Month: November 2005

  • My secret admirer

    I was intrigued to receive this letter with no return address, not unlike the typewritten letters and cards I once sent to my wife Ann before I really knew her. She let me puzzle over it for awhile before confessing that she wrote it. I’m glad she’s my Freaky Secret Admirer.

  • Geese on Ice

    The temperature finally dropped enough to freeze the lake where these geese are wintering. It looked at first like they had just been frozen in place, but I think they’re sitting on the ice. The temperature was up to 11 degrees Fahrenheit when I left home today. Thankfully the recent winds finally calmed down.

  • Movie: Shall We Dance? (1996 Japanese Version)

    This story is more believable in the context of Japanese culture, which makes it more enjoyable and meaningful to me. Even the comedic characters seem possible, which the American version didn’t pull off. The one strength I grant to the American movie, though, is that it gives more attention to the impact of the main…

  • Shelf Road / Cactus Cliff

    We’re treated to another day of gorgeous sun, with just a little bite in the wind this time. We figure out the hike from the Bank campground to Cactus Cliff, a worthwhile outing in itself. There are more climbers on the rock today, but we still find things to climb. I try an onsight of…

  • Shelf Road / Cactus Cliffs

    We don’t get on the rock at Cactus Cliff until the afternoon, but the perfect weather holds for us. The book we have makes it look like Shelf Road is dominated by 5.11 and 5.12 routes, but we find a couple of good easier climbs. It looks like a lot of newer routes have been…

  • Thanksgiving Guests

    A nice Thanksgiving this year. Sarah’s turkey turned out well, even after some extra time in the oven. Her mom Zita delivered extra good green beans, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, and homemade cranberry sauce. Tante Berti has retired from her position as dessert chef, but bought us a huge yummy chocolate cake in consolation. The…

  • Movie: Gunner Palace

    Initially I thought this documentary featured the same palace Ann’s brother Randy, an army Lieutenant, had written to us about, but I think it’s a different Hussein family palace. I don’t regret the choice, though. This film mostly gives a voice to soldiers on the ground near Baghdad, letting them talk (or sing, or rap)…

  • Ice and Steam

    The mornings have been bright and cold recently. The Cache La Poudre River is fairly still in most places these days, so it freezes overnight, then shines and steams when the morning sun hits it.

  • Deer Crossing

    I think this is a White-tail buck, since does do not usually grow antlers. He tried to hide from me in the grass behind the fence at first, then decided to escape to the river.

  • Live Music: CSO and Natasha Paremski

    Eighteen-year-old pianist Natasha Paremski stole this show with her performance of Tschaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1, as is clear from the Rocky Mountain News review. Jeffrey Kahane surprised me at this performance by conducting without a word, and I realized that I was anticipating the long or short lecture he’s given at the past few…