Conversations, Revelations, Insights and New Connections: Lora

The following is a collection of images of people with whom we have connected and reconnected on our trip.  What's remarkable is the fact that everyone we've approached, whether via "Nice pie," or "Where do you come from?" has welcomed the chance to tell us something about his or her self.  No matter how different our backgrounds and experiences are from theirs, we almost always have an enjoyable conversation in which we all seem to learn something from each other, and find a connection of some sort or another.

In terms of our itinerary I am skipping around a bit, although I am identifying places where we've encountered these people.

We met this extended family at an exhibition of Ansel Adams at the Mumm Winery in Napa Valley.  We were coming in while they were leaving, and we stopped to chat. The blond woman, second from the left, comes from Sherborne, MA and is married to the man in the blue jacket standing next to her.  He is originally from Argentina. They are having a reunion with family members she recently discovered when her birth mother located her.  By extraordinary coincidence or some sort of whacky karma, her new found relatives come from Argentina as well.

This is Sydney, our waitress at breakfast in a lodge outside Yosemite.

When we first arrived, Sydney had a lot of tables and gave us a pleasant but quick greeting as she took our order.  Over the course of the meal, the crowd thinned out and I had a chance to ask her about herself.  She came from Groveland, the small town where the lodge was located, but was going to college a few towns away.  When Sydney told me she was studying "Water Management,"  I said it is encouraging to meet a woman going into science.  "Your family must be very proud of you," I told her.  She answered that this was true and the person most proud was her grandmother who was a famous writer.  Sydney then proceeded to tell us about her grandmother Carol Lynn Pearson, who is indeed a very well known poet, author and playwright, and who, as her granddaughter proudly explained, leads the movement pushing the Mormon Church toward a wider acceptance of LGBT members.  

Below is Marion Richter and her daughter Pam who we met at breakfast in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico.

I saw the polar bears on Marion's shirt and assumed that she'd been on a trip to Alaska.  In fact Marion has lived in Alaska since moving there from Colorado when she was a young bride.  Her husband had been a geologist who studied volcanos in Hawaii and Alaska.  Pam, a lawyer, was born in Anchorage and was a court reporter on the Exxon Valdez case.

Marion told us stories of raising a family in a place far removed from many of the comforts we all take for granted.  She also mentioned that most people she knew in Alaska were delighted to see Sarah Palin leave for Namibia where, crazily enough, she will be our ambassador.  

Meet Danny and Stellar, his Borzoi.

Danny raises this breed and shows in AKA events around the West.  We met them at a dog show we happened upon in Williamsburg, New Mexico, on our way to Santa Fe.  While Danny was waiting to take Steeler into the ring we spoke about how much I still miss our dog Blanche who died a a number of years ago, and how I long for the love and companionship of another dog but know that's not possible with the life we lead today. It was comforting to have the conversation with someone who really understood. 

While on the subject of pets, we do have one at home that inspired the side trip we made to Benson, Arizona where we visited the Oasis Bird Sanctuary.  

In our house, we talk about The Oasis as being a parrot spa when we're in the presence of Pearl, our African Grey who has been with us since she was hatched in Santa Fe 22 years ago.  (There's a cautionary tale here about the danger of pet shops that I would be delighted to share with you.)  As parrot owners we have supported this amazing organization for many years because chances are very good that Pearl may end up there someday  Her life expectancy can be up to 85 years and she will surely outlive us all, and maybe our kids as well.  If you'd like to apply for the opportunity to give Pearl long-term love and devotion in return for her driving her sharp beak deep into your soft fleshy parts, you should know that she comes with money.   (That last part is David's editorial comment).