Lily Dale, Summer of 2007

First of all, Lily Dale, NY, is a spiritualist community. Forest Temple is one of several places around the community where religious activities may happen.

From one street in "The Dale" there is a fine view across a lake. I took my bicycle with me to Lily Dale and was able to explore the community and some of the surrounding countryside.

Near the lake view (above) stands this pink house among the trees.

In the foreground is my friend Patti's house in Lily Dale.

This is the porch of the community eating hall. Most residents cook most of their own meals but this is a fine addition to the community. There is also a small bookstore and a large meeting hall.

There are fairies in the nearby woods, of course.

This is another one of several parallel streets in Lily Dale. Some residents live here year around while others, like my friend, live and work elsewhere and come for weekends or longer during the summer.

New Bench Top

I just put a new, flatter, top on this bench. Now it's ready for me to build airplane wings on. It holds me, so it oughta hold other things as well. The airplane will be a Kolb Firestar. I haven't worked on the kit for a while, but I want to get it done so I can start building a Sinus motorglider.

Cataract Canyon, September 2007

This post reads bottom-to-top in the manner of blogs.

Late sun on the rim of the canyon from our camp at Imperial Rapid. Powell Reservoir (Lake Powell to some) is down now, so that this rapid was exposed again along with some after it. Then it was calm water with current all the way to the takeout near Hite, Utah, on September 12th.

This is Satan's Gut Rapid, Rapid #23. The most difficult thing about Cataract at this level is making sure you hit this slot. You can't see down the rapid as you float up to it, because it's too steep. There's a narrow tongue of smooth water extending into the rapid--that's where you want to be. There's a tiny wave just above that marks the slot. Hit that wave and you'll hit the slot. After that, it's all automatic. Miss the slot, and your day will not be a good one.

A couple of larger commercial motor rafts went through Satan's Gut right before we did. They waited for us down below, taking that opportunity to replace their bent-up propellers! Their customers cheered when we hit the slot--not that we weren't going to hit it. Actually, Cataract in September was a fairly lonely place where if you did get in trouble for some reason, help might not arrive soon.

This is Satan's Seat Rapid, Rapid #22. As you can see, you just go left of the big rock and then it's an easy run. You don't have to pull around behind the rock as you do at higher water, when a wave forms on the left.

This is Capsize Rapid, Rapid #15, part of Mile Long Rapid in Cataract Canyon. It's an easy rapid where you just have to take the proper route among the rocks.

My friend Gloria did the trip with me.

Though very low, the Green River was particularly beautiful in the evenings when the water reflected the redrock above. This was our first camp on the Green.

There were MANY canoeists on the Green River. More arrived as we were rigging to go. They would be picked up by a jet boat service that operates on the Colorado River from Moab. Most canoes do not continue down Cataract Canyon from the confluence, as we were able to do. Here, four of them cool off in the water, downriver just a few miles.

We launched at Mineral Bottom on the Green River, September 7, 2007. Mineral Bottom is reached by going toward the Island in the Sky section of Canyonlands National Park from near Moab, Utah, and then down a rather precipitous cliff through the Redwall Limestone and other rocks. It's actually just a little upstream (north) from the park boundary.

I had never seen the Green River so low. It was flowing about 1400 cubic feet per second, though after joining the Colorado River in Canyonlands, we would have 5300 cfs according to online water data for our days on the river.

Last Things

A couple with a donkey walks down the central street of a town.

This is a place we were to visit one morning, to see the priceless antiquities within. But they hadn't caught all the dogs yet, so we couldn't enter. Caught all the dogs? Yeah. This place is patrolled inside at night by perhaps a dozen of these rather virulent dogs. Note the robust appearance of physical strength. Note also the muscular jaws. I suspect that nighttime trespassing is simply not a problem here. Even if it happens, the same trespasser will not do it twice. This man was taking his dog home that morning.

This is what's left of the Roman city of Volubilis. This place was near the western margin of the Roman Empire. The Romans grew crops around here and shipped the harvest off to Rome.

On Toward Casablanca

The same mosque, illuminated at night

Mosque near Casablanca

Downtown Casablanca, which is very much a busy, colorless city.

I believe this scene was in Rabat, but I may be wrong. It may be our Casablanca hotel.

This was our turnpoint. We'd been following a pleasant valley, but now the route would cross mountains.

Above, some of these trees and others appeared to have been planted.
Below, rolling country with higher mountains not far away.

A Street in Fes

This is the northern side of the street below.

A major street in Fes was very near our hotel. It is a divided street with grass and growing things (including palm trees). Fes was clearly the most beautiful city we visited.

We enjoyed a layover day in Fes, with meals on our own. For lunch, I walked a little south of our hotel (which was two or three blocks south of this photo) and found a pizza place. Different, but excellent! I have now eaten pizza in Fes, in Ha Noi, and of course in the US. All three are different from each other, and good.