Happy New Year!

I think it is going to be a fabulous new year.  Here is my fortune -- courtesy of a Chinese New Year's Eve dinner.  I taped the fortune into my moleskin (blank journal) and hope this sets the tone for 2015.

Well, the traveling part is for sure.
And the fortune?  I hope it is health & calmness & good humor.

I am going to refocus on keeping the blog up and chock-a-block full of pictures.    Join me for the adventures!

GRADUATION!!!!

Along with 800 or so fine Aggies,  Bryan celebrated the UC Davis Fall 2014 Commencement.  We were thrilled to watch it all in The Pavilion along with David, Monica, and Michelle.  It was such a great day to be together honoring Bryan's academic performance!!

Like many graduations, the Fall Commencement featured the typical music, speeches, and hand shakes; the flipping of tassels and hundreds of photos!

Bryan was awarded a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Economics and Statistics.  There were 20 students awarded the combined degree.

Here is our honored grad:

He wears a gold sash for the UC Colors; the braided cord was awarded by the Econ Department for his honors thesis; Michelle wove the blue & gold lei; his Phi Beta Kappa ribbon; and the Student Marshal to lead in the Stats Majors.

Some shots from graduation --

The Pavilion easily accommodated all the graduates and their families.
Here they come....last in....Statistics Majors in the College of Letters and Science!

Plenty of tradition and history....but the band played Jingle Bells during the Recession!

It takes a lot of brain power to pass out those diplomas from 4 Colleges:
Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Biological Sciences, Engineering, and Letters and Science

First one of the Deans and then the Chancellor

Then a Stats Professor

The mortar board decoration -- the symbol M made from cow patterned fabric!

The Wulzens 

Let's go Bowling!!

Little Brother Wins the Match!

My Favorite Aggies!!  Go Bryan!!  Go Michelle!!

Days in Davis

The days creep by in Davis.  

We found a "mobile home park" that takes RVs -- at least after you go through a song and dance and approve that you have sufficient funds for a 2 month stay.  It is a bit long in the tooth -- but very quiet and convenient.  So here we are.

Arrived in town in time to celebrate the Giants victory over the KC Royals.  Sweet.  We started the season in Arizona with spring training -- so it was a complete victory lap for us.  MadBum disease rocks.

Yoga for me; the Davis Bike Club for Alan.  Staying warm--especially when the inside morning temps are in the low 50s.  Yikes -- time to thing of heading south.

No photos???  Well, I have a new camera and am mastering all the options and settings.  And you don't really want to see pictures of the new neighborhood or bikes blurred on the paths or ????

But Thanksgiving is at hand; UC Davis Graduation follows; Christmas and New Years around the corner.  Nice to be going slow and treasure all these events.

Playing Catch UP

From the coast -- up and over the Coast Range on a rainy day -- and into Eugene.   Lucky us it became a marvelous Indian Summer weekend and we did a bit of "duty free" shopping to take advantage of no sales tax in Oregon.  A few new toys & clothes.  A bit of hiking in the nearby hills and it was clear enough to see the Sisters Mountains to the east (they loom above Bend, OR).

Eugene is home to the University of Oregon -- it was homecoming weekend.  The Ducks thrashed the UW Huskies.  Who cares?

Down to Grants Pass and a side trip to Oregon Caves National Monument.  Fun to explore a cave, but really not very remarkable.

Today we arrived in Ashland -- a bit of theater the next couple of nights & a chance to enjoy the healing hot springs.  Then we will continue south.

Oregon Coast

Meandering south along 101.  Miles of rugged shorelines -- cliffs, coves, rock stacks, sandy beaches.  Acres of moss laden trees clinging to cliffs.  Everything green and moist.  Mostly gray and overcast skies but occasionally a snippet of brilliant blue.

We say farewell to Lewis & Clark at Ft Clatsop near Astoria.  Our trail this year overlapped the Corps of Discovery since the Missouri River outside of St. Louis; to Ft Mandan in North Dakota; the Bitterroot Mountains, Lolo Pass, and the Columbia River.   While it was an amazing expedition -- they were successful because of luck, good will from people of color, and a young Indian gal.

And...we somehow manage to have our trip coincide with the ocean lovers dream:   ocean front camping & a full moon (think huge tides) & long period swells from that mega storm in Japan.  What that means is SURF, ROUGH WATER, and SNEAKER WAVES.  We were seeing 8+ tides.

We camped at the beach...but at high tide, oops, no beach.  The Coast Guard and Park Rangers were plucking hapless folks from isolated rock points.  We scrambled further up the dune from those sneaker waves.  We watched a wedding party crowded up under the high cliff & that bride's dress looked a bit sandy at the hem!  Waves crashed over the sea walls in small towns.  It was mesmerizing & loud & stunningly beautiful.  And...just beyond the surf line...there were the gray whales:  blowing, rolling, diving.

Ft Clatsop -- winter on the Oregon Coast for Lewis & Clark

Peaking through the glass floor of an Astoria brew pub -- friendly seals

Hiking out Cape Falcon.  See the surfers?

Cape Lookout view towards the spit -- we are camped behind the spit.