Where in the World is Rose Red?

Scone & Tea at The Enchanted Tea Room

2012-01-31T22:32:00.000-08:00

I had a pot of Earl Grey cream tea with bergamot and a large plain scone just out of the oven with cherry jam and clotted cream this afternoon at The Enchanted Tea Room at 5th & Washington in downtown Vancouver. They had rearranged the shop again. I really liked it. I sat at a small table in front of the window. I found out that they are moving the shop later this month to a place two doors north of the historic Kiggins Theater. It will be a much better location. After I finished my scone and tea I drove to the new location where I took photos (see picture) and coords for my Waymark.

Catherine M. Wilson, Professional Engineer 1/9/2012

2012-01-11T15:09:00.000-08:00

My youngest daughter, Catherine, received the letter today from Oregon State Board of Examiners for Engineering & Land Surveying. She successfully passed the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying Principles and Practice of Engineering examination given on 10/28/2011. She is now a Professional Engineer; esp. qualified in Civil Engineering effective 1/9/2012. A certificate suitable for framing will be sent to her in 6 to 8 weeks.

She is a very talented violinist; great at finding geocaches; and loves period films especially "Downton Abbey".

Rituxan Cancer Treatment - January 2012

2012-01-10T12:38:00.000-08:00

I was diagnosed three years ago with low-grade B cell lymphoproliferative disorder. I have been putting off treatments as I have no symptoms other than occasional tiredness. My HGB fluctuated between 9.5 and 8.3. I have decided finally to Bite the Bullet (from the film of the same name). I will be doing four treatments each Monday beginning Jan 9 (yesterday) of Rituxan/Rituximab (Injection).

Waymarking Afternoon Tea's

2011-12-20T09:47:00.000-08:00

I've had Afternoon Tea at several Tea Rooms/Restaurants lately so I could Waymark them. Waymarking is part of Geocaching and, for the most part, I consider Waymarking a failure. I have created over a 1000 Waymarks. I was the first to Bingo on the Waymark Category Grid having 20 Waymarks in a row. Since then I have four additional Bingos. I enjoy creating Waymarks however I rarely visit Waymarks. And cachers rarely visit my Waymarks. Waymarks do not get counted for Geocaching finds.

Afternoon Tea at Salty's, Portland, Oregon

2011-12-19T23:33:00.001-08:00

I had Afternoon Tea at Salty's this afternoon. I was seated at a corner table with a view of the Columbia River. I was served sandwiches with a pot of Earl Grey tea, cookies and desserts. The sandwiches were Shrimp & Crab Salad with Cucumber, Smoked Salmon Canapes and Egg Salad sandwich. The cookies were Shortbread with Candy Cane, Caramel Almond Cookie, Macaroon and Rainbow Stripe. There were four delicious desserts especially the Cheesecake. The sandwiches were not the traditional Afternoon Tea sandwiches however the cookies and desserts were quite impressive.

American Queen Sternwheeler presentation at The Quarry, Vancouver, Washington

2011-12-13T19:44:00.000-08:00

I went to a presentation this afternoon at The Quarry in east Vancouver, WA for the American Queen sternwheeler. American Queen is the largest steamboat ever built. The ship was built in 1995 and is a six-deck recreation of a classic Mississippi riverboat, built by the Delta Queen Steamboat Company. Although the American Queen's stern paddlewheel is indeed powered by a genuine steam plant, her secondary propulsion and much maneuverability comes from a set of diesel-electric propellers, known as Z-drives, on either side of the sternwheel. She has 222 state rooms for a capacity of 436 guests and a crew of 160. She is 418 feet (127 m) long and 89 feet (27 m) wide.

The Great American Steamboat Company has plans to return her to Mississippi River service from a port in Memphis, Tennessee in April 2012. She will re-join her fellow sternwheeler steamboats Natchez, Chautauqua Belle, Minne-Ha-Ha, and the Belle of Louisville. In 2012 the American Queen will participate for the first time in the Great Steamboat Race.

Following the presentation we had coffee, tea, iced tea, fruit platter, cheese and crackers platter, pecan tarts, doughnuts (Beignets) and bread pudding with bourbon sauce. I saw a bright red 1957 Ford Thunderbird on display at the Front Entrance as I left The Quarry.

Afternoon Tea at Myrtle's Tea Room in Ridgefield, Washington

2011-12-07T15:40:00.000-08:00

My daughter, Catherine, and I had Afternoon Tea at noon at the new location of Myrtle's Tea Room in Ridgefield, Washington on the Opening Day, December 7. The first course was a strawberry sorbet. We had dainty tea sandwiches, a bowl of tomato bisque soup and fresh fruit followed by a scone and desserts. And, of course, a large pot of Holiday Tea. We really enjoyed the Holiday Tea! We drove the Scenic Drive back to Vancouver.

Villages of Mt. Hood 2011 Geocoin Challenge and Afternoon Tea at Chariteas

2011-12-05T17:29:00.000-08:00

My daughter, Catherine, and I left Vancouver a little after 9:00AM hopeing that the fog would lift and the icy roads would have melted. Well the fog went away but the roads were quite icy. We saw a wreck with fire engine and ambulance and a bit further a white pickup was being pulled up an embankment by a tow truck shortly after leaving Sandy, traveling eastbound on Hwy 26. We found the required caches for the Mt. Hood Geocoin Challenge.

We stopped to have Afternoon Tea at Chariteas, a lovely tea room in Sandy, Oregon. We had scones served with jam and clotted cream, assorted tea sandwiches, homemade dessert (lemon tarts and brownies), and, of course, a pots of tea. I took several photographs at the tea room. It was a lovely drive. Many of the trees still had golden and red autumn leaves, the sky was blue with a white moon, and there was a clear view of the snow-capped Mt. Hood.

We visited Jonsrud Viewpoint. A high bluff provided a spectacular vantage point for viewing the portion of the Sandy River and Devil's Backbone the Oregon Trail pioneers crossed on their route over Mt. Hood along the historic Barlow Road. I read about the early pioneers who settled in the area around Sandy on one of the Interpretive Signs and the other Interpretive Sign pointed out the Sandy River valley and Devil's Backbone. It a an absolutely clear, crisp afternoon. We could see Mt. Hood in the distance, the valley floor, farmlands and Sandy River.

Afternoon Tea at Chariteas, Sandy, Oregon

2011-12-01T18:50:00.000-08:00

I drove 33 miles from Vancouver, Washington to Sandy, Oregon to have Afternoon Tea at Chariteas. I chose the English Tea: scones served with clotted cream, soup/salad (I chose the chicken and wild rice soup; it was delicious), four assorted tea sandwiches, homemade dessert, and, of course, a pot of darjeeling tea. During and afterwards I took several photographs so I could Waymark the tea room. It was a lovely drive. Many of the trees still had golden and red autumn leaves, the sky was blue with a white, puffy clouds and there was a clear view of the snow-capped Mt. Hood.

Afternoon Tea at Lady Di's in Lake Oswego, Oregon

2011-11-28T17:09:00.000-08:00

My daughter, Catherine, and I had a lovely Afternoon Tea after finding the caches for the Wilsonville Geocoin Challenge. We each had a different sandwich cut into four squares (so we exchanged two squares), a small turnover, mini quiche, scone with strawberry jam and clotted cream, fruit and four mini desserts. And, of course, we each had a pot of tea. It was quite lovely.

Afternoon Tea at the Lavender Bleu Tea Room, West Linn, Oregon

2011-11-26T22:06:00.000-08:00

My daughter, Catherine, and I had Afternoon Tea at the Lavender Bleu Tea Room in the historic district of West Linn, Oregon after finding the caches for the West Linn Geocoin Challenge. We enjoyed the full tea with sorbet, soup and a tiered tray filled with homemade scones, sandwiches, fruit and desserts. And, of course, we each had a pot of tea of our choice. It was a lovely fall day.

Meeting Ernest Gann, author at Roche Harbor Resort, San Juan Island

2011-11-20T19:04:00.000-08:00

Returning from a recent visit to the San Juan Islands I recalled that my husband, Paul, and his co-workers had met San Juan Island's Greatest Adventurer, author Ernest K. Gann, in 1972. Paul and his co-workers had chartered a sailboat to explore Puget Sound for four or five days. One day about dusk they were walking along the dock at Roche Harbor Resort where they were staying on their sailboat. They saw this jewel of a power boat about 32 feet long. It was fashioned like a tugboat, beautifully made with quality throughout.

While they were admiring the boat, Ernest Gann walked up. His son who was first mate on a freighter, was with him. The men talked to Ernest Gann and his son for a few minutes, especially Ernest, about his boat which had recently been newly refitted. Ernest and his son were civil and answered the men's questions but were obviously more interested in continuing their own talk which the men had interrupted.

Ernest Gann's major works include the novel "The High and the Mighty" and his aviation focused, near-autobiography "Fate Is the Hunter".

In 1966 Ernest and his second wife, Dodie, purchased Red Mill Farm, an 800-acre spread on San Juan Island, Washington. They later donated the bulk of their ranch to the San Juan Preservation Trust. On December 19, 1991, Gann died at San Juan Island, at the age of 81. In Friday Harbor, a cafe named "Ernie's Cafe" was opened in honor of his accomplishments.

Road Scholar (formerly known as Elderhostel), Boston, MA

2011-11-14T15:41:00.000-08:00

You can register for a Road Scholar (formerly known as Elderhostel) program by calling Boston toll free at (877) 426-8056, Monday through Friday, 9:00am to 6:00pm Eastern Time. You may also reginster online at www.roadscholar.org. Outside the U.S. or Canada: (978)323-4141. The Road Scholar program offers educational and adventurous trips to all 50 states and over 90 countries. I have attended approximately 44 Elderhostel/Road Scholar Programs. I had never been to the San Juan Islands so I thoroughly enjoyed my recent Road Scholar program at San Juan, Orcas and Lopez Islands. My all-time favorite Elderhostel/Road Scholar programs have been in Seattle.

Daughters of the British Empire in Oregon Afternoon Tea

2011-11-12T15:09:00.001-08:00

This afternoon I attended the Daughters of the British Empire in Oregon Afternoon Tea in Lake Oswego, Oregon. I sat at a table for four so two women from Lake Oswego joined me. It was a lovely afternoon tea that included three finger sandwiches: English Cucumber & Cream Cheese Sandwich, Chicken Cranberry Sandwich and Curried Egg Salad Sandwich; Sausage Roll; Scone with Strawberry Jam and Cream; and desserts: Green Christmas Tree Cookie, Shortbread, Almond Toffee Bar and a Wrapped Chocolate Candy along with freshly brewed Tetley British Blend Tea. It was a bit of a drive from Vancouver, WA to Lake Oswego, OR but well worth it!

PE Civil Engineering Exam at Salem, Oregon October 28, 2011

2011-11-08T22:32:00.000-08:00

My youngest daughter, Catherine, took the PE Civil Engineering Exam at Salem, Oregon on Friday, October 28, 2011. She felt that she got an "A" on the morning exam and a "B" on the afternoon, a more difficult, exam. However she has to wait until January for the result.

Day 8 - Trip to the San Juan Islands

2011-11-08T13:35:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, November 5, we got up at 5:30am so we could get to the ferry at 6:45 to catch the 8:05 Washington State Ferry to Anacortes. Catherine got a cup of coffee and I got a blueberry muffin at the Ferry Landing Cafe. We saw the sunrise as we crossed the Salish Sea.

We found several Geocaches in Anacortes. I got the coordinates and several photos so I could waymark the Guemes Island Ferry Terminal. We got breakfast at McDonalds at 10:20am. We followed Marine Drive along the coastline. We stopped to photograph the Havekost Monument and Deception Pass & Bridge. We had planned to have Afternoon Tea in Coupeville or Mukilteo but both tea rooms were permanently closed. How disappointing!

We rode the 3:00pm ferry from Clinton to Mukilteo. Traffic was slow into Seattle. We purchased sandwiches at Albertsons in Mill Creek at 4:15 which we ate later at a park sitting in the car. We stopped at McDonalds in Tacoma for ice cream at 6:20. We got home about 9:00. It was a great trip but we were glad to be home!

Day 7 - Trip to the San Juan Islands

2011-11-08T11:11:00.001-08:00

The Road Scholar program concluded after the 7:30am buffet breakfast. Catherine and I made peanut butter and jam sandwiches to have for lunch on the road. We left the motel about 10:00 to further explore San Juan Island.

We did not find a few caches and found some caches. We visited Fairweather Park near the harbor, found a benchmark at the Court House in Friday Harbor, photograped a huge Pacific Madrone tree, the Lime Kilm Lighthouse and the Lime Kilns at Lime Kiln Park, and photographed Roche Harbor and the Hotel de Haro.

The story of Roche Harbor began more than 200 years ago, in 1787, when Captain de Haro and his crew became the first Europeans to actually sail among the forested San Juan Islands. In 1886, John McMillin transformed a sleepy Hudson Bay outpost into a full-fledged lime works and company town with a population bigger than Friday Harbor (800+ residents). Seven decades later, the Tarte Family restored buildings and cleared the way for Roche Harbor’s metamorphosis into a boatel and resort. Catherine photographed the McMillin house now a hotel.

I had a cup of Earl Grey hot tea in the lobby of the Hotel de Haro where I saw Theodore Roosevelt's signature on the hotel register in a glass case. Catherine and I wandered around the hotel's formal flower gardens. We saw the old lime kilns. I parked on the hillside and walked across to the fenced gravesites. Regrettably I did not visit the Mausoleum housing the McMillan family, the founders of Roche Harbor. John McMillan was a Sigma Chi as well as a Freemason, so he built the mausoleum with a lot of symbolic architecture.

We purchased Deli sandwiches, chips, Diet Coke and candy bars at Kings Market in Friday Harbor to have for dinner in our room. I cleaned out and organized the car. We headed home the next day.

Day 6 - Trip to the San Juan Islands

2011-11-08T09:03:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, November 3, the Road Scholars had an early 7:00am buffet breakfast. We departed at 8:30 on the inter-island ferry for Lopez Island. The island is locally famous for the longstanding custom of waving at every motorist, bicyclist, or pedestrian encountered on the island's roads.

We had a talk "Farming Lopez: A Year in the Life of a Sheep" by Bruce Dunlop at the Historic Port Stanley Schoolhouse. Bruce owns and operates the small, diversified and environmentally friendly livestock farm and specialty food business called Lopez Island Farm. At 11:15 we had sack lunches at the Schoolhouse.

We toured the Bruce Dunlop's Lopez Island Farm from 12:00-1:00. Afterwards we toured the Lopez Community Land Trust housing development showcasing sustainable design, construction and landscaping techniques. I was very interested in the sun oven and the design and construction of the houses.

We had free time in Lopez Village from 2:00-3:15. I got a cup of Wild Blackberry Ice Cream. Catherine and I found a Geocache nearby. We departed Lopez Island on the 3:50 inter-island ferry arriving in Friday Harbor at 5:10. I purchased a glass paperweight made in the San Juans at Island Studios.

We had a buffet dinner at 5:30 in the Motel's conference room. We had a Special Musical Farewell by Folk Singer Michael Cohen at 7:30. He is the leader of a local group of musicians called "Sugar on the Floor" who performs historical music, tunes, and dances from the folk traditions. Cohen has worked with the Smithsonian Institution in searching for and cataloging American folk tunes. John Pachuta, our Group Leader, showed slides he had taken during the past week.

Day 5 - Trip to the San Juan Islands

2011-11-07T20:50:00.001-08:00

On Wednesday, November 2, after a 7:30am buffet breakfast the Road Scholars departed on the bus for a San Juan Island excursion. Today we explored the south side of the island: Lavender Farm (there are over 40 species and hundreds of varieties of lavender), San Juan Island National Historic Park (American Camp) with its rare coastal prairie, marine views, and unique history, and Cattle Point/South Beach, the longest stretch of beach in the Islands. On a clear day you can see the Olympic Mountains across the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

We had buffet lunch at the motel Conference Room. We visited the San Juan Historical Museum (the James King Farmhouse was built in 1894 after his log cabin burned down; the Scribner log cabin was built in 1891 and moved to the museum grounds in 1988). We had a group photo on the front lawn. Marianne Hanson sent me a copy taken by her camera.

We next visited the Whale Museum, the nation's first museum dedicated to whales living in the wild. I watched an interesting film on Orcas (Orcinus orca). The islands are famous for their resident pods of Orcas. There are three resident pods that eat salmon but also some transicent orcas that come to take Harbor seals.

Afterwards we had open time to explore Friday Harbor. We had a buffet dinner at 5:30pm. At 6:45 Guest Artist Lee Brooks showed and talked about her artwork.

Day 4 - Trip to the San Juan Islands

2011-11-07T20:19:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, November 1, after an early 7:00 buffet breakfast, the Road Scholars boarded the inter-island ferry at 8:30 for the scenic cruise to Orcas Island. We visited the Lambiel Museum. Leo Lambiel is a private art collector of the works of well over a hundred artists created in San Juan County. The private residence included a faux Grecian ruins and whimsical underground grotto.

We had a picnic lunch of sandwiches, chips, cookies and bottled water at the Village Green in Eastsound, the largest town in Orcas and the second largest in San Juan County. Catherine got a great tasting Starbucks coffee at Teezer's. I got a cup of hot chocolate.

About 12:30pm we departed for Mt. Constitution (elevation 2409 feet - 734 meters), the highest point in the San Juan Islands. The mountain is part of Moran State Park, the largest public recreation area in the San Juan Islands. Several of us climbed the 52-foot stone lookout tower (1936) at the summit but the spectacular views of surrounding sea and islands was hidden by low clouds. On a clear day you can see the white peaks of Mt. Baker and Mt. Rainier. I found three Benchmarks - the tower and two brass discs.

We left about 1:30 for Glenwood Springs Salmon Restoration Hatchery managed by the private non-profit organization called "Long Live the Kings" at an historic farmstead. This facility is seen as a benchmark for natural rearing methods in the Northwest. We cruised through the Islands aboard the inter-island ferry in the late afternoon and returned to Friday Harbor, San Juan Island in time for a buffet dinner. We had a free evening to relax.

Day 3 - Trip to the San Juan Islands

2011-11-07T18:22:00.000-08:00

On Monday, October 31 the Road Scholars had a buffet breakfast at 7:30am in the Motel's conference room. Our caterer was Angie Raab. Our Group Leader was John Pachuta, a travel guide, educator, actor and kayak guide; he has won the Island Quest (a locally held Adventure Race) the past two years.

At 8:30am we had a presentation on the Salish Sea ecosystem: "Intro to the Salish Sea" by Shann Weston. At 10:15 we heard a talk about Coast Salish Native history: "Coast Salish Law" by Russel L. Barsh. He has published a recent paper on the Coast Salish "woolly-dog" with Joan Megan Jones and the late Wayne Suttles. We had lunch at noon.

At 1:00pm we departed by bus for an excursion of the northern areas of San Juan Island. We visited Lime Kiln Lighthouse/Park, San Juan National Park (British/English Camp), the IMA Sculpture Park, and Roche Harbor with its Historic Hotel de Haro. Lime Kiln Lighthouse (activated 1919), located on the west shore of San Juan Island and situated on Haro Strait, is now an Orca whale observation station. We saw Mona the Camel on the drive back.

We had buffet dinner at 5:30. Afterwards we had a presentation "View from the Islands" by Greg Hertel. Greg lives with his wife, two old cats and numerous motorcycles in a house that he built in 1987. His talk offered an insider's look at contemporary life in the islands, and explored issues affecting Island life.

Day 2 - Trip to the San Juan Islands

2011-11-07T16:14:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, October 30th, Catherine and I had a delicious breakfast at the Rocky Bay Cafe at 225 Spring Street in Friday Harbor. The cafe offers good hearty food. We had to wait a bit for a table but it was worth it. I was served skim milk for my oatmeal. I requested 2% but never got it. We explored the east coast of San Juan Island from Friday Harbor to Cattle Point by car.

Catherine saw a deer in a far field. We saw a Red Fox alongside the road. It seemed quite tame. We found nine Geocaches and a Benchmark: Cattle Point Light. Cattle Point Lighthouse (activated 1888/1935) is located on the southern tip of the island.

We returned to Friday Harbor in time for Road Scholar program orientation in the conference room at the Earthbox Motel at 5:00pm. A buffet dinner followed at 5:30. All of the meals were delicious! We had introductions which were quite interesting. Instead of introducing ourselves we paired off and introduced our partner.

Day 1 - Trip to the San Juan Islands

2011-11-07T15:25:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, October 29, 2011, my youngest daughter, Catherine, and I traveled by car from Vancouver to Anacortes. We stopped in Lacey for a light breakfast. We arrived about 1:45pm for the 2:40 ferry. We were the first car in Lane 10 at the Anacortes Ferry Terminal and the last of a dozen or so cars allowed to board.

Anacortes is the Gateway to the San Juan Islands. Equally distanced between Seattle to the south and Vancouver, B.C. to the north (approximately 85 miles from each), Anacortes rests on the waters of the Salish Sea on beautiful Fidalgo Island. The San Juan Islands are northwest of Anacortes and northeast of Victoria, Canada. There are approximately 172 islands depending on whether it is low tide or high tide. We visited three of the largest: San Juan, Orcas, and Lopez Islands in our car and with the Road Scholar (formerly known as Elderhostel) group in a bus and vans.

We arrived in Friday Harbor at 3:45. We checked into the Earthbox Motel at 410 Spring Street where we were given the end room on the second floor with a great view of the autumn trees.

We had dinner at the Cask and Schooner on Front Street near the harbor. While the atmosphere was good, sitting by the fireplace, the food was not very good and the conversation at the next table left something to be desired. I photographed a brightly lit Washington State Ferry docked at the harbor. We had a good night's sleep.

I AM THE 2%

2011-10-23T16:26:00.000-07:00

NW Dance Project's NEW NOW WOW! Performance, October 15, 2011

2011-10-16T11:06:00.000-07:00

Last night my son, Christopher, and I attended the All-World-Premiere program NEW NOW WOW! at the Lincoln Performance Hall in Portland. Christopher is a piano accompanist for NW Dance Project. The program featured three talented international choreographers creating for NW Dance Project for the first time: Didy Veldman (Netherlands) - one of the hottest names in European dance; Noam Gagnon (Canada) - co-founder of the world-renowned The Holy Body Tattoo; and Pedro Dias (Portugal) - 2011 Pretty Creatives choreographic residency winner. While many local and national companies have reduced or even eliminated new creations for their upcoming seasons, NW Dance Project remains dedicated to fostering and maintaining an environment where visionary dance makers can work with complete artistic freedom and with exceptionally talented dancers to bring their ideas to fruition to the stage. A WOW! beginning for NW Dance Project's eight season!

Regal Cinema and Late Lunch at Nordstrom Cafe

2011-10-08T17:30:00.000-07:00

I attended the 12:25pm showing of "The Hedgehog" at the movie theater in downtown Portland. Cast: Josiane Balasko, Garance Le Guillermic, Togo Igawa, Anne Brochet, Ariane Ascaride. The movie was even better than the novel "The Elegance of the Hedgehog" by Muriel Barbery. Usually a novel is so much better.

Afterwards I went to Nordstom Cafe to have a late lunch. I like sitting at a table along the large window with a view of Pioneer Courthouse Square - Portland's living room. I have seen the view dozens of times. I thought that I would search for three things that I had not noticed before. I saw water flowing in the trough on top of a brick wall, two enormous umbrellas and a brass directional marker.

I purchased a small package of shortbread cookies at Starbucks for dessert. I took a couple photos of the Nordstom cafe window - a closeup and a far shot - before boarding the MAX train north.

Fox News does make stuff up!

2011-10-08T16:44:00.000-07:00

I attended a book reading by Jenna Bush, the daughter of President George W. Bush, a few years ago at Chapman Hall during the Miami International Book Fair. When I returned to my South Beach hotel room, I turned on the television to hear the news. The newscaster said Jenna Bush had standing room only. Wow, what news station was that? I checked the televion station. Fox news. Why were they reporting there was standing room only for Jenna Bush? I was there. The huge auditorium was only half full if that. The next night there was standing room only - for Caroline Kennedy.

"Two and a Half Men"s Ashton Kutcher

2011-09-29T19:40:00.000-07:00

I think that Ashton Kutcher is a horrible replacement for Charlie Sheen. True I did not watch the first episode of “Two and a Half Men,” but I did watch the second episode. I was not amused.

Evidently CBS is not amused but for a different reason.

CBS is reportedly unhappy with a marketing stunt Kutcher pulled in this week’s episode in which the actor promoted companies he has a personal interest in – and the network was not paid for the product placement.

Kutcher’s character Walden Schmidt – an Internet billionaire – is seen on his laptop, which is covered in stickers and decals for social media and tech sites, all companies Kutcher has financial stakes in, according to Variety.

“Two and Half Men” creator Chuck Lorre was okay with the promos, but apparently CBS was not. CBS says it will blur out the stickers for all repeat airings of the episode.

As for "Two and Half Men", with the natural end of the series so near it might have been better to have ended last year - to have made a couple of wrap up episodes to account for Charlie’s disappearance and then gone out with some dignity.

Bob's Red Mill Tour, Milwaukie, OR

2011-09-22T20:49:00.000-07:00

My daughter, Kimberly, and I took a guided tour of Bob's Red Mill manufacturing facility. The guided tour is held Monday through Friday, and begins promptly at 10 am. However we did not arrive until 10:15 so we missed the film. The tour lasted about one hour. We saw how their products are made. We got a free sample at the end of the tour. The tour took place at their World Headquarters (not the Whole Grain Store), located at 13521 SE Pheasant Court, Milwaukie, OR 97222. (GPS Coordinates: Latitude:45.425858, Longitude -122.591902, N45° 25.5515', W122° 35.5141'). After the tour, we did not have time unfortunately to stop by their Whole Grain Store and Visitors Center, located just one mile west on Highway 224. We ate lunch at nearby Starbucks. Kimberly finished finding the rest of the caches for the North Clackamas Geocoin Challenge.

Mystery of the Steam and Sail Ship

2011-09-19T12:39:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday afternoon, September 14, 2011, I rode the Washington State Ferry from the Seattle Waterfront to Bainbridge Island. I explored the charming village of Winslow. I stopped at a new shop called Salt & Sea vintage home at 230 winslow way east. Behind the counter was a large painting of a steam and sail ship steaming past a lighthouse.

According to Wikipedia, steam engines were developed and adapted in the late 18th century for use on ships, but did not become widely used until the early 19th century. Growth in their use was rapid on United States rivers, and seaworthy steamships gradually replaced sailing ships for commercial shipping through the latter 19th century. During that period even the largest of steamships had auxiliary sails. The French transatlantic steamer "La Touraine" was probably the last of her type to be equipped with sails, although she never used them.

Evidently you can tell the name of the shipping company by the markings on the stacks. I also photographed the name on the prow of the ship. Can you identify this steam and sail ship? If so, please contact me or leave a comment on the blog.

"Savoring Seattle" - Day 7

2011-09-17T20:52:00.000-07:00

After breakfast on Friday, September 16th, most of the group traveled to the waterfront by Metro bus and took the Water taxi to West Seattle and back. I chose to relax in my room, pack my suitcase and watch "You've Got Mail"...directed by Nora Ephron and starring Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Greg Kinnear.

I walked a couple blocks to catch the monorail to Seattle Center. I rode the 604-foot Space Needle to the top where I spent quite some time looking at the city below. The Space Needle (1962) was a modernistic totem of “Century 21 Exposition,” also known as the “Seattle World’s Fair". I attended the fair on the day of the filming of a scene in "It Happened At The World’s Fair" (1963) starring Elvis Presley. The Space Needle is an "historic landmark".

I walked to the street corner near Seattle Rep and caught the city bus to Fremont. I had lunch at Starbuck. I visited Groundspeak Headquarters at 2:00pm at their new location. I placed five Travel Bugs in the large chest. Nicole greeted me and we had a short chat.

I caught the city bus back to Seattle Center, rode the Monorail and walked a couple blocks back to the hotel to retrieve my suitcase. I caught a city bus to the King Street train station where I got on the 5:30 train south. Once again I rode Business Class but spent quite a bit of the time in the dining car talking to a woman who was also traveling to Vancouver. I was back in Vancouver before 9:00pm.

"Savoring Seattle" - Day 6

2011-09-17T20:31:00.000-07:00

After a late breakfast on Thursday, September 15th, we heard a lecture on glass art in the Pacific Northwest. She led us on a walking tour of City Center glass art, Chihuly chandeliers in Benaroya Hall and two glass art studios - Traver Gallery/Vetri International Glass.

We had lunch in the private dining room of the TASTE at SAM (Seattle Art Museum). After lunch we visited the museum on our own. About 3:00pm I found the interior passageways up the hill to the Central Library. I took the escalator at 2nd Ave. & Madison/Marion up and through Wells Fargo, crossed the street, and took the Hillclimb Assist that connects 3rd & 4th Avenues at Madison via an escalator and corridor. I checked my e-mail at the library and did a bit of research on sail/steam ships. You can go from 4th Ave. to 5th Ave. (third floor) via the Central Library elevator. We had a delicious dinner at Benihana.

"Savoring Seattle" - Day 5

2011-09-17T20:16:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, September 14th, we took the city bus to the Fremont District. We took a short walk to view some unique and very interesting public art. Unfortunately we did not see "The Fremont Troll" and the "The J.P. Patches Show". We took a tour of the Theo Chocolate Factory to learn about chocolate and have samples. We had lunch at Jai Thai. After lunch the group returned to the hotel.

Ellie S. and I stayed on the bus until Marshall Street. We walked down the hill to catch the ferry to Bainbridge Island. It is an easy, scenic 35-minute ferry ride. I wandered through the town which was charming despite the road construction. I had lemon and raspberry sorbet in a cup at Mora Iced Creamery.

I barely caught the ferry back, walked along the waterfront until I got to the Pike Street Streetcar shelter. I rode the parking structure elevator to the 6th floor, crossed the street and took the Pike Place Market elevator to the upper level. I purchased a bistro box lunch and shortbread cookies at Starbucks. Back at the hotel I ate my light dinner and watched television. My roommate saw a play at the ACT Theater and did not return to the hotel room until late.

"Savoring Seattle" - Day 4

2011-09-17T20:02:00.000-07:00

After a buffet breakfast on Tuesday, September 13th, we boarded a Seattle Metro bus to ride south to Seattle's Chinatown (now the International District) where we enjoyed a guided historical tour of the Yick Fung Company, 1910 Historical Hotel and Wing Luke Museum followed by time with the museum exhibits.

We walked down the street where we saw how Chinese noodles and fortune cookies are made at the Rose Brand factory. I had read "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" by Jamie Ford and wanted to see the Panama Hotel (1910) where the book is set. It was declared a National Historic Landmark building in 2006. We had lunch there. I saw the abandoned luggage and various items in the basement through a large glass insert in the floor.

After lunch we caught the city bus to Pioneer Square to see where Seattle's history began. We finished the tour by riding to the 34th floor observation deck of the 522 ft. Smith Tower (1910) in a vintage brass elevator run by an elevator operator. We had a panoramic view of the city and its surroundings. I saw photos of the three-story penthouse apartment on the wall of the Chinese Room. It is the only residence in the building and contains a massive Dale Chihuly chandelier. We had dinner in the hotel meeting room, followed by a lecture by Jonathon Marvin on and tasting of six Washington State wines.

'Savoring Seattle" - Day 3

2011-09-17T19:46:00.000-07:00

On Monday, September 12th, we departed the hotel by motor coach and traveled north to the Boeing Everett factory for a 1 1/2 guided factory tour. We were required to leave our things on the coach or in a locker. I took my credit card and ID but should have also taken a couple dollars to get something in the cafe. After viewing a short video we boarded a bus and rode a few blocks to the plant. We walked to a big elevator which took us to a viewing platform above the manufacturing area. Our guide told us all about the process of putting the enormous planes together and the building itself. It is the largest building in the world. We took a bus to another section to view more planes moving down a long assembly line. Boeing 747, 767, 777, and 787 are currently produced there. I purchased a Boeing Aviator Bear in the Boeing Store.

We traveled back to Seattle and the Pike Place Market. We had a short tour and then we were on our own for lunch and to explore the market. I had fish and chips for lunch at the Athenian where a scene in "Sleepless in Seattle" was filmed. Note the red labels on the edge of the counter. I got a chocolate treat at a shop. I explored the many levels of the market on my own.

Back in my hotel room I heard the fire sirens which stopped at the hotel. The weather is getting cooler and cooler. I forgot to bring a jacket so I decided to go to Nordstrom to purchase one. I called the front desk and was informed that all of the elevators had been brought down to the lobby floor. So I walked down eight flights of stairs. I saw two fire engines in front of the hotel. I purchased a North Face jacket at Nordstrom. After dinner at the hotel we heard from a speaker about the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II and the effects it had on families, businesses and the entire Northwest.

'Savoring Seattle" - Day 2

2011-09-17T19:24:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, September 11th, I checked out of The Moore hotel about 10:45am and walked the half dozen or so blocks to the Red Lion Hotel on Fifth Avenue. My room was not ready so I had lunch at Nordstrom Cafe at 11:30. My room was ready when I returned. I said that I did not want a room next to the elevators. Well, the room was not next to the six elevators but across from the elevators! I was settled in my room before I realized how noisy it was.

I walked to Pike Place Market where I purchased two bunches of flowers. As I was walking back to the hotel I saw 1970's pop culture icon Danny Bonaduce at 3rd & Pike. I would not have noticed him but a girl called out his name and then joined him.

I got two vases from housekeeping. I put one floral arrangement on the bathroom counter and the other on the bedroom desk. I rested until 4:00pm. I went down to the 3rd floor meeting room to pick up my name tag and welcome packet from the group leader, Carol Barton. This will be my tenth Seattle program. I met my roommate, BJ. We had a hosted reception at 5:00pm, a discussion of the week's agenda at 5:30pm and dinner at 6:00pm in the meeting room. After dinner there were introductions. We saw a short video "Seattle Beat".

"Savoring Seattle" - Day 1

2011-09-17T19:15:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, September 10th, I traveled north on Amtrak Business Class to Seattle from Vancouver, Washington. Vancouver is the oldest continuous settlement in the Pacific Northwest. I arrived at the 1906 King Street Station about noon. The interior of the station is undergoing restoration. The railroad station is dominated by a massive tower, a copy of the famous campanile in the Piazza de San Marco in Venice, Italy.

I walked across the street where I caught a free city bus at 3rd Ave. S. & Jackson. I got off the bus at 3rd & Stewart and walked a couple blocks to The Moore hotel at 2nd & Virginia. I had a suite with a rather strange bathroom with a large floor to ceiling window.

I had a delicious lunch at the 4th floor Nordstrom cafe at 1:30pm. I got a couple candies at Sees. I caught the city bus up Pike Street to the new location of the Elliott Bay Book Company at 1521 Tenth Avenue. I heard Jack Lewis read a passage from his book, "Nothing in Reserve" at 5:00pm. I purchased Elizabeth Gaskell's "Cranford". I rode the city bus back to downtown where I purchased a lunch and drink at Starbucks for a light dinner in my hotel suite. I watched a couple cooking episodes of "Chopped" on television.

Confrontation

2011-09-07T22:31:00.000-07:00

Early Tuesday morning I was traveling north on I-5 across the Interstate Bridge to Vancouver after shopping at Jantzen Beach. I took the Mill Plain exit meaning to travel west on Mill Plain. Instead I found myself in the left lane unable to more over. Well, since I ended up on Fourth Plain I thought why not travel west and turn left onto Main Street, stopping for a bite of "breakfast" at Starbucks.

I purchased a cinnamon breakfast roll. I sat down at a sidewalk table to eat my warmed up cinnamon roll and banana I had brought from home. Two men began arguing loudly about two motor bikes with For Sale signs that were parked in front of the doorway of the building next door.

Suddenly four police cars with lights flashing drove up, surrounding my car. When I finished eating and tiring of the drama I asked the policeman to move the police car so I could leave. Afterall I was in a 30 minute parking space and certainly did want to get a ticket!

Miss Piggy's comment on Travel

2011-09-05T10:30:00.000-07:00

"You have to be going to a pretty awful place if getting there is half the fun."

-- Miss Piggy's Guide to Life (1981)

2011 Canby Geocoin Challenge

2011-08-30T21:48:00.000-07:00

My eldest daughter, Kimberly, and I did the 2011 Canby (Oregon) Geocoin Challenge. We found eight required caches and two additional caches rather quickly. There were fields and fields of dahlias. We agreed that we liked the red dahlias the best. There were lots of delicious, sun-warmed blackberries along the path to a cache. My hand was stained red and sticky by the time that I got back to the car. We had a picnic lunch at a park and stopped at Dairy Queen later for Dilly Bars. Dilly Bars remind me of Eskimo Pies of my childhood. It was perfect weather - cloudy but warm.

BIC Fluorescent Highlighters

2011-08-29T10:32:00.000-07:00

Pat Sharp and I drove around the evening on the first day of the Road Scholar IAF program trying to find highlighters. The first store was downtown and it was closed. We drove a few miles north to Walgreens where Pat purchased a set of fluorescent highlighters for her and a set for me. It was very useful for keeping track of each day's travels.

Who is Rose Red?

2011-08-28T10:28:00.000-07:00

Rose Red is my Geocaching name. Rose Red was not taken from "The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer - My Life at Rose Red" ghost written by Ridley Pearson nor from Stephen King's televison drama, "Rose Red." Rose Red was taken from the Brother Grimm story of "Snow-white and Rose-red."

Travels with Nuvi

2011-08-27T11:43:00.000-07:00

I would not be able to travel solo without the Garmin Nuvi 1450 with a detachable window mount as my navigator. One evening around 9:30PM I wanted to find the nearest Albertson to the motel to purchase a late dinner. The Nuvi lead me a couple miles across a housing development and then back again. Of course there were times that the Nuvi led me astray when either the Touchet River or the Clark Fork River were between where I was and where I wanted to be. And it goes into a panic if I turn off the main road to get gas (I don't let the tank get below a half) or for a bite to eat.

Homeward Bound - Monday, August 15, 2011

2011-08-20T22:34:00.000-07:00

I knew that I had to drive back to Dayton and Starbuck to get the caches for the DeLorme Challenge. It was going to make for a very long day. I made the loop and ended up back at Walla Walla about 1:30PM. Altogether I found three Benchmarks and seven Geocaches before the WA/OR border. The most interesting was "Doing Time in Starbuck".

I did not do any Geocaching/Benchmarking after crossing the border into Oregon. I stopped at Hat Rock State Park to take some photographs. I traveled westbound tired and facing the setting sun. I arrived in Vancouver about 9:30PM. It was good to get home and be able to sleep in my own bed. It took me several days to recover from the 11 day trip.

Homeward Bound - Sunday, August 14, 2011

2011-08-20T22:19:00.000-07:00

I had a good nights sleep at the Howard Johnson Express in Post Falls, Idaho. I attended the Bore Da Idaho! Croeso i Frecwast Geocaching Event at 9:00AM. It was an enjoyable event. Tasty poppyseed muffin. Great choice of location! Very colorful!

I traveled west, then south to Clarkson/Lewiston and then west. Besides attending one Event, I found six Virtuals, four Benchmarks and four Geocaches. The Virtuals were by far the most interesting of the day! I was stung on my thumb by hornets/yellow jackets at one of the caches.

I called ahead to make reservations at the Best Western in Walla Walla. I should have stayed the night in Clarkston. It left me traveling through the countryside for an hour in near darkness. And I missed a number of important caches for the DeLorme Challenge. I had a really good nights sleep.

Homeward Bound - Saturday, August 13, 2011

2011-08-20T21:45:00.000-07:00

I could see the Missoula Ice Age Standlines on the hillside from the motel balcony. I got a poppyseed muffin and hot chocolate for breakfast at 6:00AM from the motel lobby. I went back to bed for a couple hours.

I was thrilled to see the standlines on Mt. Jumbo and Mt. Sentinel! After 15,000 years they are clearly visible. I visited the Natural History Museum at noon where I saw an exhibit on the Ice Age Floods and purchased the recently published book "Bretz's Flood: The Remarkable Story of a Rebel Geologist and the World's Greatest Flood" by John Soennichsen. I had lunch at Burger King. I visited Sky King's gravesite at the Missoula Cemetery. My car was filthy so I took it to Dazzlers Car Wash. I stopped by Cracker Barrel Restaurant to get photos and coords for a Waymark.

Leaving Missoula I drove to Ninemile Remount Depot & Ranger Station in the Lolo National Forest. I took a photograph of Bill Jones, Volunteer with a Rocky Mountain Canary (also known as a mule) in the museum. I believe Bill said that his name was "Chipper" as the mule was made of wood. I saw a Time Capsule in Wallace but did not find the nearby cache as a car with a trailer was parked right next to it! It was late and once again a frantic search for a motel for the night. I purchased some snacks at Flying J Store in Post Falls for dinner. I found one Benchmark, two Virtuals and one Cache.

Missoula Ice Age Floods Strandlines - Friday, August 12, 2011

2011-08-20T18:15:00.000-07:00

I had the buffet breakfast at the hotel. I drove along the Centennial Trail. I photographed the Treaty Tree and explored the grounds of Arbor Crest Winery. I visited Post Falls Park. I stopped at the Mullan Tree Site. I saw the monument but it was too hot to walk down the trail to read the signboards and see the historic tree. I saw the Old Mission of the Sacred Heart from the road. I stopped at the Train Depot and Courthouse in Wallace, Idaho.

I had a lovely Afternoon Tea at the Silver Tea Room however I did not care for the Pita Bread instead of White Bread Sandwiches. I saw the signboard about the Ice Age Floods at the Clark Fork River. The motels in Missoula, Mt were completely filled up. I drove about five miles to the Brook St. Motor Inn on the outskirts of Missoula. Nice room. Clean and reasonably priced. I shopped at Albertons for a deli sandwich, diet coke and Hershey Almond bar for dinner which I ate in my room watching television. I found three Virtuals, one EarthCache, one Benchmark and two Caches.

The Great Ice Age Floods - Thursday, August 11, 2011

2011-08-20T17:44:00.001-07:00

Following breakfast at the Best Western in Walla Walla, we traveled southwest to Frenchtown Historic Site and the Two Sisters at Wallula Gap. Several of us hiked the less difficulty trail to the first viewpoint while others hiked the more difficult trails to the Two Sisters. We traveled east stopping at the Lewis and Clark Expedition Campsite of April 30, 1806 at Bold Creek (now Touchet River).

We had a delicious lunch at Weinhard Cafe in Dayton. The leaders were anxious to get underway so I took my brownie a la mode in a container onto the bus. We traveled north to Paloose Falls and then northeast to the Red Lion River Inn in Spokane. I lost my Parlor Suite for a lesser but still nice room. We had our last dinner as a group. I forgot to bring my Elderhostel Passport so I took a sticker to put in it when I returned home.

The Great Ice Age Floods - Wednesday, August 10, 2011

2011-08-20T16:33:00.000-07:00

Following breakfast at the Shilo Inn, we boarded the bus for a trip west. We saw the Potholes Reservoir, Sentinel Gap from the Vantage Bridge, Frenchman Springs Coulee and Feathers. A few of us even hiked the road from the Frenchman Springs Coulee viewpoint to Feathers. I found a benchmark on the way there. We traveled to the end of the old Vantage Road. You can still see the yellow stripe down the center of the road as it disappeared into the Columbia River. We had a picnic lunch at a local park in Odessa.

We saw Crescent Bar and West Bar. It would have been better to view the ripples in the early morning. We traveled southeast to Quincy Basin and Walla Walla. We checked into the Best Western in Walla Walla. We were on our own for dinner. I found one Puzzle Cache, one Cache and two Benchmarks today. The house at the Butler House Cache was interesting. I bought a sandwich, barbecue chips, and a Hershey bar at the Gas Mart across the street from the motel which I ate in my room watching television. I had a miserable night with someone making loud noises above my room most of the night!

The Great Ice Age Floods - Tuesday, August 9, 2011

2011-08-20T13:12:00.001-07:00

After the Breakfast Buffet, we gathered in the lobby to board the bus. We traveled west to an overlook above the Grand Coulee Dam. When completed in 1941, Grand Coulee Dam was the world's largest concrete structure. We stopped to view Steamboat Rock. We had a picnic lunch at Dry Falls. Afterwards we traveled by bus down a narrow dirt road to the bottom of Dry Falls. We had a great view of Umatilla Rock that was once a Goat Island in the center of the Dry Falls cataract.

We traveled to Yeager Rock, a huge glacial erratic, on the Waterville Plateau east of Mansfield, WA, that was carried to this spot by a Pleistocene glacier. We stopped at B & B Fruit Stand, 13041 SR 2, East Wenatchee. This is a family owned and operated fruit stand celebrating 43 years in business. They grow their own cherries, apricots, peaches and nectarines. Several people bought fruit. I got a Good Humor Ice Cream bar. We traveled to Moses Lake via Quincy and George to our lodging for the night at the Shilo Inn. I found two EarthCaches, DNF one cache and found a benchmark.

The Great Ice Age Floods - Monday, August 8, 2011

2011-08-20T12:05:00.000-07:00

After the Breakfast Buffet, we gathered in the lobby to board the bus about 8:30AM. I got the seat that I wanted in the back of the bus and posted my "Nester" sign below the window. I gave Pat Sharp, who was sitting behind my seat, a paper so she could make her "Nester" sign. We traveled though the channeled scablands. We saw the lakes around Sprague, ring dike craters, loess islands, pillow and columnar basalt and discussed the numerous lava flows.

We had dinner at the hotel and some of us went with Don Popejoy and Molly Smith on a walking tour along the Spokane River. We passed the clock tower. It is all that remains of the Great Northern Train Station that was unfortunately demolished in the early 1970s. We saw the "Centennial Sculpture" which floats in the Spokane River. A few people slid down the slide of Spokane's "Red Wagon" sculpture. I and a few others braved walking through the Riverfront "big sprinkler" Fountain. We saw the carrousel, a handsome antique built in 1909 by Charles Looff, but no one wanted to ride. Several people rode the Gondola River over the Spokane River and Falls and under the Monroe Street Bridge as the sun was setting. It was dark by the time that we returned to the hotel.

Trip to Spokane - Sunday, August 7, 2011

2011-08-20T10:37:00.001-07:00

I threw away two caches printouts for Sprague yesterday only to discover this morning that they covered DeLorme page 68. So I headed back to Four Lakes and Hwy 904. I thought the Virtual at the Four Lakes Monument was the most interesting cache of the day. I headed south to South Cheney. After I found the caches I drove the Auto Tour Route through the Turnbill National Wildlife Refuge located in an area of eastern Washington on the edge of the Columbia River Basin, known as the Channeled Scablands. I saw one chipmunk and one squirrel and ended up with a very dirty car. I found one Benchmark, one Virtual and three Caches this morning. The most interesting was the "Battle of Four Lakes" Virtual cache.

I checked into the Red Lion River Inn where I was given the Parlor Suite with a view of the Spokane River. I ate lunch at the hotel patio. I met the Elderhostel/Road Scholar trip leaders: Don Popejoy and Molly Smith. I knew Don Popejoy from two previous Elderhostel Ice Age Floods trips in 2007 and 2009. Molly Smith was the co-leader on the Elderhostel Oregon Trail 2007 trip. We had dinner and orientation at the hotel for The Great Ice Age Floods trip, August 7 - 12. I had a lovely view of the Spokane River out of the large glass windows. Afterwards Pat Sharp from Michigan and I drove to Walgreens to purchase BIC bright liners to mark the route on our Washington State maps - each day a different color.

Trip to Spokane - Saturday, August 6, 2011

2011-08-20T09:20:00.000-07:00

I headed north and then west on Hwy 26. After finding a geocache, I visited the nearby old hotel in Othello which was built during the winter of 1911 as a hotel-boarding house for the growing railroad community. The building is now Othello’s last remaining original railroad-associated structure. In 2000, the Old Hotel was placed on the Washington State Register of Historic Places. This was the most interesting cache of the day because I visited the Old Hotel.

I crossed the bridge over the Columbia River to Vantage. I purchased a one year Washington State Discover Pass. I saw the film: "Ginkgo: Trees of Stone" at the Ginkgo Petrified Forest Museum and looked briefly at the exhibits. Large bust of George in George. I turned east just past George onto I-90. I reached Moses Lake in mid afternoon and decided to press on as there was several hours of daylight still. It was a frantic search about 9:00PM for a motel. I found a room at Motel 6 near the Spokane Airport and had a Dominos Pizza delivered. I found 13 geocaches and DNF one cache as it was now a construction site.

Trip to Spokane - Friday, August 5, 2011

2011-08-19T20:27:00.000-07:00

I left Vancouver, WA at noon crossing the I-205 bridge to travel east on I-84. I stopped at the Chamber of Commerce in The Dalles to inquire about a future Geocoin Challenge. I reached the Tri-Cities in mid afternoon and decided to press on as there was several hours of daylight still. Sunset found me pulling into the M&M Motel in Connell. Clean and reasonably priced. I found four geocaches and did not find one. The most interesting geocache was the "Stage Coach Express" in Oregon.

Trip to Richland, WA - July 1 - 2, 2011

2011-07-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

Catherine (Crazy Cat), Christopher (Dancing Penguin) and I found 18 caches on the way to or at Richland, Washington. We attended the 2011 DTCB Meet and Greet at Columbia Point Park at 5:00PM (Catherine and I each won Geocoins) and did the Richland Geocoin Challenge afterwards finding ten of the 12 caches. We picked up our Geocoins at the Richland Community Center at sunset and wandered down to look at the Sternwheeler "Queen of the West" docked at the Waterfront. We stayed overnight at the Quality Inn in a suite. We found the last two Challenge Caches plus some other caches and two virtuals on the way home to Portland/Vancouver via Toppenish the next day. We had great weather for the trip. There were wildflowers in bloom. The countryside was still green from spring rains.

Friday, June 10 - trip back to Vancouver

2011-06-10T21:54:00.000-07:00

On Friday, June 10 I woke very early. I had French toast with syrup for breakfast at nearby Sea Hag restaurant. Later I had a cup of hot chocolate with Catherine when she ate French toast for breakfast at the Sea Hag. We got gas at the Shell Station in Newport, checked the Internet at the library and later purchased a six-pack of bottled water. We found a few caches on the way home. We drove south to Waldport, east to Corvallis and Albany so I could pick up two more DeLorme pages, and then north to Vancouver, stopping briefly for a Starbucks drink for Catherine and an ice cream bar at Dairy Queen for me.

Thursday, June 9 at Depoe Bay, Oregon

2011-06-10T21:50:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, June 9 I woke very early. I had oatmeal with brown sugar, raisins and milk for breakfast at nearby Sea Hag restaurant. I found two benchmarks on the Depoe Bay Bridge. I took several photos and looked in the closed shop windows along the street. Later I had a cup of hot chocolate with Catherine when she had French toast for breakfast at the Sea Hag. We visited the Newport Bay Aquarium, found a few caches and stopped by the Yaquina Head Lighthouse so I could get some photos. Again we had DiGiorno Pizza for dinner back at the Condo.

Wednesday, June 8 Trip to Depoe Bay, Oregon

2011-06-10T21:46:00.000-07:00

I recently won three days and two nights at a Condo in Depoe Bay in a silent auction. My daughter, Catherine, and I decided to go Wednesday, June 8 through Friday, June 10. The weather was warm and sunny on Wednesday and got increasingly cloudy the next two days. We had Afternoon Tea at Serendipitea. The food was delicious however we did not like the Earl Grey tea. We found seven caches and did not find one as the coordinates were off. We visited Yaquina Head Lighthouse and nearby Cobble Beach. We had DiGiorno Pizza for dinner back at the Condo. I slept in the loft while Catherine had the Master Bedroom downstairs.

Afternoon Tea at the Lavender Tea House

2011-05-31T23:54:00.000-07:00

My daughter, Catherine, and I drove to Salem, Oregon where she turned in her application for the Professional Engineering exam in the fall. On the way home we had Afternoon Tea at the Lavender Tea House at 16227 SW 1st Street in historic Old Town Sherwood. The house was built in 1892 as the John Owens Residence. We sat at a table for two at the front window. We each had four tea sandwiches, fresh fruit, three desserts, a large, fluffy sweet cream scone with clotted cream and strawberry jam, and a pot of tea. The food was delicious!

"South Riding"

2011-05-22T23:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday evening I watched the BBC production of "South Riding" that I had taped over the previous three weeks. The lives and loves of a 1930s fictional Yorkshire town starred David Morrissey and Anna Maxwell Martin. One reviewer wrote "The direction didn’t help. Every shot was gloomy, as if the presence of hope could be symbolised by the amount of electricity you could afford. The domestic scenes all looked dingy... The school was a shadowy labyrinth, with bars of light occasionally picking up the dust rising from the textbooks." Be that as it may, I thoroughly enjoyed the production and plan to read the novel soon.

Trip to Leavenworth, WA, May 13 - 14, 2011

2011-05-15T09:09:00.000-07:00

On Friday noon, May 13th, my #2 son, Christopher, and I traveled to the Bavarian Village of Leavenworth for the Annual Maifest - May Festival 2011 celebrating Fruhling (Spring) in the traditional Bavarian fashion. Christopher is the pianist for the Portland, Oregon German Choral Group. We had a motel suite that offered a great complimentary breakfast.

On Saturday May 14th Seattle's premier dance group entertained the audience from 1:00 to 2:00 PM with numerous traditional German dances including the Maipole Dance. Village folks and visitors alike were dressed in Trachten and traditional fare. From 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. three Pacific Northwest German Choral Groups from Vancouver, B.C., Spokane, WA, and Portland, OR performed at the downtown Leavenworth Gazebo.

Christopher and I found caches on I-84 east, Highway 97 north, the one solitary cache in Toppenish, several caches in Leavenworth, Highway 97 south and US 90 westbound. We also found four benchmarks. Christopher got home at 11:30PM. I got home at midnight. It was a long trip made more difficult on the way home by the pouring rain.

Afternoon Tea at Pomeroy Living History Farm

2011-05-07T15:26:00.001-07:00

My daughter, Catherine, and I drove to The Gathering Place at Pomeroy Living History Farm in Yacolt for Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea. We had Yorkshire Gold Tea with Cucumber Sandwiches with Herb Butter, Egg Sandwiches, and Spring Turkey Sandwiches with Dates and Bacon; Scones with Devonshire Style Cream and two kinds of Jam; and Sour Cream Almond Cake, Fresh Fruit Tart, Spring Cookies and Chocolate Covered Strawberries. It is always a lovely drive along the Lewis River.

Klager Lilac Gardens and Afternoon Tea at The Brits

2011-05-06T23:30:00.000-07:00

My daughter, Kimberly, and I enjoyed a lovely morning tour of the historic Klager house and the Lilac Gardens in Woodland, Washington. The Klager family purchased the farm in Woodland in 1877 when Hulda Klager was thirteen-years-old. The house, built in 1889, is located on four acres of the original farm. Hulda’s work with lilacs began in 1905 and continued until her death in 1960. Today the gardens are owned and maintained by the Hulda Klager Lilac Society. The farmhouse has been restored to its Victorian origin.

We were at the Kluger Lilac Gardens on a cold, damp day so there was less perfume than if we had been there during warmer conditions. I did like the fragrance of the "Silver King" and "President Lincoln." "Mount Baker" is evidently fragrant also. I also liked the brilliant yellow blooms of "Kerria Japanese Rose." My daughter, Kimberly, liked the lilac "Miss Kim" for the name as it had no blooms yet.

Afterwards we drove to Longview where we had afternoon tea at The Brits. We had a pot of Earl Grey tea with several sandwiches, savories, marionberry scones and fresh strawberries in Crème fraîche for dessert. Afternoon Tea was served in fine bone china.

Exploring the Sellwood Antique District, May 4th

2011-05-04T15:36:00.000-07:00

I explored over ten blocks of antique shops in the Sellwood Antique District from SE Harney Street north to SE Bidwell Street along SE 13th Avenue. Amazingly I did not purchase anything except a delicious, warm cinnamon “morning” roll at Starbucks at 10:30AM and at 1:00PM a ham and cheese sack lunch at Grand Central Bakery. The sun was shining. It was a lovely day.

Tulip Festival at the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm, Woodburn, Oregon, Sunday, May 1, 2011

2011-05-01T16:43:00.000-07:00

My daughter, Kimberly (kimmykat), and I went to the Tulip Festival at the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm in Woodburn, Oregon on Sunday morning, May 1, 2011. After parking my car in a dusty field (I just washed it yesterday!), we walked to the Tulip Display Area & Windmill. We saw several steam tractors. The tulips were quite beautiful! We walked past the fields and fields of tulips to the Office where we got the green Letterbox form. We tried to get into the area that was fenced off for the Wine Tasting Event. We were told that we could not enter so we went into the Gift Shop where we were escorted back and permission was given to enter the Wooden Shoe Garden. We found the first of the Letterboxes, left the WS Garden and went on a long walkabout to locate the remaining four Letterbox locations. It was great fun. We turned our cards into the Gift Shop and was given a choice of prizes. We rode the tram back to the dusty car.

Riding the Rails, Friday, April 22, 2011

2011-04-22T20:28:00.000-07:00

I rode the Mount Hood Railroad's circa 1910 railcars alongside apple and pear orchards that were just beginning to bloom, past fruit warehouses and lumber loading docks, into the town of Odell, past pioneer homesteads and an early sawmill to Dee, "the company town that was," into the upper Hood River Valley to the railroad's southern terminus in Parkdale at the foothills of Mount Hood and then back to Hood River. I rode in the Upper Dome Car at Table #3. Halfway through the trip we spent an hour in Parkdale. I ordered a box lunch which included a ham & cheddar cheese croissant sandwich, bar-be-cue chips, diet coke and Snickers bar to eat on the train. It was a beautiful clear day. On the return trip the train picked up two A-frames of Mt. Hood lumber to haul into Hood River.

I stopped at McDonalds for a fudge sundae with nuts on my way out of Hood River. I should have crossed over the Columbia River either at Hood River or Cascade Locks and drove home on the Washington side. Portland was a huge parking lot! An accident closed the two right lanes on the I-205 Glen Jackson Bridge. I stopped for a sandwich, drink and shortbread cookies at Lloyd Center Starbucks just to get out of the traffic mess for while. It took me forever to get home!

Sixth annual Small Acreage Expo, Saturday, April 16, 2011

2011-04-16T16:28:00.000-07:00

I volunteered for the 6th Annual Small Acreage Expo co-sponsored by WSU Clark County Extension and the Clark County Clean Water Program at Brigands HideOut Farm in Battle Ground, Washington on Saturday, April 16, 2011. Landowners could choose from classes on topics such as installing a french drain, weed management, alternative energy production, pasture management, and backyard chickens. I thought the last session on backyard chickens was the most interesting. Local vendors were available to provide valuable information to participants. Besides a lunch of "Italian" Sub Sandwich, Lays potato chips, chocolate chip cookie and soda drink I received a "goody" bag for helping out with registration/check-in and overseeing lunch. I wish that the weather was warmer but at least it was not raining!

Columbia Gorge Sternwheeler Cruise from Cascade Locks to The Dalles, April 14, 2011

2011-04-14T23:13:00.000-07:00

This morning I boarded the Columbia Gorge Sternwheeler in Cascade Locks for a one way cruise to The Dalles. There were only seven passengers on board; four passengers including myself had taken the repositioning cruise from Portland to Cascade Locks just a couple weeks ago. I rode almost the entire trip in the wheelhouse. I piloted the sternwheeler for about fifteen minutes. The weather was cloudy and raining until Hood River and sunny beyond. The scenery was breathtaking. We had a continental breakfast, lunch buffet, and cookies for dessert. We rode a bus from The Dalles dock back to the dock at Cascade Locks arriving about 4:30pm.

Lincoln City 2011 Geocoin Event, April 9 - 10, 2011

2011-04-10T23:53:00.000-07:00

My daughter, Catherine, and I drove to Lincoln City early Saturday morning, April 9. We had Afternoon Tea at Serendipi Tea at noon. The scones and lemon curd were delicious. The tea was too strong, smelled strange and bitter tasting. We joined up with two men at the Event to make a four member team to discover the eight clues, decide whether Lincoln City is “guilty or innocent”, chose wrong so had to go to an extra location for another clue before we found the cache with the log, and then drove back to Parks & Recreation to pick up our Geocoins. Catherine and I checked into our motel where we had a suite on a bluff overlooking the ocean. We purchased dinner at Subway that we took back to our room to eat. We rented the movie “Up” which we thoroughly enjoyed. Sunday morning we purchased breakfast at Starbucks. We found three geocaches on our way home.

"The Civil War" - a film by Ken Burns

2011-04-07T23:05:00.000-07:00

Between 1861 and 1865, Americans made war on each other and killed and wounded each other in great numbers. What began as a bitter dispute over Union vs States' Rights, ended as a struggle over the meaning of freedom in America. At least 618,000 Americans died in the Civil War, and some experts say the toll reached 700,000. The number that is most often quoted is 625,000. At any rate, these casualties exceed the nation's loss in all its other wars, from the Revolution through Vietnam. There were 412,200 wounded.

This week I watched the 11-hour mini-series, "The Civil War." Ken Burns used voice-over narrators dramatically reading letters and documents and stating the writer's name at their conclusion, fresh live footage of places juxtaposed with still images (photographs, paintings, maps, prints), and anecdotal interviews. I have never been interested in the Civil War until recently after reading "The Widow of the South" a novel by Robert Hicks and "My Name is Mary Sutter" by Robin Oliveira, and now having watched the very moving 11-hour mini-series "The Civil War".

”The Cocktail Hour” by A. R. Gurney

2011-04-05T14:05:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, April 5, 2011, I attended the Portland Civic Theatre Guild reading of ”The Cocktail Hour” by A. R. Gurney at The Old Church at S.W. 11th and Clay. Admission $6.00 was paid at the door. Coffee, tea and bite-sized donuts were served prior to the performance.

”The Cocktail Hour” is a comedy exploring the world of upper-class family in the Northeastern United States in the 1970s. It is "an examination of an overprivileged family that fights domestic battles while downing drinks."

I enjoyed the first half of the play laughing almost continuously. I thought that the second half was less successful. The acting was superb.

Portland Civic Theater Guild’s Play Reading Series is offered the first Tuesday of the month from October to May. For the season schedule and more information go to www.portlandcivictheatreguild.org.

Sternwheeler "Columbia Gorge" Cruise to Cascade Locks

2011-03-27T12:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I cruised the Willamette River and Columbia River with a little over 100 passengers and crew on the Sternwheeler “Columbia Gorge”, an authentic triple-deck paddle wheeler, providing 360 degrees of breathtaking vistas. The Sternwheeler "Columbia Gorge" was built by the Nichols Boat Works of Hood River, Oregon and launched on the Columbia River in 1983. There were three Captains on board. We traveled through the Columbia River Gorge on its return trip to Cascade Locks for the summer trips. Captain Tom Cramblett narrated highlight points of interest including Bonneville Dam Lock and Multnomah Falls. We saw a double rainbow at Bonneville Lock. We saw sea lions gorging themselves on spring Chinook, bald headed eagles, red tailed hawks, and blue herons. We traveled back to Portland on RAZ buses. It was a great trip!

The Enchanted Tea Room, Vancouver, Washington

2011-03-11T14:55:00.000-08:00

I had Earl Grey cream tea with bergamot and a large savory scone with clotted cream this noon at The Enchanted Tea Room at 5th & Washington in downtown Vancouver. They have discontinued the Afternoon Teas & Special Teas until Fall to concentrate on Farmers Markets. The savory scone was absolutely delicious. It had sundried tomato and pepper jack cheese with thyme, rosemary and basil seasonings. The tea room was quite cosy and beautifully decorated.

Discover Roseburg Geocoin Challenge 2011

2011-01-31T11:02:00.000-08:00

I left early Friday morning, January 28, 2011, driving south from Vancouver, Washington on I-205/I-5 to attend the Discover Roseburg Geocoin Challenge (5 caches and 15 virtuals) to be held the next day. I found several caches along the way. In Roseburg I purchased a tank of gas at a Shell Station (10 cents off with Fred Meyer card), bought two dinners at Albertsons deli and stayed two nights at the Sleep In which came with a Continental Breakfast.

I really like the Garmin Nuvi 1450 which I purchased a couple months ago. I would never have been able to complete the Geocoin challenge without it. I also purchased a 10" Toshiba NB 305 a couple weeks ago for under $300 which has been great for logging caches/benchmarks/event.

It was interesting exploring Roseburg. The streets are clearly marked which was a great help! I finished the Discover Roseburg Geocoin Challenge at 2:50PM -- 10 minutes before the Raffle. I won a blue Ammo can. It was a great Event with a stunning Geocoin!

I found a few more caches in Roseburg and a couple on the way home on Sunday. I waymarked an erratic that I found at University of Oregon campus. It was dark and raining by the time that I got back home.

Celebrating the Chinese New Year at Lan Su Chinese Garden

2011-01-25T17:03:00.000-08:00

I attended the Feng Shui lecture this afternoon at the Lan Su Chinese Garden in downtown Portland. The Chinese New Year - Year of the Rabbit begins February 3, 2011. Afterwards I had Golden Monkey tea and Almond Cookies in the Tearoom. There was a lack of tables so I invited Donna to sit at my table. We talked about Lisa See, a Chinese American writer and novelist, whose novels Flower Net (1997), The Interior (1999), and Dragon Bones (2003) make up the Red Princess mystery series; Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture and the book The Women (2009); and Wineries and the impact of the Missoula Flood. In the Gift Shop I saw a chart that showed that I was born in the Year of the Boar/Pig!

Who is Rose Red?

2011-01-08T08:11:00.000-08:00

Sunday, January 2, 2011 (Last day of vacation)

2011-01-04T22:05:00.000-08:00

We rose at 6:00AM to finish packing and eat breakfast. I made Mickey Mouse waffles for us. We caught the Mears Shuttle at 8:15. At the Orlando Airport we checked our luggage and got our boarding passes. Catherine got Mocha at Zaza Cuban Coffee Café at the Orlando Airport.

We had lunch at the Berghoff Café in the Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. We saw the film “Social Network” during the flight from Chicago to Portland. I plan to watch it again as it was difficult to follow the dialog.

We arrived back at Portland International Airport a little before 6:00. We retrieved our luggage. Paul, my husband, picked us up at the airport. I drove across the I-205 bridge to Vancouver. I dropped Catherine off at her house and then we headed home.

Saturday, January 1, 2011 (Sea World)

2011-01-04T21:50:00.000-08:00

We caught the shuttle bus to Sea World at 7:30. I had made arrangements for us to have a VIP tour. We purchased our park admission and then picked up our VIP Tour tag. The tour did not start until 11:00 so we saw Pets Ahoy!: Cats, dogs, birds and even a pig performed high-action feats at the Seaport Theater at 9:30. Afterwards we saw Penguin Encounter and the Pacific Point Preserve with the two large Sea Lions from Bonneville Dam. Somehow we missed seeing Shark Encounter and Wild Arctic. Catherine purchased gifts for two of her friends.

We joined our VIP tour group at 11:00AM. Catherine and some members of the tour group rode Journey to Atlantis and Kraken. We had lunch at the Spice Mill Café. We should have eaten lunch at Mango Joe's Cafe instead but I didn't want to walk that far. We saw the Clyde and Seamore Take Pirate Island show at the Sea Lion & Otter Stadium at 12:15PM. We fed little fishes to the Sea Lions. We saw the Blue Horizon Show at the Whale & Dolphin Theater. We fed the little fishes to the dolphins and then to the stingrays. Catherine and some members of the tour group rode Manta Roller Coaster. We saw the Believe Show at Shamu Stadium at 5:30. We saw the three-month-old killer whale. We had to leave before the end of the show to catch the shuttle bus. We had Subway sandwiches, chips and drinks for dinner in our hotel suite.

Friday, December 31, 2010 (Magic Kingdom)

2011-01-04T15:15:00.000-08:00

We caught the shuttle bus to Epcot at 7:25 and rode the monorail to the Magic Kingdom. The crowds were horrendous. We used Fast Passes a lot. We had lunch again at Columbia Harbor House in Liberty Square. Catherine had the Shrimp Platter and Apple Crisp while I had a bowl of Clam Chowder and Apple Crisp. I watched The Christmas Parade while Catherine rode Big Thunder Mountain. We rode the ferry across the lake to the parking lot where we caught the shuttle bus at 5:15PM. We had Subway sandwiches, chips and drinks for dinner in our hotel suite.

Thursday, December 30, 2010 (Universal's Islands of Adventure/The Wizarding World of Harry Potter)

2011-01-04T14:48:00.000-08:00

After breakfast we caught the shuttle bus to Universal’s Islands of Adventure at 7:30AM. We purchased Express Unlimited Pass for Catherine.

Catherine waited in line for an hour to get passes to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter for later in the day. There were masses of people! I waited at The Mystic Fountain. It is my favorite place in the park. The fountain talks to the kids and occasionally squirts or showers them with water.

Catherine went on several rides including The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, Ripsaw Falls, Bilge-Rat Barges, and the Jurassic Park River Adventure. I saw The Eighth Voyage of Sindbad Stunt Show and watched The Mystic Fountain.

Catherine went on the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride while I looked in the windows of Hogsmeade Village. I could hardly squeeze through the crowds. We missed seeing Hagrid's hut! We had lunch in Harry Potter Land at Hogs Head Pub of Fish ‘n Chips. The Fish ‘n Chips were so much better than the Fish ‘n Chips at Columbia Harbor House in the Magic Kingdom.

We caught the shuttle bus back to the hotel at 6:00PM. About a dozen or so people were left at the bus stop as there was no room on the shuttle bus.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010 (Universal Studios Florida)

2011-01-04T14:01:00.000-08:00

After breakfast we caught the shuttle bus to Universal Studios at 7:30AM. We purchased the Admission Tickets at the hotel and then purchased Express Unlimited Passes both Wednesday and again Thursday at the parks for Catherine.

Catherine went on the Men in Black Alien Attack ride, Disaster!, Revenge of the Mummy, and Jaws. I saw Shrek 4-D, Twister…Ride It Out, Fear Factor Live, Jaws, and Terminator 2: 3-D. We went on the E.T. Adventure, and saw The Blues Brothers Holiday Show and Beetlejuice's Graveyard Revue.

We had a delicious lunch at Finnegan’s Bar about 4:00PM. I requested the song ‘Garden Party.’ It has my favorite line – “You see, you can't please everyone, so you got to please yourself.” Catherine requested a Johnny Cash song -- "Folsom Prison Blues".

We caught the shuttle bus back to the hotel at 6:00PM. Because we ate lunch so late we passed on dinner. I checked my e-mail in the hotel lobby.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010 (Disney's Hollywood Studios)

2011-01-04T13:14:00.000-08:00

After breakfast we caught the shuttle bus to Epcot at 7:25 and took the bus to Disney’s Hollywood Studios (formerly Disney MGM Studios). Catherine did not ride the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror however she had ridden it several times during previous trips. Star Tours was not operating. I find that Hollywood Studios, Universal and certainly Universal Islands of Adventure are rather boring so I brought along two books along to read during the vacation – Rhys Bowen’s “A Royal Pain” and “Royal Flush.”

We went on The Great Movie Ride, and saw the Sounds Dangerous show, the Muppet-Vision 3D show, the Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show, Journey into Narnia: Prince Caspian show and part of the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular. We had lunch at Backlot Express. We had Subway sandwiches, chips and drinks for dinner in our hotel suite.

Monday, December 27, 2010 (Epcot again)

2011-01-04T12:19:00.000-08:00

After breakfast we caught the shuttle bus to Epcot at 7:25. We ate lunch in again at the Electric Umbrella. I wanted to eat at the Rose and Crown. I was deeply disappointed that I could not get reservations either day.

We rode the Spaceship Earth. We saw the both levels of the Seas Main Tank and Exhibits including a trainer working with a dolphin to identify shapes. We explored World Showcase clockwise again except we ran out of time and didn’t get to see “O Canada.” We did see “The American Adventure” and “Impressions de France.” .

We caught the 5:30 shuttle bus back to the hotel. We had Subway sandwiches, chips and drinks for dinner in our hotel suite. Many of the evenings we watched the Hallmark Channel on television.

Sunday, December 26, 2010/Friday, December 31, 2010 (Magic Kingdom)

2011-01-04T11:41:00.000-08:00

We caught the shuttle bus to Epcot at 7:25 and rode the monorail to the Magic Kingdom. Catherine bought a WDW shot glass as a gift for a fellow worker (he got her a small, fancy bottle of tequila in Cabo). We had lunch at Columbia Harbor House in Liberty Square at 12:15PM. Catherine’s fish and chips was not good. The fish was greasy and tasted bitter. However my Shrimp Platter was delicious as was the Clam Chowder and Apple Crisp.

During the two days that we visited the Magic Kingdom Catherine rode on Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad several times. We saw Monsters Inc. and rode Buzz Lightyear in Tomorrowland. I rode Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress. We rode the Tomorrowland Transit Authority. We rode Winnie the Pooh, Snow White, Peter Pan’s Flight (my all time favorite) and It’s a Small World in Fantasyland. In Liberty Square, we saw the Haunted Mansion. I like the New Orleans style house in Disneyland better. In Adventureland, we rode the Pirates of the Caribbean. We had a great driver for the Jungle Cruise. We saw The Enchanted Tiki Room. It was changed a few years ago and not for the better. In Frontierland, we saw Country Bear Jamboree. I really miss the shows that they used to have in the Diamond Horseshoe. We rode the Liberty Belle Riverboat and saw The Hall of Presidents. I watched The Christmas Parade while Catherine rode Big Thunder Mountain. The ride broke down midway. Somehow we missed seeing Mickey’s PhilharMagic.

We caught the shuttle bus at 5:15PM back to the Comfort Suites. A lot of tourists stayed at the nearby Best Western. They had a Pizza Hut where we had a nearby Subway. I do not think that they had a complimentary breakfast.

Saturday, December 25, 2010 (Animal Kingdom)

2011-01-04T07:54:00.000-08:00

Catherine and I caught the Platinum Shuttle Bus to Epcot at 7:25AM and rode the bus to Animal Kingdom. While she went on a ride I purchased a poncho for the water rides. Catherine went on the Dinosaur, Expedition Everest and Kali River Rapids rides. We had barbeque pork sandwiches at Flame Tree Barbecue at 12:30PM. We rode in the front seat of the open-air safari vehicle on the Kilimanjaro Safari. I thoroughly enjoyed the trek even though it was a rough ride at times. We saw the Flights of Wonder. I had Key Lime Mousse and Catherine had a Sprite drink at 4:30. We caught the 5:20 shuttle bus back to the hotel. We had Subway sandwiches, chips, and drink for dinner in our hotel suite while we watched the Hallmark Channel on television.

Friday, December 24, 2010 (Epcot)

2011-01-04T06:56:00.000-08:00

After breakfast I purchased our six day WDW tickets at the hotel. We caught the Platinum Shuttle Bus to Epcot. We had front row seats on Soarin’. Catherine went on the rides in the morning. We ate Greek Salads for lunch on the patio at the Electric Umbrella. It was a great place for people watching.

We explored World Showcase clockwise in the afternoon. We took the Gran Fiesta Tour boat ride at the Mexico Pavilion and rode the Maelstrom at Norway. We saw “Reflections of China.” We caught the 5:30 shuttle back to the hotel. We had Subway sandwiches, chips and drinks for dinner in our hotel suite. Many of the evenings we watched the Hallmark Channel on television.

I would never recommend a Christmas-New Years week for first-time visitors. However for anyone who has visited enough to navigate the parks without a map, like us, it is a great opportunity to experience the beauty and joy of the holiday season which outweighs the huge crowds most of the time. Cell phones were necessary to keep in touch.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

2011-01-03T19:26:00.001-08:00

My youngest daughter, Catherine, and I went on an eleven day trip from Vancouver, Washington to Orlando, Florida from December 23, 2010 to January 2, 2011. I had read (and photocopied several pages) "the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2011" by Bob Sehlinger & Len Testa in preparation for the trip. We flew to Orlando via Chicago O’Hare Int’l Airport where we ate lunch at Chili’s. Two to three inches of snow covered the ground in Chicago but the runways were clear. We took Mears Transportation from Orlando International to the hotel.

We stayed in a third floor suite at the Comfort Suites Maingate in Kissimmee, Florida. The price was almost doubled for the holidays. We had a complimentary breakfast. Some mornings we had Mickey Mouse waffles. We had free transportation to all of the parks even Hollywood Studios (formerly MGM Studios) and Sea World.

Waymarking Gone Astray - Bring Back Virtuals!

2010-12-09T23:45:00.000-08:00

Waymarking replaced Virtual Geocaching and proceeded to go astray.

According to “The Geocaching Handbook” by Layne Cameron, Virtual caches offer “beautiful or unspoiled views. A pristine view, the soothing rapids, or sand dunes at sunset…”

In “The Essential Guide to Geocaching” by Mike Dyer, a virtual cache is “tailored to those who would like to visit someplace “magical” or unique…a particular location, which has unbelievable natural beauty, uniqueness, or ambiance…Whatever the location, the object of the game is that you will see and experience what the Virtual cache creator deems truly incredible to see.”

In “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Geocaching,” Virtual caches are “a distinct, unique object...”

I became deeply disappointed with Waymarking over a year ago. Waymarking had deteriated into "Yellow Pages." Bring back Virtuals which I enjoy visiting i.e. Seven Feathers Casino Sculpture!

Health Law Critic is upset he has to wait for coverage

2010-11-21T23:26:00.000-08:00

Andy Harris, Republican, new House Member from Maryland and Health Law Critic, is upset that he has to wait a month for his new health insurance coverage to take effect. He was informed in a briefing last Monday about employee benefits for new members of Congress, staff aides and family members. The Federal Employees Health Benefits plan starts covering new members of Congress and their families about a month after they enroll. Harris is strongly opposed to the new health care law, which he would like to see repealed. So let me understand his position. Representative Andy Harris is complaining that he has to wait a month for health insurance for him and his family that he wants to deny to millions of Americans. The American people deserve the same government provided Health Care benefits as Congress receives.

Letter to Republicans

2010-11-20T15:43:00.000-08:00

Now that the election is over, I have a challenge for the new Republican majority. If you are retired or nearing retirement, I challenge you, as fervent believers in smaller government, to "just say no" to your Social Security and Medicare.

If you truly are in the majority and if you truly have the courage to stand up for your beliefs, by turning down these two socialist programs you will reduce the size of two mammoth entitlements by over 50 percent. We can shrink the size of government without relying on Congress to do anything.

You will instantly reduce the deficit by a huge amount, be an example of real patriotism and no longer feel guilty about being a closet socialist. So, stand up and do the right thing for yourselves and your country. You can do it!

(This blog has been paraphrased from a Letter to the Editor by Carl Darnell, Central Point in the Mail Tribune, November 10, 2010)

Trip to Turlock - Wednesday, November 17, 2010

2010-11-20T13:09:00.000-08:00

This is the last day of my eight day trip to Turlock/Yosemite. I had to scrape the ice off my car windows. I ate a bacon-egg-and cheese biscuit and small orange juice at 7:30AM at Yreka. I stayed the night in Yreka as I did want to go over the Siskiyou in the dark. It turned out that I might as well have gone anyway. The fog was so thick I could only see a couple hundred feet. I found a red car to follow until the fog cleared. I stopped at Harry & David in Medford to purchase some gifts. I found two caches near the Valley of the Rogue State Park: Watch Your Step and [Our] Lady of the River. I ate tendercrisp chicken sandwich, diet coke and apple pie for lunch at Burger King in Grants Pass about 12:15PM.

I stopped for an hour at the Seven Feathers Casino. I did not play any of my money. Walking around watching the players and looking at the machines reaffirmed my belief that Indian Casinos are only profitable for the casino not the patrons. It was windy and dark by the time that I reached Eugene. Soon there was torrential rains and flooding. I got home about 7:30PM and unloaded the car in the pouring rain. There were television broadcasts of Urban Flood Warnings until 9:00/9:30PM.

Trip to Turlock/Yosemite - Tuesday, November 16, 2010

2010-11-20T12:30:00.000-08:00

I ate a bacon-egg-and cheese biscuit and small orange juice at 8:30AM at Willows. I ate tendercrisp chicken sandwich, diet coke and apple pie for lunch at Burger King in Shasta Lake about 2:15PM. I stayed the night at Motel 6–Yreka. I took the bedspread and the paper thin blanket off the bed and covered the bed with my unfolded sleeping bag to keep warm.

I found two caches: Willows Break and Woodson Bridge Caches. I did not find four caches including the I-5 Interstate Highway Challenge Cache. The tree had all of the lower branches cleanly cut off. I found a large white plastic spider in the grass and leaves under the tree. I took a flashlight and looked in the large circular drain but could not see anything. I came across an interesting sight in an olive grove this morning – a large green olive with a red straw diagonally through its center.

Trip to Turlock/Yosemite - Monday, November 15

2010-11-20T11:26:00.000-08:00

After a breakfast of blueberries and yogurt topped with Quaker Oats, my daughter, Catherine, left for work. I packed the car and headed north for Vancouver, WA. I purchased an Italian sub sandwich, chip and soft drink at Subway in Galt. I ate my lunch near Hwy 99 overlooking flooded fields west of Coursman. I watched a couple white herons. I got a hot fudge sundae at McDonalds in Gridley. I ate tendercrisp chicken sandwich, diet coke and apple pie for dinner at Burger King in Willows. I stayed the night at Motel 6 in Willows.

The most memorable cache was “In Memoriam” in Yuba City. The caretaker told me about the plaza which was an Eagle Scout project and the story of the tragic event. Twenty eight Yuba City High School Choir students died after a bus loaded with 57 students plunged off a Hwy 680 off-ramp near Martinez and landed upside down about 11:00AM on May 21, 1976. Two teachers were also on board with the husband of one of the teachers following in a car. One of the teachers, Cristina Estabrook, died in the crash.

Trip to Turlock/Yosemite - Sunday, November 14, 2010

2010-11-19T20:09:00.000-08:00

After a breakfast of blueberries and yogurt topped with Quaker Oats, my daughter, Catherine, did a few hours of work while I read Carl Hiaasen’s “Sick Puppy.” We stopped at Safeway for snacks and bottled water about 1:30PM. We found four geocaches and a benchmark in Modesto and Merced areas. The sunsets this weekend have been really spectacular! We got Subway sandwiches, chips and soft drinks for dinner at 6:00PM which we ate in the apartment. We watched a funny DVD movie "Analyze This" starring Robert De Niro, Billy Crystal, and Lisa Kudrow. Somehow I lost the spare key to my car. Probably threw it in the trash when I cleaned out my car.

Trip to Turlock/Yosemite - Saturday, November 13, 2010

2010-11-19T16:48:00.000-08:00

After a breakfast of blueberries and yogurt topped with Quaker Oats, my daughter, Catherine, did a few hours of work while I read Carl Hiaasen’s “Sick Puppy.” Catherine is the Civil Engineer for the Castle Airport Taxiway Project. I visited her over the weekend to break up her month and half long stay in Turlock. We had sandwiches for lunch.

After lunch we drove to Yosemite via Merced. We saw a 68-foot obelisk at the corner of Hwy 140 and Arboleda Drive. It is the final resting place of George Hicks Fancher, 1828 – 1900, a prominent Merced County farmer and businessman. His tombstone was the subject of a lawsuit that went to the state court of appeals. Fancher's will set aside $25,000 for burial and a "monument" on one of his ranches. One of his sons wanted to spend $2,000 on the gravestone in the local cemetery and build a library in Merced with the rest. Another son wanted the will followed to the letter, and so the legal battle began. The court ruled, in effect, that monument means monument, and that his wish to be buried on his ranch was to be followed. So the current monument was erected presumably with him under it (no evidence of his original burial in the local cemetery remains). Yosemite travelers gained an unexpected sight on the way to the park.

At Yosemite we saw Bridalveil Fall, El Capitan, Upper and Lower Yosemite Fall, Half Dome and the outside of The Ahwahnee. It was getting dark by the time we returned to Turlock. I photographed two water tanks as the sun was setting but do not have a clue where they were located!

Trip to Turlock/Yosemite - Friday, November 12, 2010

2010-11-19T14:41:00.000-08:00

I left Red Bluff quite early. I ate a bacon-egg-and cheese biscuit and small orange juice at 8:30AM at Willows. I got a muffin at the Dunnigan General Store at noon. I ate a Chicken Classic at McDonalds in Galt about 4:00PM. I arrived at my daughter Catherine's apartment in Turlock about 6:00PM. We visited and then went to Cool Hand Luke’s for dinner. Since I ate late at McDonalds I just had Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding with Vanilla Ice Cream.

My most memorable cache of the day was located at the historic City Cemetery in Sacramento. Captain John A. Sutter established the cemetery in late 1849 with a ten-acre-gift to the city. In 1880 Margaret Crocker donated the final acreage on the hill. The highest point in this cemetery may also be the highest elevation in Sacramento, as well. During the flood of 1861, the cemetery served as a safe haven from high waters.

Trip to Turlock/Yosemite - Thursday, November 11, 2010

2010-11-18T23:31:00.000-08:00

I backtracked from north Medford on I-5 to find a cache and then headed south. I ate bacon-egg-and cheese biscuit and small orange juice at McDonalds in Phoenix for breakfast. I ate lunch at Burger King in Yreka and stopped mid-afternoon for hot fudge sundae at McDonalds in Red Bluff. I had big bowl of chili with corn bread for dinner at Perko’s Café in Red Bluff. I stayed the night at Motel 6 – Red Bluff.

The most interesting cache of the day was “Stone’s Turnpike.” Until 1860, only a dangerous pack trail through the upper Sacramento River Canyon linked Oregon with California. Yreka’s merchants and settlers wanted a safer wagon road. The rugged terrain defied road building efforts until the Upper Soda Springs-Pitt River Turnpike Company built 44 miles of road from Upper Soda Springs (north Dunsmuir) to Stone’s Pitt River Ferry (now under Lake Shasta). Stone’s Turnpike Road is now Interstate 5. The most interesting sight was the snow capped Mt. Shasta.

Trip to Turlock/Yosemite - Wednesday, November 10, 2010

2010-11-18T15:31:00.001-08:00

I decided that I was going to drive the entire trip off the top half of the gas tank which was a very successful decision. I left Vancouver about 6:00AM. I spent most of the morning learning how to use the Garmin GPSmap 60csx and the Garmin nuvi. I got a Bacon-Egg-Cheese Biscuit at McDonalds in Woodburn. Ate lunch at Taco Bell in Sutherland about 12:45PM and stopped at Myrtle Creek Dairy Queen in mid afternoon for a Dilly Bar. I ate dinner in Medford at the Wathams Truck Stop Restaurant about 8:30PM. I stayed the night at Motel 6 - Medford North. The most interesting cache of the day was the “Bite of Heaven.” I went inside where I mentioned that I was a geocacher to the employees and received a special treat.

American people deserve the same government provided Health Care benefits as Congress receives

2010-11-07T16:47:00.000-08:00

While over 46 million Americans remain uninsured and millions more underinsured, members of the U.S. Congress -- Representatives and Senators alike -- receive some of the best health care benefits in the country, much of it paid for with taxpayer dollars.

Yet these same members - especially Republicans - vow to delay the implementation of Health Care that would extend similar protections to the rest of America and want to eventually abolish Health Care altogether.

The American people deserve the same government provided Health Care benefits as Congress receives.

"Glass Art in the Northwest" - Day 6

2010-10-17T10:37:00.000-07:00

On Friday, October 15th, we viewed a film made in 1962 about the construction of the Space Needle. We rode the monorail to the Seattle Center where we rode the elevator to the top of the Space Needle for a view of the city. Mount Rainier did not make an appearance unfortunately. I located and photographed the Seattle Sacred Heart Church which is a benchmark. I also photographed the labyrinth and the Experience Music Project (EMP).

Afterwards I wandered over to Starbucks where I had a slice of frosted lemon loaf. I walked to the International Fountain where I found the geocache “Under the Needle.” The water was shooting high in the air accompanied by music.

I rode the bus to Fremont. I ate lunch at Starbucks. I walked over to Groundspeak Headquarters arriving at 2:00PM. I left a Geocoin, was given an HQ tag, and purchased two Geocoins – “10 Years Geo Caching” and “Lackeys 2010.” I took my picture in the photo machine. I put one four photo strip on the wall above the reception desk and took the other.

I rode the bus back to Seattle Center, rode the monorail to Westlake Center and then walked to the Red Lion hotel. I picked up my checked suitcase. I walked down to 3rd where I caught a bus to 5th & Jackson.

I got my Business Class seat assignment and checked my suitcase. I boarded the train at 5:00. I had a seatmate, Ann who worked for Bank of America. I told her about Geocaching and Benchmarking and showed my trip photos on the digital camera screen. I got a bowl of Ivar’s Clam Chowder from the Bistro car. I arrived at the Vancouver Amtrak Station about 8:45. It was a fun trip but it was good to be home.