Today I made a video of Abby and a busy box. She knows to open the box and retrieve a biscuit or two. When I leave her alone, she goes outside and gets busy taking a box apart. Sometimes I put a small box inside of a larger box. Great distraction before boredom arrives. Then she uses the dog door and jumps on the living room couch for a nap. (That’s Dave Brubeck’s music playing in the background.)
First impressions — the city center plaza of Jackson Hole reminded me of Santa Fe. Western art galleries, shops ’til you drop, and restaurants line the square and trail along the side streets. Tourists love the place. In winter elk do, too. They live outside of town on the vast National Elk Refuge. To get started we drove straight to the visitor’s center for information and maps. Our list of places to see — National Museum of Wildlife Art, Grand Teton National Park, the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve, Teton Village tram ride, and the byways that took us away from the main road.
Snowmelt cut our Snake River float trip time in half. The water raced along carrying logs, branches, and debris. Eagles, herons, pelicans, and beavers didn’t seem to notice the high water and flooded riverbanks. On our fifth and final day we returned to an old favorite, Yellowstone and the Hayden Valley.
* * *
Tucson, AZ — April 29, 2017
Fun rides. Arcade games. Live on-stage entertainment. Gigantic roasted turkey legs. Steam-driven machinery. Art and photography exhibits. Needlework. Small gauge model trains. Face painting. Camel rides. Perfect weather. You’re invited to visit Tucson next April – come to the county fair.
* * *
Fun time walking the fair grounds and taking pictures. Here’s a slide show and one video of what I saw. The fair lasts for 10 days every April. Animals win ribbons. Livestock are auctioned, and I can only guess what happens after that. The 4-H kids show their animal projects and take home ribbons, too. The fair is a totally feel-good experience for everyone.
(As usual I have had a hell of a time working with the Word Press layout. Wonder where my rooster video went. Will try to post Mr. Rooster separately.)
Branches burning in a chiminea transform into smoke, flames, heat, air, embers, and ashes. Life cycles for plants, animals, and people take the same path.
Fire, water, and government know nothing of mercy. Proverb
Courage is fire, bullying is smoke. Benjamin Disraeli
Set your life on fire, Seek those who fan your flames. Rumi
A mighty flame followeth a tiny spark. Dante Alighieri
Tucson, AZ – January 21, 2017 An estimated 15,000 people attended the Women’s March that began in Armory Park and ended with a rally at the Joel D. Valdez Library plaza. The event energized those who wanted to dis the 45th President, the conservative Supreme Court Justices, and the GOP members of Congress. America has greatness and the potential to do much more for everyone. Political protests show that We the People must take precedent over We the Oligarchy.
Thanksgiving 2016 – Let’s visit Washington, D.C.
Richard and I put together a last minute trip that turned out great. (Almost as great as my Arts High School senior class trip from Newark to D.C. The girls dressed up and wore high-heeled shoes. Oh, I remember the pain of walking for hours in 3-inch heels.) These many years later, I still had an issue. Since I didn’t bring my dog-walking shoes, my feet barked long and loud. On the plus side, our hotel was the right choice. We stayed at the Fairfield Inn and Suites on H Street, Chinatown – our appetite for sashimi, saki, and rainbow rolls was satisfied within a few easy blocks.
Our five days covered the Woodrow Wilson House, the Library of Congress, the Newseum (ticket is good for two days), and the Lincoln Memorial. We walked the Mall, watched squirrels scamper in the leaves, and took a 2-hour Sunday tour of Georgetown with Dwane Starlin. We spent hours the National Museum of the American Indian. We stood in line for ninety minutes to visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture. (Good luck with that! See my comments on Trip Advisor.) On a rainy Tuesday we did the not-to-be-missed East Building of the National Gallery of Art. The building opened in September and added 12,250 sq. feet of new exhibition space. A movable walkway connects the new space with the West Building.
I took photos of the quirky, the creative, and the somber. The internet has a zillion pictures of D.C. places. My imagination tells me to consider the usual, but I’m more interested in the other.
* * *
Come on back and relax.
A tour of Public Lands & National Parks in the USA
Consider Writing 