We’re headed south on a big loop in search of great cycling. First stop is the amazing city of Solvang. Our first day will be a nice warmup doing the Solvang Century 100K route. Meanwhile Charlotte and Monica get to enjoy the ostriches just outside of town. And then it’s over to the Old Mission Santa Ines for some artsy photography care of Monica. Nice job on the closeup manger scene. It’s like I’m really there! ...
My family has departed on a biking road trip adventure where my mother and I explore and hike while my brother and father ride their bikes. Our first stop is in Solvang, California just an hour past San Luis Obispo. This quaint little danish town is full of a tourist’s delights with adorable shops, beautiful architecture, and amusing things all over town. We began with a short stop at an OStrich and Emu farm which sadly was closed. We were able to sneak a couple of shots from the highway. ...
Val and Kim’s house is bustling with family tonight, and I like it! It’s also fun to still have the “kid’s table” full of college kids home for the holidays. And of course it’s a great chance to goof around with my Monica girly.
The wind gently rolls through the trees Like a mothers soft whisper in her infants ear Telling her of things not yet unfurled But waiting on the distant horizon Like a run away balloon Swept into the abyss that is not cold, dark or lonely but quiet and filled with the warmth of a contented heart that beats not because it has to but because it wants to Dancing in pirouettes on the shoulders of the leaves Rattling the bones the edifice of this green breeze Until just one person stops to watch and listen To the secrets swept up by this whirlwind As the bones are rolled to reveal the truth that lies In the scattered remains, a world foretold But not yet cemented The wind is shifting in this dire breath Switching back from foot to foot A ballerina bowing and swaying With the whispering wind Dancing not because someone is watching But to release the rhythm bounding in her mind ...
The soft bare flesh of your palms Marred along with the bony knees That refuse to carry you along this path Dirt and gravel dig into your skin As you sit facing the Eastern Gate Prostrate like a child before your relentless master On hands and knees too weak for strength But too strong to kneel Defiance is your name As you grit your teeth and grip the gravel Between your blistered fingers There is no blame just a silent battle As you crash to ground Like the rebounded toss Of the writer’s crumpled paper As another idea Dies and dies again Breathe in the ochre Of this ground where you find yourself kneeling Paint your face with the ochre Of the very ground you were once told to kneel upon Let it be your armor, your war paint In the coming battle Where once you had hesitation Shaking as straw in the wind Let this gravel be your battlefield And your oppression become strength We are the children of warriors But we have yet to prove ourselves Even as you sit with battered pride And bleeding palms This is just your beginning Let this blood be the signature That is remembered by all You who wept for what was right We remember your name
I know it has been disappointing how little I am updating my blog but I just want everyone to know I am still here. I have recently been frustrated with my blog and feeling it has started to go in a direction that I never wanted. Very soon I am planning on starting a new and getting back to the way I wanted this blog to be. I am going to start writing more and publishing everyday as soon as finals is over, think of it as my New Years Resolution. So from New Years on I will start to regularly post again. I am sorry it won’t be sooner because I am heading into my first ever finals week at UC Berkeley but I will try to post when I can. ...
Not much to to share about Thanksgiving this year, but we did get a nice family photo of everyone. Happy turkey day!<
Walking into Florence is like entering a labyrinth of colored houses, narrow alley ways, and open market places. There is so much to see here that is just simply astounding. Everywhere you walk is something new and beautiful to look at; every corner beholds a new and interesting facet to this city. We visited the Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli gardens which were beautiful. And took a much needed break from the over bearing sun in the shade of the garden.