Wrap Up

As the year rapidly wraps up and I look back at it, I can say it's been another great one. Lot's of those ups and downs and accomplishments and frustrations, sure. They are the facts of life and a part of the whole journey. It wouldn't be life without them.

I know I sometimes let the frustrations mount and I can feel them physically consuming me. But then the path becomes clear and bright, and love settles the score, and it's all good and again.

I feel like the year ahead will unfold, and a see-saw of events and momentous occasions, planned and unplanned, will occur. And in the year ahead events to look forward to, and to dread, will present themselves. As long as I nourish my loves, my home, and my own being, and as long as I make good choices and stay true to my needs and my journey, I will continue to move forward in my life with joy. And with all the craziness and uncertainty in the world, I'm fortunate to be able to do so.

The Perfect Compliment

On Saturday Will and I decided to go see the Los Angeles Aqueduct Cascade in Sylmar. It's open to the public for a short period of time to celebrate it's 100 year anniversary. After that we went to Mission San Fernando. It's been wonderfully restored with a great historical museum and a vast collection of artwork, artifacts and furnishings throughout the buildings, gardens and church.

The convento building, completed in 1822, has four foot thick adobe walls and roman arches. In this building I came upon the hospice, a room with three rustic beds and paintings of saints on the walls, and a metal pot on the floor inside the doorway with coins scattered around it. I pulled a penny out of my coin purse and tossed it, it bounced off the floor once and landed right in the pot. And I said a little prayer for Lorne, my Mom's husband, who died of cancer on Thursday.

Lorne was my Mom's third husband. When they retired, they sold their house and hit the road RVing full-time, traveling across the U.S. for several years with their two cats until they landed in South Carolina and settled down there to a quite life on the coast.

Lorne had a quirky sense of humor and loved to tinker with computers and Mom says they complimented each other perfectly. It's been rough the last few year's, but his struggles are over now. And he will be with us forever in our thoughts.

Rest in peace dear Lorne.

Lorne and Jeanette Waters

Photo taken June 29, 1980

Where There is Boundless Beauty

** Will and Ranger in the Alabama Hills w/Mt Whitney in the background **

There is boundless beauty in the Eastern Sierra Nevada mountain range and valleys. Including these two; Will and Ranger. We traveled the US 395 from Lone Pine to Bodie and explored many points along the way.

Explorations over 6 days:

• Red Rock Canyon - Nature trail
• Owens Lake - Cottonwood Charcoal Kilns
• Lone Pine - Eastern Sierra Inter-Agency Visitor Center
• Lone Pine - Horseshoe Meadow Rd. to Horseshoe Meadow and Cottonwood Creek; (10,000 ft).
• Lone Pine - Mt Whitney Portal - Mt Whitney Trail (8,350 ft) to Lone Pine Lake (10,050 ft) - 5.5 mile loop; 1700 ft elevation gain.
• Mammoth Lakes, Minaret Rd - Devils Postpile Trail to Rainbow Falls (7,500 ft) - 5.6 mile loop, 500 ft ele gain. The trail intersects the mega Pacific Crest Trail and John Muir Trail.
• Mammoth Lakes Earthquake Fissure - Nature trail off Minaret Rd.
• Bodie Ghost Town - Photog location; Buildings date from 1870-1880s.

• Mono Lake - South Tufas and Navy Beach. Photog location and nature trail.
• June Lake Loop - Scenic drive; 14 mile detour off US395.
• Convict Lake - 3 mile trail around the lake.
• Alabama Hills - Movie Flat Rd to Mobius Arch to Heart Arch loop trail and beyond + Tuttle Creek Rd.
•  
• Lone Pine Film History Museum - w/documentary movie.
• Lone Pine Cemetery.
• Lone Pine Earthquake Victims Grave - 1872 mass grave.

Where we stayed:

• Lone Pine - De La Cour Ranch, Main Cabin 
• Lee Vining - Murphey's Motel

Where we ate:

• Lone Pine - Mt Whitney Portal Store 

• Lee Vining - Whoa Nellie Deli
• Mammoth - Schat's Bakery
• Convict Lake - Restaurant at Convict Lake Resort
• Lone Pine - Alabama Hills Cafe
• Grillin' back at the ranch

More photos to come...
My Flickr Set
Will's Flickr Set

Landings

Very nice Sunday visit to the Museum of Natural History to see the Becoming Los Angeles exhibit. While there we traipsed through the Butterfly Pavilion. And completed the afternoon with a stop at Mel's Fish Shack for fried catfish and coleslaw. Then we picked up a peach cobbler from The Cobbler King before heading home.

Photos here.

One Journey's End ...

      is another's beginning.

Here's Will receiving his certificate of completion at the graduation ceremony - Rio Hondo Police Academy Class No. 2012-1.

Now, a note to my sweetie - Will, I'm incredibly proud of your accomplishment. I also look forward to the next steps in your journey and I admire your commitment to a career serving and protecting all animals. You will have opportunities to make a difference, and I know how much that means to you. It's an honorable and meaningful path. I love you, sweetie.

Repurposed Library Book Shelf

I (meaning I wanted it and my husband carried it) brought this library book shelf home after finding it left on the curb during one of our morning walks. 

A great thing around our neighborhood, and neighborhoods all over I'm sure, is that if you no longer want a piece of furniture just put it on the curb and someone will come along and take it. We've picked up a whole bunch of cool stuff on our morning walks. And since we're out at dawn we get a good head start on the rest of the scavengers. 

We don't always know what we're going to do with the pieces we pick up, and they usually sit wherever they fit for some time before a place is found where they have a purpose. In this case the shelf sat in a corner of the landing room. Just sat there with nothing going on, no purpose, not being used. Then Will rearranged a few things and found a new home and a purpose for my birthday dresser as our telephone station. Then I started looking at the library book shelf and thought I'd see if it fit in the kitchen. I had an idea that it might make an interesting produce bin.

We typically have several bowls holding grapefruit, oranges, bananas, apples, lemons, limes, potatoes, and onions sitting on various surfaces from the dinging room table, the island, and on top of the microwave. So I pulled the library book shelf into the kitchen and what a wonderful produce bin it now makes topped with a couple of recipe boxes and a jug of fresh cut flowers from the yard and a juicer (also a found item).

An American Classic

I discovered Ivan Doig's Dancing at the Rascal Fair at a local independent book store in Echo Park.

I've been drawn to early American literature for some time. I think the seed was planted during my trips to Montana over the past several years. The first of which was a 2006 road trip through 7 states (plus a short hop up into Canada) geared around being at my Grandma and Uncle Jim's in Troy, MT for the 4th of July.

That's some beauteeful country, that is. My pioneer spirit was awakened and my longing has been fulfilled by immersion into these books.

Dancing at the Rascal Fair is the middle book in Ivan Doig's Montana Trilogy. I will be searching for the other two as well as the rest of his literary collection.