Change Is Hard

…but change is certain.


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Alcatrz musings

Alcatraz…what is there to say except that I’m glad I never lived there.  Such sadness in such an idyllic spot with views to die for.  Some did.

The cells were tiny, spare, hard.  The best ones had sunlight.  Solitary confinement cells didn’t have any light at all.  We got to go inside a solitary confinement cell while the guard shut the door with a clang.  Six or seven of us stood silent in the hot, humid total darkness.

Freedom makes a person smile.

So much tragedy here, the images are ghostly, faint, movie-like, and yet they were real.  Much is told by people that lived the story.  As one said, “Not much good came out of a stay on the rock.”

Still there were bits of beauty if you looked very carefully.  The color of a roof…

…the shape of a plant…

…the yawn of a bird.

This is an amazing place.  A place to take away lessons about resiliency and hope.

A place I won’t soon forget.


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Golden day in San Fran

Yesterday we wore ourselves out walking in San Fransisco, starting with the Golden Gate Bridge.

Then taking a bus tour through San Fransisco…

…leaving us on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge in Sauceleto where we wandered around and listened to street musicians.

We took a ferry back to San Fransisco…

…then walked about a gazillion blocks, past protesters at the Federal Reserve…

….and took a cable car back to the Wharf.

We are tired.

And I won’t even talk about the naked guys on the beach or protesting Wall Street bailouts in front of the Fed.  Sorry, no pictures of that!

Today we’re on our way to Alcatraz.

 


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Stary PS

The TV weather people said we have fog this morning, but out with the dog just moments ago the stars were bright.  And as I was looking at Orion’s belt and talking to Mom a huge and gorgeous shooting star shot across the sky from north to south.  It looked like it was in two pieces.  I think.  Or maybe my startled eye was just slow and there was only one and the memory of where the one had been a moment before.

One or two, I’m sure it was just Mom sending out a greeting to Katie and me.


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Sunflower inspiration

Out along a country road someone plants sunflowers.  They crowd each other between the corn fields and the road.  They go on for almost a mile.  Every year I remind myself that I need to stop and take pictures.  Every year the frost gets to them before I do.

But this year I was inspired by PJ’s sunflower photo, and the one over on Gerry’s blog.  So last weekend Katie and I went out specifically to get some photos.  Katie had to stay in the car, but she was OK with that.

I had a great time standing among the sunflowers.

Katie was very patient.

She’s gotten used to this Mama and the camera thing.  As long as she gets to ride in the car she’s totally supportive.

Treats are good too.


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Stary anniversary

Some of you know that when I’m out with the dog and the stars are hanging bright I look to the sky for my Mom and Dad.  For me Dad is the big dipper, Mom is Orion’s belt.  Sometimes during the year they are both there in the sky together, Dad to the north, Mom to the south.  But during the summer months Orion’s constellation swings too far south for me to see, and sometimes I can’t see the big dipper either.

I smiled this morning when Katie and I went out in the predawn hours and I saw  both constellations shining down on us.  I was glad to see them together again; it was totally appropriate.  Today is their fifty-ninth wedding anniversary.

Happy anniversary.  I miss you.