A Classic View

Fog rolls through the Golden Gate.

Paved with gold

What's this? Bank notes littering the streets of Edinburgh?
Big ones, too.

Sadly they're only leading the way to the Museum on the Mound.
This being Scotland, someone's tried to peel one off the pavement, just in case it might be real.

California Newt

California Newt, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

While hiking, I came across this interesting California newt, right in the middle of a relatively dry trail. The newt's eyes were surrounded by an amazing green.
The stream in the ravine 100 feet down from the trail contained many newts, as well as their young.
Anybody else seeing amphibious creatures around?

Coming Into Clarity

This excerpt is from the book From Clutter to Clarity by Nancy Twigg: "In my years of being a Christian, I've learned something about making time for God. I believe we are supposed to find God in all things. Although quiet time with God is essential, I now feel it is equally essential to see God in the midst of our busyness.
Am I busy with meetings today? Then there is probably someone in one of those meetings whom God is calling me to meet--someone who needs to be acknowledged or needs to see my example of being fed by God. Are there errands I need to run? As I buy groceries, pay bills, pick up clothes from the cleaners, I take that opportunity to thank God for my abundance. I don't wait until my quiet time. I do it minute after minute throughout my day.
Our digestive system works to deliver nourishment to our bodies between our meals. Likewise, I have found that acknowledging God keeps me sustained between my conversations with Him." Adela from Aurora, CO
I also find this to be true, and when I've walked with God all day long, then I find it so much easier to pay attention in church on Sunday. But if I've sped through the week with no thought of anything but my to-do-list, I find my mind still in that mode as I try to worship on Sunday. I just can't do it.
The photos were taken on Fripp Island, SC. We had a condo on the third story which pretty much hung out over an inlet to the Atlantic Ocean. The bird traffic was superhighway status. They were zooming right and left. I was standing on our balcony aiming my camera at the sky, but I had the settings wrong.
After taking photos for several minutes, I stopped long enough to look at what I had taken. It wasn't until I put them on the computer and could view them much bigger that I gasped in surprise. I loved them! They looked so ethereal and dreamlike. And if you know me and my photography style, you know that that's the look I mostly go after.

Mama's Quilts

http://www.smokymountainsentinel.com/news/../0613/leisure/016.html
Click on the above link to see an article about my mama's quilts. She recently gave me the first quilt she made. She was probably in her 20's. The stitches are much longer than the ones she makes now. I find this endearing and it's one of the reasons this strawberry quilt is one of my favorites.

BHFTF Day 2

Yesterday it was an early call to get up and ready for the first day of the Mickelson Trail ride. Breakfast for the riders and volunteers at 6am. A shower came though as we were eating (just hoping that was not foreboding the what the weather will have in store for us). A little after 7 we rolled out for Deadwood. About 8 we were in Deadwood, unloading the bikes.
I decided to try riding the first section - climbing up from Deadwood. While the grade is not that bad (about 4%), the thinner air took its toll on me. Made it 6 miles up the hill. Had to walk the last few hundred feet to the trail head. Lactate was builting up in my muscles. Rode in the van for 2 section. Then rode 2 downhill sections from Dumont to Mystic. All totalled 24.77 miles for the day. I was pleased with my effort.
The photo here is me coming out of Tunnel C. Some very beautiful scenery down the canyon from Rochford to Mystic. Mickelson Trail Day 2 today.
Oh, yesterday I hit 1100 miles for the year.

My Favourite Place - The Western Isles

I am fiercely proud of being English, but my heart belongs to Scotland - The Western Isles, to be precise. I was fortunate enough to spend several years living there when I was a teenager and I have also returned many times, on holiday.

Stornoway Harbour

My parents, brother and I spent 6 months living in a rented bungalow in Stornoway before moving out to a croft house in Lochganvich for two and a half years. I know we have lots of family photos of the place, somewhere, but this is a borrowed imageThe house was small, two up, two down with a bathroom. Water was pumped from a well but was not suitable for drinking, so drinking water was brought from Stornoway, by my father, on his return from work. The house was heated by a solid fuel Rayburn and we had a flush loo. Luxury!
The croft next door belonged to an older couple called John and Marion. John would have been well into his seventies, Marion was probably in her late 50's/early 60's. They were the nicest people you could wish to meet. They kept a few sheep and a couple of cows and they were more than happy to let this eager young Sassenach go over there every day to 'help' them. Whenever there was something different to be done they would let me join in and patiently taught me to shear a sheep, give them injections and treatment, watch the dipping, etc. Marion taught me to milk the cow by hand and generally make myself useful, well, I hope I gradually became more useful.
They let us rear the orphaned lambs, one died, but the other, Betsy grew and grew and when we eventually left the islands John promised that she could live her natural life out on their croft.

Lochganvich was, and still is, a tiny hamlet of less than 10 houses. We knew everyone who lived there and they were always happy to welcome us, share a strupak - a cup of tea (always the best china) and a plate of buttered Scottish pancakes/Battenburg cake, etc. Sometimes there would be some crowdie with the pancakes. Unsurprisingly, I used to love visiting people!
They taught us to cut the peat, lending us the cutting irons and showing us how to heave the great slabs and lay them out for the first stage of drying. Later we were shown how to make them into little stooks, arranged so that the wind could blow through them to aid the drying process, then we made slightly larger stacks. Weeks later, when the peat was deemed to have dried enough the village would come together and we'd spend a long evening collecting the peat for one of the homes, everyone working together. A couple of the men would build the huge peat stack at the side of the house. I always marvelled at the clever construction. Each evening of hard work would end with a wonderful feast and lots of chat, as arrangements were made to repeat the process the following day for the next house.

Once a week Iain-Harry would trundle down the quarter-of-a-mile long driveway to our house, in his grocery van. It was amazing what he could pack into that van. My mother would have her list made out ready, then she'd go into the van and find out what was actually available and make adjustments as necessary. One of the very nicest thing he brought was a wonderful, fresh 'Milk Loaf'. It was our routine to have a thick slice of this, spread with butter, once the shop-van had gone on to the next croft house.
The beaches on the island are amazingly beautiful, clean and empty most of the time. I don't mind the wind or the cold if I can have an empty beach.
My younger brother, Ian aka Owl Woodattended a lovely little village school at Achmore, lucky thing. I had to catch a mini-bus, which came to the top of the drive, and travel the ten or so miles into Stornoway to the dreaded Nicolson Institute, the only senior school on the island. The education there was superb, but I couldn't get over the barbaric punishment which was meted out to some students by a few of the teachers. The thick leather tawse was still in use as a punishment. The fear of it blighted my time there.

Achmore School

So why do I feel such affection for the place if I spent so much time in fear? I could say it is because the islands are so beautiful, the people are kind and generous, the roads quiet, the beaches breathtakingly beautiful, the seafood first class, It is all of these things and so much more.
Go there yourselves, see if the magic of the islands finds a way into your soul.

An evening in Duluth

Duluth is a beautiful city, and whenever I come to Duluth (if I have the time) I do the good "tourist" thing and make a stop at Canal Park. My brother and I have some appointments tomorrow, but we decided to come down tonight so we could see a movie and not be so rushed tomorrow. As we came into town we noticed an ore boat out on the lake, heading towards the ship canal. We decided to check in quickly at our hotel then go to Canal Park to watch the ship come through.


When we got to Canal Park, it looked like the ship's passing was going to be timed perfectly with the setting sun. However, the ship was moving so slowly that by the time it entered the canal the sun had gone down and the ship was no longer in that nice, warm evening light. Oh well! I still snapped a few pictures as it went through. The image below was shot with my 17mm lens, which allowed me to fit the whole ship in the frame at close range, but also distorted the look a little bit.


After hanging out at Canal Park for a little while longer, we went to see the new "X-Men" movie. When the movie was over, we took a walk along the harbor past the Vista dock, and I took a few pictures along the way. I loved the reflections in the water in the image below:

Another Stunner!

That's probably the only way to describe what happened out at Tallebudgera Valley this morning -- simply stunning. Shortly after cresting the murderous Trees Road climb (22% and long, and I did it all without getting out of the saddle), and the twisting descent of Ducats Road, the vistas started opening up spectacularly.

What followed can only be described by the pictures presented. Needless to say, it was simply stunning.




Ultimately I started to feel like the whole valley was taunting me. Almost tempting me to take more pictures, to stay there longer (would have done had I not needed to hit that CPA study session), or perhaps gloating because I would have to return to suburbia. Eventually I did that, but the difference between suburbia and the valley was even more surprising. The coast was a full 10 degrees C warmer, just an hour later! The occasional glance over my shoulder indicated that the valley was still offering the misty vistas and the beautiful showers that had only added to the ambience of my outing.
Why can't everyday be like this?

Twin Love at Christmas Time

I kept the girls while the family went to the Christmas Eve service at our church.
Here's Piper gazing in rapture at the Christmas tree. She was clapping her hands in delight.
Scout, on the other hand, preferred to look at my beauteous face instead. Silly girl!

Happy Bday, Ma!

Weird post, but there's a method to my madness! Here's a link to this place and it is DOG FRIENDLY! Check it out! Anyway, yesterday was Mama's birthday. She's always wanted to go to this restaurant and then found out I could come too! Look at the other puppers here on the patio! This is a funky (but too pricey) restaurant in Sausalito. We've been having somewhat of a heatwave inland, so we knew that dining by the Bay would be cool!
Look at all the pups who showed up! This place is known for its pawesome fish, fresh off the boat, and also for the freshest foods from local farmers. I stationed myself near Emma, where I knew I'd eventually score.
Mama with Cameron and me... Cameron had just returned from an amazing trip to Peru and brought something so cool that we couldn't believe it! She'd made a "Jeopardy!" board filled with answers about Peru.
Here it is. While we munched on the most amazing hors d'oevres such as homemade chips with trout dip, Cameron proceeded to annhiliate us one by one. Such hard "answers"! By then, I was really hoping the wee peep, Emma, would arbitrarily drop a goodie for me...
Soooo... and she... DID!!! Lots of 'em! Sure like birthdays... any peeps' or pups'! Then we ordered our dinners. Even Mama said, "OMD" when this came! Totally wild, fresh trout, so pink and yomzers with unbelievably fresh veggies - she finished about 1/3 of it. The plate was so heavy, she couldn't pass it around to the others for tasty tastins'! I even got a nibble of what fresh, pink trout is like... mmmmmnnnnn!
And the contents of the whole restaurant sang "Happy Bday" to Mama, while I hoped I'd get a piece. Not happenin' this year! If any of yous comes to visit, I highly recommend you try this place. Pawesome...totally!