Summer's Over!

The temperatures that were in the 70s and 80s for much of the last 2 weeks are now just a memory. Today the high was in the 40s with a stiff wind---tonight a hard frost. Yesterday it was sunny and in the 60s. After church we biked and hiked and kayaked across the river to collect some nice 8-inch driftwood logs. John is building a rustic shed  at the business, the front porch to be propped up with driftwood logs. Our street, Abrigador Trail, is often known for more bad news than good, but yesterday our next door neighbor who we hadn't seen much of this winter stopped over when John and I were outside and made a point of telling us that he has been off the bottle for just over six months now. That was such great news. He's been a good neighbor and friend, but drinking was getting the best of him. Now he's owned up to his problem and headed for recovery.

Teenage Angst

We went hiking with Carlton and Kayla Sunday afternoon at Seidman County Park along Honey Creek. Had a long talk with Kayla. What a mature 15-year old she is! She's very concerned about issues of poverty and justice and world affairs and gets stressed out over such things. She's been involved in a Model United Nations program that has taken her to the University of Michigan and Hope College and given her experience in debate and international negotiations. She's like me-----doesn't like to work in groups. In her case, the group entirely slacked off and she was left with all the work and embarrassment by their poor presentations. She's learning what life is all about.

Kidney Stones and Big Sur

We are now back home with only memories of our wonderful California trip and uneventful round-trip air travel. Our gracious hosts, Erin and Kris, made our stay very comfortable, and my speaking went well despite the fact that I began my first lecture with terrible kidney stone pain. I was given the option of canceling the lecture, but that in my mind is never a viable alternative. And, anyone who has struggled with the pain of kidney stones knows that there is no way to overcome the pain of a stone except by passing it. I took Vicodin, which we got by phoning my doctor in Grand Rapids, but the pain got so bad that I threw up the water I'd been drinking, plus the Vicodin. So I went on stage, knowing that my speaking would help redirect my pain, and about a half hour into the lecture the pain suddenly vanished (the stone apparently having moved from the ureter to the bladder). The students were fantastic, actually almost seeming to enjoy the show. Our last full day, before lecturing again Monday night, was spent exploring Big Sur and Point Lobos State Reserve along the incomparable California coast. Here is John hidden in the shadow on the left looking out on the pounding waves.

Redwood Forests

Today was another incredible day of exploring the Santa Cruz region of northern California.


Friday morning we awakened to the sound of the surf out our open window overlooking Monterey Bay. After a lazy breakfast we headed north to hike through redwood forests mostly alone. We've both visited redwood parks previously, but much more touristy than these state parks are. Last evening we went out to dinner with Kris and Erin who are graciously hosting us this weekend in their wonderful home. I'll be lecturing tomorrow afternoon and Monday night. There is no way to capture redwood trees on our camera so we snapped them looking straight up from within a grove. John insisted on lying on the ground taking one of me looking up; that's why I'm posed at an odd angle. Still another of John crossing a railroad trestle through a redwood forest.

A Beautiful Day on Monterey Bay

Right now I'm looking out my motel window on Monterey Bay in Santa Cruz, California (seventy miles or so south of San Francisco). It's dark but I see the lights from the wharf across the bay reflecting on the water. We left Grand Rapids early this morning and arrived in San Jose early afternoon, rented a car and drove the 25 miles south where we found this wonderful motel with a great room discount and snatched it up. The next three nights we will be hosted by two wonderful women who live in Scotts Valley, and I'll be lecturing on both Sunday and Monday. We snapped some pictures as we were hiking along the bay---lovely flowers, surfers and sunset at the Natural Bridges State Park. Santa Cruz has become our newest favorite American city-----where we'll go to live when we retire!