RBOC: Driving Cross-Country Edition

• The North American continent is very large.
• I strongly believe that some landscapes sing to you and others, no matter how pretty, don't.  Tall mountains dropping into the ocean is my song; dry mountains and wide open spaces are completely out-of-tune for me.
• Harley Davidson dealerships are everywhere.  Cell service, not so much.
• Wyoming is endless and has no Starbucks.
• I hate Pilot Cars.
• Flat landscapes depend upon dramatic skies.
• American cities sprout small, obscure museums (The Museum of Wildlife Art, for example) but I'm not sure that anyone actually visits them.
• In Canada road workers were busy working in road work areas; in America there are many road work areas but few visible workers.  
• Driving a small car with a 17-foot red kayak on the roof draws lots of attention, particularly in landlocked states. 

The Perfect First Date*

The City of Glass gave us a perfect first date.  We arrived on Saturday afternoon and spent all day Sunday wandering its many funky neighborhoods.  We managed to find real bagels for breakfast and a lovely independent used bookstore (where I picked up 3 gems).  We strolled on two beaches, enjoyed an amazingly beautiful day, and ended it with sushi for dinner.  The next morning the city was gentle with us as we made our way out of town.  We stopped to try a Waffle and Milk Bar first, where we had amazing egg and cheese sandwiches on waffles for breakfast.  I may have found my home.


*This is my 500th post!

Farmer's Market

During our journey south, b and I traveled on long, curvy, mountain roads.  We finally reached the home city of b's paddling partner.  We met up with her there and wandered around the farmer's market.

We Interrupt Our Regular Scheduled Programming....

...to send a happy birthday wish out to my mother.

Growing up, my mother was the smartest person I knew.  I believed there was no bottom to the well of her knowledge.  At 46, I still haven't found it.  She went back to college shortly after I was born and her educational career shaped my childhood and was an inspiration to my own academic pursuits.  To my mother I owe my love of writing and books.  No small debt. My mother is and always has been her own woman.  She does not stand by convention.  She is a bit of a nomad and a minimalist; two traits I greatly admire.

Mom is making her seventies look like a piece of cake.  I hope to follow in her footsteps.

Have a great day mom and I'll see you in September.

On The Road

b and I are on the road, heading down to The City of Glass. We've been driving through some truly beautiful but rural areas.

  

The Last Frontier: Capital City

I'm on my journey and b is off the water. Unfortunately he picked up a nasty bug along the way and we're trying to get him well before we begin the rest of the adventure. Here are some photo's from my day in The Last Frontier's Capital City.

Ssssh!

While b's Away

I am busy trying to get a ton of work done before I leave to meet him.  I spend most of my time sitting at my desk, my kitchen table, my couch, and in my bed, surrounded by papers and my laptop.  The Brute finds any surface that has my papers on them; passes out; and knocks everything to the floor.

If I am on the couch, Pupzilla sleeps next to me.  Sometimes her head is in my lap.

Smudge mostly stays on the kitchen table sleeping. Sometimes she is stalking the birds that tease her from the bushes. Sometimes she comes to visit me on the couch.  But The Brute doesn't like that and chases her off. (He's not called The Brute for nothing)

I bought myself roses to keep me happy.  I like them on my nightstand.