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2008 | |
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Last update 5/18/08
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california revisited |
sunday, 5/18/2008 |
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I am always struck by how nice the weather is in coastal central
California. The air is dry, the temperature is pleasant, and I've
never been there when the sun wasn't shining (though they
On day two, we headed into the city and found a parking garage near
Union Square, the main shopping district.
On day three, we headed up and over the coastal mountains to the
Pacific Coast highway
and
south to Monterrey, where we found the waterfront made famous by
John Steinbeck
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sailing |
sunday, 4/20/2008 |
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There were only 11 passengers on board along with the captain, who
manned the helm, and the deckhand Sharon, who did all the hard work
of hoisting, adjusting, and lowering sails. It was a lovely way to
spend a couple of hours, sailing out into Galveston Bay and back on
a topsail schooner.
We capped the day off with a couple of exceptional filet mignons, baked potatoes, green salads, and a good bottle of Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon back at the apartment. We had a couple of worthy things to celebrate, including our 29th anniversary and the end of M's daily radiation treatments.
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ms150 |
monday, 4/14/2008 |
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The 13,000 of us on bicycles pedaled our way along. The weather was chilly and windy but the sky was clear blue. I've never seen so many people on bicycles at the same time before. There was never a moment when there was more than a hundred foot gap between me and others. With rest stops every 10 miles or so and a massive lunch operation on the fairgrounds in Bellville, the organizers did a very nice job keeping us all hydrated and fed with minimal waiting time. The days ride was about 80 miles.
We put my bike in the back of the car and drove 20 miles to Smithville, where a friend had offered us her unoccupied house to stay the night. I had eaten at the tent in LaGrange, but M and youngest daughter were hungry, so after showering, we went into town to eat at the Back Door Cafe. Although it was a small place, there was a live band and the food was good. I wasted no time going to bed when we got back to the house.
The
20 mile head start meant that the bicycle traffic heading in to
Austin was much lighter than the day before. Eventually, the sun
began warming things up, and I progressively shed my tights and
windbreaker sleeves along the way. In spite of taking it fairly
easy and stopping at all the rest stops, the miles went by steadily, and I
finally spied the capital dome off in the distance from the
outskirts of the Austin. From there the adrenalin kicked in and I made
my way through backstreets onto Dean Keaton, where we had driven
many times to visit youngest daughter when she was a student at the
University. The route turned onto San Jacinto by the massive football
stadium, then onto MLK Drive where a large crowd of people lined the route
waiting for the riders to roll in. As I pedaled uphill to turn onto
Congress Ave, the cheering and clapping was loud and constant. I turned the
final corner and there was the finish line banner spanning the street,
with the capital rising up just beyond it.
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springtime at caddo |
monday, 3/24/2008 |
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We've driven home the past two weekends after M's Friday morning radiation treatment at the Medical Center. The weather has been sunny and mild, so of course we have taken a lunch out to the lake shack and enjoyed the afternoon on the deck. My parents have come with us both times, and this past weekend, youngest daughter was in for Easter, so she joined us as well.
There were only a few other people on the water, and even fewer back
in the swamp that is called Carter Lake. We arrived there after
making our way through one of my favorite routes - the narrow
cut off of the main river channel now labeled boat road "S", which
has finally been cleared of fallen trees after several years of near
impassibility.
We did see a few great egrets like the one in the photo. They are
such beautiful birds in flight. It is quite common to see one of
these magnificent creatures take flight upon hearing the sound of a
boat approaching. If you are lucky, the bird will glide and fly
under the canopy of trees that mark the boat road just above the
water for many hundreds of yards as you follow behind in the boat.
Even the reptiles and amphibians are stirring on warm days now, and more turtles like this one will be sunning themselves on the driftwood logs that are stranded near the banks of the channels after the water level recedes a bit. As I write tonight, we are back in the city, another day of work gone by, taking care of our worldly needs. My spiritual needs have been satisfied for awhile. | |
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the bullet |
sunday, 3/9/2008 |
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It was a little nippy on Saturday, so we rented a couple of movies and mostly stayed inside. One of my coworkers insisted that we needed to see "Office Space", so we watched it first. They were spot on with some of the universal office annoyances, as anyone who has ever had to work in a cubicle in a big company can attest. I did smile, or even laugh every now and then, but I think my sense of humor has become more selective or subtle with age. It could also be that those who really rave about this movie are pretty unhappy with their jobs and identify with the characters personally or something. No rolling in the floor on this one for me though; maybe because I enjoy my work too much. This afternoon, M and I once again headed down the road for a pleasant afternoon with a plate of quesadillas and a cold one on the deck at the boardwalk. The wind was very brisk, so the cold water imparted just enough chill to make long sleeves comfortable, in spite of the sun. As we were leaving, we stopped long enough near the roller coaster to watch a couple of groups come down the first big plunge. Youngest daughter and I rode this one together on a similar day back in January. That was the day we spotted Tom Delay waiting alone for someone to get off at the ride exit. No paparazzi chasing him anymore. I like how inertia has caused several of the women in the picture to have their hair standing straight up as their heads are accelerating away from where they used to be. | |
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here to stay |
sunday, 3/2/2008 |
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Back on Groundhog Day, I recall that Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, foretelling six more weeks of winter weather. I guess that only applies to the Great White North, as spring is clearly here to stay down south. Maybe we should start our own tradition with an "Armadillo Day". We could gauge the coming weather on whether the armadillo expires from the heat that day or not.
After getting showers back at the apartment, we wanted to enjoy the rest of the day outdoors, so we decided to drive down to Kemah for a toddy on the top deck at the Cadillac Bar. We're almost becoming regulars there. It is such a nice place to have a beer or a margarita while watching all the boats going in and out of the yacht basin. | |
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catching up again |
sunday, 2/24/2008 |
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For whatever reason, I'm getting back in the writing mood lately, after a six month hiatus. It isn't that nothing has been happening, so who knows why the muse sings sometimes? Speaking of singing, M and I drove downtown to hear the symphony, a large choir, and several vocal soloists perform Carl Orff's Carmina Burana last night. Like lots of other people who participated in a band program in high school or college, I've performed this piece twice myself. Of course the performance was excellent, with the normally polite crowd whooping and hollering while applauding when it ended. We had box seats this time, so our view was good. We cooked a nice steak dinner with a bottle of pinot noir at the apartment before hand, so it really made for a nice evening.
I had hoped to do some group bicycling on Saturday morning early, but it was just too darn cold; 43F. No use being miserable while exercising. Today things warmed up though. In fact, it reached 85F this afternoon, so after M left for home, I put the bike in the car and headed south to the Texas City Levee, one of my favorite places to ride. The levee is five miles long, and its purpose is to protect the city from the storm surge in case of a hurricane. The out and back distance of 10 miles is a decent warm-up, and with a posted speed limit of 20 mph bicyclists can keep up with the cars. With such lovely weather, lots of people were out enjoying the day, particularly the fishermen. On the way there and back, the motorcycle riders were also out in droves. Next weekend, I hope to ride in a local organized bike ride (Baytown Gator Ride) with several of my coworkers, and hopefully M and youngest daughter. The riding schedule is ramping up in preparation for the two-day Houston to Austin MS-150 in April. This is the biggest bike ride n the country, with participation capped at 13,000. My endurance is not nearly as good as it used to be, probably because of the anti-hypertension medication I take, so I'll just have to take my time. M has been undergoing treatment for stage 2 breast cancer this winter, so our plans have had to be flexible. Since she will be undergoing radiation therapy for six weeks starting in mid March, her physical activities have to be limited. It is fortunate that we have a place to stay here in the city so she can more conveniently receive her treatment at M D Anderson, one of the top cancer treatment centers in the world. We are planning a two week cruise-tour to Alaska in August. The trip includes a cruise from Vancouver, BC up the inside passage, followed by a series of train and bus rides with overnight stops at lodges and hotels from Anchorage to Fairbanks. My vision isn't what it used to be, so I really want to see the last state I haven't traveled in before it declines further. We're going to do this one in style.
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The
whole family was together for a few days when M and I and youngest
daughter flew out to San Jose to visit the west coast kids. Adding a
friend and boyfriend to the group, seven of us had three full and
two partial days to tour around in a minivan. We found good food in
Palo Alto, wine in Napa shopping and walking in San Francisco, and
wildlife in Monterrey, with enough beds for everyone at the house in
Redwood City..
claim
there is a rainy season). We spent our first day in the wine
country, which though it looks the same as always, has finally begun
to monetize the attraction of the place by charging fees for wine
tasting. Some wineries were demanding as much as $25 each for
tasting and tour, and as you might expect, their parking lots were
rather empty. Oldest daughter recommended that we go to
We split up with the shoppers heading off into Macy's and M, son and I exploring outside.
When we met up in an hour or so, we all headed off toward Pier 39, a
walk of about 2 miles up and over Nob Hill through the edge of
Chinatown. After strolling about and, watching the sea lions, we
hiked back to Union Square, and while the shoppers did their thing
in Loehman's, the non-shopping three of us walked around the corner
and found Murphy's Pub,
a
nonassuming little place with a friendly bartender a cook waiting
for hungry customers, and cold beer on tap. Very nice indeed. It
reminded me of all the pubs we frequented in London when across the
pond because the food was good, the beer was fresh, and the price
was right.
as "Cannery Row." The old canneries have become
trinket shops now, and there is a modern aquarium right there on the bayfront, so we stopped in to have a look. The aquarium is
particularly focused on sea otters, which almost died out along the
pacific coast from overzealous fur traders. They are making a
comeback now, and like other amphibious sea creatures, you can tell
they're near by the smell. After the aquarium, we had a nice seafood
dinner (I know, it seems wrong to eat fish after going to the
aquarium), then headed for the car. Since we were already in the
vicinity, we headed further south into the coastal parkland that
runs beside the Pebble Beach golf course. The dirve is very scenic,
with big, old trees on shore and rocks covered with birds, otters,
seals, and who knows what else emerging out of the surf. We snapped
obligatory pictures at the lone cypress on the rock of course. The
houses along the way were of course spectacular.
The
weather on Saturday was once again lovely, so M and I headed out
around 10 AM to be out in it. Our plan, if you can call it one, was
roughly to fiddle around and have lunch at the Cadillac Bar & Grill
in Kemah on the deck before the masses descended on the place in the
afternoon. Walking from the car, we found a shop advertising sailing
trips, and we ducked inside to inquire
about the boat. We were
directed to a slip in the nearest marina, where we found the Captain
Kidd. The marina is restricted access, so we called the phone
number from a cell phone as a guy was tidying up on the deck of the
boat. M saw the guy reach into his pocket as I called, so when he
answered, I said, "I think we're standing right in front of the boat
if you'd rather talk in person."
He looked and pointed, and we had a
laugh.
It
turned out they were booked for the 3 PM sailing, but we could get
on board for the noon trip. It was 11:45, so we walked back to
the car to get hats and found the gate to get in the marina.
The water is still cool enough that it is just comfortable with
short sleeves and long pants in the sunshine with a nice breeze out
from shore. When we returned to the slip, M and I headed off to our
original destination, the Cadillac Bar & Grill, to have a margarita
for her and a Dos Equis Amber for me up on the deck. We had some
Tacos al Carbon for lunch and waved as the Captain Kidd set out
again for the 3 PM outing.
Life
will get back to our more routine schedule of alternating weekends
between the city and our home. But more adventures are on the way,
with a trip to California to see the other kids beginning May 7, and
our two-week Alaska trip in August.
Youngest daughter flew in from Austin on Friday evening, and all three
of us got up at 4 AM in order to get to the starting line for the
Some of my coworkers started the ride in a location 20 miles further
into Houston, so I met up with M and youngest daughter in LaGrange
and we found our team tent and relaxed with some food and beer. The
others showed up in a couple of hours, having had some mechanical
problems and trying to regroup. Around 5 PM, we split up to head for
our various overnight accommodations.
We were up at 5 AM for the second day, and my legs felt surprisingly
good. The temperature was only 42F, so I put on tights and a
windbreaker to start out in. Only a couple hundred of us started out
at the official alternate sunrise start nearby at Riverbend Park
just on the edge of town on the Colorado River. Most of the rest
started out day 2 at the LaGrange fairgrounds, which must have been
a zoo.
The time was a little before noon,
and the 50 miles of day two, which I had worried might be too much
for my old tired body after the brutal distance of day one, were done. I
continued on around the block where volunteers tried to hand me
bottles of water, but I quickly found what I was really thirsting for
- the sight of M and youngest daughter, who each had a big hug to give me.
We took the little boat out for the first time this year,
with cameras in hand. The water
level is fairly high, which is normal for springtime, so it was easy
to make our way into the back waters of the swamp, where things are
quiet, and the animals feel safe. The lake has unfortunately been
infested with 
The
bald cypress trees are always late putting on leaves in spring and
early losing their leaves in fall. With mostly tree bark and
Spanish moss above water level, grey is the dominant color - a
difficult photo subject to deal with in mid-day sunlight. Soon that
will change though, and green will be the order of the day, with
plenty of dense foliage to create variations of light and shadow
that make for interesting images.
The
visiting canoeists, who often put in on the back side of this
cypress swamp and would rather not hear the sound of a boat motor,
will be disappointed at the easier access. Boat road "S" intersects
the more well traveled "C" boat road in the heart of the swamp, and
"C" completes the route back to the main channel upstream of "S"
about a half mile, or if you take it the other direction, runs all
the way back to the main body of the north shore of Caddo Lake for
many miles and on into Louisiana.
Eventually,
it will tire of this erstwhile game of follow-the-leader and will
land on a sturdy tree limb off to the side somewhere. Photographing
these birds in flight from a moving boat is a bit of a challenge,
but I finally have camera equipment that should be up to the task,
so it is only a matter of spending enough time out there.
M
rolled in Saturday and will be here for six weeks of daily radiation
treatments, telecommuting for work with a phone and a laptop
computer from the apartment. Actually, this will eliminate some
driving as our normal pattern of alternating weekends traveling back
and forth will be altered to the alternate plan of both of us
staying here on alternate weekends. Or something like that...
The
conditions were really nice for the Gator Ride on Saturday, with a
low temperature of 60 and a high of 78. Best of all, there was very
little wind for the initial 12 miles up over the ship channel on the
Fred Hartman Bridge and back across the channel on the
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