What do you put on your hot dog? I am a mustard and relish gal. How about a hamburger? I use only ketchup. I remember when I was young relish was sold in a jar, like grape jelly, and Ketchup came in a tall glass bottle. But, of course, now…
Galen Clark’s Sequoias
Galen Clark, a conservationist and writer, was born on March 28, 1814 in Canada. He is credited with discovering the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias in Yosemite National Park. Galen joined the westward migration as a youth and moved to Waterloo, Missouri in 1836. After his wife died in 1854…
Thigh Master
It is true that Piper can be playful and rambunctious but it is also a fact that he likes to sit with me on my shoulder or hand for long periods of time. On this particular day he climbed down my body from my left shoulder, stopping on my upper…
Monterey And A Golf Course With A 17-Mile Drive
Monterey Having visited Monterey, California quite a few times beginning 30 years ago, I have always thought of it as an elevated tourist town, its major claims to fame, in my mind, being its costal location, its famous aquarium and the legend that was created in the pages of a…
An Ivory Shower Marry Tale
As I write this story I realize that this is the third tale I have posted about soap. I don’t know what that means but it seemed worth mentioning. For as long as I can remember my husband and I have used Lever soap. Recently I have felt that it…
No Blindfold Required
I will preface this story by assuring you that although the only color I see is certain shades of blue, there will be no Fifty Shades of Rain ahead. Ever since eating fresh strawberries from Swanton Berry Farm (click here) in California, I have been on a fruitile search to…
Yosemite Tunnel Vision
I had only previously visited Yosemite National Park for one day, driving around to the more popular rock formations. It was long ago and the main memory I have is of seeing El Capitan. Fully sighted at the time I remember my binoculars revealing two climbers in a tent on…
Piper Keeps Me In The Dark
Even though I have a home office I mostly write at my dining room table adjacent to the living room. Some mornings when I come downstairs to start my day, due to weather conditions, closed window blinds or the early hour, it can be quite dark in both rooms. In…
Pacific Grove, California
During our trip to California my husband and I decided to spend a night in Pacific Grove. Googling for lodging I found that the charming Lighthouse Lodge & Cottages had availability. Painted blue with a large lighthouse outside the office, it seemed to be waiting just for us. When you…
My Husband Is Battery Powered
Eleven months after my vision loss my husband went into congestive heart failure, the cause of which was an attack on his heart by an unknown virus. I suppose that quantifying terror is similar to pregnancy – you either are or you aren’t – but our terror was exacerbated by…