Comings&Goings

Western Rivers Professional Guide School

Several weeks ago I found my self touching down in Jackson, Wyoming en route to Victor, Idaho where I would be attending a comprehensive seven day professional river guide school under the auspices of World Cast Anglers. As the Teton range and its sublime beauty greeted me, I was trying to recall my motivation for pursuing this newest adventure beyond the fact that there might be another career chapter somewhere in the future. At the very least I was especially excited about learning to row guide boats in big, fast moving rivers, loaded with hungry cutthroat trout.

The guide course, offered three times a year, included two days of lectures and five days of river time, both fishing and working through rowing progressions. We also would experience one overnight at the river’s edge in the vast wilderness. The lecture material was outstanding in all respects, featuring an entomologist with a Phd from Berkeley who, over a four hour lecture with field work, brought the world of bugs and insects alive in a way that I never could have imagined. Mike Blais was also a master teacher and used some traditional and, at times, humorous law school teaching techniques that forced everyone to remain very alert and engaged. This guy definitely knows bugs and students.

Additional classroom work included units on river hydrology (very important for me since I had never rowed, ever!), white water river rescue strategies, geology, flora and fauna, and a broader understanding of the ecology within the Greater Yellowstone River Basin. We also heard from an individual who leads a non-profit overseeing the management of the Teton River, and I came to appreciate the complexities of a river system, ongoing protection and restoration, and the herculean efforts to steward an amazing natural resource.

And, of course, there was plenty of focus on knot tying, fishing strategies, rowing skills and an overall understanding of life on a river, especially if you are a guide. Our group of ten eager and fishy students, ranging in age from 16-58, and five guides, with a collective experience of almost a 100 years of river guiding, provided the perfect dynamic for lots of entertainment, a few laughs, and plenty of challenges as we all tried to master the skills for effective guide work. AJ, a top guide, rode me pretty hard during my day with him and his ongoing refrain of ” Scott, when you see a dangerous obstacle down river, you have to do something instead of just watching and doing nothing,” seemed to stick with me throughout the week. Having the opportunity to navigate/row/fish different sections of the Snake’s South Fork, under big western skies, was pretty close to nirvana, and our group caught plenty of beautiful fish. During the week I learned to love the feel of sliding into the river’s powerful current and descending into a pristine canyon with limitless possibilities.

Westminster Commencement

I wanted to give a quick shout out to our nephew Walker who recently graduated with Westminster’s class of 2019 following a wonderful four years of Grit&Grace. He plans to attend Middlebury College where he was recruited to play lacrosse and to study. By my count, Walker will be the the eighth Stevens to have enjoyed the privilege of a Westminster experience. The occasion was also made that much more enjoyable by having Jill Stevens, Walker’s grandmother, in attendance. Next up will be Nate, class of 2021!

Girls’ Golf

As luck would have it, and given the fact that I had planned to spend most of the spring in Simsbury, I was able to coach the Westminster Girls’ Golf team and spend my afternoons with a fun and talented group of up and coming players. While the weather may have been our greatest obstacle, the season enjoyed plenty of highlights as each player worked to improve her game. With appreciation and inevitable sadness, the team said goodbye to both Ishika Nathan ’19 and Elaina Comia ’19 who started with the “pioneer” team at its inception four years ago.

Worth the Read, Listen, View

Amy recently shared with me a podcast that remembers the iconic Warren Miller whose annual movies always ushered in the winter months and the much anticipated ski season ahead. One is either a Warren Miller disciple or not. He was an inimitable ski enthusiast who seemed just to get younger with age.

I have recently concluded Red Notice and Just Mercy, two great reads that I highly recommend. The former recounts the truly unbelievable story of Bill Browder who sees and capitalizes on investment opportunities in Russia in the early 1990s before his life’s work takes a dramatic turn. The non-fiction narrative reads, at times, like a John Grisham novel. At the suggestion of Rick Witmer, Just Mercy evoked for me a series of powerful emotions ranging from disbelief, anger, and ultimately inspiration as the author Bryan Stevenson offers an uncensored filter into politics, race, corruption, jurisprudence and our country’s history of unjust convictions and incarcerations of innocent black men, awaiting execution. Stevenson’s calling is a remarkable one to be sure.

Articles of Interest

With an increasing interest and fascination over the years in the genre of mountains in general and with Mt. Everest in particular, I was struck by a series of articles in May that highlighted the perennial high mountain disasters that continue to unfold in the “death zone.” In the past I have used John Krakauer’s Into Thin Air during a spring elective, and I find that students become transfixed on topics of human physiology at altitude, adventure risk, and the anatomy of a disaster. Sadly, the loss of life on Everest this spring is a deja vu, all over again.

‘It Was Like a Zoo’: Death on an Unruly, Overcrowded Everest

These Are the Victims of a Deadly Climbing Season on Mount Everest

As Everest Melts, Bodies Are Emerging From the Ice

She had Stage 4 Lung Cancer, and a Mountain to Climb

Peering Beneath a Source of El Capitan’s Deadly Rockfalls

And Finally

As the Snake River adventure recedes, I had a chance to reflect upon Norman Maclean’s classic coming of age novel, A River Runs Through It as well as the 1992 film adaptation, starring Brad Pitt. I recall that Maclean himself had a cameo at the film’s conclusion when he remembers his childhood, the impact of fishing and its rituals within his family, and how he remains haunted by the waters. As a much older man, Maclean concludes the film as he ties on a fly and begins casting into the water’s dark depths.

Comings&Goings

Spring Formal 2019

And Finally

Comings&Goings

Santa Fe Photographic Workshops

I had the chance to travel to Santa Fe last week to participate in another photography workshop, focusing on landscape photography. My particular course, aptly entitled The Art and Science of Landscape Photography, enticed me to sign up with hopes of learning more about the “science” and technical aspects of this genre. Somewhere in the class syllabus I was encouraged by the adage, “If you master the craft, the art will follow,” but I also quickly recognized that I was the most inexperienced photographer in the group, short on technical skills (which I already knew) and photograph editing with Light Room, a sophisticated software program that helps one with photo management. Glen Randall, the instructor, is a professional photographer who has published a handful of books and is a master of both landscape and nighttime photography that is truly breath-taking. He is a technical wizard too and probably was shaking his head a bit as he skeptically eyed his pupil, who looked dazed and confused, in the back row of the editing lab.

Researching and “scouting” a good photo

On the first day Glen preached the value of good photographic scouting work before committing to a specific shot. For instance, his approach taught us specifically to focus on the early and late light of a day for landscape images, and he utilized the application, Sun Surveyor, to understand the timing and angles of the sun for your intended shot. In addition, he introduced us to a web sight called The Photographer’s Emphemeris (had to look that word up during the morning break) that is essentially an electronic topographical map data base with capabilities to track celestial objects as well. In other words, if you want to capture an image of the sun arising below some natural arch in some national park, you can predict timing and details for the sun and moon elements before even going into the field, knowing for sure that some high mountain isn’t going to block your beautiful light in a potentially magnificent landscape photo. Yes, lots of technical precision here, pushing my own photo IQ to an entirely new level.

Ghost Ranch and Georgia o’Keeffe

Most of our days during the week were twelve hour affairs with the mornings being devoted to learning various concepts and to editing our own images. I relied upon my classmates to help me gain at least a basic understanding of Light Room, the photo management tool, as I tweaked various histograms and experimented with a host of strange looking buttons and ambiguous toggle bars to achieve surprising effects on my different images. The afternoons were devoted to driving and then shooting landscapes, several times at sunset, in national parks and at national monuments. We did a lot of hiking with tripods, cameras, and lenses and explored novel and interesting geologic formations. Ghost Ranch was strikingly beautiful and served as one of Georgia o’Keefe’s homes, both the site and the inspiration for much of her art work. The week was a ‘rigorous’ one in all respects, and I returned home, armed with some new photography concepts and a few editing skills that could be game changers.

Jim, Story, Campbell & Santa Fe Prep

The true serendipity of spending a week in Santa Fe was having the time to catch up with old, close friends – Jim and Story – and to meet Campbell, their youngest daughter, who is a junior at Santa Fe Prep. Jim and Story overlapped with Amy and me during graduate school in the late 80’s and early 90’s before moving to Santa Fe Prep where they have worked for over 20 years. Jim is head of school and just recently announced his retirement for the close of the 2020 academic year. While running the school, Jim has also kept his hand in coaching and teaching, always wanting to keep a close connection with his students and colleagues. Story has served as Director of College Counseling and varsity girls’ lacrosse coach while raising their three daughters (Jim also helped, I believe) along the way. As I toured the campus and met with members of the community, it didn’t take me long to realize the collective impact that these two life-long educators have had on this unique and wonderful school.

Worth the Read, Listen, View

Amy shared with me a wonderful article about Korean grandmothers finally getting a chance to learn how to read. If you read one article in this posting, this is the one. I also had a chance to listen to several segments from Michael Lewis’ podcast, Against the Rules, which is a great listen as Lewis explores the “arbitrators” of society’s systems. The first podcast about NBA referees, Ref, you Suck!, will be especially entertaining for anyone who follows sports.

Linda Wood, a good friend, passed onto me a wonderful NPR podcast, A Bouquet of Poets, celebrating National Poetry Month and highlighting the the work of several notable poets. Following the next couple of photos is one poem that I particularly liked.

Uptown, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Even though it’s May & the ice cream truck
parked outside my apartment is somehow certain,
I have a hard time believing winter is somehow,
all of a sudden, over — the worst one of my life,
the woman at the bank tells me. Though I’d like to be,
it’s impossible to be prepared for everything.
Even the mundane hum of my phone catches me
off guard today. Every voice that says my name
is a voice I don’t think I could possibly leave
(it’s unfair to not ask for the things you need)
even though I think about it often, even though
leaving is a train headed somewhere I’d probably hate.
Crossing Lyndale to meet a friend for coffee
I have to maneuver around a hearse that pulled too far
into the crosswalk. It’s empty. Perhaps spring is here.
Perhaps it will all be worth it. Even though I knew
even then it was worth it, staying, I mean.
Even now, there is someone, somehow, waiting for me.

Hieu Minh Nguyen

Articles of Interest

Was ‘Game of Thrones’ Too Dark On Sunday?

An Era Defined by Fear

Why Does Exercise Guard Against Cancer? Inflammation May Play A Role

Are Mountain Climbers Selfish?

5 Minutes That Will Make You Love The Piano

Why Don’t Women Get Comebacks Like Tiger Woods

An Amputee’s Toughest Challenge Yet: Her 140-Mile Run in the Desert

Why ‘Find Your Passion’ Is Such Terrible Advice

And Finally

At week’s end I experienced a bit of a snafu when I learned my flight home on Saturday morning had been cancelled due to a snowstorm in Chicago. Not receiving a whole lot of empathy after a quick call home, I scrambled and got the last seat available for a flight to Orlando, followed by a 4 hour layover, before a late flight back to Hartford. Ah, the romance of air travel.

Two events, however, made this part of the journey memorable. On the first flight fifty high school students, headed to an international business competition, accompanied me. Shortly after takeoff, the flight attendant made a special announcement and proceeded to read a poem, on behalf of one of the students, which concluded with a prom “ask” to one of the female students on the flight. Lots of cheers, celebrations, and of course plenty selfies.

Near the end of my layover in Orlando, the gate agent announced that an “honor” flight had just landed with war veterans from both the Korean and Vietnam wars. He asked that people in the gate area consider standing to recognize these remarkable patriots. With a back drop of bagpipe music and unceasing applause, these veterans, some in wheel chairs and others slowly hobbling, emerged from the plane and graciously acknowledged the fanfare. Quality, just quality.

Comings&Goings

Key Biscayne

Amy and I ventured to Florida in mid march to spend a couple of days with Hope and Mark Wigmore, two close friends who now live for a good part of the year in Key Biscayne, a fun and funky community just south of Miami. I am envious of the Wigmores being on the vanguard of figuring out life’s next chapter, at least in deciding where they plan to live when retirement fully arrives. Even though the weather was sketchy during our visit, it was fun to be in the proximity of the ocean once again and to feel some Florida warmth. We did check out Garcias, an iconic Miami restaurant that had a fun ambiance and delicious Stone Crabs.

History/Miami Museum

Needing to flee Florida’s rain for at least one day, we took refuge at the History/Miami Museum that offered some excellent exhibits and provided a clear sense of how Florida has evolved over time. In particular, I enjoyed Nathan Bin’s visiting exhibit which chronicles Florida, A Peculiar Paradise, during the 1980’s. Bin enjoyed a distinguished career working for National Geographic. All of his photos are pre-digital age.

Miami Design District Art Tour

And beyond museums, we took a guided tour of Miami’s Design District that ended up being a lot of fun. Even though I am not much of a shopper, I was interested in seeing how Miami developed a community of high end retail shops with really clever and aesthetically inspiring architecture and art installations embedded throughout the district. With the tour ending at 7pm and most of the shops closing at about that time, I was ‘disappointed’ that Amy, a professional grade shopper, was unable to put her skills to work.

Center for Education, Simulation, and Innovation

Following his retirement, a good friend of mine, Jack Corroon began working at the Center for Education, Simulation, and Innovation affiliated with Hartford hospital. He kindly toured me around their state of the art facility and provided a broader context of how the center provides a place for medical residents, Naval medics, medical innovators, and high school students, among others, to immerse themselves in cutting edge medical technology for both training and development purposes. Along the way, I had a chance to practice on a Da Vinci surgical robotic device and, after a few false starts, started to find my groove. The high tech medical simulations that the center is able to create show just how far this type of education has grown.

On Golf

As luck would have it, my sabbatical schedule for the spring is keeping me fairly close to home, so I am helping out with Westminster’s girls’ golf team, a group that I have coached during the past couple of seasons. It’s a pleasure to be on the course again with a great group of veteran girls and rookies, in addition to working with Jane Toner and Kelly Curtis, the other coaches.

Speaking of golf, Rick Witmer, another friend of mine, thoughtfully organized a recent quick weekend getaway for father/son golf at Yeamans Hall, a Seth Raynor designed course just outside of Charleston, South Carolina. Our group had a great time both competing and watching the coverage of Tiger making history at the Masters, a tradition unlike any other.

Worth the Read, Listen, View

As I mentioned in an earlier blog, I have enjoyed working with a Westminster graduate who is taking a gap year. We read a book together about every two weeks and meet weekly to discuss. It’s been great fun to work one on one discussing books and developing this student’s own writing. Recently, we read both Erik Larson’s Dead Wake and The Devil in the White City, both compelling and interesting reads. The first explores the sinking of the Luisitania, and the second is about the Chicago’s World’s Fair and a serial Killer. Both narratives are riveting

Amy and I did a little catching up on past movies and felt that Free Solo, A Star is Born, and Vice each lived up to their respective billing. We also caught this season’s True Detective, an HBO series, and had mixed reviews, especially trying to follow the shifting perspectives of characters and time. Although I am not a Game of Thrones disciple, I am committed to this season and was successfully drawn into the first episode. I guess that I just want to be part of the local discourse surrounding this epic series.

NPR offered a fascinating discussion and interview about Connecticut’s water management, and I highly recommend it as I do Serial Podcast’s third season, focusing on Cleveland’s criminal justice system.

And in case you missed the rescue of several dogs who had broken through the ice, it’s worth the view.

Articles of Interest

‘Billy Budd,’ Tragically Charming the Boys for a Century

What Rural America Has to Teach Us

Oliver Sacks: The Healing Power of Gardens

I Love Throwing My Kids’ Artwork in the Garage While They’re Sleeping

A ‘Disgusting Yale Professor Moves On

Knowing the Right Time to Say Goodbye to a Pet

Building Grit in Girls Through Mountain Biking

It Was Just a Kayak Trip. Until It Upended Our Lives

An Elusive Whale Is Found All Around the World

And Finally

I have another opportunity to take a photography class, this time one in Santa Fe with a focus on both the art and science of landscape photography. I am excited about the course, especially with its emphasis on technical photographic elements. Thinking more mindfully about landscape pictures promises to offer a nice “bookend” to the wonderful portrait course I enjoyed last fall.

Lastly, if you are a hockey oficionado, there is no better time of year than the advent of the Stanley Cup Playoffs which provide exciting hockey and high, competitive drama for almost two months, every night! In fact, every year, I take a look at a short video that both inspires me and makes me a little misty eyed as grown men can’t find the words to describe winning the Cup.

Comings&Goings

Upon further review

Having returned home over a month ago from our adventure in Southeast Asia, Amy and I have found that our many conversations oddly drift back to different moments, activities, and people which helped define our over-arching experience. We were reminded time and again about the fun we had awakening each morning and venturing into a wholly different and novel world. On reflection, I have a sense that the wanderlust that had burned brightly when we were younger, now is rekindled and burns brightly again. I also recall witnessing this same desire to see the world emerge in each of our children when they went overseas for a semester abroad and recognized a more global landscape. While I am sure that there was at least some book learning going on during their respective experiences, my greatest takeaway was that wanderlust had found and inspired each of them. And obviously with the advent of technology, they enjoyed a greater ease than we did many years ago navigating new, exciting paths.

More Southeast Asia photos by “popular” demand

Over the last couple of weeks I have not done a lot with photography, but I did have an opportunity to look back at the many pictures I shot during our trip and haven’t yet shared. The below photos reflect some of the fun I had looking closely at different works of art found along the way. In most cases I focused on enhancing different objects with various types of available light.

Mountain sublime: The Green Mountains, the Wasatch Range and the Sierra Nevada’s

Feeling the need to justify the purchase last April of an Ikon Pass, a multi ski resort ticket, I took to the ski road during both February and March while Amy returned “gladly” to the work front. I had an opportunity to seek out magnificent mountains in Vermont, Utah, and California and to follow several storms that yielded plenty of fresh snow and untracked powder. Along the way I was able to join up with friends and family to share in these mountain pursuits. On more than a few mornings out west, on the backside of significant storms, the cold, crisp morning air was often punctuated by concussive blasts of the ski patrol preparing the mountain, minimizing avalanche danger, and keeping skiers out of harm’s way. At Squaw Valley in California, the amount of snow fall is hard to fathom as February witnessed over 350 inches, and total snow pack on the mountain for the “season” is over 50 feet. The roofs of homes are now bearing significant snow weight, and the roads in many places are narrow corridors with white, looming walls on both sides. For me, there is a sublime beauty in observing both the force of winter storms and the immense snow left in nature’s wake. And, of course, untouched powder is about as close to skiing nirvana as one can find.

Worth the Read, Listen, View

I am just about finished with Phil Knight’s memoir, Shoe Dog, which recounts the origins of his company Nike and the many challenges he faced over many years. Among many observations, I enjoyed reading about Phil’s “hands off” leadership style, a reminder that if one hires the right people and offers clear direction and vision, good people can figure out how to get there. The Nike marketing story, or lack thereof, about the company’s name and the inimitable Swoosh are particularly amusing. An easy, good read with a few pearls of wisdom as well.

Below, I have included a link for an Apple computer advertisement, that you might have seen, filled with some powerful and interesting photographs. I also enjoyed listening to the below podcast on the Opioid Crisis, and I am looking forward to seeing Apollo 11, a movie that has received strong reviews in all respects.

Behind the Mac Make Something Wonderful

Podcast: The Family That Profited From the Opioid Crisis

Apollo 11

Articles of Interest

Angling for a Whopper in the Fly-Fishing Paradise of Patagonia

Young Adulthood in America: Children Are Grown, but Parenting Doesn’t Stop

The Good Enough Life

Your Dog Feels as Guilty as She Looks

Apollo 11’s Forgotten Virtues

Work Songs of the Cowboy Poets

The True Story Behind the Iconic War Photo Was Nearly Erased — Until Now

There Are No Five Stages of Grief

And Finally

Although I have always loved winter, I am now less enthusiastic about shorter days and early darkness. With the recent advent of daylight savings and the welcome shift to more early evening light, I feel as if the rites of winter may be receding into the past as we all soon embrace April, the “cruelest of months,” and we shift our seasonal compasses with excitement and anticipation for all things spring.

Comings&Goings

Bagan, Myanmar

We came to learn that the early morning chanting which awakened us around 4 am reflected the activity surrounding a seven day religious celebration at the Ananda Temple which featured 24 hour a day monk chanting, booming through speakers and drifting throughout the region. We learned too that hundreds of pilgrims had journeyed from all over Bagan to celebrate this festival and partake in both religious rites and an almost carnival festival, replete with pop up stores, restaurants, and souvenir stands.

What struck us more than anything were the overloaded caravans of trucks and cars, packed with adults and children and loaded down with gear, setting up ad hoc tent cities constructed of tarps and woven mats as friends and families settled in for a week to combine faith and clearly some fun. From the ongoing cacophony of chatter, colorful dress, and activity, one could not help but feel the warmth of their common humanity. Later in the day, as Amy and I moved among the throngs, it appeared that they may have been more curious about us than we of them.

Milton’s Balloon

We awakened, however, early and, in darkness, we were taken to the launching site where we had a cup of coffee, also in darkness, and got to know Milton, our Aussie pilot, who was right out of Indiana Jones central casting.  By his own description, Milton had been a “naughty” boy and a truant growing up in New Zealand before finding a way to escape to Australia, starting his career as a dishwasher, and then – through happenstance and guile – linking onto the nascent hot air balloon industry.

After many years of perfecting his craft, both Milton and his wife are now balloon pilots dividing their time between Myanmar, East Africa, and Australia, guiding balloon tours, meeting interesting people, and enjoying living in different parts of the world. In short, Milton lives for hot air balloons. It also crossed my mind that a one-time passenger probably doesn’t want a pilot who is still learning about balloon physics and trying to find his/her way along the balloon learning curve.

Silently, we watched as the balloons around us were inflated, and then we took to the skies just as they started to brighten with the day ahead.

The next 45 minutes or so were pretty amazing as we drifted over Bagan and headed towards the Irrawaddy River, floating above temples, pagodas, stupas and monasteries, viewing the world from an entirely different perspective.  All truly sublime to be sure. At one point we were floating 3,000 feet high with only the sound of the wind and the occasional blasting of fire into the balloon.

After seeing Bagan from the sky, we spent the afternoon exploring on E-bikes/scooters, pushing Amy’s risk envelope to be sure.  No real mishaps until Amy went to park the bike at the end of the ride and then decided unexpectedly to throttle up.  More details to follow.

Ye Ye’s Grasshopper Tour

Leaving the skies and E-bikes behind, we had great fun on Day Two in Bagan, having signed up for a gritty (literally) mtn. bike tour through the dirt tracks of various towns and along the single tracks leading to different ancient sights. Ye Ye, our guide, was outstanding and knowledgeable about the many sights and the underlying Myanmar culture. He was especially keen about the evolution of Buddha design and taught us to recognize shifts in Buddha lips, eyes, and hands. In some cases, as one moves away from a Buddha’s gaze, his affect becomes more gentle, more friendly.

In a country with military rule and a problematic shift towards democracy, Ye Ye shared his thoughts about the country’s diversity and its 135 different ethic groups. We also talked with him about the Rohingya refugee crisis and that ethnicity’s suffering and, at least from Ye Ye’s point of view, we learned that this group’s struggles are part of a very complicated morality tale.

As we weaved and dodged people, oxen, scooters, and more, I wish that I was positioned to take a picture of Amy ahead of me, navigating her bike along the busy road, enveloped by hoards of people, machinery, honking horns and occasional stray dogs. Kind of a mass of humanity with color and movement.  With the Ananda Festival going on, caravans of religious pilgrims moved about and camped along the roads.  We had a few “white knuckle” moments on the bikes, but otherwise safely negotiated some of the winding dirt roads. We especially enjoyed pedaling through quieter Bagan neighborhoods, witnessing the pulse of daily life there. Of note were the courtesy warning honks of scooters and cars, as they made their way by us and kept us out of harm’s way.

Myanmar’s Venice, Inle Lake

We moved deeper into Myanmar’s interior today, taking first a turbo prop plane and then a 1.5 hour taxi to the stunning Inle Lake Region.  Two quintessential mountain ranges bracket each side of the 50 square miles of lake expanse, providing picturesque sunrises and sunsets with its ubiquitous mountain backdrop.

We observed that the lake has a series of small floating villages on stilts, so to speak, and that while scooters were critical for transportation in Chiang Mai and Bagan, one needed here some sort of watercraft.  Our boat reminded me of a 32 foot Adirondack guide canoes, with a flat bottom, and an amusing four stroke engine with a long, moveable drive shaft and propeller for navigating the small serpentine canals and an overabundance of invasive lily pads. 

We spent the day zipping across and around the lake visiting market places, floating gardens, temples, and stupas, in addition to observing artisans at work crafting textiles, teak boats, silver, and bamboo items.  The day also appeared to be “wash” day, as many people, mostly women, bathed along the canal banks. While Inle Lake is relatively new to the world of tourism, one has the sense that as the region grows it will be more than prepared to host visitors from around the world.

#Amy’stakeonthings

So we are just over half way through this spectacular trip, and I find that stumbling upon schools, taking pictures of children and their parents, and seeing the spectacular super blood wolf moon rise and set over Bagan helped us both feel less far from home.

In Inle Lake, we stumbled upon a loud and busy boy’s school, and watched the boys and their teachers (not understanding a word of all the chatter) problem solve how to lift a platform (stage?) back into the schoolyard. The scene made us smile and think of Westminster. We watched the children at a primary school happily running around the recess yard, and we continue every day to wave back in answer to the joyful “Hello!”s we receive from the many children in the different villages we pass by on our bikes. We have not met with one scowl, frown or impatient voice as we navigate streets and crowds, lakes and hills, boats and bikes. Inle Lake was quiet – almost ghostly quiet – while Bagan was filled with the energy of happy people at a festival and the constant background sound of the monks chanting through the night. Every bright splash of the bright saffron or burgundy color robes of the monks continues to catch my eye, and each time I think of the commitment these men (soon women, in Laos) make as they sign on to a higher purpose. The splash of color stops me every time.

Up up, and away

Caravans of religious pilgrims

Morning fishing

And Finally

I had forgotten about the awkward and amusing interplay that emerges between a visitor and a local when traveling and dealing with a language barrier. On many occasions thus far, I have watched locals try to translate my slow enunciation of English (as if that makes it easier for one who speaks in the Thai or Myanmar languages) and my words of intent. There is often a respectful, earnest and blank stare in response, with friendly and foreign eyes seeking non-verbal cues for understanding. A few gesticulations and body movements on my part, more slow English, and then a victory of sorts as a dawning smile of understanding opens up before me – an epiphany at its very best.

Comings&Goings

After the holidays

I could not help but laugh when, in the wake of the annual holiday food fest, someone posted on FB a funny video of a large seal flapping and writhing his way across the ice with the caption below stating, “This is what I feel like as I head back to the gym following the holidays.”  So apropos, so true. Yes, the holidays are behind us with hopes that everyone enjoyed some rest and relaxation with family and friends. I know that the Stevens family did although, even in the midst of our collective time together, our thoughts were never far from friends and strangers alike who continue to persevere through loss and difficult times.  Our collective hope is that 2019 will yield promise and hope for everyone. Happy New Year.

Hamilton

Through the kindness and generosity of a good friend, Amy and I finally attended Hamilton, and the production – not surprisingly – didn’t disappoint.  As I highlighted in the past, I have truly come to appreciate talented individuals who perform in all sorts of venues, and I can only begin to imagine all that goes on behind the scenes to reach their respective levels of artistic achievement.  As those of you who have already seen Hamilton can attest, the narrative, the music, the choreography, the acting, and the constant motion of this musical is powerful and inspiring. Through set design, scene changes, and action, one has the sensation that the world of Hamilton, in terms of character, space, and history are in constant flux.  I am already looking forward to seeing the production again, sometime, somewhere. I also caught a glimpse of the Golden Globe Awards and plan to have one resolution for the new year – see more movies!

Lake Tahoe

Amy and I had the good fortune of spending a week of skiing and family fun in Lake Tahoe over New Year’s.  Among other highlights and along with our family, we hosted Abby’s roommates and local friends to dinner and a night of games.  While admittedly I am not a big game guy following a full dinner, vino, etc., Amy is! Our family tends to default to a familiar and usually raucous game of salad bowl, but Abby introduced us to a new and really fun and amusing game called Telestrations, sort of a hybrid of “telephone” and Pictionary. While we did not have the official board version, Abby quickly put together packets of paper for each participant, and then we followed the description shown in the above video.  Lots of laughs, even a few tears….., but really fun and entertaining.

On Photography

I am a little short on photographic content for this posting, but I did use Amy’s new Iphone and captured this somewhat creepy reflection photo during one of our walks in the Truckee area.  The new phone has an amazing camera and a portrait mode that yields some extraordinarily sharp and impressive photos. I also spent a little time at Squaw Valley, after my ski legs were spent for the day, shooting some photos of rock formations and late day ski lifts with different types of lighting.  As I have stated on more than a few occasions, the novelty of doing anything outside – all day long – has become a favored pursuit these days.

If you didn’t have a chance to see 13 Stories That Captured Photography In 2018, The Year in Pictures 2018, Famous Photographs of Fabulous People, or Photos We Loved in 2018, they are all fun collections to peruse. I particularly liked the group of Fabulous People. I always find it provocative to consider how the essence of an image captures the tenor of a particular person, place, or event. And, of course, similar to all forms of art, what feelings does that specific image evoke for you personally.

According to Amy, Nick, Abby, Will

Amy passed along to me an interesting NPR interview with pro surfer Kelly Slater who is the visionary behind an artificial wave park in California, a place that will soon be hosting competitions. Meanwhile, William Finnegan, author of Barbarian Days, writes about the wave park in his New Yorker piece and highlights the implications of this fabricated wave world to the surfing aesthetic. Finnegan is an excellent writer, and I know that both Nick and Will are enjoying reading this tome.

Worth the Read, Listen, View

If you are interested in tiny houses, you may enjoy this piece about a husband and wife who built their own and then put it on wheels. And if you read only one article in this posting, I encourage you to look at The Tinkerer of Dickson’s Reach which recounts a fascinating man, Bill Coperthwaite, who took the construction of yurts to an entirely new level while espousing both self-reliance and community. Think of a resourceful Thoreau but with friends hanging around. For those of you who enjoy both dogs and Lake Street Dive, this short video is amusing.

Articles of Interest

The Maverick’s Key to Keeping Players Fresh? Blood Samples

Cuba’s Next Transformation

The Sydney Awards, Part II

Four Simple Words to Help You Live Well

Letter of Recommendation: Old English

Death, the Prosperity Gospel and Me

How Cancer Changes Hope

From Tree to Ski at the Fischer Family Factory

Four Questions for the Year Ahead

The Power of the ‘Little Comment’ in Mother-Daughter Relationships

And Finally

Amy and I have the great opportunity of time, due to my sabbatical and her upcoming three week leave of absence, to be departing on a trip to southeast Asia on Sunday. We have a lot to organize before then, but the good news is that the key pieces are in place, finally.

Our journey will take us first to Chiang Mai, Thailand, then Bagan and Inle Lake – both in Myanmar – and then to Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. We will be doing some reading about the history, politics, religion, culture, and arts from this region of the world as we travel, and at least one of us is excited about the food. We both will be taking plenty of photographs and look forward to sharing if we return.

Comings&Goings

   Nick and Katie

I want to start this entry with a quick update and a milestone of sorts.  With plenty of excitement and after days, weeks, and possibly even years of speculation and anticipation, Nick and Katie successfully became engaged during the Thanksgiving holiday.  And in this new age of proposals, the clandestine operation that included the entire Stevens and Ellis families gathered shortly after the proposal to congratulate and celebrate with Nick and Katie as they embark on their journey together.  From this observer’s perspective Katie was definitely surprised and perhaps wishing that she too had been let in on the secret in advance .  More details to follow.

   Jardines de la Reina

In hindsight, it probably made perfect sense that Hemingway’s beloved Pilar, a 38 ft cabin cruiser built at Wheeler Shipyard in Brooklyn, was very much on my mind as my five friends and I  bumped along a dirt road and entered the port town of Jucaro, following our short flight to Camequey and a 2.5 hour bus ride.  Jucaro was where we were to begin our seven hour boat journey to Jardines de la Reina, a small archipelago and home to Tarpon, Bonefish, and Permit, an exciting trifecta of game fish.  Not so coincidentally,  a friend had recommended that I read Paul Hendrickson’s book, Hemingway’s Boat, during the trip to infuse my Cuban adventure with Hemingway himself.  And he was spot on. Essentially, the book chronicles the time period of Hemingway’s turbulent life from 1934 – 1961 and posits the notion that the Pilar remained the one constant in the author’s life as he dealt with success, fame, love, and plenty of conflict prior to taking his own life in 1961.  Even when Hemingway was lion hunting in Africa, he dreamed of Havana and peaceful moments on his boat while spending days in the “stream” seeking big game fish.

Our group’s home for our own week in the waters off of Cuba would be the Halcon, a tired, fifty year old vessel, with character as my father used to say, that Castro requisitioned from a financier and thereafter shared with his close friends.  I couldn’t even begin to imagine the different people who had cruised these very same waters over so many years, but I did know that our group was excited to explore the vast fisheries that beckoned.  Even with my short Cuban exposure, I saw a place of striking contrasts in the people, the landscape, and the industry of living. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera charger so the following images are mostly from my iphone..a rookie mistake.

Our crew of four kept great care of us, and William, one of the managers of the fishing outfitters joined us for dinner on the boat several nights and provided a fascinating narrative about Cuba’s history, Batista, Castro, the black market, and the challenges facing all Cubans, and especially those with ambitions and dreams for a better life. From my perspective Cuba looked to be in a time warp, existing somewhere in the 1950’s and still facing the grim challenges of a developing country with very little in the way of infrastructure and resources. 

Out on the water, however, our group was drawn to the remarkable fishery that allowed us to stalk, sight, fly cast and hopefully catch/release beautiful game fish in the watery shallows.  Our Cuban guides were keen observers of all things fish and provided their own colorful commentary along the way.  And they were never afraid to express their displeasure and frustration when an angler failed to execute, especially when a Permit was at hand.  Speaking of that elusive species, Ted Suglar – a.k.a. “the Permit whisperer” – caught a 20 pounder on his very first cast of the trip.  Just amazing.  We had lots of exciting fish stories to share, and the fish just kept getting bigger each time we each told our tales.  And by the by, it was liberating to be free of technology and “off the grid,” so to speak, for the entire week. 

According to Amy, Nick, Abby, Will 

Not a lot of activity from the family recently, but Nick did send along an  interesting link for some pretty sophisticated human potential self-improvement articles:  Better Humans

Worth the Read, Listen, and View

  I have gone on a little tear listening to podcasts and recently enjoyed learning about El Chapo’s trial and a fascinating piece about what happens when you share your location on your iphone.  A must listen to be sure:  The Business of selling location.

  Articles of interest

Flip Pallot: A Spiritual Guide to the Last 40 Feet  (worth the read, for sure)

Is the Aeneid a Celebration of Empire – or Critique

How Loneliness is Tearing America Apart

Is Aerobic Exercise the Key to Successful Aging?

Review:  A Broadway ‘Mockingbird,’ Elegiac and Effective

A Call to Modernize American Philanthropy

I also was drawn to a wonderful series of six short documentaries, A Moment in Mexico, that were raw, provocative, and powerful in different ways. 

And Finally

While I have not had any official responsibilities with Westminster during my sabbatical, I have stayed in close touch with my advisees, a group of eight students with whom I have worked closely during their respective Westminster careers.  We gathered together for our annual holiday lunch at our house last Wednesday and, not surprisingly, they did not disappoint with their collective banter, humor, goodwill, and warmth.  It was a pleasure to spend time with all of them, and I want to give a shout out to the seniors among the group – Riley, Emmett, Annabel, Alex, Nate – who all received great early college admission’s news and will attend Richmond, Harvard, Colgate, SMU, and Middlebury. Congratulations.  It’s always nice when things work out as you had hoped and planned.

Lastly, and in the spirit of very cool fishing moments, I could not resist adding a photo of my friend Rick Witmer, who has slid easily into retirement and  found time for a variety of exciting pursuits.  Rick is a superb angler and, similar to our Cuban contingent, recently spent time fishing down south and landing this magnificent Tarpon.  I did not take the below photo, but I love the perspective, composition, colors, and – of course – Rick and his guide’s joyful smiles.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

Comings&Goings

   Lake Street Dive

Several weeks ago Amy and I had the good fortune of journeying into NYC to enjoy a Lake Street Dive concert, tickets courtesy of Abby, at the Beacon theater on the upper west side.  For whatever reason, Amy and I often talk about going to concerts and then we don’t. Lake Street Dive’s performance, especially lead singer Rachel Price’s vocals, energized the audience and inspired us to keep an eye on local music options.  Sitting in the second to last row of the balcony, we also could not help laughing throughout as we listened to the ongoing and heartfelt narrative of a woman, in the very last row behind us, exclaiming declaratively “Oh, my God. Oh, myy God. Rachel’s voice is just so transcendent.  Oh, my God.”  For the band’s encore, they performed an electrifying rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody.

While on the topic of music, I continue to believe that the think tank behind the emergence of Pandora as a music source had people like me in mind.  I have always liked and enjoyed music and probably followed Southern rock more than any other genre growing up, but rarely did I take the time to investigate seriously and follow many bands or purchase L.P.’s like many of my friends did.  With the advent of Pandora, of course, that has all changed as I settle into the genre of Florence & The Machine, Adele or Miner and stay current in my listening. Recently, I have taken to the magnetic voice of Maggie Rogers, having watched her perform on SNL.  She seems like a promising up and comer to me.

   Time for Museums

With some time on our hands the morning following the concert, we ventured to El Museo Del Barrio on the upper east side to view several photography exhibits.  One in particular entitled “Down These Mean Streets” featured urban photographers focusing on community and place during the 60’s and 70’s. Even in the starkness of some crumbling neighborhood environs, these photos revealed the power of community in the various portraits.

Along the way, I also learned that a lenticular image, shifts as the viewer moves his or her angle for viewing the image.  The photograph below is just one image, but I am standing at different angles.

As good fortune would have it, Amy and I learned that our tickets would gain us free admission to The Museum of the City of New York (a place that I had never even heard of), only one block away and featuring a number of provocative exhibits, including a series of stunning Stanley Kubrick photographs and a contemporary show illuminating the “Interior lives of Chinese New Yorkers.”  Both exhibits are excellent as was the short, must see movie that explores the historical landscapes of Manhattan, beginning with the arrival of the Dutch. Among other characteristics, the movie captures the very ethos of the city’s relentless energy and vitality.

Leadbetter’s Essentials

During the summer months and into the fall, I became a David Leadbetter convert and, in particular, have taken to studying his golf video series entitled “Leadbetter’s Essentials,” both to help me better coach the Westminster girls’ golf team and perhaps to stumble upon the secret for my own ongoing and elusive swing.  Leadbetter is known as one of the world’s preeminent golf instructors, having worked with the likes of Tiger, Rory, Phil and many others during his career. His “essentials” video series distills the golf swing into  6 short videos. For this viewer, his instruction has led me to a place where I  truly understand both the physics and the kinesthetic movements that form the foundation for an effective swing.  Putting all of that into practice, at least for this golfer, may be a different story.

A number of blog readers at this point may have rightly sped onward with their perusing for fear that I plan to analyze my swing strategy for each of the various clubs in my golf bag, but I will spare you that narrative until we next meet.  Instead, the concept of essentials has provoked me to think about how with time and experience we all thoughtfully and strategically develop and distill our own essentials for all that we do. Grilling essentials, career essentials, first aide essentials, travel essentials, communication essentials, beauty essentials, gardening essentials, relationship essentials, fitness essentials, writing essentials, auto essentials, counseling essentials, turkey essentials….you get the idea.  And imagine what would happen if we all pooled our own essentials and shared them with one another. Time + Experience = Essentials, a potentially inexhaustive guide for just about everything.

Abula vulpes

Strategically, I have not wanted to “overschedule” myself during this sabbatical year even though most days I feel that I am the most busy person around on sabbatical.  This flexibility approach recently yielded a last minute invitation to join a group of fisherman for 4 days of bonefishing in the Bahamas. Bonefishing Essentials?  It was a wonderful trip, replete with exciting fishing moments, entertaining banter and stories, and plenty of 50 something camaraderie. Two facets of the adventure which stand out include spending several days with Percy, a wizened and instructional guide who had fished the lovely Bahamian waters for over fifty years.  Similar to an effective teacher, he challenged us, taught us, criticized us, encouraged us, and ultimately stewarded us as fishing disciples in his watery home.

The other memory that stands out occurred one sunny and cloudless afternoon when alone I waded a sand flat and witnessed the amazing sights, sounds, and mysteries of an oceanic ecosystem.  Over the course of almost 3 hours and following a falling tide, I tracked bonefish who emerged from the mangroves and frantically searched for deeper waters while moving across the flats in water less than 2 feet, schooling up to form V patterns and creating their own current or “nervous” water.  Sometimes the fish traveled in smaller and more stealthy pods of two and three fish. The bonefish were often followed by slow, lazy moving Lemon Sharks who reminded me that nature’s ominous forces are never far behind. At one point, I closed my eyes and listened to the sound of splashing, gurgling water, chanting birds, and the steady rhythmic slap of the tide.  The coalescence of these sensory experiences was beautiful, other worldly, and calming.  Periodically, too the sounds of nature were pierced by the screeching of my reel.

According to Amy, Nick, Abby, and Will

Nick is really enjoying Scott Harrison’s Thirst:  A story of redemption, compassion, and a mission to bring clean water to the world.  Based upon his early reviews, I plan to add this book to my reading list.  Amy has shifted slightly towards and easy Thanksgiving read, and is “gobbling” up Lee Child’s Past Tense.  At the suggestion of a neighbor, I have just begun reading Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Russo’s first non-fiction book, entitled The Destiny Thief.  Already I am loving his style and the pace of his reflections.

Worth the Read, View, and Listen

As I have mentioned in previous blogs, I am finding that podcasts focused on human interest stories are a nice way to compliment time in the car or in the fitness room.  The New York Time’s “Daily” is outstanding.  One podcast, “The Business of Internet Outrage” focused on a couple who started a business editing news articles to make the headlines more inflammatory.  The result:  Millions of people began reading them, and the writers made a handsome living.  Worth a listen.

Articles of interest

Stop Trying to Master One Skill

Swing Doctors? Top L.G.P.A. Players Prefer to Heal Themselves

How Plato Foresaw Facebook’s Folly

Frank Litsky:  A Times Sports Writer of Humor and Breadth

And Finally

I thought you might enjoy what confronted Will when he awakened on Tuesday morning, following his red eye flight from San Francisco.  Welcome to the wild kingdom of home.  A close friend also shared this short piece on being thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone.