Caltech, terrific end to a tour of physics grad programs

We drove into Pasadena on a Friday, mid-day, via some huge freeway that made me recall why I left LA and haven't missed it. But then we took the exit and there was Pasadena, much more intimate a city, friendly, easily navigated. But smoky because of the wildfires near Santa Barbara. 

We quickly found Caltech's campus, which is seamlessly integrated with the city, in a good way.

I had some trouble finding parking but after sending son on his way to his meeting, asked some students and all was well.

I enjoyed the trees and the simple architecture.

Dear son messaged me where he was and I made my way in that direction.

I didn't photograph the lovely approach to the physics building, which had beautiful natural areas out front, but once I got upstairs I got busy with camera. (phone!) The theoretical physics department was quite wonderful!

I found a spot to sit and admittedly had a huge fan girl moment when son brought Sean Carroll out and introduced me. His books on physics make complex ideas available to those of us who are interested but lack the math knowledge to go at it from that angle. In my eyes he's a superstar but he presented as a gracious, humble person who seemed truly happy to hear me rave about his work. (Which I highly recommend!)

Alongside the physics building there is a citrus tree-lined walkway that totally captivated me. We ended up coming back here with coffee and scones the next day to sit and soak in the ambiance once more.

And oh, this made me so happy to capture with my camera:

An old and very dear friend lives with her family in Pasadena, as do homeschooling friends, so if perchance dear son ends up here for grad school, I will be one happy mom.

We spent another night in Pasadena after having lunch with homeschooling friends, dinner with my old friend and her family, and then on Sunday went where all moms of college students go before dropping them off for summer REUs:

A very clean and pleasant laundromat.

I had a hard time delivering son to UCLA later in the day. We drove the long way, via surface streets instead of freeway, and he played a sweet Santa Monica song as we traveled Santa Monica Boulevard. And then as we hit Beverly Hills, the Fresh Prince. It was perfect.

It's sad to finish this little travelogue. It was a privilege and an honor to visit California with my son. I loved every minute and can't wait to see where he ends up going for graduate study. 

Meanwhile, dear daughter has hit her freshman year with a Big Bang and I'm loving that journey too!

cat tunnel toll collector?

This morning I noticed a logjam on the front porch. Cats seemed to be lining up for no apparent reason. I walked all the way out to see what the problem was and found this.

Do you think he's collecting toll fees for tunnel use now? 

Later in the day his sister Pixie was spotted following him around the house smacking him so I think she exacted a little revenge on the Pipkin.

Butterfly Beach, California, travelogue continues

Almost to the end of a busy week and the perfect day to remember a stroll down Butterfly Beach near Santa Barbara, California with my son in June.

I love the stones. Our North Carolina beaches are nothing but sand so this made for interesting perusing and in some places careful stepping.

Butterfly Beach was quiet and sweet, though it was disconcerting to see oil tanker platforms in the distance. There were also chunks of tar from the tar pits offshore, and I ended up with tar on my feet for weeks after this afternoon walk!

The terrain was lovely as was the afternoon light.

The tide swirling around the rocks was mesmerizing.

I took many photographs of the light on the water as it washed over the stone.

And was again left behind by a more adventurous son, who ended up far ahead of me.

This was such a bittersweet image. I recall so clearly his first trip to the ocean when he was only a year and a half old, in bright orange shorts and yellow t-shirt, and his instant connection with the sea. How can it be that 20 years have passed since then? And somehow, miraculously, he is clad in similar colors? 

In those younger years I would be running behind him, calling his name. On this day I just stood and watched him go.

This seemed somehow apropos:

UC-Santa Barbara's gorgeous art installation: Lament by Nancy Gifford

I spent a little time in UC-Santa Barbara's library during my visit with my son and while there were many things to like, this truly took my breath away when I spotted it. I spent quite a bit of time perusing the piece and wish I could have photographed every square inch. As a reader, a writer, and someone who spent years working in various university libraries and independent book stores, It's one of the most gorgeous things I've ever seen.

This is the long view:

A few steps in:

Even closer:

The details were exquisitely fine:

A favorite panel:

So loved this one:

And my final photo, which says it all:

If this installation were for sale and I could afford it, it would be hanging on my upstairs wall as I type this. Oh, it was divine. Kudos to the artist, Nancy Gifford.

OH, and look what I found!!

Making of Lament by Nancy Gifford from Nancy Gifford on Vimeo.

November Hill farm journal, 19

Things have calmed down a little here on November Hill. Signs of autumn are everywhere now, but we continue to have temps into the 90s at least a few days a week. The nights have dipped into the 50s several times but are mostly in the mid-60s right now. The mornings when the air is cooler are special treats.

We've hit a rhythm with chores, trying to keep up with everything that needs doing on a daily basis. With daughter in university now we considered hiring someone to help out a few hours a week. I had one candidate whose experience with horses sounded good but references were vague and since the applicant was a minor I have decided to keep looking. 

This is the time of year when the fields seem to need more attention. Right now a few early leaves are falling and along with mucking I'm trying to rake things into a little order. There are many fallen limbs and twigs that need raking too. Before long acorns will start coming down. It can feel like an endless task or it can be a time to celebrate the season - I just have to remember to make that distinction in my own head!

The garden is done with the exception of a few tomatoes and the sweet potatoes, planted late but trying valiantly to catch up. The fig tree's spring growth was knocked back by a late hard frost, but as is the way of nature, it's had a huge growth spurt as a result. It is so tall its leaves are nearly touching the lower limbs of the oak tree nearby.

Yesterday I had time to rub in tung oil coat number 2 on the front door and clean/paint one more porch screen. I'm in the final stretch with that particular chore so am torn between enjoying the journey and completing the task! What you see is all that remains of the unpainted area. I love the finished look but I have also enjoyed the golden glow of the bare wood. Mainly I'm thrilled, still, with the way this turned out and how happy all the cats are to have their front porch available for 24/7 use. 

Once I finish these last screens and support beam I'll move on to the cat tunnel. We've decided to go with French Gray after living with the sample colors I painted early in the summer. I keep changing my mind but reminded myself I can always change the color later when it's time to repaint. So French Gray it is.

This weekend Cody let us know for sure that he has a hoof abscess. I'm not happy about it but there's nothing to do but treat and wait and hope that when it bursts it doesn't make too much of an exit hole. When one horse has an issue I start obsessing about all of them. Keil Bay looks gaunt to me, Little Man did one of those loud barking cough things and I instantly thought lung disease, and the donkeys, sweet boys, assured me they are both just fine. 

Kyra Corgi recently developed a weeping mammary gland and we feared the worst. At age 16 she has some arthritis in her hips, cataracts, and some hearing loss, but for the most part she looks amazing for her age. She runs around, barks, bosses, and eats like always. I gave a homeopathic remedy and consulted with our homeopathic vet, and she's now on a daily homeopathic regime. The weeping stopped, the redness completely abated, and she's stable for now.

Mystic goes back to his cardiologist the end of this month. He is completely normal as far as behavior and we are eager to see how things look when they take a more in-depth look at him. He too is on homeopathic remedies, in addition to his medications. It would be terrific to see improvement that would allow his meds to be decreased some. 

Crazily, in the midst of all this, the same friend from high school who put Pixie and Pippin in our lives has sent a photo of a 3-week old kitten who looks uncannily like Dickens E. Wickens, our beloved tuxedo cat who disappeared last year. It's not a done deal yet but we are seriously considering bringing this little guy to live with us. 

Every time one of our beloveds leaves us I tell myself we need to put a halt to bringing new animals into the fold. And then one appears and there's a feeling that it's supposed to happen, and our numbers rise again. 

We are animal people and November Hill seems happy to host all of us here.