We’re Snow-birding

Like any sane bird, we are flying away from the cold. When the north turns wet and gray it’s time to change venues to the south, where it’s supposed to be dry and sunny. We have “flown” away in an effort to find dry and sunny. So far it’s iffy. The drive down here was dry and gray. I hope we’ll find sunshine. In the meantime, we’re in the RV, our 3^rd house, and that’s always fun. The RV is our freedom machine! And we are now escaping the cold winter of north with the warmer winter of the south.

As you can see there are blossoms blooming and there is a bit of spring in the air.

Early Spring

In Northern CA we get 2 Spring seasons. The Early Spring is just ending. The almond trees are in bloom and a few flowers are testing the air. I even have a dozen daffodils brave enough to show their pretty heads. Because we've had a lot of rain, the fields are green. This part of the state is looking pretty right now.

A set of storms is predicted for the next several days and the flowers will fade. ... then in about a month we'll have Spring at the normal time.

Chinese New Year

It's the Year of the Tiger. According to Wikipedia, Tiger People are "Unpredictable, rebellious, colorful, powerful, passionate, daring, impulsive, vigorous, stimulating, sincere, affectionate, humanitarian, generous. Can be cold, restless, reckless, impatient, quick-tempered, obstinate, ruthless, selfish, aggressive, unpredictable, moody." 

The Chinese Zodiac has 12 signs, much like the Western Zodiac...but the Chinese Zodiac is based on a solar calendar. So instead of monthly horoscopes with names like Gemini or Taurus, there is a yearly horoscope with names like Rabbit and Boar..and this is the Year of the Tiger. For folks who are experts in both Zodiacs, please forgive my oversimplification.

Recently, we were treated to several Chinese New Year Celebrations from Hong Kong to Singapore to Vietnam and Japan. The streets in Singapore's China Town were decked out with beautiful cherry blossoms which were quite impressive. We tried to figure out how they got all those trees to blossom at exactly the same time...and upon careful inspection, we discovered that all the blooms were silk.

At Harbour City in Hong Kong we were treated to these Tiger Babies, perhaps the cutest display of all.

More Pix

I've been remiss at putting together a gallery of selected pictures, but I have put up the PowerPoint presentation that I gave on the ship. If you are interested in more pictures from Bangkok to Shanghai, click here. I hope to have a Gallery of selected pictures soon...as soon as the jet-lag is gone. It's been bad this time around. Both of us are still groggy and living in some sort of limbo time zone.

As a hand holder, here are 2 pictures of pretty bugs. For some reason, I like to take pictures of pretty bugs. The bee above was captured at the Chaing Kai-Shek Memorial at Taipei. The jeweled spider below, was taken at the Orchid Gardens in Singapore. The spider had a 2 inch or more leg span. It's pretty, but something I don't like to encounter in my day to day life!

Random Pictures from the Last Month

This is the warning you get when you enter Singapore...

they are not lenient when it comes to drugs.

The Opera House and the Merlion, in Singapore

Fish splashing in the Chao Prahya River in Bangkok

A Rubber Plantation in Ko Samui, Thailand

The ships outside of Singapore

The Honor Guard at the National Memorial in Taiwan

The Chaing Kai-Shek Memorial in Taipei

Hong Kong at Night

Traditional Fishing Boat in Vietnam

Meeting Nan and her Family in Narita

Meeting Alan in Shanghai

Jet Lag

I’m not sure, but I think it’s a disease…especially if you divide the word  into syllables: dis-ease. We are not at ease! Both of us are suffering from a good case of jet lag. Getting up at normal hours is difficult. Going to bed at normal hours is difficult. We have no idea what time our bodies are on, but we do know they are not on “local time.” Come to think of it…what is local time? (I won’t go there.)

There’s a ton of stuff to do and it’s getting done one small step at a time. I finally put the suitcases away this morning, 2 days after arriving home. The laundry is in the laundry room—it’s started, but who knows when we’ll have the energy to finish it. Like I say, jet lag is a dis-ease!

So while the rest of the world is rooting for either the Colts or the Saints in the SuperBowl, we’re rooting for staying awake long enough to see the game. If we are awake to see the end of it, we’ll be lucky!

Jet lag is one of the prices of travel. It’s not going to stop me from traveling; I just need to be more aware to put a few days of “down time” in my schedule after returning from such a long trip. To that end I have a 9:30 appointment tomorrow. I will make it! I will! I will!

In Japan for 3 hours

The cruise has ended. We are now in the Red Carpet Lounge at Narita Airport. Next stop is San Francisco where we will land 3 hours after we departed. It gets confusing when you cross the dateline!

This lounge is primo! Lots of room, comfy chairs, free wifi, food, and quiet, relaxing surroundings. (Denver, take heed...this is the way RCLs are supposed to be!) I'm grading a few papers for my class and then I think I'll try to take a nap before we cross the Pacific. As I look around the lounge, there's a sea of computers in front of me...makes me wonder how folks travel without a computer?

My sister said to be ready for cold. When we left Bangkok at 6:35 this morning, it was already 75 degrees. It looks like it will be rainy and 50 in San Francisco.