clearlakemike's wunderblog

Yosemite Traffic Alert
Posted by: clearlakemike, 2:06 PM GMT on May 28, 2006 +0
A lot of people in the Northern California area and also visitors may want to be aware of this. Thank you yosemiteclimber for posting this shot and bringing this to our attention. Hwy 140 into Yosemite is a major highway into the park from the north, Bay Area region. I think Hwy 120 is the alternate from the north.

You can check the Caltrans site and type in the 140 in the highway number box and see the latest info about road closures.
 
 
Updated: 2:08 PM GMT on May 28, 2006   Permalink | A A A
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HOME SWEET HOME
Posted by: clearlakemike, 4:34 PM GMT on May 18, 2006 +0



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It is so great to be back home. India was an amazing adventure but now after a week of being home again I am so happy to back here in beautiful Northern California. This time of year, to me, is the most beautiful. The green hills are quickly giving way to the golden grasses of summer. There are still patches of light green and yellow wildflowers on some of the hills while the abundant summer blooms of bougainvillea and oleander are taking over where the spring wildflowers left off. The skies are a perpetual blue and the warm dry days and balmy, starry nights are wonderful.

After a week in The City I am enjoying the country life once again. I think I have had my fill of cities for a long time. Drove 120 kms down to Santa Rosa, the northern most outpost of the Bay Area, yesterday for a special errand and an hour or so was more than enough. It was so nice to turn around and head north again away from all those people and all those cars.

Although, I enjoyed my week in San Francisco, a spirited and stylish city if there ever was one (as was the caption on the mysterious billboards I saw in India at the Bangalore and Delhi airports. The billboards or large advertisements the size of billboards displayed a beautiful picture of the Golden Gate Bridge with the San Francisco skyline. All they said was, Stylish, Spirited, San Francisco. Never did find out what they were about.)

I savored the new green blooms on the rose lined vineyards of the Napa Valley as I left the city and as I got further and further away from California’s second largest megalopolis I felt a wave of calmness descend over me. After being in the intense urban hustle and bustle of India’s huge and densely populated cities this was very welcome. San Francisco is also densely populated and can get claustrophobic as well.

The only creature I saw for hours this morning, other than my own creatures, was just a neighbor’s tailless cat who was sitting and relaxing on our little fishing dock. Of course, lots of songbirds in the trees full with fresh green leaves greeted the dawn of a new day as well, and another beautiful sunrise over the blue lake in the pale blue morning sky. Looking forward to a long summer of day after day of this and lots of fun afternoons out boating on beautiful Clear Lake.
 
 
Updated: 3:44 PM GMT on May 20, 2006   Permalink | A A A
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Epiblogue
Posted by: clearlakemike, 4:23 PM GMT on May 09, 2006 +0



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Waking up to a beautiful California morning after a loonnng, deeeep sleep. So nice to be back on the ground again and at home. The dogs slept next to the bed all night as I caught up on my sleep. I woke up around midnight wanting to order lunch from room service but then after realizing where I was went back to sleep till dawn. Not feeling too jet lagged, slept a lot on the plane. Just a little spacey feeling.

The Lufthansa flights home were very nice. The crews were very gracious, friendly and helpful. They were quick to serve us our piping hot dinner, breakfast, lunch, dinner and breakfast. The veg meals were very good. They provided us with a constant supply of water, orange and apple juice to keep us hydrated. I could have even sworn that there was an extra inch of legroom on the Airbus from B’lore to Frankfurt.

It was nice to have that short layover again in Frankfurt and be back up in their air and underneath a blanket again as we got closer and closer to home. Lufthansa is the most recommended airline for flying from SFO to BLR. Best in shortest overall traveling time and competitive fares. Lufthansa is also the only airline in the world at the moment, I think, that offers inflight internet access. People around me were on-line on the Frankfurt to San Francisco segment. I decided to sleep instead of surfing the web at 35k.

The mid day quietness of the San Francisco airport and freeways, and a brilliant California afternoon was most welcoming. At the taxi stand there was a taxi with a bumper sticker that read “Keep Honking, I’m Reloading”, a “gentle” reminder that we were not in “Oz” anymore, where honking is a way of life and almost melodic in the “sixth sense” driving style of India.

Going through a stack of mail this morning and slowly unpacking an incredible adventure.
 
 
Updated: 3:02 PM GMT on May 13, 2006   Permalink | A A A
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Shukriyaa and Namaste India
Posted by: clearlakemike, 8:41 PM GMT on May 02, 2006 +0
 
 
Updated: 3:58 PM GMT on May 07, 2006   Permalink | A A A
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Ocean Beach - Kellys Cove
San Francisco, CA
Elevation: 80 ft
Temperature: 50.7 °F
Dew Point: 50.2 °F
Humidity: 98%
Wind: 20.0 mph from the WNW
Wind Gust: 26.0 mph
Updated: 11:29 PM PDT on May 21, 2013
Paris-centre, Paris
Elevation: 97 ft
Temperature: 50.0 °F
Dew Point: 42.7 °F
Humidity: 76%
Wind: 9.0 mph from the North
Wind Gust: 18.0 mph
Updated: 8:33 AM CEST on May 22, 2013
PS Park San Rafael @ Naked Palms
Palm Springs, CA
Elevation: 581 ft
Temperature: 83.1 °F
Dew Point: 33.8 °F
Humidity: 17%
Wind: 4.2 mph from the NW
Wind Gust: -
Updated: 11:31 PM PDT on May 21, 2013
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