Sunday Drive

It was a lovely morning for a drive, so we took Ailleanach to Loon Lake. Here's a sample of the scenery.

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rc

Ugly Gull or More Bad Food

I slept late and wanted to grab a bite before getting ready for work this evening, so we walked to Fishpatrick's Crabby Cafe. It had been recommended to us by friends. What I really wanted was a nice chef's salad, but they didn't have one, so I settled on clam strips. The clam strips were indifferent, neither bad nor good, but the waiter did bring extra horseradish with my cocktail sauce aka catsup. jc described his clam chowder as "barely edible". As the clam strips receded and french fries emerged, they were revealed to be a very dark brown bordering on black. I try to be open minded, so I ate one. It was limp, shriveled, dry, and tasteless. When finally the waiter arrived to check on us, I observed that the fries seemed burnt. He replied, "They are just fresh cut, like in and out; that's the sugar from the fresh potatoes." He offered to run a fresh batch, but I'd already lost my appetite. The icing on the cake: when jc paid the exorbitant bill, he learned that the family run business is owned by people of faith. People of faith who don't mind serving bad food and then lying about it.

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Now that I've got that off my chest, I think I'll try to ID that gull.

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Rose

Leap Day

View of the Coast Range in early morning, taken from Highway 101 north of Gardiner, OR. Just one of the lovely views on my drive home from work.

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rc

Crossing the Island- dream journal

It was time to renew my library card. There was a whole group of us, including Baptist Nun. Matt Damon reviewed our applications and marked the errors in red. I recopied the application and waited in line, but the desk clerk told me it was too late, I would have to come back the next day.

A group of us were walking along a shore trail, with a specific destination in mind. It seemed like a college campus. We were caught in the incoming high tide. I had my swimming suit on, so I took the opportunity to body surf. I saw a video of it later, and noticed that my bikini was on inside out. The beige lining made it look like I wasn't wearing anything. I was aware that I wasn't keeping the dress code, but I didn't really care.

We climbed a steep trail and came to a large house. We went inside and climbed the steps to the attic where the owners, who we clearly didn't know, had a stockpile of clothing and food. Jason picked out a pair of snow pants. He said he might need them on the return trip. I didn't want anything so bulky, so I took a pair of rain pants. Then I saw a ten pound bag of flour that I wanted and decided to take that also.

We went down the steps and were about to leave when we heard someone come in. Heavy footsteps made it sound like the person was in a big rush. The footsteps went to a different part of the house than we were in. I wanted to run out a different entrance, but Jason wanted to hide. I squeezed myself in the space behind a dresser in a dark corner only to realize that my head and upper body were showing. I looked up to see that anyone coming down the stairs would be looking straight at me. At that moment I heard the footsteps coming down the stairs. I bolted from my poor hiding place, looking for another, but it was too late.

A goateed man asked me what I was doing. I explained that we needed to cross the mountain. He said little, sternly staring at me. "I found some rain pants," I faltered; "would it be okay if I took them." After an uncomfortable silence I added, "Of course I'll pay for them." Suddenly several people were waiting to pay at a makeshift cash register. The goateed man was putting on some kind of a show. I dumped the change from my wallet on the floor, counting out pennies and nickels. After waiting a while, I realized there was no longer a line and went up and paid. The flour was leaking everywhere.

Back on the trail, we stopped for a breather and I poked around on a side trail. A short distance away I found a beautiful spot with a view of both sides of the island. A woman passed us on the narrow trail. I pushed myself up tight against the brambles lining the trail to let her by.

Sronnoc Esor

Lawn Daisy

Ironically enough, I sprayed the driveway for weeds (like lawn daisies) today, but the best picture of the day, shooting with my new-to-me 70-210 zoom lens, was this lawn daisy. The ones I sprayed in the driveway hadn't bloomed yet, making the act of mass herbicide much more palatable. A few blooming weeds in the driveway were actually spared.

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Who decides what is a weed or a flower? My neighbor mercilessly uproots johnny-jump-ups in the lawn. To me they are lovely. My thoughts inevitably wander to the human corollary. Who gets to decide who is a good or bad person, worthy of life, or citizenship, or enrollment in elite clubs? I confess to my own fair share of snobbery. I like people who are clean, and pretty, and fit, and above all intelligent.

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How often do I overlook someone who might bloom beautifully because the foliage is unsightly or unwanted?

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rc

Lake of Shining Waters

By no means a good photo, but I love the sparkles on the water, and it reminds me of my childhood favorite Anne of Green Gables, with her penchant for romanticizing things. Some days I think that's not a bad idea after all. I've always identified with Anne-with-an-e.
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Rose-with-an-e

Gone Wading

I was contemplating how best to photograhically represent how positively summery our weather has been when I spotted this young lady enjoying the lake. Granted, I wasn't tempted to join her, but I think she does a nice job of communicating how Mother Nature is making us feel these days.

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In anticipation of our nearing move, we've been discussing getting Shadow used to the traveling. She begins to cry piteously the moment we step out the door with her. Today for the first time since our move nearly a year ago (and her accidental foray out the window) we sat in the truck with her for about ten minutes. She spent most of the time in mommy's lap, but little of it actually crying. More on that later.

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Rose

Sunshine and Flowers

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I embraced the gift of a beautiful sunny day today and coerced jc into going for a walk around town. I was rewarded by seeing the first crocus opening.
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A niggling problem was solved for me today. I'd made a few calls to the person with the answer, but when he heard my name he was suddenly unavailable. He inadvertently dialed my number today, intending to discuss me with a third party, and answered my question.
~
rc

February Fourteen

We got this for ourselves.

rc

Time

There are those who believe that time is a wheel turning forever.
Which would mean that your moment will surely come.
Then, there are those who believe that time is a river.
If that's true, it's possible your moment has already flowed by.
I think that time is just time.

~One-Who-Waits

Northern Exposure

Season 4, Episode 13

"Duets"

Bonaparte's Gull

It is a delight to find this most graceful gull with its dancing flight and delicate form.

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It is also a delight to have more work than I want offered to me. I was forced to stay home and rest tonight after poor day sleep the last few days. Reallly, that makes me plenty happy.

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Good birds.

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Good work.

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Good rest.

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Rose

House of D- movie review

I'm looking forward to more movies from David Duchovny after this gem. It paints a picture of a vast range of human experience and emotion, riddled with clever wordplay and sensitive, emotional acting. Ultimately, Tommy comes to terms with the unresolved angst of his youth with the help of Pappass and "Lady". Highly recommended.

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official website

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rc

I'm a Lie-Abed

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Most people out there would say it was time for me to wake up anyway at three in the afternoon. The only reason I did get up now is a pounding headache fueled by the need for caffeine. I spent most of my life raging in what I believed at the time to be futile resistance against the daily grind of waking at a reasonable hour and being profitable. Most of those years were spent in school: twenty years learning and two years teaching.

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They told us in nursing school that it was a simple fact that you had to accept. Working night shift for the first several years of year nursing career is part of paying your dues. I gladly accepted a job working evenings and began the happiest time of my life. For the first time in my life, my waking was not governed by an alarm clock. jc and I would go to Miami Beach at midnight for diner food at Big Pink. We would go to bed at three am, and I would wake up when I felt like it. Another decision I made at the time was not to work full-time. I had been surviving for years on minimum wage. With nurse's wages, I could afford not to spend my whole life working. jc adopted the philosophy years ago: don't wait until you retire to enjoy life.

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So that brings me to now: working night shift and loving it, waking up only to silence my headache with a cup of Scottish breakfast tea, brewed from loose leaves.

(Pictured above are our tame, wild, yard deer. I threw a banana peel on the compost a few days ago. Yesterday, when I walked out the back door eating a banana, they came begging. The little fellow ate my whole banana and then ran off with the peel. Hope it isn't bad for him.)

Rose

Sunset

Wedding- dream journal

One of the Fisher girls was getting married and we were invited to a three-day, gala, house party in honor of the event. I was going on vacation, and could only make it to some of the party. There were lots of people there and Sue served a fantastic meal. For dessert, she had fresh, hot, buttered biscuits smothered in stewed blackberries. It was so vivid that I could taste it. I started talking to someone who I perceived as one of my cousins, but was really Bob Speary. He had travelled in from the city for the wedding and was very interesting to talk to. I commented that I never expected any of my relatives to actually be interesting, and that it was a pleasant surprise. It was time for me to go, so I rummaged in the closet until I found my purse, which was inside a hatbox. I went out to the car, which was parked halfway down the long, dirt lane to write a check for my expenses for the party. I wrote a check for $100, took it inside, and handed it to Sue, thanking her for the party. Sue mentioned how happy she and Paul had been since they got married the previous year.

As I left the house, I saw Paul filling some kind of tank from three Gerry cans. I instinctively knew that he was getting ready to blow up the whole place. I furtively went out the side door and around the side of the house and ran back down the lane to the car. When I got in the car, it was full of smoke. Mother was sitting in the driver's seat getting high, and she moved over so I could get in. I drove off down the lane. At the end of the lane was a six-lane superhighway. I wanted to make a left, but traffic was too heavy, so I made a right and drove a short distance before making a huge U-turn. I pulled into traffic behind a big box truck loaded with things. I was following so closely that I couldn't see anything bu the stuff in the back of the open truck.

Sronnoc Esor

Mr. Brooks- movie review

Mr. Brooks is some of the best work we've seen from Kevin Costner in a while. It's a psychological thriller, becoming one of my favorite genres, with enough unreality to make it interesting. We're going to watch it again tomorrow.

Bonus: It's set in our soon-to-be new city, Portland.

rc

Particulars- dream journal

I went to some kind of fair with many of my family members. They promised to save me a seat in the small auditorium while I went to check something else out. When I got back, they had given my seat to Rodney Fisher. I turned around and left, and Rodney followed, offering me my seat back. I refused, instead finding a place to nap in the shade. Rodney sat nearby talking to an old man and then singing a beautiful prayer.

Later we were in the airport. We wanted to catch an earlier flight to Las Vegas than the one we had booked, and I went to all the airlines asking, but none were available for the same price. Finally we went to the boarding area to wait.

Sronnoc Esor

Friends

We ran errands today and then went to Coney Station with Ki'il for dinner. After we ate, we sat around drinking beer and smoking clove cigarettes and Swisher Sweets, listening to music and talking about everything from art to suicide.
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Good times.
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Rose

Planning

Port Orford

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We made a trip to Gold Beach for work last night. It's a beautiful drive, and I always enjoy getting in a twelve-hour shift.

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We're in the planning stages of a move to the city. More to come on that, but I can't wait to have the delights of civilization at my doorstep.

~

Rose

Wonky in the Conk

Due to The Heiress's duplicitous ways and inability to compromise and Dahlia Man's complicity, it has been agreed that I will end my association with Dahlia Man, effective immediately. I can't say that I'm not sad about it, but I agree that it has to happen.
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rc

Beautiful

Beauty and joy and laughter surround me today. Sunshine streams brilliantly over the landscape, which is already budding with the new life of a promised spring. The love of family near and far buttresses me. Today I soar on the wings of hope.

Rose

Comfort

Grandma Comfort came to visit with me in my dreams last night. We sat at her kitchen table and talked. She couldn't have come when I needed it more. Her visits are always so tangible and credible to me. It was like a warm hug.

Rose

Giving up on Words

The pictures do a pretty good job of conveying how everything irritates me and I just want to stay in bed and cry, don't they?

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rc

More Frustration

The Heiress, Dahlia Man's niece, is at it again. Sending me a 10-99 for what was originally supposed to be a cash only arrangement. Well, I finally told her what I should have long ago: "I'll do it for nothing. What you were paying me was laughably small anyway."

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rc

Dentist

I had my regularly scheduled, uneventful, dentist visit today. I've come to really hate the dentist, but for no good reason. Anyway it was no big deal.

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Off to work in a few hours.

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rc

Red Alder

Frustration

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I foolishly accepted a one-hour home interview this week. The interview was fairly simple and straightforward. It was faxing the documents that turned into a huge frustration.
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I sent them yesterday. I got two calls today asking for corrections and re-faxing. By the time it was (hopefully) over I was ready to spit bullets.

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rc

Wave- dream journal

I was walking on the beach when the tide started to come in. It came in fast and soon there was no room to walk before the dune. I started to scramble up over the dune when a wave overtook me and knocked me down. Waves were washing over me repeatedly. I was terrified and screaming, but somehow I finally reached safety.

Mother and Father stopped to visit on their way to San Francisco to travel on the Green Tortoise. They said I could come along. I told them I would have to wait until I left Dahlia Man's at seven to leave. Later I realized that it is a ten hour drive to SF, and we could never make it by eleven if we only left at seven. I told Mother and Father and they were very disappointed.

Sronnoc Esor

Sun

The sun finally came out today. It was a welcome change after the recent rain. This appears to be a writing slump for me. Better days will come.

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rc

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(Confidential to Robin: We'll talk soon. I miss you. Kisses to A.E.)

Relax

We watched the movie Once with Ki'il and the Scholar tonight. The music is amazingly beautiful; an excellent recommendation. It continues to rain.

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rc

Bad Food

I've never sent food back at a restaurant before. I'm generally the kind of understanding diner who will even overlook an occasional hair. But tonight I ordered top sirloin, medium rare and got coarsely grained chuck, cooked through. It was the kind of thing I would chop up and put in a stew to simmer for hours. There was a big, mangled hole in the middle of the piece of meat. I considered eating it, but instead sent it back after one bite. The waiter was completely befuddled by my explanation of why it wasn't acceptable, but I did get half off my dinner.
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On a brighter note, I got called in to work last night and tonight, so I'm pleased.
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rc

Happy

The blog really wasn't meant to be a running log of my psychological condition, or to give my readers the impression that I'm in danger of demonstrating manic depressive tendencies. That just seems to be what it has digressed to in the past few days. (sorry)

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Ki'il and I attended our first rock-climbing class last evening. Our continued participation is dependent on the class becoming less full than it currently is, however.

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Coming up: the new Bourne movie should arrive today via Netflix.

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jc promises a new lense will be arriving for the camera, and quite probably a remote as well. Who knows what wonders are in store?

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rc

Like the Weather

I usually like this weather, but today you could say that I feel like the weather instead: dark and rainy.
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rc

Still Dark

After another power outage during the night, today dawned windy, dark and rainy with intermittent snow and hail. We have a fire blazing in the pellet stove, and are settled in just like we're waiting for Saint Nicholas.
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"And the cat by the fire where it's warmer and drier has the best winter home of them all."
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Rose

Windy Day

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I was driven out of the house by a brief power outage, so I rode around town looking for birds to start my 2008 list. I got this image while chasing Bonaparte's Gulls on Halfmoon Bay. Home now, and with the power back on, I'm studying my newly arrived Rosetta Stone Korean program.

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Rose

What's the Gender of my Brain?

You are here: BBC > Science & Nature > Human Body & Mind > Brain sex
(Click the link to take the test.)
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Your personal brain score: 20% male
Average score for MEN who've taken this survey: 50% male
Average score for WOMEN who've taken this survey: 50% female
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The scale below is an indication of where you fall in the male-female brain continuum. The results are based on the angles, spot the difference, 3D shapes and words tasks. Bear in mind that your performance may be affected by many factors in addition to gender, like age and intelligence.
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PART ONE: ANGLES
This task tested your ability to identify the angle of a line by matching it with its twin. This is a spatial task, which looks at how you picture space.
Your score: 17 out of 20
Average score for men: 15.1 out of 20
Average score for women: 13.3 out of 20
What does your result suggest?
If you scored 13 - 17: You found this test neither hard nor easy. This suggests your brain has male and female traits when it comes to spatial ability.
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Spot the difference
This task tested your ability to identify which objects changed position.

Your score: 57%
Average score for men: 39%
Average score for women: 46%
If you scored between 34 - 66%: You may have a balanced female-male brain.
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PART TWO: HANDS
You said your right thumb was on top when you clasped your hands together.
Right thumb on top: This suggests the left half of your brain is dominant. Many studies have tried to establish whether there is a relationship between handedness and brain dominance. Some scientists believe that if you are left brain dominant, you would be more verbal and analytical.
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PART THREE: EMOTIONS AND SYSTEMS
This task looked at whether you prefer to empathise or systemise.
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Empathising
Your empathy score is: 14 out of 20
Average score for men: 7.9 out of 20
Average score for women: 10.6 out of 20
Empathisers are better at accurately judging other people's emotions and responding appropriately. If you scored 15 and above, you are very empathic and would be an ideal person to comfort people in a time of crisis. Women in general are better at empathising.
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Systemising
Your systemising score is: 8 out of 20
Average score for men: 12.5 out of 20
Average score for women: 8.0 out of 20
Systemisers prefer to investigate how systems work. A system can be a road map, flat pack furniture, or a mathematical equation – anything that follows a set of rules. A score of 15 and above suggests you're good at analysing or building systems. Men in general are better at systemising.
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Eyes
This task tested your ability to judge people's emotions.
Your score: 7 out of 10
Average score for men: 6.6 out of 10
Average score for women: 6.6 out of 10
If you scored 7 - 10: Your result suggests you are a good empathiser, sensitive to other people's emotions. Women generally fall into this category.
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PART FOUR: FINGERS
We asked you to measure your ring and index fingers. Your ratios came to:
Right Hand: 1
Left Hand: 1.01
Average ratio for men: 0.982
Average ratio for women: 0.991
It's thought that your ratio is governed by the amount of testosterone you were exposed to in your mother's womb. The ratio of the length of your index finger to the length of your ring finger is set for life by as early as three months after conception. Even during puberty, when we experience intensive hormonal changes, the ratio stays the same. Men generally have a ring finger that is longer than their index finger, which gives them a lower ratio than women, whose ring and index fingers are usually of equal length. Studies have found that men and women with lots of brothers generally have more masculine finger ratios.
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PART FIVE: FACES
This task looked at how you rate the attractiveness of a series of faces.
Your choices suggest you prefer more feminine faces.
Highly masculinised male faces possess more extreme testosterone markers such as a long, broad and lower jaw, as well as more pronounced brow ridges and cheekbones. Interestingly, women's preferences are said to vary across the menstrual phase. A more masculine face is preferred during the 9 days prior to ovulation, (I am near ovulation now) when conception is most likely. A typical 'attractive' female face possesses features such as a shorter, narrower, lower jaw, fuller lips and larger eyes than an average face.
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PART SIX: 3D SHAPES
This task tested your ability to mentally rotate 3D shapes.
Your score: 12 out of 12
Average score for men: 8.2 out of 12
Average score for women: 7.1 out of 12
If you scored 10 - 12: Are you an engineer or do you have a science background? People with these skills tend to score in this range. Past studies have concluded that people in this range have a more male brain. Nearly a third of men who took this test got full marks, whereas less than 10 per cent of women managed the same.
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Words
This task looked at your verbal fluency.
Your score: you associated 10 word(s) with grey and you named 8 word(s) that mean happy. (18 total)

Average score for men: 11.4 words total
Average score for women: 12.4 words total
If you produced 6 - 10 words: Most people in this range have a female-type brain. Women are said to use both sides of the brain when doing verbal tasks while men mainly use their left side. Studies have shown that girls develop vocabulary faster than boys. This difference in brain power is caused by levels of pre-natal testosterone.
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Ultimatum
This task asked you how you would divide money.
If you had to split £50 with someone, you said you would demand £25
So far on the Sex ID test, men have demanded 51.6% (£25.80) of the pot and women have demanded 51.0% (£25.50), on average. Sex differences are small in this task. Demanding less than 60% of the pot (ie £30) is more typically female. Demanding more than 65% of the pot (ie £32.50) is more typically male. Scientists believe that people with lower testosterone levels tend to take fewer risks so they are probably more willing to keep less for themselves. Those with higher testosterone levels tend to drive a harder bargain and are less compromising.
Men's testosterone levels fluctuate over the seasons and are at their lowest levels
during the springtime. This is said to influence their bargaining power.

Happy New Year

We met Ki'il for dinner this evening and she suggested we go to the dance club. It was my first time at a dance club. Their beer selection consisted of things like Budweiser and Coors, so I settled for a Corona and people-watching.

rc

The Skeleton Key- movie review

The Skeleton Key is creepily, mind-bendingly, thrillingly scary. It is impossible to stop thinking about it. This is one of the ones that has me checking the closet at night. It is ultimately a glorious treat for the mind.
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They can't hurt you if you don't believe; but oh, the lengths they'll take to make you believe.
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rc

Dune Islands

There's no big news here. I survived the first day of another period. This one was a little worse than usual, but nowhere near what it used to be. I just got a call from my employer, offering me guaranteed work for January, which is welcome since I've been getting cancelled frequently lately. Later I need to clean the kitchen and wash the sheets, and maybe I'll cook. Ki'il just emailed me details of the rock-climbing class we're going to audit together.

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Life is good.

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Rose

More Solstice Tide

Finally, I got to go to work. I'm bored with vacation and days off and more vacation. So my Christmas celebration today (which I didn't intend to celebrate anyway) consists of sleeping all day in my hotel room and then eating pad thai and lemongrass chicken with vegetables and rice while watching You've Got Mail on HBO. An old favorite. And more work tonight (hopefully).

Rose

Solstice High Tide

I went for a walk on the beach today, getting sideswiped by a "sneaker wave" and soaked above the knees. The high tide during this solstice full moon was near nine feet, bringing the foam from the waves right up to the dune grass. It's a lovely Oregon cloudy sunny day with storm clouds and rainbows.

rc

Happy Solstice

(Coast Salish artist Joe Jack)

Daylight lengthens
Our spirits rise with the sun
A new spring approaches
Hope is reborn in the heart

Ferndale, Calif.

Ki'il and I woke up a little late this morning, and I felt a little worse for the wear after last night's celebrating. We had breakfast, I took Ibuprofen, and we hit the road. A few miles into the Valley of the Giants I realized that I would never make it home for my afternoon appointment with Dahlia Man. I made a few calls and arranged things. At the advice of the Scholar's Grandpa we turned off into Ferndale, a very lovely Victorian style town. The town's highlight for us was the beautiful hillside cemetery.
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After eating lunch in Eureka, we let a hitchiker jump in the bed of the truck, made good time getting home, and I'm now back in my bed.
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Rose

Going Home- Part One

We woke up in the early morning rain as we pulled into the San Francisco bus station. We wriggled into our clothes under the cover of our bags, then packed sleeping bags into stuff sacks and awkwardly said goodbye to strangers who had become friends in just a few days. Ki'il and I then shouldered our packs and walked the five blocks to the ferry terminal. We had pastries and coffee while we waited for the ferrry. Sitting on the ferry, we enjoyed comparing our observations and experiences of people and places on the trip. Grandpa picked us up; Grandma had breakfast waiting, and we visited for a few hours before hitting the road.

We wound through the picturesque Napa Valley and finally emerged on 101. We had a delicious meal of Mexican food at some little hole in the wall, then drove until dark. We decided to get a hotel for the night, giggled at the $140 Benbow Inn with valets, and settled on Best Western. We sipped a few glasses of merlot at their wine and cheese tasting, then sat in the hot tub drinking beers. We then enjoyed hot showers and more girl talk before getting under the sheets of separate queen beds with no knees or elbows invading our space and slept deeply and comfortably.

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Rose

Green Tortoise- Day Four- Mosaic Canyon

I woke up still tired, ate some oatmeal, broke camp, and slept in the bus for a while even after we arrived at Mosaic Canyon. By now I was growing weary of being on the road and longed for the quiet solitude of home with jc and the kitties in bed with me. After a short nap, I ventured into the canyon and was rewarded for my efforts with beautiful marble and tile.

We drove to an enclosed hot spring, which I skipped, where we had dinner and packed the bus for the last time. From there we drove all night, once again bundled together on the sleeping platforms. By this time some coupling had occurred, and there were often four legs together in the sleeping pattern.

rc

Green Tortoise- Day Three- Ubehebe Crater

I awoke in the early hours of the morning with cold feet and a full bladder to the musical sound of a pack of coyotes passing near the camp. I resisted goin out in the cold as long as I could before making the walk to the bathroom. The brilliant, starry, night sky illuminated the landscape, making the trip worth it, even though the frigid toilet seat practically foiled the real purpose of the excursion. Back at the tent, I dug through my pack for extra fleece pants and another pair of socks and bundled back into my mummy sack, still in hat, gloves, and coat, with only a hole big enough for air. Finally, I got warm and woke again later only after the sun had risen and begun its warming work. After a breakfast of French toast and fruit, I washed dishes and then got ready for the day.

Ubehebe Crater

We drove about an hour to Ubehebe Crater. It was windy and cold at the top and I felt a little queasy after the ride, so I enjoyed the solitude on the bus while everyone else hiked, taking the opportunity to begin my primitive blogging on paper.

At our next stop, we hiked out onto the sand dunes and watched the sunset. The more adventurous ones in the group ran up one side of the dunes and tumbled end over end down the other.

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When we got back to camp, dinner was ready. After eating and cleanup, a group of us walked to Furnace Creek Resort for a swim and a hot shower. The pool is fed by a hot spring and steam rises from its surface in the cold night. Later, warm and dry and wearing clean clothes, we went to the Corkscrew Saloon where I sipped Guinness and listened to the jukebox.

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I foolishly got separated from the others on the walk back to camp and walked around for what seemed like much longer than the few minutes it really was before finally locating the camp. Tonight, I was dressed warmly enough and didn't get too cold.

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Rose

Green Tortoise- Day Two- Golden Canyon

Red Cathedral, Golden Canyon

We awoke to a changed landscape of desolate desert and sagebrush. A few wild horses grazed by the roadside. Soon we stopped to prepare a breakfast of bagels with lox and fruit salad. Then we set off down the trail. George, a lab tech originally from Burma, and I set out ahead as the group loitered at the viewpoint. We hiked down a wash with a wide palette of colors rising up in the rocks on each side. We bent to walk through a short tunnel that water had carved clear through one formation. We saw virtually no plant life of any kind. We emerged from the rock canyon to a stunning view of the Panamint Moutans on the other side of the wide valley. A few other hikers emerged from Golden Canyon at the same time we arrived at the meeting place, and we realized we must have missed the signpost where we should have turned toward Manly's Beacon. We were early, so I hiked back up the canyon to meet Ki'il. When the canyon opened to reveal the Red Cathedral, I was glad that I had come back.

marble canyon wall

I found Ki'il hiking with a multilingual French geologist named Sebastian, who explained how oxidation changes Fe3 to Fe2 to form the contrasting red and green in the rock walls. I got my sack lunch out of Ki'il's pack and ate as we walked.

salt crystals at Badwater Basin

The sun was setting quickly, so we made a quick stop at the salt flats at Badwater Basin, the lowest elevation in the US at 282 feet below sea level.

A short ride brought us to our camp at Furnace Creek. We pitched the tent and I chopped mushrooms, onions and garlic for dinner; a burrito bar. I washed down my burrito with Newcastle brown ale, then sat around a sputtering fire for a while before going to bed early.
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Rose