Sun Valley, ID, USA

We have been so busy doing almost nothing at all that I have been amiss in not blogging recently. we have been here at our country seat in Sun Valley for just about two weeks now, enjoying the mountain air and revisiting our local haunts.
We drove east from Portland to Boise to visit with some old friends of ours, Mike and Ruthie. That evening was their  famed sushi competition which was been an annual institution for many years. A very lively and interesting evening ensued with some outstandingly innovative efforts submitted.
Next day we set off to Sun Valley to arrive in unseasonable 85 degree weather. We have been walking and visiting all the bars and restaurants in town. Many of the old ones and some new ones. Micro-brews have migrated to Idaho and we attended the first Micro-brew fest in Ketchum last week. That went from noon to 6.00 pm and a good time was had by with outstanding beer from all over the west coast and Idaho.
I've been back to the sporting clay ranges  in Sun Valley and Hailey and it's good to note that I can still hit some of the targets.
The weather has been strange. From 85 degrees the first week we were here down to 35 degrees and snow on the next. It's rainy today but as the end of June passes we are promised the usual perfect Sun Valley weather. Not much fishing yet as the Wood river is just starting to clear but I may get a few days in before we leave.
We celebrated our 36th wedding anniversary last week, may there be many more. I also spent a few days refinishing our outside wooden deck which had been sorely neglected. It was quite a lot of work to sand down the entire deck to bare wood and then reseal it but the effort was worth it, as it came up very well.
We have had a crew change for our voyage to South Africa. Roger is unable to make the trip and I was fortunate to find Ray, who will replace him through our friends Dave and Marian from Kilkea II.
I look forward to meeting him in Singapore in August for what should be an interesting and challenging cruise. I'm looking forward to going offshore again soon.
Oh, and did I mention the soccer! We had hoped that England had made a better showing but at least we can still root for the amazing USA team. Much time spent in Lefty's Bar and Grill watching the games
Here are some photos.

Lilac in bloom Sun Valley

Sun Valley

my effort in the sushi competition. Not a winner, I'm afraid

us and Donna and Ruthie

Happy hour at the Ram Bar, Sun Valley Inn

Snow in June in Sun Valley

the first annual Sun Valley Brewfest, Ketchum. Not much got done that evening

sanding the deck

the sushi competition

Portlandia, Oregon, USA

 We are almost at the end of our sojourn with Josette in Portland. We 
left Yosemite last week and made the 400 miles in good time. Josette has had us 
on the move every day since our arrival and she tends to underestimate the 
physical activity. An advertised 3 mile walk on the flat turned into an 8 mile 
hike with 1500 feet of elevation and a little bike ride became 18 miles of up 
hill and down dale.
The exertion was worth it as the hike took us through forest and waterfalls and 
was very enjoyable. As was the bike ride in the Columbia Gorge wound through 
spectacular scenery. We have been blessed with great weather, not typical of 
Portland but welcome much the same. 
The city of Portland is an interesting place, to say the least. If any of you 
have seen the US cable  TV show Portlandia, the portrayal is pretty accurate. 
There are some fairly different people here but everyone seems pleasant and easy 
going. There are hundreds of eateries coffee shops and bakeries and some very 
peculiar stores for doggies' clothing and some just dedicated to hats and junk 
shops by the dozen.
We have met many of Josette's friends and have enjoyed numerous dinners out. I 
went on an excellent guided tour of the last US diesel submarine moored outside the 
Oregon science museum with new friend John, at retired US Navy Captain.
An afternoon was spent at the Nike campus in Beaverton. Another very impressive 
place, especially the company store with its fifty per cent discount.

Tomorrow, it's off to Boise, ID for some more adventures.

view of Mount Shasta on the way up to Portland

the Columbia River Gorge

The  International Test Rose Garden 

bike ride along the Columbia Gorge

Hiking the Multnomah Falls

The ultra feminist bookshop and community centre featured in the show Portlandia(it really does exist)

Bills posted on telephone poles. Seems to be a Portland tradition. The bills can be inches thick

Following the tour of SS Blueback. The last of the US Navy diesel attack subs.

Yosemite National Park, California, USA

Sorry about the lack of posts this month but we really have been busy, relatively speaking. Our flight home from Narita was excellent. Great service on Japan Airlines business class and the journey was quite civilized. Once over the inevitable jet lag we got back into the swing of things in San Diego and it was good to be home. I got some sailing time in with Van at the Coronado Cays Yacht Club and we discovered some more microbreweries in downtown San Diego. We now have four in easy walking distance!

The Admiral had her first check up with her oncologist and mammograms were clear and lab work looked good. I ran all over Shelter Island looking for boat parts and I think I have everything nailed down by now. Mother's Day came and went and time passed very quickly. We went to Palm Springs on May 18 and spent some time with our friends Len and Kathy visiting some new and old haunts. We did the usual doctor and accountant visits and lunch with Tom and Kathy. On the 21st. we went north and spent the night in Solvang and had dinner at the Hitching Post in nearby Buelton, made famous by the movie Sideways. We got to San Francisco on the following day to celebrate our son James' graduation from the MBA program at the Haas Business School at Berkeley. Julie and Josette flew in for the occasion which was held the following day at the Greek Theater. A very proud moment for the both of us.

We went to the Farmer's Market early on the following morning and then on for a picnic on the beach but unfortunately the weather was quite foggy and cold on the west side of San Francisco. We took a long walk and visited a very chintzy tea shop for afternoon tea. Dinner was memorable at Chez Panisse in Oakland. Very excellent food and service and I think we will be back sometime.

On Sunday, the girls left for San Diego and Portland and we and James and Katie went east to the Yosemite National Park, where we spent the next few days hiking and looking at the amazing, scenic splendor that is Yosemite.

We are now on our way up to Portland to visit with Josette for a few days.

Mother's Day visit to the lavender farm in Escondido

graduation at the Greek Theater at Berkeley

The new graduate and girlfriend, Katie

Farmer's Market, San Francisco

Golden Gate Bridge on  a foggy morning

Half Dome Rock from Glacier Point,  Yosemite

El Capitan

Bridalveil Falls, Yosemite

Hiking up Vernal Falls

At the top of Nevada Falls

Nevada Falls

Swinging Bridge

View from our house in Yosemite

Mirror Lake with Yosemite Falls in the background

Valley View

Mirror lake hike

The Hitching Post restaurant from the movie Sideways

Josette and the Admiral

Having tea in San Francisco