Scenes from a Drive

Monday morning, Sept 13: Awoke in a motel in Ukiah.  How I arrived there involves the 5, the smell of cow manure, and the audiobook version of Into Thin Air.  The rest of the drive entirely unremarkable.  However, the drive from Boonville to Arcata , and a couple days later from Arcata into Oregon, is one of the most beautiful and magical that I have ever had the good fortune to experience.  Some quick views that don't even come close to doing it justice:

 

 

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House of the Runaway Chicken

Every so often the vagaries of travel offer the opportunity to reconnect with a dear friend from one's past, and I have discovered through trial and error that these meetings can be vaguely satisfying, slightly disastrous, intensely sweet, or some unpredictable combination.  Whatever the outcome of such a visit, one thing I never could have foreseen was watching said dear friend wrangling a runaway chicken in his yard in the wilds of Northern California.

Library Schmibrary

I admit to completely slacking off my last couple days in Pasadena.  I did in fact go to the library on Thursday, but instead of walking through the doors I found myself veering off through the entrance to the botanical gardens.  I mainly spent my time in the Japanese and Chinese garden.  In the zen garden I was unable to achieve enlightenment, but this was mainly because of the unhappy children.

Japanese Garden

Golden Bamboo

Bonsai Forest

Zen Garden

Plantain Trees

Chinese Garden

Lizard Posing

Painfully Sunny

Buddha and the Beast

Self-Portrait in Motion

Visions of Japan, c1830s-40s

 

Today I visited a special exhibition of Hiroshige's woodblock prints at the Norton Simon Museum.  The exhibit explained that part of Hiroshige's greatness was his interest in and unique eye for ukiyo-e, or the transitory pleasures of urban life. He is also known for his portrayals of atmosphere - wind, rain, snow.  My favorite room focused on his prints of birds.

Hiroshige