I most enjoyed the contemporary artworks by tribal members.
In the museum shop, I made the mistake of looking at the books on sale. There were Choctaw language dictionaries. As many know, I have a weakness for dictionaries, especially in languages I don’t know and probably will never learn.
I bought dictionaries.
Arthur was bemused, as he is anytime he directly encounters my odd book-owning habit.
“Anumpa Tosholi” is in the Chahta (Choctaw) language, and means “word translator” which is the expression they use for “dictionary.”
Later in the day I got to “help” Dean feed some hay to his cows. Really mostly I was standing around.
[daily log: walking, 3km]
Caveat: Poem #869 “In southeast Oklahoma”
ㅁ the fogged sun rises a pond swallows the bare trees and cows malinger.
– a pseudo-haiku.
Caveat: Lotsa horizon
“Lotsa horizon around here.” – Arthur.
We visited people today. First, extended family of Dean and Pam’s up in Crescent, Oklahoma, on a farm. We had venison chili for lunch and later Arthur and I took a walk down the road.
Then later, we had dinner with my uncle Miles, his wife, along with my cousin Niki and her family. Clockwise, you see Ella, Abby, Niki, Jeremy, Kaitlyn, me, Arthur, Miles, and Nancy.
Then we drove to Clayton, where Dean and Pam have their farm.
[daily log: walking, 4km; driving, 300km]
Caveat: OK
I have arrived safely in Oklahoma City. I’m tired.
Rather than meet with Arthur and his friends Dean and Pam at their home in Clayton, Oklahoma, they contacted me as I drove down and suggested meeting in Oklahoma City, instead. This will enable an easier meet-up with other people tomorrow – a member of their family, on one hand, and a member of Arthur’s family (my uncle Miles), on the other hand.
So I drove to OKC (as Okhahoma City is universally abbreviated) and we are at a motel here. We’ll meet up with various people tomorrow.
Here are some pictures from driving down.
[daily log: walking, 1km; driving, 1350km]
Caveat: dialogues at dawn
Bob and Sarah had to throw out a broken toilet and ancient chair, so I helped carry them to the curb last night. This morning they awaited their fate, collecting frost.
I would entitle this photograph “Dialogues at Dawn” because of the way there are two places to sit, side by side. But it’s humorous.
Later I took a medium-length walk around the pond in the center of the town of Whitewater, since Bob and Sarah had to work, of course.
I saw these guys standing on the pond, ice-fishing.
[daily log: walking, 3km]
Caveat: Poke men in Madison
I went to Madison with my friend Bob. He had to do a radio interview, related to publicizing his upcoming concert which he is conducting.
While he was in the radio station doing his interview, I had some time to kill walking around Madison. I have never lived in Madison, but I have spent a lot of time here over there years, because it’s where my sister went to grad school, and where several friends also went to grad school, and of course now, where my friend Bob teaches and conducts music.
I took this picture looking up State Street, which connects the state capitol building (in the distance) with the university campus (behind me).
My friend Doug has long described Madison as “Disneyland for college students” and that seems an accurate moniker. It’s everything you want in a college town.
Madison occupies a striking isthmus between two lakes. So a few blocks north of State Street you’re on the shores of Lake Mendota.
Later, after his interview, Bob and I met with Martin, who is the son of my friends Mark and Amy who I just finished visiting up in Eagan, Minnesota. Martin works in downtown Madison, so it was easy for him to get away from work and have lunch.
I found a place selling poke. Poke (/poʊˈkeɪ/) is a bit like a Hawaiian version of 비빔밥 (bibimbap) or 볶음밥 (bokkeumbap). You mix rice with various toppings, including raw or cooked fish, veggies, and sauces. I had one with very hot sauce and raw tuna and tofu. It was delicious.
Here is a selfie of me, Martin and Bob at the poke joint.
Later, I took a long walk to a nature reserve north of Bob and Sarah’s house. I went past the photogenic Whitewater water tower.
[daily log: walking, 4km]
Caveat: a city of memories and stale snow
I spent my last day in Minneapolis running a few errands and driving around a bit, among my memories. I’ve lived in Minneapolis/Saint Paul, on and off, for almost a quarter of my life, including very formative years of young adulthood.
This is the house on Elliott Avenue where I met Michelle and Jeffrey. Bob and I were roommates, upstairs, while Michelle lived in the downstairs unit. Jeffrey was 5 years old, then. The house’s appearance is almost unchanged.
Here is the Minneapolis skyline as seen from 14th Street at the University of Minnesota campus, at sunset.
No visit to Minneapolis is complete without a meal at an Ethiopian restaurant. Mark, Amy and I went to a restaurant on 4th Avenue South, just south of Lake Street, a few blocks northwest of the Elliott Avenue house shown above.
[daily log: walking, 3km]
Caveat: My almost brother
I call Eugene my “almost” brother. He was an exchange student from Kazakhstan in the early 1990s, living with my dad and stepmother in Southern California, at the time when my brother Andrew was a teenager.
Eugene has been a member of my extended family ever since, even though I haven’t seen him much (I mean, the same could apply to many of my actual relatives, too).
His wife and he live in Minnesota, here, and have two amazing children. I was happy to meet them. I drove out to their house for dinner this evening. We took a selfie at the dinner table. It’s not a great photo, but it managed to include all of us, despite its blurriness.
Since Eugene speaks Russian, natively, and his wife Marisol grew up as a native Spanish-speaker in Los Angeles, they made the decision to raise their children trilingually. It’s quite spectacular to see a 4 year old switching seamlessly between English, Spanish and Russian. The fact that I’m fluent in two of those and able to at least vaguely understand the third (from my two years of college Russian), I had fun switching along with her.
All parents who can should give the gift of multilingualism to their children.
Unrelatedly, earlier, I took another long walk at the big park south of Mark and Amy’s house. I took some pictures. They seem a bit monotonous, I’m sure, but I never tire of the winter landscape here.
I saw a frozen stream.
I saw long shadows.
This is Jensen Lake. A good Minnesota name.
The lake has an island.
I found an unexpected shrine beside the trail.
I saw a hillside beetling into the lake.
[daily log: walking, 5km]
Caveat: Minnesota Trails
Last night, Amy made a delicious dinner (which I tried to help with, at least a little). There was a roast and potatoes.
Today, I ran a few small errands, got frustrated with my bank, and decided to take a long walk in the giant park near Mark and Amy’s house. I took a lot of pictures.
I went east on Cliff Road to the entrance to the Lebanon Hills Regional Park. I walked down a snow-covered path.
I saw some small lakes.
I had to find my way around a stretch of closed trail. These two signs were at opposite ends of the closed part.
I saw some trees.
I saw what, in summer, is probably a grassy hillside.
I came to a clearing in the trees and saw some humble, 21st century habitations.
I love Minnesota in the winter. It is probably what I miss most about living here.
[daily log: walking, 4km]