-
Movie: Such a Long Journey
A look at the life of a Parsi bank clerk in 1971 Bombay, India during the war with Pakistan. There are some really stunning shots of the city. The story and characters are quirky in some way that prevented me from fully buying into it, though I enjoyed the movie anyway.
-
Movie: Master & Commander
Russel Crowe swashes his buckles, sweeps his strings, swings his hatchet, swabs his wounds, swills his rum, swoons in his cups, swaps his weevils, swears his oaths, and swarms his enemies. Interesting looks at early 19th century naval life. Standard Hollywood storytelling.
-
Climbing Dictionary
A few non-climbers have, bravely or foolishly, attempted to read my climbing posts and soon asked me, “Is there a secret decoder ring somewhere?” Well, it may not look as cool as the one in the Ovaltine jar, but the folks at RockClimbing.com have put together a pretty good glossary of climbing terms. If it…
-
Rattlesnake Canyon, Joshua Tree
Ann’s cold is worse today, so I head off for Rattlesnake Canyon with her dad Bob under grey skies. It had rained during the night, so the pools in the arroyo are all fresh, and soon we’re scrambling up the bed of a running creek. Many of the boulders are masses of golf ball-sized crystals…
-
Indian Cove, Joshua Tree
We wake up slowly in our tent, groggy from the late night drive. It’s good to be back at Indian Cove, though, for the first time since our wedding. We are in campsite #7 with Ann’s parents, right below Dark Shadows Rock, so after breakfast I wander up and rig a toprope on it. We…
-
Performance: The Felici Trio
I’m amazed to learn that these musicians are based here in the eastern Sierras, in Mammoth Lakes. It may have to do with being starved for good music, but my jaw dropped several times during this performance. Brian Schuldt on cello and Rebecca Hang on violin both played expertly as far as I could tell,…
-
Movie: Saving Grace
A fine British film. It does give in to the excesses inherent in the subject at times. I’m guessing it was inspired by the American film Homegrown, and if it doesn’t quite live up, it has fun trying.
-
Great Falls Basin
On our way home from Wildrose Canyon we stop at Great Falls Basin to get a couple of climbs in. The air there smells a bit like cat urine, an odor we have noted before in the desert after recent rain. This time we connect the odor to a particular plant that flourishes in the…
-
Wildrose Peak
It is one of those mornings when Ann and I both want to do the same thing, then proceed to frustrate each other’s attempts to do it. The proposal is to drive to Wildrose Canyon and hike up Wildrose Peak. It’s Ann’s idea, but she doesn’t want to be pressured to do it. I like…
-
Mixed up pets
In the evening our dog Jezze looks at me with big, question-mark eyes, and I notice her bowl is empty. Usually Ann feeds her, but I grab the nearest food bag and pour some in. Instantly I see it’s cat food. Jezze doesn’t care though, and starts munching away. Out of curiosity, I pour some…