Back To Kodiak - At Last!!!!

Hey Gang, we're finally ... make that FINALLY!!!!! ... back on the road.  We're headed West again for another trip to beautiful Alaska and yet another High School graduation.  Yep, our Great-Nephew Morgan is finishing his high school career at Kodiak High and we promised him we would be there for the big event.  For those of you who have been traveling with us for a while, you will recall our posts from Kodiak when our great-niece Madison graduated.  Well - this promises to be an equally momentous event.  I promise we will give you some breathtaking photos of our 49th state and some from the trip out and back - but - we'll start with a short warm-up post.

This trip began in a rather unusual (for us) place - Atlanta.  Our niece in Kodiak figured out how we could use some of her "trip credits" and the best deal was from the "Big A."  It also gave us a chance to go through Anderson, S.C. on the way and take care of some of our responsibilities up there.  It was a (thankfully) uneventful trip and we made it to Atlanta smack in the middle of rush hour.  Our home for the night was the La Quinta Inn on Massachusetts Blvd. because it gave us the opportunity to leave our car during our trip and to have a place to sleep on our return.  (Best laid plans ... etc.  more to come!!)  Those of you who have been along on our journeys for a long time might remember that during my working life I traveled to Atlanta very frequently - several times a month - for many years.  Well - I've gotta tell you, the changes in the skyline and the different parts of the city were simply stunning!!  After joining a few hundred thousand of our nearest and dearest friends on the way to our hotel we settled in to a really beautiful room and had a leisurely - and great - meal at "Ruby Tuesday's" just around the corner.

This will be a short post because we want to get right into the beauty of Alaska and the hospitality of the folks in America's "Last Frontier."  But - a couple of notes before we start - including some info about a truly fantastic airline - Alaska Airways.  We have flown on Alaska a number of times but this trip highlighted just how superior the airline is to others we have flown countless times in the past.  I won't go into a lot of details (unless you ask) but we had a good bit of interaction with Delta (one of our past favorites), American (yes, we are AAdvantage members!!), United and others and Alaska Airlines simply smoked them all when it came to responsiveness, customer relations and technology.  Beginning with the web site and the app, Alaska Airlines introduced us to a bunch of new conveniences.  We booked our flight, downloaded our boarding passes (to both our iPhones and our printer) and - even printed off our baggage tags that would ultimately be housed in a really neat bag tag provided by the airline.  It was a really great way to start the trip - particularly since the TSA has made air travel about as difficult as it can be and these steps gave us a great head-start on the lines.  The photo to the left shows one of the lines into the security check-point but, believe me, it was not the longest line.  Fortunately for us, we had expedited screening in Atlanta so we were able to get through the check-point in less than thirty minutes.  It didn't start out that way, however.  When we first got there we checked in at the Delta counter.  (That was where we had been told to drop off our bags.  WRONG!!!)  The Delta folks did not have a clue about the pre-printed bag tags and were totally befuddled when we tried to talk to them about it.  Fortunately, Linda suggested that we check with an 'actual' Alaska Airways desk and they got us on the right track immediately.  The entire journey to Alaska was highlighted by extraordinary customer services by the Alaska Air folks and it was a true pleasure flying with them.  We got into the air on time and were soon winging our way westward.  It seemed like no time before we were in Seattle and, then, on to Anchorage.  I know I'm skipping over thousands of miles and hours of travel time but I don't want to bore you with a bunch of details - even though it is absolutely fascinating to us!!!!  The Seattle airport is truly mesmerizing in terms of activity, architectural detail and shopping opportunities.  We took the time to get a bite to eat before heading for the flight to Anchorage and, as always, the "people-watching" was extraordinary.  Arriving in Alaska was - as always - exciting and after a brief stopover we were back in the air and heading for Kodiak.  Thanks to the miracle of instant communications brought about by the smart-phone phenomenon our niece was fully aware of our travel status.  (That was another of the amazing things about Alaska Airways we came to enjoy and rely on - the phenomenal "App" that gave us instant access to every aspect of our travel plan.)  Consequently, she - and her sister - were waiting for us when the plane touched down and in minutes we were jumping off of Airport Way onto West Rezanof Drive and headed into Kodiak.  After a short drive we were approaching our niece's home and were overwhelmed by the feelings of "homecoming" we had on looking at their beautiful house and the exquisite scenery surrounding it.  Although it was quite cool (to our deep-south skins) the weather was absolutely delightful and the flowers that were out in abundance made it clear that spring/summer had arrived - even in the far north.  Our welcome to Kodiak was just great but we were quickly reminded that there was a lot of work to do in preparation for the graduation activities and that this was going to be a busy few days!!!  I can hardly wait to introduce (or re-introduce some of you) to the amazing and personable people who live on this remarkable island.  The days promised to be absolutely chock-full of new and exciting adventures as well as long awaited visits with our beautiful family.  It was so fantastic to be here folks.  We will be back with the opening days of our visit and I think you will enjoy them as we did.  See ya.

Sylvan Falls - Beautiful In Every Way

Mike and Linda Johnson

Let's talk about time and words gang.  For openers, let's throw out "Fifty Two" and then, for the word let's try "Sylvan."   So, here it is ... For fifty two years Linda and I have been hanging out together and April 10th was the anniversary of the start of our journey.  We have had a lot of fun during all that time and we're planning for it to continue for quite a while.  One of the things that has made those years go by so swiftly is the fact that we have had so many great adventures and we have met an incredible array of fascinating folks.  We've been in some really spooky places but, also, in some of the most spectacular and/or   romantic venues on the  planet.  And ... it seemed only fitting that we should spend our anniversary at a cool place - one that had a lot of meaning for us.  Now both of us love traveling in the mountains and one area we have been wanting to visit is Northeast Georgia.  So I decided to do some investigating to see what looked interesting and possible on short notice.  Believe me, folks, there is a lot going on during springtime in the southern mountains and we found that Rabun County in the Northeast corner of the Peach State was definitely no exception.  It looked like the perfect location for some "senior exploration" so I started looking at possible lodging sites.  Purely by accident we ran across the web site for a really unique place - the "Sylvan Falls Mill and Bed & Breakfast.  The information on the site was certainly intriguing (check it out, you'll see what I mean.).  Of course you see the name "Sylvan" associated with lots of stuff and it is understood to refer to peaceful woods and glades.  The term originated with the ancient Roman god Silvanus who was considered to be the patron and protector of forests and their inhabitants as well as the one who watched over farmers and their flocks.  Hey - what more could you ask for in a namesake - or a B&B.  So we decided to try it.  It was a very fortunate choice.   Nestled on the side of Black Rock Mountain just above the lush Wolffork Valley, the Sylvan Falls Mill and Bed and Breakfast is the home of Mike and Linda Johnson and they have chosen to share their place and their talents with a small group of guests each day.  The Bed and Breakfast has four spacious rooms with enough flexibility to accommodate just about any family.  Their hospitality is remarkable and they are tremendously gracious hosts.  Originally from Philadelphia and Boston respectively, Linda and Mike have extensive experience in the hospitality industry but, in the milling business ... not so much.  But - they learned well!!!!  When they decided to go into business at Sylvan Falls they accepted the responsibility of continuing a tradition that began way back in 1840.  They now operate an actively producing grist mill, powered by an ancient overshot waterwheel, and expertly mill flour of many kinds, corn meal of varying texture and stone ground grits that are really spectacular.  They provide milling services for a number of local farmers and bread and other baked goods to local restaurants and gift shops.  One of their customers is the upscale restaurant "Fortify" in downtown Dalton and we can testify from first hand experience - the food is outstanding.  The "Grits Bowl" is a wildly different variation of one of my favorites, "Shrimp and Grits" but has a remarkable combination of seafood, poultry and greens along with the wonderful Sylvan Falls grits.  It would take far too long to list all of Mike and Linda's talents and accomplishments but I can assure you, they are many.  I included a photo of my Linda and Linda Johnson standing in their den and if you look behind them you will see a "Traveling Harp and a Hammered Dulcimer" which they occasionally play to the delight of their guests.  By the way ... for those of you who aren't familiar with the instrument, the hammered dulcimer has an exquisitely beautiful musical sound and requires a highly delicate touch.  Keep that in mind when I tell you it is played by Mike who is a highly skilled hockey player!!!  There is also a Grand Piano in the den if you'd like to join in.  You will see by the eclectic array of items that decorate the inside dining room and the porch dining area that their interests encompass art in many forms, music, athletics, literature and culinary arts.  They are dedicated to the principles of healthy food, environmentally sensitive energy usage and sincere concern for the earth and they capably show you that it can be done without sacrificing taste, comfort or fun.  Located not far from the tiny town of Mountain City and between the larger locations of Clayton and Dillard, Sylvan Falls Mill is only a hop, skip and jump from the Tennessee border and equally close to South Carolina.  It is a perfect place for virtually any kind of recreational activity, cultural experience or historical adventure you could hope for.  And for those of you who are so inclined ... there is plenty of shopping in the area.  The scenery in every direction is truly breathtaking so don't forget to bring your camera or sketch pad.  Please do yourself a favor and visit the Johnsons if you happen to be in the Rabun Gap neighborhood.  I guarantee you wont be disappointed.  We did some other "off-road" exploring on this trip and I think you will find some of the sites we found interesting.  We included a photo of one of the spots we visited - Tallulah Gorge - so come on back and join us for that part of the adventure too.  See ya.

Yes .... we're still here!!!

Hi Gang !!   In case you were wondering where we had gotten to ... let me do some 'splaining.  First, though, let me say thank you to all of the folks who have continued to check in on us here at SCTravelersX3.  Your presence has been felt and has helped us get through some rather trying times for all of us.  Going back about sixteen months, the death of my brother, David, really set me back in many, many ways.  He was a huge part of my life - and the life of our family - but, moreover, he was our strong presence in all of the things necessary to take care of my mother in her Independent Living home.  As David's representative there were countless things I had to do to settle his affairs and, subsequently, we had to come up with a new plan for dealing with our obligations in Anderson.  Sooooo .... over the last year or so we have had to deal with disposition of a lot of personal property, real estate, automobiles, a lifetime of tools, thousands (literally) of cameras, finding new homes for three cats, and, ultimately, new arrangements for the care of my mother.  Yeah, I know .... it is stuff many of you have had to do yourselves - but - it was a new and daunting experience for me.  But - with the support and assistance of my wonderful family, my spectacular friends and the friends of my brother and my mother we have managed to complete all of the steps necessary to move ahead with this new chapter of our lives.  I have learned how to do a lot of things I didn't know much about - but - more importantly, I have learned how not to do some things I thought I understood.  One of the many lessons I have learned is - we all have too much stuff.  Now I'm not a "minimalist" or anything but I'm a long way from being a "hoarder".  Still, having to arrange for disposition of what amounted to about 255 years worth of stuff  (the combined ages of my mother, my step-father and my brother) was absolutely stunning.  Please, folks, do yourself - and more importantly, those whom you love - a favor and make some good arrangements for what is to be done with "your stuff" if anything should happen to you.  You might not think your personal possessions amount to that much but, believe me, when you start dealing with them one item at a time you will be absolutely shocked to find out what you have accumulated.  This post won't deal extensively with the issue of how to manage your possessions - it is simply an explanation that our time has been consumed by the things necessary to deal with disposition of several "lifetimes-worth" of accumulated possessions.  And ... to let you know that we have reached a point where a lot of the things we have had to deal with are behind us and we will be moving ahead to re-capture our lives.  That means .... ta da ...... that we will be hitting the road again pretty soon and we will take you to some outstanding places to visit here in South Carolina and throughout this magnificent country of ours.  Thank you again for sticking with us.  I'm pretty sure the wait will be worth it and that you will really enjoy the new places we will explore and the things we will learn.  See ya .... SOON!!!

LIBERTÉ ÉGALITÉ FRATERNITÉ

 

 The French motto, Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité, sets forth the things the French people said would be core values governing their interaction as a population and their relationships with their government.  It was developed early in the revolutionary events that formed modern day French society and was formally adopted during the "Third Republic".  Throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, France continued evolving as a unique nation devoted to individual freedom.  Despite the horrendous oppression suffered under the Nazi occupation, the spirit expressed in the motto was never vanquished and when the French Constitution was   modified in 1958 the motto again served as the foundation.  It is that spirit that rose to the forefront last Friday when the country experienced a terrible, cowardly assault by childish, ignorant barbarians living under the delusion that their brutal mindless acts could influence the behavior of a civilized people.  Those misguided stooges of puppet-masters operating in the Middle East have been brainwashed to believe that a religious philosophy espousing murder and savagery could justify absolutely inhuman acts.  We will not attempt to debate theology here but there can be absolutely no question that actions such as those committed Friday evening are anathema to every fiber of nature and could not be sanctioned by any legitimate diety.

To my Muslim friends, the world has not forsaken you.  We are still children of the book, children of God, people who believe in purity, sanctity, love, sisterhood and brotherhood.  You must condemn the acts of those who would pervert the name and spirit of religion by claiming that their actions are justified by Allah.  They absolutely are not.  No God would condone them.  It is time for our world to come together in the same spirit expressed by the French motto if we are to survive as a species.

Our thoughts and prayers will be with our French sisters and brothers as we move ahead in our quest for peace in this world.  They will also be with our brothers and sisters around the world who have suffered - and are suffering - at the hands of these sub-human savages.  To our Christian brothers and sisters - we stand side-by-side with you and will never, ever forsake you or abandon our mission of love.  It is time for the world to take a stand against this cancer on the people of earth. 

The Healing Mandala

Sorry to have been gone so long, gang, there has been a lot going on.  As some of you know, our area of South Carolina suffered devastating flooding over the course of about two weeks and it will be years before a full recovery is final.  A number of our friends were badly affected by the flooding and we have been trying to offer assistance to our community where we could.  The way the people of South Carolina have handled this catastrophe has been truly remarkable and I am extremely proud of our state.   Unfortunately, across our state, our country and the world we have seen an increase in acts of senseless, brutal violence.  Some has been related to simple crime, some to poverty, some to persecution, some to political objectives and some to religious ideas.  Whatever the reason, in my opinion there is absolutely no justification for outright savagery and those who engage in such activity are unquestionably wrong no matter what explanations might be given.  Those of us who are saddened and outraged by the profoundly sub-human behavior we have seen have offered up our prayers for a saner, safer world.  I believe that prayers work and I do not think that they necessarily have to be of a certain content or theological orientation.  When humankind joins in solidarity in their hopes and desires, an undeniable force can be felt.  It was with that belief in mind that we recently visited a group of people attempting to bring about healing in a unique way. Buddhist Monks from the Loseling Institute, a monastic site housing 2,500 monks in Atlanta, Georgia, were in Columbia this week to pray for healing and to construct an incredible "Healing Mandala".    For those who are not familiar with mandalas, they are symbols that take varying forms and are used in awide range of philosophies and religions.  Historically, the term arose from Sanskrit, (the ancient language used in Hindu and later integrated into Buddhism) and is a symbol generally considered to represent the universe.  Use of mandalas for meditation, prayer, self-discipline and countless other practices have spread across the world and have been incorporated into virtually every religion  and into an extensive range of psychological evaluation techniques.  Like so many things, we tend to "over-complicate" in our modern societies and it is refreshing to see the approach taken by the simple but profoundly inspiring monks.  As Buddhism evolved and extended far beyond the borders of India, so, too, did the mandala.  In the mid-seventh century Buddhism came to Tibet following the conversion of the Emperor and over the next seven centuries enormous forces shaped the  development of Buddhist practices - including the development of the "sand mandala".  The center of Tibetan Buddhism, the Dreprung Monastery with it's Loseling department in Lhasa at one point housed as many as 15,000 monks.  Following the overthrow of the Tibetan government by China, the order moved to India and the Loseling Institute was formed in the United States.  I won't spend a lot of time here trying to explain all of the esoteric aspects of oriental philosophy - or how the mandala is used in meditation or "centering" but let me quickly add that the idea behind the creation of an incredibly beautiful but  exquisitely ephemeral work of art that serves as both an inspiration for positive thought and a reminder of the impermanent nature of all things is astonishingly powerful. This mandala was created at "Gallery 80808" in Columbia and was made possible by the wonderful artist Heidi Darr-Hope.  Heidi does amazing work with cancer survivors in South Carolina and throughout the country and is a truly inspiring artist.  The mandala we saw created before our eyes was a "Healing Mandala" - one of a number of designs used by the monks.  In creating one of these remarkable works   of art, the monks lay out the design using simple architectural drawing tools and white crayon pencils but the overall design is constructed from memory.  With fine grains of colored sand and other organic materials, an unbelievably beautiful work of art evolves over the course of several days.  At each step of the development process, prayers, chants and exhortations are used to firmly establish the sacred nature of this effort.  During the composition the monks constantly pray for those among whom they are working and there is a palpable sense of holiness in the area around them. At the completion of the mandala a beautiful, elaborate ceremony is held in which the forces of the universe are invoked to assist in bringing comfort to the world.  (It is of great interest to note that following the terrorist attacks on the world trade center in 2001, the Dali Lama ordered the creation of a "Healing Mandala" to bring about healing in a   world in the throes of sorrow and anguish.)  The ceremony begins with a  series of astonishing chants that seem altogether "other-worldly".  I took some videos of the ceremonies and hope to be able to refine them so I can add them here.  If I can, you will hear some of most incredible sounds that can be made by a human voice.  Although there were only two monks participating in these ceremonies, I could swear that I heard a "third" voice.  Very mysterious!  At the end of the chants the mandala is swept into a single pile and portions of the sand are distributed to those attending the ceremony.  We were fortunate to be able to get a small container-full for our son and for another friend.  The remaining sand is taken to a nearby body of water for a final ceremony.  On this occasion, we made the short trip to the Congaree River which is not far from the gallery and which has returned to it's more gentle levels after being nearly fifteen feet above flood stage only a few weeks ago.  After another series of prayers and chants, a bottle of milk is poured into the water - symbolizing the nurturing power of the earth and the universe.  Flowers are cast into the water to represent the transient beauty we experience in nature.  Finally, the remaining sand is slowly poured into the flowing water to represent the return to nature of our efforts.  The monks who brought this beautiful creation and their wonderful spirits to Columbia spoke no English but were quite comfortable among the exceptionally diverse group of people who came to see them work.  They were very considerate of everyone but, especially attentive to the young children.  They did not hesitate to make themselves available to the kids (and grown-ups) for "photo ops" and many took advantage of the opportunity. I was glad to be able to get a photo of Linda with one of the monks - although she will probably fuss at me for the candid shot.  This was an incredible experience for a number of reasons.  It was really heartwarming to see so many people interested in the work of these talented and humble people and for them to come together to appreciate and honor these gentle souls.  The artwork was truly amazing and if you ever have the opportunity to see a mandala being created I hope you will take advantage of it.  You will not be sorry.  Finally, their message was inspiring and reaffirming.  While the impermanence of life, art and nature was underscored we were reminded of the redemptive power by which we are surrounded.  I'll get the video added soon but I don't want to delay putting the post out.  See ya.

The Tears of God

Well folks, the East Coast of our country has seen unprecedented levels of rain in the last few days and it promises to continue for several more.  According to the weather prognosticators, we “dodged a bullet” when Hurricane Joaquin decided to stay away from the U.S. and head toward the Northern part of the Atlantic.  But, hey … I’m kinda thinking the meteorological phenomena might be related.  After some of the things that have happened in the United States and across the globe this week, I have come to believe that all this precipitation is actually tears being shed by God as he looks down on how His children have managed to screw things up.  And Joaquin …. I’m thinking that even hurricanes have good sense on occasion and good sense would dictate that any self-respecting hurricane would give this country a wide berth in recent days.  But, what does it all mean?  What kind of people are we?  Is there something fundamentally wrong here?  Well, as to the first two questions I can’t answer that for you.  But as to the last one, I believe I can speak to that based on what I have seen, experienced, read, thought and prayed about and what is absolutely evident in the writings – media and journalistic – about our culture.  The simple fact is that this is an almost inevitable outcome of the social directions we have followed in the last few decades.  Since the 1960s many people who were erroneously considered to be intellectuals and learned thinkers have promulgated the idea that our only allegiance should be to ourselves; that we should pursue our own aggrandizement regardless of the impact it might have on others.  We have ridiculed the idea of ethics – ethical behavior – and have steadfastly maintained that we should not criticize the behavior of others even if it was anti-social, misogynistic, self-centered or crude because it would be “politically incorrect”.  We allowed our educational systems to become so committed to the idea that “everyone should win” rather than emphasizing that hard work, intelligence, self-sufficiency and pride should be the prevailing values – that we have produced several generations of citizens who have no idea what the real world is all about.  We have created narcissistic, greedy, callous people who simply don’t have the capacity to understand the importance of civil behavior.  And, lest you think I’m simply blasting the United States, let me assure you that this epidemic is world-wide.  Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America, Australia, the Pacific Islands … no one is exempt.  We just got it wrong, folks.  And one of the most pronounced trends over the last fifty years has been the degradation of religion and moral standards.  Now, if you happen to be one who is agnostic or “non-religious”, don’t get your feathers all ruffled and call me an anachronistic relic and give me some secularist philosophy.  You will be wrong in the most profound way.  Here is the truth.  If we are not able to exercise self-restraint; if we are not able to look beyond ourselves and to ascribe value to others – even when we are not alike in race, philosophy, gender, nationality or presence – we are on a path of absolute destruction as surely as if we were lighting the fuse to a nuclear bomb in our very midst.  We have to re-establish the sanctity of marriage and re-institute “family values” as our guiding light.  We have to reinstate the teaching of respect, self-reliance, industriousness, dignity and ethical behavior and we absolutely must teach parents-to-be that theirs is one of the most crucial roles in the human race.  Listen to me folks!!  We cannot sustain this nihilistic, hedonistic, arrogant course we are on.  Stop it now!!  If you don’t know how to start, write me back – I’ll help.  If you are floundering – I’d suggest you go to a church, synagogue, Buddhist, Shinto or Hindu temple .  I intentionally did not say mosque because I do not think the behavior promoted by Islam is consistent with a future of peace and harmony.  If I stepped on any toes, that’s too bad.  I’m just telling you what we have come to in this world and how truly sad I am about our failings.  We have the capacity to recover and to bring about a world in which we can live together successfully but only if we are willing to examine our own views, beliefs and principles and make the supreme effort to figure out what is truly “right”.  Hang in there – we’ll make it!!