Feels Like Home by Linda Ronstadt and Lawrence Downes narrates Linda’s memories of her Sonoran Borderlands and her Family. I read the book because I had recently heard Linda suffered from PSP just like my wife, Gwen.
In Summary, most of the book is about Linda’s roots: her family, the Sonoran Borderland, Tucson, food, and of course music.
Family: Frederick Ronstadt, her great-grandfather emigrated from Germany in the 1840s, married Margarita a local girl, and that’s where the story begins. Her grandfather emigrated to Tucson as a young man if you want to call it an emigration. Back then the boarder was porous and people traveled back and forth across the border at will. Her grandfather started a hardware store in Tucson and many of his customers came up from the Mexican side of the border to purchase equipment. Most of her siblings, nieces, and nephews still reside in the Tucson area.
Sonoran Borderlands: The Sonoran Borderlands are an area starting at Tucson and extending south around 250 miles and around 150 miles wide at the widest point. Of course the land is an arid desert. The Indigenous peoples of the region farmed, hunted, foraged, traded, made war, and coped with alternating floods and droughts for millenniums. Then the Spaniards came – it’s a wonder any of them survived. Some of the old ways still exist south of the border but they are disappearing fast
Tucson: Linda was born in Tucson in 1946 and grew up there. She left Tucson at 18 for the bright lights of Los Angeles to further her signing career. Her father owned the hardware store and was a musician They lived slightly outside Tucson on 10 acres, a family of six.
Some of her favorite places were The Arizona Inn where she stays when back home, the Mission Garden, the Canelo Projects, and the 47 Ranch.
Food: The book contains many recipes, in fact the book started out as a recipe book but over time morphed into the recipe, story of here ancestors, story of her family, story of the Sonoran borderlands, story of the border, and story of Tucson. I favorite of mine is Dried Beef Stew | Cazuela De Machaca.
Many recipe – in fact the book started out as a recipe book but over time morphed to include the story of here ancestors, story of her family, story of the Sonoran borderlands, story of the border, and story of Tucson
Music: Linda’s father besides being a successful businessman was a musician who led his own group. Prior to her father she comes from a long linage of musicians. Her grandfather, Fred, started Tucson’s first civic band comprised of two dozen musicians. They toured all over Arizona and even into California.
When Linda left home in search of her calling she traveled with an old Martin Guitar first purchased by her grandfather and later her father. She used it until recently when she could no longer make music she passed it along to her nephew, Petie
I enjoyed the book and recommend it. It’s not one of those books you read from cover to cover in one setting. I found myself reading a chapter and then thinking about it and my own past for a few days until I had sorted things out in my mind and was ready to move on.
Now I’m planning on traveling to Tucson the later part of March to visit some of her old haunts.
A Natural History of North American Trees by Donald Peattle is an unfinished condominium of the trees of North America. I’d recommend it for anyone who loves trees.
This book has a different format than other books about trees I have read. The others typically give the physically characteristics, how to grow it, where it can be grown, know problems, etc. This tree tome, however, in many case documents who discovered the tree, how it is used by the lumber industry, rates its hardness, and even incudes antidotal stories about the tree.
The first edition was published in 1950. It’s gone through several editions since then. The original was published as two volumes which have since been combined into one. Although not stated I believe the author planned to document all the trees in North America but for reasons not documented he did not complete. For example he mentions Live Oaks but did not include a section on that stately tree.
The book book does not have a “plot” or a narrative threading from cover to cover. Rather, each short paragraph documents a different tree species. Therefore the book is probably most useful as a reference to research particular tree species instead of reading cover to cover.
Below are a few examples of items I found interesting in the book:
Many believe Redwoods and Sequoias are the same tree species but they are wrong. The giant Sequoia Sequoiadendron giganteum is the longest living and largest of all the tree species. It has a very limited range in a couple small areas of California. The [General Sherman ](The General Sherman Tree – Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks (U.S. National Park Service) is considered the largest of all trees by volume standing 275 tall and over 36 feet in diameter at the base. The Coast Redwood Sequoia Semppervirens is the tallest of all the trees with Hyperioncurrently believed to be the tallest at 380 feet..
The Magnolia is another very interesting tree. It’s one of the older trees in the Planet predating even bees. The flowers may have developed to entice beetles to pollinate the trees. Fossils of plants identifiably belonging to the Magnolia Family have been dated to be 95 million years old
The Quaking or TremblingAspen is the most widely distributed tree in North America. It has survived better from the saw of the lumberman much better than other trees in part because the fibers are too short for making paper.
Mr Beattie includes the Canoe CedarThuja plicata . That term is no longer in use these 72 odd year later. The common term in use today is the Western redcedar. The original name came about because the Northwest Indians used the tree to make canoes. By the way Lewis and Clark also made canoes from this tree after they crossed the Continental Divide. The canoes were up to 65 ft in length and could hold 30 people. The Indians also used the Western redcedar for totem poles.
The White Ash is one of the most used trees in North. America because of its white wood and its hardness (second only to Hickory in North America). Most young boys are familiar with white ash because all baseball bats are white ash. Among Darwin and others the white ash is considered the highest evolutionary scale of trees.
Finally, here’s a typical vingette (one of hundreds): In olden times in Kentucky homemade soap was stirred with a sassafras stick to make a good quality soap
Just to get away for a few days we flew to Phoenix and drove to Sedona for a couple days and then back to Scottsdale for a couple more days before flying home.
I caught up on my rest. We dined at some great restaurants. We hiked a little . Sedona is one of the most scenic areas in the USA; therefore, our eyes were drenched in some of the most brilliant sites imaginable.
The Road Goes on Forever
Logistics
Flights
9/21: Flight 417 – 10:25AM – 10:50AM
9/26: Flight 569 – 11:05AM – 3:40PM
Hotels
September 21-23 at Wyndham Sedona
September 24-25 at Home 2 Salt River
Restaurants
True Food Kitchen Scottsdale for lunch
Cucina Rustic in Oak Creek for dinner
The Hudson in Sedona for lunch and dinner. Make reservations as early as you can
Mesa Grill for lunch at the Sedona Airport
Beckett’s Table in Phoenix for dinner
Portillo’s in Scottsdale for when you miss Chicago Italian Beef
Grassroots Kitchen & Tap in ScottsdaleRestaurants not good
Golden Goose in Sedona – Been there forever – reminded me of eating back home in Alexis
Olive & ivy – very good restaurant but nothing on the menu that Gwen can eat
Activities
Mainly eating and hiking
Montezuma’s Castle – although not as good as our last visit. Some flooding tore up the area along the river which was the prettiest part of the park
Oak Creek Canyon
Jerome
Desert Botanical Garden
TL;DR
Sep 21, 2022 at 9:08 AM: Yesterday was the Training Class at Myers Park. Went well. We used Camtasia to the the whole screen to record the video. I’m going the produce the movie on vacation.
The night before Training Class which would be the evening of the 19th Gwen was very restless and non-coherent. We went to bed late because based on her behavior I did not think she would sleep anyway so best to keep her up for a bit.
Shortly after we did go to bed I must have been asleep she called out to me to take her watch off. I stubbed my toes really bad in fact I think I broke at lest one and the entire foot is sore. Then before I could get to Gwen to take her watch off I fell against the bed “foot board” and hit my thigh pretty bad. The day before that I had banged my left shin against the “foot board” and cut it. It now appears to have an infection and is very sore also. So I have a bad left foot, sore left shin, and sore right thigh. And we are traveling to Sedona to go hiking. What a mess.
Stayed at Mike & Sara’s last night. Had a good time. Gwen slept like a log. She seems to be in a predictable cycle – one night can’t sleep & the next night sleeps like a log.
Sitting at the Airpot in Terminal B waiting on our flight to Phoenix
The flight was on time and the ride was smooth. No passengers hit the flight attendants. Our rental car is a Nissan Kick which is a nice little car.
Phoenix and the trip up to Sedona is cloudy, cool, and with little light drizzle.
We ate lunch at True Food Kitchen in Scottsdale. – a great and healthy lunch spot.
We made a slight detour and stopped off at Montezuma’s Castle on the drive to Sedona. Its a cool, in the Summer, and shady place to spend some time. The ancient Indians constructed a pueblo 3/4 the way up a sheer Clift there.
Dinner was at the Cucina Rustica in Oak Creek Village. The food and ambience was outstanding. On our next trip I’ll pack a pair of long pants just for restaurants just like this one.
Sep 22, 2022 at 10:47 PM: Gwen had a bad day today. Lots of pain in her shoulders.l
This morning we ate breakfast in the Wyndham. Then we took a walk on the Sunset Park Trail which is near the condo.
We had lunch at The Hudson. I think it Gwen’s favorite restaurant – at least for lunch. The views there are most excellent “dude”. We’ve never eaten there for dinner because like Eote you need to book 2 months in advance when the reservations open.
View from The Hudson
After lunch we drove up to the top of Oak Creek Canyon . Its usually a very scenic and leisurely drive up to the top of the Colorado Plateau. Not this day. First, the rains came with a vengeance . After the rain subsided we came upon a traffic light – red of course. A sign above the traffic light said the light will change within 15 minutes. I believe we waited 14 minutes before it changed. Turns out the road up the escarpment was a one lane road for maybe two miles. We drove to the top, admired the view, and then drove back down to Sedona stopping at the traffic signal again.
Flowers at Oak Creek Canyon Lookout
We ate dinner in the condo. – leftovers
Sep 23, 2022 at 10:58 AM: We slept in until 5AM. Breakfast in the condo again – bread from the Eatery we brought with us from Dallas.
In the morning we drove to Jerome and took some photos. I scored a Indian Scout Sign in a souvenir shop. The only Indian Scout I will ever own.
We ate lunch at the Mesa Grill. It’s not fancy but both of us loved our meals.
After lunch we just drove around the hills taking photos.
Dinner was at the Golden Goose. I think its been in the same location before there was a Sedona. The servers all must have worked their 25 years. This place would fit right in Monmouth Illinois like a glove. Gwen liked her pork chop. I had the meatloaf and would not order it again. If you ever eat there don’t get the calamari. As for us we will find a different restaurant
Sep 24, 2022 at 8:40 AM: Gwen had another bad night sleeping last night. That’s at least two nights in a row. Hopefully she will sleep better
Breakfast in the Wyndham and then drove to Scottsdale.
Lunch at Portillo’s. My Italian Beef was excellent.
Tried to check in at the Home2. Been waiting 3 hours now. Just setting in the Lobby watching football games.
In parallel Gwen wanted me to go to an Urgent Care because of my leg swelling. I did and they basically told me they did not know what was wrong and I should go to the local ER in case I had blood clots. Talked it over with Gwen and decided to wait until we are home and go see our family doctor.
Dinner was at Beckett’s Table. We first visited this restaurant on our first visit to Phoenix and liked it so much we have gone back on every trip here. We were not disappointed on this visit either. I had the Green Chili Stew.
Sep 25, 2022 at 3:51 PM: Gwen had yet another bad night and so did I. My problem was the bed. It was as hard as a rock. Many hotels have extra firm beds and I don’t know why.
Breakfast was in the hotel as is normal for us on this trip. The bread from the Eatery really paid off. We did have to buy a bread knife here in Scottsdale because the room did not have one. However, the price of the knife was less than a McDonald’s breakfast for us.
After breakfast we visited the Desert Botanical Garden.
For lunch we drove 5 minutes down the road to Grassroots Kitchen & Tap. I was surprised the server gave us their regular menu. Apparently they don’t have a weekend brunch. Good news for us. Grassroots is definitely a “go back to” establishment. The food was most excellent dude.
We spent the afternoon watching NFL games in the hotel.
Dinner was at Olive & Ivy. Although it’s a great restaurant there is nothing on their menu Gwen can eat so it’s out for us from now on.
Sep 26, 2022 at 8:42 AM: Up at 5 so we could make our flight. Sitting at the airport now waiting for the flight to board.
Home 2 thoughts: The bed was a good height for Gwen but the hotel has shown a lot of wear and tear with no obvious attempt to keep it in tip top shape. We had to wait over an hour after they promised us we could have our room until it was actually ready. Maybe because of the location but the hotel is a madhouse of families with teenage noisy youths.
Summary: We like Home 2 hotels because of the bed but would not stay at this particular location again
The Underland by Robert MacFaland was not the kind of book I thought. I had developed an interest in Geology the past several years. The book as advertised at least in my mind to be about what’s below the ground. Perfect I thought. Well, it was in a way. The first chapter started out interesting enough about cave pictographs by early humans with some descriptions of the stone the pictographs were drawn on. But over the the next few chapters the focus shifted to the environmental damage we were subjecting the Earth to. The word antrhopocene appeared more and more frequently as the pages wore on.
Finally the story culminated in a visit to the just completed Finish nuclear waste storage facility constructed 430 meters underground in bedrock named “Onkalo” meaning cave or pit in Finish.
From the depths of a Greenland glacier to the Paris underground to Norwegian caves this book is part travel, part nature, and part environmental. A great read!
Howdy, Several years ago – 2017 to be exact – I paused posting to WordPress and started my own domain’s blog to gain creating website experience. I gave up my website several months ago because my provider (Machighway) was bought out by another company. After numerous problems with their service I gave up the website.
For now I am posting to WordPress again. Sometime in the future I will re-start my website but until then I will utilize this service.
I may publish the last five years on this facility. I have not decided yet. If I can figure out an easy way to do so I’ll press forward with the plan.
We planned a short vacation to Napa Valley and Monterey this July (11-16) in order to escape the Texas heat. Things did not work out as planned. Texas was experiencing a cooler than normal July because the high pressure system that normally dominates our weather in the summer moved west and was hovering over, you guessed it, Northern California.
Napa was hot reaching or coming close to 90 every day. On top of that the most severe drought in many a year had blanketed most of the western U.S. Not only were conditions for forest fires extremely high but most of California was under severe water restrictions. Although on the surface Napa is the premier wine producing valley in the USA under the surface they are hurting. Most of the 2020 vintage was dumped down the drain because the 2020 wildfires in he area induced a Smokey taste in the wine produced that year from local grapes. This year the drought is affecting the grapes.
We did have a great time and hope the valley recovers quickly. Such a treasure; It would be a tragedy if it were destroyed.
Monterey, unlike Napa, was seemingly unaffected by either the drought or the heat wave. The highest the thermometer reached while we were there was 61.
Mt St. Helena
Food
I did not list all the establishments we visited, only the ones I recommend:
The Fish Market – Several locations in the Bay area
Calistoga Inn and Brewery – great brews and eclectic menu
Calistoga Roastery – Coffee shop in aging storefront on Main Street Calistoga
Sarafornia Cafe – Calistoga – Good place for breakfast although Gwen will not return because of food restrictions
Sams Social Club – Calistoga – In a newer resort in Calistoga. Great breakfast and lunch.
The Market – St. Helena – Best meal we had in Napa – Dined on sidewalk a foot from the owner’s Yukon
The Bench at Pebble Beach – Lunch on the patio overlooking the 18th green at Pebble Beach
Enzo Ristorante Italiano – Carmel – super small but outstanding Italian fare and
Activities
Some activities we enjoyed:
Napa
Petrified Forest
Wine tasing
Redwood Trail
Walking around Calistoga
Petrified Forest
Monterey
17 mile drive around Pebble Beach
Walking along the Monterey waterfront and watching seals
Drive down highway 1 to Big Sur
Hotels
Napa – Bergson in Calistoga – thumbs up
Monterey – Marriott in Monterey – thumbs up
Duration
5 nights – Sunday, July 11 to Friday, July 16 2021
Sunday – fly to SFO; drive to Napa
Monday – at Napa
Tuesday – at Napa
Wednesday – Drive to Monterey
Thursday – Monterey
Friday – drive to SFO ; flight home
Flights
07/11 – DFW to SFO Flight 2798 8:35AM to 10:19AM
07/16 – SFO to DFW Flight 2802 3:22PM to 9:08PM
Bixby Bridge
TL;DR
Jul 11, 2021 at 11:30 AM: On flight Rower One San Francisco. We left DFW about an hour late at 9:30AM. Storms rolled through DFW last night which caused havoc with flight schedules.
Jul 11, 2021 at 4:09 PM: We’ve arrived at The Bergson in Calistoga, our home for the next three nights. After picking up the rental we ate lunch at The Fish Market in San Mateo. Then we drove up here. I’m ready to rest for a bit.
Later in the evening we strolled around town and had dinner at the Callisotga Inn and Brewery. Food was excellent. We sat in the bar so we could watch the NBA finals. Bad choice, the game was not close.
Jul 12, 2021 at 10:39 AM: Breakfast this morning was coffee and bagels at the Calistoga Roastery. I would be a regular if I lived here.
Visited the Petrified Forest this morning. It’s just a short drive from Calistoga. It’s private and therefore they charge an admission – $11.00 for seniors. The walk through the forest is around a mile and a very easy walk. We enjoyed our visit there.
Jul 12, 2021 at 7:57 PM:
Lunch: Palisades in Calistoga was not what I expected although it was good. After walking in you order from a counter sort of like Rosa’s. Forgetting what I expected. If you are in your early 20s and on a fairly limited budget it’s an excellent choice for a good wholesome meal for a reasonable price. If I were not married to Gwen Palisades would be my expensive, splurge mask on the trip.
In the afternoon we drove down the Silverado Trail to Yountville and explored the towns back to Calistoga by automobile.
Dinner was Brasswood Bar + Kitchen. The meal was delicious but the service was poor. They sat us in an area served by the bartender. About the time we sat down a large group or groups ordered a number of complicated to make drinks. 20 minutes later I was asking the hostess to move us when he finished and took our order. The rest of the evening including the food was excellent.
Jul 13, 2021 at 5:41 PM: Breakfast this morning at Sarafornia Cafe. Mine was good but something did not agree with Gwen’s stomach.
Then we hiked the Redwood Trail in the local state park. Much longer walk than yesterday. Most of that area had a forest fire a year ago. Most of the redwoods had black trunks quite high but were still okay. They have extra thick bark that protects them from forest fires. However many of the younger trees had died. The ground cover had started to grow back but the drought has killed most of the ground cover off and the area is ripe for another forest fire.
Lunched at Sam’s Social Club in the Indian Springs Resort on the east end of town. Gwen liked the tea so much she wants to go back for breakfast.
Took a scenic drive this afternoon and bought a book at the local bookstore, Copperfield Books.
We dined at The Market in St. Helena. It’s a farm to table restaurant whatever that means. In any case it was very good. The best we’ve had here in Napa.
Jul 14, 2021 at 3:46 PM: Breakfast this morning was back at Sam’s because Gwen loved their iced tea.
After that we checked out of the hotel and drove to the Monterey Marriott with a side trip back at The Fish Market in San Mateo for lunch. It’s 59 in Monterey at 4PM.
Checked in the Monterey Marriott. Much color here – 55 degrees. Dinner at Domenico’s on the wharf. Good but I’d try somewhere else next time. Seafood in Monterey should be brilliant.
Jul 15, 2021 at 9:37 AM: Breakfast at the hotel. Very good. Of course they have a buffet but we ordered off the menu.
57 this morning. Heat wave for Monterey.
Drove the 17 Mile Drive on a partly foggy day. Still a wonderful experience.
Then lunch at The Bench at the Lodge at Pebble Beach overlooking the 18th green.
After lunch we wandered aimlessly around Carmel for awhile before driving to Big Sur on Highway 1.
Before dinner we walked along the Monterey Waterfront. We dined at Enzo Ristorante Italiano. Superb!!!
Jul 16, 2021 at 4:00PM:
We had a restless night at the Marriott before breakfast at McDonalds and Starbucks. First I walked 1/2 mile to the McDonalds for Gwen’s Iced Tea and an orange juice. Took them back to the hotel and then a block to Starbucks for coffee and bagels.
Before leaving Monterey I called The Fish Market for lunch reservations but they were booked solid. Oh woe is me; I was counting on another great meal at the best seafood restaurant in the Cosmos.
Checked out of the Marriott and drove to San Mateo for lunch at Mendocino Farms for lunch before heading to SFO for the flight home.
We decided to travel to Phoenix after we were notified our Baltic Cruise was delayed another year and like everyone else we were weary of staying at home. Therefore, we planned a trip to Phoenix on short notice.
In Scottsdale we found a new Wyndham property for our base – Orange Tree Resort . It’s not new; the place is showing some age. I think Wyndham took over a Shell Travel Club resort. I was amazed how cool the unit stayed even in 111 degree temperatures. I would stay there again especially since I don’t have to lay out cash for the condo.
We also traveled up to Flagstaff one day and night just to cool off. The morning we left Flagstaff the temperature was 45 degrees. That afternoon the Phoenix temperature hit topped out at . That’s a 66 degree change. The elevation change between Phoenix and Flagstaff is 5,900 feet.
Overall, its great to get away from home from time to time. We had a great trip but I don’t recommend Phoenix in July for most people. February or March is much more pleasant.
Hotels
Phoenix: Orange Tree Resort
Flagstaff: Hilton Garden Inn
Flights
AA first class
June 10 DFW to Phoenix: Flight 520 @ 9:05AM
Jume 14 Phoenix to DFW: Flight 1169 @ 1:25PM
Restaurants
Places we dined I would recommend:
The Parlor Pizzarea – Phoenix for lunch
Sakura – Flagstaff for dinner
Keegan’s – Phoenix for lunch
Becket’s Table – Phoenix for dinner
Portillo’s – Phoenix for lunch – Chicago chain that has reached Phoenix
Activities
As with restaurants, these are activities I’d recommend to a friend.
Musical Instrument Museum
Butterfly Wonderland
OdySea Aquarium]
Timeline
Jun 10, 2021 at 11:08 AM: Stayed at Sara’s last night and flew to Phoenix this morning first class on a large plane. Seating was the best in the US
Now at The Parlor Pizzarea. They serve Half Acre Pale Ale. It is magnificent. Will look for it at home.
5:14 PM: After lunch we did the Musical Instrument Museum. It divided into 2 main sections.
Instruments and music for different parts of the World. Pretty much covered everywhere and included countries I did not know existed.
The Artists of some significance centered basically in the USA. For example no Bach but included Bernstein.
Jun 11, 2021 at 7:32 AM: Tried to go to Switch in Phoenix for a late dinner at 7:30 but they were not taking anymore diners. So we went back to The Parlor where we had lunch and shared a pizza.
Gwen had a “restless” night and finally got up at 4 to read. Me thinks she over did it yesterday.
Today we drove to Flagstaff to catch some cool weather and hike. It’s 2 hours North of Phoenix and sits at 7,000 feet. We did the Mars Hill hike, and dined at Sakura, a Hibachi grill we’ve been a couple time before and loved it. Just as. Good this time
We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn, a good hotel if your ever in Flagstaff. Unfortunately there was a party going on in the next room. I finally knocked on their door at 12:30 and told them to quiet down. Wish I had done that at 10:30.
Jun 12, 2021 at 4:39 PM
Woke up this morning before 6. Therefore we packed up, picked up a coffee and an iced tea, and drove to Phoenix. The temperature was 46 when we left Flagstaff and 93 when we drove into Phoenix 2 hours later. The temperature as I write is 108.
Breakfast was crackers and peanut butter in the condo.
On our way to the Diamondback/Angel game we stopped at Keegan’s for lunch. Reminded me of the Houston’s restaurant in DFW.
The Diamondback game was okay. I’m spoiled with the new Ranger ballpark.
Dinner was at an old favorite – Becket’s Table. Their menu is small but always delicious and the presentation on the plate is always something to look forward to.
Jun 13, 2021 at 10:20 PM: Slept in this morning until 7. Then we had breakfast at Panera’s.
Our activity today was The Butterfly Wonderland and OdySea Aquarium. The butterfly conservatory was excellent. First they showed a film about Monarchs. Then we entered the conservatory with thousands of butterflies. We stayed there a very long time and marveled at the rainbows of butterflies. The aquarium was okay but not world class. I’d put in the same category as the Dallas Aquarium.
For lunch we discovered a Portillo’s In Scottsdale – a little bit of Chicago in the desert.
We spent the afternoon holed up in the condo because of the 111 degree heat.
Dinner at Olive & Ivy, one of our favorite restaurants in the area.
Jun 14, 2021 at 9:41 AM: Breakfast at Butterfield’s Pancakes. Headed for the airport and flight home. Escaping just as the heatwave gets real dangerous
Just put the Lathe of Heaven by Ursula LeGuin down 30 years after reading it for the first time. A short but brilliant work of Science Fiction. She always weaves a masterful tail utilizing a sparse word count creating relatively short but spellbinding books.
As the book commences George Orr, our reluctant hero, is stung out on a cocktail of drugs trying to suppress his dreams because when he dreams effective dreams the World Changes – like goes from mass overcrowding to sparsely populated.
The book, written in 1971, is set in the near future Portland, at a time when Food Wars are in full swing because of over population, mass hunger, and climate change. Clearly Ms. LeGuin was ahead of her time. As an aside this is what draws many of us to Science Fiction that peep into the possible future which often times becomes reality.
At first George’s dreams cause small changes like a different apartment or job. However after he is appended by the drug police and sent to Dr. Haber for evaluation. The good doctor is a sleep specialist has has been developing a machine, The Augmentor to force a person into REM Sleep. The doctor soon realizes George’s dreams change the World. At first in a small way. For example a photo of Mt. Hood disappears off the doctor’s office wall. Soon however the doctor has has George dream larger transformations – like eliminating the overpopulation problem by causing 6 Billion humans to never be born. The doctors dilemma is he can only suggest changes to George and then George implements the change via a dream in his own weird way
Time marches on in our tale and Dr. Haber induces more and more significant modifications to the World and its inhabitants via George’s effective dreams. As the wheel of time turns George becomes more and more reluctant to aid in the doctor’s utopian vision.
As the book nears its climax the moon is inhabitated by Aliens whom soon land on the Earth causing the armies of the World to slaughter millions of their own citizens in a attempt to fight the Aliens which by the way are peace loving souls without any weapons.
The book ends with George working for an Alien in a kitchen store after he has been cured of effective dreaming by the doctor who is now locked up in a looney bin after trying to effective dream himself with the help of his machine.
What do you do in August if you live in Texas? You leave if you can. This August was relatively cool here but we left anyway. On August 18th flew to Seattle to visit youngest daughter’s family and son-in-law’s parents for a few days. Then we drove to Portland to bike the Columbia River Gorge and see the Great American Eclipse. Next we stopped for a couple of days at Crater Lake National Park. Finally we stopped in Redding Ca. to visit Gwen’s niece Rachel.
The flight was just a few minutes late. I watched Ghost in the Shell on the plane. It reminded me of Blade Runner. Mostly the setting and photography. Although the movie covers the same dilemma – humans versus androids.
After arriving in Seattle and settling in we visited Woodinville at, I think, the Market Winery for snacks and then back to Don & Karen’s for the remainder of the day.
2017-08-19:
When in Seattle you have to visit Pike’s Market and we were no exception. The miniature donuts were a big hit with everyone but Gwen. We parked at the Waterfront level and then took an elevator up to the Market. If you ever visit the Market that’s the best place to park because you also have access to the Waterfront attractions. After the Market we walked along the Waterfront. The boys, Gwen, and Sara boarded the giant Ferris Wheel for an exciting ride.
The rest of day was at the Don and Karen’s Lake House. Played with boys. Took a boat ride. Kids flew home. Spent the evening watching Cowboys and Rangers with Don & Karen
2017-08-20:
Sunday morning: We had a lazy morning with Don and Karen at the Lake House
Sunday afternoon, we drove to Portland and it was a drive from HELL. Must have been all the people, like us, driving into Oregon to see the Total Eclipse? Our 3 hour drive took 4.5 hours.
In Portland we stayed at the Marriott Downtown Waterfront. It s a great location and good hotel but pricey. If we ever stay there again park at the Parking Garage next door and walk across on the sky bridge unless we have too much luggage.
Dinner at The Imperial which was in walking distance. Very eclectic
2017-08-21:
Breakfast at the hotel. Very good
Walked to Pedal Tours for our Columbia River Gorge Bike Ride. When I think of the gorge I envision a deep narrow chasm. Well, this is not the case. It’s deep but miles wide. Apparently the Spring floods in the old days were unbelievable catastrophic. But the ride was awesome as was our guide, Crystal. Highly recommend if you are ever in Portland and have a day to site see.
We stopped at the Vista House on the way out and viewed the eclipse with our special glasses the park rangers gave us – what luck!!!. Then it was on to the ride and hike and see magnificent waterfalls.
Back in town after the ride we had lunch at Kell’s Irish Pub across the street from the bike shop.
Dinner was at the Yard House, a chain but we did not feel like dressing up, and it’s casual with decent food.
2017-08-22:
Breakfast at The Good Earth. A place downtown to grab a quick byte. Nothing special. Mostly a take away by the looks of it.
Drove to Eugene and toured the Owen Rose Garden before lunch at the Bier Stein.
The on to Klamath Falls via 58 and 97, state two lane roads but well maintained through the National Forest. Everything went fine until 58 merged with 97 where there was a 40 minute backup to a hole in the wall ramshackle group of gas stations and diners. Then it cleared up and we could drive about 60 the remainder of the trip but it was still bumper to bumper.
Klamath Falls first impression – Nothing to write home about – 2nd and 3rd impressions were the same.
Dinner at Italianna’s Restoranti & Gelateria. Dinner was excellent. In fact we are saving the remainder for leftovers tomorrow evening. However, I can’t give it an A+ rating because the service was sooooo slow.
2017-08-23:
Woke to slightly better smoke conditions. I could see the building next door from the hotel window.
Breakfast at Nibbley’s. Most excellent! First time I’ve had oakcakes, like a pancake but made of oats.
Then we drove through the smoke, although is better today, to Crater Lake. Hooray, the sky was clear enough to just make out the far side rim. Yesterday they could not see Wizard Island,wonder if Harry Potter is hiding out there?
We started out by walking around the rim at the Visitor Center and snapping photos. Then we explored the lodge. Many of the older National Parks have great old lodges. This was no exception. Much smaller than the Grand Canyon but just as rustic and charming. We ate lunch at the lodge restaurant. Very good. I had trout. They served it with the head to prove it was a trout.
After lunch we hiked a couple of miles to Discovery Point. There are many scenic overlooks along the way. They list the hike as moderate. Almost any healthy person should be able to complete the hike even though the elevation is 7000 feet.
The lake itself is the bluest blue I’ve ever seen. It’s the deepest lake in the U.S. With a depth of 1943 feet. The rim elevation fluctuates between 7,000 and 8,000 feet. The lake receives over 500 inches of snow per year. Needless to say although I want to visit again when there is no smoke it won’t be in the Winter
2017-08-24:
Breakfast at Nibbley’s again because it was so good yesterday.
Drove to Redding – Smoke was bad. Even some in Redding.
Lunch at a micro-brewery. Very good – can’t remember the name however.
Visited Jason and Rachel and Brenda and Judah, and Gideon, and the baby.
Dinner at a strange takeaway, Wilda’s – Yardbirds type food in a Chinese takeaway carton. I liked it and it was dirt cheap.
2017-08-25:
Breakfast at Deja Vu downtown, an eclectic joint.
Spent most of the morning in the hotel working on Master Gardener tasks – mostly finding photos for the 20th anniversary article in the Seed Exchange and queuing up Instagram photos.
After lunch at Rachel’s we took the boys to the Turtle Bay Nature Center where among other thing we saw a real live beaver up close. They brought it out and let it wander around the seated on the floor children while they gave us a lecture on beaver trivia.
After dinner at Rachel’s we drove to Wiskeytown Lake to watch the Sunset.
2017-08-26:
Saturday morning in Redding California. Never thought I would spend a couple of days here, but that’s the way life goes sometimes. Visiting Gwen’s niece for the last couple of days and leaving tomorrow. Right now my mind is on Hurricane Harvey which slammed into the Texas Coast just North of Corpus Christi as a Category 4 storm last night. I have empathy for the millions residing in the area for their life and property.
Today we journeyed to Lake Shasta with Rachel’s for a picnic in the 107 degree weather and toured the dam, The dam is a brilliant work of engineering. The guide sucked however. I hope if you ever tour the dam you get a better guide.
Dinner was at their house and we also watched the “Boys” win another pre-season game.
Back to the hotel early to pack up. Tomorrow is drive to the Bay day.
2107-08-27:
Drove from Redding to St. Helena in Napa for lunch at Archetype. Then we stopped by Titus for a private wine tasting and of course Gwen ordered a case of wine. Then on to Clos Pegase where there was no wine sampling but buying more wine.
After Napa we drove to the Hilton Garden Inn in San Mateo for the night before our flight home on Monday.
Dinner Sunday night was at The Fish Market, my favorite restaurant in Silicon Valley
2017-08-28:
Flew home first class, the only way to travel. Mike and the boys picked us up. On the way home we stopped by Gloria’s for dinner with Mike and the boys.
What do you do in July and August if you live in Texas Why you go North to escape the heat (if you can). That’s exactly what we did. Traveled to Boston July 16-21 and were greeted by one of their three, according to a local, heat waves of the year. Of course for them the high 80s count as a heat wave. The high 80s is nothing for a true Texan except for much of Boston is not air conditioned and suddenly we discover how much we depend on that brilliant invention by Willis Carrier.
As I usually do I snapped a gazillion photos, most of which are not worth sharing. However, a few of the better photos are at: Boston Photos Earlier this Summer on our West Coast Baseball Trip I utilized my iPhone 6 instead of carting around my DSLR and bevy of additional lenses. On this trip I used only a Panasonic LUMIX point and shoot camera. Much lighter and smaller than the DSLR and the photo quality unless you are planning on blowing up enlargements is pretty darn good.
Boston is a very expensive tourist destination. Parking is non-existent (don’t take a car). However, getting around Boston by mass transit and walking very easy.
View from our hotel room
As with the last trip blog this one is mostly a day by day diary of what went down:
Sunday – flew to Boston. On time, what else could a person ask for
Dinner at Giacomo’s. Waited 1.5 hours to eat at a 10 table restaurant. Very good. Was the wait worth it?
Monday – Drove To Springfield to the Dr. Seuss Museum. Stopped at a diner in Worcester for breakfast. Real dump but good breakfast.
The museum was great. There were several other museums there also. My favorite was the Indian Motorcycle museum.
Lunch at The Student Prince, a German restaurant in downtown Springfield. Been there since 1935 and very good although we were the only patrons. It was after 2 so maybe understandable.
Drove back to hotel only getting lost once in Boston which was better than in the drive out
That night: Harbor Cruise
Downtown Boston from the Harbor
Tuesday: late breakfast at The Thinking Cup then back to hotel and after an animated discussion we decided to buy Hop On Hop Off tickets to tour Boston in combination with walking the Freedom Trail. My first Hop On Hop Off and I enjoyed it. However the driver-tour guide makes a World of difference. Throughout the day we had two that were brilliant and two that were mediocre. The Boston Commons and The Boston Gardens were disappointing. I was expecting a botanical garden but instead trees and grass for the most part. We stopped in Back Bay for lunch at Dillon’s. It was quite good and would go back. Next stop was South Side and The Boston Tea Party exhibit. We just stopped at the gift shop. Not sure why we did not go in?
Then to the Wharf Disctrict, Quincy Market, Walk around the District until Dinner,
Dinner at Boston Sail Loft. Mediocre
Walked back to hotel in pouring rain
Watched a couple of movies
Wednesday: Breakfast at Boston Commons Coffee Company. Then off to the JFK Presendential Library. This is our 3rd Presendential Library – Hoover, the 2nd Bush were the other two. I find it very interesting how different each of the Libraries were. Of course the Presidents were from widely different era’s. Hoover’s barely had any material on his Presidency. Most of the library focused on his earlier life which was amazing. He was a World Class Engineer. That he came from a small town in Iowa, West Branch, is even more amazing. Proves that in America is the Land of Opporttunity. Bush’s was multi-media, fairly small, and focused on Decision Making. You could come back every year and some of the exhibits would change. Kennedy was the first President in the Age of TV and the exhibits were in great part TV footage. JFK’s tour starts out with a short video of his life story up to his Presendential nomination at the 1960 Los Angeles Democratic Convention. Then the majority of the tour chronicles his time in office. There is one wall at the end playing footage of the assassination. After that you walk into a massive hall with glass walls reaching at least four stories showcasing a magnificient view of downtown Boston and the larger harbor.
We dropped Gwen off a the Aquarium and the rest of us went on to the hotel. Me to rest and Kevin/Trish to meet up with Trish’s boss.
Thursday: Breakfast at the neighborhood joint – Soffee’s. It was awful. Then drove to Woods Hole and caught the ferry to Martha’s Vineyard. Spent the day there (afternoon that is. The drive to Woods Hole was 1 hour 40 minutes. Then a 25 minute bus ride from the parking area to the ferry. Then a hour ferry ride to the Island. Gwen and I ate lunch first and after that explored the town. About mid-afternoon I took a nap on a shady park bench. Right before leaving we walked out into the ocean so we could say we swam in the Atlantic at Martha’s Vineyard.
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