Western Trip, Part 3: God's Gifts

Our trip to the Far West continued as we departed Laguna Beach and made our way, very indirectly, to our destination of Danville in the Bay Area. Although we lived in California for over seven years back in the 60s and 70s, Dear Diane and I had never visited Sequoia National Park. It's one of those places we've always wanted to visit, but we just never got around to it. And so we took a bit of a detour and drove inland into the hills and checked into a nice hotel near Three Rivers, California, not far from the entrance to the national park. Since it was still early in the day, we decided to drive to the park and see the big trees that afternoon.

The drive through the park is breathtaking, and I found myself wanting to stop at every turn and just take in the beauty that surrounded us. A few photos...

The mountains were raised up in homage to the Lord

All of creation seems to point heavenward

Who shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord?

And then we meet the sequoias. Not long after entering the park, following the recommended route, one begins to encounter these huge trees. What magnificent creations! Interestingly, as we climb up the winding road to this mile-high forest, the size of the trees seems to grow proportionately until we find ourselves in the midst of some of the largest and oldest living things on earth. The largest of the sequoias is the General Sherman Tree which stands tall at 275 Feet and has a diameter in excess of 25 feet. It is also estimated to be about 2,500 years old. Such numbers boggle the mind but not as much as the reality itself. 

"General Sherman" - the largest of the large

Standing at the foot of one of these beautiful trees one learns to appreciate the greatness and variety of God's creation. They seem to be pointing to the heavens, as if to say, "We have long been witnesses to God's greatness, and we reach up to Him in thanks." One can almost hear them singing as the breeze rustles their branches:

Sing, O heavens, for the LORD has done it; shout, O depths of the earth; break forth into singing, O mountains, O forest, and every tree in it! For the LORD has redeemed Jacob, and will be glorified in Israel [Is 44:23].

Sequoias reaching up to heaven

It was a glorious day and I am so glad we were able to be there. I've included a few more photos below...

Another large sequoia

A cluster of trees

Two giants stand together

Diane and Maddie checking out the trees

The next morning we drove north through the farmland of California's Central Valley, eventually cutting over toward the San Francisco Bay Area, and arrived in Danville in the early afternoon. It had taken us eight days to make the trip from our home in central Florida, and a wonderful eight days it had been. But now we would begin the long anticipated week with our daughter, Siobhan, her husband, Jeffrey, and their two boys, our grandsons, Ezekiel and Phineas. We stayed in the lovely home of Jeffrey's mom, Puffy, who graciously put up with us (and Maddie) for our entire stay. Actually, Maddie took an instant shine to Puffy and probably would have preferred to stay with her than travel back to Florida with us.

On Saturday, May 10, we were privileged to take part in young Ezekiel's First Holy Communion, celebrated at St. Joan or Arc Parish in San Ramon, California. Fr. Ray, the pastor, kindly asked me to join him in the sanctuary as the deacon of the Mass, permitting me to offer the cup of Jesus' Precious Blood to these wonderful new communicants. What a joy! Diane took some photos.

Ezekiel with his grandfather

The first communicants with Fr. Ray and myself

Ezekiel with his parents and brother, Phineas

Later that afternoon the family and some close family friends came together for an extended celebration at Puffy's home. The weather was just about perfect so we were able to celebrate outside by the pool which certainly pleased the children. At some point during our festivities Ezekiel sat down to open his cards and gifts. "The gifts are all very nice," he said, "but I really like the cards." I doubt that any other child has ever expressed such a sentiment. Since Ezekiel's middle name is Francis, Diane and I gave him a rosary blessed by Pope Francis. He liked it so much he wore it around his neck. Photos follow.

Ezekiel with one of his new rosaries

Puffy admiring one of Ezekiel's gifts

Dear Diane keeping Maddie quiet and content

More tomorrow...God's peace.

Western Trip Part 1: the (Still) Wild West

Every so often I change the focus of this blog and get personal. I suppose that's to be expected since my purpose here is to praise God for the gift of our very being, and I can think of no better way to do this than to describe His work in my life and the lives of those I love.

Last month Dear Diane and I, accompanied by our new pooch, Maddie, left our home here in Florida to drive across this great country so we could visit our daughter and her family who live in the Bay Area. Our primary purpose was to attend the First Holy Communion of our grandson, Ezekiel Francis. But we decided to turn the trip into a major vacation, visit a few old friends, and see the country up close and personal. We spent nearly a month away from home and added almost 7,000 miles to the car's odometer as we made our way to California, avoiding the Interstate highways whenever possible. It was a marvelous trip.

First Communion day: daughter Siobhan, me, son-in-law Jeffrey, Ezekiel, Phineas

The addition of Maddie, our seven-year-old rescued Bichon Frisé, led to some changes to our usual style of travel. First, we had to find accommodations that would accept a dog. Understandably, many hotels don't. That's where the Internet came in handy. I discovered a wonderful website -- www.bringfido.com -- on which one can search for hotels, restaurants and other facilities that tolerate the presence of pooches. It was a lifesaver. I also discovered that La Quinta Inns have a corporate policy permitting dogs at all their inns at no extra charge. We stayed at quite a few on the trip, and most were clean, comfortable, and reasonably priced. Many other hotels call themselves "pet-friendly" but charge from $10 to $50 (or more) per pet. They might well be pet-friendly, but they're certainly not pet-owner-friendly.

Maddie's presence also required us to stop fairly frequently so she could "use the facilities," but that actually worked out well since our bodies likely benefited from the occasional stretching of aging muscles. As for Maddie, she sat on a soft, comfortable dog bed behind the driver seat. We also tethered her to a seat belt to keep her from flying about in the event of a sudden stop or worse. She actually adapted well to these arrangements; indeed, to all the travel, with just a few exceptions. Maddie demanded that her window be opened, if only a few inches, whenever she was in the car; otherwise she subjected us to a constant, very high-pitched whine that no human ear could withstand for more than a few seconds. We decided that any attempt to train her to be quiet while driving at 70 mph was probably a bad idea. And so we opened her window and she settled down, while we were forced to adjust to the constant roaring of wind and road noise. It would seem we were the ones being trained. Oh, yes, and our little fur-ball has a "need for speed." Whenever I slowed down or came to a stop, she whined, but once I returned to highway speed she again settled down quietly on her bed. Very strange.

Diane, Penny & Maddie on the Riverwalk

Our first major stop was San Antonio, deep in the heart of Texas, where we stayed at a lovely hotel, the Hotel Indigo - Riverwalk. They deigned to accept Maddie as a guest in our room for a mere $30 extra...grumble, grumble. Actually, it was worth it. Our room was about as perfect as a hotel room can be, the staff were wonderful, and the location excellent. 

We were able to spend the day and evening with our old friends, Penny and Bill McBride, who were our neighbors back in the mid-70s when Bill and I both taught at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. How wonderful it was to see them again. 

Our friends gave us an abbreviated tour of the city, strolled with us along San Antonio's famous Riverwalk (where little Maddie was quite a hit), and dined with us at outdoor restaurants that tolerated our dog's quiet presence. I've included a few photos taken during our visit, including shots of the Alamo and the Mission of San Jose and San Miguel.

A view along the Riverwalk in San Antonio

 

Diane, Penny and Bill deciding on our lunch

Mission of San Jose & San Miguel

Walkway at the Mission of San Jose & San Miguel

The Alamo at Night

San Antonio is a beautiful city and perhaps we will return and spend more time there so we can better appreciate all it has to offer. After leaving the city we made out way across the stark, dry, beautiful landscape of West Texas and after a day or two found ourselves in famous Tombstone, Arizona, the "town too tough to die." This was actually a return visit since we had spent a day there about 45 years ago. Little had changed, other than a few more shops, saloons, and touristy stuff. But it's still a fun place to visit, and once again our hotel -- the Landmark Lookout Lodge -- was wonderful, especially the breakfast. A few photos follow...

Sunrise at our Tombstone Hotel

The Stagecoach rolls into downtown Tombstone

A Tombstone Street Performer Greets Us

Beautiful desert flora of Arizona

Diane keeping Maddie out of trouble in Tombstone

I'll continue with our trip West in the next few posts. Tomorrow: I'll tell about our visit to San Diego, Laguna Beach, the Sequoias, and joining our daughter and her family in Danville, CA.

Here's a link to some of the photos I took during our San Antonia visit: Flickr Texas

First Communion, Vacation, Grandchildren...

Next week Diane and I head north so we can attend our granddaughter's First Holy Communion at her family's parish in Hyannis on Cape Cod. There's something very special about a First Communion, especially when the children have been well-taught and prepared, and realize the beauty and greatness of the gift they are to receive for the very first time. You can see it in their expectant faces as they process to the altar to receive Jesus. And I know this will be true for our dear Camilla because her mom and dad love the Lord so much and will have reinforced what she has learned in their parish's sacramental preparation program.

It's important to remind these little ones that God, in Jesus Christ, gave us everything He had, including His very life. And so to ensure we remember this remarkable sacrificial act, God gives us this sacrament of Eucharist, this sacrament of thanksgiving. It's as if Jesus said to His apostles: "Remember me and all that I said and did in your presence. Remember my love for all, a love so great that I gave all that I had, even my very life." But the Eucharist isn't just a memory, and we must ensure the children realize this. In the Eucharist Jesus makes Himself present in a totally unique way, a sacramental way; and He is truly, really present, body and blood, soul and divinity. Let the children know that when they are lonely, when they need the comfort of another's presence, another's love, they need only come to Jesus in the Eucharist, and He will come to them as no one else can.

For these children First Holy Communion is the beginning of a new and closer relationship with Jesus, in which God gives us Himself, again and again. Jesus, in His last words to His disciples, told them, "I am with you always, until the end of the age" [Mt 28:20]. Through the gift of the Eucharist, Jesus keeps that promise.

The children also need to know that through the Eucharist God not only joins us with Himself but also with one another. We all receive that same Lord when we receive Holy Communion, and so we are joined together not only as a parish community but as a universal Church.

Diane and I are both looking forward to sharing this day with our beautiful Camilla. It should be a wonderful day.

Naturally, while we're in Massachusetts we'll make the rounds and spend some time with our other children and grandchildren, and visit some dear friends. We're looking forward to these visits and can hardly wait to see all the little ones. We have eight grandchildren and the eldest is only ten years old, so it's always a joy to see how much they have changed since we last saw them. They grow up to quickly

Travel, of course, should be one of the great pleasures of retirement. Without the constraints of work and other obligations, we can come and go pretty much at will, taking advantage of the good deals and saving at least a few of those scarce and increasingly valueless dollars. I have always enjoyed traveling, and still do. It makes little difference whether we fly or drive, or where we go. I simply enjoy the change of pace and scenery...at least for a while. There comes a point when you want and need to return to the comfortable surroundings of home, and that point seems to come a bit sooner with each trip. I suppose age has more than a little to do with it. About the only thing I dislike about traveling is the preparation -- going through the items on my list and checking them off one by one. And the worst item on that list is packing, especially for a trip in mid-spring when the weather is so unpredictable. The temptation is to pack two sets of clothes, one for warm and another for cool weather; but that just results in too much luggage. And so I guess we'll fall back on layering that lets us shed a layer or two as the temperature rises.

Well, it's time to start packing. I intend to post something occasionally during our trip, but not as often as usual.

God's peace...