28 June 2015

I took a few photos today and may get around to posting them eventually. 

It was a fascinating drive across the north of Oregon and down thru a portion of Idaho. I was surprised how few windmills Oregon seems to have compared to California and other states in the neighborhood. Instead of windmills there were power towers on most of the ridges. Of course the rivers are dammed, dammed and dammed again so that's probably where their power comes from.

I did get a sunset photo. Now I hope I beat the ladies to the laundry in the morning.

27 June 2015

The concert seemed to go quite well. The conductor was enthusiastic about it. I'd go almost anywhere I could afford for a chance to work with her again. She is sooo cool. She knows how to deal with it all. And the heat. She's good. 

It was fun to have a friend at the concert - the gal I stayed with the night before registration. One of the loyal alumni also attended on her way home from BCI in Ireland. But BCI folks don't count. 

I apologize for taking so few photos this week! I didn't take any of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral. I didn't even know I sort of knew the musician until I looked at the website just now (Sunday night). Hmmm. I think I was too tired. This knee and foot problem is making me feel very old. I was grateful to be able to sit thru the concert and so were my friends in our row. 

I had a wonderful roommate and thank the BCI staff person for assigning her. 

Not sure I would go to Portland again. The distances we had to walk were good. The rehearsal facility was good. The dorm was marginal at best. Temperatures approaching 100 and no air conditioning. One night I just didn't sleep at all. I was too hot. The fan just blew the hot air around. Even tho I had my white washcloth with my tan towels and it was obviously not like any of the provided ones, complete with a purple initial, they took it. They did not exchange the bath mat and they didn't provide fresh sheets as promised. They left this for my roommate.

The food was ok if you like college kid food. Tater tots frequently. There were maybe 8 breakfast cereals - all but one sweet. It was Special K or something like that. Once in awhile they had oatmeal or maybe they ran out of it frequently. They kept running out of salad stuff. I believe they had too much going on. The lunch line was horribly long. There were no spare people to keep the hot food trays filled let alone the salad bar. The staff was friendly tho. BCI people are spoiled.

Other than these picky details, it was a great week. Wonderful friends, old and new. Great music making despite the heat. And I may have lost a few pounds of water. Ha.

26 June 2015

Trinity Cathedral in Portland is HOT!!! I did not feel well all day. Not sure why but suspect naproxen. Thought I would switch from ibuprofen. Ugh. 

Rehearsal all day. Walked a ways to a deli for lunch. Need to walk more. Lots more in spite of the pain in my knee and foot. My hips hurt since I haven't really walked in a year or so. I can walk that out but the other stuff gets in the way. Hate getting old!!!

Had a delightful visit with a friend who was once on the BCI staff when I was and a fellow Westminster Choir College grad. Met 3/4 of the women in his family. He made a wonderful salad for supper. Exactly what I needed after the heat and uncomfortable feeling during the day.

SCOTUS gave us wonderful news this morning regarding the ACA and marriage. There were some cheers at breakfast when the latter was announced. We are all tired of battling for equal rights for all citizens but the fight has just begun, it seems. People can still lose their jobs and/or be rejected in many circumstances simply because they love someone of the same sex. Keep fighting.

Our conductor

22 June 2015

Weary. Lots of walking. Ugh. But I will endure.

Good rehearsal this morning. I had forgotten that Karen Thomas never looks at us but above our heads.

The food situation is, um, interesting. There are other conferences and a bunch of kids. The cafeteria is not set up to handle this many people with ease or speed. Last night they ran out of food. At breakfast there were no cereals without sugar and the lines for other stuff were eternal. Lunch lines were worse. And the food is not very good. But that's ok.

The other Shelly, with whom I roomed in Austria, is here. She suggested going to the Rose Garden this afternoon because it is supposed to get hotter each day until Saturday when it should be 100 for our concert in the hot cathedral. We were advised to get short sleeved white shirts. Anyhow. My roomie came along and we fiddled around until the map and Google got us there. We couldn't find a parking place and drove around and around until someone finally pulled out. We parked and a woman came up to us and gave us a parking pass because her husband had put the wrong number in the machine or something like that. Nice.

Some of the roses are almost past their prime but the variety is astounding. The colors are sometimes subtle and sometimes spectacular. Roses of all sizes and kinds. It was quite beautiful. I could probably go again as there is much more to see. But I won't.

We stopped at Safeway on the way back and picked up some crackers to go with the block of Tillamook cheese and wine I was given. Fortunately the fridge is fixed so it is cold again.

Off to dinner. Then rehearsal. Maybe some flowers will be added here tonight.

The sun was really too bright to take good detail but here are some of what we saw.

21 June - 27 June 2015 - BCI at Portland

I attended church at St. Matthew's this morning just so you know. Photos when I have time. Very much appreciate the hospitality of another internet friend!

There are 129 of us in the chorus including lots of old friends and acquaintances. I have a great UU roommate from Rochester who knows the BCI alumna I know. We hope the dining hall at Portland State won't be as inefficient as they were tonight at dinner. There is another conference of Mathematicians and Scientists or something.

18 June 2015 - San Francisco to Napa

More to come.

19 June 2015 - Napa to Grants Pass

Comment coming...

17 June 2015 - San Francisco Zoo

Today was San Francisco Zoo day. I love zoos if they have adequate cages. Those of you who have followed my adventures over the years know I often photograph indigenous ducks and dandelions where I find them. No dandelion photos. I did see the mallards in the first enclosure. Ha.

Many strange and wonderful plants. I photographed a few of them.

I don't know what the bird is. This is as close to the zebras as we got. One eventually stood up.

The gorilla kept trying to cover himself with this blanket but finally gave up.

The cats and the kangaroos made me laugh. Mom had one strong opinion of zoos. A place where the animals you most want to see are all sleeping.

The wolverines were running around and around.

The capybara.

The anteater.

I don't know one of these from the other but I can recognize the ostrich. He's in an earlier photo.

He was trying. But she kept wandering away.

We rode the train.

This one has to be tranquilized. The cassowary is mean.

Roos.

My nephew missed this. He said he has never seen the koala awake.

The beach was far too wide for me to seriously consider walking over to dip a toe in the Pacific.