A SEASON OF MUSTARD & THE MOODYS

SPECTACULAR COLOR
   

       Wet winter and spring conditions have provided what long time locals are calling

a bumper crop year for wild mustard.

       The Central Coast country side is a quilt with yellow splashes everywhere.

        It is reminiscent of the work of impressionist painters.

       Even woodlands are dotted with pastures of the gold.

       The Pacific Coast Highway is painted with mustard, making it difficult to keep your only on the road.

       It seems ubiquitous, even growing out of abandoned stretches of the old coast highway.

Last year was a season for lupine, oxalis and poppies. This year the California poppies are sharing their glory with the gold of mustard.


GREAT MOOD

       We had the good fortune to see the Moody Blues in the Cohan Center at Cal Poly last night.  It had been a couple of decades since I've seen them live. They are still

an incredible band and play and sing with virtuosity.  Hayward and Lodge remain superb vocalists as well as players.  The crowd, an interesting cross section of demographics, was in rapt attention and adoring.  The Cohan is not a large hall, but a great venue with 

remarkable acoustics.  The young British woman sitting next to me in the ninth row said the concert was a surprise to her and that she was not familiar with the music, except Nights in White Satin. By intermission she was hooked.  Another generation made fans.

           We had all access passes so after the show our pal Mike, himself a veteran of the

the rock and roll road, took us backstage for a visit with another old friend who is managing the tour.  He said the touring company is like a family and the band members are great guys.

           "As close to the Beatles as I'll ever get," Mark observed.  Having such a great relationship makes the ardor of a rock tour go a little easier. 

         If the Moody Blues come to your area, I recommend you see the show. The feeling is great both on and back stage.

See you down the trail.

MAKING PLANNING DIFFICULT & LOOKING FOR BLUE

A SEASON OF CHANGE

California Spring 2011 has been dramatic. Vivid greens and color and ample moisture.
NO SNOW PLEASE

Courtesy National Parks Service

I've been trying to plan an outing to Lassen Volcanic National Park, but it keeps snowing.

The ranger I spoke with said there is 13 feet of snow on the ground now and it has begun to snow again.  They got 7 inches the day before and as we chatted she said another heavy snow was falling.  

Courtesy National Parks Service

They've started clearing and enjoyed last weeks 60 degree weather, but another batch of winter has returned and  delayed an already behind schedule.

The ranger said they hoped to have the main road open and cleared by the 4th of July.

We've decided to put off a June trip and will wait until deep summer.

HISTORIC SNOW REMOVAL RECORD AT LASSEN

Spring Road Opening Dates - 1980 to present

Year	Date Plowing Began From Southwest	Date Road Opened	Date Road Closed	Comments
1980	April 20	May 29	November 21
1981	April 20	May 21	November 3
1982	April 19	June 18	October 25
1983	April 18	July 2	November 10
1984	April 23	June 4	October 28
1985	April 14	May 18	October 21
1986	April 7	June 7	November 24
1987	April 20	May 15	November 13
1988	April 2	May 20	November 7
1989	April 3	June 6	October 23
1990	April 1	April 28	November 14
1991	April 7	May 24	October 22
1992	April 6	May 14	October 29
1993	April 12	June 28	November 10
1994	April 3	May 20	November 7
1995	March 19	July 21	November 21
1996	April 1	June 12	October 18
1997	April 7	June 5	November 14
1998	April 5	July 12	November 10
1999	April 12	June 11	November 19
2000	April 3	June 2	November 17
2001	April 2	May 10	November 15
2002	April 1	May 22	November 13
2003	March 26	May 23	November 7
2004	March 11	May 27	October 28
2005	April 4	June 2	November 8
2006	April 3	July 6	November 11
2007	April 2	May 18	December 6
2008	March 31	May 18	December 12
2009	April 13	June 4	November 18
2010	April 19	July 8	October 23	Late season snows and cold temps through May.

LOOKING FOR BLUE

The last couple of days we've been looking for patches of blue. Last night produced another .3 of an inch of rain.

This time of year morning fog or clouds burn by mid day and forecasters say after the chance of a little more rain today, we get back to our normal pattern.

People here expect to see blue sky.  We count on it.

See you down the trail.

SORTNG LIFE AND CREATIVITY-DUELING GAUGES & A NOTE FROM BOB

A PENSIVE WORK

          Terrence Malick's new film THE TREE OF LIFE is a large presence at the Cannes Film Festival. A few people booed, more applauded at the first screening and there is a buzz about the long awaited film.  

          Full disclosure here,  I'm a fan of Malick's work and think he is one of the great artists of cinema, much more than merely a great film maker.  He won me as fan with his film BADLANDS, which also featured incredible performances by Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek. Malick's use of setting, nature, light and the mood they evoke in combination is an essential of his art.

          His other films are DAYS OF HEAVEN, THE THIN RED LINE and THE NEW WORLD.

          Here's the trailer for TREE OF LIFE that opens May 27.

          Malick studied philosophy at Harvard and Oxford and later taught it at MIT.  He has has worked as journalist and writer.

A FIND THAT ENCOURAGES
EVEN IF FANTASY

      A common thought must run through the minds of most creative sorts, writers, painters, musicians and poets.  What may, someday, become of an uncelebrated, unpublished, unpurchased piece of work? What might become of that rejected book, screenplay, unsold painting or unrecorded song?  Maybe there have been successes and that old piece becomes an orphan, shoved away in a desk draw or hidden in a garage or lost in a box or storage. It may have companions as well.  What happens, eventually?  When you are gone and your possessions become the ward of others, do you ever wonder what might happen to that piece or those works?

           LINK HERE FOR A STORY THAT COULD FAN THE SPARK OF A FANCIFUL IF NOT FANTASY THOUGHT.  HERE REJECTION  MAY ITSELF BE REJECTED FOR NEW MARKETS. READERS MARVEL AT THE FIND.

READYING FOR THE TRANSPLANT

AN UPDATE FROM BOB

Friends,

We have more benchmarks on our time line towards the BMT. I will undergo 
pre-transplant evaluation June 16-24 at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. It 
is an extremely thorough combination of medical exams, testing and 
consultations. Once I pass that milestone, the insurance company will be 
in position to rule on final approval of coverage. An insurance approval 
is anticipated, but always something to pray for. After insurance 
approval, the donor will then begin pre-transplant evaluation and 
injections to boost her production of stem cells. The Mayo transplant 
coordinator advised me to be prepared to enter Rochester Methodist 
Hospital on July 1st.

In the meantime, Diane and I are getting logistics covered. We are on 
the list for accommodations at the Gift of Life Transplant House in 
Rochester. Diane will say there while I am hospitalized. I will join her 
there upon my discharge. We will live in Rochester for approximately 3 
months. Since I cannot be left alone at the transplant house, we will 
need help from friends and her family living in NE Iowa to give her a 
bit of respite. I'll be pretty weak. Adult visitors are allowed at the 
Transplant House, with some minor rules. Children 17 and under are not 
allowed as visitors.

As Dr. Laura used to say about commitment, "You're not engaged unless 
you have a ring and a date." We are getting close to total commitment.

Foster

This is the most recent of a continuing series of reports and observations from a long time friend and former colleague as he continues to live with Leukemia.

MORE THAN  MAY GRAY

Those heavy skies of evening produced another round of May rain.

An extraordinary season continues as the morning tally reveals.

One at a half an inch and the other at .7.  I'll log in .6.
That is 36.2 for the season.
See you down the trail.