Yale or Bust!

Great Barrington, Yale & Easter

2006-04-22T22:26:00.000-07:00

First on the agenda after arriving in Great Barrington, was to see the chickens I've heard so much about.

Emma was excited to pick them up and show them off. We found fresh eggs everyday. I loved listening to their clucking.

We drove to Yale the next day, about a 90 minute drive. The campus with its gothic old style buildings seems crammed and squeezed between the traffic and noise of downtown New Haven.

Jason's photo exhibit was hung in a large lecture hall and its entryway. They looked stunning.

His slide presentation and thought provoking talk went totally smoothly with lively disucssion afterwards and involved questions.

Delicious wine and cheeses were served.

Back in Great Barrington we visited a friend's farm.

But mostly we just hung out and enjoyed the kids.

And then it was Easter. Jason took this photo of Katherin, it says it all.

Smoky Mt National Park & the Blue Ridge Parkway

2006-04-21T20:00:00.000-07:00

When I drove through the Smoky Mountain National Park 10 days ago, the spring weather was warm and lots of trees were blooming.

At the higher elevations I also found ice on the rock walls beside the road.

I never saw any smoke in the Great Smoky Mountains. I was told I was a day late and the atmosphere was too dry - but a few days before, 'smoke' (mist) was everywhere.

I did find "blue" though on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The mountains are beautiful!

Kudzu and killing

2006-04-14T14:53:00.000-07:00

Leaving Nashville and driving east on two lane roads, I saw complete hillsides covered with kudzu (a vine from Asia).

One woman in a small grocery store, told me the cows love it so the farmers brought it in. Now it's gone wild and smothers everything. In the summer it turns green and everyone thinks it's beautiful.

Rural Tennessee has some great old cemeteries.

I drove by a small taxidermy shop and decided to stop.

The owner Robert Williams was just starting to work on a wild turkey someone had brought in. He invited me into the back room and didn't mind that I watched the whole process.

Robert told me he's been doing this for 28 years after 2 years (part-time) of taxidermy school.

After about an hour of careful cutting, he hung the bird and snipped the last of the hide from the body.

The Natchez Trace Parkway thru MS, AL & TN

2006-04-09T05:12:00.000-07:00

Today is day #18 on the road. I've driven over 3800 miles since leaving San Diego and without a doubt, the most beautiful drive so far has been the Natchez Trace (French for Trail) Parkway - a 440 mile road through MS, AL and TN following the Natchez Trace road President Jefferson had made from century old Indian
and animal trails.

The drive goes through the most beautiful country. Almost the entire length, the Trace is shielded from civilization by walls of trees and brush.

The original road created 200 years ago was nearly impassable with sucking swamps and thick dense forests, hostile Indians, dangerous animals, heat, insects carrying diseases - I couldn't help comparing my journey on a nearly seamless smooth asphalt road with air conditioning and my favorite music.

200 yrs from now perhaps a traveller will want to recreate my car driven journey because teleportation may be the only means of travel?

There's more history along the Trace than you can read in a few days. Old buildings like this inn still exist, a short hike back in the forest.

Swamps all along the Trace are available to explore.

I found this orange snake eating another one its same size.

For a short hike, many pioneer graveyards could be found -

... and ruins of grand old plantations long ago burned to the ground.

Looking down a portion of the original old Trace.

Because there's no lodging on the Trace, I got off and spent the night in Tupelo MS and visited Elvis' birthplace.

The room where Elvis and his stillborn twin brother were born. Billy works at the site and tells fascinatings stories about it all.

Hello Billy, if you're reading this now! It was very nice to meet you!

Natchez, Mississippi

2006-04-08T05:49:00.000-07:00

I was up early and planned to leave but as I looked around (and visited the Vistor's Ctr), I didn't get out of Natchez until almost evening.

Most of the town sits on a 200 ft bluff overlooking the Mississippi River. 'Natchez Under The Bridge' is a collection of art galleries, restaurants and this boat casino.

Natchez has dozens of beautiful Victorian mansions. Many are open to the public by tour.

The woman at the Visitors Ctr knew exactly the kind of cemetery I was looking for. She told me she walks weekly through here with her grandson and still they haven't seen all the graves.

I only spent about 2 hours - the multi levels, the brickwork, the old iron and the tombstones from the early 1800's were awesome!

Before I left Natchez I had to cross the bridge over to Louisiana and back.

I was glad to see they're keeping their young men busy over there :-))

I asked a LA park worker (in street clothes) working on a sprinkler head and he replied philosophically with a long southern drawl, "Welllll, I guess we all wear 'uniforms' of some sorts these days, now don't we?"

South to Natchez, MS

2006-04-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

Heading south out of Memphis, I took Hiway #1 in Mississippi down the east side of the River. I was hoping it would be a river road, but it isn't. I made dozens of side trips driving west to the river's edge, mostly driving through uninhabited swamp lands.

The few homes that are built by the Mississippi, have quite a view.

In a park along the river, this woman (who was fishing) was kidding with me that she could duck while running and beat my shutter.

Thanks to digital, I won the bet.

One park displayed a whisky still, complete with recipe and directions on this board, how to mix the mash.

Graceland in Memphis

2006-04-07T05:12:00.000-07:00

My next stop was Memphis. As a kid I never liked Elvis Presley. I thought he was greasy and dressed funny.

Now I find his music amazing and his life, well - pretty different than the ordinary.

Graceland got its name from the original owner whose Aunt Grace gave her the money to build the house as a wedding present. Elvis liked the name and never changed it.

I was suprised - rooms are small, halls are narrow and dark - it may have something to do with having so many walls and ceilings being fully covered with shag carpeting.

Other rooms like this TV room, was totally mirrored.

Several other large buildings on the estate have been turned into museums with acres of memorabilia, including his cars and planes.

The self guided tour was comprehensive, fascinating - and punctuated often enough with his music that it seemed all of us with headphones swaying to the beat, were easily transported back to somewhere in our past that was 'groovy' indeed.

"If ever there was music that bleeds - this is it". -Griel Marcus (in my high school class, M.A. '63)

Hot Springs, Arkansas

2006-04-06T19:37:00.000-07:00

Hot Springs, AR is a pretty town, the old district was built at the foot of some low hills, that are now wooded parks with windy, steep roads to 360 degree views at the top.

The hot springs (134 degrees) are at the base of the hills and during the 1800's, dozens of huge elaborate Victorian bath houses were built over the springs.

A row of a half dozen or so of these massive buildings, is Hot Springs National Park, today.

People were out early the morning I visited, hauling dozens of plastic bottles to fill for free from the many watering stations, fed by the springs.

Only one of the huge bath houses has been renovated and is open to the public. It serves as the Visitors Center for the National Park - all 3 floors plus a basement with antique plumbing, are open for self guided tours.

Dozens of rooms had speciality baths. This one had a lift on rails (at the top) for more seriously ill patients. The rail system could move patients from room to room on that hanging board.

This bath was a mercury bath as well, if syphilis was your ailment.

Just West of Memphis

2006-04-03T08:09:00.000-07:00

Unreal! (not a single photo, sorry) -

Yesterday afternoon as I was driving from Little Rock, AR toMemphis - all the radio stations went to TORNADO ALERT! - all scratchy with strange beeps and weird alert sounds. Talk of a little adrenaline while driving - I've never seen skies like that.

To the north of me was this BLACK WALL with strange streaks of muddybrown. It was totally evil and then they started warning people - "If you're driving, get out of your car immediately!" - they added, "Don't head for home if it's a mobile trailer! - get to a secure, stable structure immediately!" "If no structures are available, get out of your car, get into a ditch face down and cover your head with your hands!!" I tried to place to the county names they were talking about. I know I recogninzed some of the little towns they mentioned - but I was basically in farm land as far as I could see.

I started looking for an exit and the only one around - had one building (it looked substantial) - a big red structure by the side of the freeway - with a huge sign on top - *XXX ADULT FANTASY STORE*. I pulled off (while others were still driving on the freeway, but I noticed school buses stopped as well as some large trucks - (a convoy snaked and quiet along the freeway). In the XXX parking lot nobody seemed really concerned - they were just heading to the huge doors with blackened glass, to do some fun Sunday evening shopping I guess.

I asked a couple of the more normal looking guys, if they felt it was safe to drive. All nodded a "Sure, whatever". I swung open the dark glass doors and a very pretty young blond woman was sitting up high behind the check out counter. Behind her, hanging from the ceiling was a larger than life size blow up doll (blown up), with her legs spread wide.

To talk to the very friendly clerk, I kept having to stare into the pink crotch of this doll, LOL. The clerk assured me it was OK to drive too, even though the counties they were calling out were adjacent to where we were. OHDEAR.

I drove the next 10 miles to west Memphis with lightening bolts bigger than the cartoon ones - all around. Each time one hit close, I contracted my shoulders so I'd feel safer and not get hit. The black skies were a heavy sinister looking wall. Images of Dorothy's little dog Toto being swept away, were foremost in my thoughts -

The first motel I came to in West Memphis was a Hampton Inn by the exit. The two women working the deserted desk, asked me if I wanted to "Get into a safe place with them!" One shared with us that her now dead father was "horrible" about these tornadoes - he would insist the whole family wait until the very last moment before going into the basement, because he wanted the thrill of seeing them close.

Just looking at her concerned frightened face (the TV blaring warnings inthe lobby), I started getting worried again, and then the hail started!! Fortunately I was parked under the carport in front of the hotel. The golf ball size chuncks of ice were flying everywhere outside with lightening making everything glow. I left the frightened girls to go outside and stand by the Jeep just being amazed at the hail and wind. I called Brock again to let him know I was safe (I guess) finally in Memphis.

Whew! There was lightening all night here last night - just before I fell asleep the room kept turning bright white. This morning the lobby TV has announced 30 people died in this storm and more deaths may be found.

Oh GEEEZ!

Elvis Lives! --> on to Graceland this morning.

Leaving Oklahoma

2006-04-01T22:15:00.000-08:00

Last night I nearly left Oklahoma. I stayed in Sallisaw (east OK) and drove a few minutes south to Kerr Lake when the sun was setting.

The evening was balmy and heavy with hundreds of frogs croaking. A wall of mosquitoes had formed at the water's edge.

Today I drove through the beautiful Ouachita National Forest into Arkansas.

Hogs & Memorials in Oklahoma City, OK

2006-04-01T21:13:00.000-08:00

Not until I saw a freeway exit for 'One of the Largest Stockyards in the US!" did I decide to check out Stockyard City, in Oklahoma City.

Everything was open and I was able to wander. It smelled horrible and there were flies everywhere.

I guess they were done with cattle for the day, there were none in the pens, only a few hogs.

In another area, hogs that had been sold were being loaded onto a double decker trailer. The poor things were crammed in so tightly, they could barely move.

They were screaming and squealing, jumping and pounding on everything. It was very hot.

Some seemed desperate to breathe and stuck their noses throught the small holes in the side of the truck trailer.

On the other side of town, I drove to where the Murrah Federal Building once stood. The full block Memorial is beautiful and sad.

I wondered about the adjacent 'Museum' - a tribute capitalizing on death? I paid my $5 and because it wasn't crowded, I was ushered into a dark room by myself. The doors closed and I listened to the only taped recording that exists (a water rights hearing from a bldg across the street) of the explosion.

I spent the next 90 min or so, slowing moving from room to room - all senses on overload as dozens of TV's were loud with history and larger than life photos were displayed along with items, history, investigations, explanations, questions and conclusions.

No one eventually walked out of there without an ache in their heart and heavy damp eyes.

Photos weren't allowed in the Memorial Museum.

These 168 empty cement and bronze chairs on the lawn, are named for each person who died - the rows corresponding to the floor they were on.

The Cyclone fence around much of the Federal Bldg block has messages and items from people all over the world.

Black Holes in Amarillo, TX

2006-04-01T20:48:00.000-08:00

"Intriguing black hole exhibit" is how the guidebook I read last month described it at the Discovery Center in Amarillo, TX.

I took notes weeks ago and called for directions when I got into town. I've always been frustrated that I can't understand the concept of black holes and I thought a 3D exhibit might help me. Who can pass up "intriguing"?

Battled traffic to find the place, paid my entrance fee and couldn't believe the "Intriguing black hole exhibit" was the same coin rolling contraption that many Wal*Marts have when you exit their stores!

In fact I think my pennies and nickles roll into the black hole better in the slightly smaller, Wal*Mart orange hole model.

Thru Texas

2006-03-30T21:00:00.000-08:00

Today I drove through Texas into Oklahoma.

The Cadillac Ranch near Amarillo - 10 full size Cadillacs half buried in the sand.

And just before entering Oklahoma on I-40 - the "biggest cross in the world", they claim. (Note the 2 cars in the parking lot for comparison).

Cimarron NM to Texas

2006-03-30T20:29:00.000-08:00

Heading east from Taos, NM. - I drove through Cimarron and stopped at the old St. James Hotel.

Its cast of notable characters include, Buffalo Bill Cody, Annie Oakley, Kit Carson, Jesse James, Wyatt Earp and Billy the Kid, among others.

Today the dining room (which used to be the old saloon) still has bullet holes in the pressed tin ceiling!

Later in the afternoon I stopped to visit Capulin Volcano, NM. At 8,200 ft I planned to just hike into the volcano, a quarter of a mile. I've never been in one before.

Later I decided to also do the mile hike around the rim. In the very center of this photo, the jeep is a dot in the small parking lot (looking north to Colorado).

The winds were blowing nearly 60 mph as I circled the rim. At times I had to hold on to scrubby trees that grow near the top!

As the sun was setting yesterday, I crossed the border into Texas. I could smell the oil and metal as these rigs were humming - slowly, steadily moving up and down.

Taos, NM

2006-03-30T20:04:00.000-08:00

Taos was full of interesting architecture and old churches. I decided to stay an extra day, it was so interesting.

This field was just several blocks from downtown Taos. The afternoon light was a magical blend of blues and pinks!

Likewise, this little stream and bridge are only a few short blocks from town where all the galleries and shops line the streets.

Aztec Ruins in Aztec, NM

2006-03-30T19:39:00.000-08:00

Monday I left Durango, CO early and drove south to Aztec, NM.

At the state park where the ruins are preserved, many of the rooms are open to walk through.

This chamber below ground level is thought to have been a religious temple. The temperature was cool and it was absolutely silent the morning I was there.

As the afternoon got old I started over the mountains, heading east to Taos, NM. They close the pass every evening from 6PM to 6AM. I started up the mountain at 5PM and just made it through.

Mesa Verde National Park, CO

2006-03-26T22:01:00.000-08:00

Today in Southern Colorado, I drove into the mountains to Mesa Verde National Park.

20 miles into the park, you have to leave your car and hike to the cave dwellings. The three largest dwelling sites in the world are located here, but only one is open this time of year.

At a 7,000 ft elevation, the steep half mile hike to Spruce Tree House was a challenge. The path is narrow into the canyon, hugs the hillside and has no guard rails.

But what an amazing sight to see - to stand next to these Anasazi rooms from 1200 A.D. - to be able to see the soot on the ceilings from their fires.

So far 114 rooms have been discovered at this site, they go back some 80 feet into the mountain.

The Indians climbed up to the tops of the mesas and planted their crops up there.

UT, CO, NM & AZ all in one

2006-03-26T21:31:00.000-08:00

Four Corners is on a Navajo Indian Reservation and closes at 5 pm. (who would have thought?)

I almost didn't make it (arrived at 4:35 pm) and was surprised I'd have to pay $3 to stand in all four states at once.

Up four stairs and there's an embedded metal circle in the ground, marking the exact spot. There's a high red wooden platform (L) so people can take photos of others doing crazy poses, stretching themselves across four states.

Route 66

2006-03-26T21:01:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I drove some parts of the old Route 66 from Kingman to Seligman, AZ.

Entire little towns along this route have recreated the 1950's and 60's - antiques for sale everywhere and back rooms just crammed with memories.

Elvis and Marilyn are alive and roaming Route 66.

Then I drove north to the south rim of the Grand Canyon. Words can't describe it.

Yale or bust!

2006-03-24T09:06:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited. I've finally started my solo drive across America. I hope you'll join me.

I left San Diego at 9 a.m. yesterday and drove through miles and miles of farm lands of the Imperial Valley (where our salads come from).

There were so many plastic bags caught on farm fences, I pulled over and took photos of the more colorful ones.

I drove through parts of the Anza Borrego desert.

By mid afternoon I reached Quartzside, AZ. Down both sides of the dusty one road town, rock sellers have outdoor stores set up - hundreds of tables of rocks.

I talked with one owner and he told me most of the rocks come from Brazil.

When the sun started to set, I got my first good look at the Colorado River from Parker, AZ. The evening was warm, blamy and beautiful.

It was dark when I reached Lake Havasu, AZ. After I found a motel room, I drove to the London Bridge and just had to check things out.

I'd love to find a book or article today on the story of getting it out here in the middle of the hills and desert.

Helicopter Bees near Tijuana, Mex.

2006-02-09T21:42:00.000-08:00

There's a San Diego community garden down by the international border with Mexico. It's within walking distance of the huge fence that divides our countries. It's beside a forgotten ugly piece of land - acres of wild jumbled weeds, bushes and trees that grow unchecked by the Tijuana River, the polluting ecological disaster that runs from Mexico into the US then drains out into the ocean.

The community garden (collage above) is a football field size plot of land. Some of the plots are well tended and grow beautifully, some are completely abandoned packed full of yellow weeds as high as an 'elephant's eye'. An old bed spring is used for a gate.

A helicopter from the border patrol slowly buzzed back and forth overhead, up and down the beach (about a quarter of a mile away) like a lazy bee. This time when I visited, I noticed dozens and dozens of new plots added and numbered - in the three digits now . . . a sea of plastic green fencing dividing the available plots, a lone table and chair placed with promise in one.

Glowing in the grass

2006-01-31T21:10:00.000-08:00

I went for a walk this afternoon. The air was cold and it felt uncomfortable, I didn't dress warm enough. I took some photos of flowers I walked by and as I was calling it quits, I looked down and almost stepped on this leaf.

The late afternoon sun was low in the sky and the long heavy dense rays penetrated this leaf like it was transparent. Just the angle it was laying in the grass, it looked it was glowing neon.

I Got Sniffed! (while the Iraqis voted)

2005-12-15T11:03:00.000-08:00

The Iraqis are voting for their future, here in San Diego. We have 1 of the 7 polling sites for them in the US. A slightly run down middle eastern restaurant that advertises with a plastic banner over stucco: "Hall for Rent" was closed for eating and would be their voting site for the next 3 days.

The restaurant's huge corner parking lot with half a dozen driveways, was crisscrossed with long lines of yellow police tape. Only one driveway marked "In" and another marked "Out" was available. More yellow tape made empty rectangles around the sides and front of the building. Police stood guard at the driveways and orange traffic cones prevented one lane of cars in the street, of using the lane closest to the restaurant. A policeman stood guard out there too.

I pulled into the parking lot, parked and watched. I saw one of our local TV news vans being unloaded while I saw a not large but steady stream of middle easterners excitedly greet each other both in the parking lot and at the restaurant's doors.

It felt like a wedding was happening - most of the women wore long silky skirts that touched the asphalt, with long sleeved blouses or jackets and head scarves, some that flowed over their shoulders half down their backs. Children ran around chasing each other, all dressed in Sunday school best. Most of the men wore dark suits, some with turbans.

I was being watched very carefully and then my Jeep got sniffed! I watched as the handler would indicate side and back vehicle doors for the dog. The dog was totally concentrated on business, very seriously double and triple sniffing every vehicle in the lot . . . until she walked near a strip of bushes. In a flash she became such an ordinary house dog - tugging hard at her leash trying anxiously to sniff another branch that might have been marked by a dog.

I rolled down my window and talked with the handler. He said she trained for 3 months and added that she's not at all like your "lazy house dog!" He said, " . . .she works really hard, you know!" and seemed very proud of her.

A policeman finally walked up to me when it was apparent I wasn't there to vote. He demanded to know what I was doing and couldn't answer when I asked if it was ok I took some photos. He replied after me, "Well, I don't think they'll mind" as I walked out of the parking lot to talk with a lone man picketing - or so I thought. He carried a large placard on a long stick, mostly in Arabic(?), that said in brief English - "Vote For #740"

He wore a t-shirt with a large American flag on it and more Arabic(?) printing below. He slowly ran this index finger over the bright flag on his chest and with halting words almost crying, said he was so grateful to America to give his people a chance to vote - "Our first chance ever!", he exclaimed. He told me he was from a small Christian village in a remote part of Iraq who eagerly awaited to vote last January but the Sunni's sabotaged all their efforts and the ballots were never delivered to his village. He explained voting for #740 would put a contingent of Christians in office.

He started to tell me of the history of his Christian village and how they were the rightful owners of the historic land, when an angry policeman walked up and roughly demanded he stay 200 ft away from everything! I walked off as he tried to explain the permission he was previously granted . . .

Point Loma

2005-12-01T15:45:00.000-08:00

I was up at 4:30 this morning and could see that San Diego was covered with a king sized blanket of fog. I threw on some sweats and headed out wondering if the dawn would make interesting photos.

I drove to Point Loma, a hilly peninsula - a long thin mountain partially residental (high rent district) and the rest owned by the military.

High above the crashing surf, the rows of dead service men and their wives seem to extend forever.

On the other side of Point Loma are the beautiful homes built into the hillside - many have views and the lower ones on the bay, have private docks.

This is Shelter Island, a small flat area, not an island but a little peninsula adjacent to Point Loma.

A dozen live aboard sailboats were anchored, closed up and quiet at dawn while a solitary walker passed by the excited sounds of gulls arguing over splash rights to a muddy puddle.

Before I headed home I stopped for a cup of coffee. When I glanced at a table and some chairs in the corner marked - "Out the Service" with 'the' lined out and replaced with 'of', I reflected how we don't go far in San Diego without being aware English isn't the first language for so many.

Mission Beach

2005-11-17T12:25:00.000-08:00

I wanted to show you Mission Beach this morning.

We have a great bay side, not the ocean surf, where you can rent all kinds of water toys on smooth, calm water.

Early this morning I watched some guys set up their business - they carefully set the skis on the lawn, fired up their boats and in this photo a young girl took a face plant trying to get up the first time.

Then I met Mouse. He saw me taking photos of his unattended cart, walked over from his 'island' in the middle of a busy intersection and asked me if I thought it was "classy".

Actually all his items were very neatly folded. His cardboard sign said he had heart problems - he told me he has 7 stents in his heart. He added that his grandmother named him Mouse years ago because he used to steal cheese snacks from her house.

As he proudly posed, he told me years ago he was an artist and took photos of the homeless in the early morning hours, still asleep on the old wooden loading docks where vegetables use to be unloaded from trucks.

Santee Lakes

2005-11-16T17:31:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my new blog - this is all very new for me!

I'd like to show you around San Diego, my city in Southern California. We're almost on the border with Mexico, a warm sunny part of the US.

This morning I headed out early to a series of small lakes, just east over some small mountains from San Diego. The little rural community is called Santee.

For $30 a year I buy a park pass to enter as much as I want. There are 4 or 5 lakes - the one you see here had a freeway built on top of it and in the early morning light the reflection of the water danced on the cement above.

Fishermen use these lakes. They were setting up their spots when I arrived.

I found myself speculating that it's a good thing this man is adding more fish to his diet.

I wonder if all these leaves beneath one tree have a similar fingerprint we can read?