Wednesday May 7

More rain and cold. I should have stayed in Tucson.
No sun but a couple days when it didn't rain. Took
some long bike rides and went to the state park. John
the ranger is a very nice, very laid back type. I
think we'll get along fine. The park has old
conifers, very thick tops so the forest is pretty
spooky. I expect to see ROUS's (see The Princess
Bride) around every corner.

I'm sleeping in the toaster. Got a wifi modem so I
can listen to the BBC at night before falling asleep.
Getting lots of time to read. Finished a great
whodunit by Janet Evanovich called "Twelve Sharp" with
an accident prone female bounty hunter main character.
Saw a red breasted flicker and stellar's jay. Just
so some of you birders don't think I'm making up some
of these names, they don't appear in the eastern US
bird books. Find a western Sibley's and eat your
hearts out.

Went into Seattle last weekend and spent time with my
brother's old girlfriend, Kris, and got lots of
cultchah. Mostly improvisational dance. Lots of it
pretty boring. But a great video of a young couple
with an 11 month old discussing art: to my ears, how
many angels can dance on the head of a pin. The whole
time this little cutie is babbling and you get the
idea that what he has to say is more compelling than
the adult conversation. Don't know if that was the
point or not. Kris is my age (or so) but dances way
younger. She says she doesn't stuff Ibuprofen but I
don't believe her.

Saw a wonderful movie last night called A Band's Visit
about an Egyptian Police Orchestra that gets invited
to Israel to give a concert but ends up in the wrong
town. Much of it in Hebrew and Arabic but in halting
English when the Israelis and Egyptians talk to each
other. Touching but not sappy.

Got a 50 lb sack of Magic Mushroom popcorn. It was on
the doorstep when I got home from the movies last
night. Made some for breakfast. Wow. I'll send some
to the PCC.

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Saturday May 2

THE TOASTER HAS LANDED! At 2:14 PM yesterday landfall
was achieved on Whidbey Island, WA. A beautiful ferry
ride from a strangely named town called Mukilteo.
Sunny day, lots of wind, just perfect for being on the
water. Mom was pretty pleased. Set up the trailer in
her driveway and now I have a couple weeks to sightsee
and kayak before starting at the state park.

The orientation for new camphosts was some boring and
some very well done. Three naturalists from the state
spent a day talking about geology and it was pretty
cool. A glacier created an enormous lake that finally
exploded the ice dam and carved out all kinds of
canyons, carrying rocks hundreds of miles and
generally created conditions for endless numbers of
PhD theses.

All kinds of interesting people. Lots of obnoxious
men, of course, who seemed as if they had never had
anyone to talk to and were making up for lost time.
And many lovely couples who were enjoying each other
and the time they had together in retirement.

Drove east from Coulee City over the cascades. Huge
amounts of snow at the top. Came through Leavenworth,
a ticky, tacky tourist trap made to look like a
Bavarian Village, complete with McDonalds and Holiday
Inn Express. The east side of the Cascades is big
apple country. Right in the middle of the apple
bloom; miles of soft white felt covering flats,
hillsides and mountain tops.

Mom has two cockatiels. This is their mating time and
they are obnoxious. Loud, flying around constantly,
and there is very little to tittilate human beings in
their sexual activity.

The day is overcast. We have great plans to get a
wifi modem and visit the state park. Or just stay in
and read a good book.

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Monday April 27

A little overcast this morning but it warmed up
quickly. First day of orientation. Pretty basic
stuff. But talked to lots of interesting folk Two
guys who worked at the mint in Washington, DC regaled
us with tales of people trying to steal money. A
woman from Anacortes, WA who is further left than me.
She runs a group trying to get homeowners to get rid
of their lawns to save water. We were both pissed off
at a short video in thet afternoon essentially saying
that employees attitudes about custormer service have
nothing to do with how they are treated by their
bosses. The workshop on dutch oven cooking was great.
They made 5 desserts (one for diabetics) and it just
seemed like magic, piling all the ingrients into the
cast iron pots, closing the lids and putting hot
charcoal briquets under and on top, waiting 45 minutes
and finding exquisite looking (and tasting) things
inside.

Gas prices are having an effect on the number of
volunteer camphosts which is way down this year
according to the director. A number of state park
managers are here trying to recruit people who may
have some available months in their schedule.

There is a strong wind blowing tonight though it's not
very cold. There are no tenters so it's all very
quiet outside with everyone watching their satellite
tvs.

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Sunday April26

Drove to Sun Lakes State Park outside Coulee City, WA
for the orientation for new camphosts. Finally here.
Lots of confusion around campsites because it was
crazy busy, being the first weekend of fishing season,
a new reservation process and the campground and the
volunteer program not communicating very well. It's
quieted down now. All bent out of shape noses seem to
be back in their correct places.

I had lots of time to sit in the sun and read this
afternoon. Started and finished a great book called
"Birds in Fall", fiction by Brad Kessler (thanks,
David). About the aftermath of a terrible plane crash
in Nova Scotia, interwoven with descriptions of fall
bird migrations. Takes place mostly in a fancy inn run
by a gay couple. Thoughtful, and settings that are as
interesting as the story.

I'm hearing peepers tonight for the first time this
spring.

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