STABILITY? AND CAT PLAYS

WHO IS DISSIN' WHOM

PHOTO/GETTY IMAGES
As of this posting, American officials say they've heard
from several sources that Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal
will be released soon. As I noted earlier this week, I feel
connected to the two free lance journalists. In
this post we also featured an interview with Sarah Shourd, who was captured with Bauer and Fattal.
What is troubling is that Iranian officials are playing power games with each other, using the freedom of the hikers as a pawn.  President Ahmadinejad said earlier they would be free, but since then Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameini  said not so fast. The unpredictable President and the Supreme Leader have been engaged in a power struggle.
The significance of that is for other analysts, but the 
off shoot is that troublesome Iran has inner political struggles.
In the meantime I hope American diplomacy, public 
and otherwise, is successful in getting Bauer and Fattal
free and on the way home.
AS THEY SAY,
NOW FOR SOMETHING
ENTIRELY DIFFERENT
DAY BOOK
KITTEN TIME

It seems to be bath time

beneath the jade.  I'm

wondering how long until

they are too big to fit.

Also wondering how long until Luke realizes he's getting
too big to fit here.
See you down the trail.

A SEAL COAST MYSTERY

A STROLL THROUGH SCENES

       They mystery writer switched on as we began our 

hike from the elephant seal beach.

        A marine haze shrouded the coast as the Pacific pounded the ancient rocks.

      The Piedras Blancas light station barely pricked the gray
that blanketed the slumbering elephant seals.

       Visitors from around the globe were ignored by the napping hulks.  We left them all behind as we headed north from the viewing platforms.

       Walking the isolated trail, our only companion was the churn of the surf and the snort of elephant seals who had 
found their own isolation.

      Past caves, flora, and smaller wild life.

       The scale of gray and subdued light, mixed with the 

windy coast, coaxed me into countless English mystery memories.

      Tales of lighthouse keepers and northern shores.

     Even without a writer's imagination, it is a wonderful hike that parallels the meandering path of the Pacific Coast Highway toward Big Sur. 

      We found others who had made it to an isolated beach.

Two of whom practiced battle

       As others napped.

      They too had made the effort to find more space, isolated beaches and to get away from the throngs.  

      And through the steel gray, a flight line, steering toward

          an opening in the sky, where the first hints of change

    begin to lift the morning shroud.

   Hints of sun begin to peek and brighten the scenes.  

The daily ritual of burning the haze to reveal California blue sky begins to play out.  And the parties to these coastal mystery scenes

     head back to unravel the mystery of the remainder of their day.

     Thanks Susan, Lana, Debbie. Enjoy the mystery. 

     See you down the trail.      

AN OLD FASHIONED SKILL

CANNING

       Daughter Katherine moved her mother when she said one of her great memories of childhood was the aroma, sound and sight of her mother canning tomatoes.  Lana learned from her mother and so the tradition continues. Our eldest
Kristin says she remembers summer naps hearing the canning jar lids pop sealed.

       Katherine and friend Dennis rounded up tomatoes and with Lana's assistasnce created sauces, juice and canned tomatoes.

       It is a labor intensive process.  A stop action is helpful to see what is in the blur.

      Who knew that as Californians an old Indiana tradition would be carried on.  Including the use of some Ball jars!

        BTW, I have plans for some of those sauces.

         See you down the trail.

FREEING THE HIKERS & THE TENNIS AUDIENCE

GOOD NEWS FROM IRAN
News from Iran indicates that American hikers 
Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal will soon be released
after two years in prison.
Bauer and Fattal were arrested with Sarah Shourd in July 2009 when they crossed the unmarked border between Iraq and Iran.
I don't know Bauer, Fattal or Shourd, but their case is
close to my heart.  They are free lance journalists and I
have assigned free lancers to get into tricky locales, in two cases crossing unmarked borders in South East Asia. 
  I have been across tricky or unmarked borders in conflict zones in Africa, the middle east and Central America.
I'm glad these young Americans will soon be free of 
an Iranian prison.
Recently Amy Dwyer of Sierra Magazine interviewed
Sarah Shourd about the incident.
Here's the video.

THE TENNIS AUDIENCE

The first time my friend and tennis foursome player

Phil said "Hey we got an audience today!" I 

thought he was daft.  The small bleachers by the 

court were empty.  

"Up on the hill," he said.

I've begun to notice now they 

will take a mild interest in our play on the 

courts across the road from their ranch.

And often they register their disdain 

with our quality of play by 

simply moving on.

See you down the trail.

I MADONNARI STREET PAINTING

AN ITALIAN FEAST

FOR THE EYES

      The chalk "street painters" were back in San Luis Obispo
for the annual IMadonnari and again they provided an incredible show. 

There were areas for amateurs, students and local

artists.  It's fascinating to see the work at various stages of completion.

The event adds a festive spirit to the San Luis Obispo

Mission Plaza.

 Not all of the "painting" was on the street.

It is a great Central California weekend, and this year it was a positive, life affirming event.

See you down the trail.