There's Always Time For Everything (East Canyon Hike, King Crimson Tonight) (Incredible Show)

Good Morning, Awesome Lady,

Just chilling with some Vangelis "Mythodea". I've posted that clip before. I love the vocal effects in that piece. Gotta find a new book to read, I have completed Dr. Farrell's LBJ book. I am a bit John F. Kennedy'd out at the moment, having read three books in a month on the subject, but at least it seems the case is solved after all this time.

I saw your procrastination post earlier, while at Pearl's. Perhaps you were just referencing it, cause we all procrastinate. I say this because I read the cartoon in the post, and it was made out to be kind of extreme, and I am sure it is for some people, but probably not for you. We creative people, who like to think and daydream, can tend to put things off, but being a procrastinator to some extent myself, I would say don't worry about it. Things get done. There is always plenty of time. And really, procrastination is such a condition of modern culture anyway. Think about the Indians; do you think they worried about getting a zillion things done during the day? No, because life was simple then. They had a few important things they had to do each day, such as gather food, but overall there was not the distraction of today. Of course, we aren't living in Indian times, but just remember that most of the stuff that gets procrastinated by all of us, isn't that important anyway.

What is important is your connection to the World and to God. Of course you have stuff you need to get done ("need to" rather than "have to", because there is no such thing), but you always get things done anyway.

If you were a terminal case procrastinator, then it would be something to worry about, but you aren't.

And I am pretty sure you didn't mean the post that way, anyhow.  :)

I am trying to find a hike for tomorrow, and I am just about tapped out of local trails, which is why I half-jokingly posted that Nike Site video. I really do wanna see that place, but as it is controversial whether or not it is okay to do so, and legal, etc., I am gonna hold back until I can be certain it's not trespassing. And, I would never go down in that darkened missle silo by myself (if you saw the video, it's pretty scary), so I'd need someone to come with me. At any rate, I will find something less complicated for tomorrow. For tonight, that's all I know, so enjoy your day, and I will enjoy my sleep and see you in the morning.

I Love You!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

3:15pm : Good Evening, Sweet Baby. Sorry I'm posting so late. The Golden Agers meeting ran until 2:30, and then I had to stop at Northridge Libe on the way home to print the King Crimson tickets. Grimsley is going with me tonight, and then tomorrow by myself. While Pearl was at her meeting, I went back to East and Rice Canyons and had a nice hike in each of 'em. I only went partway back in Rice, because I heard footfalls that sounded like something bigger than a squirrel, so I said, "Okay, time to turn around now". It was probably nothing, but why take the chance. Especially when East Canyon is right next door. :)

This time in East, I went waaay back, about a mile and a half. Further than I've gone before. If you keep going, you come out in O'Melveney Park, in the Valley. So then, you have crossed over the mountain. I'll have to do that one day when I have the time, but today I'd say I made it almost halfway. Didn't take a lot of photos. I am trying not to repeat myself, and it's getting harder. Now, I'm really just looking for special shapes and something inside the light and shadows. Or, if I go to a new trail, then I take a bunch of photos. But, I am almost all out of new trails, as I've said. But I had fun this morning.  :)

Tonight will be fun, too. I am hoping they don't start exactly at 8pm, because we are gonna take the subway, and it takes over a half hour just to get to the station. We will probably get to Downtown L.A. right about 8 or a few minutes before, then we have to walk a few blocks. So if they hold off til 8:15 or so, we'll be okay. It's gonna be a blast. I've been a KC fan since 1973.......

I will wish you Sweet Dreams and post now, and then I will post again when I get back home tonight, and I should be home around 12:30. I am guessing a 2 hour show, over about 10:30. Back on the subway by 11pm. Then subway to North Hollywood and drive home from there. Drop Grim off. Yeah, 12:30 give or take, so I will see you around that time.

I Love You, my Darling Sweet Baby!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

12:25pm : Good Morning, my Darling. I am back from the show, about which I am pretty speechless. It was like mad scientist rock or something, and with the highest level of musicianship possible. Three drummers. I am too tired and blown away to try and explain it, and it might not even be your cup of tea, but if you saw it, you'd see what I mean. I am gonna eat something real quick. I will be up for about an hour or so, and will probably post a few words about it on FB, but I just wanted to let you know I was back, and that I Love You. I wish you could have gone with me! (and, even though they've only played about ten shows on this tour, in only four or five cities, one of the shows was in Madison)  :):)

Have a great morning and I will see you in the morning!   xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Slow Start Today (late night love)

Good Evening, my Darling,

I'm hanging out at home. I was super tired this morning when I got back from Pearl's, so I took a nap from 11 to 1pm. Never getting 8 hours sleep catches up with me sometimes. Feeling good now, though. I don't have enough time for a Movie Monday right now, but maybe tonight. I have another Frantisek Vlacil film on tap, "The White Dove", which I found at Half.com last week. Vlacil is the same guy who made "Valley Of The Bees" which I saw last Monday, so I am on a film kick with him at the moment.

Nothing else to report at the moment. I hope you had a good day, and Sweet Dreams in a little while. :)

I Love, Love, Love You!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

4:45pm : Hi, Sweet Baby. I just got to Pearl's and I see your post. If you are still awake, I want you to picture another coyote in that picture, all snuggled up to the first one........

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)  Sweet Dreams, once again.

Quiet Sunday (sort of) (Happy Monday)

Good Evening, my Darling,

I'm just getting home from Pearl's. I took the Kobester up to CSUN earlier, but he was romping around in the grass and he got a sticker in his fur, right above his eye. It was a big old green thing, some kind of foxtail with spikes on it, and when it caught in his fur, he started rubbing his face on the ground, trying to get it off. All that did was to push it in further, and it twisted in his fur and pulled it down over his eye, real tight, so he couldn't open it. So, that was the end of our CSUN walk. I had to take him straight home. I tried cutting it out of his fur but he wouldn't hold still, so I gave him a bath, and when the foxtail got wet, it started to crumble. I put shampoo on it, and combed at it. Finally I was able to comb it and cut it out of his fur. One tenacious sticker that was, poor doggie.

But he was super happy when the bath was over and he could see again. :)

So that was the big excitement of the morning. Now I am listening to the last regular season Dodger game of the year. I always do that just to hear Vin Scully, our announcer who has been with the team since 1948. 66 years! He is 87 now, but his voice sounds exactly the same as it did 40 years ago. Everybody loves Vin, baseball fan or not. So it's just a quiet day around here.

I hope you had a nice Sunday. Are you still at the cabin? I will know by your posts. :) I'll bet your Italian is getting pretty fluent by now. And I'll bet you've got some great pictures and video.

I will be here until about 3:30, then I am gonna leave a few minutes early so I can try to find some ripe avocados. I've already been to two stores but they were hard as rocks at both. And I've gotta have my avos.......  :)

That's all for now. I will write more at the usual time. I Love You, Elizabeth!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Midnight : Good Morning and Happy Monday, my Baby. Just checking in to wish you a good start to your week. I am listening to a piece of music I just discovered, an organ concerto by Francis Poulenc. I've always liked his piano music, and this is awesome as well. Very heavy and dramatic.

A good week ahead. Two King Crimson shows coming up on Tuesday and Wednesday. I haven't seen them since 1981, so I am excited.

Enjoy your morning, whether in the woods or the classroom. I Love You.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Late Night Love (Honorary Florencian)

Hi, my Darling,

Sorry I am posting so late! I am at Pearl's. All afternoon I was at a local park, listening to some speakers as part of that worldwide GMO/Chemtrails protest that was going on today. If you Google it you'll see what it was. I don't know the name of the actual organisation because I don't usually go to stuff like this. I am not a protest guy, really, although I am certainly against GMO foods and the spraying of chemtrails. Grimsley is a guy who does a lot of this stuff, he went to the Occupy L.A. protests a few years ago, and he wanted me to go with him today, so I did. It began right down the street at the corner of Reseda and Nordhoff, and then we walked down to this park about a mile away.

It was cool, but the speeches were kind of a litany of horrors. I mean, I believe in a lot of that stuff and I know that GMOs are really bad, etc., but again, I am just not a "sky is falling" kind of guy. I have too much faith for that.

Anyhow, I wanted to check in so you'd know I'm here, and also because I love you! I hope you are still awake to read this. I will write more later tonight at the usual time.

Sweet Dreams until then, my Beloved Baby.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

11:50pm : Happy Sunday Morning! It's that time again, time for me to walk through the village and observe the local Florencians headed for church, a millennia-old tradition and a pilgimage I would love to make myself, even though I might simply observe rather than directly participate. But just to be in that atmosphere would be a wonderful experience. So right now, if you look out your window, you will probably see me, walking with the faithful.......

Yeah, I know I'm weird. But it's just my imagination at work, and I am psychically and emotionally connected to you, and you are there, so I am there too, and I can get a feel for the scene.

It's probably way more modern now, despite the ancient architecture. But I see it like a painting of old, and I imagine myself in it....

I didn't do much for the rest of the day, after coming home from Pearl's. Reading, mostly.

Have a wonderful start to your day, my Angel, and I will see you in the morn, when my Sunday begins.

I Love You!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Two Trees (Yow!) (special places)

Good Evening, my Baby,

Happy Friday as well! Are you still out in the woods? It looks like it, from this morning's picture. I love the two trees - that's us, together out in the forest. :) The Autumn colors in the Matthew Crowley pictures are very beautiful.

Pearl and I took Kobi to Lake Balboa this morning. We hadn't been there in a couple months because the Summer heat is too much for them, but today is picture-perfect, warm but with a Fall crispness in the air. We saw gulls, coots and ducks. Now I am back home and gonna watch a movie because Redbox gave me a free code. I got "Non-Stop" with Liam Neeson. Not my usual fare, but it's always good to watch Neeson get really pissed off in a movie every now and then. Nobody does it as good as he does. :)

I'll watch and then head back to Pearl's at 4:15, but I wanted to check in to say that I hope you had an awesome day, and to wish you Sweet Dreams in a little while, and to tell you that I Love You So Much!

Cause I do.......  :)

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

10:45pm : Wow, Sweet Baby! Good Morning. I must say I like your post! Your morning is off to a good start and my evening is ending well indeed! :):)

I am just now getting back from my walk, so I am gonna have something to eat and then I will be back. But I had to say............Good Morning! (wish I was there with you).  :):)

(back in a few minutes)

11:50pm : Okay, my Angel, I am back. Are you still at the cabin? My guess is yes! That's because I am there with you in spirit. Because I am there with you, we will take our time on Saturday morning before heading out......there's no hurry and we've got all day. ;)   :):)

That's actually awesome and amazing if you have been out there all week, or maybe longer, while I have been visiting, in the same week, some very amazing and spiritual places myself. We are both feeling the same things. I would say we are being inspired by nature, but I want to get more specific and find out what it is that makes us feel this way when we are outdoors. It's like, when I look at a Sycamore tree, I get a slightly different feeling than when I am near an Oak. Or an even better example : if I am in a big place, an open space (as they call big nature parks in California), what I have noticed - and this is very real - is that different places in the park have different "personalities". That's kind of what I was trying to get at when I talked about the dried-out golden field yesterday. I mean, it's a mindblower, you go out to one of these places, in America or Italy or wherever, and the different components of the landscape communicate with you in a very real way. That's why I like to be more specific, and instead of just thinking of the whole thing as "nature", and putting it all under one umbrella, I like to feel it as "individuals". Each tree is it's own person, so to speak. And even the shadows can be individual.

You see, what we call "nature" as a whole, has no people in it. People can visit nature, but generally when they do, they aren't paying intimate attention to it.

It's like, do you know how people like Jane Goodall found out, through paying intimate attention to gorillas, that they can be intelligent enough to learn sign language, and even to work a camera? Who knew, right?

And to take that example to an extreme, I think the same way about the individual "people" in a given natural landscape. Those people can be trees, rocks, shadows, gulleys, creeks. And the more you pay them intimate attention, the more they will show you. It's like The Black Kitty. She came on the scene at Pearl's about a year ago, and would run away any time she saw me, even when I brought her food out. She was wild, a creature of nature. But little by little, she started to come around, to be friendly, to want to show us something, and to learn from us. To learn patterns. Now she is almost 100% tame, and she knows when I will arrive, knows the sound of my car.

You get a feeling when you are out at a special place (I like that better than the general term of "nature"), and the feeling is very, very strong, and it is the same feeling that developed with the Kitty: a desire to connect, to communicate. That's what a special place is conveying to you.

That's what L. Frank Baum was getting at in "The Wizard Of Oz". He understood the enchantment in nature.

That's all I know for this evening, my Darling.

I Love You.............(you Hottie, you)........(I try to be a Gentleman, but sometimes.....)  :):)

Sweet Dreams for me, and I will see you, and you will see me, in the morning/evening.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

I Think I've Got It! :) (Golden) (Canterbury)

Good Evening, Sweet Baby,

Okay.....I think I've finally got it. You've gotta keep in mind that I've got a thick skull, lol. You are actually staying out in the woods, in a cabin, with your class. What better way to capture color for an artist, right? Photographers can take pictures, shoot video. Painters can paint. My favorite landscape artist, George Inness, had a stay in Perugia, not too far from where you are now, where he created some of my favorite paintings by him.

So, the important part of The Onion post was the "cabin in the woods" part. You have been out there shooting lots of photos, along with your classmates who are also working on their projects. You possibly even have access to a canoe! And if you do, you have been using it- paddling around for even better access to great scenery.

I am at Pearl's, so I have to keep it short for now, but I hope I've finally got it right!

I Love You and hope you are having a blast.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

(back after hair salon at apprx. 2pm)

2:20pm : Okay, my Darling, I am back. Still super hot here in the Valley. Gonna turn on the air conditioner and relax for a bit. Did I get your message right? I've gotta be at least pretty close. Maybe part of the art school curriculum is to take everybody out to a nature spot that has cabins, and allow you guys to create from there. It sure is a great idea, if that's what is happening. Interestingly enough, the Italian countryside might be similar to that of California. As you probably know, they used to make "Spaghetti Westerns" in the 1960s, using the landscapes of Italy and Spain as stand-ins for The Old West in America. I think your posts could also be a comment on the Fall colors back home in Wisconsin, as Boulder Lake has been featured in a few posts. Whether or not that is part of your message, it sure looks beautiful and I would love to see it. But I know your main message is that you are "in the woods" yourself, with your class, working on projects.

Up at Walker Ranch yesterday, I was struck by an altogether different kind of beauty, or at least something I find quite beautiful in a spiritual way. We are in an extreme drought here in California - no rain basically for the last 4 years - and consequently the mountains surrounding the Valley have been denuded. They are as brown and barren as I have ever seen them, almost totally devoid of vegetation. Also, we have been in a heat wave for several weeks now (which I love, but that's beside the point). Anyway, when I was at Walker - and I saw this at Sage Ranch, too, earlier in the Summer - there are fields of dry grass at both places. This grass is bone dry and dead, about knee high, and it sways when there is a soft breeze. But what gets me is the color. It is not washed out as you might expect, but is instead a rich gold in the noonday sun. There are trees in these fields, scattered sparsely, Oaks and Sycamores mostly, and some of them are still alive. Others are just as dead as the golden grass. The dead trees are sometimes turning an ashen grey, or even black.

And when you are there, at Walker Ranch or Sage Ranch, and you are by yourself and it's real quiet, you get this feeling when you look at those fields. It's like the landscape is saying to you - the dead grass and trees - "I know we haven't had rain, but I hope you still think I am beautiful". 

That's the best way I can put it. It's as if the nature at those places - the spirit - doesn't want to disappoint. It can't produce much greenery, and very few wildflowers, without water, but it still wants to show you something. And what it shows you, in that golden dead grass and ashen looking trees, is a kind of reassurance.

"Don't worry about me. I've lived without water before, many many times, in fact. I'll be okay".

One day it will rain again, even if no rain now seems normal to us. Then the local mountains will turn green again. When that happens, it can look like the rolling hillsides of England. That doesn't happen very often, but when it does, the greenery sticks around for a while. Then slowly it thins out again.

But I've never seen it as dry and bare as it is now, and I'm glad I got to see those fields up close, at Walker and Sage Ranches. I find the golden dried fields quite beautiful indeed, and full of feeling, especially in the searing heat. The heat is part of the cause, and the golden color is the effect, and so when you are there in the heat, you are seeing and feeling the whole picture. It's quite an experience, and it sets in slowly, having the effect of a lasting impression.

I hope you had an awesome day, my Artist. I look forward to seeing what you've been working on, and I bet it has been a wonderful experience. I will be going to the CSUN movie tonight. We are seeing P&P's "A Canterbury Tale", a wartime adaptation of one of Chaucer's stories. Not having read Chaucer, I have no idea what it will be, but knowing P&P, it will definitely be a good movie. I will be home about the usual time, 10 to 10:30pm, and then I will write more when you are waking up.

Sweet Dreams until then. I Love You, Elizabeth!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Midnight : Good Morning, my Darling. I'm getting a late start tonight cause I didn't get home from the movie until 10:15, and then I had to finish my walk. A really great film, though. I am loving these P&P films. They are charming in an almost literal sense, and the stories are idiosyncratic. A film by these guys is never strictly about "The Plot" per se, but about a philosophy, or ideas about life. I don't even want to try to describe what "A Canterbury Tale" is about, except to say that it's about all the stuff we talk about. A fantastic film.

Did you have a good day with your photography? I am sure the answer is Yes, and be sure to soak things in, absorb the atmosphere and make it yours. When you are out taking pictures, minimize any distractions, engage in minimal conversation - get quiet and get with your camera (an extension of your intent), and allow the landscape to show or offer you something.

It will do so, and this is no joke, not "mysticism" or anything New Age like that. It is very real and tangible. If you want it, and are receptive to it, the landscape will show it to you.

If you are still out at the site, still staying at the cabin, then you are probably either outdoors already, or getting ready to go out. The movie tonight is settling in now, and it really blew me away to be honest. So I am sending you those vibes for a great day.

I Love You, Elizabeth!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

The Onion

Good Morning, Elizabeth,

I hope your day is off to a good start. I saw your post earlier today when I was at Pearl's, and I'm a little confused as to it's significance, or if there is meant to be a message or not. It is a funny post, as stuff from the Onion usually is, but I just thought it was an unusual type of post for you, and because you haven't been posting much lately, it causes me to wonder if something is wrong. I know I asked the same thing after your Taya Iv post from several days ago.

I don't want to do a lot of speculating about today's post, the Jim Finley one, but when I read the text, both Jim Finley's comment at the top and the Onion article itself, there are a lot of things that could be interpreted or misinterpreted in one way or another, if indeed you meant that post as a message, and not just a regular "like" of a funny story on FB.

I have been hoping you've been enjoying your stay in Italy, and your school too. You haven't posted a lot, so I just have figured you are busy, and exploring, maybe enjoying restaurants, the town, etc. But anyway, for now, could you please clarify if that Jim Finley post was meant as a message, and if so, could you be more specific, if you can find a way to do so? I don't wanna dissect that post right now because it's late, and because there are bits and phrases of text that could easily be misconstrued if I don't have it right. If something is wrong, please tell me.

I Love You and hope to hear from you when you have the chance.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Towsley (good morning)

Hey Sweet Baby!, Happy Fall once again. I am just getting home from Pearl's. While she was at Golden Agers, I went back to Towsley Canyon in Santa Clarita. My first trip there was back in early August. This time I took a different trail, the Towsley Loop, and it turned out to be a nice little hike. Not too steep if you don't go all the way up the mountain, which I didn't, and it has lots of nice shadowy little nooks and crannies, which of course are my favorite. Took a few pics. Went about a mile in.

I hope your day was good. I'll bet Fall is gonna be beautiful in Florence. The slanting golden light on the old buildings and in the countryside. :)

I will post now to hopefully catch you while you are still awake, and also to tell you I Love You!
I will write more this evening, until then, Sweet Dreams my Angel.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

11:40pm : Good Morning, my Darling. So how's things going? Good, I hope. I am relaxing with some abstract piano music by Dimitri Shostakovich. 'Twas a beautiful day today, hot but dry, Indian Summer heading into Autumn. A quality of air, heat and light that happens for a brief period every year. Tomorrow, Pearl has a Women's Club meeting, so I may try for another hike, if I can find a trail. I counted 'em and I've used up 23 so far in a driving radius of about 15 miles, give or take. I am into the exploration and scenery for photography more than the hiking itself, so I don't wanna repeat some trails too much, just to climb mountains.

What I wanna do, is bring the Mountain Ghosts out of the shadows. You can only do that so many ways with a camera, and then at some point you have to start asking for their cooperation, lol.  :)

So that is what I wanna try to do, to really start bringing the spirit out in my pictures, real spirits, whatever they may be or consist of. Spirits can be abstract, too. They don't have to have a scary connotation. I just think that everything natural has spirit within it. When you hike, or even just walk around anywhere, you can see it if you look. And I believe you can take pictures "through the veil", using light and form and angle.

But I also think you have to ask......  :)

Yeah, I know I'm weird. But somebody's gotta do it, haha. I saw something cool on my hike today: little "tar pits" or more accurately, small oil creeks in the canyon. You can smell the petroleum smell before you see it, and then you come upon a small, gutter-sized creek that has black liquid in it : oil. So petroleum is still seeping out of the Santa Susanas after all these years. Most of it was pumped out by oil companies a long time ago.......

Well, have a great day! I will see you in the morning. I Love You.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Canoes, Foggy Lakes and Happy Fall. (xoxoxoxoxo)

Good Evening, my Darling,

I hope you had a good day in school. When I woke up, I saw your post and I thought, "there's that theme again".....  :)

Something is up with canoes, lakes and fog, lol. There does seem to be a pattern here, and I guess you are trying to tell me something. Maybe you have been doing some canoeing? Or perhaps going for gondola rides? What was really funny, in an interesting way, was that right after I got to Pearl's, I saw on FB a post about the new Pink Floyd album. This one has been eagerly anticipated, and today the artwork was revealed. And do you know what's on the cover?

A guy on a small canoe shaped boat floating down a foggy looking river. I kid you not.  :)

So, maybe you had a premonition of the cover art, in the same way I had a premonition of the art for "Where The Willows Meet The Sea".

Interesting stuff indeed. But I will figure out your canoe/fog theme. It's just gotta roll around in my head for a while, haha.  :)

I am off til 4:30, so I may hang around and watch a movie. I'll see if there's anything at Redbox. Enjoy the rest of your evening, and Happy Fall!

I Love You, Elizabeth.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

11:45pm : Wishing you a Good Morning and a Happy Tuesday. Today was a simple one for me, I stayed in and watched a movie I found at the library, "Friendly Persuasion" from 1955, starring Gary Cooper. It was about a family of Quakers from Indiana, set in 1862 during the Civil War. Quakers are pacifist, so it was about how they dealt with having to choose whether to fight or to be overrun by the Rebel army. Considering it was a 1950s Technicolor spectacular, and a family film, the subject matter was dealt with in a frank way that would be apt in today's climate. I liked the way the Quakers were portrayed, as peaceful, friendly people who neither pushed their religion on others nor their philosophy of nonviolence. They just lived those things and did not judge others who lived differently. The kind of movie that wouldn't get made nowdays.

That was about it for today. I am still thinking about your posts, and try as I might, I can't seem to understand the message, if there is one, concerning the foggy lake. Maybe you have a lake nearby? As I said before, I know when my nephew went to Italy, a lot of time was spent on rural excursions, so maybe that's the answer. Just so long as you are enjoying your stay. The posts just seem specific, is the only reason I am guessing about them.

That's all I know for tonight, Sweet Baby. I will see you in the morning.

I Love You.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

What A Summer/Summer Snow (late night love) (xoxoxoxoxoxo)

Good Evening, Sweet Baby,

I am at home, deciding what to do with the afternoon since my sister isn't coming over for Saturday shopping. I can shop anytime, myself, so maybe I will go over to Limekiln for a little while. That's the canyon just down the street from Aliso, nice & close. I hope you are enjoying your Saturday evening, and I was glad to see your post before I went to bed last night. So I guess everything is okay, then? I hope so.

I was looking at your FB photography page just now, and I watched the Summer Snow clip once again, and I have got to tell you - that music, with those images........it's just beautiful, Elizabeth. Really, really wonderful. I wanted to see it because Summer is coming to an end, and it's been such an incredible Summer (at least I think, and I hope you do too!), and your video, with that lovely, lovely melody, reminds me of when it was just beginning. Time really stretched out in the Summer of 2014, the days were long and memorable, and we shall always remember them. So, thanks for Summer Snow!

Well, I will decide soon (what to do, that is) and then I will head out in a little while. Continue to enjoy your evening! I will check in when I get back to Pearl's, or maybe before, but I will be back just to say goodnight if you are still awake.

I sure do love you, my Angel.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

4:30pm : Happy Late Night, my Darling. I am at Pearl's, but I just wanted to check in to wish you Sweet Dreams. I did go to Limekiln Canyon, for a short hike and to hang out by the stream for a while. Took a few pics, I'll check 'em when I get home. I hope you had a nice Saturday evening, maybe a good dinner. Your music from the video was in my head allafternoon. Still is.....  :)

Well, that's all I know for the moment. Kobedog is barking at me, so I better feed him.

I Love You and will see you in the morning, later this evening!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)

Midnight : Happy Sunday Morning, my Awesome Girl. I am listening to Wagner "Tannhauser Overture", an incredible piece of music I heard on The Opera Show this morning on KUSC. A little tired this eve, not much to report. Just hoping you have a great day.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Reinforcement :):) (afternoon film) (xoxoxoxo)

Good Evening, my Beautiful Darling,

I am just getting home from Pearl's, no appointments today. I saw your Taya Iv post a couple hours ago and I just wanted to ask if everything is okay, just because of the nature of that post, and because I have asked a couple of times in the blog if you are enjoying things in Italy. I hope you aren't feeling sad about anything. Or maybe missing home? In her post, Taya Iv is talking about physical flaws, lines in the face, and I imagine you aren't referring to anything of that nature, because you, my dear, are stunningly gorgeous. "Perfect", as some of your FB friends have remarked. :)

But I know that all kinds of subtle factors can contribute to melancholy feelings, so if you are feeling that way, whatever the reason, please remember that it will pass. Also remember that physical factors can contribute to such feelings as well, so as I sometimes remind you, make sure to keep your blood sugar in balance, and get enough sleep. I know you know those things, but I just say 'em anyway. :)

Most of all, always remember - always - that I am right here. I never went overseas, or spent an extended period away from home as a young person, but believe me, I sure do know what it's like to experience all the ups and downs of life, and emotions that bring negative thoughts (as Taya Iv says), and anxiety and unease. Life makes us feel so many things, but it's so, so important to know that there is someone (me) who understands, and who is always there, always with you, backing you up at all times so you are never alone, never without a reserve of strength and love. Elizabeth, we are gonna have the greatest conversations about things in the near future. Boy, do I ever know what it's like to have to deal with negative thoughts and anxiety, worries about life. I dealt with those things a lot when I was younger, but underneath all of that was a feeling of optimism that never went away.

I know you have that, too. You are just like me in that way.

That's one of the reasons I always say that you "know". You have a "knowing" about life, and that is the bedrock in you, the underlying optimism I am talking about. Please remember - this is very, very important! - that negative thoughts and emotions have causes, and that they don't come from The Real You. That why I talk about examining your feelings to see where the problem is coming from. Sometimes, it can even just be a simple, physical thing, like low blood sugar or tiredness. But if it's missing home, then you know you will be back in a couple months. If it's unease about the future, that is normal for a young person. Boy, do I ever remember what that feels like. But in your case, you have me, and I am always with you, and will always be with you, and I can reassure you - being eternally young at heart but with a few years of experience - that things always work out if you just believe. Believe in yourself, believe in your life, believe in your God, and know that God and your family and your friends all love you, and especially that I Love You.

I hope I am not overestimating the Taya Iv post, but just because she referred to sadness and stuff, this is why I am saying what I'm saying. I just remind you that I have said all along - all along, mind you :) - that, "Elizabeth, you are gonna have an amazing and wonderful life"! Remember that I am "up on my perch" here, from my perspective of a few extra decades, and also from having a similar emotional temperment to you (we both have that Capricorn Moon thing happening, lol), so having navigated similar emotional waters in my life, I know for sure that things will work out fine.

That's not a maybe, that's for sure. Guaranteed by me. Remember, it's simple : all you have to do is believe. And, take care of yourself physically. And know that you are reinforced by tremendous strength and love.

Hey!, remember back a couple years ago when I would tell you that I was "reinforcing" you? I just remembered that! I think it was when all the Neige and Agalloch stuff was going on. So now, I am reinforcing you again! You can't go wrong now. :)

Well, my Angel, I hope again that I have not overestimated the situation, in fact maybe even things are pretty good. I hope you are enjoying your school to some extent. But whatever the situation, I am right here and I Love You. Your Mom loves you, so always remember that. Things work out, that I know for sure because I've lived it. You are already living your awesome life; I can see it from my perch. :)

I will be here most of the afternoon, I think. An interesting day, overcast and 30 degrees cooler from just two days ago. Maybe I will go to Santa Susana later, perhaps at 2:30, but maybe not. Gotta clean the pad and go to the recycling center, so we'll see. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the rest of your evening and I will check back in a little later, before I leave for Pearl's or right after I get there, at the latest. It's a good day.

I Love You So Much, Elizabeth!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

3:55pm : Hey, my Baby. I just wanted to say hi and see how you're doing before I head back to Pearl's. I hope you have been enjoying your Friday evening, even though I know it is late now. Also, I hope that, all in all, it was a good day. I stayed in this afternoon. A dvd came in the mail, so I watched it - a movie called "The Valley Of The Bees", which I've been trying to get a copy of for a while now. It's made by a Czech filmmaker named Frantisek Vlacil, the same guy who made a great film called "Marketa Lazarova" which was released by Criterion last year. I saw that one and wanted to see what else he'd made, hence the search for "Valley Of The Bees", which was harder to find, but I finally found an inexpensive copy. Another excellent film, albeit grim. It's about a young man in the Middle Ages who is sent off by his father to join a strict religious order called The Knights Of Malta. Later he escapes, to return to his village and be with the girl he loves.

The black & white cinematography is spectacular. The movie, grim but awesome. Ultra-slow like a lot of foreign films of that period, mid-60s.

Anyhow, that was my afternoon. Now I will head back to Pearl's, and I will be back tonight at the usual time. Sweet Dreams, in case you are about to go to sleep.

I Love You, my Darling!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

11:40pm : Good Morning, Beautiful Lady. It's the weekend, so I guess your time is your own? Can you go out and explore the town and the area in general by yourself, or is everything done with chaperones according to a schedule? I am only guessing, but I hope you get a chance to explore. Not much else to report from my end. That sure was a great film I saw this afternoon.

I will see you in the morning, my Darling. I Love You.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Super Glad! (photo project?) (good morning)

Sweet Baby! I'm super glad to hear from you. :) All is well, then. I am at Pearl's, so just a quick note for the moment, but I will write more this afternoon. No trips for me today, I am just gonna be home doing dishes and stuff. Then tonight the movie. So, I will see you in just a while.

I Triple Love You!!!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

1:30 : Good Evening, my Darling. I am at home, waiting for the hairdresser to call for me to pick up Pearl. She is having her hair colored today, so it will take an extra hour. In looking at your posts, I am guessing you are involved in a project at the moment? Photography, of course. And because you posted a few days ago a photo of a canoe out on a misty lake, and then today Sarah's photo of a foggy lake, I am guessing that maybe you are out shooting photos in the countryside? And therefore busy. :)

That's my best guess, that your project involves being away from the school, on a road trip perhaps. But all is well now, because I heard from my Sweet Baby! :):)

It's nice here today, about 20 degrees cooler than it was, upper 80s right now. It's funny about that extreme heat, for some reason I don't mind it too much. Grimsley says I am a new superhero : "Heat Man". The hotter it gets, the more activated I become. And it seems to be true.

Tonight's movie is P&P's "The Life And Death Of Colonel Blimp", which the Professor says is considered the greatest British film ever made. I actually own it on dvd, and it is a great film. It's also a long one, almost three hours, so I probably won't be back home til about 10:15 or 10:30, but the good thing right now is that if I post late at night, I'm not keeping you awake. You are just waking up! So it's all good.

That's all the news for now. Still a few days of Summer left, so enjoy, and then bring on Fall. Lots of especially ghostly hikes coming up, I can't wait!

I will write when I get back from the movie. I Love You, Elizabeth!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

11:45pm : Good Morning, my Baby. You might already be in class or working on your project. I can't wait to see what you are shooting! I got back from the movie at 10:30, then finished my walk. There were a whole bunch of fraternity and sorority people whooping it up in the college parking lot near my apt. They were all dressed in white like they were playing a game or something, but it was obvious alcohol was involved because they were really loud, a few were stumbling. I just passed them by and continued on my walk. Then, when I returned to that part of campus 40 minutes later, I saw a helicopter circling overhead with it's spotlight sweeping the ground. Then I turned the corner toward the parking lot, and there was about six cop cars with all their lights lit up, and an ambulance. I steered clear and took the long way home, up Reseda Boulevard.

Over the Summer, one of the CSUN frats had a kid die in a hazing incident that involved, ironically, hiking in the mountains in hot weather. I don't know what these kids tonight were up to, but I'm sure the cops put the hammer down on 'em because of the earlier death.

I like the nice group of people at the Cinematheque. I've seen "Colonel Blimp" three times now, and it's a fantastic film. The Technicolor imagery is gorgeous.

That's all the news for this evening. I Love You, Elizabeth! Hope you are enjoying your school, and Florence, and the whole experience. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Wednesday Morning Love (Pico Canyon) (are you okay?)

Good Afternoon, my Angel,

I am still at Pearl's but just wanted to check in and see how things are going. I hope everything is okay with your Mom. Probably you are pretty busy with school stuff, too. Pearl is at a Women's Club meeting that is gonna last until 2pm, so after I get things cleaned up here at the house, I am gonna take the Kobedog out for a neighborhood walk. It's once again a scorcher so we won't go too far. When we get back, I may take a drive out toward Newhall. No planned destination yet, but I'll think of something that doesn't involve a major uphill hike. Still too hot for that, although today is supposed to be the last day of extreme heat.

I'll be back home at about 2:30, so I'll post more then. Enjoy the rest of your afternoon and evening!

I Love You.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

2:35pm : I'm home. I ended up going out to a place called Pico Canyon, which is the last of the hikeable trails in the greater Santa Clarita Woodlands area, which also includes the ones I previously hiked : Towsley Canyon, East Canyon and Rice Canyon. Pico is the furthest, about four miles up the road from Towsley, and about 18 miles from home. Pico Canyon is also home to a place called Mentryville, which is a relic from the oil days. A man named Mentry owned the land in the1870s, and he drilled California's first oil well there. His Star Oil Co. became Standard Oil later on. Mentryville is the remnant of the little town he had at the oil site. His preserved home is still there, and a schoolhouse from that time, and some worker's shacks. When you walk further up the road at Mentryville, that is where the trail begins for Pico Canyon. It's a ten mile trail, going over the mountain into the San Fernando Valley. I only did about 1/3 due to the heat, but I'll come back at some point. It's a beautiful canyon.

So, that was my final "find" of the Summer, but Autumn is almost upon us and that will be an awesome time, too, with different qualities of light and shadow to capture.

Well, my girl, I am gonna relax until 4:15. I sure hope everything is okay. Post if you can. :)

I Love You and I am thinking about you.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

11:45pm : I'm getting concerned if not downright worried, my girl. I hope it's just a Mom issue and nothing else. It's worrisome because you're in a foreign country, even though I know you're in a safe environment at the school. In looking over things, I see that one of your last posts was the cat smooching photo from Wendy's Lookbook. That is almost a week ago now. But the text in that one was very.....direct, you might say, and I suppose if your Mom saw it, she might have gotten upset in the same way as she might have done over The Electric Kiss two years ago. It's all just guesses on my part.

The main thing is I hope you are okay (you've gotta be, right?). If it's not Mom, maybe it's an Internet problem or something. I don't know. Anyway, I'm right here.

I Love You.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Placerita

Good Evening, my Baby,

I'm just getting home from Pearl's. I did wind up going out to Placerita Canyon while she was at Golden Agers. There were actually a few people there as nutty as me - it is 109 here today. But I just figured, "well, it's been an incredible Summer, and this is the last Tuesday in Summer, and I already go out when it's 95 or 100 degrees, so might as well go today". I didn't do any strenuous hiking though. I'm not that crazy, lol. Just checked out a little trail that led back to a tree called "The Oak Of The Golden Dream". I'd never been back that way, so I didn't know what the name meant, but it turns out it was the site where gold was first discovered in California. Pretty neat - next time I go back I'll bring a shovel with me (or maybe a pickaxe).

I also checked out a little nature trail they have, the kind that gradeschoolers go to on field trips. And that was all. Now I will stay inside, in the air conditioning, for the remainder of the afternoon, here and at Pearl's.

I hope you had a great day. Maybe you are still up, so I will post this now and then write more later tonight.

I Love You!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Scorchin'. (have a great day)

Good Evening, my Darling,

I hope your Monday was good, and that you are enjoying your evening. Do you have homework yet? :) Do you have a TV? Not that you'd be sitting around watching it, but it would just be interesting, late in the evening, to see what kind of programs they have in a foreign country. Do you eat out every day, or is there a meal program at the school? Just curiosity stuff from Yours Truly. :)

Nothing much is happening here. Now it really is hot out. Yesterday and today, up around 107, and it stays hot all night. Gotta keep that air conditioning running! At some point I've gotta go to the store, though, cause I'm out of supplies. Gotta go to the bank, too. I don't mind hiking in the heat, but this is a bit much. Hopefully it'll cool a few degrees by tomorrow for the last Trail Tuesday of the Summer.

That's really all the news at the moment. Jerry from King's X hasn't had his bypass operation yet, but dUg reports that he's doing well, so that's good news. I guess I will venture out now, and run my errands even though I don't want to, lol. Here I go......

Enjoy the rest of your evening and I will see you in the morning. I Love You, Elizabeth!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Midnight: Good Morning, Awesome Lady. Not a lot to report tonight, I've just been waiting out the heat, staying inside mostly. My friends Grimsley and Ryan both came over for a CSUN walk, but it was just half my normal mileage for the day, and that was good enough. Now I am listening to Schubert. I really, really wanna go on a final Trail Tuesday hike for Summer 2014 tomorrow, and I am halfway planning to, but we are supposed to have yet another day of infernal heat, so I'll wait and see how it goes. Fall hikes are good, too. But this has been an amazing Summer, and I'd like to get one last hike in if possible. The thing about all of these Tuesday Trips is that they just happened. Like I said, I was never a hiker, never interested. But once they started happening, they were all spontaneous, and one week I'd find myself at some old remote park, and then another week I'd be up on a mountainside, and then it finally led into that creepy old refinery and all kinds of good stuff. The best things in life just kind of happen, and I'd like to finish off the Summer with one more. But if it's too hot, then Fall awaits.

That was all the news for today. Hope your school week is going well, and also that everything is good back home with your Mom.

Have a great day, and I'll see you in the morning. :)

I Love You!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Art Energy

Good Morning, my Baby,

You are probably in class as I write. I take it that the curriculum is overall art history? I am sure the study is intense and detailed, and the focus sharp, coming from the place where so much historic art was created. It is important, I think, to soak up the spirit of the place you are in, to listen to the teachers on one hand while simultaneously intuiting the residual atmosphere. 

In quiet moments, not in class perhaps (or even in class), you can train your mind outward, to seek and accept the energies and sentiments of the past in Florence. Try to tune that feeling in. Don't force it, but maybe just take a walk through the village, and quiet your mind and let things come to you. You are in a once-in-a-lifetime experience, living in a place of permanent historic art energy.

Therefore, make every effort to tune it in, and get it into your system.

To give an example, though of a different kind, when I used to work at the MGM lot (at the Metrocolor lab), on my lunch breaks I would go take walks down the old alleyways of the soundstages. Nobody was ever back there. There were people inside the stages, making TV shows mostly, but no one was wandering around outside. And what I liked to do, was to imagine the heyday of the lot, when MGM was the biggest movie studio in Hollywood, and I would walk through and imagine the stars of the 30s and 40s on those stages, and the directors and crews. I knew who they were, so I could picture them........

And in that way, when you set your mind to it, and your spirit and heart, ghosts come out.

Ghosts as in remnants, residual feelings of the spirit of creation that was in the air at the time of a given place's heyday. I walked through the old sound stages of Golden Era Hollywood.

You are walking through Renaissance Italy - Florence. The home of incredible lasting inspiration and creation. So, take a walk when you get a chance, and tune in with your mind and heart, and feel it.

A place wants to give you it's energy. That's what I have discovered.

That place, and it's energy, will stay with you and live inside you, and you will be a part of it as well.

Have a great Monday, Elizabeth, and a great start to your week. I Love You!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)

Heights

Good Evening, my Darling,

I've been up for a couple hours, this morning really was a sleep-in for me, lol. But, that's good for both body and mind, to be well rested. I hope you had a nice Sunday, and now I will catch up to you. I liked your Humans Of New York post on both levels : the purely physical and adventuresome aspect of hiking through the Himalayas, and the perseverance shown by the Tibetans in making such a trek so that they can be free to live and practice their religion without persecution. It's amazing that the Himalayas can be walked through, even if it takes 28 days. I have seen some Youtube videos, just of car rides through some of those high altitude passages, and they look so precipitous and downright terrifying that I find it frightening just to watch on a computer screen!

But I guess if you live there, and it is your environment, then such a trek would be more "in your DNA", so to speak. You'd still have to have strong motivation, though, to make that crossing, and I guess freedom would be that motivation. In my comparatively minor hikes (apprx. one tenth of those elevations), my own motivation is simply to do it because it's something I've never done before. When I was a kid, about five or six, I discovered I had a fear of heights. My Dad had a business associate who worked in a top floor of a skyscraper in L.A. or Hollywood (don't recall which), and I remember that the man's office had a picture window that extended from floor to ceiling. I remember the feeling I got when my Dad called me to come look out the window - I couldn't come right up to it. I could only look out from several feet away, and I am kind of like that on my hikes, though it's not as bad anymore. But that's why I like wide trails, and ones with a mountain wall on at least one side. I will never, ever, walk close to the edge on any trail, and there is no reason to, anyway, but it is interesting, and encouraging, to note that in my hikes I have pushed myself to a more secure comfort level as far as my fear of heights goes. Because of the nice wide trail going up to Mission Point, I now wanna see the trail for Oat Mountain, if there is one, and maybe eventually try Mt. Lukens, which is in the San Gabriel mountains at the east end of the Valley. Mt. Lukens, at 5000+ feet, is the highest peak in Los Angeles County, almost twice as high as Mission Point. But, I figure I made it up that trail in less than an hour, and it was steep. So if Mt. Lukens has a nice, wide trail (and only if, cause I won't do anything risky) I'd like to eventually try to get up there, too. Maybe a year from now or thereabouts.

But a Himalaya hike is probably out of the question! (Or is it?.......)  :)

I will head back to Pearl's at 4:30, but I just wanted to check in. Speaking of religion (re: your post again), one thing I would love to do is attend Mass in Italy one day. I am not a big church person, but that would be an amazing experience, and it would just be awesome to be there on a Sunday morning and observe all the people going to church, and the feeling in the air. So that's on the To Do List as well.

Enjoy the rest of your evening, my Angel, and I will write more later tonight at the usual time.

I Love You, Elizabeth!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Ti Amo Sabato Sera (Happy Sunday)

Good Evening, Sweet Baby!,

I'm just puttering around the pad, doing dishes and stuff. Making my football picks. I tried to sleep in, and managed to do so until about 9am. Not a super sleep-in, but maybe tomorrow will be better. Or, maybe I just wasn't that tired, haha.

I sure loved to wake up and see your post, from Wendy's Lookbook. If that's what's gonna happen when you get back, then I can't wait! (Hey, Elizabeth, you know you don't have to finish the whole semester, lol).

I hope you are having fun on your Saturday night. I am looking at weather.com and I see that it's a pleasant evening. It's warming up here for another hot one, so I'm gonna stay in for now, then venture out a bit later in the afternoon, possibly for shopping or a trip to Santa Susana. Not sure yet.

In the meantime : dolci baci! I hope I got it right....... :)

Ti Amo, Elizabeth!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

(back this evening)

Midnight : Good Morning, my Darling. Hope you slept well. Though I've never traveled too far, I still know the sensation of waking up in a new or different place, and it takes some time to get used to. But after a week, it must feel natural I imagine.

I'm listening to Bach, something I do a lot, which you've no doubt noticed. :) Didn't do much today, due to the blast furnace heat - it really was mega hot today. September is our real Summer. At 5pm I ventured down to Northridge Libe to look for movies, and I found a Chinese film called "City Of Life And Death", a war film about the 1937 Japanese attack on Nanking, which used to be the Chinese capital. I was blown away by this film, it's a masterpiece, though very horrific. Shot in black and white. It looks like a total re-creation of what happened. One of the most powerful films I've seen in a while, for certain, and more than just an "exciting war film", but an artistic statement. Wow.

This is just a short break for me, a day and a half off. I have to be back at Pearl's tomorrow afternoon, but I get one more sleep-in. Enjoy your Sunday, and I will see you when I wake up.

I Love You!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Jerry (late Friday night love)

Good Evening, Sweet Baby,

Happy Friday night! How do you say TGIF in Italian? Or probably, school is so much fun that you don't need to say it! I hope you are enjoying the start of your weekend, and you can go out exploring. I am sorry to report that my fellow King's X fans and I just got some unfortunate news; Jerry Gaskill, KX's drummer (and one of the greatest ever) has just had a heart attack and will need a double bypass. This is Jerry's second heart attack, he has a genetic problem with cholesterol. We are all praying for him to pull through and recover. On my own behalf, I can't even begin to tell you how much this band has meant to my life. They are truly like family, and their music is in my DNA. Just so long as Jerry pulls through, and can live his life, I will be happy, even if he can't play live anymore. But you never know with Jerry. He almost died after his first heart attack, and then he did recover and went back to touring. I just saw King's X in February, and he was playing as great as ever. But as long as he recovers, that will be a great blessing indeed. :) Not only is Jerry a great musician, but also one of the best guys in the world. Everybody loves him. Get well soon, Jerry! :)

Well, my Darling, it is Super Hot here today. About 105 or more. I don't think I'll do any major hiking, but I might go up to Aliso Canyon just for a walk-through, and to look for some photo ops. It's a flat-ground trail, with lots of shade and scenery, so I won't feel the heat so much.

Ahh, who am I kidding? I love the heat! But, this really is a hot day. So, even if I do go to Santa Susana, I won't do any major climbing.

I will check back in later this evening, at the usual time. Tomorrow and Sunday are sleep-ins for me, so I can stay up a little later.

Continue to enjoy your Friday night! I Love You.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Midnight : Good Morning, Sweet Baby! You got up early - I saw your Alex Harper post when I came back from my walk at 10pm, which is 7am for you. All the better, I say. The early bird catches the cappucino, and then is ready for the rest of the day, haha.

I did wind up going to Aliso Canyon, which is really more of a walk than a hike, so it was easy in the heat. I hadn't been there in a while anyway, so it was nice to be in among the old, twisted trees and the dried out creek bed. Didn't take a lot of pics this time, but I did post one at Flickr. Typical "me"-type shot....  :)

Tonight I just hung out and read my new Joe Farrell book. It's his take on LBJ and the JFK assassination. It's interesting how the truth about this monumental event is now coming out - seeping out would be the proper term - fifty years after it happened. It really did change this country and put us in the political situation we are now in, but what is really mind blowing is that, in November 1963, we had a coup d'etat in America. It's not speculation any more. For years, all the theories were bandied about, but now, so much research has been done that there is zero doubt that LBJ was behind the assassination.

I wonder why they don't talk about that on the news? It was only the biggest story of the last century.

Ahh, well......the truth will out, as they say. In the meantime, I am blowing my mind with the information in these books. We are still a free country and the proof is in our books: you can still print the truth.

Tomorrow I can sleep in, sometimes it works and sometimes not. I am not exhausted or anything, so I predict a medium sleep-in, till maybe 9:30 or 10. Then I'm just gonna putter around. My sister already called and said she's not coming over because of the heat wave. So, I'll wake up and go from there.

I hope your Saturday is off to a good start. You have probably gotten the feel for the neighborhood by now, and that is awesome - a home away from home. Enjoy the day, my Darling.

I Love You and will see you in my morning!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Got It (all is well) (triple)

Good Evening, my Darling,

I saw your post earlier this morning, and I just wanted to say "I get it", and no worries. Everything is good, and everything is going to be fine. I hope that, whatever happened, it was nothing too severe. I see that Mom can "like" your posts now, which means she can see when I "like" them, too, so maybe that was it, with your Italian village picture. "OMG, that Adam guy is still around".

Whatever it is, or was, please be kind to your Mom as always, no arguing, etc. I am at Pearl's right now, so I have to keep this message short for now, but I will post more later.

I Love You, and it's a good day.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

(back in a bit)

2:20pm : I am back from taking Pearl to the hairdresser. To continue with what I was saying - and it's just my two cents worth, no more, no less - I think it's important to allow your Mom to have her say about things, and not to argue about it or get mad at her. She is your Mom, after all, and now you are also away from home for an extended period, and I know I keep repeating this, but it's important to remember that she loves you. I think it's good that you friended her on FB, if that's what happened. I only guess that because I had never seen her "like" any of your posts before, but whatever the deal is, it can only be a good thing if you and your Mom are on good terms. A parent wants to be close to their children, wants a good relationship with a child.

The thing about me, is that I understand the issue. But I also think that the more your Mom sees me, the more she will realise that I'm a good guy. I can imagine the age thing is a huge deal. But all in all, just allow Mom to be Mom, and You be You, and hear her out on things without responding harshly.

Things will even out, and do you know why? Because you are a good person, your Mom is a good person, and I am a good person. That's why. It may take some time, but it will happen. Kindness and understanding are the keys.

Sorry I didn't post last night, but I had nothing major to report, and because I didn't hear from you for a couple days, I just felt like I'd be "listing the daily details". I did go on a couple of minor hikes yesterday, to check out a trail in Woodland Hills that led up to a fire road. You can hike it and come out in Bel-Air, 9 miles away. That's too much for me, at least at the present time. So, I drove back to El Scorpion park, and hiked the half mile out to Cave Of Munits once again. I was baking in the sun, it must've been 105 degrees, but that gives the place even more power, because it's dead quiet there, and this cave is The Real Deal as far as being ancient and mysterious, and you can just feel the spirit of whatever it is, or was, that inhabited the place. The Indians, of course, but a Greater Inhabitant as well. That's the only way to put it. Munits was supposed to be a Shaman, so maybe it was something he conjured up. :)

Anyhow, that was my afternoon yesterday, and then I spent all evening finishing my LBJ book. I didn't go for my walk. My legs were a little tired from trudging up the mountain on Tuesday. It was good to give 'em a rest.

Tonight is CSUN movie night, and we are gonna see P&P's (nickname for Powell & Pressburger) "One Of Our Aircraft Is Missing", a WW2 thriller. As always, I am looking forward to it. I will post this now because I wanna catch you before you go to sleep. I loved the Eric Whitacre post (naturally!), and it was funny, too, but even more - it also reminded me of way back in 2012, when you asked my opinion one time on the subject of repetition in music. How many times was it okay to repeat a certain musical phrase or melody? And I mentioned Phillip Glass as an example, i.e. you can repeat as often as you wish.

Hey Elizabeth, guess what?

I Love You, that's what! 

I hope your day was good, and that school is fun, and that you've had an exciting time so far. Sleep well, and have Sweet Dreams, and I will see you later tonight, when you wake up!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)

11:55pm : Good Morning, my Angel. I hope your day is off to a good start. I got back from the movie a couple hours ago. So far I am loving this series. The films we have seen so far by P&P all have to do with what was known as The War Effort, seen from a British point of view. They had to deal with the Nazis in a much more direct way then we did in America (though our war effort was pretty remarkable too). These flims really capture a time, and the spirit of the British people.

I am thinking about my next major hike, out to a place called San Francisquito Canyon. It has fascinated me for a while now, because a long time ago, in 1928, there was a dam that collapsed out there, which caused a disaster. Some remains of the dam are still in place, so naturally - me being me - I am curious to see them. My Dad loved to drive the backroads around these parts, and as I've written before, what is called "L.A." is deceptive, because there is this open country surrounding all sides of the city and Valley. Dad loved to explore, mostly by driving, he was not a hiker, but he had a picture he'd taken of the road leading into San Francisquito Canyon that I saw a long time ago, and I've never forgotten it for some reason. Probably because Dad wasn't a guy to just stop and take a picture of a canyon road. Unlike me, haha.

This canyon is a tad farther than I normally drive on my excursions, perhaps 25 miles, so I will plan it out for a day when I have plenty of time. Also, I will check the usual protocols : is it okay to hike there, is it steep, is it ridgeline, all that stuff. But, I really wanna see it, so it will happen this Fall, at some point.

That's about all the news for this evening. After tomorrow, I have a day and a half off. Gotta be back by Sunday afternoon, but I still get two sleep-ins, so that rules.

I hope things are okay with your Mom, or at least reasonably so.

Have a great day - that's the important part!

I will see you in the morning. Until then, I Triple Love You!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

MIssion Point (one crazy hike) (have a great day)

Good Evening, my Darling,

I know it's late but maybe you are still awake. I am just getting home from Pearl's, and while she was at Golden Agers, I did my biggest hike yet, to the top of Mission Point. That's the one I've been talking about for the past week or so. I initially drove up there just to check out the trail, see how wide it was, what kind of condition it was in, how steep, etc. Many of the reviews I read said it was a tough hike. The trailhead is close, just about 6 miles away, so I thought I'd just drive up, hike a little ways down the trail, check it out, and then come back and eventually do the whole thing.

But then I started going, and the trail was not too bad. Steep, and a steady incline, but it was nice and wide so I didn't feel like I was walking a tightrope. I knew it was 1.75 miles to the top, almost a continuous incline, almost 2000 feet elevation gain, by far the highest climb I've made. Mission Point (some call it Peak) is about 2800 feet, the second highest mountain in the Santa Susanas.

So, I started going, and it was strenuous, but pretty soon I'd gone about a half mile.......and then before I knew it I was about halfway up, and I said the heck with it, and I finished the whole thing, all the way to the top. Took about 50 minutes. On flat ground I could walk 1.75 miles in half that. They have a nice stone bench installed at the top, named in honor of a local man whose love for the trail made it a destination for Valley hikers. So, now I can say I've made it to the highest hikeable point in the Valley. Oat Mountain is 1000 feet higher, but has no hiking trails that I am aware of.

One scary note: semi-scary, anyway. I got a little bit lost on the way down. (oy!) Maybe a quarter mile from the top, there is a hairpin turn in the trail, where it is also intersected by another wide trail. The intersection doesn't form a perfect cross, so all the offshooting trails kind of lead up and down in similar directions. Coming down, I'd forgotten about the hairpin turn, and I missed it and took the wrong trail. I realised this perhaps ten minutes later, but as I'd come a good ways down the mountain, I just thought, "I'll keep going. All the other trails at other parks loop together at some point, hopefully this one will too". Well, hopefully nothing doing!

I was maybe a half mile down this unfamiliar trail when it turned a corner and came to a dead end up against the side of the mountain.

"Oh no" : Me.

I had to trudge all the way back to the crazy intersection of trails near the top, uphill once again. Luckily I'm in pretty good shape. Also, it was the usual Hundred Degree Hike. For some crazy reason I thrive in the heat. But this was starting to suck pretty bad, lol. Back at the crazy intersection, I tried continuing on the same trail, in the opposite direction. By this time I was trying to be much more cautious and aware. The problem was that everything was looking the same, just trail and hillside. So, I went about a quarter mile in that direction, and I came to a copse of trees, throwing a shade pattern like you see in a lot of my pictures.

"There was no copse of trees on the way up" : Me.

Then I looked down and saw tire tracks. There is a huge Gas Company facility behind the mountain, and I guessed I was on one of their pipeline roads, or a fire road, but I knew then that it wasn't the trail I'd come up on. It was now about 1pm. I had to be at Pearl's church in one hour to pick her up. For a moment, I had visions of having to call 911: "Help, I'm stuck on the side of a mountain".

But, I knew I wasn't too far from the crazy intersection of trails, and I knew that was the key. So, I went back uphill again, for about a quarter mile. At the crazy intersection, I stopped. "Get your bearings, you dummy" : Me to Self.

Also : "Please Lord, help me find the trail I came up on".

I stood there for a minute or so, and then I noticed the hairpin turn that led to an offshoot. It looked like a nice wide trail.

"That's gotta be it".

It was 1:15. Almost an hour since my original departure from the bench at the top. I knew if I got it wrong again, I was gonna be very late for picking up Pearl. Maybe I would have to call 911 after all. Or maybe another hiker would come along and I could ask directions. The good thing was that I knew I'd come up past the crazy intersection of trails. That much I recognised. And I'd already gotten two choices wrong, so the odds were getting better in my favor.

I took the hairpin turn, and within about a hundred yards, I knew I was back on the right trail. I saw some rocks that someone had lined along the ridgeline, perhaps for that very reason - as a marker.

"Thank You, Lord"!

I looked at my phone, and it was 1:19. 41 minutes to make it a mile and three quarters down the mountain and drive the 6 miles back to Pearl's church. Slim chance I was gonna make it, but......

......very often the Golden Agers meetings run long. More often than not, Pearl doesn't come out the gate til 2:10 or 2:15. Maybe this would be one of those times.

Well, going down was a lot easier than coming up. Though I had to put on the brakes a lot and take baby steps cause of the steepness, I still made it down in only 33 minutes. I started the car at 1:52pm.

They say you shouldn't drink and drive, but I downed about a half gallon of water coming down Sesnon Boulevard, the road from the trailhead. Tons of traffic at that time of day. 2pm passed. By 2:10 I was back at the edge of Northridge, just a couple miles from the church.

I pulled in at exactly 2:15. Pearl was waiting in the parking lot, but I could see other Golden Agers members just getting in their cars, so it didn't look too bad.

"Hi Pearl, are you just getting out"?

"Oh, we finished about five minutes ago".

"Sorry I'm late".

"I've only been waiting a couple minutes, I was talking to my friends".

So all was well. I took Pearl back home. I didn't tell her I went up a mountain while she was at church.

It was pretty crazy, my most intense hike yet. But it's really not too bad as long as you know the way.

You are probably asleep by now for sure, but I will post anyway, and then write more tonight, for when you wake up. I hope you had a great day, and that school has started off well, and that you are seeing the sights and soaking in the culture. I'll bet you are loving it!

I Love You, Elizabeth! Sweet Dreams, in case you are still up, and I will see you in the morning.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

11:45pm : Good Morning, my Darling. I trust your day is off to a good start, and you may be in class already. I have nothing major to add to the day's activities here. I've just been reading my LBJ book this eve, and relaxing. I didn't have to do my walk this eve, because I did it all on the mountain.

I hope you have a great day. I Love You.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Love The Red-Tail (Sweet Dreams & movie review) (life is a sonata)

Good Evening, my Baby,

I'm just getting home from Pearl's. I love the picture of the red-tail hawk this morning! Glad to know you guys have them too, in Wisconsin. They are beautiful birds, proud and majestic, and the bird in the pic looks just like the one we saw at Reseda Park a couple months ago. Out in Chatsworth, you see them all the time because they live in the hills. The Reseda one was the first I saw from up close, and when he flew away, you could see the red in his tail as it fanned out. I love the hawks. I also like the way, in the picture, that the section of branch he has settled on is stripped of bark. It makes you wonder if he chose it because of that, or if he wore or chipped it away himself, so he could use it as a landing spot. :)

I hope you had a great school day, and maybe you are enjoying a nice dinner, or you just did a little while ago. Today being Monday, and me being a creature of habit, I will probably watch a movie this afternoon. Movie Monday, Trail Tuesday, etc. :) I'll check Redbox for anything remotely watchable, and if not, I'll do a repeat view of some classic movie or other that I've already got on dvd. It rained here a little bit last night, just enough to wash the dust off the ground, and we might get a touch more today. Nothing to put a dent in our drought, though.

That's all I know for now, Sweet Baby. I will check in before I head back to Pearl's at 4:30.

I Love You! Enjoy the rest of your evening.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

3:45pm : I just wanted to wish you Sweet Dreams before I head back to Pearl's in a few minutes. I did wind up watching a movie, something called "Locke" from Redbox, starring a guy named Tom Hardy. It was pretty good, as Redbox movies go. As you may know, a lot of 'em are not major theater releases, they come from film festivals, or straight-to-dvd. This was an English film, and it takes place all in one location : inside a car travelling down a highway. It could have been awful for that reason, but the writing was really good, and the one-man acting by Hardy was excellent. The unusual story line keeps you rivited.

The only problem is the same one I find with a lot of Redbox films, and really with a lot of films in general nowdays : the lack of an ending, or any closure or resolution. So here you are, watching a good actor at work, and you are following an interesting plotline to see where it will ultimately end up.......

......and then it doesn't........end up anywhere. It just kind of ends.

So, good movie, but typical Redbox. Worth a buck on a Monday afternoon, but still......thank God for Criterion and older films in general.

Now, Sweet Baby, I can legitimately say that I hope you had a good first day of school.

I Love You and will see you later tonight, in the morning!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Midnight : Good Morning, Renaissance Lady! You must be in school at the moment. I am listening to Scriabin at the end of my day, a perfect way to relax. The more I listen to him, the more I think Scriabin ought to be as well regarded and known as Debussy or even Chopin. He wrote incredible music, complex yet delicate, and based on a really interesting philosophy that he lived by, that music, and especially certain melodies, had a physical power to manifest or influence reality in a literal sense. It's far too detailed to go into depth about, but just listen to a sonata or two by him, and you will see what I mean. :)

A more or less ordinary evening for me. Tomorrow I will perhaps check out the trail that goes up to Mission Peak. A good way for me to do it is to hike it partways, just to feel comfortable with it, and then come back down. Then, at some point, maybe before the end of the year, I will go all the way to the top. I am running out of nearby hikes - and therefore photo ops - so I need to get creative and use repeat locations. The changing light qualities of the coming Fall will help.

Have a great day, my Darling, and I will see you in the morning!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

A Hot One (goofy as a result)

Good Morning, my Darling,

You must be just about to start, or have already started, your first day of school, and it must be pretty exciting! I don't have a lot to report from today, it was just a typical Sunday, and really hot, where it feels like a weight. Our Summer weather really begins in August, and then gets crankin' in September. So, I didn't do much during the day except read and nap.

This evening I brought my camera with me on my walk, cause I knew it would be a good sunset. It's funny, because my photo teacher would practically give you an F if you turned in a sunset shot. He'd say, "You didn't do this - God did it". :) Which is true.....but still, somebody has to capture it!

My teacher, Mr. Ibach, was looking strictly for art photography created by the photographer. That's why he had assignments like "shoot a whole roll of film without leaving the classroom". He wanted us to make something out of what seemed like nothing.

I took a few pics of CSUN by night also, reprising an idea from last year. So that was about all for today. Oh, and we began year 8 of my brother's football pick 'em on Yahoo. I used to win that thing every year when we started, but in recent years I've been terrible, finishing in last place more often than not. Ahh, sports, I tell ya.....I still ponder the philosophical question, "why does a grown man hit a ball with a stick"?

And I just don't know the answer. :)

Well, now I am losing my marbles a little bit, just a marble or two, so no big deal. But a good day all in all. Tired and listening to Bach, I love the flute solo in this piece.

Have a great start to your semester, post if you have the chance, and I will see you later today!

I Love You, Elizabeth.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Florence! (Got my Vaskula CD)

Good Evening, Sweet Baby,

Ahh, now you are in Florence! Let me see if I have it right now : maybe, according to the Humans Of New York post, Monday is actually the first day of school. And maybe you were travelling yesterday and got little sleep. So maybe the Taya Iv post from yesterday meant that before arriving in Florence, you visited a farm?

I am guessing because that is similar to an itinerary that one of my nephews had. He was in Italy not with school but with his soccer team, and they had a rural excursion or two, out to the countryside, as part of their program.

So, you are just getting to Florence, which means that you were still in Germany, which is what I had originally surmised. At any rate, that sure is a beautiful town you are staying in, with the view of the river and the picturesque old buildings. What a place! Imagine the history, back to Renaissance times and before. All the people who have walked those streets. You are gonna love it!

Well, just a quick check-in for now. I am gonna head out for Saturday shopping in a few minutes, just by myself this time. Vickie stayed home cause of the heat. I will write more later at the usual time. Post more pics if you wanna, and if you get the chance. :)

I am glad I have your schedule straight, now I can legitimately wish you a nice school day, starting Monday.

I Love You and will see you in a bit!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

12:05am : Good Morning, my Darling! I got my Vaskula CD in the mail today. I am impressed with the music. He's got a lot of nice melodies in the songs, and the music overall sets a mood. I like the use of synths, too. It has traces of 70s music in that respect. Your vocal harmonies sound great, and the only thing I would have done is have you sing more lead! :) Johan has a pleasant enough voice and it suits the music, but you are the secret weapon, to be sure. Girl, you really developed your voice in the interim. You must have been doing a lot of singing, I guess.

The CD has nice artwork, too, and a nice layout. You should bring a copy to the Opeth/Alcest show and hand it to Neige. Better yet, bring two so you can give one to Mikael as well. He would love your voice, and Neige could vouch for you. :)

I got a late start this eve, cause I am trying to finish my book and also cause I started Season 6 of "The X-Files". Then I had to do my walk and dreaded workout, which I hate but am trying to maintain because it's good for me, haha. Love the results, hate the doing!

Well, have an awesome Sunday. Enjoy the sights, sounds, and feeling of Florence. I will be doing the Sunday Thing too in a few hours, and so I'll join you.

I Love You, Elizabeth!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Happy Friday Night! :):) (have an amazing day!)

Hey my Darling,

Happy Friday Night! I hope you are enjoying the start of your weekend, and I bet there is a lot to see and do. :) I just saw your posts, and I see that Stephane is leaving for Princeton. That's quite an accomplishment on his part. He says he will be back to visit, so he is not gone forever, and you will certainly see him again at some point probably not too long from now. I say that in all sincerity, just cause I know you guys go way back. :)

I saw also your cousin's (or uncle's, not sure) picture of him and Joan Rivers. That is pretty cool. I remember her all the way back to her days on the Johnny Carson show. Back then, she was skinny and with no plastic surgery and a beehive hairdo. She wasn't quite as caustic as she later became, probably because TV was stricter back then, and the times were different, but she was always funny. Her red carpet stuff at the Oscars each year was brutal, lol.

Well, I am debating whether to drive out to Santa Susana for my usual (of late) Friday casual hike. I've been to the place so many times in recent months that I know it back to front, been on every trail and up and down every hillside. But, I love it so much that I've been going out there on Friday afternoons, just for a casual, non-strenuous walk-through. And, I guess I am convincing myself that I should go. So I probably will, in a few minutes. If I get there by 3pm, I can stay for an hour and then head back to Pearl's.

I am trying to gear up for some major hikes, maybe this Fall, up to the top of Mission Point and maybe Oat Mountain, too. Oat Mountain is the tallest mountain in the Santa Susana range, at 3700 feet. Not Everest perhaps, but still pretty high up there for a hiker. Three issues could prevent me from doing these hikes. One is if there are any private property issues involved. From what I hear, sometimes there are no clear boundaries between public land and private, and ranchers get mad if you trespass, even inadvertently. So I don't wanna mess with any of those issues. Another thing would be if there is too much ridgeline hiking. I can do a little of that, but as noted before, the dropoffs make me nervous. The third thing would be degree of steepness. If there are switchbacks, i.e. a gradual, winding ascention, then it won't be too bad. But if it's super steep, like the Chumash Trail I did a month ago, then I can't do that for 3700 feet.

But, if there are wide trails, and nothing too close to a dropoff, and no private property issues, and if it's a gradual rise instead of super steep, I'm in! So I'm gonna keep researching it, just to see what I can find. In the meantime, I'll stick with the tried-and-true, so here I go to Santa Susana.....

I will write more later this evening. Enjoy the rest of your evening, my Baby, and then have Sweet Dreams.

I Love You So Much!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

11:45pm : Good Morning, Beautiful Lady. I hope you are enjoying a nice start to your day, and that the food is good (it's gotta be!) and good coffee (if you drink it). It must be a trip to wake up in a different country. But then, a person can get oriented pretty quickly to new surroundings. I saw your Taya Iv post from last night (today for me). At first, she said her day wasn't going to well, so I hope that part didn't apply to you. I hope you meant just the parts about the animals and farms. I love farms too! You see, when I was a kid, the Valley still had a lot of it's original rural atmosphere. Up to the 1950s, it was farm country. And even when I was a kid, and up to about the mid-70s or so, there were still a lot of traces of old barns, dirt roads, old broken down fences, big overgrown peppertrees, weedy lots. It was great! We have a junior college here called Pierce College, and it was initially a 4F college, where students learned about agriculture and farming, animal husbandry and stuff, and in the 60s you could drive out there to get fresh milk and eggs and veggies. We had roadside stands all over the place, too.

If you ever wonder why I rail against developers, well now you know, lol. :)

But, fortunately I am discovering all the magical open spaces that have been preserved, and they are large in acreage, and they are close - they surround us - and they take you back to the old days.

I am discovering that, in life in general, if you just define what it is you want, and you hold an internal dialogue about it, and then go looking for it, you will find it. It will be right there. I tell this to you because you Get It.

Always hold an internal dialogue, and keep it close to the vest. An internal quest is a huge part of that quiet confidence I have talked about in the past. The knowledge - the certainty! - that you are headed for something amazing. But you have to identify it to some degree, and be strict in holding it in your heart and focusing on it day after day.......and then you will see it start to materialise.

Everything begins in the mind, and is then amplified by the heart. And no doubt it's vice versa, too. But it's yours, and it's special, and all you have to do is want it, and hold it, and it will be yours.

I Love You, Elizabeth. Have an amazing day!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Late Evening Love, Across The Ocean (love xoxoxoxoxo)

Good Evening, my Baby,

I just wanted to check in and say hi at the end of your day. I hope it was a good one. :) I am just getting home from taking Pearl to the hair salon and back, so now I am gonna do a ton of dishes and then take a break and read my book until it's time to go back at 4:30. Tonight, I will go to the movie at the CSUN Cinematheque. They are showing Powell & Pressburger's "49th Parallel", which I am very much looking forward to see.

That's all for now. I will write more later this evening, about the time you are waking up. Enjoy the rest of your evening! I Love You, Elizabeth.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

11:40pm : Good Morning, my Darling. You are probably already in class, or perhaps in a few minutes if you start at 9am. I got home late from the movie, so I didn't do my walk tonight (a rare occurrance, lol), but the film was excellent, five stars all the way. It was unusual, about a group of stranded U-Boat Nazis trying to make their way across Canada. You don't often see films with such a setting (or such a story), and this really is one of the great ones from the WW2 era.

Everything else was just busy work today, lots of cleaning at Pearl's and home, trips to the store, etc. Just stuff.

Have a great day and I will see you in the morning/evening.

I Love You!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Perfect Tour! (Trailin') (married) (Good Morning)

Good Evening, my Darling,

I am glad to hear from you! I woke up this morning to see the Opeth/Alcest news. Boy, is that a perfect tour or what? Definitely a tour that needed to and was destined to happen. Will you be able to go to the show in Milan? I hope so! I also hope they bring the same tour to America. :)

Well, I am trying to find a quick trail. I have until 12:30, when I have to return to pick Pearl up from Women's Club at 1pm. Don't know where I will go; I'm running out of local trails. Gotta drive further, but can't drive too far because of time limits. The Trail Dilemma. :)

Well, off I go. I'll know where I'm going when I get there. Have a great evening and I will check in when I get home, around 2pm or so.

I Love You!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

2pm : Good Evening Again, my Baby. Later in the evening this time, 11pm for you. I hope you are liking the school and settling in okay, getting the feel of the place. I did find a trail, and it was local, in O'Melveney Park in Granada Hills. We used to take my Dad to that park all the time, about ten years ago, and we also went there for Easter Egg Hunts when my nephew Ali was a tyke. I'd never really explored the trails there, because A) I wasn't into hiking back then, and B) even more importantly, the few times I did venture a little ways down a trail, I always turned back because of the buzzing sound. You know I'm scared of bees!

But by now, I have enough experience hiking that a few bees don't bug me too much. I even went right past a hive when I was in Towsley Canyon last month (scary!......just a little bit). Anyhow, O'Melveney Park is super-local, just like Santa Susana. It's maybe 6 or 7 miles from my place, and it has trails galore. The first two I hiked are called The Nature Trail and The Grotto Trail, and both go straight up the hillsides. Nature Trail is pretty steep, so I only went about halfway but still got up pretty high. I'll post some pics later. I went up almost as high on the Grotto Trail, but again, I am more into scenic hiking that just for the sport of it. I also don't like ridgeline hikes, where the trail has a big dropoff on either side. Makes me nervous! It's okay is there is a dropoff on one side, and a mountain wall on the other. Then I can just stay close to the wall side. But a dropoff on both sides is usually (meaning always, haha) the turnback point for me.

My last hike of the morning was the best. I had forgotten all about the O'Melveney Trail, named after the man who used to own the land that became the park. That trail is a scenic trail, and it features some really beautiful views of the mountains, at the point where the Santa Susanas meet the San Gabriels. The O'Melveney Trail eventually does become a mountainside hike, which takes you all the way up to Mission Peak, which is almost 3000 feet up. I went about a mile in (my standard), and I guess I was about 1500 feet up when I turned around. All told, I probably got about 3 miles of hiking in, so tonight I can take it easy. Oh Boy! :)

Got some nice pics of the mountains, too.

I am still stoked about that tour matchup. I've always thought those two bands would be perfect together, and it's interesting that, in the past, each guy was the premier practitoner of his particular brand of harsh vocals. Mikael was the top guy for death metal vocals, and Neige was the best black metal screamer, bar none. Then both guys gave it up, and both gave up "metal", per se, even though both have retained their basic sound. But both bands are definitely playing progressive music now, in one form or another, and so it would have been a perfect pairing in their metal days, and it's still a perfect pairing now. You've gotta go, even if you have to miss a day of school! I'll write ya a note........  ;)

Well, that's all for now. I'll write more later tonight, meaning tomorrow morning for you. I don't usually say this in the afternoon, but Sweet Dreams, my Baby. I will see you in your morning!

I Love You, Elizabeth.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

2:40pm : My Sweet Baby, I just saw your post and I couldn't agree more! Let's get married! We will keep that as our focus while seeing things through, like school, etc. But let that be our plan and our guide : we will be married and share life together. We will live life together and love each other always as husband and wife. The picture will become clearer as time passes and things get done. But for now, let's say it's going to happen, and it will!

I Love You So Much!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

11:35pm : Good Morning, my Artist and Art Student. I hope your schoolday is off to a good start. I am re-listening to a Beethoven sonata that I heard earlier today on KUSC. A quiet evening for me in my mode of late - relaxing and reading, studying new trails, thinking about the history of the area and history in general. It must be amazing to be in Italy, with all it's history, and it's landscapes as well. You are probably on Sensory Overload at the moment! Also, I am assuming you are in Italy. Before, I had guessed that your school schedule was split up between Germany and Italy. But if you are in Germany, same deal. The history, etc.

And that's what I am looking for here in the Valley, and just beyond, in Newhall, Simi and Santa Clarita. The history, the signs of old, the spiritual and tangible traces of people who came before. It blows my mind that a group of people could live somewhere for 8000 years, as was the case here with the Chumash and Tatavium Indians, and the same is true in Europe with the various tribes who lived and migrated through the continent. Things "change", or so they say, but the landscape always holds in it's history, and it will reverberate a feeling of that history to anyone who is receptive and in harmony.

That's all I know for tonight, my Darling. Have a great day and enjoy your school and your studies!

I Love You.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

First Day?

Hey there Girl,
There you are! I was wondering what happened cause you kind of disappeared for a couple days. So today is the first day of school? I guess maybe you were getting settled in. It's been hard to keep track of what's going on, that's why I haven't been posting.

Anyhow, I hope your school gets off to a good start today. I will be around. Probably will look for a hike tomorrow morn as Pearl has a Women's Club meeting. Have a great day.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)