It's official. I am retiring. No more scary driving along cliffs, no more vertical hairpin turns, no more roads without guard rails. After a few days at Yosemite, in the flat valley near Fresno on the way back to Annie's, I wondered out loud why they couldn't put a park there, and sell the views of fields of grass, with an occasional cow thrown in.
Once I did recover from the driving, though, Yosemite is pretty magnificent. I kind of remember that Peter and Sean climbed up Half Dome. Say it ain't so. Isn't looking at it from the parking lot good enough?
We were there three nights and did eight different hikes (from a book called Easy Hikes). We ended up at Big Trees Lodge in the southern part of the park, and we both thought the place had Grandma and Pop written all over it. White porch railings, battleship gray porch floors, old window panes. Just wonderful.
We had gone to Yosemite to give Annie a little break from hosting her parents. She took us to a Friday night museum event in Oakland that was a lot of fun (with food trucks) and a very diverse crowd. We also met up with some Peace Corps friends, and we all went to a Giants game on Fathers Day. Then, we got a sneak-peak at Doordash headquarters (very cool, lots of computers and free food and nice colleagues, with an emphasis on youth).
I'm not the first person to notice that California is a little different, a bit of a trend setter. For example, it was the first time I saw an animal relief station at an airport (SFO). I can't imagine, don't really want to imagine, what it looks like inside. Are there fire hydrants? Also, I should just take a picture of the shoes we saw and post it. I think the economy is booming on just the different styles of footwear.
A wonderful trip but we were happy to get home, even though the grass is long. The garden survived our absence, thanks to Timmy scaring the groundhog(s?) We have our best crop of strawberries - red all the way through, and have enough lettuce to feed all of Pittsfield. Asparagus too.
Once I did recover from the driving, though, Yosemite is pretty magnificent. I kind of remember that Peter and Sean climbed up Half Dome. Say it ain't so. Isn't looking at it from the parking lot good enough?
We were there three nights and did eight different hikes (from a book called Easy Hikes). We ended up at Big Trees Lodge in the southern part of the park, and we both thought the place had Grandma and Pop written all over it. White porch railings, battleship gray porch floors, old window panes. Just wonderful.
We had gone to Yosemite to give Annie a little break from hosting her parents. She took us to a Friday night museum event in Oakland that was a lot of fun (with food trucks) and a very diverse crowd. We also met up with some Peace Corps friends, and we all went to a Giants game on Fathers Day. Then, we got a sneak-peak at Doordash headquarters (very cool, lots of computers and free food and nice colleagues, with an emphasis on youth).
I'm not the first person to notice that California is a little different, a bit of a trend setter. For example, it was the first time I saw an animal relief station at an airport (SFO). I can't imagine, don't really want to imagine, what it looks like inside. Are there fire hydrants? Also, I should just take a picture of the shoes we saw and post it. I think the economy is booming on just the different styles of footwear.
A wonderful trip but we were happy to get home, even though the grass is long. The garden survived our absence, thanks to Timmy scaring the groundhog(s?) We have our best crop of strawberries - red all the way through, and have enough lettuce to feed all of Pittsfield. Asparagus too.
On the red-eye flight home, I woke up to see Mary watching Free Solo, the movie about Alex Honnold climbing the face of El Capitan without ropes. Of course, we watched the whole thing again that night at home. It was easier since we know he made it. Recommended watching even from someone so queasy about heights as me. From the safety of your living room sofa. It doesn't mean I'm not retired from scary driving though.
Joe got home on Saturday too, after a summer break in Portugal with Leonor's family. Thomas has been there for the month of June and is picking up a few words in Portuguese, and his soccer skills have vastly improved. Lots of time at the beaches, which look spectacular and with friends and family.
We talked to Margaret who had spent a week in Uruguay, and she got home just before the country shared a power outage with Argentina. Otherwise, she might still be there. Pretty nice country to get stuck in, though.
We talked to Margaret who had spent a week in Uruguay, and she got home just before the country shared a power outage with Argentina. Otherwise, she might still be there. Pretty nice country to get stuck in, though.
Mary's still struggling with her hand/arm issues. The therapist said that the recovery was slow and setbacks followed signs of improvement. Frustrating.
Other than that, can't go through June without thinking of Pop's birthday and their anniversary, as well as David and Paula's anniversary. Nice memories.
Hope everyone is well, and thinking Poconos! Love from up here.
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