Don & Nancy's Journey

Background

Our journey started four years ago when we learned about the Clergy Renewal Grant Program of the Lilly Endowment. We began dreaming of how this program might be able to provide the parish and us with a renewed life and vision. And slowly over the time required to develop, refine and submit three applications we were able to focus on the labyrinth as the image - it involves travel, and finding God at the center.

Why this image? Don graduated from seminary in 1970, a time when there was a great deal of emphasis on social activism and not a great deal about spirituality and spiritual practices. A study leave where we could engage in study and living several different emphases in spirituality, and try out spiritual practices seemed a means of experiencing the spiritual practices for finding God at the center. Our love of trains and nature provide us with other ways to make our heart sing as we travel to the center and return. Staying at retreat centers and dialogue with spiritual directors about Francsican., Benedictine, Celtic and Native American spirituality will help us learn the language and refine our understanding of which practices work best for us; and might work in parish life as well.

It was a great gift to receive the letter informing us that out of over 1000 applications received by Lilly we were one of 130 that had been funded. The parishes, through a planning task group, have wholeheartedly joined us in making preparations for the journey that we are making and for the journey that the congregations will make during our absence.

July 1-27:

July is being spent attending to details in order to be ready to leave. There are lists and more lists, small and medium sized tasks and concerns. Memos and meetings, and OH YES, Don't forget that Nancy has her comprehensive exams at Notre Dame University. While Don has meetings, memos, more meetings, packing and last minutes details to attend to.

Suitcases have been purchased, clothing acquired, camera readied, while our backpacks for camera, computers, knitting and books are at the ready. And there is a BIG pile of things we would like to take  - which is much larger than what we will actually be able to take.

On July 27^th we bid the congregations farewell. On the 30th we leave on the first leg of our journey.

August 3, 2008

We arrived in Japer last night. Due to freight congestion on the rail line and a signal problem the first night we were late. VIA rail like Amtrak does not own the rails it travels over and is at the mercy of the host railroad and freight has priority. BUT the 3 days were wonderful, relaxing, a significant break for both for us. The meals were great and too bountiful.

This has heightened our love of train travel. To see the country you are traveling through. To be able to walk around and meet people and have conversations over meals in the dining car beats other transportation.

Don saw a black bear outside of Sudbury, we saw Loons and other waterfowl, in Ontario Nancy saw a moose in Saskatchewan, and Big Horn Sheep in Jasper – and all along the rail road right of way.

To see the change from lake country of Ontario, to the prairie, to the foothills of the Rockies was wonderful. And to see sunrise, and sunset and the stars at night was breathtaking.

Coming through a short tunnel into the Jasper National Park last night we were awed by the beauty and grandeur of the Rockies. Today going from Jasper top Banff along the Ice Field Parkway was wondrous; seeing these mountains with snow on the peaks. Walking on the glacier at the Columbia Ice Field; seeing a mother bear and her cub foraging near the road were bits of seeing the hand of God around us.

We have also become aware of just how tired we are and have decided not to push too hard or begin too much of our serious study until we have taken the opportunity to rest a bit. Tuesday we continue our journey to Vancouver through the Canadian Rockies and are looking forward to seeing more of this beautiful part of the country.

For More Pictures please check out Don & Nancy's Photo Gallery 7/27 to 8/2

August 7, 2008

Morning seemed to come early with our 7 am wake up call. We were picked up from the hotel and taken across the Lion’s Gate bridge (which resembles the Golden Gate as it was designed by the same architect) over to North Vancouver. We passed Stanley Park, an urban park that is larger than Central Park in New York City.

Arriving at the train we again marveled at their organization and attention to detail. We were quickly boarded and on our way. They began, as had the ride on the Rocky Mountaineer, with a toast. (Don has decided he could get used to starting his day with a Mimosa on board a train.)

We were soon skirting a fjord (glacially formed bay) the southernmost one in BC, (and the only one we have ever seen). We had wondered if this trip would be memorable having just spent 2 days on the Rocky Mountaineer. We need not have worried.  Emerging from Horseshoe Tunnel we saw the beauty of the inlet framed by the mountains.

As soon as breakfast service was finished Don and Nancy were out on the heritage Observation Car. The car is too small (having an enclosed center section and two open end sections) for the number of people wanting to be there to take pictures.  But persistence paid off and Don was soon ensconced in the corner on the “right” side (actually the left) for the best pictures.  Later a staff member observing the number of pictures he was taking and the serious lens on the camera concluded Don was a professional and told us to stay put and don’t give up the location as the best pictures were coming up on that side.  And she was right.

The train stopped at a CN facility and our train crew and a CN crew conferred at the rear truck of the Observation Car. It seems there was a noise they wanted to check out. Instead of being a major problem it was only a loose bolt which meant we could proceed.

We were soon passing by the Cheakamus Canyon and then slowly went over a trestle (at what they call “Kodak speed” for a photo roll-by. It was breathtaking. The glacially colored water tumbling through the narrow gorge over boulders and rocks was gorgeous in the morning light.

The mountains were snow peaked, and we spotted the ends of glaciers. Very soon we were at Whistler. In 2010 Vancouver and Whistler will host the Winter Olympics with the Alpine and Nordic events being held around Whistler. So there is a lot of pride, excitement and construction.

We had lunch in the outdoor pub atmosphere.  We walked around Whistler, and agreed that while we loved the ride we did not like Whistler.

Coming in to Whistler we had passed through “Function Junction.”  That was on the outskirts of Whistler and our car attendant told us that all of the functions and things a tourist would not want to see had been located there (such as sewage treatment, land fill, staff housing, warehousing, etc.).  So the town is picture perfect for the tourist. Its focus is on getting people to spend money on motel, sports, food and fashion. Needless to say we were happy to get back in the bus and head for the train back to Vancouver.

Don has been having some intermittent back pain so Don stayed in his seat most of the way home and Nancy became the official photographer. At 4pm we were served a High Tea – complete with watercress & cucumber, salmon and ham sandwiches; scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam, and lemon tarts with chocolate covered strawberries – and oh yes, tea. It was served at our seats on a tray covered in a white napkin to give a sense of elegance.

Coming back to Vancouver we saw the site of the recent rock fall that shut down the road and the rail line to Whistler a week before. Tons of rock has fallen on the road. It is at a point where the road and train track are next to one another. It took 5 days of 24 hour work to clear the rock, blast away any unstable rock, put in rock bolts, retaining walls and new asphalt. It is amazing, having seen the pictures of the extent of the rockslide (in the Toronto newspaper) that a week later we were traveling the route. We were also told that the company that owned the train paid over $1 million to fly people stranded in Whistler to Vancouver (we met a group of them on the Rocky Mountaineer!).

We arrived back at North Vancouver Station and were quickly on the bus and back to the hotel. After a brief rest and downloading pictures on the computer we walked a blokc down to the park overlooking Coal Bay and had a picnic supper (we picked up a couple of pot pies top go at a grocery near the hotel).  After some people watching, we went back to the hotel and Don wrote up the day’s journal. As he was typing away (in his words) his “nimble fingers hit some series of keys that instead of typing a word deleted the text and shut down Word. So he took this as a sign, shut down the computer and soon after went to sleep.

August 8, 2007

We had a lazy morning.   Nancy didn’t get up till 7am (she’s been waking up between 4 and 5).  Don was up earlier rewriting yesterday’s journal after he lost it somehow the night before.

Caught up on some accounting work for the grant, found breakfast and hopped on a Trolley (actually a small bus shaped like an old trolley) Tour. Did a partial tour of the city and ended up in Stanley Park. This is a real gem of a park. 1000 acres of woods and flowers in the midst of the city – overlooking the harbor.   Some of the park has old growth, trees a 1000 years old.  We saw two eagle’s nests!  We got off at the Rose garden which also had some beautiful gardens.

We found the children’s section and rode their miniature train. A really nice little ride through the woods. In Dec of 2006 a severe windstorm came through and knocked down over 5000 trees in the park. Two years later they are still cleaning up from it and there are fallen trees still in evidence.

We stropped next at the aquarium which was wall to wall people. We saw sea lions, sea otters, a beluga whale and her calf, and a dolphin show in the outdoors viewing area. We visited an indoor exhibit of the aqua culture of the Vancouver area. It was surprising as BC is a temperate climate and there is a wider variety of species than even had imagined. We were glad to leave as it was a crush of people in a small space. We toured the rest of the park seeing the totem poles, and the prospect overlook of the harbor. Getting back on the Trolley tour we saw more of the city and ended up back at the hotel. After a brief rest we went out and in Joe’s honor had dinner in a Japanese restaurant.

August 9, 2008

Wake up call at 4:15 am so we could make our Amtrak bus at 5:30. Another border crossing experience - took an hour as 27 people had to unload all their baggage and drag it through the customs office. Another hour and a half got us to the King Street Station in Seattle. Our suitcases were a bit overweight so we got to the auxiliary bag folding bag out of the suitcase put the dirty clothes in it and the suitcases (now officially known as Godzilla and Bride of Godzilla) weighed in just under the 50 pound limit.

Made it to our roomette on the Superliner. It is a bit smaller than the roomettes in use east of Chicago. We realize that the Silver and Blue service of VIA rail spoiled us. The lavatory is down the hall. The dining room is nice but lacks the savoir fare of VIA. One nice thing is the parlor car. Originally build by the Budd Company in 1956 for the Santa Fe El Capitan. It was restored by Amtrak and provides an elegant space to enjoy the passing scenery.

We stopped in Portland Oregon. Enough time to get off the train and to walk a bit. Recognized the station from our last visit to Portland (where we found the Daylight steam engine (passing 4 no trespassing signs in the process) in 1997.

In talking with the Parlor Car attendant we found that the car is back on the train as an experiment. They have to find some ways to pay for it – but people really enjoy it. But one for such a large group of people is not enough. We went to the wine tasting and had some lovely conversation with people from Ireland and from California. Had dinner in the Parlor Car as well as that was an option. What a delight to have dinner and watch the sun set over Oregon.

But turning in was a bit of a challenge in a roomette. They are very small with no room to store our 3 carry on pieces. But somehow we managed. Slept off and on – Don spent time looking out the window at the stars and the passing scenery.

August 10, 2008

We were both awake by 5:30 and enjoyed watching the sunrise over fruit groves and farms in California. It is very dry again this summer and the threat of fires is extremely high. We got into Sacramento at 7 am and once we got luggage were settling in on a bench to wait until we could call to get our rental car. We had planned to get breakfast at the station but there were nothing but vending machines. Nancy noticed a sign and a wall plug – found a chair and had Don set up his computer. The sign indicated the station had a free wi-fi internet site. So she got us a password and Don uploaded photos and material for the webpages. He was happy as a clam to be able to charge his computer battery and work on these items.

The rental car people picked us up and we got the car we will be using for a couple of weeks. It has all manner of fancy stuff on it – better not get used to it. As late as it was we were not able to find a church in Sacramento as we had planned – but decided to do our worship when we get to the conference center. We found a restaurant outside of Sacramento and decided to get lunch.  We then drove up through the Sierra Nevada Mountains over the Donner Pass. We stopped at an overlook where we could see Donner Lake but also the long snowsheds up on the mountain to protect trains from the winter snows. But no trains were going through as best we could tell.

Then we crested the mountain and saw Lake Tahoe – beautiful is not strong enough to describe it. We seem to be wearing out the word breathtaking but that describes it best.  We drove around the lake through the tourist areas and finally arrived at the Zephyr Point Conference Center. It was founded in the 1020’s and had many cabins built in the 1930’s. We are staying in a conference center built in the 1980’s and were given a room facing the lake.

Just before sundown we went to what is called the Portal of Prayer a small rock bench built at the water’s edge and read Evening Prayer.

We begin our reading and writing in earnest tonight and tomorrow.  Being here again reinforces what a precious gift we have been given by the Lilly Foundation (and by the parish supporting and applying for this grant.)

For More Pictures please check out Don & Nancy's Photo Gallery 8/5 to 8/10

August 11-14

We have been in residence at Zephyr Point Conference Center on Lake Tahoe. This is a wonderful place 23 acres along the shore line of the lake. We have had a room in the conference center overlooking the lake. But we have not spent all that much time in our room. There are benches and walking paths and various places to walk (including 180 steps uphill to get to our car).

We have spent time reading, reflecting, doing some writing, and in study. It has been a quiet time and very good for the purpose of the study leave - to help us grow in our spiritual journey so we can model it and provide some hints and helps to others wishing to grow spiritually.

Prayer has become a center of our day. We will miss a small rock enclosure on the edge of the lake called the Portal of Prayer where we have done morning and evening prayers. A group meeting here has also been singing Taize chants we use at Trinity and other music playing during breakfast – which limited conversation but was an interesting idea and one we plan to use from time to time at home – instead of the accompaniment of NPR news.

We leave today and will drive to Yosemite, and then on to Oakland where we will attend Sunday Service at St. Gregory of Nyssa.  After this we will go to San Juan Bautista, CA to a Franciscan Retreat Center. From there we will take up residence at Grace Episcopal Cathedral in San Francisco and walk and pray their labyrinths.

As we have internet access we will continue (thanks to Fran Branco!!) to post our journals and reflection as well as links to some of our photos of the journey. These 2 weeks have sped by in many ways but we are aware of being in a different and less frenetic time and pace of life.

Don & Nancy

August 16, 2008

Photos from today can be found at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Woodhill295/SugarPineRRRailtown 

Today was a day of transitions. From semi arid mountains to the coast; from wilderness to city; from nature’s beauty to human creation and architecture.  From green to brown, from dried up reservoirs to great bodies of water.

After breakfast we drove out of Yosemite to Fish Camp (about 4 miles from the south entrance) to the Yosemite and Sugar Pines Railroad. We arrived early and discovered the steam train didn’t leave until 11 am. So Don watched as they got the engine ready and talked with the engineer. He was resplendent in railroad hat with all of the pins and patches from trains he has ridden.  

Just before they boarded the train, the fireman approached us and told Don “I suspect that you are someone who would appreciate a cab ride. Are you interested? You can do it going down or coming back.”  And he invited Nancy as well. So despite the fact Don has in his words “outgrown being cute or a child” there we were in the cab of a Shay Steam engine. It was delightful as they described how they had come to work for the railroad, and explained what the controls were and what they were doing.

We rode back in the open car enjoying the sound as the engine worked us up an 18% grade.

We grabbed a bit of lunch to eat in the car and headed out to Jamestown, CA. Following route 49 most of the way was quite an experience as well. The route is primarily 2 lanes and goes through the Sierra Nevada mountains and foothills.  It was quite scenic. There was one particular stretch which wound us around what we in the east would call a mountain but they refer to as a foothill. It had hairpin turns and looking out one could see the road in the distance winding up or down that we would soon be driving.  Neither Nancy nor Don has every been along a stretch of road like this one.  No guard rails.  Few signs warning of sharp curves.  No speed limit signs (save the ones suggesting 10 mph for a particularly sharp turn).  It was a feast for the eyes, and probably covered about 2000 feet of elevation.

The drought is obvious everywhere. From the brown of vegetation, to the signs warning of extreme fire danger to water levels. We passed over the Merced River (that flows through Yosemite) and it was obviously 30-50 feet blow normal. Passing by the Hetch Hetchy Dam and power station we observed the same thing – very low water levels.

We arrived at Jamestown which is home to the 1897 Railtown State park. The temperature was hovering around 100, Nancy tried to arrange a cab ride but didn’t have the right clothing (natural fibers only, and long sleeves and pants) and Don was not really sure he wanted to put on long paints, long shirt in 100 degree heat.

This is the home of the Sierra Railroad. Due to location they have frequently used for TV and the movies. During the ride the elderly car host (whose pin told us he had logged over 12,000 volunteer hours) enumerated a number of the films. The water tower enroute was the one used in the TV series Petticoat Junction.

Railtown is a state park but the operation seems to be strictly volunteer. The ride was short and slow but again the sound of the whistle and of the engine was its own music even in the oppressive heat. We were on the last train of the day so we stayed around to watch, of course, and to take pictures of them putting the engine on the turntable and running it into the roundhouse.

We drove off towards the coast through an agricultural region that was a study in contrast between the land that was irrigated and an ocean of green producing all manner of fruit and produce, or cattle and the un-irrigated land which was dry and brown. We stopped at a fruit stand and got Nancy some freshly picked cherries.  They were tasty.

This routing soon took us on to an interstate and then onto a 12 lane freeway headed for Oakland.  And just as we were getting used to all the traffic we found ourselves in our first bumper to bumper freeway traffic jam. There had been an accident involving several cars and with a rollover.

We arrived in Oakland, found the hotel, got some dinner.

August 17, 2008

Following breakfast in the hotel, we programmed the address of the church we wanted to visit into the GPS unit. Following its directions, we arrived early and safely at St Gregory of Nyssa in San Francisco.  We were greeted by a warm and wonderful woman who made sure we had nametags (which identified we were first time visitors by the pen color on the tag (red – returning visitors get back ink and members have a button with their name on it – and EVRYONE wears them!).  Several others greeted us as well.  We went incognito, never identifying ourselves as priest and musician/liturgist.

They gather in a large round space surrounding what eventually becomes the altar table. There is some warm up singing of hymns – all a capella – and then we move, singing into the space with chairs for the liturgy of the word (the congregation faces each other, with the leaders at both ends – all in the shape of a square). There is a great deal of singing and a very skilled choir – but no instruments are used, save for a small drum and sistrum for a couple of songs. The congregation has to sing if there is to be music. There are several lay participants, including the reader of the Gospel and the preacher. An excellent sermon – insightful and incisive.

The readings are not printed, only proclaimed.  After each, a set of prayer bowls (Tibetan?) are sounded, and there is a significant period of silence.  After the sermon, there is also silence, and then the invitation to comment on the sermon.  Three or four individuals connected the sermon contents to their current life situation.  None is overly long, each is respected and thanked.

The community there is as diverse as I have seen in terms of age, ethnicity, affectional preference, churchmanship and theological viewpoint. They have several deeply effective ministries – including a feeding program where the food is distributed during the pantry hours literally from the altar table to the people receiving it.

After the prayers the congregation dances (a tripeduum), which is a simple set of three steps forward, one step back – right foot forward, left foot forward, right foot forward, step back on left foot – while touching the right shoulder of the person in front of you) back to the space around the table which is vested for communion. The congregation sang the prayer of blessing over bread and wine and the cup was shared from one person to another.

The final hymn included a round dance while singing the hymn.  Don – the dancing school drop out – had a hard time with the dancing part but he knew the hymn and was able to sing that.  This dance was a grapevine of sorts (left foot over right, behind right, lift left knee, then lift right knee). 

They had a delightful coffee hour and we were able to chat with a few more people including the former rector whom Nancy had met at the North American Academy of Liturgy meeting.

We decided to go up the Pacific Coast to Muir Woods, a National Park with giant redwood trees. To get there we went over the Golden Gate Bridge. Nancy was delighted and took pictures.  Don drove and concentrated on staying the in the narrow lane while surrounded by California drivers many of whom wanted to cut into the space Don tried to leave between ours and the next car.  The fog (?) covered the tops of the bridge.  There were numerous people walking over the bridge (wondered if any were sons who had brought their fathers to fulfill a lifelong dream), including a unicyclist who appeared to be quite busy flinging his arms about to keep balanced, nearly hitting the people he was whizzing by. 

We found out that Muir Woods parking lots (electronic signs at the end of the bridge)  were full and so we took Route 1 along the coast. It turned out to be another twisty, curving road.  Think even more twisty than the twistiest road you have been on, and you are approaching what this road is like.  Very few guard rails, either! We stopped at Muir Beach so Nancy could touch the Pacific Ocean. We then stopped at several overlooks to take pictures. We continued to Stinson Beach looking for a restaurant. Found the restaurant but there was no parking. So we turned around and made our way back to Oakland and finally got lunch about 3:30pm.

Tonight we will spend a quiet night of reading, writing things like this journal and various reflections. Tomorrow we drive to San Juan Bautista to the Franciscan Retreat center where we will spend a few days. From there we will take up residence at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. We do not expect to have internet access in either place so we may not be back in contact until the 24^th.

August 18, 2008

We left Oakland today and headed south for San Juan Bautista. And it was only enroute as we saw signs for the El Camino Real (the Spanish Royal Road that led from Mexico City to the California Missions) that we realized that town of San Juan Bautista was the site of one of these missions.

We arrived at the St. Francis Retreat Center to discover that they were not expecting us. No one is sure whether the mistake is theirs or ours but we were welcomed warmly by the staff members and quickly a room was assigned and we were invited to lunch in the dining room.

The center is in flux since a 2006 fire destroyed the historic Ranch House which was the main building. They have several temporary buildings. Roger made sure we had a good room and gave us his phone number for emergencies.

We will be the only overnight guests midweek. Because of that fact we get lunch (as it is prepared for the staff members but the cooks do not come in for breakfast or dinner when there are no groups). Ed, the business manager, oriented us and made sure there are things available to us for breakfast so we do not have to go into town for breakfast. Maria, who was in the bookstore/gift shop, told us about the various options in town and recommended a specific Mexican restaurant.

We wrote out more postcards and did laundry this afternoon. Then we ventured into town. We easily found the Mission church which is now the parish for the community and then located the restaurant, Dona Esther. The founder of the restaurant named it for his grandmother. Being in California, and with the story of the founder naming the restaurant and having purchased a small booklet listing the California Missions (which included Santa Ines), brought memories to Nancy of her grandmother, Inez Stevens, who had lived in this state.

After a wonderful meal we walked around town found the mission church plaza and found the location where the El Camino Real went by the church, founded in 1797. Among the surprising things was the chickens we saw at several places in town freely roaming the streets.

Coming back to the Retreat Center we took a walk and came upon a doe and fawn; a bit later we encountered a flock of wild turkeys – we think there were about 30 of them. We watched them for a while. And continuing down the road we came to a place Ed had described where the cracks in the road shifted from paralleling the route of the road to cutting across it. That he told us is the San Andreas Fault line which runs though this area.

We found the chapel and Nancy played some hymns (she has missed playing). We had Compline and went back to the room to read and get ready to turn in.

August 19, 2008

Met a couple in the dining room at the retreat center at breakfast. Paul & Phyllis work for the Franciscan province developing volunteers for their retreat centers. We had an interesting conversation. They spoke of growing spiritually as a couple as well as individually. This was the first time Nancy or I had thought about that. And we are now thinking about both individual spirituality and how we develop spiritually as couple or as a family.

We took a hike up a trail in the hills. We saw deer and birds.

At lunch time we met Cindy with whom Don had corresponded by email to set this up. Discovered Don had not reconfirmed our stay after we changed the date. The staff is so friendly and helpful.  After lunch we met a cloistered Dominican nun there on a personal retreat in celebration of her 40th anniversary in the convent.

In the afternoon we went into San Juan Bautista and visited the Mission church. The missions were founded in the end of the 18th century by Spain to convert the natives and keep control of the area for Spain. The church had some historic displays in the old building. The church itself is now the parish church for the town but maintains the original style and has a significant Hispanic population. Nancy was taken with the painting/stenciling on the walls .

We went to the next town of Hollister and found St. Benedict’s Church where they have a labyrinth in the courtyard. We prayed the labyrinth – the center of which was a fountain - Reminding us of Jesus talking of living water welling up to eternal life.

August 20, 2008

We have arranged for Spiritual Direction with Roger who first greeted and welcomed us – and has been our guardian angel making sure things are going well in our time here. He is a caring, and interesting man to talk with. He is finishing his internship as a spiritual director. We have some questions about the Franciscan approach to spirituality. And we want to talk about the spirituality of us as a couple rather than just as individuals.

We met midmorning with Roger and he shared with us a DVD – a copy of which he gave to us for our work. In the end we spent far more time talking about our spirituality as a couple. He pointed out that we really do a great deal together that has a spiritual base even if not always formally designated as spiritual, and that we might not need to add more things to do but to intentionally understand, name and work at what we already do.

After lunch we took off for Pinnacles National Monument. This area is on the San Andreas’ Fault line. This area was a volcano millions of years ago and left lava tubes and other rock formations. We arrived mid-afternoon with the temperature in the high 80’s or low 90’s. Decided to take a trail to the overlook. It was a rocky path that went up 500 feet in elevation over the mile.

Nancy made it to the overlook – Don stopped a bit short – heat, feet and being out of shape took their toll. Nancy saw California condors soaring over the peaks. Don got a good picture of a woodpecker. And we both took lots of pictures of rocks and trees.

In some ways it is difficult to form these quick attachments to people such as the staff here at St Francis Retreat center – and then so quickly leave knowing we will probably not ever see them again. But we take some of the gifts they have given us with us – and we hope and pray that somehow we have left them a gift of a part ourselves as well.

August 21, 2008

Awakened and started to pack for the Cathedral. Decided to use 1 suitcase for San Francisco and leave 1 in the trunk. We had a conversation with two people on the maintenance staff as we were packing the car. Such lovely caring people. Why can’t church members exhibit this same genuine caring and hospitable welcome consistently?

Then letting the GPS be our guide we went to Felton and found the Big Tree and Roaring Camp Railroad. They run a small two truck oil burning Shay steam engine up into a redwood grove. It was a crowded train but a lovely ride. We had lunch there and then left for San Francisco.

Don was again in twisty-turny highway through the state redwood park until we reached Highway 1 along the coast. It was an impressive and beautiful ride.

We stopped to watch (briefly) young people on surfboards being pulled along by parasails.

There were expanses of beaches, and colonies of gulls and many, many pelicans on rocks and flying above the water.

We stopped at Pigeon Point Lighthouse and even saw a seal on the rocks.

As we got closer to San Francisco it began to get foggy along the coast so we went inland and took the freeway.

The last block of Taylor Street, before reaching Grace Cathedral at Taylor and California, was unbelievable. It looked like it was almost straight up and when we got to the top there was a motorcycle stopped ahead of us and a red light. It was a trick keeping enough gas to keep us from rolling backwards but not too much so we hit the motorcycle.

There is a parking garage under the Cathedral where we will store the car until Sunday when we drive back to Sacramento. We found the Cathedral Administrative Assistant, Ellen. She showed us to the apartment which is large and lovely. (It is where the Presiding Bishop stays when she is a guest of the Cathedral.)

We got here in time to attend the Thursday Evensong. The Men of the Cathedral Choir sang the service – music by Tallis and Harris. The congregation was able to sing a couple of hymns but the choir did the rest of the service. Don liked the way in which the Canon introduced the closing prayers, putting the selection in a context indicating a reason for the choice of prayer.

We walked to a small Italian restaurant. We then went “mountain climbing” up two blocks, to get some food for breakfast and perhaps lunch.

Nancy is journaling and I’m writing this more public journal. Despite the fact that the apartment has TV we probably won’t watch it. We find we are not missing it at all.

August 22, 2008

We visited Grace Cathedral and took some pictures. Then we went to the outdoor labyrinth to meet the Rev. Dr. Lauren Artress who is credited with bringing back the labyrinth to use as a modern spiritual practice. She has written several books on spirituality and labyrinths and she most generously agreed to meet with us for a conversation. We had a lively hour and half with Lauren, which was most helpful. She provided us with some new insights and resources. And she suggested ideas on how to engage children with a labyrinth, as well as adults. We met some more Cathedral staff and then had lunch in the apartment.

It was time to see a bit of the town. A cable car line runs right by the Cathedral but we decided to walk to the Cable Car museum (recommended by Nancy’s dad.) Leaving the cable car museum, we caught a cable car and rode it to the end.

The plan was to get off, get back on and ride it to the other end. We had not counted on all the tourists. The line was a block long to ride it in the other direction. So Nancy, armed with her map, figured out we could take BART (the rapid transit) 2 stops and get on another cable car. We rode it to the end of the line got a bus and then a trolley bus and tried to get on a cable car. But they were all full and did not stop. Back in the trolley bus and we went to another cable car line where they, too, were full of tourists and did not stop. So fortified by an ice cream cone (Don’s was no-fat of course, and Nancy’s homemade rocky road tasted delicious.) they walked back to the Cathedral. Don has decided to be a true San Franciscan you have to be part mountain goat.

We prayed the indoor labyrinth, which is modeled after one in the floor of Notre Dame Cathedral at Chartres, France, built in 1201. We continued to write postcards - and managed to work our way through the friends list and the parish list!

Among the words of wisdom we received from Lauren Artress was her acknowledgement that we are on a pilgrimage. This word resonated with both Nan and Don. Each place we visit has a gift for us to discover!

August 23, 2008

We attended Morning Prayer this morning in the Cathedral Chapel which we led by the Verger. We went to the coffee shop here in the Cathedral complex and picked up sandwiches for dinner tonight and for lunch tomorrow (as we will be driving to Sacramento to return the rental car.)

We got directions to Golden Gate Park and walked a couple of bocks to get two busses to get us there. It took an hour. We got off and went to the deYoung Art Museum in the park. There was a Dale Chihuly exhibit there. We had seen his work glass both in Buffalo and Columbus and looked forward to see it again. When in Buffalo we had insited Joe go with us and then on Christmas Eve morning he rode his bike to the museum to go through the exhibit again.

We were taken by Chihuly ‘s idea that blown glass begins as an exhalation of breath and gravity takes over and transforms it. In essence he believes that glassblowing is an exaggerated form of breathing.

We had lunch at the café and then visited the Japanese Tea Garden. The garden reminded Nancy of her trip to Japan to see Joe last year.

We took a taxi back to the Cathedral. Before dinner we walked the outdoor labyrinth. Repacked the suitcases for our train travel Monday to LA and Tuesday to Flagstaff and are ready to leave San Francisco following the 8:15 am service at the Cathedral in the morning.

August  24, 2008

Attended the 8:15 service at Grace Cathedral. It was held in the choir (we sat in choir stalls facing one another) with a communion table at one end and a lectern at the other. A nice sense of community. It was Rite 2 with texts from Enriching our Worship. There were hymns so we got to hear the very large organ at work.

Following the service we fired up the GPS and headed for Sacramento. A parishioner had strongly suggested we visit the Sacramento State Railroad Museum in Old Sacramento. Got there a bit before noon, purchased tickets to the museum and to the 40 minute excursion along the Sacramento River. Found a small table and had our lunch.  Was it hot (even though it is a dry heat, hot is hot – hovering just over 100)!

The ride was behind a small steam engine rescued from a quarry. It was an oil burning switcher that had been rebuilt by the museum for the 6 mile excursion by the river. It was a lovely ride. We had decided to do the first class car – air conditioned. Another beautiful restoration – all rosewood interior with some inlaid wood designs – with an observation platform at the end of the car. We met a young Asian man from Maryland who loves trains. He and Nancy had an on-going conversation – she mentoring him in the fine points of trains and suggesting other trains on the east coast for him to ride.

Following the ride we walked over to the museum. It is a lovely place with trains set in a context – including a diorama of the building of the transcontinental railroad and the role of the Chinese workers. They even had a second floor exhibit of an engine and freight cars going over a trestle (along with an extensive exhibit of toy trains). 

We went to the Amtrak station (less than a block away) and checked our suitcases for the train the next day, and dropped off the car. They were supposed to drive us to our motel but had neglected to tell us we had to be there by 2 pm – we had been told the car had to be back by 3 pm. So they refused to do anything more than call a cab for us before they closed. The cab eventually arrived. The back of the motel faced the Amtrak station, a convenient choice for an early train tomorrow.

Nancy phoned her friend from Notre Dame, Rita Spillane. Rita and her husband Tom picked us up. We went to their home, from which Don was able to send a couple of emails. Their house is in the process of major remodeling so we walked about 8 blocks to a neighborhood ice cream parlor where we had a light dinner – heavy on the ice cream ( Nancy is her father’s daughter).  Rita pointed out that the men’s sandwiches are cut in half, while the women’s are in thirds!  We met the mayor of Sacramento, Heather Fargo, as we were finishing our ice cream and received an “official welcome!” (Rita is an Assistant District Attorney for Sacramento.)  

Returning to their home we walked past the house in which Ronald Reagan resided while governor of California.   Tom is retired, and among other things raises cactus from seed.  He has between 1000 and 1500 different types of cactus growing.  A handful were in bloom – delicate yellow, bright pink, and brilliant orange blossoms dotted the area where he kept the plants.  We enjoyed our visit with this wonderful couple immensely. 

We returned to the hotel and got ready for our early morning. The location of the motel was a plus in the morning but it was noisy and neither of us got much restful sleep.

August 25, 2008

We awoke at 5:30 and walked to the Amtrak station, stopping for a cup of tea at Starbucks. We checked in and got a user id and password for their wi-fi spot. Don uploaded new material for our website. The train arrived about a half hour late (which according to a Via Rail employee is, for the US & Canada, “on time.” )   Nancy is delighted that our roomette is on the west side of the train, which will go along the coast, for roughly 90 miles, ending about Santa Barbara.  We are hoping for clear weather and some wonderful scenery.  We have learned that the coast is often fog-bound in July and August.  Many tourists come expecting “summer” and don’t find it!

We immediately went to the dining car and had breakfast. We sat with the grandmother and about 4 year old grandchild going home from summer camp by train. We had decided to add the expense of booking a roomette as it gives us a bit more space, meals, and a plug for the computer (happy Donald!).

We spent most of the day (except meal times) in the roomette watching unfolding scenery and conversing.  The afternoon brought us the best viewing: the pacific coast in fog and mist then fog giving way to sunshine.  We watched the waves roll in – wave after wave after wave.  We saw surfers, sunbathers, people waving, cliffs, and birds.  What a wonderful way to travel – neither of us had to drive, and we could both gawk at scenery!

We arrived in Los Angeles on time. Got our baggage, rechecked it for Flagstaff and got a taxi to the motel. It was in Chinatown.

August 26, 2007

Got internet access so it was a late start to the day as Don uploaded to websites, and photo site.

Walked through Chinatown and had lunch in a restaurant that has been used as a movie site because of the external architecture. We had their lunch special which was good and quite filling. We recovered our backpacks and overnight bag at the motel and took a taxi to Union Station where we checked them for the afternoon.  Thank goodness for places to leave our heavy backpacks!

We walked to Olivera Street area across from the train station. It was the earliest settlement of Los Angeles and includes the oldest Roman Catholic Church and the oldest extant house. We also visited a historic fire house, the first built in the city. Olivera Street has a large number of small vendors in shops and booths selling Mexican and Spanish related items. Being a semi arid desert the heat took its toll and we walked back to the station to wait the last two hours.  The station is not air conditioned, and has doors open to courtyards.  The sparrows flew in and out of the waiting area – they have learned to beg for food!

Had a snack and waited for the 6:45 departure of the Southwest Chief. Recovered our bags and boarded the train which left the station exactly on time. Roles were reversed as Nancy worked on writing and Don looked at the changing landscape in the setting sunset. We had a late dinner (8:45 seating) with an interesting man – Jim – who was traveling by train to Washington and the Chesapeake Bay. We also engaged another couple in conversation about various train rides we and they had been on. We were close to the last ones out of the dining car.  We found that we have enjoyed this “community seating” on the train.

August 27, 2008

We awakened about 4:30am to get dressed for our 5 am arrival in Flagstaff, AZ. We waited in the station’s small waiting room until 8 am when car rental place opened and we could call for our pick up. Nancy conversed with three young women from Great Britain touring the US on holiday, some men from Australia, and the Amtrak agent.

We were picked up and now are driving a red PT Cruiser. Surpisingly we were given a stripped model that does not have cruise control, which we didn’t realize until after we drove away.  We drove to Williams and got on the Grand Canyon Railroad. We had reserved early so we had the front seats in the dome car!  What fun! The tinting on the windows distorted our ability to take photos but with a polarizing filter and taking LOTS of photographs we have a couple that are OK.

We arrived at the Canyon. Checked in and got some lunch and given our early morning, rested in the room.   Nancy fell asleep and Don walked down to get photos of the steam engine departure for Williams. We walked a short while along the canyon rim – bought some postcards and returned to the room. After sunset we got a light supper and turned in for the night.

August 28, 2008

Had breakfast at the El Tovar. This is the first hotel at the Grand Canyon and an old Fred Harvey restaurant on the rim of the Canyon. The food was excellent but portions were way too large to finish. We cannot imagine the amount of food wasted here each day.

Don did laundry at the camping area while Nancy did some reading and catching up on writing. On the shuttle bus back to the Kachina Lodge where we are staying Don saw an elk standing in the woods near the road. It was a massive animal with a full rack of antlers. It is mating season so it was probably a male.

We walked over to Maswik lodge for lunch –just in time to see the steam engine arrive from Williams. It turns on a wye track right by the Maswik so Don took some more pictures of it. It is a good thing we shoot digital or else the photo processing costs would be enormous.

At lunch Nancy spoke with a couple of gentlemen from Australia that are traveling in the US. She had met them at the train station while we were waiting. Don watched in ongoing amazement at her people skills.  They are headed to Chicago, Niagara Falls, and Halifax – traveling very light (back pack smaller than Nan’s)!

After a brief rest we set off for the post office to mail a couple of packages. As we find birthday or Christmas presents, finish books we are reading, or assemble receipts we will need later in accounting for the grant fund, we ship them off by mail. It will eventually lessen the weight in the suitcases!

We had dinner at the Yavapai Café and walked to Mather Point to watch and photograph the sunset over the canyon. We found a spot, rooted ourselves there, and stayed for an hour and a half as the shadows lengthened, the colors changed, and the canyon was enfolded in darkness. During this time Nancy was the volunteer photographer for a number of couples or groups that wanted their picture taken together at sunset.

As dusk settled we slowly walked to the Yavapai Point and the shuttle stop and took the shuttle back to the lodge. We had thought about stopping at a restaurant for dessert but there was a half hour to 45 minute wait. Back in the room Don downloaded pictures and Nancy went back outside for some star-gazing. Don discovered a couple of blisters on his feet so he will be off them tomorrow.