Slave Market and Angel Tree - Charleston in a day

We stayed in an RV park a few miles south of Charleston and drove into the city for the afternoon.  Someone had suggested we see the Old Slave Market Museum, so that’s where we went. 

Inside are two floors filled with big placards with facts about slavery.  There is no dispute that slavery was horrible, but the display has no real relationship to the building.  I thought this would be a more personal exhibit, telling stories that happened here.  There has to be records about this place, and history is always more impactful when it is about specific people.

Well, they didn't ask my opinion.  Next we walked around the neighborhood a bit.  Beautiful fences protected massive houses, with exotic fence-line greenery, like these bananas at a house gate.

And I loved this pink church with black lace ironwork.

The cobbled roads are picturesque, although they are alway tough to drive on.   We walked through a small marketplace where we learned that hand-made baskets are really expensive - around $50 for a very small one.  I am not disputing the quality but I did not feel the need get a hand-made basket for the RV.

We left Charleston the next morning but not before visiting one more local landmark.  In the nearby town of Johns Island is the Angel Oak Tree.  To get there we drove out to Johns Island, the last few miles on a gravel road, to a very rustic gift shop/tourist center.

Behind this humble building is an amazing tree.  In the picture below two people are standing to the left of the trunk, giving an indication of how big the tree really is, and the picture edges are blurred to highlight the shape of the tree. 

This beautiful tree is a Live Oak and is named after the previous land-owners, Justin and Martha Angel.  It's a sweet-sounding name, and it fits just right.  They say the tree is about 400 years old and 25.5 feet around;  I think 25.5 feet is an underestimation.

There is no Spanish Mass on this tree; apparently while the Angel Oak was growing wide, nearby trees were growing high and eventually blocked the sunlight that Spanish Moss needs.  It's true that the Angel Oak is not leaf-heavy, but this tree is so large that it creates its own space.

And in that space it feels sort of other-worldly, where a tree can twist itself along and into the ground.

Grand Canyon Excursion

Randy and Aaron went for an extreme vacation - hiking down the Grand Canyon, staying 4 nights, then hiking back up. The "hiking" part explains why I didn't go. 

Randy flew up to meet Aaron in Illinois, where they rented a car and drove cross-country. Since the goal was to get the Grand Canyon, they pushed through without making a lot of stops. One night, however, they stayed at the beautiful and historic La Posada in Winslow, Arizona. The hotel is great - it was designed by Mary Colter, who designed the Hopi House and Watchtower at the Grand Canyon. This started out as a Harvey House, one the famous Harvey restaurants that served railway customers. It still serves very good food; they had stuffed squash blossom appetizers, lamb and salmon entrees, and bread pudding for dessert. This historic hotel and a flat-bed truck parked at the corner of Winslow, Arizona were the only things interesting in town, but it was a great hotel. Randy kept a journal of the rest of the trip:

08/07/19 Left Winslow, Arizona and drove to the canyon. It took about 30 minutes to get into the park. We found a place to park and went to the El Tovar to see about our room. We were early - 1:30 - so we didn’t expect the room to be ready. They said it would be ready around 3 - 4. We went talking around to the Bright Angel trail, the art studio, and the museum. We got some ice cream, and then around 3pm we went to check into the room. I was told it was just waiting for a supervisor to check it, so we decided to go for a ride to the Watch Tower. When we returned, we got our keys and found that the room was filthy - towels on the floors, bed unmade - it was a mess.

They were shocked and apologized. They offered 50% off, free appetizers, and free desserts. I told them I though they owed us a completely free meal. They changed the offer to completely comp the room. We agreed and went to one of the other restaurants for dinner. After dinner we returned to the room and found the A/C was not working. I was livid. For this they got the engineer up there to repair it, a dirty filter, and agreed to move us to a suite overlooking the canyon when we returned from Phantom Ranch. They also told us they would move our luggage from our room, store it, and have it in our suite when we returned. Before  turning in, we sent the stuff we would need at the lodge down by mule.

08/08/19 At 3:45 we left our room. As we walked out the door of the hotel, we were greeted by a small head of deer feeding in one of the gardens. 

We headed off to the trail, then realized we had forgotten our extra water bottles. We went back to get them and were on the trail by 4:15. We were off to a good start and things were going well, but by the 3 mile mark my legs were hurting so bad I almost called the trip off. But with lots of patience from Aaron and lots of breaks, we made it to Indian Garden, where we sat for 1/2 hour relaxing, drinking, and eating. The break really helped.  We continued down the trail very slowly, taking lots of stops and rests. 

The trail isn't much - usually just a track worn down by footsteps. In some places there were a few pieces of wood across it to prevent erosion.

By the last 1.5 miles it was simply an endurance test. We made it to the Phantom Ranch at 1:15. A nine hour hike. Both of us were exhausted. 

Mules came and went from here, bringing passengers, supplies, and our pack.

Sometimes spotted fawns hung around outside the lodge, keeping in the shade. 

We choose our bunks, both of which were lower bunks. We showered and took a nap, and afterwards we went down to Bright Angel Creek and soaked in the water for about 20 minutes. 

Back at the ranch we changed clothes and went to dinner. We had preordered our meals a year ago when we made the reservations. No changes are allowed because everything has to be brought down on a mule. We decided to not order lunches, preferring to snack along the way instead of having to come back to the ranch in the middle of the day, so we brought a good supply of enery-rich snacks for that purpose. Tonight we had salad, New York Strip steak, baked potato, broccoli, corn bread, lemon cake, tea and water (lots of water). This was the basic menu each night, with dessert changing to lemon cake sometime. The meals were either really good or just OK, depending on which cook was in the kitchen that night.

After dinner we got 2 cubs of ice and went back to our bunks where we a drink of Weller’s 12 year old bourbon. Then we went to bed - about 6:30. My Fitbit showed 37,000 steps. They say it is 9.5 miles but we think it is longer - somewhere around 11 miles. 

08/09/19 We got up around 6:15. Great breakfast - eggs, pancakes, bacon, sausage, fruit, coffee, and orange juice.

We first went for a walk down to the river to work some of the pain out of our legs. I am sure we were walking like 2 old men.

We decided we had not suffered enough so we went for a hike to Phantom Creek, which is about 1.5 miles away, but we missed it and went too far. We ran into a Ranger leading a group to the Phantom Creek and he told us it was behind us, just around the bend. He let us join his group and we went back about 1.5 miles, where he pointed to the canyon and creek. We then split off, crossed the creek, and hiked back about 1/4 mile to this beautiful waterfall. It was absolutely beautiful.

We took some pictures, then set our gear on the bank and got in a deeper part of the water and just soaked for about an hour. 

After that we hiked back to the ranch. On the way we talked to 2 guys and asked them about hiking on the North Rim trail. They told us it was nice until you hit Cottonwood campground, then it got steep and rugged. Then to get back to the rim we would have to take a shuttle that was a 4 hour ride, costing $90 each. And the last shuttle left at 1 pm. Well, we decided that when we were ready to hike out, we would keep our original idea of Bright Angel trail. We made it back to the ranch, had a beer, and took a nap.

Guys were showing up about 3 pm and weren’t real happy about having only upper bunks available. I didn’t blame them, I was really happy we got lower bunks.

08/10/19  Poor legs were hurting so we thought it might be a good idea to take it easy. We needed to be ready to hike up in 2 days. I was struggling with blisters on my feet: on the left foot there is a blister on the big toe, one on the third toe, and one behind the big toe. No fun. Glad I brought some moleskin. 

We went to the Bright Angel Creek and found a pool area, and sat in it for about 40 minutes. Wanted to be careful to not get sunburned. Then we went to the Bright Angel bridge, and then over to the South Kaibab bridge. We saw some mule deer on this 4 mile hike. 

Hard to describe the engineering that was done around here. The cables for the suspension bridge - how did they anchor them? They were brought down by a group of men carrying them, and they are 8 cables per bridge. 

At one time there was a cable car down to Indian Gardens. It is depicted in a book about Mary Colter, who designed and decorated a lot of buildings for the Santa Fe railroad and Fred Harvey. She designed the La Posada Hotel, the Hopi House, and many more. 

Afterwards we went to the canteen to have a beer. 

God, help us to get out of the canyon on Monday safely and without incidence. 

08/11/19 Packing and getting ready to leave the Canyon. Took a hike from Phantom Ranch to Silver Bridge, 

then on to Black Bridge, and back to Phantom Creek. The views were fantastic. 

Walked on the South Kaibab Trail. Walked down to the Colorado River and waded in it; the water was very cold but very refreshing. 

People have built small cairns and inukshuks in various places. In one spot there was a large rock memorial to Rees Grifffiths, a trail foreman who died in an excavation blast in 1922. This isn't his grave, it's a memorial near where he died. Nice that he's still remembered.

Sometimes a trail had to go through the mountain instead of around it. 

In other places a path wandered up the mountain side. 

And some paths ran along nearly vertical cliff sides.

It is 20 degrees hotter at the bottom of the canyon than at the top so it was nice to cool off in the larger creeks. But most of the day was spent walked up, down, and through the pathways, admiring this amazing work of God.

Got our mule pack ready. It weighed 26 pounds. Had a beer but they foamed over when we opened them. The guy working, Chris, gave us a free one.  It has been a great vacation. I pray to God that we will get out of here safely tomorrow.

08/12/19 Left Phantom Ranch at 3:15 am. Made it to Indian Garden at 6:00 am. Aaron got cell service there and sent a text at 6:25. We stayed there for 1/2 hour. Saw deer there, desert mice, and a black and white King snake. 

Made it to 3 mile by 7:30 and stayed there about 1/2 hour. 

Saw a rattlesnake between the 3 miles and 1 1/2 mile marker. And lots of squirrels and lizards along the way

And made it to the top at 11:5. 8 hour trip. The total trip was 11.2 miles from the water spigot to the Kolb studio. The views are beautiful. I think this may be the last time I will hike the Grand Canyon.

Randy's journal ended there. When they got to the top they checked into their suite at El Tovar. Suites are $538 a night (although they only paid the room rate, not the suite rate) because they have an outside patio that overlooks the canyon. So after dinner the guys sat out on the balcony, watching the sunset over the canyon one last time. 

Randy ended up with blisters and black toenails on both feet, so he threw away his boots when he got to the top - they hadn't performed as well as he had hoped. 

On they way home they stopped by Meteor Crater; not in the same class as the Grand Canyon, but certainly worth checking out. The meteor was pretty much vaporized so there isn't much of it left. But it left a really big hole. 

November 23, 2012 Goodbye, Manna

Our little black cat Manna finally reached the point where she was not having a good life anymore.  We had to fulfill our last responsibility to her, no matter how much it hurt us, and she is gone now.  She was my little girl and I am in a lot of pain right now.  

Eighteen years ago, right before Halloween, a stray cat had a litter of kittens.  One little kitten was black and a neighbor worried about what might happen to a black kitten at Halloween.  So he advertised to find a home for her, and we were fortunate enough to answer the ad.  

Most of Manna’s youth was spent with her adoptive mom - not me, but our sweet gray cat Princess.  Princess loved Manna like her very own and even when Manna was a big girl, Princess would bath and groom her like she was still a kitten.  

At 18, Manna was the last of her generation. During much of the time that we had her, we were a 5-cat family that included Princess and Manna, plus our beloved Snowball, quiet Blackstar, and a beautiful but not-too-bright calico cat named Angel.  

Angel and Manna were just a week apart in age and for awhile they got along like sisters. They would play together and snuggle up with each other for naps, but as they grew up Manna developed true cat aloofness and didn’t have much use for Angel.  Princess was the only cat that Manna really cared about.  

I never had much success photographing Manna.  Her black coat always made her features disappear, with just those green eyes showing.  But Manna was with us through so much; she was part of our lives during the hard years working on the house on Diamond Street, and the years we lived in the Carriage House.  She was with me when Randy traveled to Israel and when he worked in Arizona.  She shared our lives through so many changes.

She was a quite little girl, not making much fuss over anything. She did a rapid little chatter when she stalked flies, almost like she was trying to call them to her, but it never worked. As she grew older her main activity was sleeping.  Our philosophy was that at her age, she could do whatever she liked.  We easily accepted the fact that she basically lived on the bed, with just a few trips down for food and litter.  And somethings she didn't even need to get down for food.  She was a skilled people-trainer and eventually was able to teach us to give her treats on the bed.  Feeding Mana was a tricky business; being a diva, she liked to keep her girlish figure and like many divas, she did it by being bulemic.  If she ate very much, she would just throw up. Since she lived on the bed, that created issues. We learned to give her just a few pieces of food or treat, several times a day. It got to the point that when we went into the bedroom for anything, we automatically gave her a few pieces of food. Didn't even have to think about it, just automatically did it.

Her affection for the bed made her transition to RVing very easy. The only real difference was that we occasionally need to raise the bed to get to the underneath storage.  Manna didn't mind; in fact, she seemed to like it.  She just rode the bed up and down, like an amusement park ride.

Manna didn't even get off the bed in the morning when I made it.  She was amazingly skilled at stepping around whatever area I was working on.  I kidded her about being in the way but the truth is she never was.

For several years Manna slept with me at night.  Not snuggled up next to me, of course - that would not be becoming to a diva.  Instead she slept on the bed just above my pillow.  Which means I scooted down on the bed, to be sure she had enough room.  People who don't live with cats don't understand, but people who do will understand this perfectly.   

In spite of her aloofness, Manna held the record as the best purr-er ever.  Whenever I scooped her up, even if she didn't want to be held, she would automatically purr loud and steady.  One of my favorite things in the world is that warm purr against my ear.  

During our 18 years with Manna we developed routines and habits around her that we were barely aware of.  Feeding her treats, making the bed around her, leaving room for her above my pillow - what will it cost my heart to stop doing these things?  How long will it hurt, when I start to do them and then remember there is no longer a reason?  She was our smallest cat, just a tiny, aloof kitty, and I will never stop missing her. 

 I wish I could turn back time.

Favorite Cemetery Angel - September 24

I love old cemeteries and have been fortunate to visit several interesting ones.  But recently I found my very favorite cemetery Angel on-line.  Some excellent pictures of it can be found on Wikipeida, at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monteverde_Angel, where I snagged these pictures.

  

The dry facts are that it was carved by Giulio Monteverde for the Oneto family tomb, which is in the Staglieno Cemetery in Genoa, Italy (along with a lot of other wonderful, hauntingly beautiful statuary).  But on the artistic side, this is the best angel sculpture ever.  It is both an amazing sculpture and a compelling portrait.

It has an entirely gorgeous handling of the wings, with those long, enormous flight feathers that brush against her knees and show every feathery vane.  If stone could fly, this would.

And the face is wonderful; classic Greek features with a straight nose and petulant mouth.  Like all good Greek statues, she looks haughty, slightly arrogant, and just a little ticked-off.  But she is also looking out at the world under her lowered brow and she is not terribly impressed with what she sees.  And perhaps with reason; her right hand, which is tucked under her left arm, is supposed to be holding the trumpet of Universal Judgment.  

But what I love most is the drapery, which somehow takes on appearance of satin.  The “fabric” has tiny crinkles around the waist, pulls taut over the belly button (do angels have belly buttons?) and wraps snugly around the hips.  When I think about creating this from stone, it’s amazing!

And so I wax poetic about an old sculpture.  But sometimes art can move you, and this moves me.

One year ago:  Earthquake!

Two years ago: World's biggest apple pie

Three years ago:  Memories of Alaska

Four years ago:  Pike's Peak is so beautiful

Meet Shorty

We had some changes this week, and here's my theory as to how it came about:  Sugarbaby has been on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge for 6 weeks, and he is tired of seeing his best buddy in pain.  So he asked an angel to fix the problem.  The angel looked around for a someone who could reach Randy through his sadness.  And one skinny little stray said "Pick me!  Pick me!  I can do the job!"

So the little stray went up to Randy and said "Look deep into my eyes....."

"Deeper......"

"Deeper......"

"Got him!"

Meet Shorty.

6/28 - North Rim of the Grand Canyon

Today we drove almost 100 miles to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. A long drive, rising up to greater than 8,400 feet, but through some nice scenery. 

We passed through one section, a few miles long, of burnt forest. There were signs all along the way telling us not to report smoke, which we thought was strange. Later we learned that controlled fires were being started to support the natural process of the land. Years of fighting all fires left things out of kilter, so now rangers are working to correct that. In this area the ground was green again, so it couldn't have burned too recently.

And then we made it to the Canyon.  Everyone agrees - you can take all the pictures you want, but you will never capture the feeling of standing on the edge, looking across at all that space.

I still love the scruffy, hardy trees that grow around here. They have to work so hard at living, and they still manage grow in such imaginative ways!

The huge crevice reaching across the canyon floor is called Bright Angel Fault. In 2012 Randy and Aaron hiked down the Bright Angle Trail to the canyon floor, and back up again. Amazing!

We hiked a ways along the rim. I took too many pictures, of course, trying to capture the feeling of the place. And failed, of course. But at least I have memories. There is nothing else like this in the world, and I am so grateful for the National Park Service for protecting it.

I have a terrible, terrible sunburn all around my neck from my day at Zion, so now I am protecting it with a scarf. I look like I'm afraid I'll catch cold in this summer heat - such a tourist! 

We also walked a short way down the Kaibab Trail. It's full length is 13.7 miles down to the canyon floor, where it meets the Bright Angel Trail. 

On the drive back to our RV park we passed a small herd of buffalo, grazing in a wide swath of grasslands that reach back to the forest edge. There are no fences around, so these are probably wild.

We stopped in Kanab for a late lunch at Neidra's Too. Right after we put our order in, an entire motorcycle gang pulled in for lunch. Good thing we got there first, because they swamped the little kitchen! They serve pretty good Mexican food here; it takes a little while to get it delivered, but as the menu says, that's because everything is made to order.

The end of a lovely day; tomorrow we will revisit Zion.