Today is Wednesday, the day we are leaving my parents home in San Diego to return home to Corona Del Mar after an extended stay with them.  I love my mom and dad dearly and didn't really want to leave them and return...their home was a good intermediate place to go to help get re-adjusted to the faster pace of life here in Southern California after 2 months on the road.
Who am I kidding...there isn't a way to get re-adjusted to this place we call home...you just have to throw yourself in and try to keep your head above water until the pace comes back to you!
So, it is with great excitement and with great tepidation that Ruby and I head home... 

I took these pictures of Ruby initially because I thought that they were cute, never intending to use them here, but last night when I was reviewing these photo's it struck me why she looked so comfortable and was able to sleep in what seem to be very uncomfortable positions...these 2 sleeping positions are the same ones that she adapted over the last 2 months sleeping in the backseat of the car.  Poor baby!
This dog is amazingly adaptive...she will do anything and be happy and enthusiastic about doing it.
I'm learning a lot from Ruby!

All of the photos that follow (except one) are of sights that I have taken for granted and have become a bit jaded to over the many years that I've lived here.
When traveling home I became a tourist again seeing many of these sights as if I was seeing them for the 1st time.  Maybe it was because over the last 2 months my eye has become trained to look for the unusal or maybe because I was hoping to make this last phase home more interesting for you (still going to do the Pacific Northwest, but I have to write about these 2 months now...who knows maybe somebody will publish it and the 2nd half of the trip will be a sequel!)
This is Camp Pendelton with manuevers going on...normally I glance at them...say a silent prayer for their safety and continue blowing (down/up) the 5 at whatever speed the CHP are allowing that day...rushing to where I'm going with a blind eye to the beauty that surrounds us here.  Camp Pendelton should be a national treasure with its stunning ocean views to one side and the majestic foothills on the other.
I know that it's an old and maybe outdated saying, but shouldn't we all take some time out of our busy days and take the time to "smell the roses"?

I think that most people from out of state are dumfounded when they go through our immigration checkpoint on the north side of Pendelton.  Why would U.S. Officers be stopping traffic this far from the border?...I don't have the answer for that, hopefully one of you does...I know that whenever I'm traveling north and the checkpoint is open with traffic backed up for miles, I get a little testy..maybe I should relax and go with the flow...after all these men and women are just trying to do their jobs. 

A bad shot of the San Onofe nuclear power plant...made famous in what I think was one of the Naked Gun movies..if you haven't seen the movie use your imagination as to the plants shape and hopefully you'll get the idea of how these were used in the movie...this plant is currently shut down...something to do with a radiation leak I believe.
I know that many of the photos I have taken are and have been not framed well, out of focus or not straight...many shots used over the trip have been shot out of a car window or holding the camera with my right hand while my 60 pound torpedo pulls on the leash in my left hand trying to find the source of some new and interesting scent that she has picked up!
I've tried! 

Not a big deal but an interesting part of the brief history of Orange County...this is Cotton Point...it was on this bluff that Nixon's western White House existed and his California home almost to the time of his death.
Nixon's place sat on what is one of the premier pieces of Orange County beachfront property, with views up to Palos Verde and down the coast to Point Loma (on a clear day).  After his death his family sold the compound and land to a developer who did what all developers do, built more houses...in addition it has always possessed one of the premier surf breaks in the world!
Since it is a big time surfing area there are a lot of surfers here...story goes that Nixon in the middle of the Watergate affair ditched his security people and sought some solitude on the beach.  There he ran into a group of surfers that recognized him, talked to him and ultimatley felt sorry for this lonely and dejected man...there are many good and loving people here...and those are the people that I love dearly!

San Clemente is the 1st town that you enter as you leave San Diego County.  It is also the home of my children (just doesn't seem right to call them children when after all, they are adults...is there a better phrase?) son in law and granddaughter.
I love them all dearly!

Continuing north you arrive in Dana Point...never really got the Dana Point thing...there are better beaches, better surfing, better harbors, better restaurants a little north or back down in San Clemente.
The Ritz Carleton and the St. Regis are here...but come on, for the most part these hotels are more tuned to tourists.  In my opinion the Montage (about 5 miles north) is a far superior hotel.
So much for Dana Point

I'm sure that they exist in other parts of the country but I have really missed the outside flower stands...if you have been reading this blog for awhile you know how I feel about flowers!
Ever since we got to San Clemente, Ruby had her head stuck out of the window, sniffing madly and wagging her tail!
I'm sure she knew that we were almost home!

If I didn't live in Corona Del Mar, my 1st choice would be Laguna...with it's stunning ocean views from homes built on the surrounding hills to the secluded beaches to the amazing restaurants, shopping and quaintness of this beautiful  little town. If you have never seen the Pageant Of The Masters do yourself and your loved ones and go this summer.  In a word "how do they do that?"....I know more than one word....I can't help myself!

The famous Laguna Beach Lifeguard Stand at Main Beach...I didn't realize what an amazing piece of history this is!
Notice the fact the Stand was built in 1929...and they say California doesn't have any history...wrong I say..wrong!
I'm still trying to figure out how this Stand compares historically to St. Augustine (founded in the late 1500's) or Jamestown...but it's ours and we are proud of it!
BTW...look at the pic closely...looks like the Lifeguard Stand hasn't been painted since 1929!

This is where Courtney and Mike met...while they both worked here...I'm glad and thankful that they met and together gave me my beautiful granddaughter!

I vowed to myself that I wasn't going to eat sushi after leaving on the trip until I returned home to the west coast.
This is my favorite sushi restaurant in Orange County!  I still haven't gone but I will in the very near future.
It's also in the same shopping complex where Courtney and Mike met.

Almost home and I have butterflys in my stomach...
In CDM the streets are in alphabetical order incorporating flower names...Starting with Avacado and ending at Poppy...north to south, they apparently ran out of streets before flowers!   I live on Goldenrod....so by doing the alphabet, we are almost home...joy or sadness that this phase of our journey is over?
Whenever in doubt I choose joy!
I couldn't help but to realize the irony of this street name within blocks of my home...the flower name is lifted from Greek mythology and the god who's name became synominas (sp) with a common pschological term that applies to a number of people here.  I'll let you figure that out!

Ruby and I were blessed to return home safetly all in one piece (other than Ruby's stomach contents in Illinois)...no speeding tickets, no fender benders, no injuries other than Ruby's ticks in Maine or the mosquito bites I endured in the midwest...indeed my angel was watching over us these last 2 months.  I bought this statue right before we left...I rubbed her head as we were walking out the door to leave and rubbed her head upon our return.
It was a glorious trip, one that I'll never forget and thankful that all of the stars in my life lined up to make this possible!
I would like to thank my mom and dad, my kids, all my loved ones and countless friends for their support, love and belief in me...
THANK YOU!
"To love for the sake of being loved is human,
but to love for the sake of loving is angelic."
(Alphonse De Lamartini)
French poet

Additional updates to follow...stay tuned

Meet the Peterson Family!
Once again through Ruby's tail wagging efforts I met this very nice family from Kansas City.
They were on their way to Vegas when I met them at our motel in Ogden, Utah...this is on the final Thursday of the trip.
The girls were really excited about going to Circus Circus, while their parents were going to see the shows.  I kept pushing the dad (I don't remember his name!) if he was going to gamble...in front of his wife and kids he kept saying no,no,no...when she left for a few minutes he whispered to me that he was going to gamble but no one in the family was going to know about it!
While on this trip I kept reaching the same conclusion when I've encountered happy, successful couples...there seems to be one secret that has eluded me as I've gone through life but now think that I've learned my lessons and that my next relationship will last until my final breath.
By the way...another it's small world incident...Mr. Peterson lived on Balboa Island for 2 years while he was stationed at El Toro...he like so many other California men that we've met, relocated to other parts of the country to be with the woman that they love...and no thats not the secret..maybe part...but it's much simper than that!

Ruby and I upon leaving Ogden set out to see the Great Salt Lake.
Boy did we get lost...this was one of the few times that I actually used the nav to find out where the hell we were and how to get the hell out of there!
I guess that there is an easy way to get to the water at Salt Lake...but do we ever do anything easy?  Hell no!
About 40 minutes off of I 15 we finally came to this spot where my nav ran out of road...it was seemingly a hundred yards or so to the lake from this point...so Ruby and I hopped out and began to hike toward the lake...it was like that scene from the "African Queen" where Humphrey Bogart got out of the Queen and began pulling her thru the brush, only to get covered in leaches in the process.  It was dense and frankly a little foreboding...the entire time we were there, the fur on Ruby's back was up and that low scared big dog growl was ever present!
It was a little creepy...we hadn't seen another car, cow or horse for 15 minutes on the way to this spot. 

I think that this was the last gate before we reached the lake...only we didn't proceed past this point for, what I consider to be very good reasons...this close to home I didn't want to end up like Ned Beatty in "Deliverence"...notice the bullet holes in the fence?....see the water and mud in the background?  I don't know if the Salt Lake has leaches, but I certainly wasn't going to find out!
We scrapped our pusuit of the Great Salt Lake at this spot...my macho rational?
I wasn't nervous...but come on...Ruby just had a bath!!

I loved this scene with the Thistle rising above the livestock grate and what must have been incalculable odds for it to live and to bask in the sunlight of a spectacular Utah day!
It struck me that what is true of many people is also true of all living things...the unstoppable will to survive and flourish relishing the beauty that each day brings...sunny or cloudy! 

The beauty of success!

From Ogden we set off to see Bryce Canyon.
Now Bryce is a little bit off the beaten path (about 45 miles), we needed to stop there...after all we were now on the governments nickle after having already broken even in Montana.
This was a free view that the government didn't charge anyone for...Red Canyon...on the way into Bryce!

We had very limited time at Bryce and when checking with the Park Ranger (there's still something about those uniforms that gets me all riled up).  I told her that we had maybe a hour and half to see what we could see...you could easily spend 2 days here...with hiking seemingly the way to go.
She pointed us out and off we went!
Ladies and gentlemen...our 1st view of (part) of Bryce Canyon!

Same location as above but a totally different direction.

By now you know how much Ruby craves attention from everyone who crosses her path...this very nice family from Germany were Ruby's favorite from our 1st Bryce stop...wonder if the fact that they were having lunch and slipping her the crusts had anything to do with it?
Naaa...she just loves people..and dogs!

The 2nd stop at Bryce...Ruby wouldn't get out of the car for this one...it was 87 degrees...I've finally figured out that her threshold outdoor temp is in the 55 to 60 range.  This is one of the major issues between the World Famous Dog and her humble attendant!
I like heat! 

Another view from the same viewpoint...

You know I was certain that we would see some Buffalo in South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana or Idaho.  Little did I expect to find them in Utah!
Much like seeing the moose in Maine (which I really wanted to see), I had pretty much given up any hope of finding them...but here they were...a whole herd!
Apparently there were many other people that hadn't gotten their buffalo fix as the side of this road must have had 20 cars lining it with people packed by the fence snapping away!

Welcome to Zion...
I have been here before and wanted to see it again...what the hell, I basically had to go thru it to get to St George and back on I 15 from Bryce anyway!
This National Park is a hour and a half from Vegas...someday if you aren't too hung over..devote 5 or 6 hours to seeing it..you'll be glad that you did!

I'm not sure if I liked Bryce or Zion better.

Probably Zion...I appreciate the grandeur of those places where you can actually view the scenery from the ground looking up, rather than at the top looking down...don't get me wrong, they are both amazing.
Being on the canyon floor gives me a better feel for the magnificance of god's work...you look up and see these awe inspiring cliffs and I'm reminded once again just how fleeting our time is on this planet...we must live each and every day to the best of our abilities...when we are gone and distant memories...these mountains and cliffs will still be here, inspiring future generations, as they have inspired me.

We are so lucky to live in this majestic country!

Leaving Zion on the way to St George...even on the way out, Zion hits you with it's overwhelming beauty.

I hadn't gotten any rocks during the trip to keep as souvenirs ( Ruby has quite a few in her bag!) adding to my collection of t shirts, Tabassco sauces, honey, fireworks, great recipes and the list goes on.
So...I stopped at this "Rock Store"?, just outside of the entrance/exit to Zion.
The young man on the left is Jeremy and apparently a budding geologist and the store owner Ray, who apparently is good friends with Jeremy....I found 2 rocks (don't remember what type) that I liked.  One reminded me of the Devil's Tower and the other an exact replica of the "mitten" at Monument Valley.
Ruby was asleep in the car when I met these 2 guys (to help dispell any nasty rumors, I actually can meet people without the Rubes!)
Ray is a very animated guy, always in motion always talking...he dominated the conversation!
The conversation revolved around California...Ray is originally from the Bay Area...put him in a tied shirt to go along with his pony tail and I can see him at Golden Gate Park during the summer of love, tripping on acid!
Great, fun guy...in my top 5 of interesting people I've met over the last 2 months.
He said he left California 20 years ago because he...well...hated it!
Each to their own.

Seven is my lucky number...people who know me well will get why this pic is significant to me.
This was the highest altitude that we reached on our final day of exploring on what really was the final day of our trip...

This was our final sunrise in St George beginning the final day of our trip home...to say I was feeling a little choked up at this moment would be an understatement!
I have one more day of the final leg from my parents home back to Corona Del Mar...look for it tomorrow.
Then I would like to go back and hit some of the more detailed points of the trip.
Stay tuned!!

Well... this is where the deception for Rowan's 2nd birthday party began.
Idaho Falls.
My plan had always been to go to Glacier National Park in northwestern Montana, continue thru Washington (hitting the western most point in the lower 48) to add to our monumental task of finding the eastern most point in Maine without inadvertantly entering Canada...then down the Washington and Oregon coasts (which I've heard are spectacular!)...and home!
This plan was delayed because a wise person explained to me that going to Rowan's birthday party was not neccessarily for Rowan but for my daughter (I can't believe how stupid and self centered I am on occassion), not neccessarily Rowan who in all likelyhood wouldn't remember if I was there or not, unless of course she saw pictures many years later!
Like any father I would do anything in my power to make my children happy, because they are the most precious people in the world to me and I love them both dearly.
The picture above is the view from our room at the Quality Inn (for the most part my 2nd favorite motel chain) in Idaho Falls.
When we check into any motel, the 1st question is always "do you take dogs"....Ruby always sat nervously in the car awaiting the decesion...a smile coming out of the door said that we had found a place for the night, no expression meant that we had to spend more time in the car trying to find one!  Not only did this Quality Inn take dogs, through a little flirting with the reservation girl we got this room for $89 (one of 2 with this view) and she waived the pet fee which runs anywhere from $10 to as high as $75!
I guess at 59 I've still got it...in Idaho Falls anyhow!

These are the Idaho Falls.  Thats the Snake River gushing over the falls...history alert!  history alert!...Lewis and Clark (remember the place we stayed at on the Missouri River?)...which was another place that they camped (those guys really got around!), followed the Snake down to the Columbia and eventually became the 1st group to traverse the country by land, to the Pacific.
All of the electricity for the city (big town?) of Idaho Falls is generated by the hydroelectric dam that you can kinda of see behind the rocks.  I wasn't so much impressed with the power of the falls (we saw a lot a lot more raw power when we were in the east) but the width!  These falls are probably a half mile across...comparable in width to the American Falls in Niagra!

Trying to take an "artsy" picture...I liked it!

The only people at the falls on the morning we were leaving for Salt Lake, was a group of Japanese tourists (non spoke English)...no other tourists American or otherwise, no locals using the surrounding walking trails for their morning workouts....nobody!
Just Ruby and her faithfull caregiver...Clay!
Probably because it was bone chillingly COLD!  It was 32 degrees walking out the door with sustained winds of 25 to 30 mph.  The wind chill was pegged at 20 degrees...this was the coldest weather that we had experienced since the Grand Canyon almost 2 months before...
I'm assuming that this group were on their way to Yellowstone and overnighted in Idaho Falls.
Fox Red English Labs apparently are in short supply in the Land of The Rising Sun with Ruby in greater photo demand than maybe even the falls...every single one of them wanted to have their picture taken with the Rubes...I should have charged 5 bucks a piece...probably would have paid for the previous nights stay!

I asked or in some way commuicated with a gentleman in this group to take a picture of Ruby and I...he had a similar camera to mine.
After he took our picture guess who took one of him in the same spot with the same 4 legged prop!
I have to say that as we traveled in the west taking in the many natural wonders that this country has to offer (many are only a long weekend out of LA), we found an overwhelming amount of foreign tourists compared to people from this country...apparently what we take for granted are big time travel destinations  for our world neighbors.
I don't know if this was  because when we took this trip kids were still in school and the vacation season really hadn't begun in earnest or if Americans have forgotten what a trove of treasures exist in this country...or maybe the tourists were only going to these places so they could write off their week long excursion to Vegas!
We really didn't run into many tourists at the historical spots on the east coast with the possible exception of the British (who were there in abundance)...most still licking their wounds that this country is no longer a Colony!
I say god bless them all!
WE NEED THEIR MONEY!!

As the surprise plan was being played out we continued traveling south using Interstate 15, picking it up in Idaho Falls on our way to Salt Lake...it had been one week since the rat poisoning incident, exactly one week before...this is Wednsday...the party Saturday...we had to cover a ton of ground in a hurry, but 1st it was important that I get Ruby's blood tested to see if the poison had gotten into her system, she also was beginning to smell and she badly needed a bath before the party.  Thus the mad drive from Bozeman to Salt Lake.
The 15 through eastern Idaho is beautiful following the western slope of the Yellowstone and Grand Teton mountains, through lush farmlands and some of the most gourgeous valleys that we have seen since New Hampshire and Vermont. I even marked a few (latitude/longitude) on the GPS as possible places to investigate as retirement areas...they were that beautiful!
Like I'll ever have the chance to retire!
Above are the Grand Tetons pictured from the side you never see in the promotional literature.

I always take multiple pictures of everthing and got this one and the next, back to back...coincidence?
Or just being on the road to long with a 4 legged female as opposed to one with 2?

I guess people get lonely in Pocatello too!
I think that by this point my sense of humor really took a dive!

Holt Arena...Idaho State University...Pocatello, Idaho.
I thought that the design of this building was really cool!
The only question being...how do you get a hot shot basketball player (ballers) from LA to go to Pocatello to play in this place.  I tried to get inside for a peek but security stopped me a few feet through the door.

This is dog doctor we ended with in Bountiful, Utah.  We ended up here due to help from my good friend Bob Davis and his sister who lives in Salt Lake...this was one of the few animal hospitals with the neccessary testing equipment to get a quick turnaround on Ruby's Lab lab results (I never get tired of that one!)

While Ruby was occupied with the Lab lab stuff and the all important bath, I had a few hours to kill, I decided to go into Salt Lake and see the original LDS Temple.
Downtown Salt Lake is beautiful, modern and maintains a strong sense of it's past...much like Boston only on a smaller scale.
My parents had taken our family here many years ago but I really don't remember it...either because I was too young or too old and cool to pay attention..I just don't remember!
The Temple itself and the surrounding grounds are stunning as is the multi-story office complex next door housing the people who run the church world wide.
I loved this picture because the statue reminded me of the importance of family and the joys (and heartaches) that come along with it....but most of all the joys!  To me the statues significance of the joining of hands while dancing reminds me that family is there for life and should never lose personal contact with one another no matter what the circumstances are!

Meet Abby!
Abby was assigned to Ruby by the Doctor to draw the blood and the bath (I should have tipped her for doing that!)...she (Ruby) was pretty bad...no bath since Houston.
Abby is another really sweet, personable young lady that we have had the great fortune of meeting on this journey!
I absolutely love the people in this country...why can't Californians more be like them and be you know...normal!

I'm sorry that I got so far behind on this but since returning home I've had a couple of personal matters that have preoccupied my time and thinking...after todays entry I'll still be 2 days behind plus I have a number of other occurrences that happened on the trip that I simply didn't have the time to explore while moving onward everyday...my guess is that I will be continuing this for the next month or so...maybe not everyday...gotta deal with reality again...so stay tuned!

I love this statue of Joseph and Emma Smith at the Mormon Temple.
I have been fortunate to have experienced deep love in my life 3 times...I feel blessed to have had these 3 women in my life as they have helped to shape me and to help me become a better person.. companion/lover/friend and hopefully lifelong partner...to a future special woman.
I also love this statue because of the love, tenderness and respect that comes to life here with Joseph and Emma.
I pray for the same. 

The birthday girl and one of the three most important women in my life.
I am so thankful to one person in particular for convincing me to cut my trip short and to be there for my family...thank you Linda!

My Son-In-Law Mike Parkyn with my daughter, Courtney...the parents of my precious Rowan!

Courtney and Row...Row is very handy in the kitchen and decorated her own birthday cake!

Rowan's wonderful grandmother...Judie.
Judie helps Mike and Courtney out by taking care of Row when they are both working!

Row's other grandmother Kathy (Mike's mom) demonstrating the proper way for a lady to carry her purse!

Granddad Clay, Courtney and a tired of getting her picture taken Rowan.

My son Colin, looking relaxed and on the stump for his hero...Ron Paul!
Colin will be leaving for China soon where he will be teaching English to Chinese students...
Colin also made the very difficult decision to change careers and begin doing something he has always enjoyed... teaching...I believe that Colin will become the best teacher in whatever school system is lucky enough to hire him!
Love you Col!

Courtney and Mike are vegetarian, so Courtney made a gluten free cake...she thinks that somehow it melted (it sure looks like it)!
Come on Courts, it wasn't that hot yesterday!

Meet Aiden!!
Aiden is the nicest, most polite 6 year old I have ever met!
When I first met him he was 4 and he walked straight up to me...stuck out his hand to shake and said "hi, I'm Aiden..whats your name?"
That day was the day that I came to really like Mike...how could any father who has raised a great son like Aiden not be a great husband to my only daughter?

The opening of Row Row's gifts...with her buddy Ruby helping out as usual.
Thats one of the great things about Labs...they really know how to tear things up!

My cousin Tom and his beautiful daughter Jill!
Their family (along with cousin Sue) have had a very difficult year and I admire the heck out of them for the strength and courage that they have displayed.  Collectively, their approach to the hardships that life throws at us all, have given me an excellent example of ways necessary to continue on with life in a positive and upbeat manner even when the worst circumstances possible happen!
I still pray for you all every night. 

Mike with...oh you know by now!
When we arrived at the party Mike was the first familiar face that she saw...I've only seen her do it a few times but she jumped up and down...all 4 legs leaving the ground at the same time, about 3 feet in the air.... pure joy!
I'm not sure who was happier to be home...me or the Rubes!
Our return early from the trip was a well kept secret, with only a few people in the loop in an effort to enhance the surprise...the surprise however ended when Ruby bolted into the house at full speed..wagging and jumping!
Very little self control...much like her roomate!

RowRow and her best buddy RuRu.  The two have been inseparable since they first met...one year ago...almost to the day...Rubes was 7 weeks old and Rowan was one year.
Come to think of it I had just brought Ruby home from her momma's house near Sacramento the day before (once again unusual timing)...as Courtney says "they are like two peas in a pod"
Ruby rarely leaves Row's side and protects her as if she was her own!

Left to right....Mike, Courtney, cousin Sue, Judie, Tom, Ed (Jill's husband) and Jill.

What a wonderful and importantly HAPPY family!
I love you all!

The Parkyn's and their mother's and grandmother's...Judie and Kathy

Court's and me...is that the correct grammer?
In this picture you can plainly see the effects of 8 weeks on the road with practically no exercise....visible just above the belt line!
People tell us we look alike...what do you think?

RowRow giving her buddy....RuRu a kiss on her whiskery cheek!

Ok...I know I can get this right!
Left to right...my niece Cara..Sister-In -Law Noreen...my son Colin...Judie...another Sister-In-Law Mary Teresa...niece Carrie and daughter Courtney...thats a lot of names that begin with a "C".
I would like to thank Courtney for bringing all of the the different parts of my family together for Row's birthday!
I'm embarrassed to say that I haven't seen some of my relatives shown here in a number of years.
I'm going to work hard to make sure that that doesn't happen again in the future.

Colin,  RowRow and RuRu having a philosphical discussion on the complexities of life!

The partners in crime doing a little post party digging...I think that their intention was to dig a hole to China for Uncle Colin to travel in so that he wouldn't have to be away from them for so long!

My beautiful family!
I am so proud of Colin and Courtney, they have grown into the kind of wonderful, caring and loving adults that would make any parent proud!
I love you both with all of my heart...don't ever change and always be true to yourself!
Dad