California Highway 1 Expedition

CALIFORNIA CRUISING!!! I took this photo while riding in the front seat of Cousin Kathy's car, as we followed Cousin Linda in front of us, along the Sonoma County section of California Highway One. I know the car in front of me is my cousin's, because it has her name on the license plate. What I don't know, is how she can be going down this hill, pointed straight toward the Pacific Ocean, and not have her brakes on (as indicated by no brake lights shining!) It is not because the brake lights were not working, because just seconds before the turn, I have another photo of her car, where the brake lights are shining brightly, as she decided to go left, instead of straight! I was very thankful to be in the front seat for this long-awaited drive, because California Highway 1 is also known as "Dramamine Drive". I soon understood why! Our caravan was not the only group on the road that day. There was also a huge caravan---complete with eighteen-wheeler trucks, catering trucks, police escorts, food catering vehicles, roof-mounted movie cameras, and "gawkers" like us, wondering what they were filming. A very kind man with the group, explained that they were filming a commercial for the Hyundai Sonata car, that would be televised in South Korea. The man said they were trying to get a mental association of the "California lifestyle" and the Sonata car, in the subliminal mind of potential customers in South Korea. And who can blame them?? It is a gorgeous location to film anything, including a commerical for an automobile!!

One of the many good parts of the drive along California Highway 1, as it climbs up, down, and around bluffs above the sea, is getting to see the beautiful wildflowers in bloom along the route. The ones in this photo collage are just a sampling of ones that we DO NOT have blooming along the roadsides, that make similar twists and turns, where I live in the Ozark Mountains.

This is a collage of just a few of the pastoral scenes that our group of ladies enjoyed as we cruised along California Highway 1. Our eyes feasted on coastal mountains, agricultural lands, and great ocean views as we drove this famous highway, that hugs the shoreline and winds sharply around headlands high above the Pacific Ocean. I was quite amazed when I felt a loud rumble beneath the car, as we went over cattle guards in the highway, in this section of road. Shortly after going over the cattle guards, sure enough, there were cows on, and alongside, the highway. I suppose the official orange highway sign, warning of cows ahead, could also be taken as a "wake up call" for anyone crazy enough, to not be totally alert when driving this particular highway. Alertness is especially important because of the frequent closing of one lane of the road while road slides are being repaired by storms that regularly hit the coast.

California Highway 1 has had many names since construction of it was first begun in the early part of the twentieth century. Would you believe its first name included the word "Legislature" in it??!! Today, California Highway 1 is so popular, and so iconic, that it has been designated an "All-American Road", which, indeed, it is. Since it is a "path for cars", alongside the beautiful west coast of North America, and since it fills its travelers with joy, I think the verse from Acts 2:28 is an appropriate way to end this little story about this expedition: "You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence. " Miles of smiles! Tricia

Movie Location Expedition-Bodega Bay

Folks who are as old as me, or perhaps younger generation aficionados of Alfred Hitchcock (the "Master of Suspense") movies, may recognize this building as the school that was shown in his 1963 classic movie, The Birds. As you may recall, the movie setting is the bucolic seaside village of Bodega Bay, along the California coast. The movie starts with just a single seagull attacking the female star of the movie. Unfortunately, it is the first of a series of attacks on humans, as the birds, rather than people, become the chief inhabitants of the village.

The building was originally called The Potter School, and it was constructed in 1870. It is not open to the public, and based on the fence around it (as well as the dog who was guarding the property) visitors are not exactly encouraged to stop for a look inside.

Adjacent to the Potter School, is St. Teresa's Church. It is even older than the school, as it was built in 1859, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings. It too, is shown in several scenes from the The Birds movie. Apparently, they are still having unwanted intrusions from non-human species, as a Pest Control worker was there the day I visited, and was going around the grounds of the building administering "deterrents" to such unwanted parishioners. Both of these structures are in the town of Bodega, California, which is a separate little village a few miles inland from Bodega Bay, California.

As you might expect, souvenirs are available to purchase as "proof" of visiting the location. My cousin had a Bodega Bay (The Birds) sweat shirt (middle left photo), and the house we rented had an official "Birds Movie Barbie Doll" in the bookcase, based on the iconic lime green suit the female star of the movie wore throughout the shooting. (That is because she had made the 2 hour drive from San Francisco to Bodega Bay, without the intention of spending the night. However, she was required to stay overnight after being injured in the seagull attack.) The "Birds Barbie Doll" was manufactured to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the acclaimed film. I thought the "Birds Barbie Doll", with her lime green suit, was a great visual aid to remind my Keeling cousins of the fact that the now-familiar green suit, had been designed by a "sprout" from our very own family tree! Famed Hollywood costume designer, Rita Riggs, also had roots in Lead Hill, Arkansas. She speaks of this, as well as the fact that her mother's maiden name was Keeling, in an interview that you can watch at www.emmytvlegends.org . The first time I ever heard of Rita Riggs, was when the show credits were running for the popular TV sitcom of the 1960's, All In The Family. A week did not go by of watching the show, that my mother did not point out the name "Rita Riggs - Costume Designer" when the show credits scrolled, at the end of each program. Although I was not present at the time, I am told she actually came back to the Lead Hill area for a family reunion several years ago. The bottom photo of the collage shows a picture I took of the DVD cover when I rented the movie shortly before making the trip to Bodega Bay. Although I saw the movie when it came out in the 1960's, I had not seen it again since then, so I wanted a "refresher" course before actually going to the set location. It was definitely suspenseful, especially the parts showing the mangled, dead, and bloody body of a farmer who had been attacked by the birds. One can't help but think of the phrase in Revelation 19:21b, that says "....and all the birds gorged themselves on their (the humans) flesh." The "extras" you get when you watch the DVD tells that, a short time before the script was written, there actually had been some cases reported in the local newspapers of birds attacking humans. It was when watching the "extras" with the DVD that I learned that my distant cousin, Rita Riggs, had been the costume designer for The Birds movie, plus LOTS of other interesting tidbits about how the scenes were filmed, long before the era of digital special effects. If you would like to learn more about the movie, or the area in general, visit www.BodegaBay.com for info and links to additional points of interest. SOOooooo, how about a little "bird watching expedition" now???? Miles of smiles!! Tricia

California's Kruse Rhododendron Reserve

Yet another lovely place the "Keeling Kids" visited last week was the Kruse Rhododendron State Reserve. It is called "Kruse" because a Mr. Kruse donated the land in 1933 to the state of California. The area is now maintained by the California Department of Parks and Recreation, and you can learn more about the reserve on their website at http://www.parks.ca.gov/ . It contains second growth redwood, Douglas fir, tan oaks, and of course, rhododendrons. Our group is shown as we start out on one of the scenic hiking trails.

It was high noon when we arrived at the Rhododendron Reserve, and that means LUNCH! to the Keeling Klan. The forest provided a gorgeous, lovely area for us to spread out our picnic supplies, and enjoy some nourishment, before we started off for our trek through the woods.

This photo shows Martha, Brenda, Debbie, and Frankie enjoying their lunch in the shade of some very tall trees that inhabit the area. I read that the park service has to do a moderate amount of pruning of these trees in order to facilitate growth of the desired species. Apparently, the reason there is a wealth of rhododendron at this location is because of the direct result of normal plant succession patterns following a severe fire that occurred here some time ago.

Within the 317 acre reserve, there are 4 miles of hiking trails, and these trails will enable one to see a multitude of plant species---mosses, ferns, sorrel, and other forest undergrowth.. The photo on the right shows Cousin Debbie pointing to one of the pink rhododendron blossoms that occur in bushes up to 14 feet tall---much taller than I am! The photo on the left shows me studying one of the navigational signs along the trail. I find it helpful to take a photo of the directional signs when I am hiking, so if I get lost, I can look at the photos in my camera, to help me find my way back! When I read about the constant work that has to be done to maintain this picturesque place, as well as the fire that destroyed it, it brought to mind how "temporary" life on earth is. But the next thought it brought to my mind was the verse used by the Gideon Bible Society (http://www.gideons.org/) to explain why the Gideon organization does what they do: 1 Peter 1:24-25 says "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever." That is one of the reasons I like to give Gideon Bibles as memorial gifts, rather than flowers that will soon be wilted. One other great thing about visiting the Kruse Reserve is that it is FREE! So you can get some exercise, see incredible scenery, and have miles of flowery smiles! Tricia

VACATION HOME (RENTAL!) EXPEDITION

For several years I have heard my California cousins talk about their experiences of renting a house on the Pacific Ocean, and I knew it was something I would love to do. I had the opportunity to do just that last month, when some of my girl cousins in California planned a 5-day trip to Bodega Bay, California. This group of siblings and sibling "wannabes" has a tradition of getting together for a trip when one of them celebrates a significant life milestone. Some of their past trips have included going to LA, to be in the Tonight Show audience; going to Chicago, and being in the audience of the Oprah Show (they were there the same month that Oprah gave a new car to every audience member, but alas, it was not the day they were in attendance!) Last year, they all went to Las Vegas---I did not get to go on that trip, and I have heard very little about it---no doubt, due to the travel motto for Las Vegas! The first trip I went on with the gals was a cruise to the Mexican Riviera, and it was a WONDERFUL experience! The last trip I went on with them was to the Portland, Oregon Rose Festival. That too, was a fantastic time of estrogen-infused entertainment! In my opinion, however, my best "estrogen expedition" with these ladies was this one that centered around a Monday through Friday rental of the house pictured in this collage. It was as close to the Pacific as one can get, without actually being IN the water! The middle photo of the property shows that it sits on a narrow bluff between the famous California Highway One, and the roaring surf below. The bottom two photos show our choices for scenery: The right photo shows the magnificent green hills of Sonoma County that were visible from the kitchen corner window, and the photo on the left shows the magnificent ocean that was visible from virtually every other window in the house. As you can see, even the hot tub in the bathroom had an incredible view of the ocean coast line! Not seen in the photo, is the "throne" of that particular bathroom, that also had the same fantastic view!

Because we had incredibly good weather when we were there, we could take advantage of outdoor activities available at our doorstep. This included watching sea gulls and pelicans on the ocean side of the house (upper left photo) and wild turkeys on the side of the house looking out over the hills (upper right photo). The middle photo shows my favorite part---walking on the ocean beach below the house. (I have been a shell collector since I was ten years old!) The lower left photo shows my cousin Debbie gathering us a bouquet of calla lilies, which grow wild in the ditch lines of that area. The lower right photo shows another favorite outdoor activity---sitting on the deck and solving the world's problems as we looked at the beauty in front of us.

This photo collage shows some of the other activities we enjoyed: reading, putting together a jigsaw puzzle, playing dominoes, scrapbooking, playing cards, and CELEBRATING LIFE!! The lower right photo shows the stimulus for this years get-together: The matriarch of the family---Martha----celebrated her 70th birthday this year! She chose her favorite flavor of cake---carrot cake---for her birthday cake, and we all enjoyed joining her in celebrating another year of life.

This photo collage shows another big part of our get-together, and that was food preparation. The top left photo shows our grocery shopping expedition in Petaluma, where we ended up with two carts filled to the max, with foods that would nourish us for the next five days. My cousins had planned a menu, resplendent with "California cuisine" (note the fresh artichokes steaming in the middle photo), but also with a nod to our "Granny Keeling" who would make us "chocolate gravy" for breakfast, when we came to visit her. The lower right photo shows cousin Brenda stirring up a huge pot of this "Keeling Comfort Food", (beside Brenda, the photo shows Cousin Debbie taking the hot biscuits out of the oven) and the left middle photo shows how our Granny served this special version of Southern cuisine---over hot biscuits, with a pat of butter. Although she made her own butter (which us kids called "cow butter"), we settled for a store-bought version of the real stuff. Granny Keeling was also famous for her popcorn balls (maybe that was the start of my popcorn addiction), and cousin Debbie is becoming equally famous for her Caramel Corn, infused with sliced almonds and dried cranberries (lower left photo).

As I write this, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for God's many blessings in my life, not the least of which is a wonderful family. Likewise, I am thankful for his beautiful creation called "The Planet Earth", and for his awesome creation of the human body than enables us to see this beauty, and HEAR it as well! I echo the praise of King David in Psalm 98:7 that says "Let the sea roar, and all it fullness. . . Let the hills be joyful together before the Lord." If you would like to experience this joy in a similar location, check out http://www.coastalvistas.com/ for information on rentals and prices. Then gather up your loved ones, and experience an expedition you will never forget!! Miles of smiles! Tricia

Fort Ross Expedition

Near the town of Jenner, on California Highway 1, is Fort Ross State Historic Park. Our group visited there, and we are shown here at one of the entrances to the stockade. The place was the site of an 1812 trading post and fort established by Russian fur traders to protect their claim against the Spanish. Fort Ross was the southern-most settlement in the Russian colonization of North America, and was established as an agricultural base to supply Alaska.

This photo shows their reconstructed chapel, representing the first Russian Orthodox chapel south of Alaska. There is only one original structure on the site, and that is the Commander's House. It is listed as a National Historic Landmark. It is noteworthy, that Fort Ross was also the location of California's first windmill, and the inhabitants were also known as being skilled shipbuilders.

The historic park is a joint operation of both California state employees (shown on the left) and volunteers (shown on the right). These two were dressed in appropriate period costume in anticipation of a group of school kids who were making an overnight field trip to the fort. Outdoor cooking demonstrations were planned for them, as well as basket-making demonstrations, and talks on crop production. To find out about hours of operation and special events at the park, look for their name at the website of the California State Park system, http://www.parks.ca.gov/ .

Seeing this strong fortress, built on solid rock above the ocean, must have been what the psalm of David was referring to in chapter 31, verse 2 "...be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me." I am thankful that the people of California (along with the current-day leader of Russia), are taking steps to save Fort Ross--- this important location in our country's early history. So get out there and see it----better yet, volunteer at a state park near you, to preserve our history and land for future generations. Miles of smiles! Tricia

SOUTH DAKOTA SCULPTURE EXPEDITION!

The first time I ever had the opportunity to see the famous sculptures carved out of the side of Mount Rushmore, in South Dakota, was during a trip to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of that event. Consequently, there were SO MANY motorcyclists also visiting on that same day, it was not possible to get fully acquainted with all this fabulous attraction has to offer. However, on a more recent trip (during a less crowded time of the year), I had the opportunity to go on a hike around the base of the mountain, that was led by a park ranger, who gave lots of interesting background information about the monument. In this photo, he is shown telling our group exactly WHO these guys were that were so prominently displayed above our heads. Although it might seem obvious to us folks from the USA, some in our group were from the tiny country of Suriname in South America, and were interested to learn that the faces represented four presidents of the USA---George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. Besides some scenic hiking and walking trails around the mountain (many of which are handicap accessible), there is also a museum, a movie about the making of Mt. Rushmore, food service facilities, gigantic gift shop, picnic tables, clean restrooms, and the famous Avenue of Flags plaza adjacent to the massive visitor's center. You can make the best of your visit to Mt. Rushmore by studying their website, www.nps.gov/moru where you can get exact times for their night-time lighting ceremony of the faces, as well as dates for some spectacular fireworks, that are made all the more spectacular by using the face of the country's first president, George Washington, (and his buddies), as the backdrop for the pyrotechnic extravaganza.

Just seventeen miles from Mt. Rushmore National Park is the Crazy Horse Memorial (www.crazyhorsememorial.org). This photo shows the face of Chief Crazy Horse (completed in the 1990's), and the "chalked -in" drawings of what will be his outstretched hand, and his horse, whenever the monument is completed. Unlike Mt. Rushmore, the Crazy Horse Memorial is not a national park, and receives no federal or state funding. It was commissioned by Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear, and started by a sculptor (Ziolkowski) who had also helped with the sculpting of Mt. Rushmore. The Lakota Chief stated he wanted visitors to know that , just as the "white men" had their heroes in history, so the "red men" had their heroes. And one of these heroes was Chief Crazy Horse. However, the official website for the memorial states that although the sculpture is the focal point, their true mission is educating visitors about American Indians and their culture. Besides the carving, the attraction includes an Indian Museum of North America, and a Native American Cultural Center, a school that is affiliated with the University of South Dakota, and an awesome restaurant, with one whole side of the restaurant being a glass wall that looks out upon the mountain sculpture and surrounding landscape. From these photos, it is hard to tell the scale of either Mt. Rushmore or the Crazy Horse Memorial, so here are the actual measurements: The head of Crazy Horse is 87 feet high, whereas the heads on Mt. Rushmore are "only" 60 feet high. Although the Crazy Horse Memorial was started in 1948, there is not a "scheduled date of completion". The family of the now deceased original sculptor continues the project, with the help of on-going fundraising efforts from the private sector.

As you would assume, the plans for blasting out sections of the mountain are intricately spelled out days in advance (along with press releases of upcoming blasting dates/times), so these periodic blasting events are attended by thousands from all over. I felt very fortunate to be visiting on such a day. Although I had not read in advance of the blasting, my first clue was the numerous video cameras, TV crews, and super duper Nikon lenses all poised and ready on the observation deck, obviously waiting for something to happen. By asking around, I found out that a blast was scheduled to be held within the next few minutes!

Although some had waited for hours, I only had to wait a few minutes to see the spectacle of a huge number of near-simultaneous detonations, and a great tumbling of rocks and dust down the mountain. I tried to capture this in the smoke and dust you can see in front of the mountain, in this photograph. The rocks I saw blasted out, could then be added to the more than 8 million tons of rock that have been removed from the mountain so far!! The reason I started thinking about my experience at the Crazy Horse Memorial was a verse I came across in The Message paraphrase of Psalm 139. As you may recall, that psalm describes how God created us in our mother's womb. However, it was a particular word that The Message used, that made my mind "leap frog" to South Dakota. It said "You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was SCULPTED from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;". Sooooooo, just as the Ziolkowski family keeps dynamiting, chiseling, and scraping, to make their masterpiece, so God kept working to form me in my mother's womb. And, just as the Crazy Horse Memorial is a work in progress, so am I, a "work in progress". The fact that all of us are subject to on-going transformations, makes it more important than ever to enjoy the "process" in our journey of life, as much as possible. One way to add enjoyment to the process is to visit some of the beautiful places that are out there beckoning to us. If YOU would like to find out more about a great place to do this, just log on to www.travelSD.com for some great travel itineraries. Miles of SD smiles! Tricia 

Addendum:  As God continues to work on "sculpting" me, I was challenged with a First Place 4 Health ( www.FirstPlace4Health.com ) memory verse, that brought to my mind,  these famous FACES:  "I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.  Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame."  Psalm 34:4-5

Edifying Edifice Expedition

This is a photo I took last week of "The Jewel Box" located on a 17-acre site in Forest Park, that was built by the city of St. Louis in 1936. Its original cost was $117,000, with 45% of the funds coming from WPA (Public Works Administration). It is considered to be an Art-Deco-style structure, and at the time was "the latest word in display greenhouses". It was unconventional for a greenhouse, in that it was built of cantilevered vertical glass walls, rising 50 feet high, in a pattern called "clerestories". (Defined as an outside wall of a building, carried above an adjoining roof, and pierced with windows.) One of the reasons for this design was to prevent damage from frequent hail storms that occur regularly in this part of the country. This was achieved by constructing only the walls of glass (to admit the greatest amount of light), while all of the horizontal surfaces are metal. Rolled awnings regulate the amount of light that can come through the windows.

The photo below shows a portion of the eight fixed arches that help support the building. It is interesting that the arches of the Jewel Box were in place decades before another arch---"The Gateway Arch" became a symbol recognized around the world, as the identifier for the city of St. Louis. The arch theme is further carried out in the constant stream of the fountains (seen coming out of the floor of the building) that provide a pleasing sound, as well as reflective pools and moisture for the greenery. This photo was taken from the rear of the building, looking towards the main entrance doors. A second floor balcony is above the entryway, and is accessible by two spiral staircases on each side. As you might imagine, a setting such as this is popular for weddings and other celebrations, and such arrangements can be made on the official website of the city of St. Louis. It only costs one dollar to go in and visit the Jewel Chest, but even that small fee is waived on Mondays and Tuesdays between the hours of 9 am and noon. when you can visit for free. The price seems VERY reasonable, considering the Jewel Box just underwent a 3.5 million dollar renovation. Since it is listed on the National Historic Register, this recent investment in its restoration will ensure that "The Jewel Box" will be a "St. Louis Jewel" for future generations. The website for The Jewel Box says the edifice obtained that name because visitors frequently commented that the glass and floral patterns reminded them of a glass box used to keep jewelry in. When their website used the word "edifice" to describe the building, it reminded me of a verse in the Bible that also refers to the root meaning of edifice, meaning "to build up or establish". Ephesians 4:29 says "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." I paraphrase that to mean that my words to others should be like "little jewel boxes" that build them up and minister to them. Thanks to my recent visit to the Jewel Box in St. Louis, I now have a pleasant mental picture to store away with that wise advise from the Bible.

The age-old use of a sun dial on the grounds in front of the Jewel Box, are a reminder that ANY time of day is good for a visit to this lovely site. Even if the interior is not open, just strolling the adjacent gardens and admiring the design from the outside is a worthwhile endeavor! If you would like to learn about the dozens of other attractions in St. Louis, Missouri, that will build up and edify YOUR spirits, just log on to www.explorestlouis.com You'll be glad you did! Miles of smiles! Tricia