greetings from shelter cove, california (look it up!)
I am at the home of my niece E and her partner T, in a remote part of California known as the “Lost Coast”. It is so beautiful and peaceful…
travels
if you’re going to live in a small town, it’s good to find one with an airport
I’m grateful this tiny airport exists! Today begins my solo trip to visit family in Oregon and California. I’m super excited! Traveling from Port Hardy, here’s what it entails: Fly…
what i’m reading: john steinbeck and me
I recently read Mad at the World: A Life of John Steinbeck by William Souder, part of my new-found interest in biographies over the past few years.* Instead of reviewing…
from the archives: all over the world, i tell people where to go
On our recent trip to Oregon and California, I made a note every time someone asked me for directions. That may seem like an odd thing to track — unless…
portland street art
Our pics of murals, other street art, and food carts in Portland’s Alberta Arts District are now online. The photos themselves are nothing special, but the murals are very cool:…
friends and family reuinion road trip: day fourteen: portland to delta, in which we miss a crucial step
Step one: you must use an app We left Portland and drove north uneventfully. As we approached the border, I remembered that we were supposed to use the “ArriveCAN” app…
friends and family road trip reunion: day thirteen: portland: books, street art, food
Portland is as advertised: an interesting city with a lot going on. We both look forward to returning, perhaps before or after a family visit. We got only a taste…
friends and family road trip reunion: day twelve: ashland to portland
On our last day in Oregon, we met my mother and sister-in-law for breakfast in Ashland, finally getting to Brothers, a favourite of mine from our 2016 trip to the…
friends and family reunion road trip: day eleven: mostly waiting to see a vet, with some family time
Yesterday Cookie woke up with what appeared to be an eye infection. I was concerned that it might be conjunctivitis, which is highly contagious. We had a full day of…
friends and family reunion road trip: day ten: berkeley to medford
Yesterday, we got a short list of car repair places in Berkeley that are open on Sunday. Allan went out to try to get the electrical issue fixed, while I…
friends and family reunion road trip: day nine: friends, dogs, and views, plus some thoughts about future travels
When we went to the BART station to pick up our friend D yesterday, there was an unexpected surprise: a market! It was the Berkeley International Flea Market. A vendor…
friends and family reunion road trip: day eight: long-distance friends meet up in san francisco
Yesterday, after we dropped the pups at daycare, Allan and I took the BART into the city, but got off at separate stops. Allan was meeting a blog-friend (someone we…
friends and family reunion road trip: day seven: dodgers vs giants!
Yesterday, family and friends from different areas of my life were brought together, through our plans — and through baseball! We dropped the dogs at the daycare place in the…
friends and family reunion road trip: a story about the digital divide
I separated out this story, because I didn’t want to give the impression that it ruined our day — and because I wanted to properly explicate it. The events were…
friends and family reunion road trip: day six: san francisco
Ah, San Francisco, how I love you. I love the energy of this city, its unique beauty, its mosaic of people and cultures and vibes. Just being here today was…
friends and family reunion road trip: day six: ashland to berkeley
This morning, after packing up the gear and the dogs, we went to my mother’s place for a short visit before leaving town. She loves seeing Cookie and Kai, and…
family and friends reunion road trip: day five: hanging out in ashland and talent
On Monday, we started the day at the Ashland Dog Park. Kai and Cookie had a great time. It was their second time there, and they were more comfortable and…
family and friends reunion road trip: some things I’ve seen
Seen on many lawns and in many windows: I saw a few in my mother’s senior community, which made me happy. * * * * Seen on a front-yard fence…
family and friends reunion road trip: day four: birthday party at a winery
This was another big family day, and a wonderful one. We took Kai and Cookie to a dogsitter who we found through Rover, the Airbnb for dogs. She has a…
family and friends reunion road trip: day three: an amazing day in southern oregon
We’ve run out of adjectives to describe the day. Amazing, incredible, awesome. A celebration. A love-fest. It would have been special and meaningful any time, but coming after the pandemic,…