August 7, 2011 From San Francisco to Ashland, 350 miles

The day started with us searching in vain for breakfast: the elevator refused to take us to the 19th floor, and when we attempted the stairs – the door was locked. The only thing left for us to do was to question the concierge… Breakfast was moved downstairs!
We left gray wet San Francisco and soon were driving along I-80. About 50 miles away from the city on the bay the weather improved – the sun came out, and though the Sierra Nevada ranges were still hidden in the grey haze, it was hot! We just wallowed in the sunlight…
We made several stops on the way, especially after Redding, when we approached Mt. Shasta. What a powerful giant! From the south, it glimmers with pure white snow, from the north it is dryer, the slopes are gentler and greener.
By 5:30 we were in Ashland, and strolled its sun-lit streets… listened to Haydn on the green… and swam in the swimming pool.

August 6, 2011 Visiting the relics St. John of Shanghais in San Francisco

Another gloomy, cold, grey day in San Francisco. Today we took a taxi to the Holy Virgin (The Joy of All Who Sorrow) Cathedral in Geary Boulevard. The Church has been erected in the sixties, but once you step inside, you are instantly transported two or three centuries back in time. The church is lavishly decorated with murals on every surface; the King’s gates separating the altar from the floor are carved and gilded, bearing most beautiful images. The church contains personal belongings of the Tsar-martyr Nicholas II. But most importantly, the church contains the holy relics of St. John of Shanghais.
Here, at the church, we met a very pleasant Russian lady Irina, who insisted on being our guide. She took us for a walk in Richmond – Little Russia – and then through the Golden Gate Park. We walked through wild-looking alleys with colossal eucalyptus trees, past man-made lakes with men launching miniature boats, past a vast padlock with grazing buffalo, amid lavish local flowers… In the end of the trail we stopped by the North Dutch Wind Mill. This historic landmark stands here since 1902. It was restored on public money in the 80ies, and now is a most delightful place to view.
From the mill we walked along the ocean shore. The mists still roiled over the leaden waves, but there were dozens of surfers nevertheless braving these churning waters! We made it to the top of the cliff and just watched the seagulls and the tide…

August 5, 2011 San Francisco

The day began well: we had a lavish breakfast on top of Mark – on the 19th floor of our hotel. There were probably 10 more guests and about as many staff. The food was excellent! The view was stunning!
The city tour included a 3-hour bus trip and 1 hour long bay cruise. We were picked up from our hotel by a Russian driver Igor, who told us lots of interesting things about San Francisco. From the Fisherman Wharf we boarded a double decker – we chose to sit on the top floor – and viewed the city. Minor difficulties: behind us was a family from India, and the young lady constantly spoke on her cell phone in Punjabi; across the isle was a family with a toddler, who screamed non-stop unless they gave him a bottle or a cracker. I think next time I will opt for a private tour, may be Mr. Toad…
The city of San Francisco does not have a distinct down town and cannot boast an impressive skyline. There are virtually no interesting skyscrapers besides Coight Tower, only boring square boxes glaring here and there like an old man’s teeth. There is an abundance of Victorian 2 and 3 storied homes, but after you’ve seen a couple thousand of those, they grow stale. Everything is on a Lilliputian scale – homes, backyards, back alleys, grocery stores, cafés, parking spaces… It feels tight and somehow stressed out… The gloomy weather adds to the feeling! People we talked to all tell us that there are maybe 2 or 3 days a year when it is warm and sunny, but it is also never quite cold, so palm trees are doing quite well.
The cruise was the most interesting part of the trip – at least for me. We looked at the Golden Gate Bridge from every possible angle, we passed very close by Alcatraz, we enjoyed the sun and the wind on the Bay. And we were given a ride back to our hotel on a very cute old-fashioned bus.

August 4, 2011 Benbow-San Francisco, 185 miles

We left our historic Benbow and headed down 101 towards San Francisco. We crossed the Mendocino County with its abundant vineries and made a stop at one of them, Jeriko. I was attracted by its Italian look the buildings, the olives and cypresses. It was as manicured as the vineries we saw in the south of Canada… with a touch of rusticity: several goats were grazing behind a fence.
Inside, it was cool, dim, and very pleasant. The most pleasant surprise was the girl at the counter who served us wine – her name was Lea and she was a Russian from Siberia!
We entered San Francisco through the famous Golden gate Bridge. It is majestic, if somewhat faded in color. From the bridge one views a breathtaking panorama of the great city, rising up the steep hills among green trees and crawling mists. Driving in Frisco required nerves of steel and experience with stops on uphill. Luckily, Seattleites have their share of steep hills, so that was not difficult, but parking!!! How do you even approach the hotel entrance!!! We made a full circle and finally I drove through the narrow mouth of the hotel plaza, as big as a tabletop, with half a dozen cars already unloading there. Thank God for valets!!! I am not going to drive here. Walking is a beneficial exercise!

August 3, 2011

Today we have discovered a Victorian town of Ferndale and drove through the Alley of Giants. Ferndale is really miniature, but quaint, charming – and as historical as any small town museum. By the way, it will celebrate its centennial anniversary on August 7 this year. It took us about an hour to thoroughly walk it through, including a very interesting cemetery (which my father flatly refused to visit) and to patronize some local shops.(I got some ear rings, and my mom – a jar of honey). Their post office is quite amazing – it still looks the same way as it did 100 years ago!
We entered the Alley of the Giants above Pepperwood, and drove slowly along, making as many stops as we wanted. I am afraid photos do not give these trees the deserved credit… The scale is mind-blowing!
Now we are staying at the Benbow Inn – a historical hotel that was built in 1926 and became a popular haunting spot for glitzy Hollywood motorists, including Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy. Eleanor Roosevelt was also quite fond of it. The building is amazing, filled with antiques. The service is great, the food also. I have abandoned hopes of loosing weight in the face of chocolate mousse and chocolate crepes....But the swimming pool is a hike away across some desert dusty trail… and the carpets in the halls are stained to ugliness…

August 2, 2011

After a pleasant breakfast we headed back north to the Trees of Mystery park that is 19 miles miles south of Klamath. The road was completely enveloped in mist, and driving was somewhat challenging. By the entrance we were greeted by a huge statue of Paul Bunyan and his ox Babe. The park allows for close encounters with some of the world’s largest trees. It was a somber, majestic and, yes, mystic place. The gondola ride was a scary affair for someone who is afraid of heights (me) but I survived. Mists obscured the valleys below, but we still enjoyed the view.
Next stop was the Fern Canyon. The mist dissipated, it grew very warm and sunny. Warning to all of my friends who would want to visit this uniquely beautiful place: you need a hardy SUV, take a picnic and be prepared for a tough 5-19 miles hike to really enjoy this park! I drove my little Corolla – and my heart bled over each bump on the gravel road (8 miles!), each brook we waded, each sharp turn on the steep serpentine drive… From the parking lot on the beach - it is a pleasant 0,5 miles walk to the bottom of the canyon, and then one wants to venture up the stream. This was out of question for my parents who are over 80 – and we were getting quite hungry! Still, we followed the stream up for about half a mile more, and each turn brought another gasp of surprise and awe.

25 more miles and we arrived to charming Trinidad, that sits on the very edge of the bay and commands fantastic views of the Pacific ocean. We had lunch at the Seascape restaurant that is lodged directly by the fishermen’s peer, where we could see sea lions and grey pelicans! The food was great and very inexpensive… Portions generous!
When we returned to Eureka, the town looked very different in the sunshine – much friendlier and warmer! We crisscrossed their tiny downtown and enjoyed the quiet streets with Victorian-era buildings. Too bad their museum works only Wednesdays through Saturdays…


http://www.treesofmystery.net

Road Trip with Mom and Dad 2011

July 31, 2011
First leg of the trip is done: we left Seattle around 8, and breezed through Tacoma and Olympia. The sky was overcast until we passed our capital. We caught a brief glimpse of the Capitol – dignified and somber, standing among a sea of tall trees. We made a brief stop in a rest area between Olympia and Vancouver, just walked around and stretched. I drank scolding hot cocoa – served by some religious youths- helped me to wake up…
Soon we turned east, bypassing Vancouver, and crossed Columbia river close to The Dalles. We drove along I-84 till we noticed exit 22 spelling out: Vista House. Our navigation system went bonkers: it insisted that we make a U-turn till we actually arrived to the place. It was not happy we chose the Historic highway… but we did enjoy it, except for a brief spell when we stopped at a view point and some youngsters nearly crashed their car into us… They zoomed in and out in two cars at top speed, paused a hairbreadth away from us and made a u-turn hitting their second car on the stone wall of the road with a hollow “boom” – and then, they were gone without even stopping to access the damage!
The Vista House was dedicated in 1918. A strange structure without any evident purpose other then to be a prominent landmark, it sits on top of a gigantic basalt outcropping overlooking the Columbia river Gorge. The store offers postcards, watercolors and pseudo Indian handicrafts…
From Vista House it was about 10 minutes drive to the series of waterfalls: we went to see the Bridal veil, which is a two-fold cascade of foamy water, falling in a narrow valley overgrown with tall, mossy trees. My parents did rather well on the trail, which is short but could be challenging just because it is plunging steeply down – and then climbing up again on the other side. 3 strategically placed benches made it easier for my mom and dad. Later we had a picnic under a gigantic Canadian maple, and by 3 – even considering heavy traffic, were at Portland’s Hilton.
At 4, we got on to the Pink Trolley for an extensive and humorous city tour. Portland is a beautiful city with some striking landforms – the Williamette river divides it into industrial and residential halves, and hills rise to 1200 feet in the west, offering breath-taking views of the city. The Zoo sits on the very top of the hill, with arboretum and Washington park sloping down to the poshy Edwardian and Victorian villas, giving way, in their turn, to mixed business and residential quarters mostly on level ground.
We ended the day in Brassiere Monmartre – I will seriously recommend the place to any of my friends! Their onion soup is incredibly good! Good house wine, good ountrees and pleasant service, plus fab ambience… Go there!
Hilton: do not stay in the main tower – small rooms have no refrigerator, tiniest counter in the bathroom… Pay a bit extra and stay at the executive tower: you will get bigger room with better furniture, nicer bathroom, a refrigerator – and a clean, if somewhat cool, swimming pool with no children.


August 1, 2011
Second day: from Portland to Eureka
It took us most of the day to reach Eureka – we left Portland around 8 A.M., and arrived at 5 P.M. We made a stop about 20 miles before Grants Pass – and it was a smart thing to do! The roads – both 199 and 101 were treacherously weaving along mountain rivers and through the forests; sometimes we drove only 25 miles per hour. There were some very beautiful sites to see, but somber – the giant sequoias cast a deep gloom over the road, and cold mist was seeping through from the ocean. Mysterious, bleak, overwhelming.
We are at Red Lion Inn in Eureka. The hotel does not boast many stars, but has a good friendly service, free breakfast, free internet – and a refrigerator. There is an outdoor pool and a spa, but it was too cold to even go there!

Snow in Seattle - the worst of plagues

It is snowing in Seattle - and, oh, the world is crashing down! The ill combination of hilly terrain, black ice, high gusty winds and dropping temperatures with subsequent dry icy pellets of snow wreaked havoc on Seattle streets, causing accidents and, unfortunately, at least one death. A man who left his stalled vehicle was run over by another motorist, who could barely see through the snowfall and even less control his car... Fortunately, Seattle schools closed 2 hours early, with kids safely transported home before the roads turned into icy mush. Today it is freezing cold, many homes have lost power, but the sun is shining, and kids are out (a wonder!) to play...

On theater and sickness

25, 26 and 27 of January were days of exhilaration and stress: my students performed The Taming of the Shrew 4 times...And I lived to tell the tale! Not quite, though - the next day I was down with pneumonia - and I am still recovering. Well, Molier and a few other favorite thespians died on stage, so it is not really anything unusual!

I first became obsessed with ancient Sumer as a young girl of about 12, my favorite book at that time being «Gods, Graves and Scolars» by C.W.Ceram. Recently, digging through my library, I came across a copy of this book – and that night I first dreamt of a priestess spending the night by the gold bed of Marduk on the top of ziggurat E-Temen- An-Ki...

Enheduana was a priestess and a poet who lived about 4,300 years ago in Sumer. I guessed or imagined her life: one of too many daughters, she was forced to serve as a priestess of Inanna, Goddess of the Moon. Dedicated to Gods, she was not allowed to marry or have children. Her purpose in life was to pray for her parents – a fate too cruel for a powerful and talented Enheduana. She became one of the most beloved poets of the Ancient Sumer, with fragments of her superb love poetry surviving to these days...

The other reason behind this last poem was the fate of the trees in cities: oftentimes they are thoughtlessly, almost wantonly cut down whenever they happen to inconvenience the landowners. Thus, in my neighborhood trees stand wearing orange death sentences; in my native city of Tashkent the government cuts down the beloved ancient planes in the central square to the horror and disgust of all who knows and loves our city...

Mark Weil remembered

Two years ago international theater lost one of the most original and daring directors: Mark Weil was stabbed to death in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Fiercely independent, Mark taunted the communist government of the Soviet era with plays that spoke truth - by equivocation. His child - Ilkhom theater- performed in Japan and Germany, France and US. Mark worked in Moscow, London, Seattle. He dared to speak about homosexuality in the Moslem society - and was killed for it...

Seattle was his safe heaven. Here he hid his family from the growing threat. Here he worked on new projects... Here he used to spend every warm sunny day swimming in the lake Washington. Here he still remains - in spirit -and his ashes that were dispersed over the lake he loved so much. Watching Tanya swim in the lake is almost an out-of-this world experience.

August 13, Lake Powell

Today we took a boat trip to the Rainbow Bridge. We boarded a small, but steady ocean yaht manned by two rather large men - Captain mark and crewman Tito, an obvious Navajo. Should I mention that the lake as well as 25 thousand sq. miles around belong to Navajo nation? Navajo are dark-skinned people with plain broad faces and flat noses;their eyes have a Mongolian shape Their English is impeccable and their manner is aloof at first, but if you manage a small talk, their faces light up with most beautiful genuine smiles.

Our destination was The Rainbow Bridge. According to navajo beliefs, this is a sacred place where their ancestors - two brothers
who were half-human and half deities - came down the rainbow to teach their people wisdom and how to protect themselves.
Navajo would never walk under the bridge - and we are kindly asked not to walk close to it in respect. Tito would not even approach the observation spot for tourists. He remained behind, perched on a large orange boulder, watching the fiery arch from afar, visibly in awe.

The beauty of the place can transfix anyone: the green crystal-clear water teeming with bass, bright reddish and ocher walls, tine gnarly cedars, willows, ferns in every crack and nook, the noise of the boisterous crickets and the buzz of large blue dragon-flies.

In the Anasazi canyon the walls were so close hat I could have touched them. The captain was just laughing - he told us that sometimes he navigates his ships in places where there are just four inches to the wall of the canyon, and just couple days ago they knocked off a loudspeaker from the deck...

Lake Powell is a beautiful, magical place - I highly recommend the boat trip. Be prepared though: hotels are bad, filed to the brim, and their breakfasts meager. Who cares!

August 11 Bryce canyon

Today we traveled to the Bryce Canyon. If you need a comparison – think about grandiose fires … Think about Chinese clay army, a hundred times bigger… Think about Palmira of cyclopic proportions… Worth a visit… My favorite so far…
The park is well organized. There are paved paths and railings, bathrooms and parking lots, lodges and souvenier shops, horse rides and walking tours… They also offer a free shuttle – Zion does, too. If you are strong and healthy – take hikes!!!
In the evening we dined at “The Spotted Dog” restaurant. If you are a vegetarian – flee it! Do not be deceived by a sculpture of Buddha(? Spotted Dog?)! They do not know how to make a vegetarian meal edible! But if you are a carnivor – you are in luck! They offer 2 kinds of fish, lamb, beef, chicken, turkey… We tried thir lamb shanks – delicious!!!! Served with potatos a la farm and steamed baby vegetables, it is a treat for a connoseur! The portion sizes are gigantic, and if you are budget conscious, share a meal!

August 10, 2009 From Moab to Springdale

No breakfast at the Inn – no problem! Lots of places to eat in Moab. This tiny little place is a gem that I would encourage every tourist to visit and spend at least 2 nights in! Absolutely charming, easy-going, relaxed…
Next – to the Arches national park. The loop is about 18 miles. You stop a lot. Every turn brings new astonishing vistas. The most impressive were the red cliffs at the very entrance – the Courthouse Rock… Everywhere you see images of fantastic beasts and people… Arches are O.K., but they do not inspire awe the way those giants do…
We did do a short (1,5 mile) hike up to see the Delicate arch. And again – just walking on the blood-red sandstone, cut and criss-crossed by raised vein-like marks of former cracks in the pre-historic mud… it is amazing!
The road to Springdale was a torture. It is 346 miles long. My shoulders and thumbs burned… My eyes were closing… We stopped several times, because I was too tired… On one stop we watched chipmunks scurrying among the dry but fragrant pine forest… The next stop brought us to Cove Fort! It was a total surprise. We were looking for a gas station. We followed the sign – and suddenly drove into an immaculate green lawn with charming white houses emitting some kind of soothing music. To say it was eery is to say nothing.
An old gentleman in a spotless white shirt approached us and offered to use restrooms, and wondered if we are in need of assistance. We inquired about gas – he explained where we should be going. Then he offered us to see the fort – and we decided we wanted to! Unknowingly, we arrived at the family seat of Hinkleys – Ira Hinkley, who was one of the closest people to Brigham Young, built this fort in 1867.
Much later the Cove Fort was purchased by the Hinkley family and donated to the church- and considering that the grandson of Ira was the Head of the Church of the Latter Days Saints till his death in 2007 – the place is of unique historical value! The museum boasts a post station, a telegraph room with batteries made of glass jars- kitchen, dining room, living quarters and a semblance of an inn where for 35 cents one could buy a place on a bed…
The most interesting detail: Ira had to homeschool his childen, as they lived in the middle of a desert – and so, when it was time to study, he told them to “step aside”… from work, from everyday little things…
We all arrived to Springdale dead-beat. Luckily, we can rest here – for 2 nights.

August 9, 2009 From Salt Lake to Moab

We have arrived to Salt Lake City around 2 o’clock. Our hotel – Crystal Inn – offers rather large rooms with love seat sofas, two tables, two chairs, spacious bathroom, good breakfast and a smallish pool that we did not dare to use – a kid threw up in the pool!!!! Oh, how I missed the pristine pool in Yellowstone Best Western – I swam there in proud solitude… no kids… no chlorine…
As we have arrived early enough, we could unload, take a shower, change – and hit the city streets. We walked first to the Gateway shopping mall (the closest thing on earth to Disneyland)– which also contains the Olympic heritage plaza. The air was a joy to breath – warm, clean, and dry! The sun was bright – an unusual feeling to any Seattlite!
From Gateway we walked past the Convention Center with its glass towers of Babel towards Temple Square. The Tabernacle is an impressive building. Constructed in the end of the 19th century (it took 40 years to raise this edifice) it stands on almost 10 acres of flower gardens. The tallest spire is crowned by the angel Moroni that is holding the pipe proclaiming the end of days… The façade is facing an oval endless pool and a cascade of small fontains that lead to the doorstep of the Church’s headquarters. On a small plaza there stands a bronze sculpture of Joseph Smith and a sister that gives him her last penny. I loved the sculpture – it stands on a very small pedestal and is of almost human proportions. It does not instill awe or fear like the Brigham Young monument at the entrance to the park – the faces are soft and kind and somehow lit from the inside.
Next morning we listened to the Tabernacle choir at 9:30. 380 singers plus an orchestra – a sight to see (and listen to). We also rode the light rail – which is free in downtown Salt Lake City. They have a developed system of light rail that runs to the University District and other parts of the city.
Around 11 we left the friendly Salt Lake City and headed south east to Moab and the Arches National Park.
The road to Moab is not a very easy one – you drive endless serpentine turns between hills and mountain slopes… We arrived to our hotel around 5 in the evening.
My father was out of sorts because his supply of film was running low. So we decided to explore our new “campsite”. We drove ( a mistake!) and parked our ar in the heart of the downtown Moab (5 blocks from the hotel) . We got the film in a drugstore 2 blocks away and walked through some tiny shops. We ended up at an ice-cream shop – where they made sorbet for us – using real frozen fruit!!! Their coffee was excellent, too!

Salt Lake City

The trip from Yellowstone to Salt Lake City took us about 5 hours including a short stop on the way. At first we were trying to find our way out of the woods - we were following I-20 through Caribu Targee National Forest, which starts on the border of Montana and goes down south for miles and miles... It felt like we will never emerge from this stubby suffocating thicket... Well, an hour and a half later we did. Then the road led us among emerald mountains and rather boring farms with the same dull horses and cows chewing under the drizzling rain. The bird flocks criss-crossed the skies - geese, even herons, eagles... What? Were they fleeing the horrors of this so-called summer weather? Snake river followed us down south - we ran into it at least 5 times at different altitudes...
My father entertained us by descriptions of land formation in this area and showed us the marks that prehistoric sea left of the sides of the mountains. He also entertained grandma - calling her attention to the next herd of cows - "Look! Buffalo! Hmm.. rather smallish, don't you think?"

We were in Salt Lake at around 2, and eagerly went to explore the city. We admired the Gateway mall and the Olympic plaza,
The Tabernacle, the historic buildings... crafts fair... The weather is lovely, the air dry and fragrant. Tomorrow - to the Temple!

Yellowstone

Whoever labeled Yellowstone "a park" made a grave error: the size of it is mind-boggling and exceeds two or three european states put together. Just to make the recommended one-day tour took us 10 hours - we climbed steep mountains, crossed The Continental Divide twice at more than 6000 feet, crossed vast valleys churning with geisers and watched elk, bison and moose.
The most impressive was the Norris valley of geisers. There one can walk past the Porcelain Lake, admire multicolored hot holes...
I dipped my hand into a warm stream and smelled a slight odor of sulfur. Dead trees stood on the whitened ground...
The Yellowstone lake was equally impressive - seemingly endless, it is also fed by geisers - some of the holes are under the water and look like tiny volcanos...
We also watched the eruption of The Old Faithful!

From Missoula via Butte to West Yellowstone

Wow! What a day!
It all begun peacefully: the rain that poured all night subsided by 9 o'clock. The air was crisp and fragrant. The really good breakfast served at our Best Western Grant Creek Hotel also helped to put us in a pleasant mood. So, we decided to detour
and see the sights of Missoula.
We found it charming, provincial and warm. There were a few historical buildings, rather well preserved. The most interesting, however, was the railroad station.
We enjoyed the scenic road to Butte, and had a very nice lunch 30 miles before Butte, on Clark's Fork, of course.
After lunch our luck has changed: the roiling clouds far east turned a nasty color of dark grey, and it began to rain. In Butte, we missed I-90 and turned into I-15 by mistake... that took us extra 10 miles, which was a blessing in disguise. By the time we came back to Butte, darkness descended and all hell broke loose: it began to hail!!! The size of hail freaked me out: some pieces were as big as a hazelnut! I could see absolutely nothing - and stopped the car in a side street, which soon turned into a picture of white Christmas, with hail 6 inches deep on the grass. It kept banging on the car with such vigor, that I was expecting windows to pop out! After 10 minutes of this the hail turned into pouring rain; streams of muddy water flooded streets. Now i know what sewer does in a flood: it turns into geisers! Water was gushing 2 feet high from the lids of manholes...
It took us some time to get going again...
We passed the Continental divide at Pipestone, soon after Butte... Rags of white clouds drifted on the road... An hour later the car began to skid a little under the powerful gusts of wind. I slowed down, and smart girl I! Rain and a bit of hail caught with us again!!!
Soon after Whitehall we took state 359, then 287 - those were narrow, often just one lane one way roads.. Cows and hay in big rolls abounded on both sides. Strange skeletal abandoned farmhouses... And quiant little villages in mountain glens... The cutest of all was Ennis, almost at the doorstep of the Yellowstone. Well, we had to stop there!!!
It is dark outside now. We are all safely at the hotel in West Yellowstone. I am dead beat... Maybe should go for a swim...

Onwards East! Day 1

Today we - myself, my parents and my friend Larisa loaded a really big Ford 4-wheeler with our numerous luggage pieces. I could not but think Jerome K. Jerome... I believe we did look rather like we are going to search for Stanley... The only thing that saved us from gathering a large crowd was that we packed our car around 6 in the morning... But, as it usually is, we left only by 8, as I kept loosing one thing after another.
I do have a navigation system, so driving was not really a problem. We crossed the Cascades and entered their rain shadow areas- dry, yellow, barren, almost a moonscape. And yet - there was something majestic about the dusty baked gorges and passes... something untamed, defiant, powerful beyond imagination. Then the I-90 crossed the Eastern Washington almost straight as if drawn by a cyclopic ruler... There were some fast drivers out there... By 2 we crossed the state line into Idaho. It was quite different - more moist, lots of conifers, especially pines, narrow lakes, small rivers. The names Clark and Fork and their combinations - prevailed. Montana welcomed us by even more rugged rocky slopes, mostly covered by dark conifers, and sometimes scarred by long shale tongues. Here and there one could see marks of past forest fires.
Missoula appeared through a haze of mock rain at 6:30. We landed for today!

Russian Orthodox Christmas in Seattle

This year the Bishop of Seattle Feodosy came from San Francisco to serve the holiday liturgy.
The service was beautiful and somehow solemn. It was my first time to see Feodosy, and at first he impressed me as a tall man with a commanding presence. Imagine my surprise when I met him face to face and discovered he is an average height, quiet voiced man with kind and vulnerable eyes. I could see he enjoyed fellowship with the parishners - and had a wonderful time at the yolka. By the way, I played... Baba Yaga... Hello, old age... Oh, well, I had fun!