Category: Travel

Rabbit Hole

Life on the Edge … We all spend time here, wondering if our balance will leave us … falling … into the rabbit hole. That is where I am, at the moment – balanced at the edge of the rabbit hole.

My water system collapsed. Not totally, as I had 600 gallons stored, so just rationing at the moment while we work to get it back up and running. Will take a week or two. Not a good thing at the beginning of fire season.

My dog was missing for 4 days, and returned in bad shape as you all know.

I leave for Morocco in one week on a trip that has been planned for a year.

I am behind in my work. This isn’t new, but with leaving, it is just a tad more added stress.

Oh, and the swine flu pandemic. Is this really a good time to be traveling? 

How deep is this rabbit hole, anyway?

The swine flu is on everybody’s mind. Big Sur is susceptible, as we have visitors from all over the world. It is the beginning of the tourist season. Monterey County has designated the Big Sur Health Clinic as a “sentinel” site. Which means close monitoring, although it has neither of the two treatment medicines available.

The WHO (World Health Organization) has just upgraded the level of the swine flu (H1N1 – wtf is this? We can’t call it swine flu anymore?) to one level below a full blown pandemic. A little boy in TX (visiting from Mexico) died yesterday. This is the first death in the US. My friend has been on a cruise from Florida through the Panama Canal. They stopped in Mexico, although canceled the Cabo stop due to the flu. I would imagine when it docks in San Diego tomorrow, the passengers will be checked for flu symptoms. My concern is for those people who serve the motoring public here, and have contact with literally hundreds of people a day.

As for me, my advice is: Wash your hands, often and  keep your hands away from your face.  If you can, join me in dancing around this rabbit hole we call life, and have fun … and encourage others  to do the same. What else can we do?

There’s no place like home, Toto

Managed to stay out in front of the Colorado/Utah storms by mere inches, and came home Friday afternoon to gorgeous weather here on the coast. Sorting through a thousand photos, it seems, and will post a few of my faves.

Don’t forget the Gold & the Jade presentation and dinner at TreBones this weekend to benefit PUSD. See Announcements for details.

Details about the re-opening of the State Park to follow as soon as the details are as clear as mud. Like all programs resting on state funding, everything is up in the air, and changes moment to moment.

Another random Big Sur photo for you to identify in the next week. Otherwise, have a great weekend, everyone!!

Black Dragon Canyon, UT

 

Black Dragon Canyon, UT, originally uploaded by wind_dancer.

Thankfully, we had some good weather today, but tomorrow? Oh, my read the post below!!

Utah Weather Alert

This is what is predicted for us tonight and tomorrow, as we are in the Southern Utah mountains! Oh, my!! I guess my trip to Zion National Park is out.

… WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 4 PM MDT THURSDAY…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SALT LAKE CITY HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW… WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 4 PM MDT THURSDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

THIS WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS FOR THE SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS OF UTAH.

SNOW IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS THIS EVENING. THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL WILL DEVELOP LATE TONIGHT… AND REMAIN HEAVY AT TIMES THROUGH EARLY THURSDAY AFTERNOON. THE SNOW WILL TURN SHOWERY LATER THURSDAY AFTERNOON… WITH ACCUMULATING SNOWS ENDING OVER MOST AREAS LATE IN THE DAY. STORM TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 10 TO 18 INCHES ARE EXPECTED FROM THIS EVENT.

WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME STRONG AND GUSTY WITH THE PASSAGE OF THIS STORM SYSTEM. AREAS OF CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY.

And this is what we drove through on Vail Pass, CO yesterday, and the snow was primarily the day before and today. It did snow on us as we passed through, however, so this has definitely been an interesting trip.

dsc_1494

Mountain Lion

 

Mountain Lion, originally uploaded by wind_dancer.

Today, the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo with my daughter and grandkids for my daughter’s birthday, and then dinner at the old Railroad Depot. Snow at higher elevations, but Colorado Springs got nada. Cold, though.

Springtime in the Colorado Rockies, 3/22/09

This is just one photo of Springtime in the Colorado Rocky Mtns., on I-70, just before Leadville. Lots of skiing going on, and more, after tomorrow’s storm blows through! The second shows the altimeter.

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dsc_1205That’s 10,400 ft.

One of the many gifts my parents gave me was the gift of seeing most of the western national parks when I was growing up — long before they were crowded. My step-dad also gave me the gift of teaching me how to backpack up some incredible mountains, carrying everything I would need on my back for camping out in the woods. While both my mother and brother were campers, they did not share our love for backpacking.

Today, I saw Pike’s Peak for the first time in a long time. My step-dad and I hiked that, but I cannot remember how far up we got. We did get to the top of San Gregornio and San Jacinto, though, in other years. As I get older, and continue to function with only one leg, those experiences take on new meaning, knowing I was able to have them in my life. Many do not. Ever.