A Thanksgiving Story

Happy Thanksgiving to all. It is without a doubt, 
my favorite holiday. I offer one of my favorite 
fall photos and a story of thanks.

 























The Whale... 

A few years ago, there was a front page story in the San Francisco Chronicle about a female humpback whale who had become entangled in a spider web of crab traps and lines. She was weighted down by hundreds of pounds of traps that caused her to 
struggle to stay afloat. She also had hundreds of yards of line rope wrapped around her body, her tail, her torso, a line tugging in her mouth.

A fisherman spotted her just east of the Farralon Islands (outside the  Golden Gate ) and radioed an environmental group for help. Within a few hours, the rescue team arrived and determined that she was so bad off, the only way to save her was to dive in and untangle her. They worked for hours with curved knives and eventually freed her.
 
When she was free, the divers say she swam in what seemed like joyous circles. She then came back to each and every diver, one at a time, and nudged them, pushed them gently around as she was thanking them.

Some said it was the most incredibly beautiful experience of their lives. The guy who cut the rope out of her mouth said her eyes were following him the whole time, and he will never be the same.

May you, and all those you love, be so blessed and fortunate to be surrounded by people who will help you get untangled from the things that are binding you. And, may you always know the joy of giving and receiving gratitude. I pass this on to you, my friend, in the same spirit. 

It's a good life!

Homecoming

When Rick and I left Portland on October 31, the leaves on the trees
in my yard were still mostly green with just a tinge of red. Three weeks
and a day later, when we arrived home, they were bare.  Except one
who waited in greeting...

Our arrival was just in time as that evening, Portland received
its first sprinkling of snow.

Ah! Let the season begin...

OMG! Did I love Christchurch!

Christchurch Cathedral is the center of Cathedral Square.

A lot of fun and quirky things go on here.
There is also some amazing art, such as
this great flowering vase. Totally cool!

Close by is Town Square with these amazing fountains.

And finally, you can see the British influence
with these old phone booths. Rick is found here
looking for his I-phone, wondering how
he is going to get game scores from this old thing.

Mt Cook and Surrounds, Whoa!

We drove to Mt Cook and encountered these lakes
with the most amazing turquoise water. It turns out
that the glacier washes bits of rock as it tumbles down
and this sediment called "glacier flour" is dazzled
by the sun and reflects this color. Sweet!

This is Lake Pukaki...

And, this is Mt Cook as seen from our window.
Sweet squared.

A room with a view, what is not to like about that!!!!!

Milford Sound

Milford Sound is possibly beyond description. It is so beautiful. 

Rock formations jutting out of water so dark.
Waterfalls plummeting from the sides. 

Seals, dolphins and penguins all together in one place. 

It is simply amazing.

What do you think of this?

Queenstown, New Zealand

A view of the harbor in Queenstown. What a beautiful spot...

Another view of the harbor which includes some of the hillside town.

Dunedin, New Zealand

A few photos from our first days in New Zealand.

What is wrong with this picture?

My girl on campus: U of Otago: Dunedin.

St Clare's Beach, a wild and wonderful beach.
Feet in the Pacific, a long way from the Oregon coast.