Day 25: 10/10/2010

Green Valley

Grandpa made breakfast again, but this time I managed to get up in time to help a bit. Better than before! After that Grandpa and I went to work out, him on the treadmill and me in the pool. It was really fun to swim a bit, though I didn't get many laps in because I was constantly stopping to talk with this fabulous lady Sophie who was in the pool.

She was tons of fun, she's been in Green Valley for 21 years now! Originally, and up until about five years ago, she was a volunteer and club member of... Just about everything. Literally :p But she slowly "retired" from each one, near the last was the hiking club! I said she was allowed to at that point and she said thought she'd earned :p So true! I think she said she's 82, or as Grandpa would say, "just a young one."

They wanted to take me out to lunch, so we went to a nearby diner after Grandma and Grandpa showed me where the Ford dealership was so I could make it for my appointment the next morning. The diner had great sunday speials, very tasty. Grandpa got lamb and Grandma and I got roast turkey. It was just like thanksgiving! Very, very good.

I did a bit more weeding outside, and watched a bit of sports in the TV room with them, and then went for another walk once it got darkish outside. It goes from darkish to dark pretty quick here! I took a few more photos outside with the tripod, it's very pretty at night :-) And bearable temperatures, lol. When I got back inside, all three of us headed for bed.

Day 24: 10/9/2010

Green Valley, AZ

When I woke up, Grandpa was already getting breakfast on the table... Time to start setting an alarm so I can help :p I panicked and got sad when I realized that, after almost 100 days, I forgot to take a photo on the 8th for my 365 Project... After much thought and a bit of crying, I realized it's -my- project, and I can do what I want :p So I'm putting up two photos for the 9th and turning it into an ongoing project for as long as I can keep it going! After the first year is up I hope to be more specific: a potrait a day, a landscape a day, etc. We'll see!

As it was a saturday, it was time for football! On TV of course. Grandpa cheered and groaned along with the fans of Michigan as they slowly lost to their rival Michigan State. Grandma joined in, because they both went to school at Michigan. I went outside to do some more weeding out front, and talked a bit with one of the landscapers/gardeners at the next house over. Whenever she had something to say she'd go, "ok, I have to ask... Are you a relative? Is this your car?" Or whatever other question she had. Very funny. Later on she yelled at me "You're turning red, get inside!!" I laughed and went inside a bit later, and astonishingly I was not sunburned! Just hot :p

We had leftovers from the Mexican restaurant and the enchilada's for lunch, and later on had a pot roast Grandma made, salad by Grandpa, and spaghetti squash by me for dinner. I have a newfound favorite food, spaghetti squash is easy and yummy! And fun to prepare, lol. Grandpa served very good ice cream for desert and then I went out for a short walk. When I first got out, I saw the moon behind my car and it looked awesome! Just a sliver left, and you could just see the whole outline. It almost looked like an eclipse. I dashed inside, got the tripod, realized I didn't have to tripod head on the camera, and by the time I got it ready, the moon had set. Oh well, to save for tomorrow night! I locked up the doors for them, and then said goodnight!

Day 23: 10/8/2010

Green Valley, AZ

I had planned to be up and help Mom with baking, but she never woke me up! Lol, I woke up in time to help a bit with the rest of breakfast though. We had Grandma and Grandpa's usual of bacon and eggs (I managed to avoid the bacon this time) but also had fruit and the baked goods Mom made. Blueberry coffeecake and fabulous banana carrot muffins. Amazing!

After Mom finished packing up we all headed out to bring Grandma to dialyses and then go to the airport. But first, Target to get more warm weather clothing for me, and Trader Joe's for a few things for Mom and some roadtrip supplies for me. We arrived at the airport with plenty of time for Mom to fly back up to Fairbanks, and I managed not to cry while saying goodbye again. At least I got to see her sooner than expected when I left Fairbanks, Mom time is the best time.

Grandpa let me drive as we headed back for home, with a quick stop at Safeway on the way. While on the road, Grandpa told me the story of Janlee and the Three Bears. They used to live in Logan, Utah for five years, and they'd spend summers in Yellowstone National Park. When Mom was three years old or so, she saw three bears in the backyard and wandered out to see them. Grandpa said she got right in between the mother and her two cubs, but the mother bear just seemed caring for my mom, and even licked her! A neighbor finally ran out to scare the bears away, luckily. I asked Mom's memory of this later on and she said she just remembers being frozen solid, even when Grandma came to carry her home. Crazy!

After some time at home, Grandpa and I went to pick up Grandma, and then we had the enchilada's later for dinner. And then, still wiped after that drive, sleep!

Day 22: 10/7/2010

Green Valley, AZ

I woke up a bit after everybody else, but earlier than I expected to! Grandpa and Mom had already eaten, but I ate breakfast with Grandma. I was just going to eat at the counter like I always used to with Mom, but when Grandma came in I sat at the table with her.

After that Mom and I went out to do a bit of weeding in front of the house. At first it felt horrid to be pulling up these poor tough plants when they'd had to work so hard in the dry conditions, but I guess it did look much better after we were done. Sigh.

Mom showed me some of the things around the hose to help out with and then helped me rearrange and repack the car. After my fun getting the tent and such down before, I decided the roof bin would be for "not needed until D.C." and the trunk for camping stuff. Much less dangerous. We even got one of the back seats folded back up! Success. Now it looks a bit less like I am moving across the country...

Mom was telling me about a nearby town, Tubac, where Karan and family stay when they visit. She suggested I go visit while I'm in Green Valley, and then we decided to go for a little while together. We made sure Grandma was ok since Grandpa was out playing a poker game (he nearly won $7 but ended up coming out even :p). Grandma said we should go, so we headed off in my car.

I really enjoyed the place, and it was wonderful to have some time with just Mom. We went through a few shops and galleries, and Mom showed me this awesome sculpture garden with all different sculptures and really amazing wind whirlygig things. I was excited about one of the shops because it sold some of the same things as we used to get in Nogales. There was a market just across the border there in Mexico that we went to, but no longer... No so safe anymore there. This was much nicer anyway, nobody yelling and bartering at you. I'm not good at bartering, I give in too easily, so this was much cheaper :p

When we got home we all got ready to go out for dinner at a nearby Mexican restaurant... Thankfully not dressy. Dinner was wonderful, and it's close to Grandma and Grandpa's house. Grandpa ordered a delicious appetizer so then we all had leftovers.

Once home Mom and I prepared enchiladas to cook another night and then went for a short walk around the neighborhood, and I did not freak out or see any bugs. And then sleep!

Day 21: 10/6/2010

Bakersfield to Green Valley, AZ, 638 miles

Driving. And driving. And driving. That was pretty much the day :p I made it out of Bakersville at 7:45am and arrived in Green Valley at almost 9pm. Near the beginning of the day I saw a spider in the road. Large enough to see in my rearview mirror!!!! GAH!! And that concluded any thoughts of getting out of the car in the south. Hell no. I will remain in the car, thank you very much.

Luckily, this attitude made it possible to drive 638 miles without going crazy. Lol, yeah. Just ask the people I talked to that day. I mean the ones in the car with me, not Mom and Mathew on the phone. :p j/k, mostly. I spent most of the day listening to comedy I'd already heard and singing with and without other music on. Good times. I think I stopped once for gas and once on an off ramp and other than that just drove. The two stops were also when I talked to the real people on the phone :D

I was still pretty upset about the thing in the road when I made it to Green Valley just before 9pm, because now I had to abandon the car and make a dash for the house :p Grandpa and Mom were still up and I said a quick hello to Grandma in bed. We sat in the living room for a little while together, and I hope I came off as slap happy and not... insane... Lol. Mom got me to go for a short walk outside, and I was too tired to be paranoid about creatures of the night in southern Arizona. And then... Bedtime.

Day 20: 10/5/2010

Groveland to Bakersfield, CA, 302 miles

When I was packing up the campsite in the morning, I saw deer in the next campsite! Which was really nice, because I was feeling kind of down... Going to Yosemite today, and it's the second day of -rain- this entire trip!!! Apparently Mathew was the good luck charm after all :p I got everything in the car and then headed for Yosemite. Foggy! The rain let up really quick, but I could see approximately 25 yards ahead of me. I stopped at the Welcome to Yosemite sign to take some photos, crossed my fingers for some views, and thought about all the photographers and artists who have found inspiration and peace in Yosemite. Fog or no, I'm lucky to visit this place.

After the entrance area where I paid the admission fee, the road went through a couple of tunnels, very pretty. After one of them I saw some people pulled off at a pullout just in time to pull over for a waterfall! I think the fog hid a good portion of it, because I could just see more sections going up and up and up. But the bit closest that I could really see was gorgeous :-) Mathew and I saw so many waterfalls together, but someday we'll come see this one together!

Soon after was the Big Meadow Overlook. Where I got some fun photographs of trees... disappearing into fog :p Very interesting and mystic effect for the trees, but still hoping it will clear up! The road crossed over the Merced River and then there was a small pullout at Fern Spring. It was an important resource for the Native Americans, but when the park got popular it was nearly ruined. Now it's a restoration area, and it's so simple and pretty. And reminded me of Fern Canyon with Mathew :-) It was still foggy as I left there, though now it was closer to 30 yards visibility.

And then, luck at last! I didn't think I'd see much, but figured I could follow the trail close enough to at least see a bit... But when I pulled into the parking lot for Bridal Veil Falls, the whole thing was clear and visible! It was incredible. Honestly, I almost like the view from the parking lot best because the falls are framed by trees, but it was really fun up closer where you could just feel some of the spray. But too crowded!

A little bit beyond that, back on the road, more luck! I found car after car pulled over and couldn't figure out why, and then, a curve in the road and... This is why I photographers, artists, writers, people have always found something at Yosemite. El Capitan, one of the more well known landmarks of Yosemite, was just appearing out of the fog. A huge, vertical wall of rock, varied in color and made almost more dramatic when You could only see the middle of it. About 1,500 feet up. A floating wall of rock! Lol, the whole thing is just under 4,000 feet tall. Along with Half Dome, it was considered unclimbable for years... Not so!

After this, the fog started disappearing rapidly, just enough now to add some character to the scenery that kept appearing around ever bend in the road. I stopped at Swinging Bridge (which doesn't swing...) And caught my first view of Half Dome. The fog up there was still fairly thick, and I just caught a glimpse of it. I wasn't sure what it was, and when I crossed the road and saw the sign explaining it, I was lucky enough to look up again and see the whole thing in person for the first time. That's a moment I will never forget, and one I hope to remember every tme I pick up my camera. A perfect moment... Where the camera stays down, an image that will never be changed in memory because I'll never see it on a computer screen, or in a darkroom. Sigh... Ok, backing away from dreamy ridiculousness.

Yosemite Falls. Haha! You told me I wouldn't see them! This is what I was thinking as I jumped around for joy when I first saw them. Yosemite Falls are dry in the fall. Almost always. Luck continues! The highest waterfall in North America was anything but dry. I first saw it from across the valley at Swinging Bridge and couldn't quite believe what it was. Everybody told me that Bridal Veil was the only waterfall I'd be seeing in action. I won't bore whoever is reading this (me, several years from now, lol), but by now I'm pretty sure some of the old photographers are back to play tricks, refusing to accept my doubting Yosemite as the amazing place it is. So they have to prove it :p

Soon after that, with a few more brief stops for photos, I arrived at Yosemite Valley and walked to the visitor's center. Which is nice. Another visitor center along a long line I've seen in the past few months. Lol, j/k (sort of) they really did an excellent job with the center and museum, I just wasn't in a fact finding mood. My favorite part though was a display of the old photography store at Yosemite Valley... I want days like that to return, please. Before the visitor's center, and probably the reason it was less exciting, I went to the Ansel Adams Gallery.

The gallery was opened up by Ansel Adams and others, so it's been around for a while now :-) There were some of Ansel's original prints, but it also has many many other artists' work and is the only place I found post cards of Ansel Adams photos! Lol, those who know me realize that is how I currently collect art. Oh to be rich with wall space one day. I did get one larger print though. A poster actually... Ted Orland's "One and a Half Domes." Look it up, it's one of my favorites. A play on Ansel Adams's "Half Dome."

Ok, so the original scheme of maybe three hours or so in Yosemite... Is complete nonsense. Lol. It's now been almost five and I am sooo not leaving yet. I was going to be good and head for Green Valley and skip Glacier Point Road and... Ha ha ha. Lol, I can rest up any time, Yosemite is rare.

On the way though, I have to be cliche and stop for Tunnel View, the overlook almost anybody would recognize as Yosemite, photographer or no. The fog was quite fun up there, clearing for seconds to get a shot or two then rolling back in in waves. I even took some videos of it, because it has character I tell ya! I soon lost interest because as much as I love waiting for the perfect scene to open up... I abhor breathing cigarette smoke more. Thank you ******* for making your presence known, next time, get your ass downwind. On the bright side, that was the only time I found myself next to anybody that inconsiderate the whole day :-) Then, through the tunnel! (For which Tunnel View is named...) And to Glacier Point!

I very nearly missed Glacier Point Road. You're all nodding your heads going, "yes, it must be well hidden." Nope. Not so. It's pretty much blatantly obvious. This is the girl heading for a -city-? The oblivious one? Lol, but I did make the turn. You know, the second time, after I made a talented three-point turn on the Wowona road... Glacier Point Road is... Crazy? It;s curvy, and scenic, and people drive fast. Did I mention curvy and scenic? This implies there is something great to look at over there... And the road happens to curve at that same moment to the -other- over there. Fun :D I was entirely disappointed to miss one overlook on the opposite side of a blind corner, but when I made it to Washburn Point I forgot all about it.

Washburn Point is not the goal of Glacier Point Road (one guess what is), but it was probably my favorite of the two. And yes, that is partially because of who it's named for :p Washburn, to me, is sort of like a more modern Ansel Adams. Incredible black and white landscapes, mainly mountains... And almost all of them aerial photographs. He shot 8x10 film strips (picture 35mm film but 10 inches wide) from the open doorway of a plane! I first saw his work just after Washburn passed away, at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman. We went as a class my first semester down there, when I was working digitally (though still shooting mainly film to scan in) and missing the darkroom. The prints we viewed were some of the last that Washburn printed himself (and yes, they were scanned and digitally printed). I returned later and sat on the floor in front of one of the images for almost an hour on my own... Perfect museum moment!

The next time I saw Washburn's work was the exact same images. Even the photograph of him with the camera in the plane. Only this time, I was touching the negatives. It was one of my first assignments in the photo lab at UAF, and something I'll always treasure. It was so amazing! I even found some images of him at work developing his film. But one thing I love most about Washburn... He was shooting for science, and art just happened. A completely different focus, and yet he managed the same effect as many other art photographers. I love photography :-) Ok, back to the actual trip... Rambling done. Not.

Washburn Point. I arrived in time to snap a quick shot of Half Dome framed by tree branches and then... Away it went. The fog is back. There were other things to shoot though, the hillside next to the viewpoint has really interesting trees... Lol. There was a woman there I talked to a bit who told me to wait at Glacier Point because the fog was coming in and then rolling out just as quickly and I'd probably get a view. We talked for a while and she took one of the only photos I got of me in Yosemite... One with my camera and one with hers :p I feel like a tour guide again, love it!

I was about to leave when suddenly Washburn point agreed with the lady and cleared up! There was just a bit of fog hovering around the base of Half Dome. An amazing vista point. And then, a raven landed! Ok, so by now, the squirrels and ravens have got to be following me. They're the continuing themes of this whole crazy trip :p This raven was such a poser though. "Here let me just stand here so I'm silhouetted against this fog with Half Dome behind me... Oh wait, silly me, I need to turn around, my left side is the more photogenic." I love ravens :p I felt really lucky to share that spot with the raven, and everybody else around was shooting the raven from the front... with nothing in the background!

Then to Glacier Point. It was amazing, but still Washburn Point... :p There was a photographer there with a 4x5 camera and I was entirely jealous. But one day I will be able to resume shooting 4x5 :-) The fog was clear, but the lighting wasn't perfect. The sun was setting down and Half Dome was still in shadow. But not forever... It took almost 15 minutes of waiting, but finally Half Dome was highlighted and you could see every crevice and formation along it. Yay! There was a really interesting hut there as well, built long ago, and through the window (open wall) on one side, it was a great frame for the view. A man there when I arrived mentioned he'd gotten a couple silhouetted in the opening looking out, and I got him to take one of me :-) One day I'll drag Mathew there maybe! I also got one of the man with his wife, taken on an iPhone... Oh technology.

Back to Washburn Point in time for more views with the last light. I was taking some photos of rock barrier with scenes behind it when somebody got in my way... The nerve... Oh wait, yay! The person had an SLR camera and managed to aim perfectly to for a photographer silhouette for me. Lol, and then I dashed off before they noticed me. Back down Glacier Point Road, a few last stops for photos, one more with pine trees weaving out of the fog, and then... Goodbye Yosemite :-(

On down the road! It was an absolutely incredible day. I drove a few hours more, my voice mostly gone from singing to stay awake, and then arrived in Bakersville. I saw a billboard on the way in for Econolodge (never again) that I thought said $25.99 for a room. Lol, after I managed to barter the front desk down to that from $35.99 I remembered it actually said $29.99... Oops... It wasn't a nice room, but I did get some sleep!

Day 19: 10/4/2010

San Francisco to Groveland, CA, 208.2 miles

On the road again! I managed to evade my alarm in the morning and got a later start than planned, but Weronika and I still got to go to breakfast before I left. And this time it was breakfast, no question about it being lunch :p Back to Crepevine, yum! Then I dropped Weronika off at work at UCSF and headed for REI to return the camping pad we got for Mathew. It was a great pad, but didn't quite work with another pad in the tent Mathew had. And since it wouldn't get used at least until I made it to DC, we decided to get the $80 back and buy a different pad later on.

Next stop, Old Navy! The jeans did not happily survive getting soaking wet at Fern Canyon, and without guaranteed laundry I wanted enough jeans to feel clean :p Then to Looking Glass Photo. I got two different filters for my camera to play with. (I may be admitting digital is kind of fun... lol). And then, joy, the Ethiopian restaurant for the lunch buffet. I was very excited to head out of town after that, toward Yosemite!

Which is pretty much east. Not north. Take note of the brilliant journey north on the map... This is about when I was singing loudly and assumed straight kept me on the same highway... Nope, that way goes north. Hello, GPS, you're back! With the returning, shopping, and detouring, it was already getting dark and I was nearing Yosemite. I wanted to experience Yosemite in a way that would not involve 100% tripod use (teachers and mentors would be winning a glare contest at me if they were reading this...) So I decided to camp in Groveland before entering the park. It was a bit of a search, but I finally found Pine Lakes Campground and settled in for my first night camping alone. Sob. Before reaching Groveland, the road is reeeeally curvy, and very pretty views of the looping road behind and ahead of you.

Most of the camping went well... Just not the beginning. So the tent has been stored in a big backpack with Mathew's sleeping back the whole time in the roof rack. Mathew is tall. I am not. Average maybe, or short, your pick. My car picks short! I was standing very gracefully on the frame of the front door, trying the get the backpack out... The backpack started falling on me, so I grabbed to door, which swung closed on me. Followed by it swing back open with the backpack between me and the door I was clinging to. My scream brought the campers in the next site over, but all was well. I'm glad that tent is easy to set up! Night night!