Clifford

My adopted son Cliff is coming to live with me. This has been in the works since Amalie died, and he has had a number of issues to take care of.

Last evening, when we talked, he said he had rented a truck, and expects to be here sometime in the first week of June. I'm looking forward to that. Now it won't be quite so quiet around here at dinner time. And he gets along well with the birds.

He came to help me out after Am's passing, and was a big help, but of course had to return home around the first of the year. Now he will be here.

Fun time:

A woman walked into the kitchen to find her 
husband stalking around with a fly swatter

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Hunting flies," he responded.

"Oh… Killing any?" She asked.

"Yep, 3 males, 2 females," he replied.

Intrigued, she asked, "How can you tell them apart?" 

He responded, "3 were on a beer can, 2 were on the phone.”

See you all on Monday.

THE STEVENS CREEK TRAIL

An entrance to the Stevens Creek Trail is only about a mile and a half away from where I live, and about 5 minutes on my big scooter. I took most of these photos about a week ago. One is from the website from which I drew the following text. Amalie and I used to ride our small scooters for a relaxing outing.

***

This man-made trail is named after Stevens Creek, a 20-mile long waterway that starts on the slopes of Black Mountain in the Santa Cruz Mountains. And the creek is named after an early Cupertino settler, Capt. Elisha Stephens. The trail roughly parallels the creek, which it crosses a few times, and for the section we will see, parallels Highway 85 through Mountain View toward Cupertino.

The Stevens Creek Trail is currently a 5.5 mile trail section in Mountain View which extends from Shoreline Park and the Bay Trail all the way under El Camino Real, near its crossing of Highway 85., to Sleeper Avenue. The trail runs through tidal marshlands and natural riparian habitats, providing for recreation and educational opportunities. The trail is regularly used for bicycling, bird watching, commuting, dog walking, education, hiking, jogging, nature walks, running, scootering, roller and inline skating, skateboarding, striding, and walking.

This is not a long trail, but it is one of the best-developed and most ambitious trails in the Bay Area. The existing trail cost around $10 million to build, with funding from a wide range of public and private sources. Building the trail required the construction of several bridges and underpasses, the planting of thousands of trees and shrubs, and the installation of numerous amenities, like benches, signs, and drinking fountains. South of Hwy 101, the trail was built through already-established suburban neighborhoods and along busy major roads, including State Highway 85, the Stevens Creek Freeway. However, because of the extensive landscaping and amenities, the trail is like a natural linear park. It can serve as a model for how to turn previously-unused land into an attractive and vital recreational resource.

This is the bridge across Stevens Creek leading to the trail itself.

As I start up the trail, heading south, I go under the Dana Street bridge. That's the street I use to get to the trail. I f I were to continue on down Dana, I would head into downtown Mountain View.

A lot of greenery on the right side. The creek is down below the trees.

The sound wall separates the trail from the freeway, and does a pretty good job of keeping out the freeway noise.

The bikers (and then me) are headed up the ramp to get high enough to cross over the top of Highway 237, which goes under 85.

This is my shot of the trail over 237.

Again, here is the trail going over 237. This is the shot I didn't take.

Which gets us down to the tunnel under El Camino Real (the King's Highway). El Camino is state Highway 82, but one does not drive this stretch to go any distance. There are shopping centers all up and down the way, and one goes from one town to another without any break. Traffic signals all the way.

This is El Camino overlooking Highway 85. Doesn't have much to do with the trail, but I thought it was a pretty picture.

The cyclist is taking the El Camino entrance to the trail.

I am now on the newest stretch of the trail. Obviously new shrubbery is yet to be planted.

Hikers on the new stretch. He is walking a German Shepard. She has a Chihuahua on the leash.

A family of bikers on the new stretch.






This is the bridge to Sleeper Ave. near the hospital, and at the moment is the southern most part of the trail.



So after all those photos, you still want humor? Let's see what I have:

Seen on the back of a pickup:
Dogs come when you call them; cats have answering machines.

Sign in a restaurant window: "Don't stand there and be hungry; come on in and get fed up"

FOOD

That was quite a fuss yesterday. All I was doing was my small part for Alison’s health. Chocolate is a health food, isn’t it? But that isn’t what I wanted to talk about.

I got into the habit of eating as a small child. Before I was married, and lived alone, I became a pretty good cook and fixed most all my own meals. When Am and I were married, it turned out that she was quite a good cook. She used to say that I was easy to please. Well, with what was put on the table, I was easy to please. Then after she had her stroke, and Eric started doing dinners for us, she said she liked doing breakfasts. Hot cakes, waffles, scrambled eggs, muffins, omelets --- yum! And she also served up a dish of fruit and orange juice with banana blended in.

There was one breakfast we did together. Poached egg on shredded potato. She would shred the spuds in the cuisinart. Then she would chop up onion, mushrooms and bell pepper, saute them, and add that to the potato. I would do the poached eggs. (I got the easy part).

Now that she’s gone, I get to do it all on my own. I do prepare a hot breakfast -- eggs with toast, juice, fruit and tea. (Tea? That's another story). (That fruit dish contains honeydew melon, grapes, strawberries and banana). I did try her hot cake recipe with pretty good results. But I’ve missed the poached egg on potato. I’m leery of trying the cuisinart with only one hand, and one day recently when I was in the grocery store, I happened upon a box purporting to be a mashed potato mix. Hmmm, poached egg on mashed potato. Sounded intriguing. So I bought a box, and the other day I tried it. I can follow a recipe, and it called for the mix, water, milk and margarine. Mix well in microwaveable bowl. Oops. microwaveable bowl? Flat dishes, I have, but bowl? I remembered we’d had a big glass Pyrex bowl that Am used in the oven, but I couldn’t find it. And then -- Eureka! I remembered the Corningware bowls with the funny name -- the grabits. That's what they call them. Even comes with a plastic lid for refrigeration purposes. Worked just fine. The end result? Quite good. The potato was a trifle on the heavy side -- I think it needs a bit more milk.

Now if any of you out there are drooling over this, and want me to invite you to breakfast/brunch, please say so. A mind reader I’m not. I do need a little advance notice because I do some of the setup the night before. Now, please, wipe your chin.

From food to fun:

"DEAR ABBY" REVISITED
Dear Abby, I was married to Bill for three months and I didn't know he drank until one night he came home sober.
~
Dear Abby, My mother is mean and short-tempered. I think she is going through her mental pause.
~
Dear Abby, I have a man I never could trust. He cheats so much on me I'm not even sure this baby I'm carrying is his.
~
Dear Abby, I suspected that my husband had been fooling around, and when I confronted him with the evidence he denied everything and said it would never happen again.
~
Dear Abby, I joined the Navy to see the world. I've seen it. Now how do I get out?
~
Dear Abby, My forty-year-old son has been paying a
psychiatrist $50 an hour every week for two-and-a-half years. He must be crazy.
~
Dear Abby, Our son was married in January. Five months later his wife had a ten-pound baby girl. They said the baby was premature. Tell me, can a baby this big be that early? Signed, Wondering.

Dear Wondering. The baby was on time, the wedding was late. Forget it.
~
Dear Abby, I have always wanted to have my family history traced, but I can't afford to spend a lot of money to do it. Any suggestions? Signed, Sam

Dear Sam, Yes. Run for public office.
~
Dear Abby, I am forty-four years old and I would like to meet a man my age with no bad habits. Signed, Rose

Dear Rose, So would I.

BOOK SUGGESTION

Mysteries! Most all of us like mysteries. Especially murder mysteries. Have you read any of the Brother Cadfael series? Brother Cadfael is a Benedictine monk (he is the herbalist) in twelfth century England. But he did not become a monk until he was in his 60’s. Before that he was a soldier in the Crusades and then a sailor, so he has more knowledge of the outside world than his fellow monks.

Cadfael is called upon in these stories to solve various problems, sometimes at the behest of his superiors, and sometimes not. His knowledge of plants, flowers, herbs, and people often (usually) help to solve the issue at hand.

Ellis Peters is the pseudonym for author Edith Pargeter (who passed away in 1995). There are a total of 20 novels plus one book of three short stories, about Brother Cadfael, which is titled “ A Rare Benedictine”. One of the short stories, "A Light on the Road to Woodstock", tells how Cadfael became a monk, and the other two, "The Price of Light" and "Eye Witness", are short versions of the novels. One of those two is an absolute gem of a story, but I don't remember which one.

Many of these stories were re-created for TV, with Derek Jacobi as Cadfael.

It's no mystery that most (all?) of us like jokes. So ...

This is a specially formulated diet designed to help men and women cope with the stress that builds during the day, especially with the Holidays. You may have this Menu already....but it is always the time of year to read it again!!

Breakfast
1 grapefruit
1 slice whole wheat toast
1 cup skim milk

Lunch
1 small portion lean, steamed chicken
1 cup spinach
1 cup herbal tea
1 Hershey's kiss

Afternoon Tea
The rest of the Hershey Kisses in the bag
1 tub of Hagen-Daaz ice cream with chocolate chips

Dinner
4 glasses of wine (red or white)
2 loaves garlic bread
1 family size supreme pizza
3 Snickers Bars

Late Night Snack
1 whole Sarah Lee cheesecake (eaten directly from the Freezer)

Remember: Stressed spelled backward is desserts.

SPORTSMANSHIP

The following article was in the sports section of the Sunday paper. This is slightly edited and abbreviated. Too often we see or hear about the bad things that sports figures do, and I found this to be so refreshing, that I decided to share it with you.

And then I was reminded of another unusual act of sportsmanship that took place about a year ago. I remembered the general drift of the story, but not the specific details. So I looked it up (in Google, of course), and there it was, complete with photo. I hope you find these stories as uplifting as I did. And, yes, there is a bit of humor at the end.

A great day for baseball
By Daniel Brown
San Jose Mercury News

Manuel Madrid of Gonzales High fielded the ball cleanly and looked up to see the pinch runner making an ill-advised dash toward home. This wasn't an ordinary pinch runner. Will Rudolph has cerebellar ataxia, a mild form of cerebral palsy. He has problems with motor skills, balance and speech.

Over the course of the previous three weeks Carmel High Coach Randall Bispo got permission from Will's parents, got him a uniform and, without a word to the Gonzales side, got him in the game. That's how Will Rudolph suddenly found himself running like mad for home plate.

For Madrid, the smart play was to throw to the plate. But he didn't make the smart play. He made the genius play: Madrid threw the ball to first. The run scored. Will Rudolph scored.

"I was going to throw home, but then I realized who it was,'' Madrid said. "It was the right thing to do, to give the kid a special moment." It wasn't just Will's special moment. Carmel High teammates bounded from the dugout and hoisted Rudolph on their shoulders. "Like a family picking up a brother," catcher Calen Urquhart said.

In the stands, Will's mom, Michelle Rudolph, violated that old rule about no crying in baseball. And she had a head start on everybody else. "I started crying when I heard the coach say, 'No. 30 pinch-running for No. 14,''' she said. "And I haven't stopped crying since."

Rudolph's run was the final tally in Carmel's 12-1 victory. But the phrase "meaningless run" does not apply here.

* * *

Will’s chance came Tuesday, when he ran for Alberto Palafox at third base. From the moment Will came loping out of the dugout, he got a standing ovation. Will, who hadn't been on base since Little League, took his lead off third, sizing up the pitcher with one out in the sixth inning. Michael Gerlach, the batter, knew what was at stake. "I wasn't feeling pressure. I was more rejoicing about the chance to get him in," Gerlach said. "I wanted to give him the highlight of his whole high school experience."

After he hit the ball and ran toward first, Gerlach looked over to see Madrid preparing to throw home. Gerlach was horrified. All the while, Gonzales catcher Francisco Banuelos was pointing for Madrid to throw to first. At the last second, Madrid decided to let the run score.

Then the third baseman looked sheepishly toward his pitcher. Oscar Hernandez stared back. They both smiled.
"I don't think it mattered to him,'' Madrid said. "He knew it was special."

Michelle Rudolph recognized instantly what Madrid had done. A former San Diego State softball player, she knew the third baseman is trained to throw home on that play. Immediately after the final out, she headed for the Gonzales side of the field. She found a gaggle of boys milling about near the snack shack. "Which one of you was the third baseman when my son was on the field?'' she asked. Nobody needed to ask her who her son was. Madrid came forward and Michelle poured her heart out. She thanked the him for his sportsmanship, for his class, for his thinking and for making his family's dreams come true.

* * *
Later that night, Michelle Rudolph, sent an e-mail to Gonzales High Principal Tom Brownell.

"I just wanted you to know what a wonderful sight it was to see a young man such as your player understand what this meant to William without even knowing him," she wrote. "Thank you for having such wonderful sportsmanship on your team."

* * * *

About a year ago, in the second game of a doubleheader, Western Oregon's Sara Tucholsky slammed what appeared to be a three-run homer over the centerfield fence, the senior's first in either high school or college. But Tucholsky wrenched her knee at first base and collapsed.

Umpires ruled that a pinch-runner could replace Tucholsky, but she would be credited with a single and only two runs would count. After being assured there was no rule against it, Central Washington first baseman Mallory Holtman and shortstop Liz Wallace carried Tucholsky around the bases, completing her homer and adding a run to a 4-2 loss that eliminated Central Washington from postseason.

* * *
A bit of fun:
The scene: A man is sitting at his computer typing an e-mail. He says: “Dear Andy: How have you been? Your mother and I are fine. We miss you. Please sign off your computer and come downstairs for something to eat. Love, Dad.”

***

Shin: A device for finding furniture in the dark.

Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing.

X MARKS THE SPOT!

Kerplop!

This is the cart I use to transport stuff to and from the kitchen. Handy gadget.

I fell down last evening, and since I am unable to get up on my own, I pushed my emergency call button, and the fire department came out and picked me up.

“Are you hurt?” they asked.

“Only my pride”, said I.

It’s not that my balance is poor -- miserable would be a more apt term. I’m not even sure how it happened. I think maybe my feet were mis-positioned.

I do everything I can to stay, as Eric puts it, vertical. All sorts of little tricks, like keeping my feet spread apart, and leading with my left foot, as well as a few other things. I’m in a program through Stanford University called “Freedom from Falls”. They tell me I should exercise more. I quite agree, but agreeing and doing are two different things.

Enough of this. I have a few other postings lined up for this week that should prove far more interesting. On to something more humorous:

LAWS OF THE NATURAL UNIVERSE

Law of Mechanical Repair:
After your hands become coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch or you'll have to pee.

Law of the Workshop:
Any tool, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner.

Law of Probability:
The probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of your act.

Law of the Telephone:
If you dial a wrong number, you never get a busy signal.

Law of the Alibi:
If you tell the boss you were late for work because you had a flat tire, the very next morning you will have a flat tire.

Variation Law:
If you change lines (or traffic lanes), the one you were in will start to move faster than the one you are in now (works every time).

Law of the Bath:
When the body is fully immersed in water, the telephone rings.

Law of Close Encounters:
The probability of meeting someone you know increases when you are with
someone you don't want to be seen with.

Law of the Result:
When you try to prove to someone that a machine won't work, it will.

Law of Biomechanics:
The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reach.

Law of the Theatre:
At any event, the people whose seats are furthest from the aisle arrive last.

Law of Coffee:
As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do
something which will last until the coffee is cold.

Murphy's Law of Lockers:
If there are only two people in a locker room, they will have adjacent lockers.

Law of Rugs/Carpets:
The chances of an open-faced jelly sandwich landing face down on a floor covering are directly correlated to the newness and cost of the carpet/rug.

Law of Location:
No matter where you go, there you are.

Law of Logical Argument:
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.

Brown's Law:
If the shoe fits, it's ugly.

Oliver's Law:
A closed mouth gathers no feet.

Wilson's Law:
As soon as you find a product that you really like, they will stop
making it.

Some Hawaiian photos

I don't know how things got turned around, but the Saturday post is labeled THURSDAY. Go down to the next post to pick it up. Thanks.

Several weeks ago I posted some photos of Amalie and me on board the ship to Hawaii. Today let's have a brief look at some of our best pics in the islands.






This shot of the sun coming through the clouds is fairly typical of the islands. At this point we are not quite there yet.

Ah,we are approaching the Hilo side of the Big Island, Hawaii. That waterfall is only one of many in the islands, but one of our better shots.

Now we are on the Kona side, and that is the crater of one of the two volcanoes.

Have a look at Kona harbor. This is one of the two ports where our ship could not dock because the ship is too big.

We did take a tour, and this is a church spire in Kona.

On to Oahu.
This is a statue of King Kamehameha in downtown Honolulu.

This is a clock tower in Honolulu. I don't know who is in the wheelchair in the foreground, but that is I in the scooter a bit further back. That means that Am took the picture.












Now we are off the coast of Kauai. That is a lighthouse in the center of the picture.


We will continue on Kauai in tomorrow's post.


A bit of humor:

Why didn't the skeleton go to the party?
He had no body to go with!

* * *

Interviewer to Millionaire: "To whom do you owe your success as a millionaire?"
Millionaire: "I owe everything to my wife."
Interviewer: "Wow, she must be some woman. What were you before you married her?"
Millionaire: "A Billionaire"