Music Assemblies

What better thing to do on one of the hottest days of the summer, but to take the CHS band and orchestra as well as the color guard, the elementary instrumental music teachers, assorted parents and staff, and travel to all 7 elementary schools to promote the music program with outdoor assemblies. With a well-planned schedule, four of the teachers split into two groups and leap-frogged between the schools so they could set up and tear down music stands and stay after the presentation to explain registration to the 4th-6th graders and answer questions.

What I particularly enjoyed was seeing my former students now as high schoolers (and getting hugs!) and then hearing how their playing has progressed over the years. It's so great when students continue their music education and clearly enjoy the music as well as the camaraderie with fellow musicians. 

After five schools, everyone enjoyed a lunch break under the trees at Memorial Park. We even had a visit by the Claremont PD because someone had called them saying that a "suspicious-looking" pickup was parked on 10th St. The suspicious items? Drum cases. They only make musical explosions.... 

I have distorted the photos on purpose since I do not know which students have permission to have their photos posted.

The CHS Marching Band

The Color Guard

Elementary students seeking shade during the performance

Grass was a welcome relief at some of the sites over blacktop at others.

The CHS Orchestra

Matt Kemp at the Quakes

On Wednesday the Dodgers confirmed that Matt Kemp would start a rehab stint with the RC Quakes on Thursday. We decided that we not only wanted to go to the game, but we also wanted to spring for the expensive tickets, so we bought the $13 Superbox seats in section 5 - just to the right of the section immediately behind the plate. There were still a few seats in the second row, so we snapped them up.

When we arrived at Will Call, we saw that our section was sold out, so we felt good about our purchase the night before. When we went to see the Quakes in July, there were so few people at the field, but with Kemp in the lineup (hitting DH in the #2 spot), we knew the crowds would be there. The Quakes website says today that tonight's game is already sold out.

Here is a photo taken from our seats with no zoom. I did, however, bring the good camera with the long lens. We also enjoyed the fact that the seats in the super boxes have padding!

Unfortunately, in Matt's 4 at-bats, he made 6 outs. He hit into two double plays, struck out and grounded out. Actually, we left after the 7th inning, and Matt had one more at-bat. He got out.

Here he is, hanging in the dugout, blowing a bubble.

We got a great view of the High Desert Mavericks when they were on deck. Several of them had these holes in their left leg. The minor leagues are a different beast than the majors.

This view shows a full crowd. Too bad the Quakes lost 14-3.

Gotta love minor league shenanigans - even easier to see up close....

Garden Cafe at Pilgrim Place

Last night on an evening walk, we noticed this sign advertising an eatery at Pilgrim Place. When we got home, I found the menu for this Garden Cafe online. Perhaps we should try it out sometime....

Signs of Summer and Fall at the Same Time

Signs of Fall:
First Day of School for CUSD today (lots of Facebook photos to enjoy!)
More Students at the Colleges / More Students at the CMC gym
My music schedule for Vista arrived today
Working on Lesson Plans

Signs of Summer:
It is HOT (and even muggy!)

Enter Here

I have known for a long time now that the incoming first-year class at Pomona College runs through these gates at the corner of College and 6th St. Until last night, I have never witnessed the ritual. When I saw street barricades sitting by the side of the road on Saturday, it occurred to me that this might be happening soon. The Pomona kids get here earlier than the other colleges for orientation and to go on various trips (backpacking, community service, etc.). I looked up the orientation schedule online and found the entry for "Enter Here" to take place at 6:45 at College and 6th. 

When I started walking towards the intersection, I figured I was in the right place at the right time, as there were throngs of people wandering about. I didn't know exactly everything that was going on, but I took many photos.

First-years walking to the north side of the gates

Many, many kids in Ask Me T-shirts, many with carnations to hand out to the newbies

No idea what these students were supposed to be

Nor these

It was quite difficult to get a good photo of the kids since parents must think they have some sort of right to block everyone's view

The first students through the gates

Cecil Sagehen

Dawn of the Condor

One of the items on my summer wish list was to write a poem or a song. I decided to write a poem. One no longer sees condors at Machu Picchu, although they used to fly there. I imagined what it would be like to see one first thing in the morning.

The Queen Mary (as in the ship)

Last Friday the Village Pipers played for the Haiku North America conference aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach. As First-Timers aboard the ship, we had fun taking a self-guided tour through the public parts, but the place that held the most interest for us was below decks in the engine rooms. I have posted a few pictures from our wanderings, but, as you might imagine, someone has posted a video on youtube walking through the space which is way bigger than I had imagined. The video shows the propeller about 3 1/2 minutes in. I was unable to get a photo of that.

One of the hallways of the hotel part of the ship

The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells

Maybe it really is just me, but I am finding it harder and harder to enjoy a novel these days. I started this recently published Andrew Sean Greer book which came recommended by someone in the NY Times (I think), and when I read the first two pages I thought, "wow, I think I am going to really like this book."

And then, about a third of the way in, I found it harder to motivate myself to pick it up to finish it. I did manage to get through it, but it felt like a chore.

I used to think that I liked time travel novels, but maybe the novelty of the idea of time travel has worn off on me, because this and the last few such novels I've read have left my underwhelmed. Perhaps it's that the characters play second fiddle to the plot and leave me feeling flat about them.

I read Anne Tyler's Breathing Lessons over vacation, and while her books are certainly character-driven, I found this one lacking in direction of plot.

Maybe for awhile I will stick with the non-fiction books on my list until a truly worthwhile novel comes along.

Summer Evening Walk

On our evening walk tonight we wandered through Pitzer and HMC, seeing some of the students who have arrived early for various reasons. I took my camera, and here are my two favorite shots.

Chickens roosting at Pitzer

Sunset at HMC

Beer Belly Deli

It seems that a new eatery opens in Claremont about every month. Last week we tried out the Beer Belly Deli in the Packing House. It is just behind Eureka! Burger in the space formerly occupied by the Claremont Art Museum.

The list of beers on tap (listed on the chalkboard) include local favorites from Hanger 24 and Claremont Craft Ales. I didn't see Pomona Queen there which seems strange in this town. It seems to be in most other places.

Unlike David Allen's experience (read it here) our experience was fine, although on a Thursday evening, the place was not too busy. Service was fine and the food was pretty good. I had the (seemingly) only vegetarian option, but the sandwich had good flavor. I do think that the side of homemade potato chips could have been more generous, but that's probably okay for my waistline.

Sycamore Canyon Hiking

Ever since I read about the reopening of Sycamore Canyon, I have wanted to hike it. Maps and information online are not terribly helpful, so when my friend, Susan, offered to show me the way, I jumped at the chance. We walked over to the Thompson Creek Trail from her house and found the trailhead (which is the part I was pretty sure I could find). 

I had heard that it was a pretty steep uphill start, so I was prepared for that mentally as well as physically. I still feel pretty good after our time at high altitude in Peru, so maybe my blood cells are still oxygen-rich. Anyway, this is a perfect alternative to the now-crazybusy Wilderness Park Trail. We saw about 6 other people during our 70-minute hike, and when the skies are less hazy, the views will be even better.

Lima and The End

Lima is "the strangest sad city thou cans't see. ... For Lima has taken the white veil; and there is a higher horror in this whiteness of her woe."

- Herman Meville in Moby Dick

A week ago today we left Peru via Lima, a city whose winter encases her in shroud of fog days and weeks on end. We actually spent about 12 hours in the city, including a short sleep in a sweet little guest house in the Miraflores district. This is the trendy, upscale neighborhood of Peru's capital. Knowing we would have a long flight, we made sure to take a good walk the night before along the ocean. Our first sighting of the Pacific came at this park with a huge statue dedicated to love and a low wall covered in mosaics. Except for the fog, our stroll reminded us a bit of Santa Monica.

Here is a cathedral lit up near Kennedy Park (named after JFK).

A few final thoughts about the trip:

We have never taken a tour before, but in some instances, such as this, I think it was a great idea. We had such a short time for this vacation, and leaving the details to someone else gave us the greatest amount of enjoyment for the time allotted. I think it is also important to have a tour that matches your own personality, and, for us, this one fit the bill. It was the right amount of walking/hiking, learning about the culture, and the people in the tour were a fantastic mix for us.

We were also pleasantly surprised that this tour booked us in some of the very best lodging we have ever used. In the Sacred Valley we stayed in a converted 18th C. Monastery, and in Aguas Calientes we lodged in the very posh Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel. We had more food than we should have, and we made it through the whole trip without ever getting sick.

I was also glad that we had a chance to spend an additional few days touring on our own which gave us the sense of self-reliance that we usually have when we travel overseas. We had a chance to work on our Spanish and integrate more into the culture.

I would have a hard time pinpointing a very favorite experience, although I was surprised and delighted by the size and scope of the ruins outside of Machu Picchu. I know that I have left out many of the fun details, but as we share our story with friends and look through our photos (and our friends' photos), we will enjoy reliving the memories of this amazing journey.

Cusco to Puno and Lake Titicaca

At the end of the REI Tour, we bid a sad farewell to our new friends and our guides. We took a little comfort in the fact that we will see our fellow travelers in the near future, but we wished that they could have come with us on the last little jaunt.

We had planned, in advance, to make our own add-on to the tour, and after scouring the internet and the Lonely Planet guidebook, we chose Lake Titicaca as our extra activity. It would seem that the best way to get to Puno (the main town by the lake on the Peru side) was to take a tourist bus which was a 10-hour trip. This bus ride passes over a 14,000 foot pass and includes five stops along the way. Four stops are for sightseeing and one is for a buffet lunch.

The first stop on the trip was at the Sistine Chapel of the Andes. They did not allow photos on the inside, but it was the most gold-laden place I have ever seen in my entire life. If you google andahuaylillas church for images, you can see just what I am talking about.

The ruins at Raqchi constituted our second stop. Part of the Inca trail passes right by this Incan settlement.

Here is a view from the bus window near the pass at Abra La Raya. At the top of the pass sits, as we had come to expect, great opportunities to purchase items. This time I subjected myself to the locals and bought a flute. Not the panpipes, but a recorder-shaped object. It comes with a piece of paper with some instructions, but getting a sound out of it has proven tricky. This high landscape is called the altiplano - high plains.

Our last sightseeing stop before we reached Puno was some sort of museum in Pukara. I think this is where they make the bulls that we saw on so many rooftops (for good luck). However, what I liked the best were the very cute little vicunas. Most are wild and much smaller than the alpacas and llamas we saw elsewhere.

Puno and Lake Titicaca sit at 12,500 feet, and the days are clear and cold, the nights are just cold. We booked a tour - also 10 hours - to visit two places.

Not too far from shore sit the Uros Islands. This cluster of man-made islands have been around for over 400 years when the Uru people sought refuge from other tribes came out on the lake and built these floating lands out of the reeds that grow so copiously in the lake. The people who live her constantly replenish the reeds, otherwise their "land" would slowly disappear.

Each island is a little community. The tours rotate which islands they visit, so your tourist dollars get evenly spread around. They sell handcrafts (surprise!), but we were happier to pay our money to get a ride in one of the boats.

The women from our island rowed, and you can see here how the big sister in the stocking hat is holding onto her 8-month-old brother so he will not topple into the drink. A few minutes later, the mom continued to row while she nursed the boy.

After the Uros Islands, we sat in the boat for 2 1/2 hours until we got to Taquile Island. Apparently this island reminds people of a Greek island. This island is home to get another subgroup of people with their own traditions. After disembarking, we walked about 45 minutes (slowly) up the hill to a large plaza on the island where we could visit shops with textiles. On this island, the men take part in the knitting of the hats.

We got a great view of the snow-capped mountains of northern Bolivia from the top of the island. You have to look under the luscious cumulous clouds.

This is the plaza at the top. From here we went to a restaurant for lunch for some delicious trout before we walked down the other side of the island to our waiting boat for the return 2 1/2 hour boat ride back to Puno.