Remembering Oz, the Land DownUnder

At long last a few photos from our 2005, month long trip to Oz…the glorious land DownUnder…where women roar, men thunder and the animals trump everything.

One of Australia's weird and wonderful wild life species

If there's ever a time you'd like to be able to say, "Been there, done that" it would be when someone mentions a trip to the amazing wonderland down under.

Everything in Oz is HUGE, DIFFERENT, dreamlike, unforgettable and unimaginable. Like that weird bird above with a huge bill. How can it fly???

Everything is otherworldly...Like waking up to a airy balloons outside your garden in Melbourne...

Like finding a giant surreal mural in a tiny Tasmanian town and 

realizing you fit right in…

Like spotting giant neon orange and and pink mushrooms….

Like walking into beautiful giant fanning grasses...

and spotting giant two legged birds that can't fly...

Then there is the giant Victoria market that spans blocks...

We found a sculpture garden outside of Melbourne with big white balls of ….

who knows????

There are boldly colored parrots that come 

and sit right next to you...

And a midnight marauding Tasmanian devil who comes right onto your wilderness porch to devour his dinner….those marks on his skin are war scars...

There is a place on Tasmania called "The Remarkable Rocks"…

this one looks like Darth Vader to me...

And this one like a side view of the lion...

Still on Kangaroo Island to the south of Adelaide…you might encounter kangaroos or wallabies anywhere…they eat them in Australia…"minced wallaby" AKA hamburger.

Huge colonies of huge walrus seals lie on the rocky shores on Kangaroo Island…man does that smell!

The sweetest little bear in the world can be found in the wild like this one we spotted sleeping in a gum tree in a community park in Adelaide...

Still on Kangaroo Island…an otherworldly land down under the surface 

These are aboriginal hands painted on a cave wall…remarkable rocks again I guess!

I love Australia! One of the best things that ever happened to me was getting the opportunity to live a year in Melbourne teaching high school in the suburb of Fawkner…that was 1975-76. My students treated me like royalty and my memories of life there are just as clear as if it were yesterday. It had always been my dream to take Dave to Australia and share the things I treasured in the land down under. The thing is…it was even better the second time around.

Visiting a Friend

Yesterday I found a pretty pink orchid at the Farmer's Market for Marlyn, our beloved Ditto sitter…I plan to take it over later today.

It is almost a year since Ditto died, but we find ourselves with only happy memories of the 21 years we spent with her. We met Marlyn because of Ditto and she remains a very special friend to us for the care and devotion she gave our kitty even though she only climbed up once to sit on Marlyn's lap.

When we were in Texas last year, Ditto fell trying to get up into her chair, so Marlyn made a set a stairs for her out of pillows and towels to give her wobbly weak legs the support she needed. I thought that was so wonderful. We never had to worry a minute about Ditto even when we were in New Zealand for 6 weeks and Australia for a month…because Marlyn was here to take care of her.

I'm dropping off one of my poems along with Marlyn's orchid--she has always seemed to like my writings. This one is called Brazen Love. The interesting part of the poem for me as I revisit it, is that Ditto had the most beautiful hair, long and sweet and lovely but of course she didn't know that…maybe just like Mary Magdelene.

Brazen Love

Who did she think she was?

No one. That’s who she was.

The murmuring went like this:

She shouldn’t be sitting there…at his feet.

Unheard of.

And where did she get such alabaster?

Where the perfume?

It’s not hers. Too expensive.

Now what’s she doing?

She’s unraveled her hair.

In front of everyone.

What’s the matter with her?

Someone stop her.

She’s embarrassing us. Him.

Hair unfurled, she’s pouring gold on his feet.

What could she possibly be thinking?

Disgraceful.

In front of everyone…the way she’s looking at him.

Now she smells like him, drenched in his fragrance.

Just sitting there. Not working. Not thinking of the others.

What about the poor and needy?

She must be mad. She has lost herself.

And then the voice that slays every shame.

“Leave her alone.

She’s mine.

I cherish her…the one whose heart has leaned on mine,

I see her whole self, abandoned to me, no thought of you.

She can’t see you anyway. Can’t hear you.

Leave her alone.

She’s mine.

Among all here, she will be remembered.
Whenever anyone talks of me, they will speak of her naked, brazen love for me and wonder why they have not done the same.

She is not ‘no one’.

She is mine.”

By Candyce Roberts

from the story of Mary Magdelene at Jesus feet in John 12 and Luke 7

Rivers of Living Water

Lyell Fork of the Tuolemne River, Yosemite National Park

When I was making the bed this morning, one of Simon and Garfunkle's old songs popped into my head and I started singing..."When she goes, she gone...." So I decided to see if I could find the song on youtube and remind myself of all the lyrics. Ahh, the song's called "Fakin' It".

I watched the version they did in Central Park, 1981...It was wonderful...Next I listened to "American Tune". Why don't people write songs like that anymore? There was a comment under the video...

"The day after the 9/11 attacks, I went to work, and plugged this CD into my player, not thinking about this song at all. When it began to play, I burst into tears. Without a word, and without knowing what I was listening to, the woman sitting across from me moved to sit next to me, and hugged me until she had to get off the bus. A song that will live in my heart forever"

Her words made me realize how much music touches the deepest part of us. How we seem to have a built in mechanism for wanting to let music in to feed and move us.  Because it does. Her experience of being comforted by a stranger reminded me of how much we need each other and can change a life just by being there. Anyway, this is what I was thinking after watching the concert and reading the special comment ...

"God knows how to make us a symphony. A sweet, deep healing song...that's what he can make of us. 

If only we could allow ourselves to listen to the voice that could put us in synch, in time with his timing and each other. 

God knows how to make us flow together so that our lives look like the river of living water that quenches and cools the aching need that parches every soul. 

God knows how to help us play a note that matters and catches hold so that we know it by heart and sing it easily. 

I'd like to listen long enough to learn how to play my part in the symphony and stop trying to conduct the music of the universe."

Here is the link if you want to watch...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTZkk66pd1I

Summer Skies

Clouds Over Angel's Landing, Grand Canyon

A prime mover for me? Any opportunity to be outside. The other day, I was surprised by a sky that made me come inside and write...

Streaky clouds stretch thinly overhead, like a tattered veil of ancient white linen. 

Nothing, not a thing about them is permanent.

They constantly shift into spaces once held by baby blue as if they had wings to sway and fly away.

For me, a mesmerizing comfort...
to watch them glide,
to know they are but white water, untouchable, silent vapor, body surfing on distant wind waves.

More Clouds

And more...clouds...never once the same, ethereal, like we are

Hot Times on the High Sierra Trail

A really big guy with a really big back pack rounded a bend on the High Sierra trail with two interesting bits of info: "Bear up ahead." and " Yup, It's hot. This is the hottest day in the valley since 1898." 

The big guy, his buddies, Dave and I were all sweating buckets. It must have been 95 degrees at 8,200 feet elevation and 7 miles into the 73 mile High Sierra Trail. Unheard of. VERY Uncomfortable. Crazy!

He was headed to Whitney, doing the whole 72 mile trail in a week. We had a different plan and destination: we would start the trail at Crescent Meadow (in Sequoia National Park) like most folks but stop halfway to explore the 9 Lakes Basin, just beyond Kaweah (ka-wee-ah) Gap at 10,500 feet.

Even though we've been backpacking for 10 years, until last year I had never heard the words "High Sierra Trail" ...didn't have a clue where it was or what kind of territory it traversed. But something drew me to the words...The Great Western Divide. The High Sierra Trail it seemed would give me a chance to cross the heretofore unknown Great Western Divide. Had to do it. Here's a look at our venture into the divide.

Day 1: Overnight at Wuksachi Lodge, just about 5 miles from the trailhead. Can't say enough for this Sequoia Park lodging, big-friendly-comfortable...the alternative was a crowded crummy campground with far too much noise and bustle. We needed space to recheck our backpacks, a quick breakfast (the rooms have fridge and coffee makers) and the chance to get in one last shower before hitting the trail.

Our suite at the Wuksachi Lodge

Day 2: From the Crescent Meadow Trailhead, it's about 6 miles to Mehrten Creek, our first day's destination. Just a few camp sites here with a rusted out bear box. Well I'm telling you it was HOT and the heat was exhausting. The weirdest thing was this...we put up the tent, went down to the water to cool off, came back to the tent and the ground was baking. The ground temperature was SO hot it turned the tent into a oven. Even throughout the night, the ground was SO hot--I'm guessing 80 degrees to the touch, that made sleeping nearly impossible especially with a down bag. Oh yeah, I even bought NEW puffy down pants for this trip because I was expecting it to be VERY COLD. Wanted to burn them pants at this point. Next day, Next Stop, Bear Paw Meadow. We have heard campsites are cramped with no views here so we plan to stay at Lone Pine Creek.

Old Bear Box at Mehrten...you have to climb up from the creek to find it!

The porch at Bear Paw Meadow...a great spot for a breather

This is the manager at the Bear Paw High Sierra Camp. He will sell you a brownie and a glass of lemonade and let you sit on the porch for a blessed rest.

Lone Pine Creek offers no campsites but a great place to cool down.

Day 3: Past Bear Paw Meadow, Past Lone Pine Creek, All the way to Lake Hamilton...about 8.5 miles. We had planned to camp at Lone Pine Creek but there are NO possible sites here no matter what you read anywhere to the contrary. Instead, we got in the water here, cooled down and packed it to Hamilton.

Past Bear Paw and Lone Pine...Lake Hamilton was packed when we arrived about 6 pm. The rangers were great and helped us locate a decent campsite up and away from the hustle bustle of the lake population. 

The water is very warm here. We watched one woman swim in the lake for over an hour!

Lake Hamilton...we camped at the top of the lake and a bit to the right

We got an early start the next am...we were going to be climbing out of Hamilton at 8,235 feet up to the Nine Lakes Basin at 10,420..in the heat, exposed much of the way.

The first noteworthy destination past Hamilton--the tunnel. Everyone takes a picture of the renowned tunnel blasted through the rock...the rangers were working just beyond it preparing to blast out a big hunk of rock to make a bigger area for pack horses to navigate.

Dave talking to a Ranger about the "Big Blast"

 Scenery past the tunnel...The Angel's Wings.

A great view back down towards Hamilton on the way up to Precipice lake

Next incredible site: Precipice Lake (10,200 feet)...you can camp near this lake but it is exposed and could be pretty windy. This lake is just gorgeous...but you can only get this view in the afternoon...don't expect much at all before noon if you are looking for a photo op. The background looks like snow or ice, but it is just shadows on the granite and different colors of granite. The lake only looks this color in the afternoon.

We had lunch here...it was so peaceful...but we needed to press on over the gap to the 9 Lakes Basin to set up camp for the next two nights.

Here we are at the Gap above tree line, looking down to the Heart Shaped lake where we plan to camp.

Nine lakes Basin...we camped up by the red looking trees on the right

 Day 4 and 5...Day Hiking around the Nine Lakes Basin is peaceful and starkly beautiful. We saw maybe 2 other campers up here.

the heart shaped lake

Our Campsite at the Nine Lakes Basin...I loved it here!

We headed back down to Hamilton for the return trip...I could have stayed longer in the Nine Lakes Basin. Our trip was about 50 miles total and except for the heat, one of my favorites in that it turned out to be a very social trip. Lots of people and lots of conversations with great, friendly rangers. In the end, it was nothing like I expected and something I'll never forget.

Setting up camp at Hamilton on the return trip.

Sitting inside the tent for shelter from the HOT sun. Great view huh?

End of trip.
End of story.
 "Hot Times on the High Sierra Trail 8/2012"