Sally's World

Utah trip, November 2008

We left for Springdale UT on Friday November 21st. We wanted to spend the weekend based in Springdale to explore Zion National Park. Springdale is a delightful tourist town at the entrance of the park. It is at its best off season when the crowds have gone, and the prices of motel rooms have dropped considerably. I highly recommend Oscar's Cafe for all meals - the garlic burgers are sublime, and the breakfasts are excellent. Zion is beautiful this time of the year - the leaves on the cottonwoods are still golden. The verdant valley protected by gigantic sandstone cliff faces. We had a wonderful time exploring Zion NP, as well as the ghost town Grafton. On Sunday we left Springdale and Zion and travelled to Kanab UT. The plan was to overnight in Kanab and then to make sure we were at Kanab's BLM office on Monday morning to participate in the Wave permit lottery. We had over 30 people show up to get a chance to hike into the Wave on Tuesday. There were only 10 spots available, and as a group of 4 we thought we had no chance of having our number be drawn. But as luck would have it, our number was the first to be drawn. We were IN!!! That Monday we immediately went back to our motel to book for another 2 nights - Monday and Tuesday nights. Then we packed up and went to Page AZ to see whether Antelope Canyon was open. Antelope Canyon is a famous slot canyon that is really quite accessible (if you don't mind squeezing into tight spaces.) We spent a wonderful couple of hours photographing the formations inside the slot canyon. For photography nerds, don't forget to bring your tripod! Tuesday was The Day to hike into the Wave. We left our motel in Kanab around 4:45am so that we could get to the trail head and start the hike in at around 5:45 - 6 am. You don't want to hike in the pitch dark, but in the light of the false dawn, it is simply wonderful. The BLM only allow 10 spots for walk in permits (which we were lucky enough to get) and then they also allow spots for internet bookings. I still think there are too many people hiking into the wave... I remember when I first hiked in there was no sign of people - just one's own footprints. Now the trail in is relatively easy to spot - there are footprints, and cairns to follow. In the half light it can be tricky. The BLM have also very helpfully provided a map and photographs of various land marks. I can imagine that if you are not familiar with the route it is probably easy to also get lost. They tell you that it is a 6 mile roundtrip hike - 3 miles in and 3 out. But it certainly feels alot longer. There is a lot of scampering up nice smooth rocky fields, and wading in soft sand. The final ascent up towards the "cleft" is sandier than I remembered it. Watch out for a particularly steep spot, where the sand creates a scary slipping surface. Rather, use the rocks instead of the sand. And finally after huffing and puffing up a steepish path, you arrive at the Wave. We spent a wonderful couple of hours photographing the contours. This trip we had excellent light - a wonderful overcast day, which made the colors glow. We hiked out of the Wave. My legs sure felt tired. We got back to our Motel in Kanab exhausted. Kanab is a small town. For eating try Grandma Tina's. The service is excellent for a small town, and the food is home style cooking. After collapsing in Kanab Tuesday night after the Wave hike, we checked out Wednesday morning and headed for Monument Valley. A weather system had moved in and we passed through scattered showers for most of the trip to Monument Valley. We were very glad that we were not hiking into the Wave on Wednesday. The road to the trail head is impassable when wet (even for 4 wheel drives.) We got to Monument Valley in time for lunch. We were surprised by the construction going on. Our wonderful campsite with the amazing sunrise views of the Mittens is gone and in its place a hotel. The overpriced gift store was open for business and as was the restaurant. We have eaten at the restaurant, and do not recommend it. The service is slow, and the food bland. But there is nothing else, so we ended up eating there this trip. After a wonderful couple of hours of photographing in Monument Valley we headed for Grand Junction CO. We were a little worried about the weather and didn't want to be on the wrong side of Vail Pass should the weather turn for the worse, and the pass would be closed down. It was a good plan to push for Grand Junction. We called to reserve rooms, and were glad we did. It made for a relatively easy final drive home on Turkey day. Of course, it was a particularly rude awakening to listen to the news reports of the atrocities in Mumbai.

More on the mortgage crisis.

Over at Washington Post, Rich Leonard has an interesting article on why it is a good idea for bankcruptcy reform for people who are facing losing their homes to be able to renegotiate their mortgage agreement. As I have said before (I think in response to one of the Presidential debates) I have no problem if people renegotiate their mortgage agreements, I simply don't believe the purchase price (which was freely agreed to) should be changed. Money quote:

Chapter 13 is no walk in the park. It requires public disclosure of every aspect of your life, examinations under oath by a trustee and creditors, allowing creditors to haul you into court on any objection, and relinquishment of control of your financial life for up to five years. If you falter, your case will be dismissed and you will lose the entire benefit of the bankruptcy law, including having your original contract terms reinstated. That is precisely why allowing mortgage modifications is such a good approach. It would elegantly separate those homeowners who desperately need to stay in their homes and have sufficient incomes to make reasonable payments from those investors who bet on lax regulation, easy credit and an appreciating market in buying residential properties. Those in the latter category will have no use for this process, but for the first category, it could be a powerful step back to financial stability.

Mumbai attacks

I was on my way back from Utah, having breakfast at the Best Western in Grand Junction on Thanksgiving when I watched news reports of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai. What madness. Over at No Quarter is an interesting article on the Mumbai attacks and the relationship between India and Pakistan.

World Bank Report on China, December 2008

The World Bank has published an interesting report on the economic outlook for China's economy for 2009. For an excellent commentary of the report go here.

Happy Thanksgiving

Kevin and I have just returned from a week long trip to Utah. We return home sweet home to our wonderful cat, Maddie. We are unwinding, and reviewing our photos and trying to catch up with the world. Happy Turkey Time.

Estes Park, CO - weekend of November 14th, 2008

Monday is always a difficult day - especially after a great weekend. We had a visitor, Nick, Cooksister's other half, come in to see some of what CO has to offer. It was a real whistle stop weekend. We ended staying at the Rams Horn Village in Estes Park, CO for 3 nights. Rocky Mountain National Park is really beautiful. Living as we do, so close to this park, we often overlook it in our more ambitious treks. But what fun - to be less than 2 hours away from some truly beautiful scenes. The weather was cold and windy on Friday - and it tried to snow. The wind really cut the temps down, and made it unpleasant. We used Friday as the day to do a brief overview of the park, Estes Park and the famous Stanley Hotel. Trail Ridge Road was closed for the season, as were a number of other roads. But don't let that deter you. There is still much to explore, and not just by car. If you are bundled up against the chilly wind you can see quite a bit. Saturday we set aside for some more serious walks. We hiked to Dream Lake. There was snow on the ground, but not enough to snow shoe, and it was not icy. I battled on the hilly parts (mainly the up hill parts) due to turning into a slug as well as my "sports" injury issues I had with my calf muscles. I certainly got a good work out. And, it shows just how out of shape I really am. How did that happen? Being out of shape just seems to sneak up on one. Perhaps I am an optimist at heart, but I am always shocked at how unfit I really am. The area around Dream Lake was quite windy. But very dramatic. Then we were on to Chasm Falls which is just off the old fall road (closed for the season.) Our guest, Nick, had a great time doing some exploring off track - which meant the slug (me) and Kevin had to scramble up the side of the forest to get to the road. As per usual I am the last up, I am lying in the sand, trying to coax my lungs back in, and remind my legs to remain upright when I hear clicking. Kevin is busy documenting my ascent. I was too pooped to smack him. Sunday we showed Nick Boulder and took him down to see Downtown Denver. Photos to follow.

How did McCain lose?

As I have said before, I think it is a great pity that McCain ran his campaign the way he did. Ann Althouse sets out 4 points on how McCain lost her... 1. Economics. The timing of the Wall Street collapse couldn't have come at a worst time for the McCain campaign. His decision to suspend the campaign came out as political grandstanding. What he should have done was reach out to the Obama camp, and make some sort of joint statement from both. Now that would have been classy. 2. He made the experience argument irrelevant in his choice of Sarah Palin. (And no, being a mayor of a small town, or Governor of a state, really doesn't help you much when you come across in interviews as being clueless on national issues.) 3. Ann talks about principled conservatism. Cough cough. I don't believe that McCain is a conservative, just as I don't believe that the current Republican party is conservative. What McCain should have done is move the party to the center to take advantage of the center left drift. 4. Erratic and incoherent. The McCain campaign didn't know what their message was - and couldn't communicate that to the voters.

Africa is a continent

I really don't give much to recent reports that Gov Palin didn't know that South Africa is a country. I mean - why is the media in such a knot about this? Most of Americans that I have met (well meaning, and well educated Americans) have no idea that Africa is a continent, not a country and that South Africa is a country not a geographical region. So why the mock outrage regarding this alleged ignorance on the part of Palin? And another thing - get over yourselves guys. It's over. Stop beating the dead horse (or moose tee hee.)

Presidential Elect Barack Obama!!!

Finally. America has voted, and Barack Obama is our Presidential Elect. Thank. God. I am waiting for the speeches. The crowd in Chicago looks enormous. What a party! I am going to savor this for a few moments, because I know that the difficult, serious work is coming. Yes. We. Can.