Some scenes from summer camping

In May we traveled to Sonora for the funeral of my grandmother, Doris McCormick. While there was obviously sadness, it was also a celebration of her life. I got to see lots of family members who I hadn't seen in a long time, and I got to show off my wife!


On our way to Sonora, we camped at Lake Mendocino. Here's our 1965 Alladin at the campsite.



Here's Hula, contemplating the trailer's tongue weight, the vehicle's horsepower and gearing ratios.



Kim and I both love reading maps and looking at places that we can explore.



My brother Matt grabbed my camera and took this shot at my grandmother's grave.



This was my grandmother's house in Sonora. It's where my mother grew up. I have my great-grandfather's tool chest, which probably played a part in the construction of this house.



Here's the house in Jamestown where my father grew up. We spent many weekends and summers here when I was a kid.



Right next to the house is a building that once housed Durham's Quality Beverages, which was my grandfather's business. They bottled Acme beer and soda pop.



Jamestown has lots of neat antique stores.



Nearby there's a train museum.



Remember the trains in High Noon? Part of the movie was shot here. The rest was shot in nearby Columbia.



You may not remember this, but you've seen it on TV.



I'd like to go back in time and work here.



Here's a miner's cabin in Columbia, where they blasted the soil away in search of gold.



Here's a photo of our kitty Rocket. It's completely out of context for this blog post, other than the fact that he's been part of our summer fun.



On a different trip we stayed at Ruth Lake.



I spent a considerable amount of time in my camping chair reading.



There are logical and scientific reasons for chemtrails, but those are no fun. I prefer the theory that they're part of a vast government conspiracy to control us and the weather.



On the Fourth of July weekend we camped near the Eel River in Southern Humboldt. Here's our cozy canned ham at night. We usually camp without any hookups, but not this time.



Hula loves his rocks.



A couple weeks ago we camped on the East Fork of Willow Creek. Here's the creek, which is a few yards from the campsite.



It's beautiful.



Here's a different creek up the road.

More camping adventures to come. Stay tuned...

Italy – Transportation

During last year's Italy trip, I made it a point to take photos of various bicycles, cars and other forms of transportation.



Besides walking, scooters are probably one of the most popular forms of transportation. They're everywhere. You can hear them zipping around, night and day.



They line the streets.



This is one of my favorite photos, which was taken by Kim. It goes to show that people can adapt to their mode of transportation.



This scooter had a giant box on the back. There's lots of room in there for groceries, wine, etc.



Check out this oddball scooter thingamabob, which we spotted in Florence.



Almost all of the cars you see in Italy are tiny. There are lots of Smart Cars and little Fiats. Large cars and SUVs are rare. When you're in the city, this makes sense. The roads are narrow and there's little parking.



I took this photo in Amalfi because it demonstrates why it makes sense to have small cars. If the car was any bigger, it wouldn't fit in the limited parking space.



I love these little Fiat 100s. They look like clown cars.


Here's another one.



This is a Smart Car. It's some sort of sports car version.



Neat car.





In Palermo, we rented this Fiat Panda and drove it across the middle of Sicily. We were going to rent a Smart Car, but we didn't think our luggage would fit inside.



Even the garbage trucks are small.




There are lots of Piaggio Apes.


While I saw lots of Piaggios, I only saw one Pope Mobile.



This is an extremely rare photo for several reasons. First, during a period of three weeks in Italy, I only saw about three cyclists who could be easily identified as sport cyclists. Second, people in Italy don't wear helmets.




This pretty much sums up the bicycle scene in Italy. The bikes are sturdy and practical.



Here's a typical bike.



Look out for the old lady!



Americans and Italians have something in common – they don't know how to properly adjust their seat height.



This beauty was on display at a train station.



Check out the leather bags. Even the bicycle lock chain has a leather sleeve.


At the Ferrari store in Rome, you can buy a Ferrari bike.



Here's a Ferrari mountain bike. People in red Ferrari outfits are there to assist you, and help empty your bank account.



Here's a pretty bike in Florence.



This guy looks like a famous artist. A folding bike is a good idea.



There's some sort of Bike Share program going on here.



This auto dealership stocks a selection of electric bicycles.



A pretty street scene in Ostia Antica, the ancient Roman port.