The hills surrounding Santa Barbara rose to meet us as we headed North on the 101, our first escape from sheltering in place. To my surprise, the grasses on the hills are now golden, the deep emerald green just a memory, vanishing quickly once the rainy season ended about the same time as the covidContinue reading “The (not so much) Great Getaway”
Category Archives: seasons
Moving Forward
The Holiday season brings mixed emotions each year. I imagine the longer one lives, the more mixed it becomes, as losses accumulate. Such is life. Many years ago my mother passed just before Thanksgiving. Many more years ago my infant son died of crib death at three months of age, just before Christmas. The seasonContinue reading “Moving Forward”
One Journey Ends, Another Begins
I awakened from my sleeping pill slumber as we were an hour out of LA. Relief that the long flight was nearly over flooded my consciousness. Awareness dawned that I hadn’t eaten dinner or breakfast, falling asleep early in the flight and blessedly remaining asleep for most of it. Gratitude. I’d eaten more than enoughContinue reading “One Journey Ends, Another Begins”
What Goes UP, Must….
The hike from Kurama to Kibune is described in some guidebooks as “easy.” In a few others as “steep.” There were just enough “easy “descriptions to tip the scales for me, thinking “I can do this!” Time: 2 to 3 hours Distance: 3.9km Difficulty: easy Start point: Kurama Station on the Eizan Train Line Finish point: Kibune-guchi Station onContinue reading “What Goes UP, Must….”
When Traveling, Go With the Flow
You can set out with the best of intentions, while in Japan, thinking you know what you’re about to do. Many times it works out that way, but often, things don’t go exactly the way you expected them. I’ve learned to roll with the misunderstandings, because if you don’t it’s your loss. There’s almost alwaysContinue reading “When Traveling, Go With the Flow”