November 21 - Going to the Sky

The social visit has become a viewing and a wake, and we head on this gloriously-clear-day-between-storms over the Sierra past Yuba Gap -- the Central Valley fog having started in Dixon and fled



by the Foothills



approaching Auburn.



The late fall colors



and early early snow



are stunning



up close and



afar all the way to



Truckee for



brunch



at



Coffee And with


views south and



west past



other familiar locales.



Back on the road,



through Truckee Meadows and



down



the



steep-walled,



precipitous



Canyon,



we are soon amongst the desertic, dusted domes near Verdi ("Vurd-eye," the composer notwithstanding), and on to


Reno and



Sparks



where



Megan and Dawn await,



then off, back to Reno's



Mountain



View



Cemetery (map above has west at top), specifically the



Masonic /



Final Wishes



Chapel.



We are all briefed as to the viewing, and there is



Mike at rest (a big man with a big heart, that suddenly gave out on him prematurely at 50),



overlooking the prospect of downtown Reno and the distant eastern mountains.



Mike's brother Roger and his wife are there, as well as their



son, daughter-in-law, and



granddaughter (Samuel Becket - Waiting for Godot: "Astride...");



Mike's son (called Mikey by some) and his wife;



Dawn,



Harriet, and



Megan.



The wake is back at Megan's, then we head, after dropping Dawn off near



Mike's notorious truck, into that good night, back over the Sierra, with only a bit of fog on a fuzzy, moonlit, bonny night that may presage more storms to come.

October 9 - Once Again to the Baricades

Page 3 of The Gospel According to St. Matthew: XIX. The Twelve orchestrated, then off to the Sierra upslope in the foothills towards Newcastle,



mas rapido paper grading at Tio Pepe's in Auburn, the dash downslope



towards the North Fork of the Middle Fork of the American River at



Circle



Bridge and



Cliffs



ascending beyond



Mosquito Saddle, and ultimately to



Chipmunk Ridge and



French Meadows Reservoir.



The walk is a short, dark one on the gravel beyond milepost 42, lined with



radiant



pines and the distant



Mildred Ridge to



Talbot Junction (drove ahead to this spot two weeks ago). The way from here will be on



State Forest Route 53, rather than the



dangerous, illusory ascent of Red Star Ridge.



For now, there's nothing to do but reverse course past the glories of a watery sunset under



the dark star sky.