Ofrendas from Dia de las Muertos and Fish out of Water (Gyotaku)

The Desert Botanical Garden will be celebrating Dia de las Muertas this week with a special dinner on Friday evening and events on Saturday and Sunday Nov. 1 and 2.  One of the traditions is to create Ofrendas - offerings to remember those who have died.  These have been open since Oct. 24 in Webster House.

Outside, there was one Ofrenda that was still being constructed.

A second exhibit at the DBG is Fish out of Water.   Dr. Joe McAuliffe, DBG Driector of Research, Conservation and Collections, does gyotaku - this is the Japanese art form where you brush ink on the skin of a fish and then use that to create prints.  Here are some of his works on display.

Two weeks back in the USA Oct. 15 - 28

After returning to the USA, the biggest issue I had was dealing with the nine hours time difference.  It took me much longer than on past trips - I must be getting older.

After taking it easy at home for a couple of days, I drove to Tucson on Friday Oct. 17 and gave three units of platelets at the Red Cross Blood Center.  Then on to Sierra Vista for class Friday evening and Saturday.  Saturday afternoon was the long drive back to Phoenix.

Monday, I had an appointment at Arcadia Family Medicine.  I decided to walk the 3.2 miles there - it took less than an hour.  On the way, my path followed the Grand Canal and I came across this group of ducks swimming in the canal.

I also came across some nice Teddy Bear Chollas in front of a business - that is my shadow in the photo (don't know how I missed seeing that when taking the photo).

On the way back, I came across several businesses that have their signs in Spanish.  I posted a copy of this photo on Facebook for my Spanish friends.

On Tuesday, I did my usual day at the Desert Botanical Garden and my assignment was the cactus station.

Our washing machine started sounding like a B-52 on takeoff.  So we ordered a new one from Lowes and had it delivered.  It is very high tech, including a place where you can call the manufacturer and hold your cell phone next to the machine so that they can remotely diagnose your problem via your phone.

On Thursday, Oct. 23, Patty and I flew via Denver to Seattle.  Getting a one way rental from there was less than half what it would cost from Portland.  We drove the three hours to Portland and had a nice dinner with Ben and Martha.  We then loaded Shadow into the car and took a short drive to Tualatin OR for the night.  On Friday, we drove south to Corning CA.  Mr. Shadow had the chance to exercise along the way.

On Saturday, we drove on to Pasadena CA.  On the way, we passed both Mt. Shasta and Lake Shasta - the lake level is very, very low due to the continuing drought.  The 14,000+ foot high mountain was quite beautiful.

That is not a blur or a cloud - that was some of the snow blowing on the mountain

We came across an exit for Liberal Avenue and Patty used my phone to take a photo of it while we were driving - you have to look closely to see the sign.

About an hour north of Pasadena on I-5, we stopped at Vista del Lago visitor center.  It overlooks Pyramid Lake and is a really nice museum showing how water is moved from Northern CA to Los Angeles and surrounding areas.

On Sunday, we drove east from Pasadena to Phoenix.  This included going through the San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm that has more than 4,000 windmills.  We also stopped at a very nice rest area.

On Tuesday, Oct. 28, we had our monthly pot luck lunch for the Tuesday docents.  I made the eight layer salad and dressing from my sister Helen's recipe - everyone raved about it.  The table was decorated with a Halloween theme and a good time was had by all.  We had a guest speaker tell about the new system for signs they are now using for the 50,000 plus plants at the Desert Botanical Garden.

Oct. 13 was my last day in Munich and now back in the USA

Monday was a grey, cool day.  Around doing class work and a conference call, I went on several walks around the neighborhood.  The area where I am staying is between the large Ludwig Maximilian University (45,000 students) and the smaller Munich Technical University (32,000 students) - so there are many places to eat and drink, many fine old and new university buildings.  One walk I did was to the Alter Botanischer Garten.  The new Botanical Garden opened in 1914, so the old garden is now just a lovely park with a real nice cafe and beer garden.

As I walked around for my last day, I saw some interesting signs.  This is not a bar with warm nudes, it is an Asian restaurant which sells many varieties of noodles.

No spiders here, just a nice cafe.

This was not a place for sex change operations, just a nice clothing store.

And this saguaro and Mexican restaurant are just a little out of place - must be the international students that go here.

And so my four week trip has ended and I am at the airport in Chicago, waiting to get back to Phoenix.  It has been a good trip.  Life is good!

Munich on Sunday Oct. 12

I had a nice relaxing day on Sunday.  After some class work online, I went out for a nice breakfast of a spinach and cheese omelet, coffee and fresh squeezed juice.  I was able to continue to read "Team of Rivals" while eating.

After breakfast, I decided to go to the Deutsches Museum.  Before heading out, I noticed that even though this is a very upscale area with large roof top gardens on balconies and two floors of below ground parking, people still walk a lot, use public transit - and use lots of bicycles.  The next two photos are inside the gated community and the third is just outside the gate.

I headed off to the museum.  Google maps told me it was a 45 minute walk.  My route took me through some very nice pedestrian streets with lots of shops and restaurants, and across numerous plazas.

While I had seen some signs about the Munich Marathon, it was not until I went to cross Odeonplatz and Marionplatz that I realized today was the day.

I continued on and arrived at the museum around 10:00.  It is in the city in a beautiful area.

This is comparable (probably even exceeds) the Smithsonian Museums in Washington DC.  There are some 50 sections in the main museum, plus two other large facilities (one for ground transportation and one for air transportation) outside of Munich and a branch in Bonn.  I only had energy to visit a few of the sections.  First was the mariners sections which included several full size boats.

Then the oil and gas section.  I took a photo of one of the seismology signs for my seismologist friend Richard from Madrid.

One section I remembered from my visit in 1968 was the mines.  They have models as well as a life size set of mines for visitors to explore.

The German coal industry has shrunk from 600,000 workers in 1950 to less than 50,000 by 2002 and fewer still today.

After going through the mines, I went back to the start to get this warning that there are 214 steps in just that exhibit and that you cover 700 meters - nearly half a mile.

The machinery exhibit had things such as this large precision steam engine.

The ecology section had exhibits about overpopulation, ozone depletion, the need to recycle and reuse, overfishing of the oceans and many more issues.

One of the futuristic exhibits is all about nano-technology and biotechnology.

The Max Planck Society is a science organization that constantly looks to the future.

There was a model of a power plant that generates energy from the movement of ocean waves.

One of the subsidiary museums is a large aviation museum outside of Munich.  Nonetheless, they had a cross section of a large international jet and numerous planes, both old and new.

There is a bi-plane build by the Wright Brothers in 1909.

I visited the pharmacy section.

This museum is amazing - there is more science and engineering than you can imagine.

After three hours, I was worn out, so I headed back to my lodging.  Coming out of the museum, I was confronted by the Munich marathon on the street that leads into the museum.

After a pleasant 45 minute walk to the neighborhood where I am staying, I stopped for a lunch of beer and pizza.  After lunch, I headed back to the condo and just had to take a picture of this sign from a store out in front of this development.  Suckfüll sells small household appliances, including small and large vacuums - maybe that is where the name comes from.

And now I am back in my room, taking it easy for the rest of the day.