Our recent trip to Vancouver Island gave us a chance to visit with friends and see some of the Island. One of the highlights was a half-day spent at the Butchart Gardens. I have been there before but is is always enjoyable to walk through the various gardens and enjoy the flowers. The garden is a worked-out limestone quarry which was converted into a collection of gardens. This 55 acres is now over 100 years old and is designated a National Historic Site of Canada.

As I walked though the garden I not only enjoyed the view but also took a number of pictures. Of course the Garden is one of those things that is almost impossible to capture the complete beauty of the landscape in a photograph. I did take some views of the various gardens but spent most of my time taking pictures of the many different flowers.

It was a relaxing and enjoyable afternoon, but you always leave things how it would look with different lighting as the sun moves across the sky and how the view would change with the seasons. It is truly worth the visit.

You can see more of my pictures on Flickr.

Food from Hilton Head

Food on the visit to Hilton Head centered around seafood. Shrimp may be the biggest single thing I ate. In fact by the end of the stay Marilyn wanted anything but shrimp and I have yet to serve it at home.
We did visit the Shrimp Shack out of Beaufort to have their famous shrimp burger. Interesting but I was still hungry. I guess I should have ordered the larger shrimp burger with a side of sweet potato fries. The Shrimp Shack is mentioned in the Book "1,000 Places to See Before You Die". So one more place to mark off the list.
Also mentioned was the Low Country Boil. That would be shrimp, sausage, corn on the cob, and red new potatoes. The link is to Paula Dean's recipe. We didn't eat at her restaurant but did walk by the large crowd waiting to get in.
Another two special items were She-crab Soup and Shrimp and grits. I would have to say I enjoyed both of them but Marilyn only had a small taste. She was not ready for the full treatment.

Bridges and Water

On the visist to Hilton Head and the surrounding area, We became very aware of the importance of water in the lives of the people. We took a harbor cruise in Charleston on a large ferry and rode around the Savannah harbor on the free ferry that goes from the City hall, Conference Center, and the Waving Girl. Of course you are continually crossing over bridges and there are many opportunities to eat at restaurants overlooking the harbor.

The Talmadge Memorial Bridge in Savannah was one of the first sights I saw flying into Savannah and it is a beautiful sight. The Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridege in Charleston is the longest among cable-stayed bridges in the western hemisphere. These bridges are designed to allow the passage of the many container ships that us the harbors. There are also numerous smaller bridges conecting the islands.

We Were in Charleston during the Harbor Fest but didn't really take part in any of the activities. We did see the tall ships as we did our harbor cruise but was not on any of the tall ships. The harbor cruise took us by Fort Sumter but did not land on the island. I am not sure which of the larger sailboats we saw are part of the tall ship activities and which are always in the Charleston Harbor to provide sailing activities for the tourists.

Animals of Hilton Head

While spending a week at Hilton Head, South Carolina we were surrounded by water and there were many waterways through the island. We visited several wildlife areas and it always seem to be low tide when we got there. We also rode our bikes through the resort area and saw many land loving birds and squirrels.
One of the interesting things was to see the great number of small crabs that would scurry around as you walked along the paths or across the saltwater flats. Of course there were also many waterfowl eating the crabs in these area.
In one area we walked to an area that was the nesting area for the ibis. There were other birds in the area but the trees were full of the white spots of birds sitting on their nest or just roosting in the tree.
Although we did not find that big alligator that were told was there we did see a couple of small alligators and if there are small alligators there must be big alligators. I guess we were just lucky.
Check out all the pictures.

Travel Egypt

Back recovering from three weeks of travel in Egypt, Sinai, Saudia Arabia, Jordan, and Israel and trying to process the 4,000 pictures from the trip. I guess you have to start with the pyramids. What can you say? Yes, they are big and right at the edge of the city. But then like all cities I guess they have changed in the past 50 years since I studied about them in grade school. All of my pictures I saw them are going to be different.
The biggest thing that prevents your enjoyment of the pyramids is the people. Many of them are tourists both local and foreign like ourselves. Some of the children are school groups on a field trip but it seemed that half of the people most of them children wanted to sell you something or help you so you would give them a tip.
The Sphinx was very impressive and the face was even more damaged than I had thought. It made you wonder just how long will some of these treasures last with number of people touching, taking home pieces, and breathing on them, This is even more true as we visited the Valley of the Kings and Queens. Many of the carvings and painting on the walls of the tombs were outstanding. Many of the tombs were closed for restoration and some of the walls were protected by glass but in places I saw people touching the walls and I know the fact we are in such a closed area will speedup the destruction of these artifacts that lasted so long while they were covered with sand and protected from human contact.
Well it was a good trip and I will have more to say. We traveled with 21 people and it was a great group. But really we were always with another group of 22 people and that many people just adds to the overcrowding that I mentioned before. It was a fast moving trip so it also allowed little time for careful picture taking but of the 4,000 I am sure I will have some good pictures. More pictures on my web page and Flickr page.

BNP Paribas Open

Well the BNP Paribas Open Tennis Tournament is over and for the most part a good week. We volunteered as ushers for the fifth year. The scheduling of ushers was not the best this year and there was many unhappy people and strange days. We had one day we did not work a match! Just watched tennis, had lunch, watched tennis, and went home. Since I was working it was difficult to take my good camera to take pictures except for the two days I didn’t work and just watched the matches. For the first time we did not work the Sunday finals. That was much more relaxing and I was in the upper deck taking pictures.
Maybe the best day of tennis was Saturday when they had the men’s semis and the men’s doubles final. Roger Federer played Andy Murray and lost and Andy Roddick played Rafael Nadal and lost in the semis. But Andy’s day was not over. After a rest time he joined with Mardy Fish to play Max Mirnyi and Andy Ram for the men’s doubles and won. So I guess it was not a completely bad day for Andy.
For the women Vera Zvonareva beat Ana Ivanovic in the finals. The wind played a big factor in both the finals matches. It was not a steady wind so the ball did strange things at times. The same could be said for the ladies little skirts. Sometimes it was not all skill that would win a point. I did not catch the look on any of the players faces and they watched a ball they was sure OUT fall IN or just the opposite. A ball hit without much force or high could do about anything. More pictures on Flicker.

Wildlife photography

I am not sure if my day at the Salton Sea was bird watching or camera testing. Of course I also stopped at Salvation Mountain but the trip was planned to visit the State Recreation Area and the Sonny Bono National Wildlife Refuge.
I hadn’t had an opportunity to use my long lens very much so the 75-300 lens was on the camera most of the time as I took pictures of the wildlife. I also wanted to get pictures of birds in flight. Of course there were many pictures that will not see the light of day but for the most part I was happy with the work.
First I use the Sport setting on the camera which gave fast shutter speed and continuous shooting. I worried about the focusing but it was good in most shots. As is always the case the animals always just seemed to be further away that you wanted so cropping was necessary to get the close-up I wanted. There were large flocks of Black-necked stilts that were fun to watch and attempt to photograph. You could never get very close before they would fly away and they flew as a flock almost in formation. They never seemed to fly to a spot but would circle around as one large group.
It was late in the season so many of the snow geese were gone but some of the ducks were preparing to nest. At the Wildlife Refuge I did see the burrowing owl. Again at great distance but did get a reasonable shot of two sitting by their burrow.

Salvation Mountain

It has been several years since I visited Salvation Mountain outside of Nyland, California. It is one of those places you really can describe and pictures can’t show what is there. Leonard Knight’s Website gives some background and lets you know the history and a little about the man.
The site is listed as a National Folk Art Site and can be seen and movies, books, and other publications. This mass of tree branches, straw, mud, paint, and any other material he finds has been formed into a mountain of Love and words from the bible.
I took some pictures but as one of the other people said you really can’t describe it you just have to have people come to see it. Leonard is always happy to show people around. He was not there when I stopped but drove up just as I was leaving. He waived and said come back in I’ll give you a tour. There were many other people there and some that were repeat visitors so I continued on to other picture taking down the road.
Many days he finds little time to work on his project but still each year it continues to grow ans people give him paint and other supplies as well as donations for their visit. Truly something must see to believe.

Leon's New Clothes

One of the interesting things we do when we are staying in Indio is to visit all the resale shops. The selection is usually better for women. I think this is because women tend to change fashion more that men but I have been able to find shorts, pants, and shirts that are very nice.
With the possible performance at La Quinta Playhouse in the near future, I needed a tux. So we were off to the shops at the fourth stop we found a 48L tux at $75 with 25% off. To find my size and at a good price was great and they also had the tie and suspenders to match for only $6. Only 2 more stops and I had a shirt it was a little large and not fancy be then you don’t see much of it.
Now I am ready for the show and just have to hope it all comes together.

BIG STAR 2009

Marilyn had her 15 minutes of fame in this years Big Star “That’s Entertainment”. This is an annual lip sync show done here at RCB. This year Marilyn did Madonna’s Crybaby with our friend Jaak. This two hour show is always a big hit at RCB and I took pictures of the preparation and the show. I have a slide show of all the acts and also the behind the back stage people.
The staging and costumes are always a big part of the act and there is always a big production with both. Many hours and work were spent on the staging of the acts and since we have no place for storage all of stage has to be dismantled. As is often the case many people said it was the best ever. This was also the first time they hired a professional videographer to film the production. We have yet to see the result but there will be party in a couple of weeks to see the DVD.

Snow in Indio

For the most part it has been a warm winter here in Indio, however this last week has been cold and rainy. The snow level in the mountain was down to just over 2000 feet and this presented a very nice picture of the snow covered mountains across the valley.

I went out to try to find a good place for a photograph but didn’t find that perfect place. I guess you are always looking for the combination of several pictures. I did get a few shots including a panorama across the Terra Largo golf course the second day. As you can tell from that picture, the light covering of snow on the lower levels is quickly disappearing.
They promise another rainy and cool weekend and they are already above normal in rainfall. That means I may be able to get some great wildflowers in a few weeks.

Reflections

Went for a bicycle ride the other morning and it was just great for pictures. I started through the new housing development they are building around some manmade lakes. The water was still and the reflections of the palm tree and a snow covered mountains beyond was outstanding. I was lucky to have my point and shoot camera in my bag so I could stop and take some pictures.
The rest of the ride was uneventful. It is nice to have all the new development because it means new roads. There are not any real hills and traffic is sparse. The other nice thing about having so many houses being built is the new shopping center they are building. We now are less than two miles from about anything we need and you don’t have to fight traffic.

COD Street Fair

We went to the College Of the Desert Street Fair to get a new tennis banner to display on our shed. Just like Alice’s Restaurant you can get anything you want at the COD Street Fair. We usually make at least one visit to the fair each year and have gotten a number of different items.
We have gotten sunglasses, hair extensions, hats, shoe cleaner, clothes, and even food on previous visits. This trip was to replace the old banner but we spent time wondering the grounds to see the people, sale items, and dogs that were at the fair. People/dog watching can be fun anytime and COD provides a great diversity of people to watch. I even found a belt I have been wanting to wear with my Levis so it was a good trip.

Take a Hike

We took a day to get out of the park and go on a hike with the RCB Hiking Club. This hike was at Anza-Borrego Springs state park which was about 60 miles away. Even with the long drive 37 people showed up for the hike, so we were off in eight cars for the hour and half drive. Our friends Jaak and Barbara joined us for the drive. This was one of the largest groups they have had with the hiking club.
After a quick rest stop at the Visitor’s Center we went trhough the campground to the trailhead. The hike was up a canyon to a small oasis. It was not a big climb but some of the trail was over rocks along a stream. As we got higher the dry stream began to have some water but it was never a large flow that can occur during rains. The large logs that were placed high on the stream banks were and indication of just how much water can flow down this canyon. Although some of the other groups we met said they had seen mountain sheep on the hillside, we did not see any.
After reaching the oasis we took a short break before heading back to the cars. We then proceeded to a Mexican restaurant for lunch. The big excitement for me was when we got to the restaurant I realized I did not have my billfold. A quick search of the car and I was sure that I had dropped it on the ground as I got out of the car at the trailhead. I got it out when I paid the entrance fee and left it on my lap. So when I got out of the car it fell on the ground. As luck would have it, I had parked between two cars that were there when we got there and still there when I returned so the billfold was not out in the open and nobody and taken it. With it safely back in my pocket I returned to the restaurant for lunch.
After lunch we went back to the visitor’s center to look around and take a few pictures before slowly driving back to RCB. Along the way we stopped to look and some of the dessert badlands we had passed as we rushed to start the like. We also drove into some of the development by the Salton Sea.

White Christmas

Christmas is a time to share with friends. Marilyn does more of this than I do with all her girl friends sharing lunch and gifts. However, the year the weather limited the number of gatherings as the ice and snow caused several of the events to be canceled.
She still managed a couple of lunches and the annual pizza dinner with three tennis friends. Mine was limited to the usual coffee with my early tennis group and sharing the pictures of the group with our former member, 86 years young Wayne, that had to quit a couple of years ago. Marilyn and I were also blessed with a visit from my special singing friend, Pauline, and her husband Ed as they traveled back to Victoria, B.C. They had to put on chains to get up the hill to our house and could only stay one night but it was a wonderful time to catch-up on what has been happening.
Of course Marilyn has the house decorated just right and the table is set with the Christmas dishes long before anybody arrives. Like maybe two or three days before they arrive. The snow has putting the sharing of gifts and food with the granddaughters on hold until the last minute. Living in Portland with all the snow and ice has severely limited travel. Some the have tried talk of the hours it takes to get just a short distance and all the accidents you see along the road.
Today is overcast and we do see snowflakes fall once in awhile but with the temperature at about 35 degrees it doesn’t stick to the road. You can more of my Christmas pictures on my Flickr account.

Cold and Snow Continued

Well the cold and snow continues in Corvallis. It has been a very long time to have snow on the ground and freezing temperatures. We may even have a white Christmas. Well it looks like we may be above freezing in the daytime for the next week so maybe most of the snow will melt.
I don’t have snow tires so I have been forced to put on the cheap chains on my car. I never planned on using them. I only had them to meet the carry chains requirement that is sometimes posted.
They did plow our streets yesterday and it was a little above freezing so Marilyn got out for a few things she wanted to do. Then we got two more inches of snow and it froze last night. Now we wait for the next break. I put the chains on Monday and we did go out Wednesday to get a few things. I hope to take the chains off today.
I spent my life being ready for snow and able to travel in bad weather. Now I am ready to not think about chains, snow tires or even ice on the road. Maybe that is the reason we go south for the winter.

Snow in Corvallis

It seems Corvallis gets a bad storm about every year and this may be it, at least for now. We escaped the start of the storm on Sunday as it hit Portland with cold and snow. Chains were required to travel in Portland not just the hills around Portland. However, we had a nice day all things considered. We had some early morning snow but it never got below freezing so the snow melted and we even saw some sun during the day.
As darkness came so did the wind, snow and cold. Now at 9 PM it is 26 degrees F. and snowing. We will see what tomorrow will hold. I don’t think I will be playing the 7 AM tennis and Marilyn’s 9:30 tennis has been canceled, too. Maybe it will be a day to turn on the fireplace, pop some popcorn, and relax. I think I will save this note and not post until tomorrow and maybe even get a picture to post. It does look like a white Christmas but then I am sure all the snow will be gone by then. They are saying freezing for the rest of the week, but it never seems to last too long.
Well it is Monday morning and it is cold 23 degrees F. It got down to 21 last night. I don’t think we got much snow. With the wind it is hard to tell just how much there is but none of the drifts are that big. Most of the schools are closed for the day and the paper was late as is the garbage pickup. The birds are happy I had filled the bird feeder but the hummingbird is not that lucky since the sugar water froze. The wind blew snow onto the covered deck and entry but not really that much of a storm just cold. It is just the ice that will case problems if it melts and freezes again.

Out of the Fog

We have had some foggy days in Corvallis so it was great to take a trip to the coast. Marilyn has many activities at this time of year with the regular tennis matches and then lunches or dinners with her friends. This meant that we didn’t leave Corvallis until after 10:30 in the morning but were glad to see the fog lifting before we were 20 miles out of town.
We got to Newport just before noon so we stopped by Mo’s for the usual clam chowder and garlic bread before we headed to the aquarium. The sun was out and we left our jackets in the car for our three-hour visit to the aquarium. It was not crowded so I was able to get many pictures without being in other people’s way. A visit to the aquarium is always a great was to relax and is a sure way for me to raise my spirits.
The early sunset meant that we drove home in the dark after having our dinner. So the drive home was not as relaxing and enjoyable but well wroth the time out of the house and valley fog.
Some of my pictures from the day are on my flickr page.

Halloween in Lahaina

Halloween in Lahaina is always an interesting time. We have been going dressed as Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy and it seems to be well received by many people. This year was much different than the last two years in that they did not close down Front Street for the whole evening. They closed it for the Kiddie parade but then opened it up again. It made for a very crowded sidewalk and not as nice for taking pictures. I guess there had been too many problems in the past but I can’t think that this would prevent any of the drinking or carrying on. It just created a very crowed Front street with cars and people instead of just people.

As the evening went on some of the costumes become more R (X) rated and there are more people that have been drinking but for the most part a good time is had by all. I took my 100+ pictures again this year and posted a few of them.

Usually we have left by 8:30 but this year we stayed later so we were stopped by the sobriety check as we left Lahaina. It is usually a short stop unless they think you have been drinking then it becomes a longer time to prove you are sober.

Just hanging out

Relaxing in Maui means hanging around the condo reading or processing pictures, talking with people we know that come every year, or going to some of the same places we always go like Halloween and Keiki Hula show. This year was about the same. Marilyn finished a couple of books and I read a little of Tom Brokaw’s book “Boom!”. The nice thing about his that is that it is a collection of stories about people he first met as a young reporter in the 60’s and what they have done and how they have changed over the 40 years. Of course my pictures are much the same with fish, flowers, and the people. Some are out on flickr.
There are always some of the same people staying at KBC each year but then we also meet a few new people. They had the first of the Thursday gatherings the last Thursday we were there which is always good for meeting people. The young couple staying next to us were there with his Father, Dr. Edward Jones, and step Mother, in a different unit. It was nice to meet them as he also attended the University of Washington and his Father was retired from UW. They gave us a copy of his book Tutankhamon. At 86 he follows my feelings that many college professors can never retire they just keep researching and writing books. Since we will be taking the Red Sea, Egypt trip next spring the book will be a great reference.
We met friends for dinner one night, at a place that had a great jazz trio playing and also when out for our usual dinner at Kimo’s with the Hula Pie. We also usually go to the Tropical Plantation were Marilyn’s get to feed the ducks and I get to take pictures of the flowers. It is a beautiful place but I’m afraid we don’t do much to help it survive since we spend very little money there. The last Saturday we have been checking out and then going to the Seawatch restaurant for a great breakfast with a view of the ocean. It is a great way to end the two weeks.
The Halloween in Lahaina is another story.