Blog Archives

Capitalizing on his supreme patience with orchids, Jeff has spent the past year nurturing our fascinating “mystery” clematis back to bloom. We call the plant “Jack” after its supposed name the nursery used…jack-something-or-other. (I’m sure Jeff will remember.) Jack had gone into a serious hibernation period, but came back strong. Jack has an amazing double flower, and seems to enjoy the warm afternoon light in our kitchen. Jack is also single, and looking to date.

One of the side effects of extended travel to Europe is that when you return, you’re fresh way too early in the morning and exhausted way too early in the evening. So, Jeff and I have not even made it through LOOKING at our vacation pictures yet.

Jeff had to work late this evening, so I thought I would try and work on some of the London photos. But, my energy levels are just too low, and I didn’t know where to begin.

So instead, I present a picture that just jumped out at me as it was downloading. This is a shot I took during one of the Venetian thunderstorms. It took several tries, but it was well worth the effort. This was taken a short distance from our hotel. The view is across the Giudecca Canal towards the Giudecca.

No sooner had I posted the pictures of the mama dove than another bird swooped in and ate them! I guess mama was off getting something to eat, but when I peered out the window, I noticed that I couldn’t see the eggs. Glancing over the balcony, I spotted the eggs in the neighbor’s yard with the insides eaten. My folks believe that it was most likely the act of a blue jay or a crow, both of which eat the eggs out of nests.

How sad. In under 24 hours, Jeff and I had grown oddly fond of this dove and her soon-to-be family. 🙁

This bird-themed post goes out to my parents, who are celebrating their anniversary today.

We returned home yesterday evening and found Dobie and Buster alive and well, the house a tad bit stuffy, and the garden exploding with new growth and flowers. One unexpected treat was the mourning dove that I startled on our balcony. It would seem that mama dove has staked out a nest in our New Zealand flax (which is flowering for the first time, fyi). There are two white, quarter-sized eggs in the nest. We’re now a wildlife sanctuary.

Also, its SOOOOOO nice to let my photos tell the story versus all the writing we’ve done over the past two-and-a-half weeks. The journal style was fun though, and thanks for the encouraging feedback. I’ll get to the trip photos slowly. I’m estimating about 2100 images! (For reference: last year in Italy, we took about 1300 images.) Needless to say, a reasonable “slide show” size will be around 100-125 images, so there is much work to be done. Self-editing is the real trick of expert photography.

A restless night. “Pillowmania” couldn’t overcome “ineffective air conditioning-mania.” Nevertheless, a very nice breakfast (including eggs, bacon, pain du chocolate, and the requisite cappuccino) took the edge off an early start. Took the warm Malpensa airport shuttle bus directly across from the hotel at Milano Centrale–a 50-minute ride seemingly to Switzerland 🙂 Hugged Sherie goodbye–she is heading home to LA thru JFK on Alitalia and American. Check-in at Lufthansa and the security check point went smoothly. Gate A7. First leg is LH3883 to Frankfurt. Seats 8D/8E. Flew over the hazy Italian, Swiss, and German Alps. (We think we flew over Lake Geneva.) Circled Frankfurt and looked down upon tiny hamlets. Waved hi to Jeff’s sister Julie and nephew Keegan (aka, Gunter) who live in nearby Mainz…we think. (Unfortunately, this vacation itinerary was Southern Europe, so we did not make it to Germany for a proper visit, and Julie is on some sort of field training for several weeks.) Landed in FRA, which was alive with World Cup Fever. (Turns out that we watched Germany beat Costa Rica yesterday 4-2 in the Piazza del Duomo in Milano.) Got free face paint to wear our national colors. Wound through an endless string of passport check points. Flight UA901. Discovered that “waitlisted” is United’s way of saying “You’re really sweet, but I like you as a friend.” Sooooo found our seats in Economy Plus (Row 42, Seats H/J/K). Chris was able to switch with man seated between us so we could all sit together. Snickered when the flight attendant said ‘duty’. Spent our final euros on wine. A few movies played, but on a 747 only a privilaged few at the front of the cabin can see the faintly lit screens. iPod to the rescue…Don and Mike save the day again. The North Atlantic was hidden by the clouds. Chris pulled out the pharmacy and supplied us with vitamins to survive the contagions on the flight. As Greenland approached, the clouds cleared and chunky ice appeared on the ocean below, followed by the spectacular mountains and snowfields and frozen lakes of Greenland itself. Lunch was traditional economy fare: salad, chicken with a creamy sauce, veggies (UGH…broccoli), and rice. Desert was yummy strawberry ice cream like you get in grade school…including a little spoon. Clouds over most of Canada. Entered the US over Washington state, over the Puget Sound. The clouds seemed to break up at the border, revealing the green, snow-tipped Cascade Mountains. The German meal for the flight arrived in the form of a snack over Oregon: a turkey and cheese sandwich with Mittelscharfer Senf (mild mustard), red paprika-flavored Chio chips, and a KitKat Chunky. Landed uneventfully at SFO. Luggage pick-up. Customs check-point. Foggy and 60 degrees. Home 🙂