Welcome!

Hello and welcome to my Blog!

I have established this as a means to keep Family and Friends informed about what the heck I am thinking/doing these days!
The photos and music you find here are my own.  Feel free to save/download anything you like.  If you want to download a pic, click it to make it full size before saving it. (or you'll just get the thumbnail)

I welcome your comments or questions.  You need not "register" to comment, simply reply "Anonymously" and leave your name at the end of your comment.  If you have one of the recognized "ID's" then you may use that as your signature.

When clicking on a blue colored "link" (or a photo to enlarge it) you might want to "right click" and then select "open in a new window".  This will allow you to keep your place on the blog page!

Enjoy, and I look forward to hearing from you!

The Motorcycle Adventure Video!

Well, I promised to get this done and it required me obtaining a You Tube account but...nevertheless...

Here is the slide show/video that we put together after completing our adventure ride last summer.  It is done in a 16:9 format, as it was made to be watched on a television.  Hopefully it will scale well here on the computer.  I would watch it at less than full screen to keep it smooth and if you have a decent sound system attached to your computer...turn it up a bit, as there is an "out take" of sorts that benefits from a little bass and volume! (it is after the credits roll at the end of the video)

** If you right click and then choose "open in new window", you wont lose your place here on the blog! 

Here's the link.  http://youtu.be/cul6v9N4uDo

Sit back and enjoy the ride!

Looking For A Skyline

 

After taking a decent night skyline photo of Seattle last summer, I immediately thought, "why not Tacoma"?  I knew it would not be as easy given the rather prominent skyline that defines Seattle.  But, for a few months I pondered (off and on) about the possibility of taking one photograph that would best characterize Tacoma...the best view, angle, landmarks etc.

I wanted to take the shot at night as I simply prefer the twilight lighting and the many incandescent lights that tend to illuminate modern cities.

 At the same time,I wanted to highlight the Tacoma Dome, (likely the most recognizeable landmark) the water that borders so much of Tacoma, and the downtown area and it's  buildings.  After some driving around and scouting, I soon realized that these things are quite spread out and discovered that it would be pretty challenging to get such a photograph, especially at night. (water does not photograph so well at night!)

I determined that I would need to take several "test shots" from a variety of locations and see what might work best in the end.  I want only on best shot in the end, not a collage or "multiple views". 

This photo was my first "test shot" and represents a wide view looking north and toward the distant water and ships (if you look closely) of the Puget Sound and Commencement Bay.  It was taken after sunset and was a rather impromptu session of about 20 minutes.  It was windy as all get out, which concerned me as I was taken time exposures of between 6 and 15 seconds and I was certain that the wind would move the camera/tripod just enough to blur my attempts at a solid photo!

Well, as luck would have it, most of the photos were unaffected by the gusting winds.  Whew!
 
In the foreground right you will see part of the Tacoma Dome, and to the opposite side foreground you will see the rather new, Lemay Car Museum. (and its accompanying ugly/vacant car lots!)  Center left, deeper in the photo is the downtown area of Tacoma, with its two or three taller'ish buildings and to the right of this (center right and deeper into the photo) is the old "Murray Morgan Bridge" on South 11th St. (old drawbridge of sorts)  Closer to the center of the photo is the newest bridge in Tacoma...the SR509 Cable Bridge, recognizeable by its diagonal suspension cables.  Lastly, Puget Sound and two large boats can be seen even deeper into the photo. (look for their large, bright lights)  This provides for a dark, but still viewable look at the waterway bordering the downtown area of Tacoma.  Brown's Point is beyond the water to the right and there are three barely distinguishable tower lights in the center of the photo, wayyyy far away...this is Des Moines, WA.

There are other local spots identifiable in the picture as well, but I still dont think this is "The Shot".

Here is a "brighter" photo of the scene, to help you pick out landmarks and features on the above photo by comparison.

The quest will continue, until I get the "perfect" photo to show off Seattle's little brother....Tacoma.

Merry Christmas 2012 !

Wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!! 

After all...we did survive the END OF THE WORLD!!

2nd Annual Cider Get Together

Well, Fall has come and it was time again for a get together at my friend Jim's place for an apple cider extravaganza!  We had a few new faces this year as our squad has lost and gained a few folks, so we had an opportunity to introduce a few more folks to the tradition of hand pressed apple cider!

We drove through a rainstorm as we entered Port Orchard, but the remainder of the day would prove to be dry, if not a bit cold.  Everyone brought apples (and yes a few of us overdid it) and they varied from Braeburn to Gala...Granny Smith and Honey Crisp.

We chit-chatted a bit as Jim grilled up some early dinner for us and we took in a few "pot luck" side dishes as well.  Dinner shminner...its time for cider kids!!! 

We got started setting up the 100 year old cider press and it was not long before we had a small crowd gathered around, ready to try their hand at making some apple cider!!  Literally everyone that came had a turn at hand cranking the press and found out that you have to work for your reward!  It wasn't long before we had filled several gallon jugs and were sipping some sweet cider. 

At one point, I just felt compelled to get even closer to the cider...I wanted the freshest cider I could get...so a few of the guys were able to lift the cider press just enough that I could get my mouth under the table/spout...allowing me to drink the sweet nectar right from the tap!

We cranked out cider for several hours and produced about between 15 and 18 gallons of cider at days end.  It was getting quite cold as the sun began to set and Jim had installed a large fire pit at summers end, so we took some time to check it out and warm ourselves by the fire, before folks started heading out.

It was another successful "pressing of the apples" and I was glad we were all able to find the time to get together for a little fall celebration.  I look forward to next years already!

Good times!

Riding The Western TAT

                                       End Of The Trail For Jim and I...Crater Lake, Oregon (pointing at the TAT Sticker)

I have decided that rather than try to post 10 days worth of my summer adventure riding the Trans-america Trail, I will post the link to my daily "Ride Reports" that I am doing for the "Adventure Riders Forum".

The Forum is actually where I learned about the Trans-america Trail, the brainchild of Sam Correro...who is an avid off-road motorcyclist and "Adventure Rider".  Basically, the trail is almost 5,000 miles long and runs from Tennessee to the Pacific Coast of Oregon.  It is 95 percent off road.  It is purposely designed to keep one riding on dirt...trails, dirt roads, old railroad grades...etc.  It takes you through each state in an "off the beaten path" way, that lets you get a look at the different State's geography, small/tiny towns and people in a way most people never see.

Trans-America Trail Homepage 

The ADVRider Forum provides a wealth of information about anything to do with off road motorcycling.  I have learned a great deal from some of the members there, and a few contributed greatly to the success of my recent off-road ride from Colorado to Oregon/Washington.  Some of these members are mentioned in my ride reports as you will see.

I will post a link that will take you to the forum/specifically my posts and you will be able to read about/view photos from day 1 thru day 10 of the ride.  The title of the posting at ADVRiders is "The Western TAT on a Super Sherpa"  The "Super Sherpa" is the model name of my 250cc, Dual Sport Motorcycle.  It is not a glamorous bike, but as you will discover in my posts, it is a worthy and capable little machine. 

Included in the posts are some thoughts and observations about each days ride, the people we met and our impression of each days happenings.  once day 10 is completed I will add some thoughts and a few personal notes.  I hope you enjoy reading about it as much as Jim and I enjoyed doing it.

This is a work in progress and I am currently working on day 6...I am hoping to do "one a day" and complete the ride reports in the next few days.  A video will be completed after that.  Click below to view the Day by Day Ride Reports complete with photos!  (You can "right click" on the link and select "open in a new window" if you want to stay on this page/open a new one for the ride reports)

10 days, 2160 Miles, 5 States..On A 250cc Super Sherpa

Enjoy!

2,160 Dirty Miles

I recently completed an adventure that was in the works for the past 6 months.  It is called the "TAT" or Trans-america Trail.  In short, it is a motorcycle route from Tennessee to the Oregon Coast, that is 95 percent dirt...In other words, not on main roads or freeways.  It was imagined and then realized by a man named Sam Correro.  He envisioned an "off road" and "off the beaten path" route, that would allow Dual Sport Motorcyclists to see the geography and people of each of the States involved, in a unique way...avoiding the big cities and the neverending pavement of the Interstate. It is almost 5,000 miles in its entirety, though we only did 2,160 miles...in 10 days. (The western half)

I will be posting a complete synopsis of this journey, complete with photos and video in the near future.  Given the scope of the journey, it will take a bit of work to produce an interesting and complete accounting of the trip...it was fantastic!  I made the trip with a friend and co-worker of mine, Jim.  We had a few ups and downs (Mostly ups!) and learned a few things along the way, but it was an epic ride.

Here are a couple of photos from the trip...just to whet your appetite!!  Just a sample of the views and different terrain we took in during the ten days we rode across this great country.

Animas Forks, CO...Looking west into the Rockies

Balanced Rock, Arches National Park, UT

Hells Revenge, Moab, UT

Middle of nowhere...desert of Utah

Abandoned Ranch...and the only shade in all of Nevada!!

Klamath Marsh, Oregon

Crater lake, Oregon

More to come!! Have to edit/clean up some pics!

          

My Dream Receiver

Many blog posts prior to this, I spoke about a vintage stereo receiver and commented on some old vinyl that I had enjoyed.  As I posted those comments, I was already working on obtaining what I wanted to be my "last" vintage stereo receiver.  I say this because over the course of a couple years, I had purchased about five different stereo's, looking for that "right one"...one that would satisfy me both asthetically and sonically.

I spent money, bought this one and that one...sold two, looked at a few more...until I was contacted by the man that had sold me my first vintage stereo.  He was local, and he had a vintage Marantz reciever that he wondered if I would be interested in. (since he got me to buy the one that is pictured several posts before this)  I told him I would stop by.

A couple of days later, I stopped by and looked at the old Marantz.  It was a diamond in the rough to be sure.  The wooden cabinet was old and dirty, several lights were out on the dial face and it was simply dusty/filthy inside.  I turned it on, and listened to it through a couple of small speakers, tested a few things like DC offset and other such things that will make little sense to most of you.  The most important things checked out.  I said, "You arent going to budge on your price are you"?  His reply, "Nope". 

You see, he was asking 150.00 dollars for a 1977 Stereo Receiver that needed work.  Problem is...there is not a more desireable or attractive receiver on the planet, than the higher powered, mid-seventies Marantz.  They are, quite simply, beautiful...asthetically and sonically!  I paid the man, and left with a project that I hoped would work out for the better.

I got the unit home and after opening it up, and cleaning the interior components and circuit boards with everything from q-tips to compressed air, it looked worthy of the next step....what is referred to in the Hi-Fi community as a "Re-Cap". This is simply the removal and replacement of all the electrolytic capacitors in the receiver. (thats oversimplifying it, but you get the idea)  Yes, all those tiny, colored little cylinders and resistors etc...replaced with new ones, since many would be leaking or simply bad/out of spec.

Soooo, the search for a qualified technician to perform the task?!  Long story short, after packing the stereo up to ship it to Montana, I get a call from a technician in Kelso at the last minute.  Seems he was replying to an email I had fired off a month before.  He tells me he can do the job and I arrange to drive to Kelso (2 hours south) to drop it off the following weekend.

After 3 or 4 months, i give the guy a call and inquire as to the progress.  He tells me he does the rebuilds as a sideline to his mainstream work and it could be a few more months before he gets it done!  Now to be fair, many people wait up to two years to get these type of receivers "Re-Capped" and the guy i was going to use in Montana, had a turn around time of just under a year.  Sooooo, I tell him thats fine and ask him to call me when it is complete.  I figure it will give me time to work on the wood cabinet that encloses the receiver.

I start working on the wood cabinet.  It is a 3 sided affair, two thick side pieces and a thinner top piece that interlocks with both sides.  It is hard to describe the quality that these Marantz receivers exude.  They really dont "make them like they used to".  After about 4 weeks of sanding, prepping, ordering in some veneer to repair a missing strip on one of the side pieces, I am ready to stain and finish the pieces.  I use a light walnut stain and after a few days I spray it all with polyeurathane and some steel wool sanding and a few coats later...the cabinet is done.  It looks quite nice...not perfectly "shiny", but almost...more of a clean matte finish...which is the look I was after.

A month or so later I receive a call from my technician...much sooner than I had thought!  He tells me the receiver is all set!  Now, I should be excited by this news, but I suddenly realize I have to come up with the 450.00 dollars it cost for all of the repairs that he had done.  Yes, you heard me right...450.00 dollars.  I know...  In short he had Re-Capped it, replaced all the lights with LED lights that dont put out the heat of the original lights...installed the new "vellum" paper (the blue toned paper that gives the receiver its blue dial/meters) and had aligned the tuner, checked DC Offset, DC Bias adjustments and on and on.  These are things I simply cannot do myself.  450.00 dollars...i know.  I gather up all of my "off duty" money earned over the past months and I drive to Kelso and pick it up.  He puts it through its paces and ..it simply sounds beautiful....

Let me give you some perspective regarding the cost of this though.  I bought it for 150.00, add the 450.00 for electronics repair and add 29.00 dollars and several hours of my time for the cabinet refinishing.  629.00 dollars total.  I know you are thinking..."just go buy a new one"!!!  And I understand the sentiment.  You might be thinking...."it cant be any better than the new receivers you can buy for 600.00 dollars"!  And you would be wrong. 

Seems the glory days of powerful and very high quality receivers was the 1970's.  Not for nostalgic reasons, but for honest to God quality both in sound and specification.  I was quite aware of the cost of this receiver in 1977. (The year it was made)  It listed for 670.00 dollars....in 1977.  I used to drool over these in 1977...but there was noooo way I could have ever afforded one.  What would be the equivalent cost today?  Why would I spend so much to get it back to original condition?  How expensive was "670.00 dollars" in 1977?  Adjusted for inflation 670.00 dollars then is equal to...are you ready?....2597.00 dollars!  Soak that in.  Thats right kids...this was one expensive ass receiver!!!

For reference..you could buy a brand new Chevrolet Camaro Z28 for under 6,000.00 dollars in 1977.  Buy nine of these receivers and you paid more than you would for the Z28.  Gives the whole project some perspective.

I already had some high quality floorstanding speakers connected to my original, vintage Pioneer receiver. (a nice little unit in its own right)  I connected this thing up, installed the very nice wooden cabinet tossed on a Jim Croce album and fired her up.  Wow!!!!  It is the finest sounding receiver I have ever heard or owned...period.  While it is true that I could spend the 2597.00 dollars today and equal the sonic beauty of this receiver...I could never match the analog, blue glow, wood enclosed beauty of this receiver. (Not to mention the gyrotouch tuning knob!!)

To say I am happy with how it turned out would be an understatement.  It is nice knowing I finished the cabinet myself and saw this receiver rise like a phoenix rahther than being thrown out. (like we do with so many things these days)  It is hard to explain, but sometimes i just turn the thing on to look at the warm, blue glow while I putz around in my office.  I just listened to an extended version of "McCarthurs Park" by Donna Summers, (Vinyl LP) and if I closed my eyes for a few moments, I could be back in Michigan delivering pizza's, listening to my car radio and wondering how the hell disco became so popular!?

My Marantz 2285 Stereophonic Receiver.  I hope to have it a long time and pass it down to my daughter, should she ever want to listen to a vinyl record instead of iTunes!

(More pics to come)

Piano Practice

Ever wonder what I play when I sit down and practice on the Piano/Clavinova?

Well, heres a few songs that are literally that...practice...complete with mistakes and all!  I simply recorded the songs that I last practiced/played the last time I excercised my fingers.  With any luck, you might even recognize a couple of them!

I Get Lost

Traces

Perhaps Love

Seattle Skyline At Night

I took a trip last Friday up to Seattle.  My sole purpose for going was to try to capture a "Postcard Perfect" photo of the Seattle Skyline at night. 

Never having photographed the Seattle skyline, I poked around some local photography forums and determined that the spot I would attempt to shoot from was a place by the name of "Kerry Park".  This is in the Queen Ann Hill area of Seattle. (Meaningless to me as I had no idea where this was!)

After a quick and painless drive of about 55 minutes (how was that possible?!) I arrived way early, as I needed to shoot around 8:30 pm or so.  I arrived there at about 6:40 pm.  I should have brought a chair!

I started taking 8 second exposures at about 8:00 pm and continued shooting until about 8:45, when the lack of light was requiring 30 second exposures.  I packed up, drove home and hoped I had captured a few reasonably nice shots.

Much to my surprise, the photo above was one of the resulting pictures.  It is truly a very nice photo!  I am rarely content with the photos I take, but in this case, I am quite pleased.

Enjoy!

Didn't She Almost Have It All

                                                               Photo courtesy Bing Search

Whitney Houston, dead at age 48.  Wow. 

I remember her first album and its immediate and spectacular success.  I was a young soldier in Berlin, Germany at the time.  She was the same age as me.  Without television, (in english) it was a time when I listened to/bought more music than any other time in my life.  She appealed to so many demographics, young and old, Pop and R&B, black and white.  She had a sweet and powerful voice.

Cousin to Dionne Warwick, her Mom a proffessional singer...and she, blessed with a beautiful voice that matured through her singing at church.  She was a very attractive lady with a captivating smile, and actually modeled a bit.  She quite literally "had it all".

                                                            Photo courtesy Bing Search

Some years later she met Bobby Brown and everything started to unravel.

At the time, I remember thinking what this Christian raised, Gospel singing vocalist saw in Bobby Brown?!  Perhaps it is the "bad boy" allure that I see young women falling for time and time again.  Whatever it was, it appears to have been the beginning of the end for Whitney Houston.  She started fading a bit.

Some years later, I would see her distorted pictures on the tabloids as I checked out at a grocery store.  Stories of her tumultous marriage and drug use would be pasted on the National Enquirer.  I thought it was sad.

About a year ago, I came across a song she did as part of a "comeback" album.  I remember listening to the song and hearing just a bit of what I remember her sounding like.  The voice was older, lower in tone and sounded tired.  I really liked the song and I downloaded it and told my wife how much I liked it.  It was as if I were hoping Whitney Houston would really "come back".  The song was "I look to you".  I half thought it was a reference to God or maybe her Mom. (Though she did not write it)

                                                            Photo courtesy Bing Search

I can't help but think had she picked a different man...a different influence, she might have lived a different, longer and more rewarding life.  I wondered what she felt when she looked back on her life.  I cant help but wonder about the words from one of her hit songs that she had sung more than 20 years ago, "The ride with you was worth the fall, my friend...didn't we almost have it all".

Almost Whitney....almost.

A Fresh Start

Ahhh, another New Year.  Countless "resolutions".  Seems the New Year allows us to "re-boot" and consider the previous years accomplishments...within the shadow of new and exciting possibilities for the coming year.  I would like to say I am above such things, but I'm not.  I am just like the rest of you, hopeful, a bit more optimistic and "determined" to get a few things done.

My family and I had a very nice Christmas and a happy New Years celebration.  December proved to be a bit of a challenge both mentally and physically though. 

The Police Department was considering (still is ) laying off between 50-100 Police Officers at the beginning of this year.  That has been temporarily "resolved" but the likelyhood of some layoffs between now and next January seem more likely than not.  While the layoff's would not have affected me personally, it was stressful to see people I care about being placed in a precarious situation right before Christmas.  It was stressful for all of us, and especially for the younger Officers.

I underwent knee surgery in December as well, and between the injury and the recovery from the surgery, I was laid up or limping  around for the better part of a month or more.  Everything seems to have gone well, and I am back to work and trying to get my lame legs stong again!

Goals...resolutions you ask?  Yeah, I have a few, but I wont bore you with them.

I am looking forward to a few new adventures this year, a family vacation that has yet to be determined and perhaps a bit more photography than last year.  I have a few projects going as we speak, but I will post more about them when they are complete!

I wish you all a very healthy and happy New Year.  It looks like we are starting this year out with some ice and snow!!

Godspeed on your fresh start and your goals for 2012!

Apple Cider

Around October, every year, I get a craving for fresh pressed, cold, crisp, apple cider.  I have experienced this craving for almost as long as I can remember, certainly as far back as my early teens.  When my wife first learned of this "seasonal craving" she passed it off as yet another quirk in my personality. I would seek out fresh apple cider...not store bought, not pasteurized, just fresh from the press, apple cider as well as its required accompaniment...plain, cake donuts.  No icing, no powdered sugar...just plain old cake doughnuts. (Which I generally do not eat any other time of the year)  She asked me about it and I replied that I think it had to do with an old Cider Mill that I was taken to by my Parents, when I was growing up in Michigan.  It was called Yates Cider Mill.

As I thought back, I really could not remember having gone to Yates Cider Mill more than a half dozen times.  I did not recall going there every year, though maybe we did?!  My past childhood memories have become a bit foggy and I rely less on my memory as 100 percent factual, after having been wrong on specific details in other instances.  Certainly the yearly yearning came from somewhere and I have to assume it was the family trips (and a few trips I made on my own in my late teens) to the Cider Mill that planted the seed that seems to sprout every year in October.

I do have some specific memories about Yates Cider Mill and I have even visited it as an adult during a few trips I have made back home.  It is an old brick mill.  It stands literally right next to the Clinton River in Shelby Township and it used a large, wooden water wheel to power a very long/large press that likely seemed even larger to a young boy with wide eyes, waiting for a taste of freshly pressed apples!  The mill dates back to 1863 and looks virtually the same today as it did when I visited it all those years ago.  I have even seen it featured on the Food Network Channel!

When I was a kid, you could literally go inside and watch the apple cider being pressed.  You could watch the hundreds and hundreds of apples being squished and see a jug being filled at the end of the long, enclosed table (10 x 20 feet?) that had a pour spout on one end.  There was no pasteurization here..just pure, simple, apple cider.  The Mill was surprisingly quiet and you could smell two things...apples and the warm scent of freshly made, plain cake donuts.  We would inevitably get a box of the donuts to go with what was usually a gallon of apple cider.  You could walk outside and through the small parking lot, freshly fallen leaves crunching under your feet and sit down in the crisp, cool Michigan air and enjoy your apple cider and donuts at the picnic tables in the park that bordered the river and the Cider Mill.  If you were lucky, you would get to see a train rumble by, as the railroad tracks were a stones throw away from the park.  Can you imagine a more enjoyable scene as a kid?  It had all the elements of a Norman Rockwell scene.  I really enjoyed it...and enjoy the thought of it now even moreso.

I assume that this happy, childhood memory (and truth be told, this was one of very few childhood "Family" memories where we were all together....other than church on Sunday, or dinner each night) explains the consistent and powerful yearning I have to welcome the fall season with a cold glass of fresh apple cider and a donut.

If fresh cider isnt available, I buy the best stuff I can.  I invite my wife and kids and anyone else within earshot, to come have a glass of cider and a donut...thinking somehow that they will enjoy it as much as I do.  They generally smile and comply, knowing it is important to me and brings me a sense of "being home" after being gone for so long.  I appreciate the gesture and I think, just maybe, that my daughter sort of "gets it" these days.

Last fall, while talking to a friend/co-worker, Jim, about the fall season and apple cider, he told me, "hey, I have an old cider press from the late 1800's and we press apples for cider every fall!"  WHOA!! Someone else does this?  I asked him about it and he explained that his family has enjoyed this tradition since before he could remember.  The apple press that he uses was passed down from his grandfather, to his mother/father and now to him.  He said that the wood on the old press had become dry and worn and as a gift, a friend of his restored the press using new oak...and the press is like new!

We talked about getting our squad (and our families) together and spending a fall day pressing apple cider.  It did not happen that year, however, this year after I reminded him what a great/traditional event that would be, we were able to get most of us over to his house (in a very nice rural setting overlooking the water in Port Orchard) with bags of apples in tow.  5 families were able to make it and we had more than 60 lbs of apples to press.  The apple press was simply beautiful.  It was expertly rebuilt with beautiful white oak and all of the original cast iron gears, crank and gear train etc looked old, but in perfect condition.  The press basket (where the shaved/ground up apples are placed before literally pressing the juice out of them) was still original and looked all of its 100+ years old...but was still up to its task. (See above photo of Jim and his kids showing us how its done!)

Most of us took a turn at hand cranking the press to shave/grind the apples, which in turn dropped into the press basket where they were then "pressed" by a hand cranked screw that literally compressed the apples, providing us with fresh apple cider.  The kids were curious and the youngest ones were interested in what the contraption was that we were using to get juice...that could more easily be purchased from the store in bottles!!  I think I was the biggest kid there and I likely had the biggest grin as well.  We sat around and drank apple cider right from the spout of the press table.  We tried different apples and blends. We ate a few cake donuts that I felt compelled to bring.  Truth be told, I am quite sure I drank over a gallon of apple cider...yeah, no kidding.  Anything worth doing....is worth overdoing!

We enjoyed sitting around, talking and watching each other get a workout from cranking the cider press.  We watched as a few deer came out of the nearby brush, to see what was going on (and were promptly fed with the discarded, crushed apples)  We noticed all the chestnuts that had dropped from the trees and we enjoyed the view of Port Orchard, just down the hill.  Later we sat around a small fire that was needed to take the edge off the crisp, cool Washington air.  We enjoyed a bit of pot luck, and laughed over some silly stories.  And...I drank more cider.  It was a wonderful day and for me, it doesn't get much simpler, or much better than this.
 
Good company, good cider...good memories. 

RELENTLESS!

This past weekend, a couple of us decided at the last minute to venture out on a backpacking trip to “Deadmans Lake” and “Goat Mountain”, in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.  Gifford Pinchot lies in the shadow of Mount St Helen’s, just a few miles north as the crow flies and is truly a beautiful area of Washington that seems to get less attention than many other more popular hiking/backpacking areas.

I had scouted the area last year, looking for a forest road that might allow us to start at a relatively high elevation as Goat Mountain lies above 5000 ft.  I was unable to access a trail head that started at approximately 4100 ft, as there were several gates closing some of the logging/forest roads.  After looking at the topographic map I had, I saw that there was an alternate road in, that would require the addition of approximately 3-4 miles to the hike, but would still allow us to start at an elevation of 2400 ft. (instead of coming from the opposite direction and backpacking up a 1.5 mile switchback that gained almost 2000 ft of elevation in that 1.5 miles!)

I drove the twisty logging road for a while and sure enough, it dead ended into a trail head called “Goat Creek”.  I had brought my Siberian Husky, “Luna” with me, as I had intended on hiking in a bit and staying the night.  When I approached the trail head, I was darn near attacked by an unusually large number of yellow jackets.  I retreated to the car with Luna and decided I had found a good trail head, and could at least present the trail/route to the group of guys I backpack with and see what they thought.

Fast forward to this year.  The guys I backpack with (Guys in my squad at work) took vacations at different times throughout the summer, there were a few guys that sustained injuries and we simply did not get our usual 2-3 backpacking trips planned/executed.  I had told the guys I really wanted to do the Goat Mountain trail, regardless of which route we took, as the views were supposed to be fantastic. (Looking north to Mt Rainier, and south to an unobstructed view of Mount St Helen’s, with Mt Adams in view at the same time...on a ridge that stood higher than 5000 ft!)  In March, we tentatively planned a 3 day trip for the first week in September.

The night before our first day off last week, I get a phone call form two of the guys (Jim and Taz) saying, “Whats the plan!?  Are we going tomorrow?!”.  Both of these guys had been off on vacation for the past month and I hadn't seen either of them for weeks!  To be honest, I assumed the trip was a no go and I had not prepared for it.  So, being unprepared, unpacked and still suffering from an injury I sustained two weeks before on a trail ride with he new motorcycle, what do I do?...I say “OK, lets go!”. (I don't want to be the wimp of the squad!?)

Now, remember I had scouted the alternate trail head and said that it added 3-4 miles to the original route?  Well, I seemed to forget about this as I pulled out the map and led Jim to the trail head, some three hours from where we picked up Taz.  It is a steep, winding hill and we all agree it is a good thing we weren't hiking it, as it would allow us to save considerable energy for the hike ahead.  Also of note...this is the first and only backpacking trip we have done this year.  Normally we would have had a chance to "season" our legs a bit on a few hikes covering a bit less distance.  We arrive at the trail head and secure our backpacks, ready to hit the forest and hike to Deadmans Lake.  It should be noted that Taz assumed we were starting at the trail head that I originally tried to locate.  It would have made the hike to Deadmans Lake approximately 3 miles or so.  He was unaware that we were starting at a totally different trail head and that it added at least 4 miles to the hike.  We had also looked at the trail and noted that much of it seemed to follow the contour lines of a few ridges, at least in the first 3 miles of the trail.  In short, Taz was prepared for a 3 mile, relatively “rolling” trail. Umm, WRONG!

We head out and within the first mile or so, we are impressed with the scenery, the elevation and the rather narrow mixed use trail. (Hikers and Horses allowed)  We immediately see frequent horse droppings along the trail and in some spots we are amazed that folks would be riding horseback given the sometimes 70-100 feet cliffs we are skirting on a trail that narrows to 18 inches in some places!  About this time one of the guys says, “look!”.  We look down along a washed out, gravel strewn portion of the trail some 60 feet below us and see a horse that appears to have fallen off the trail.  It appeared the horse had fallen within the last 24 hours and from the looks of it, had to be put down with a shot to the head.  It was sad, as I am sure that the horse was someones “buddy”...a four legged friend that likely spent many hours being fed, brushed and ridden by a familiar and caring two legged friend.  It was a grim reminder to be careful.

We trek on and about 45 minutes in, we start gaining elevation.  Just a little at first, we gain and lose 30-50 ft at a time...a rolling trail of sorts.  About an hour in we are steadily climbing.  Not a terribly steep climb, rather a continual, obvious rising trail.  A couple of hours later, after climbing steadily with no reprieve, we pull out the map to check our location.  It was about this time that Taz was made aware of just how far we had to go.  He was surprised, (in a bad way) but Jim's lighthearted spirit of adventure and my stubborn “one foot in front of the other” demeanor convinced him that it wouldn’t be as bad as it seemed.

We realize at this point, that we have some serious climbing to do, albeit somewhat gradual.  We are at about 3000 ft above sea level at this point (gained about 600 ft) and we have about 2000 vertical feet left to gain.  We set out towards “Vanson Lake” summit about 4 hours away.  As we march along the continually rising trail, we cant help but wish WE had a pack horse carrying our 40+ lb backpacks.  A couple of hours later, drenched in sweat and breathing a bit more heavily, we stop at a stream to replenish the nearly 1 gallon of water we had consumed up to this point.  It has been a few hours of steady leg workout.  It was like being on a “StairMaster” machine for 3 or 4 hours!  In short, the trail and it's gradual, but deceptively steep incline was...RELENTLESS!  That word was thrown around by us on a few occasions throughout the trip, for now...to describe the unending uphill climb!

We reached the ridge near Vanson Lake, took off our backpacks and took time to take in a bit of a view, drink some water and determine how far we were from Deadmans Lake.  To say I was physically spent at this point would be an understatement.  I would have been happy putting my sleeping bag on the trail and sleeping where I fell!  We checked the map and determined we had about two miles to cover before reaching Deadmans Lake.

It was about 6 pm and it would be dark (due to the tree cover and the mountains blocking the sun) by 8 pm.  We headed out first heading uphill, then shortly thereafter, downhill.  Our feet hurt and our quadriceps were screaming for relief.  I cannot adequately describe the effect that trudging downhill for 1.5 miles has on already tired legs.  You have to step carefully due to the loose gravel, you take shorter steps to minimize the bouncing/impact of the backpack and it shoves your feet up against the front of one's shoes/boots.  It can be a bit uncomfortable, especially at the end of an already arduous hike.

We had a tough time matching the map's depiction of the trail to what we were looking at, but a few minutes after Jim set off up the trail to have a look, he came back and said he had found the trail that split off and let to Deadmans Lake.  The map was dead wrong (not often the case) and we had simply needed to hike another couple hundred yards to hit the cutoff south to the Lake.

Just after sunset, we walked about 200 yards south and the Lake came into view.  A simple, calm and shallow alpine lake surrounded by two mountains and tall green trees.  We walked to the lake edge and saw the sign...”Deadman Lake”.  I certainly felt like a dead man!  We realized we had about 10 minutes of twilight left, so we quickly setup our tents and bedrolls.  Taz collected up some wood and got a small fire started.  I pulled off my hiking boots with a sigh of relief and sat next to the fire as the sky went dark and we prepared our dinners.  I was exhausted.

Dinner tasted great (always does after such a long hike) and we talked a bit about the hike.  We had covered at least 8.5-9 miles and about 6 of those had been a steady uphill.  We had gained over 2400 feet in elevation and hiked double the distance Taz had expected...oops!!  We sat by the fire in the dead silence of the forest until the fire dwindled.  As it was about to go out, we decided to hit the sack and get off our feet...figuring we could chat while on our backs.  It wasn’t long before we were as quiet as the forest and sleep subdued us.

Morning brought sunlight, a renewed spirit, a hunger for breakfast and....mosquitoes and flies!!!  We awoke to the sound of flies and mosquitoes buzzing madly around our tents. Taz said it sounded like the “damn Indianapolis 500!!”.  The bugs were racing wildly in circles around our tents, surely anticipating their own breakfast should we venture out of our tents!  I had to laugh, as the sheer volume of the buzzing bugs was incredible and Taz's analogy was as ridiculous as it was accurate!  As we looked across the lake from the safety of our tents, you could see millions of bugs zooming just above the water...and you could see the Trout jumping for their own breakfasts!

We ventured out and were immediately greeted by the bugs.  A fire was started and we sat near the fire more for the smoke repelling the bugs than for the warmth of the fire.  We prepared our respective breakfasts and enjoyed a leisurely meal, and drank the rest of our water, still trying to replace the water we had spent during the hike in.  After braving the bugs during a quick bath in the cold lake, we retreated to our tents in an effort to escape the bugs.  It would be the second topic that would prompt someone to use the term “relentless”. “These damn bugs are RELENTLESS”!...was heard on several occasions...laced of course with several impolite expletives!!  I thought how unusual it was to have heard that word used so frequently over the past day or two, but not having heard it used otherwise for years!

We figured a day hike would be good for our tired muscles and provide us with an opportunity to check out at least partially, the view from the ridge that lies just west of Goat Mountain.  This would have been the ridge we would have traveled along, should we have braved the 1.5 mile switchback that started at the trails eastern trail head.  In hindsight I would have preferred this 4.8 mile route...pain in the ass switchback or not...to the almost 9 mile trek we made from the western side of the mountain.

After a steep climb out of Deadmans Lake ( no backpack this time, just some water and a snack or two in hand) we were at the ridge line in about an hour.  It was impressive. To the north we could see Mt rainier from a southern perspective instead of the eastward perspective seen from Tacoma.  To the south we could glimpse the top of Mt St Helen’s. ( We did not hike the additional 2 miles that would have allowed us an unobstructed view) Looking down from the ridge to our south, there was a steep series of hills that led to a couple of streams some 2500 feet below us.  Just east was the top of Goat Mountain.  The trail that stayed just below the ridge line showed Mountain Goat tracks, Cougar tracks and Bear tracks!  Certainly the Mountain Goat was on the menu for the other two predators.

We thought we were going to hike out along the eastward Goat Mountain trail the next day, so we decided to head back to the lake for the day.  We scouted around looking for some wildlife and surveying the views as we made our way back to camp.  We certainly felt better than we had the day before and the day hike really stretched out our muscles and gave us a chance to recuperate.  We had a late lunch and took a nap, before being awakened by what we thought might be a bear foraging in the nearby underbrush.  We walked out towards the breaking branches etc., but never did see any large game, let alone bears.

Later, we heard the sound of horses and moments later two bow hunters entered the camp on two horses, with a pack horse in tow.  They were hunting Elk and asked if we had happened across any.  We told them the forest seemed unusually quiet and that while we had seen a few tracks, we had not seen any large animals.  We spoke for a few minutes and told them of the dead horse we had happened on the day before.  After the horses made their way through our campsite to get to the lake, they drank their fill and the group left for the westward trail.  We could not talk them out of their pack horse!

Dinner was nice, as we waited until the cool, dark evening had rid us of the bugs.  I have spent a lot of time in the woods and this night struck me as perhaps the quietest night/environment I have ever experienced.  We commented on how still and quiet it was.  We talked a bit and enjoyed a few Pop Tarts that Taz had brought along, (He always brings the most food and candy etc) then called it a night after deciding we would hike back the way we came.  We figured it would take at least 6 hours and knew we would need a good nights rest to start early in the cool morning.

We awoke to our buzzy alarm clock bug friends....racing around our tents, eager to greet us!!  We packed up, enjoyed a hot breakfast and set out to return to the real world.  The backpack straps reminded us that we had journeyed in recently, as it almost felt like we had sunburned shoulders when we first threw the backpacks on.  Ouch!!

We started our climb out of Deadmans Lake, up a long, winding, uphill trail.  We knew it would be uphill right out of the lake, but we felt energized from having enjoyed a day of rest.  We made very good time on the uphill to Vanson Lake Ridge.  It was tiring, but we agreed it felt much better than the trip in.  We took in some water and started what we knew would be a long and gradual downhill hike, the opposite of our hike in.

Personally, the downhill hike is harder on me than going uphill, thanks to a 30 year old knee surgery and a lack of any cartilage on the inside of my right knee.  The downhill stepping really places a lot of stress on my knee and I had prepared for this by ingesting stupid amounts of Ibuprofen the last few days to mitigate the certain pain and swelling of my knee.  The upside was, that this downhill was simply not terribly steep, but rather gradual and it was easier on all of us than some of the past, more steep downhill hikes we had endured.

Now, on this trip I was breaking in a pair of brand new and pricey Merrell hiking boots.  They were not a full boot but rather a ¾ boot that placed the upper, outside leather edge of the boot in an uncomfortable position against my upper ankle.  It was uncomfortable because due to my knee issue, my right foot “pronates” a bit causing an atypical angle from my foot to my lower leg.  This caused the leather top edge o9f the boot to wear a cut into my upper ankle on the trip in.  I lived with it and thought, “I will just lace my boots a different way/adjust it” on the way down.  Well, that did not work and every step I was taking caused the leather edge to rub/cut into my skin in a most uncomfortable way!!

We stopped twice so that I could adjust my sock, add a sock, bandage/pad the ankle....nothing worked.  It was kicking my ass and making the trip down a real pain in the a--.  Now, these boots were a gift from my wife and cost the better part of 200 dollars.  They were purchased from REI. I told the guys, “this is ridiculous, I am going to cut a wedge out of the side of this boot”!  REI has a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee!!  They of course laughed, looked at me like I was crazy and said, "REI is not taking back a hacked up pair of boots from some sissy backpacker"!  We stopped, grabbed a knife and cut a wedge out of the top/side of the boot.  I saved the cutout piece, put the boots back on....and...its a miracle!!!!  No pain!!  I was blissful!  We continued our hike out and I felt like Superman.  No pain, alllll gain!!

As we neared the trail head, we came across a bit of a waterfall that we had seen on the way in.  It was quite pretty and I had mentioned a few miles back, I intended on using it as my personal shower!!  So off came the backpack, shirt, shorts (I had shorts on underneath) and stood under that wispy waterfall for several minutes as we took a break.  It felt fantastic...cold, clean...and I could taste the salt that was washing off my face.  I got dressed, loaded back up and we completed the hike out about 40 minutes later, making it out in 4 hours and 50 minutes.

Jim was fresh as a daisy, I was very tired but pleased with the hike/trip....Taz...looked like he had just completed the Bataan Death March!  We are an eclectic group for sure.

We loaded up and drove out.  We made our way north on I-5 towards Tacoma as Jim and I reviewed the trip and talked of alternative trips and the like. Taz was asleep.  We stopped off at the first McDonald’s that we came to.  We have a tradition of stopping at McDonald’s after our backpacking trips, as most of us do not eat there often.  After burning a ridiculous amount of calories on these backpacking trips, we know we can afford the luxury of some huge burgers...and they truly taste better after a long backpacking hike!

Several Quarter Pounder's with Cheese later, we were back on the rode home.  Full, tired, and ironically talking about the possibilities of the next trip, having forgotten already...about the trials and tribulations of the recently completed trip!

...And yeah, REI took the boots back!

Giving In

                                           Photo Courtesy Canon Inc                                            

I like getting the most out of the least. I dont like being told I cant do something and that I "must do this" to "be successful in that". I have taken beautiful, clear astrophotographs with a very minimalist CMOS Cam, that shouldnt have been so capable. I tweaked and tuned a "too heavy" Jet Ski that normally ran 57 MPH...so that it would run 62 MPH...full throttle, for hours...winning some tough races in the process, much to the surprise of a few competitors. I have also taken some wonderful photographs over the years, with the often looked down on, "consumer grade"...compact camera.

The compact camera has come so far, so fast, that it is mind boggling how capable they have become. I have told many, many people to enjoy, get to know and use their little compact digital cameras and not worry about the fancy, "cool looking" DSLR's that have that fashionable shutter release sound that just "sounds so professional". In fact, I believe that 90 percent of people dont NEED a DSLR...90 percent of the time.  Big, heavy, non-portable glass anchors...I laugh in your general direction!!!

I bought a damn DSLR.

The 10 percent of the time that most of us need a DSLR...and I need a DSLR, is portrait work. Sure you can take a good portrait with a compact camera. But what you cannot do, is obtain the shallow depth of field that throws the foreground and background out of focus immidiately in front of and behind your subject. Thats it! The only thing I cannot do with my compact camera. THE ONLY THING!!

I tried every trick I knew...using macro modes to trick my camera...skewing the aperture and tweaking settings...shooting at the maximum telephoto range of the camera...it simply is not doable.

So, I bought a damn DSLR.

I needed to do some real portraiture work and after borrowing a friends simple Nikon D40x to shoot a few simple, "one light setup" portraits, I simply gave in. I just could not get the portrait of my daughter above (Taken with the D40x) with a compact camera.

I decided it was time to buy a damn DSLR, so I set about finding a reasonably priced, quality camera. Now, I am used to the 200-300 dollar price range of high quality "prosumer" compact digital cameras. Well, I was in for some sticker shock. (remember..."getting the most out of the least")

To make a long story very short, after reading a ton of serious reviews, pouring over hundreds of test photos and shopping the internet for the best possible price...I picked up the rather "old" (introduced 2+ years ago) Canon EOS Rebel XS for 399.00 dollars, shipped and with no tax. It was a factory (Canon) refurbished camera from Adorama. I was still not happy I had to spend so much for a camera! (It is less than half the price of any current DSLR capable of the same image quality)

It is a beautiful and very capable camera that will surely find a place in my photographic journeys...as a portrait camera. As I get used to it and get comfortable with its operation, I will be sure to post a few portrait shots to show off its capabilities. But, I will still be taking my Lumix ZS1 with me the other 90 percent of the time!

Roll Me Away

                            Photo Courtesy Kawasaki Inc                                

In the interest of full disclosure, I must admit, I stole the above title from Bob Seger and the closing line from the old Kawasaki ads/slogan!   

I have been both busy and lazy over the past two months.

I took 30 days of vacation in the month of July, during which I stayed quite busy with home maintenance and chores...you know, the things that need to be done before the rainy winter arrives. I spent two weeks trying to get some family camping in and in short, we were rained out!! I enjoyed time off with my family regardless. Before I knew it, I was back to work. During my vacation I admit, I never even thought about posting on my blog!

I have continued to ride my bike to/from work etc., have enjoyed some photography and have purchased and listened to a few vinyl LP's from several local garage sales!

Before my vacation was over, I had found yet another item to catch my interest and imagination. After talking with a friend of mine for some time, about the merits of using a motorcycle to discover some of the rugged terrain and back country that I normally backpack, I decided to buy a "Dual Sport" motorcycle. ("Enduro" for you older folks!) I wanted to be able to ride to the back country and then ride INTO the back country, all on the same bike!

So I bought a nice little Kawasaki 250.  Officially, a Kawasaki KL250G Super Sherpa. I wanted something affordable, reliable and simple. This motorcycle is just that. I picked it up recently in Kaiser, OR from a nice couple that had put a mere 200 miles on the bike. It looks nearly new and is still not properly broken in.

Its been a while since I have ridden a motorcycle off road, and I am looking forward to throwing it around on some trails. Next spring (or maybe this fall) will bring a few camping trips, transportation courtesy of the Super Sherpa! It will be a nice break going from being my own "Sherpa", to using the Super Sherpa to lug my gear around!

I have motored around the streets in and around my neighborhood and it is a blast to ride. Saturday will bring my first venture onto some trails and dirt so that I can get a feel for the bike and see how it handles off-road. (As well as how I handle off-road...it has been many years since I have played in the dirt on a motorcycle!)

Let the good times roll!

Inclinaciones españolas

I am a white, blue eyed German guy. (ok, I have some Irish from my Dads side)

As a young boy, I recall watching the old westerns...you know, John Wayne, black & white stuff.  There was always a good guy and a bad guy...a leading lady and the bad guys girl.  The leading lady was usually a blonde and the good guy usually wore a white cowboy hat.  The bad guy was often from Mexico, spoke with an accent, had a moustache and had a raven haired, dark eyed girl...just the opposite of the leading lady.

I think I was supposed to find the leading lady pretty.  Somehow, the castanet clicking Spanish lady seemed to capture my attention and imagination...dashing any hopes of the leading lady captivating me with her fine, fair features!  This was my first inclination towards Spanish "culture".

When I was about 6 or maybe 7 years old, I recall visiting some friends of my Mom and Dad.  I dont remember much except that their names were "Liz and Cedro".  Cedro...what a strange and interesting name.  At least in Michigan in the 1960's!  I dont remember exactly, but I think he was from a southwestern state and he certainly was Hispanic. 

When I was about 10 years old I heard a song, sung in Spanish on the radio.  It instantly resonated with me (and apparently alot of other people as it hit #9 on the Pop Charts) even though I had no idea what the lyrics meant!  I recall memorizing the song regardless.  When is the last time you memorized a song in a language you dont know!?

When I made it to High School, I decided I would take a language course.  I chose Spanish.  Could have picked German, but I didnt.  I struggled with the language each year, for the next four years!  During that time I learned things other than vocabulary words and language.  I learned of the geography of several Latin Countries.  I studied Latin cultures and the history of ancient civilizations that resided in Mexico and South America.  Adventerous and interesting stuff about pyramids and vanishing Mayans and the like.  I was fascinated. 

Sometime during High School, I heard that song that had been popular so long ago.  You know, the one I memorized but couldnt understand!  Well, I was a student of Spanish by God, and I set about translating the song.  Considering my poor grades in Spanish, this proved harder than you might think!  After figuring out the lyrics, I liked the song even more.  In fact, it is probably my favorite love song.

I visited Spain on a couple of occassions in the mid 80's, while serving in the Army in Berlin, Germany.  Lloret De Mar and its beautiful beaches...Barcelona with its history, (Columbus sailed from here) its huge Cathedral and its friendly, beautiful people.  I enjoyed real Sangria, and I ate my first real "Paella" here! 

All these years later, I am married to a Spanish speaking, raven haired, dark eyed beauty of Spanish heritage. (Hmmm does that make me the "bad guy"??)  I have forgotten most of my Spanish.  (Traded it in for German while overseas...who knew!?)  And I rarely hear that Spanish tune on the radio these days.  Funny how things work out.

 The Spanish group that sings this song is called "Mocedades". It is a 6 person group (3 of which are siblings) from Biboa , Spain. (Northern coast of Spain) They placed second in the "Eurovision Song Contest" in 1973 with this song, and it became an instant International hit. The song is simple and exudes an innocent yearning to express the feeling of love. It reminds me of what a teenager might write to his or her first love. The song uses a mix of instruments popular in the 70's...bold brass, subtle violins and a distant lead guitar. That, combined with the smooth background vocals, the building volume of the song, and the calm but sometimes desperate voice of the lead singer, really makes for a memorable tune. When she sings of the "guitarra en la noche" and "trills" the "R" in perfect Spanish annunciation, it still gives me goose bumps. 

You are on your own for the translation, (thats half the fun!) but be careful, there are some very inaccurate translations on the web.  Here it is, from 1973..."Eres Tu".

Eres Tu

or...

Eres Tu Live Audience

Disfrute!!

The Royal Wedding

Everyone appears to have an angle regarding this recent spectacle. Many of the ladies appear enamored with the “Fairy Tale” lived out by the marriage of this modern day Prince and Princess. Many of the men...could care less.

Me?  Well, I have two Razor Sharp Insights into this recent event:

1.  I was listening to a radio talk show recently, that had a British guest talking about the Royal traditions, including the Royal Weddings, being “linked to their DNA”, as it has been such a long part of the history of England and its citizens. Well, my immediate thought was, being that we were established as a Country in direct opposition to England and its desire to “Lord over us” with their Kings and Queens, it is “in our DNA” to see such “pomp and circumstance” as just that! There is no real “Monarchy” in England's governmental decision making process and it serves as a reminder of history and tradition at best. (Sort of like the old white wigs...do we really need to relive that?!)

2.  I observed the fairy tale wedding of Princess Diana and Prince Charles. The same hype, the same media coverage, the same re-living of the British traditions. It was a glorious ceremony. Princess Di was beautiful and humble. I was frankly touched by the genuine compassion and social grace displayed by Princess Diana. She truly embodied many peoples idea of a modern day Princess in her appearance, her demeanor and her character.

I then watched in horror, over several years, as the “traditions” and the machine that is England's Monarchy, ”chewed up and spit out” a beautiful young woman that had entered the Royal Family and had “married a Prince”. I believe Princess Di would have been happier and more content marrying a common man, that would have given her love instead of fame and a title...and she would likely still be alive.

I certainly wish the best for the newly married Royal couple.  Like so many young couples, they are young and have the world, and a world of possibilities in front of them. They also have Englands hopes and expectations resting on their young shoulders. They will inevitably be compared to Charles and Princess Di. Perhaps many among us are simply hopeful that Prince William will redeem his Fathers failings and live happily ever after with his beautiful new Princess, in a way that we wished had been the case with Princess Di.

You want a fairy tale? Seek out a couple that has been married for 50 years. It is likely they had a more modest beginning, but a similar sparkle in their eyes all those years ago. They were probably as handsome and as beautiful and considered each other “Prince” and “Princess”. They may even be your Parents or Grandparents. If you look closely, when they speak of each other, you might catch a glimpse of that sparkle in their eyes.

That...is real “happily ever after”.

In The Groove

My recent venture into the worl of classic Hi-Fi motivated me to check out some Estate/Garage sales over the past month or two.  I intended on looking for that "one in a million" 1970's Receiver that was just waiting to be discovered in the basement of an old house...dusty, but in great condition...for the price of ohhhh a gallon of gas?!

I have not yet found such a deal, but I have stumbled across some nicely preserved vinyl Lp's.  Given that most of them sell for between .25 cents and 1.00 dolllar, I started buying a few here and there.  In the world of "iTunes", where a song costs .99 cents a pop, I am getting songs as low as 2.5 cents each!  (For you math whizzes, thats a savings of up to 97.5 % per song!) Take that Apple!!

I am finding I have to look through alot of vinyl to get the few, very clean records that interest me, but I am finding the whole thing interesting/fun.  I usually pick the Estate/garage sales that appear to be the result of elderly folks leaving the residence etc., as these hold the most promise for my purposes.  I drag Sandi along most of the time, and I think she likes poking around in some of the very old, interesting things that are available.

Last weekend, we went to a "basement sale" in the north end of Tacoma, where the homes look out over the Puget Sound.  (The nicer part of town)  We entered the basement of the 1920's house, making sure not to bump our heads on the pipes etc., that hung low from the barely 7 ft ceiling.  It was a small basement, and smelled old, probably like your grandparents house/basement.  There were hundreds of National Geographic Magazines, old tools, canning jars and the like.  In the dimly lit, far corner of the basement, I saw some old Albums.  I looked to my right and saw an old "Gramaphone" for sale...the style you see the dog listening to on the record label in the above photo.  Wow...to think, it wasnt an "antique" to these folks, it was the latest technology...back when they played their 1916 78's on it.  Did I say 1916?  Yeah, they had 78's dating back to 1916.

Now, I am not a collector of 78's, as the music style in the 20's and 30' isnt my cup of tea.  However, I could not resist picking up 2 full size (think the size of a 33 1/3 album vs the 10 inch standard 78's)  78's that were in very, very nice condition.  Hell, I didnt even know what the music was that was on these things, I just wanted to have a piece of the 100 year old music history i was looking at.

I thumbed through about 100 other 40's, 50's and 60's vinyl albums and picked out about 12 or so.  They ranged from Connie Francis and Jackie Gleason to Eddy Arnold and Perry Como.  I even found an album I remember from my childhood called "The Singing Nun".  It is a Belgian album and was in excellent condition.  The albums hit single was a song titled "Dominique".  This album contained a 9 or 10 page story, complete with sketched pictures that depicted a real life, young Nun (Soeur Sourire) that sang and played guitar, and her life at the Convent  There were 4 watercolor prints that were painted by Soeur Sourire that were included with the release of this album.  These were not only intact, but in perfect condition!  Another nostalgic find!

Here is an excerpt that briefly describes the real life "Singing Nun", Soeur Sourire:

      Born Jeanne-Paule Marie Deckers, she was a nun in the Dominican Fichermont Convent in Waterloo, Belgium. While in the convent, she wrote, sang and performed her own songs, which were so well received by the order and at retreats that the monastery decided to let her record an album, which visitors and retreatists to the monastery would be able to purchase. 

In 1963, the album was recorded in Brussels at Philips. The single "Dominique" became an international hit. Many radio stations in the U.S. played it and other softer hits more often in the wake of the John F. Kennedy assassination. Overnight, the Dominican nun was an international celebrity with the stage name of Sœur Sourire (Sister Smile). She gave concerts and appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show on 5 January 1964.[1] As of November 2009[update], "Dominique" is the only Belgian song that has ever been a number one hit single in the United States

Anyway, I am pretty sure my sisters will remember this album, so I thought I would mention it.

After getting home with my new found vinyl "treasures", I give them a good cleaning and replace any worn out sleeves (or missing sleeves) and put them away.  I usually reserve one to listen to as I am cleaning or putting the others away, and this time I chose a Perry Como album.  (Pictured at the top of this posting)  Perry Como is from my Parents generation and like many of you, I find a reassurance and comfort when I listen to old songs that remind me of my childhood.  It is also interesting and memorable to listen to the music that my Mom and Dad listened to/liked when they were a young couple with a house full of kids.  It sets my mind to wondering...in a good way.

When the needle dropped onto the album, and I heard this song, (Once Upon A Time) I immediately loved it.  I had never heard it before ( I dont remember it) but it immediately struck me as a beautiful song.  It is a melancholy tune that speaks of past moments that cannot be recaptured.  Times and places and feelings...that we can never return to...but will never forget.  When you add to this that it is sung by Perry Como, it is a powerful and sweet song.  Perry Como is one of the finest male singers of the 20th Century, bar none.  He would likely be thrown off of American Idol for a lack of "gimmick/style" these days, but he can "stand and sing" like no one these days can. He has something that synthesized and electronic enhanced singers these days just cant buy, talent.

I decided to include this song here for your enjoyment.  It is not a digital recording...it is recorded right off the album, exactly the way I heard it for the first time.  I even included the familiar (to some of us older folks) "needle drop" that comes at the beginning of any album you play. Do yourself a favor, play it loud.  The dynamic range (difference between soft and loud parts) back then was simply much greater than many songs exhibit today.

Once Upon A Time

Have a listen to what sweet violins, a great voice, and good vinyl...sounds like.

A Wonderful World

Photo taken by NASA

I was browsing a few NASA pictures when I came across the above photo of Earth.  It is not an artists depiction...it is an actual photo taken from space, of our world...our Earth.

I have personally observed 6 of our neighboring planets through various telescopes, one of which is quite powerful.  I have seen these planets with my own eyes, with remarkable detail and clarity. To give you an example of the detail I am speaking of, I have seen one of Jupiters moons (Io) pass in front of the planet and have watched for an hour as the shadow of this moon made its way across the face of Jupiter!  I have seen the polar ice caps on Mars and have seen not only the rings of Saturn, but the separation of several ring groups. These planets are simply awe inspiring when seen first hand and they are each unique in their features and their character.

I have never seen the Earth...  I mean, I see it every day, but only in the way one see's a mountain when standing on it.  When you stand on the summit of a mountain, you see everything else around you...except...the mountain.

That is what struck me when I saw this photo of Earth.  How little I "see it", and how much I take it for granted.  The only planet in our solar system that supports life...an extraordinary amount of life!  It has a variety of  terrestrial features including majestic mountains, barren deserts, and dense jungles.  There are huge oceans and bright colors of blue and green and tan and a visible atmosphere that we see as white clouds. 

If you look closely at this photo, (click on it to make it larger) you can make out the soft reflection of the Sun in the Pacific Ocean, just off the west coast of Mexico! (Iam sure most dont see this until prompted to look)  I stared at this photo for a few moments, taken by its clarity, but more so by the stunning features and complex beauty that simply outshines all the other planets I have ever looked at. 

To qoute a line made famous by Louis Armstrong...What a Wonderful World!

Let's go for a bike ride!

What a familiar phrase.

I remember first learning to ride a bike when I was 4 or 5 years old.  It was a big bike, I think meant for an adult.  It was red with unusually wide tires, and may have been a girls style bike with no top bar.   I had seen one or two of my older sisters riding this bike, and it seemed like they had fun pedalling it around.  I am not sure why one summer day, I decided it was time to give the bike a try, but at that age, reasoning generally took a back seat to spontaneity.

We had a dirt/gravel driveway that led to a beat up street named "Rauschelbach". (Yeah really..and I am not sure if I spelled it right!)  Next to the driveway on one side was a large tree, just close enough to take note of and consider avoiding should I find myself losing control of my new found transportation.  On the other side of the driveway, closer to the street, was a ditch that ran alongside and on both sides of the street. (No sidewalks here...just a ditch with corrogated metal tubes that were like little tunnels under each driveway...this was old school)

I still remember little things about the day I decided to conquer this old bicycle.  It was warm and humid, and I think it was morning. (before noon) I could smell the thousands of Dandelions that grew where our backyard grass was supposed to be. There was a little bee of sorts, that was hovering and darting back and forth in front of me...not a honey bee, but smaller...just hovering, quickly moving left, then right.  I could hear the sounds of hundreds of Grasshoppers in the field next to our house...a kind of high pitched "humming" that fades into the background of other summer sounds...