Riding the State Bear!

Okay...

So my friends from college days were visiting, and we were touring the State Capitol here in Sacramento, where I used to toil, as many of you know! 

A young man asked me to take his photo next to the bear, parked right in front of the doors into the Governor's office.  I said "Sure.  Hey, you should climb up on the bear!"  The guy looked around at relatively quiet Capitol hallways (on a Saturday, when lawmakers are gone) and hesitated.  I said, "Heck, I won't tell!  Go for it!"  He vaulted up onto the bear, and I snapped his photo.  Then, I was overcome with a burning desire to do the same irreverently mischievous deed myself!  Before I could reason with myself, there I was, asking him to take a photo of me up on the bear!  Candy and Jeanette were watching the whole few-seconds-long comic moment unfold with shocked giggles as I headed over to hurriedly vault onto the bear before many folks wandering the halls noticed -- or some security guard!   One problem...halfway into swinging my leg up and over, I was only halfway onto the bear!  I was not as agile as that bear was wide!  Frantically, I entreated Candy and Jeanette, "Help me, help me!" and Candy ran over to assist me somehow, knowing I was not giving up!  (She's only 5' tall, and weighs about one of my legs, so this was a bit nonsensical in itself, but I appreciated her efforts.)  The guy caught the moment nicely as it unfolded!

Somehow, sitting on top of that bear in front of Jerry's office, I felt vindicated for all the stresses and strains I'd lived through, working in this venerable building as another underling for several years of my life.

Enjoy the moment.  We laughed so hard after we all walked away and we are all still shaking our heads over this chaotic moment of hilarity.

BTW, I noticed that where it used to say "Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger," in gilded letters that stretched all the way across the width of the double-wide doors, it now just says (more humbly, in Jerry Brown's style) "Governor."  Think of the money he saved the taxpayers just in that simple act alone, huh?

Somehow, I believe that Gov. Brown wouldn't really mind, being the marvelously eccentric man that he is.

ISLAND OF HAWAII Part 1

The Big Island of Hawaii is an enchanted place if ever there was one, surely. I can't stop taking photos! Colors are better than Kodachrome!

Light and shadow are dancing partners

Lady Light is the world's finest painter. Whatever she graces is usually more beautiful because of her handiwork. Light and shadow are dancing partners in a compelling duet, whenever I see them dance together!

Beginning all over again

Is anything in the world more adorable than a brand new baby's feet? I can't think of much! Becoming a grandmother for the first time is almost as huge as being a mother for the first time, and both are a time when the future takes on a life-changing turn for the better!

Flowers and leaves that I couldn't pass by

Leaves in water -- an abstract montage of green

River views to slow one down

The river has so many moods...I never tire of taking a moment to drink in its beauty, often on the way to or from the day job, via bicycle.

Winter view from train through Siskiyous

Taking the train to Portland through the Siskiyous, I thought I'd find plenty of time to read and knit...but instead, I just looked out the window, hour after hour, at winter's solace.

A wildlife refuge is a glorious place for wandering

Cycling is happening, in Sacramento!!

Nevada City Bike Classic 2009 made California a most exciting place, especially when Lance was flying by!

A tree with stories to tell

I will always think of my father, now in Heaven, when I am near a sturdy tree. He created so much beautiful, enduring furniture and cabinetry from wood, and somehow, the strength and enduring wisdom of trees evoke his spirit.


Friends of mine own a vineyard in Sonoma County, and this tree is one of their most beloved. I've often thought that the way trees tell their stories is through their whispers to the wind and also through the musical instruments made from trees.

Yesteryear in rusted glory

What is it about abandoned cars that captures yesteryear so poignantly? I love the rust and the old Ford logo's lettering. I went to a pumpkin patch in the Sacramento Delta, and these were an unexpected find in an adjoining field, preserved lovingly by some farmer who set the old vehicles side by side to age into antiquity.

Teapots Galore

I had a lot of fun making this applique wall hanging of teapots for a niece's wedding! Something about making things by hand instead of buying them is just so renewing to my spirit -- when time allows!

More marshland imagery

Petaluma Meanderings

In Petaluma, there's a really lovely walk to be discovered, just off of Lakeville Highway, not far past the Post Office, on South MacDowell Blvd. It's called Schollenberger Park, as I recall. Long walkways along beautiful marshland areas and lots of different types of birds flying in and out! Coots, swans, Canadian Geese, Bufflehead ducks, hawks, etc., etc.

Pedaling in Joy!

Wow, what a great ride I was treated to, thanks to another avid cyclist's kindness and initiative in organizing a circular ride that began in Tiburon, CA and ended -- in Tiburon! Driving away from Sacramento's predicted 108-degree heat wave, this past weekend, and towards the cooling breezes of the Bay Area's summer comfort, we parked at Blackie's Pasture and hopped on the bike trail nearby, cycling past the sky-filled waters of the Bay that lap the Tiburon shores. After a couple easy miles, we hitched our bike steeds outside a quaint bakery on a street right out of yesteryear's villages, indulging in pastry and coffee that we all knew would be calorically vanquished by the cycling planned for the day. Then onto the ferry, wheeling our bikes aboard, re-hitching them to the bike racks provided, and sitting down at a table to enjoy the scenery of a ferry's journey across to San Francisco's Pier 43.

Once embarking the ferry, we found ourselves in the midst of what makes San Francisco so beloved to so many -- street artisans, shops galore, stunning vistas of water and bridges and colorful architecture. Weaving our way through the wharf's many 'postcard' moments, and arriving at the Aquatic Park area, we then geared down for our first looming HILL, up into Fort Mason. I am not a hill-climber -- or so I thought -- but, clicking down into my lowest gear, I pedaled with determination and exultation, chugging slowly but surely up to the top of the hill. Is this how Lance feels when he conquers his Alp climbs?It wasn't just the hill that I overcame. More to the point, I overcame my dread of trying the next one, a quantum 'leap' upwards!

As we meandered along the Marina pathways towards the Golden Gate Bridge, I breathed in the rhythm of the sea breezes, the echo of fog horns, the bobbing of sailboats, the soaring of the seagulls, the clicking of my happy derailleur. Here and there, we stopped to explore, but eventually, we ended up at Fort Point, built many years ago to defend the City, now a museum nestled under the magnificent expanse of steel supports that span the Golden Gate Bridge. Once climbing around inside the Fort and enjoying the views of the City and the Pacific Ocean it affords, we then rode up behind the Fort on a trail for cyclists to then enter their route across the Golden Gate. Another hill, winding and demanding to my flatlander cycling experiences -- but again, conquered! Spinning across the Golden Gate, I felt luckier than all the cars zooming by, in what I saw at the slower pace pedaling allows.

Once across the bridge, we headed down into Fort Baker, and then up ANOTHER grade, and then down, down, down into Sausalito, surely a European ambiance if ever there was one for those who can't quite afford a trip to Europe. A well-deserved lunch purchased at Veneto's Italian Deli was ours to enjoy in leisurely fashion, watching the boats as they traversed the waters in all-out playful abandon, as we munched away. A few shops were beckoning so the women in the group, so after checking them out a bit, we all decided to head on to Tiburon -- via the paths through Sausalito that lead out towards Richardson Bay's marshland, paralleling Highway 101. Maybe 8-10 miles passed by pleasantly and easily, as egrets and other water birds swooped in and out of the marshes to keep us entertained. Some more climbing, and then finally, the circle back into Tiburon completed.

Thank you, Pete, for the gift of a day experienced!

I'm looking so forward to the next 'pedal in joy' adventure!

Petals of Sun

Petals of Sun
Originally uploaded by JoyFlickers.

Taken on my dining room table, at the end of the day when afternoon light suffused a withering bunch of sunflowers with beauty still there to capture.

A cycling oasis -- smack dab in the city!

Bicycle Park -- Sacramento, 48th @ M Street
Originally uploaded by JoyFlickers.

I passed by the new bike park that greets bike commuters now, at the intersection of 48th and M Street! It’s been constructed with such taste and whimsy that I felt it deserved being shared, photographically. Notice that this tiny triangular ‘island’ park is adorned with a classy fountain, benches, flowers, a bike post, a water fountain, and green grass! Surely, the architects, who I suspect are avid cyclist advocates deserve a special place in Heaven for their efforts in creating this biking oasis in the middle of a long ride thorugh downtown Sacramento!

60's encountered -- again!

gobusgo
Originally uploaded by JoyFlickers.

So much more character than an SUV!

60's encountered

60's encountered
Originally uploaded by JoyFlickers.

Those were the daze...

Willy Nelson's Amazing Grace

Antique store downtown… I’m looking around the shop, guitar in tow, upon my back. Bob, an employee, notices the guitar case, asks me about what type of guitar I play. We start talking, and he tells me he has a Guild guitar that used to belong to Steve Miller… and then shares a music memory with me that he’s always cherished:

Years ago, his mom worked in a café on a Hawaiian island. Bob was visiting her there one day, when he noticed a man sitting at a corner table. He soon realized it was Willy Nelson! He whispered, “Mom, look! Willy Nelson is sitting over there!” She soon walked over to Willy and, being the minister of a local congregation on the islands, boldly invited him to their service the next morning.

Willy said ‘I’ll be there.’ They awaited the next morning with anticipation, even thinking, ‘Gee, maybe we’ll get lucky and hear some Willy tunes!’

Next morning, they hurried over the the church. A member of the congregation, Nolemana Hu (spelling? I heard ‘No-lay-maw-naw who’) arrived also, as usual. He normally performed the music for the service… however, that morning, he was not feeling well. He explained that the previous night had been long and sleepless due to pain suffered from his battle with cancer.

Just as he was pondering whether he would be up to providing that day’s music…alleluia…Willy Nelson actually showed up, as he had stated he would, to attend the morning’s service! After some thought, Nolemana Hu screwed up his courage and walked over to Willy, introducing himself, and shyly asked Willy if he would, perhaps, consider singing a tune for the service, after explaining that he was not up to his normal duties…. Willy hesitated, saying he didn’t have a guitar… but Nolemana Hu offered to lend him his guitar, if he wouldn’t mind playing it. Willy agreed!

That morning, the congregation was filled with amazement and delight at Willy’s heartfelt rendition of ‘Amazing Grace’ soaring towards the heavens – the ensuing applause just about bringing down the house – or, in this case, the church!

A head-turning beauty!
Originally uploaded by JoyFlickers.

Even the most humble cello is beautiful...

A future duet?

A sweet 'tune' played out came my way last night, and it was such a luminous example of music's ability to bring people together -- of all ages!

Pushing 53 years, and on my way to my lesson, wheeling my cello behind me down the Woodside pathway towards my car and the drive to the teacher's house. Suddenly, I hear a very young little voice calling me from behind. 'Hello, lady, hello!' I stop, turning around to see a little 5-year-old girl with dripping wet long brown hair, T-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops, obviously just back from the swimming pool. She's looking up inquisitively. I say, 'Hello!' She queries, ''Do you play the bass?' I answer, 'No, this is a cello!' She says, 'Oh! I play the violin!' 'I respond, 'Whoa, that's great! I'm learning Suzuki method. How about you?' She beams, 'Hey, I am too! What book are you on, Number 1? Are you learning Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star?' I smile, answering, 'Well, I'm a little past that, but still on Book 1. Hey, I'd like to hear you play violin! Maybe we can do some duets someday if your Mom says that's okay!' She runs off smiling. I call out, 'What's your name?' She looks back, yelling, 'Cozette!' I watch her bounding up the steps of her house, calling out, 'Mommy, Mommy, guess what...'

Quite unexpectedly, I now have a new friend made, and who knows, maybe some new tunes shared, down music's road! Truly, I wouldn't feel at all nonplussed to be playing alongside a 5-year-old, as long as I could keep up my end of the notes!

Looking back to 1st Cello lesson, 1/28/04

Well, finally, 30 years into the dreaming, I'm finding a little room for cello! Seems like maybe the right time for the planets to all line up in this endeavor!

I headed off to work downtown with the cello in tow, braved the Light Rail, and got stared at quite a bit with some amusing smiles all around when I approached the Security X-ray screening machine into my employer's building! The cello sailed right through! How does anyone carry a full-size bass around, is all I can wonder, if this cello seems this big rolling along behind me or hoisted onto my back!

A great teacher, Dan, just 2 miles from my house, and a Chinese-made cello, brand new for $600 including a nice rollalong case and bow! First cello lesson, Jan. 28, 2004: Two cats, one black and one white, greet me -- along with 3 tropical birds in cages, as I enter his house. White carpet! What courage! Dan plays an 80-year-old French cello, and confided that the bow alone has been appraised at $4,000! Wow! Scary that it could cost as much as a cheap car, a tiny long stick of pernambuco wood with horse-hair on it! Shows how music demands the best to give the best...

I unpacked my cello, and Dan got to work, explaining the basics to start me out right! He has a Master's from a respected conservatory across the other side of the country from here and he knows his stuff! The cats wandered in and out, inspecting my technique and hopping up onto the top area of the Grand Piano to survey us from their higher plane. Most amusing creatures, always! Dan told me about how loose or taut the bow needs to be for resting or playing, showed me how to rosen it up right, and then tuned my cello a bit, so I could get started making cello sound! Pizacatto (spelling) is the fancy Italian word for plucking strings instead of bowing them. We explored the right posture: relax into the cello, let it mold around your comfort zone, and float your arms loosely like butterflies in training... think of GRAVITY when applying pressure on the strings with the bow, and on the left hand, curve it around the neck and let it SINK into the neck, like legs walking down a hill, at an easy angle, and DON'T pinch the thumb under the neck, just let it be a placeholder resting lightly.

This cello is so happy to make sounds, so far! Gravity really does seem to work to bring her to life.

Anyway, a bit achy in the hands from challenging my 52-year-old muscles to new positions, but easy does it, and this a.m., I was up at 4:30 a.m., waiting till 5:45 impatiently, to begin 30 minutes of practice -- hoping my neighbor below doesn't hear me! I'll have to give her fair warning and have a dialogue to be sure it doesn't bother her. Who could complain about cello, even cello being born still? I can't imagine it.

Singing a happy tune from Suzuki book (the first ones I'm learning are 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, and a 'pep-per-o-ni pi-za' rhythmic phrase I'm to practice diligently, 4 beats to the first 4 syllables, total, and 2 beats each to the last two syllables) as I head to work, looking forward to the far-off day when I can play this baby!