Aliens on Mt. Shasta

Sundown on Mt. Shasta

Driving south on Interstate 5 returning from Ashland, one can't help but notice how often there are odd cloud formations near the top of Mount Shasta. As the sun set one January afternoon, I was struck by the clouds shaped like rings of Saturn near the summit. My friend Sue thinks that the Lunarians live in the mountain, so probably these special clouds give them cover to land undetected.

The trip back to the Bay Area is visually interesting through the Siskiyou mountains, then you arrive in Redding. Sigh. Continuing south is rather dull, flat, many miles of straight uninspired Interstate with such exciting exits as "Proberta", "Balls Ferry" and the ever popular "Zamora". Often these exits do not provide any services, so one wonders why there is an exit at all. Once I reach the Hwy 505 cutoff back to I-80, the nonsense exits continue. My favorite paradox is Exit 17 to a destination called "Road 8".

More Scents

This warmer-than-necessary January has caused plants to bloom prematurely. We have a small daphne bush in a large pot near the front door. The blooms give off a delicious scent, most noticeable at night and in the morning. As you walk past the plant a gentle but persistent scent is presented to your nose. Scents can be difficult to describe because they are unique and any description is subjective. Daphne is not pungent like gardenia, nor sweet like citrus, but it is a pleasant and unique experience.

We can post photos and videos to the Internet to share a visual experience. What a shame there is no way (yet) to post a scent file to share the olfactory experience.

Growing up near Seattle, mom used to grow daphne and put just one cut sprig in water on the kitchen windowsill. That one sprig with perhaps 2 or 3 small blossoms was all it took to bring the outdoors into the kitchen. The scent takes me back to that image of her at the window, as if I'm truly there with her. What a wonderful comforting memory!

Miles to Nowhere

Interstate 40 crosses the Tehachapi Mountains and the Mojave Desert before entering AZ

We took a 1,100 mile road trip to Lake Havasu, Arizona to visit Dennis' mom last week. The Colorado river widens into a man-made lake at this location because of a downstream dam. So the location is popular with the boating community and those who want to see the London Bridge which was relocated brick by brick to become a tourist attraction. In summer, the temperature can easily reach over 115 degrees, cooling down at night to a mere 104. At least that was our experience when we visited 3 years ago for mom's 75th birthday, and so we nicknamed the barren area "Gates of Hell".

This visit was very nice, including delicious meals and play time with siblings, cousins, aunts, nieces, nephews and (of course) dogs. A paved 4-mile trail is well organized with bicycles going clockwise and walkers going counterclockwise. On skates with dogs, we considered ourselves walkers. Roman actually sustained a 4-mile trot as I skated beside him on the second day. The family members who walked completed the loop in about 1 hr and 20 minutes, a pretty good pace indeed.

Cyndie, Paula, Roman and Josie on the 4-mile path

Cousin Paula made the most hilarious observations of the topography and local community:

• "This place is just like Afghanistan, only without the bullets!" (referring to the rugged, treeless terrain)




• "Bin Laden is probably hiding in the Model homes!" (as we passed an abandoned new housing development with only 3 model homes built and no activity whatsoever, who would think to look for terrorists there?)


Abandoned new housing development with 3 hearty palm trees attempting to survive




• "Mr. Bunny was surprised!" (referring to the cottontail rabbits who routinely traverse mom's backyard and did not expect two dogs to be there, the rabbits left quickly and dashed into the "wash", a gully designed for flash floods. Perhaps the coyotes got them.)




• "It's time for pee-pee NOW!" (this is the universally understood road-trip cry when there are no rest areas for extended periods while crossing the desert)

I was struck by the lack of solar panels on homes. Of all the places I have visited, Lake Havasu would be the ideal location to generate electricity from the sun, especially with the heavy use of residential air conditioning (even the garages have their own, separate swamp coolers!).

On the ride home, I took the snapshot below of the airplane storage area in the Mojave desert. Presumably, planes are stored here because of the low humidity....they don't deteriorate as quickly as they might in a wetter location.



Roman is a great traveler and never once complained about the long stretches. He just slept in doggie business class, the entire backseat being given over to him.

Sticks and Stones

Day 3 of roller blading: Roman can run longer and faster each outing. He understands that we need to pause when the trail meets city streets. I am at my least graceful at these intersections, trying desperately to stop. The all-but-useless brake on the heel of the right skate taunts me as it gives the impression of slowing. Normally I step off into the grass, making a few high stepping moves to come to rest. Or, if there's a handy road sign with a galvanized pole, I grab it and spin until my momentum is gone. Either way, I throw the leash and Roman knows to stop and observe his awkward human finding a way to stop upright.

The childhood rhyme of "sticks and stones may break my bones" came to mind today because the tiniest twig on the asphalt can cause a roller blade wheel to stop abruptly. The same is true for a pebble. When this happens, the body lurches forward, hopefully landing on the other foot to stay upright. Now I've become more cognisant of debris on the path, and I avoid all that I can by stepping carefully over and around it.

Roman's toenails are nicely smoothed from running on pavement. No more wrestling to clip them at home. His pads are toughened to avoid injury, and he is visibly excited when he sees us struggle to get the protective pads on because he knows that leads to an outing when he can run beside me and tow me. Let's hope our injury-free record continues!

Pug with a Chicken Wing

Ground raw chicken, bones and all, defrosted and ready to eat!

Camp Four Paws http://campfourpaws.com/ is a wonderful place for dogs and their human companions. The facility provides a safe, supervised setting for dogs to have play and stimulating activities under the amazing care of the owner, Troy, and her dedicated staff. They screen dogs based on behavior to ensure that everyone gets along. Roman loves going there when we cannot take him with us on trips, and judging by how tired he is when we pick him up, he plays to his heart's delight.

I asked Troy about the merits of feeding dogs raw chicken, having learned recently that the bones and other non-flesh bits provide needed nutrients which may not be in commercial dog food. Apparently, there is a range of opinions on this topic; however, I trust Troy completely and she assured me that the occasional treat of raw chicken is not only healthy, but allows the dog to be, well, a dog! I think what she said to me was, "You haven't lived until you see a Pug with a chicken wing!" That mental image has stuck with me, perhaps longer than necessary.

The merits of raw chicken were reinforced by various people at the dog parks who had painstakingly researched the nutritional and health benefits before offering up a raw chicken back to their pets. I was not surprised to learn from our local butcher shop at Lunardi's that one can purchase frozen blocks of ground up chicken backs and wings for only 99 cents a pound. To serve, merely defrost in the microwave, place before hungry dog, stand back and watch.

Because the bones aren't cooked, they don't become sharp or brittle which could risk internal puncture or other health problem. Judging by the satisfied nap (coma, really) Roman takes after a meal of raw chicken, I'd say that the benefits go beyond taste and any ancient need to eat raw meat. He is now sound asleep, dreaming doggie dreams which make his feet, legs and body twitch as he plays in his own imaginary world where squirrels are slow and clumsy.

Scents

Today I drove across the San Francisco Bay Bridge into the City for the first time on my moto. Driving a car deprives one of many sensual experiences, especially the scents in the air. And I suppose sensory deprivation is an objective of automotive design. How did luxury come to mean being separate from the world around you?

Besides sitting much higher on my Aprilia than I do in a car, I am keenly aware of the scent, temperature and character of the air. My full-face helmet is vented in the front, and a steady stream of fresh, ambient air is provided to me to keep the visor clear for safety. But the real joy of a clear visor is found in the nose, not the eyes.

January 10th was remarkable in many ways: the weather was crystal clear, the air was transparent yet savory, and I found myself seeing things with a new relevance, a new perspective. I was going to join my dear friends for lunch in the Mission, but my adventure began when I crossed the Bay Bridge on my way to their home in the Avenues.

As I drove through City streets, I could detect specific smells which easily overpowered automotive and diesel exhaust. Nearing Golden Gate Park, I distinctly smelled Eucalyptus, as if I was in the grove myself. Along Fell Street, I was suddenly in an unmistakable cloud of cannabis, that sickly sweet smell which is unpleasant to non-smokers like me. Passing restaurants and bakeries, I smelled garlic, yeast and sugar. Each City block brought different scents, some new and some familiar.

I find it amazing how familiar scents can take one's memory back to a very specific event in time, perhaps a memorable meal, a "comfort" memory of one' s childhood, or even college days. The nose is deprived when in a car. But on my moto, I am more closely connected to the world.

Lipos

My friend Deborah coined the word "lipo". Just as "typo" refers to a misspelled word when typing, a "lipo" is a misspoken word or phrase which occurs when speaking. It's not a matter of mere mispronunciation, but truly an inadvertent substitution that often produces a great laugh. Both of us have agreed to keep track when they occur, but often we forget the lipo and just remember how hard we laughed!

Here's a sampling of lipos which I will update from time to time. The intended word or phrase appears in italics after the lipo.

• After David (affidavit)
• Racial ipecac (racial epithet)
• Use genetic drugs in your medication regiment (use generic drugs in your regimen)
• Cinco me dayo (Cinco de Mayo)
• A paragram shift (a paradigm shift)
• Have a glass of J.O. (glass of O.J. or "orange juice")
• Mabel-sized hail! (marble sized hail)

Check back in a month or so for more lipos!

Bonne Année!

Happy New Year Everyone! Cousin Paula and her mother Angie joined Joy, Dennis and me for a New Year's Feast at our local French restaraunt, The Left Bank. We were lucky to be seated in Sophie's section. She is a marvelously fun server, and although she was very busy, we snagged a few seconds of her time to take the photo below.

Dennis still fits into his wedding tux, but I don't. So I wore the kilt which is very forgiving of expanding waist lines. Honestly, you don't go to the Left Bank to diet. We enjoyed the prix fixte menu of lobster bisque, duck confit, beef tenderloin, and various desserts. Dennis chose creme brulée and I enjoyed profiterolles. The champagne flowed and we all made it past mid-night thanks to a mid-afternoon nap!

Wishing everyone a peaceful, healthy and exciting New Year full of new possibilities!