The Holidays . . .

Good Afternoon Folks and Happy Holidays,


As my youngest reminded me, Happy Holidays means Happy Holy days. This nugget of info is for those of you who think Merry Christmas as a salutation has become marginalized in political correctness. We seem to get upset over the silliest stuff and not so much on the more serious aspects of life. Just take any greeting as one of recognition of a special time of the year. I more prefer the certainty of the Winter Solstice as a time for celebration. And lest we forget remember Festivus. So, Happy Whatever to all!

It is just days from the official one that marks the beginning of winter. We had our first major snow storm last weekend here in Flagstaff. And, with that I got to don my XC skis for the first time this season at the Flagstaff Nordic Center. The snow conditions were great and I was happy to find out that I still have some semblance of balance left. As you progress through time you are not sure each year how your body will react in physical situations. I plan to head out again tomorrow morning to make sure there are a couple of times under my belt before leaving for my holiday visit with family. My hope is that this year will not be a repeat of last where I skied a couple of times before departing and came home to no snow until March. I am assured by the National Weather Service that it is supposed to snow Christmas Day. If it is a big storm, there should be enough snow upon my return.




I have been watching a show on the Science channel on DirecTV called An Idiot Abroad produced by Ricky Gervais and Stephan Merchant. They send the hapless Karl Pilkington around the world. To begin with he is supposed to see the "Seven Wonders of the World."The kicker is that they send him on side trips that involve things like Sumo wrestling where he has to get involved. Much like me, even with my anthropology background, he is appalled by most of the customs he encounters, especially what people eat. He is seen gagging in a Chinese restaurant and has to deal with many other scenarios that either place him in difficult or strenuous situations. Even though these are meant to widen his horizons he usually has a negative reaction. It is a funny show. The reason I am writing about it is because in most cases I seem to agree with him. Even though it may be a form of ethnocentrism (the big sin for an anthropologist), I do not want to eat the things most people in other culture's eat. I do not mind understanding other cultures but really have no desire to participate. This TV show brought that to the forefront of my consciousness. So to my darling daughter Natasha who lives in Japan and wants me to visit . . . this show points to why I will not. It does not mean I do not love you. However, maybe we can meet in Hawaii!


As for movies and my very brief reviews of same . . . Since last we met I have viewed three films. The most recent was The Hobbit, another Peter Jackson extravaganza with Martin Freeman in the central role. The first 45 minutes were fairly boring but got better after that the pace picked up. The movie is about 3 hours long and I endured it. I liked the latter part of it, but it left us with a cliff-hanger ending "setting us up" for the next installment. I think I will pass on it (**1/2). Killing Them Softly with Brad Pitt has gotten decent reviews but again, I did not find it all that compelling. The acting is good but I find none of the characters to have any redeeming qualities (**1/2). The best of the current movies I have seen was Silver Linings, A Portrait Bradley Cooper, manic individual living with his parents after being institutionalized after the break-up of his marriage. He has a complicated relationship with his father (played by Robert DeNiro). He ends up having a relationship with a woman who is a young widow. This is the kind of film you classify as a drama/comedy. I liked it (***1/2).

I look forward to seeing several films being released over the next couple of weeks. Zero Dark 30, the Kathryn Bigalow dramatic offering about the chase for Bin Laden is number one on my list. Surprisingly, I want to see the musical, Les Miserables. Usually, they are not my thing. I know it will probably not be a great film but I want to see Billy Crystal's new comedy with Bette Midler playing grandparents. In addition, the Bill Murray film where he plays FDR is another on my wish list as is Hitchcock.

Have a great holiday season. Mine has started out wonderfully with two cross-country ski sessions before my departure to Prescott tomorrow and on to Southern California on Friday.

Cheers to all!

Thanksgiving?

Good Morning Folks,


It has been awhile! Even though retired, with a bit of time on my hands, I haven't felt the urge to write any thoughts down. It has been a beautiful Fall here in Flagstaff and we got our first dusting of snow last weekend. The picture to the right gives you just a little indication of the colors here during this season. Although, I do have to say that most of these leaves are gone now what with high winds and some snow (very little).


We have not had a lot precipitation yet so the drought continues in the southwest. However, with the leaves disappearing from the trees and the nights being below freezing we have the beginning of the "winter look" in these parts, my favorites season. I just hope we have a good snow year for cross-country skiing.


The Thanksgiving holiday is on us this coming week. But, it is somewhat diminished these days with the early appearance of Christmas decorations and music in the stores. In many cases this started before Halloween. We old codgers remember the days when it began the day after Thanksgiving. The mighty dollar and merchandizing prevails. We lose some value in putting priority to giving thanks.


Personally, I will be headed down to what we here in Arizona call "the valley;" that is generally the environs of the Phoenix area. Most specifically I will be spending a couple of days with my friends Bob  and Cindy Henry in Goodyear, AZ at the foot of the Estrella Mountains. Now, for me, that is something to be thankful for. If you cannot spend holidays with close family certainly good friends are the ticket. Not only that but I get the bonus of heading from the valley to Prescott on Saturday to spend a couple of days with my other very close friends, Marc and Carol Hammond.


It is a time to be thankful, as is anytime you wake up above ground at this age. I am most thankful for my daughters, their husbands (which are the best, especially considering my families penchant for poor choices in regards to spouses in general), my grandsons, sisters and brothers, my Aunt Roby, last of my parents generation, and the few good friends that have kept me around in their universes. My nieces and their children are also persons important in my life. Outside of these folks, I am thankful for the reelection of the President, who I do not always agree with, but in general has done the best we could expect after the debacle of Bush. I am thankful for my general good health and Medicare which assists in keeping me that way a long with daily exercise. So, Happy Thanksgiving to all!


Movies: I have seen several since the last entry in this cyber-space blog. Most were rather ho-hum, some entertaining but not extraordinary with a few that were excellent! First the latter category will give me a positive start here. By "leaps and bounds" the two best films I have seen have been historical with excellent acting and compelling drama. They are Ben Aflick's Argo and Speilberg's Lincoln. Argo deals with the almost forgotten rescue by a CIA agent (played by Aflick) of five individuals from the American embassy who got away during the Iran hostage crisis and hid out at the Canadian ambassadors house. It is excellent drama. Lincoln is led by the tremendous (as usual) performance of Daniel Day-Lewis in the title role. The film covers the period before Lincoln's assassination when he was pushing for the 13th amendment that really frees the slaves. It is the depiction of the political infighting that took place over that issue. It does not seem to different from the contemporary congressional situation. There are many performances within the movie that are notable as well to include Sally Field as Mary Todd Lincoln and the many other character actors most film buffs will recognize. Plus, the staging of both films both cinematically and staying true to their periods is absolutely right on!


I thought Flight with Denzel Washington was a bit boring and overly long. He does give a good acting performance and will be nominated for awards. Even though many critics liked it, I did not. I have no interest in watching an alcoholic pilot go through his denial for two hours. I had no empathy for his character. Chasing Mavericks was interesting surfing movie because of my beach upbringing, but was not an especially great film. Alex Cross was just disappointing. They went with action over the more ceribreal character that is in the books and was interpreted so much better by Morgan Freeman. Tyler Perry is just so-so in the role.


Lastly, there is James Bond. Daniel Craig is the second best Bond ever. No one can replace Sean Connery but Craig does an excellent job for these times. Skyfall is a very good film of its genre. My favorite Bond films have been From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, Dr. No, Casino Royale (the Craig version) and now Skyfall. I liked none of the Roger Moore movies but did like Pierce Brosnan as Bond.
If your are a fan of James Bond you must see the 50th Anniversary film.


I am looking forward to the further holiday faire which usually gives us our best films.


Have a great holiday season. Cheers to all!

Autumnal Reflections

Another Good Afternoon Folks,


Guess it is about time to write something down again. Having returned from San Diego a little over a week ago I have been reflecting quite a bit on the past, or I should say my past. One of the events that put me on this course is meeting up with an old flame from High School, well maybe not quite a "flame" exactly because we only went on one date.


My sister Norma and I rode the trolley from Santee (in east county) to downtown San Diego to visit with Jodie Hulden, a high school classmate of hers, and the aforementioned lady in question. Jodie had a photographic showing at the Art Walk on the Bay. We had a "jolly fellows well met" time of it with her and I bought one of her exquisite black and white photos reminiscent of Ansel Adams work. While conversing it dawned on me that it was maybe 50 years ago that Jodie and I had gone out on that date. Wow, that is half a century! Incidentally, she looks as beautiful as she did at 15, or so. I am not sure why we did not go out again but am sure it probably had something to do with me. But, for as little good as it does me, I have a huge "crush" on her yet again.


In peering back through the reverse telescope of time it is often interesting to see how we interpret our past. For instance, Jodie mentioned that she had been somewhat frightened of me at the time. I queried her on that because I always thought of my self as pretty unintimidating where girls were concerned, in fact not very confident. Her reply was that, "You were EVAN RAGSDALE!," as if that meant something in the High School hierarchy of the time. We discussed it and my whole perception of myself for that period was thrown off. Which points to the fact that you never know how you may be perceived by others, especially in those teen years.


The trip to San Diego county was a good one and I got to visit most of my close relatives with the exception of my sister Marlene and her daughter Ashley Louise. As is usually the case I ran up and down the county to catch up with my daughter Tania, my grandsons, and her husband Steve. The boys  were busy with all the athletic teams they are involved with. I did get to see each of the three in a game each while there. I had more quality time with the two eldest of my grandsons, Zac and Cole. That was nice! Torin, the youngest, was usually on the computer. And, as I say every time, Norma (sister) and Scott (bro-in-law) were more than cordial and hospitable in allowing me to stay with them. In fact this was the first trip over there for me since Norma retired. Hence our trolley trip, movie and seeing a bit more of each other.


The only really "down thing" about the trip was the intense heat in southern California. Many of the days were in the high 90s, and occasional 100s. With the humidity there it is definitely not my kind of weather. Again, making reference to that reverse telescope of time, Norma and I discussed the fact of "climate change" and it's affects on our hometown and local environs. We both did not ever remember hot weather this warm, and of this duration while growing up there.


Daughter Natasha and her husband Jason have had to endure two very large typhoons in Okinawa in the passed couple of weeks. Although they made it through them fine their apartment was flooded under their hardwood floors from water that blew in under vents on one side of their upstairs abode. Now, with the exception of a couple of rooms they are dealing with torn-up floor boards and a construction zone in their living quarters. The weather has put a crimp in her new found passion, sailing. She recently was certified to solo in that regard. In addition, she is, as is her custom, planning for her favorite holiday, Halloween. Perhaps she should be a pirate for Halloween as they were sailors!


As for me I am "plugging along" here in Flagstaff waiting for winter, and hopefully snow, to do some XC skiing. The leaves are beginning to turn here. It is this beautiful sight that is one of the reasons I live in Flagstaff. This weekend I am going to try to get up to Lockett Meadow to take some fall pictures. The colors should be coming into their glory on the other side of the Kachina Peaks.


Movies: I saw quite a few while in southern Cal. Norma and I went to see Trouble with the Curve featuring  Clint Eastwood and Amy Adams. Although it was OK, I had thought it would be better. I like her a lot as an actor. End of Watch was the best film I viewed there. It was very well acted and gripping police film. The other two were Arbitrage with Richard Gere ad Susan Sarrandon, an interesting movie about high finance and embezzlement , and The Master with Amy Adams, Jacquin Phoenix, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. It was a well acted movie but I did not think a very good one. It was big disappointment to me. Upon my return home I saw Looper, last Friday. I found it a very compelling film. I am very much looking forward to the fall films as they will be, generally of higher quality, especially Speilberg's Lincoln with Daniel Day Lewis.


That's it from fairly temperate Flagstaff, AZ.

Cheers ALL!

Happy, Not Unhappy . . . Just Content!

Good Afternoon Folks,


Guess it is about time for another entry in the chronicles of Evan, although I do not think that there is much to say at this point. I have been back in Flagstaff for a little under a month and have stepped back into my old routine.

I did take a trip down to the insufferably hot balmy valley to visit my friends the Henry's and to see how he is getting on in his new teaching job. As is usually the case, we had our evening of "Margaritas." This time Cindy's concoction was made with watermelon juice. Have to say it was not bad. I had way too many and it was a good thing we were at their house nestled up against the Estrella Mountains. The only down side of the whole trip, besides the unbreathable heat and humidity, was the flat tire I got. We spent part of the next morning getting it fixed while we ate Breakfast at the Paradise Cafe Bakery. It was good to see my friends again and catch up.


My other close friends, the Hammond's were up this way last weekend as part of the culmination of their Sedona 39th Anniversary trip. We went to the used bookstore here and lunch. From there they were off to a seminar about RV generators at Camper World, how romantic.


Since coming home I have spent most of my time getting stuff done. The condo needed cleaning after being gone three months, the car serviced, medical appointments and such. I have gotten back into a more constant gym routine than my job in Gardiner afforded me. I have no new neighbors yet. The bothersome four college "boys" moved out while I was gone and I have had a quiet month, so far so good (hope I haven't jinxed myself).


 On another tact that was presented to be by one of my blog readers (one of the few), I wish to comment on this whole concept of "happiness." This person said that from my blogs I sounded depressed and that maybe I needed to get help. They even went so far as to say that "maybe" I should move out of Flagstaff. This irked me no end. My response is that I am not the eternal optimist, nor am I the "half full" kind of person. I do not think that one has to be "bubbly" and cheerful all the time. I am not unhappy, nor am I happy . . . however, I am pretty content with my life. I am glad for the people who are incessantly happy, I just do not want them around me. Besides folks who are constantly in that state of euphoria are annoying, and in many cases seem to be a bit on the edge of hysteria. Trying to convince yourself that you are always "happy" seems a bit neurotic to me. They seem to have a need to be loved by all those around them. That is not me. I am a curmudgeon; that is who I am. But, that doesn't mean that I am not a nice guy.

This will be my only words on the Presidential political race. You folks who support Romney are just ridiculous. First of all, his policies are those of the previous republican administrations. You know the ones that got us in this financial mess in the first place, not to mention the wars. Secondly, even though Obama was not my first choice he has brought us back from financial disasters and you rich folks are doing better than ever on the stock market. The housing market is getting better and he did get us out of Iraq. And finally, I believe it was under his administration that we finally got Osama Bin Laden. When he was running for president everyone wanted universal health care. He got a system passed (and very similar to Romney's in Mass.), now you don't want it. Romney and Ryan will be a disaster for this country, especially for older folks on fixed incomes and Medicare. Stay the course!


Well, after all of that it is time for the movie report, such as they were . . .
The first film I viewed after my return was the remake of Total Recall. It was mildly entertaining but I do not see the the need to remake movies that were not all that interesting the first time around. Hollywood seems to be without much creativity these days (but maybe that is how it has been for several years now).

Hope Springs was a nice little relationship film with Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones who are married couple who go off to get marital counseling. Of course the husband is resistant while the wife wants it. It is done pretty well even if a bit predictable.


The Bourne Legacy was a film that I had awaited anxiously having enjoyed the previous triology from which it carries on. Many  critics did not like it but I did. I think Jeremy Renner is a credible character of Aran Cross to follow the Jason Bourne of Matt Damon. It ties together many loose ends from the previous films and promises more for the future. Rachel Weitz was very good  in her role as well. 


The first Expendables was good but sequel is not. I went to see Celeste and Jessie Forever with Bob and Cindy and found it to be a self indulgent film for Rachida Jones who starred in it, co-wrote the script, and co- produced it. i did not like it at all.

The last two films I saw last week were Hit and Run, a very forgettable offering, and Premium Rush.
The latter film harkens back to Quicksilver, an 80s Kevin Bacon vehicle. Both are about bike cycle messengers in New York City. It was an entertaining film and Joseph Gordon-Levit does a great job in it.

That's about it from warm Flagstaff. I will be making a trip to southern Cal next month to see my family members so will report on that next time.


Adios!

Leaving Gardiner, Montana

Evening Folks,

My time is almost up here in Montana. I have three more days of work and am out of here on Wednesday. I am headed down to Utah for a couple of plays at the Utah Shakespeare Festival  in Cedar City. It will be 21 years of the Bard in that venue. I did miss a couple of years in there somewhere but replaced summer attendance with their Fall offerings when those began. The first years were with daughter Natasha on our summer road trips.


These three months of my absence from AZ have been a good experience for the most part. However, I am ready to go home. I have met some nice people that in all probability I'll never see again. Besides, none of them I would call "friends," just acquaintances. Even though the job was fine I will not return (even if I were asked, which might be doubtful). First of all, they are going to make them paying jobs that go from May to October. I am not interested in long seasons any more. Secondly, and most importantly, they have no single housing so you will have two housemates. Having one this time has been less than desirable. I am done with "shared housing," to old for that.


I haven't "gone off" in my curmudgeonly mode in a while but I think it is time again. Like Rosanna Rosanna Dana I am going to start off with "what's all this stuff about . . .?" In this case, having dealt with the public, and had some of what I call "word inflation" running rampant around me all summer, I wish to take folks to task about the word "awesome." It is supposed to mean something that is extraordinary, not everyday and mundane. But that is what it has become. If everything is "awesome," then it is only average and not fabulous. A pure and simple case of "inflation," the word no longer means what it was intended to mean . . .


Then there are the common expressions in current usage. One of which is, "It is what it is." If I hear this major "cop-out" phrase again I may "freak-out." I wish that I could believe that people were intellectual enough to think they were existentialists. That is expressing the main tenet of that philosophy, "existence precedes essence," but I know that is not the case. They are just Parrots mouthing the words.
Of course nothing "is what it is." Every bit of experience is how we perceive it and that is not precisely the same for all. Unless of course you need another crutch to justify your life.


Lastly, on this tirade, I will mention the shorter phrase, "no problem," another catch all. When I worked as a ranger at an information counter with some younger rangers they would often respond to a park visitor's Thank You with a whinny no problem. My response to them was that they were being discourteous and rude. The response to "thank you" is "you are welcome." Of course it is "no problem," it is your job you wankers. If indeed something is no problem and it is the appropriate rejoinder then I say I do not have a problem.


That is probably enough of that for now. On to the movies . . .
Since last I communicated in this space I have viewed a few films. The plethora of comic book inspired super hero movies has continued across my summer. Two that I have seen lately were pretty good, even though not my favorite genre. The Amazing Spiderman was a lot better than I thought it would be, and in fact, and in my opinion is slightly better than the one's of just a few years ago. My most recent "flick" of this nature was The Dark Knight Rises, the end of the triology directed by Christopher Nolan. Even though I found it entertaining, I do not think it as good as the two previous. It was overly long, could have used some editing and the script could have been tightened up so as not to be the "hodge podge" it was. Having said that I did enjoy it. In both films the acting was very good.




Moonrise Kingdom was  a quirky little film with Bill Murray, Francis McDormand, Edward Norton, Bruce Willis and some kids that were the real stars of the film. It takes place in the 60's on an island off of New England somewhere and focuses on an outcaste "boy scout like character" and the girl he runs away with. All the adults, scout masters included become involved in the hunt. It was a nice, and strange film. I liked it a lot.


Well, that's about it forever from beautiful downtown Gardiner, Montana.


Adios . . . see you in AZ

4th of July . . . Gardiner, Montana

Good Morning Folks,


Happy Independence Day all! This day was important to our fore-fathers, and ultimately to us, for what it represents as an achievement other countries have attempted and failed. But, the holiday itself always leaves me a bit ambivalent, as do many we celebrate, especially the summer ones. All this BBQing, over indulgence in drink, fireworks, and such, really do not, nor have they ever, held much excitement for me. As a matter of fact for most of the last few years I have worked on the 4th. When a ranger I liked working because it meant double pay. From Memorial Day to Labor Day when you are working with Park visitors everyday is pretty much the same.


Today in beautiful downtown Gardiner, with the almost full-moon setting at the dawn of this holiday there will be no fireworks this evening. The fire danger has become extreme with temps in the 90s and hot winds blowing everyday for the last few weeks. Funny thing is that here in Montana and in Wyoming I have noticed they are big on fireworks. The booths selling them were up and running in earnest a week and a half ago, but with the ban on setting them off I am not sure how things will work. No one has shut them down so I expect there will be a lot of illicit activity regarding them this evening.


I am beginning to miss being in Flagstaff. Am glad that unlike working for the Park Service, where I was gone for almost 5 months, that this volunteer job has only taken me away for three. Having visited Bozeman several times on my days off I have determined that I could live there, and if I did, I might not miss Arizona as much. I think it is just that where my "stuff" is located is what pretty much defines "home"for me. It is not like I have that many friends in Flag (of course the same is not true for Prescott). Financially, and emotionally I could not move to Montana. I am pretty much stuck with my condo since housing values went down. Plus, the amount it would cost to move, even with my meager belongings, would be too much. On the emotional side, I could not move that far away from my family in southern California. As it is I have missed too much of my grandsons growing up.


As for movies: Yesterday I was in Bozeman again and saw People Like Us, featuring Elizabeth Banks, Chris Pine and Michelle Phifer (sp). It was a very good relationships film where the performances by the actors were excellent. Elizabeth Banks is a very underrated  actor. This movie is not recommended to "summer action movie males" (A.D.D. guys). They will find it slow and boring. Previously I went to see Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, with Steve Carrell and Kiera Knightly. Another "relationship" film posing the question, what would you do if you knew the world was coming to an end in just 3 weeks? It was an interesting and thoughtful film but not a great one, just pretty good. Prometheus was an overly long, and need of editing "fair" prequel to the Alien series of movies. Noomi Rapace took the place of Sigourney Weaver (before her character was born) as the female heroine and did an adequate job. However, she was much better in the Swedish version of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy.



I am looking forward to the brief visit of my niece Kimberley and her family, husband Dennis, and great niece and nephew, Melissa and Kyle on their way through here on Sunday. They will have "bagged" three more, new for them, National Parks in the Pacific Northwest on this trip. I am just sorry that I have to work that day and will not be able to spend much time with them. They, next to my friend Marc, have been my most faithful visitors during my past 12 years, or so, working summers up this way. They will be staying at my favorite lodge cabins in Yellowstone, Roosevelt.  I hope they like it as much as I do.


That's about it for this go round. I have withdrawn from Facebook so this will be one of my only methods by which folks can follow my "exploits" from this point on . . . well, there is e-mail and the phone. In a future blog I will discuss this "Facebook" thing.


Cheers, and have a safe holiday!

Happy Father's Day!

Good Morning Folks,

It looks to be a beautiful day here in downtown Gardiner, MT on "Father's Day." This is my third Saturday (even though it is Sunday) as my daughter Natasha calls it. I work four days and am off four so there are three Saturdays and one Sunday according to her. It just points again to the fact that how we measure time in many many ways is a social construction of reality.




I had the biggest camping debacle of my life the day before yesterday. I had gone down to Norris campground about midway through the two loops in Yellowstone. It is a great campground and I got an excellent tent site . . . but, while putting up my tent I was attacked by swarms of mosquitos. So, after getting my abode for the night up, I headed out for the day. I returned in the evening to no little insects flying around. Had eaten dinner at "Old Faithful" so did not need to do that. The tent was nice and cozy and I retired relatively early. At about 2:30am I awoke freezing. My forty degree bag let me down for the first time. Tossing and turning and awake the rest of the night; as soon as it was light (about 5am) I got up to make some coffee. That is when I found out my fuel canister on the backpacking stove was empty. Still freezing with my down sweater and knit cap on I tore down the tent and headed to "Canyon" for coffee and breakfast.


I had planned to camp two nights but that was not going to happen. After a "hardy" breakfast at the "Canyon Cafeteria," I headed down to get some shots of the falls at Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. As usual, it was spectacular. I love that area much more than the geysers. From there I went over Dunraven Pass hoping to see a Grizzly or two. But, alas, that was not to be. However, near Roosevelt there was a Black Bear sow and cub. I could only view them from my moving vehicle as there were too many people on, and all over the road to stop. Then it was back to Gardiner to recover  from my ill-fated camping fiasco. Thus ended my endeavor in the "great outdoors."


Time here seems to be flying by. I have a little less than a month and a half left. The job is good and the people are, for the most part, great. As mentioned before it is a lot like working the information counter as a a ranger. It has gotten, by degrees, a lot busier. The plan after departure from here is to head up to Glacier Park for a few days before heading back down to home, Arizona. Perhaps on the way I will hit a couple of plays at the "Utah Shakespeare Festival."


We had a big "to do" here last Thursday. The governor of Montana and the high "mucky mucks" from the park had a ceremony to sign an agreement which will provide for a new gateway into the park for the north entrance. The famous Roosevelt Arch will remain the icon that it is but will be more approachable for photographs with out stopping the traffic through it. They are going to build a bypass road into the park, new entrance stations, and spruce up the area around it. This all took place in front of and across the street from my work position. They even had a stagecoach pulled by horses to take the governor and park superintendent the 100 yards from our building to Arch Park for the "signing" and speeches. There was quite a crowd in attendance. It was "big doings" for Gardiner, MT.


My last thought for this blog is a recognition of the passing of a wonderful man this last week. That was my first father-in-law, Paul Bissonnette. He along with my grandfather Stan Sausser were the most respected male role models in my life. May he rest in peace.


Again, Happy Father's Day to all of you for whom it is relevant.


Thats about it from here in Montana, granted it was "slim pickens" this time.


Adios!

Guess It Is About Time . . .

Good Morning Folks from Gardiner Montana,


It has been awhile. I haven't felt much like "putting pen to paper," as the old saying goes. Yes, I am far from my Flagstaff home for awhile working for the Yellowstone Association just outside the north entrance of the Park.


I arrived here on May 7th and have so far taken a three day "Wolves of Yellowstone" course with the Yellowstone Institute, and begun training and work with the association. Being up here on the Northern Range so early in the season I have seen lots of wildlife. Coming into the Park on my first day I was rewarded with a Grizzly Bear sighting.


The folks who work and volunteer (as I do) for this outfit are very nice. As a group probably the nicest I have ever been around (so far). I share a condo with a woman who is also a volunteer. We go our separate ways and have different shifts and that is good for me. We are very different people but respect each other's space. At this stage of my life it is very difficult living with someone.


The past few days we have had snow here. This is something I like. Most visitors to the Park are not that enthralled with it. To be honest it does inhibit their movement with roads closing and reopening hours later. Guess it is especially distressing this being the "Memorial Day" weekend (usually the unofficial start of summer, even though "real" summer is 2/3 of a month away).


Last Thursday night I stayed in the majestic "Old Faithful Inn." I wanted to get a room in what they call the "old house" and was lucky enough to get a cancellation there. In the "old house" you have to walk down the hall to the bathrooms but it is in the original building (circa 1906). In addition, for no extra price, I got a room with 3 beds, so I invited my friends Bob and Ben Hoyle, both rangers in the Tetons, to join me, and they were able to work it out. I love to stay there when I can. We had a great time even if they had to leave early the next morning. They were worried about getting over Craig Pass and back down to the Tetons with the snowy conditions that had arisen over night.

Not much happened during the time period in which I did not Blog. It was pretty much a routine spring in  Flagstaff. My friends Marc and Carol came-up to see me off and buy a farewell dinner. I went to a party/BBQ at a relatively new friend's house before leaving. Also, there was the quick trip to San Diego County to see family. I was lucky that my niece Kimberley and her family were there for their Spring Break so got to see them. I went to a couple of my grandson's baseball games. It is always a pleasure watching and seeing them. Again, with my daughter and her family's hectic schedule I did not get to see as much of them as I would have liked, but such is life. Norma and Scott were perfect hosts as usual.


My job here in Gardiner is as volunteer information specialist. Basically, I do what I did as a ranger when working a visitor center info counter. The main differences are that I do not work for the Park Service nor do I have to give programs. The latter is nice in that I have no late nights, 8-5 is my shift, and am on 4 days and off 4. I get free housing and a small stipend. The biggest bonus is that I get to be in this beautiful part of the country.


As for movies, I will not go through all that I saw during my hiatus from blogging, but only those I have seen lately. Most have been just OK. I saw The 5 Year Engagement in Utah on the way up, and thought it a terrible movie and only went because I love Emily Blunt.  I have traveled to Bozeman, Montana (closest relatively big city) and seen three films. Best of these was The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. It has a very fine cast of older icon British actors, including Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy, and Celia Imbrie. All characters are elderly people looking to get out of England and go to India for various reasons. The ensemble cast is great. A "super hero" film fan I am not but did enjoy The Avengers, especially Mark Ruffalo's characterization of "the Hulk." And of course Scarlett Johannson looks great in her outfit playing her "kick-ass" character. Battleship was entertaining but not great. Guess it was based on the board game, kinda of weird. As is usually the case the "pickin's" have been pretty slim in the start of the so-called summer film season. I hope there will be a little "gem" buried amongst them.


That's it for now from Montana.

Adios Amigas y Amigos

Vernal Equinox . . . Spring has Sprung!

Good Morning Folks,

This early morning awakening got me thinking how my blog is much like one of my favorite periodicals, Mountain Gazette. This magazine is anxiously awaited each month but is very erratic in its appearance, sometimes first of the month, others, the middle, and as seems to be the case this month not to be seen yet. Now, this is not to say my blog is of the same quality, nor is it anxiously awaited, just variable in timing. This morning it just seemed like it was "time" again.

Funny thing about "timing," we had our biggest snow storm the last two days of official winter. At my condo there were 24 inches of the white stuff measured on the top of our carports. Most of the this winter we have had "piddling" little 1 1/2 inch storms. My XC skiing endeavors were severely curtailed, limited to a couple of sessions before Christmas, and a couple more earlier this week. Since our big storm, temps have arisen to the mid-50s and beyond. After my last skiing session on Wednesday morning I removed my ski racks from the car and stored them and the equipment away for the year. And so it goes . . .

A couple of weeks ago I got to go down to Goodyear, AZ and visit my good friends Bob and Cindy Henry. I spent some time with Cindy last summer in Yellowstone but had not seen Ranger Bob in over a year. Bob was down on furlough from his ranger job at Denali National Park. We "hung out," drank "Margaritas' (as usual), and went to an MLB spring training game. We always have a good time together. It makes we wish I could see them more often.

Today I "hit the road" again to first stop off and see my friends in Prescott, Carol and Marc Hammond, then head on to southern California to visit family. I guess this would be my Spring Break if such designations were still relevant in my life. After eleven year of retirement from the academic world dividing my life into segments of an academic year have finally departed my consciousness

This trip to my old hometown is the last for awhile. I head up to Yellowstone to work May through the first of August. I had decided to forego working for the Park Service as a seasonal ranger this year but got an opportunity to take a volunteer position with the Yellowstone Association. I will be working at their visitor center in Gardiner, Montana as an Information Assistant. Basically, I will be doing what I did as a Ranger in the Tetons giving out Park information to visitors (for Yellowstone Park). I get free housing and a daily stipend. It will be a different experience for me and the season is not as long as the last few years as a ranger. I am very much looking forward to it.

As for movies . . . A Woody Harrelson film about a "bent" LA cop in 1999, Rampart, was a great acting performance on his part. The movie is very "gritty," and disturbing. It is one of those I liked, thought was very good, but never want to see again. A definite waste of time was Wanderlust, with Paul Rudd and Jen Anniston. I should of known, most Paul Rudd movies are crap. Act of Valor billed as starring real Navy Seals was just what I thought it would be, a live action video game and recruiting film. 21 Jump Street got some good reviews so I went to it. It had some laughs but was not a very good film. The cinematic pickings have been very lean to say the least. I am hoping the trip to San Diego will afford the opportunity to get to see some good "Indie" movies.

Adios Amigas y Amigos

February 2/3 Over, Wow!

Good Last Few Minutes of the Morning Folks,

The groundhog may have seen his shadow, and there were supposed to be 6 weeks more of winter, but snow wise it has been a "piss poor" one here in Flag. We have the freezing nights, just not much of the white stuff. My hope is that there is still a chance for March, much like 6 years ago when I returned from my 60th birthday XC ski trip to Wyoming. We got very little that year until March, then it was every week. Here's hoping . . .

This morning I have been thinking about the anthropological concepts of Ideal and Real Culture. I am not sure whether these are even current in the field. They were formulated by several different anthropologists during the 1940s & 50s. Margaret Mead, Clyde Kluckhohn and others were proponents. Ideal Culture is what people believe guides their behavior, the rules, the beliefs. While Real Culture has to do with their actually observed behavior. Cultural Anthropologist go to the field to live and study with a group of people (traditionally). Often times actual observed behavior is at odds with that which people say guides it. It is not that people are hypocritical per se, at least not usually consciously. Often the dissonance is found in belief systems, i.e., religion vs. actual behavior. Other aspects of culture, or even most of them in many cultures may have a closer relationship between ideal and real culture. This is often the case in small scale homogeneous groups. In larger, multi-cultural societies this may not be the case, or the dominate culture may try to enforce it's on its minorities.

What has gotten me reflecting on this is the consideration of an individual's life, mine to be specific and how these concepts apply. Maybe even more specifically, how I thought my life would turn-out when I was a lot younger, as a child, and how it has actually turned-out! Granted culture has dictated much of what is expected along the way. In our society socio-economic class, race and ethnicity are filters through which the "larger culture" has determined my "ideal culture." Television and media, and even religion (before I discarded it) played a big part in defining how we thought it "should be." TV shows like "Leave it to Beaver," Father Knows Best,", etc. presented an ideal view of family life as it should be (Ideal culture) . . . at least for white middle-classes. There were no real presentations of other races, except in stereo-types of the period.

I loved all those shows. Too bad my life did not turn out in the manner of those "Rosy" views presented at that time. That "ideal" of our culture crumbled for me with my mother's divorce. This was not her fault and I mean in no way to demean her memory. We had not the knowledge to know what goes on between our parents, only what we saw on TV. Our view of the culture was skewed by what was "supposed to be." Society was beginning to change and my family was at the forefront of it. Only now do I know how much my mother was shunned by neighbors who thought it a scandal to be divorced. Today struggling single mothers, at least in the white community, are not something rare. Children are growing up with that as part of their "real culture."

My real culture was at odds with the ideal and has continued to shape my life. American culture experienced rapid cultural dissonance during the 1960s. These were my "formative" years. My ability to cope with my life in the manner that I do was shaped during that time period. Many of us in that post World War II period grew up with those rapid changes. Maybe a lot of what we see today was going on in earlier time periods but we can only reflect on what we see as ours. So, on this eve of my 66th birthday I think a lot about what was supposed to be as presented to me as a child, and where I've gotten to at this point. It is no where near my childhood conceptions of who I would become.

And so it goes . . .

Movies: As is usually the case February is the doldrums for movie releases. I did see a couple that I found entertaining. Safe House with Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds is a Bourne- like international/CIA thriller. The acting is pretty good and the movie moves along well with a lot of action. Big Miracle was a bit of surprisingly nice little movie. It kept my attention and was enjoyable. It chronicled the plight of three whales caught in the ice near Barrow, Alaska during the Regan administration days. This was based on a true story and the cast was very good. It was a good film, not a great one. Chronicles was a different kind of "science fiction" film, not big and overblown. The cast are pretty much no names but did a credible job presenting how three young men come in contact with some supernatural force which changes there bodies and allows them to have supernatural abilities. The film explores the dark side of their evolution into dealing with them. This is not a Superman kind of film; it is more down to earth, so to speak. Lastly, The Grey, with Liam Neeson was appalling in its unrealistic portrayal of wolf behavior. The wolves were mutant like larger than life, and their aggressiveness toward humans uncharacteristic. Had they written the script to make them somehow exposed to radiation and become those mutants it might have had more believability.

That's about it from Northern Arizona as I mark the passing of another year in my life.

Cheers All!

A Winter Without Much Snow!

Afternoon Folks,

We are well into the New Year and winter. Here in Flagstaff it has been wintry cold most nights but most days have been warm. We had a little snow on Monday and yesterday, a very small amount. The Nordic Center closed right after the New Year. Quite a few people who reside here love it. That is not my feeling. I wanted more ski time.

I have been thinking about friendship a lot lately. Friendship in my life has been limited by me. My feeling has been to have a few "real" friends and not like those folks who think of acquaintances as friends. It has been my contention that we make only a few, very few "good" friends in our life. This was reinforced by sociological research on which I based a few lectures while still teaching.

So, here goes . . . There is a continuum of commitment to social interaction involved in our lives. At one end are folks we meet but have superficial interactions with . . . these kind of relations are called "instrumental," or secondary. Most of the time this type of interaction is functional. It is the way most of our everyday "business" is conducted.

As you move along the continuum line you get more commitment to interaction therefore, closer acquaintances. Finally, at the other end you have friends and family. These relationships are called primary, marking their importance to the individual. While not all family members share a primary relationship there is an institutional framework here, as in you may theoretically love all your siblings (or maybe not) but you may be closer to some than others. Friends are high commitment, high interaction people in your lives. This is crucial to friendship. If these attributes do not survive time then neither does the friendship. Those people move back along the continuum to acquaintances.

This is where my thoughts have taken me today as regards my friends. Because of my solitary nature I have left a lot of "friends" behind, or relegated them to "acquaintances." Other people in my life who I have diligently attempted to maintain "friendships" have, in my opinion, moved me to that other category. For some of these folks they seem to have layers of what they call friends but are really acquaintances. What I mean by layers is that some friends have lower priority than others in descending rank for these individuals, hence lesser commitment to interaction.

In my case I have felt this with those who I have considered my friends. In the case of one individual in particular it was patently evident last summer when another "friend" was around I played "second fiddle." It is not that I am jealous but have spent my life analyzing relationships and my observations are just that.

For any friendship to be maintained all channels of communication have to be open between those who share that relationship. For example, ideally spouses should share a primary relationship. But in some cases they begin not to communicate openly any longer. Their's becomes a functional relationship communicating only about those attributes necessary for each in their lives. Once you say to yourself, "Oh I cannot tell him (her) that, they will get upset," then you have withdrawn from that deep interaction level which measures, sociologically, "friendship."

This may be how some of my "friends" view me these days. Possibly, I am no longer a friend, or have moved down a tier in their pantheon, which means the same thing. But maybe it is just me since none of those I call "friends" live in Flagstaff, out of sight, out of mind. And remember, a lot of friends move out of your life over time for whatever reasons. You may not even know why. They do not have time for you anymore. They have higher, and other priorities. I have no excuse for my lack of communication with some but others that I have attempted to maintain do not necessarily reciprocate.

Probably the biggest misnomer in the use of the term "friend" has been promulgated by Facebook! So, all of you out there counting your "friends" on Facebook in the hundreds, get real!

These are just a few thoughts mixed with sociological analysis for your cold, or not so cold winter afternoon.

Movies: Since last I blogged I left you with a list of my ranking of top films of 2011. Therein lies a problem since many movies that are up for awards do not come out in general release until January. A case in point is the wonderful film, The Artist, a silent one at that. I viewed this one yesterday with some trepidation because of the lack of dialog. But, once I got into it, it became enthralling. Another aspect that might throw many off is that is in "black and white." Give it a chance. It is an excellent film.

Last week I saw Contraband with Mark Wahlberg. It was entertaining but not a great cinematic offering. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy I went to for the second time. I love spy movies. I had read John Le'Carre's novel years ago on which this was based and seen the BBC mini-series with Alec Guinness in the title role now played by Gary Oldman. I wanted to pick-up detail I had missed during my Christmas Eve viewing. I liked it even more this time. However, I must caution you. This is an "old-fashioned" spy thriller with twists and turns in the plot without the over the top, and unrealistic action of a Mission Impossible.

It is time to close another of these mundane blogs and get you back to your regularly scheduled lives.

Adios from very moderately snowy Flagstaff.

A New Year

Good Morning Folks

I guess a "Happy New Year" is in order for this morning. You go to sleep one night and awaken the next morning in a new time period. Of course there are those who stay up to greet the arrival of this purely culturally defined, and somewhat arbitrary marking of time. I think the last time it was celebrated by me was when I was in my late 20s, or early 30s (a good half my life ago). Guess having been trained as an anthropologist to look at customs as relative to their culture has made me skeptical of the social construction of time. And of course, if you are a follower of the Mayan calendar then you are convinced of the "world's" end next December. But, in any case,"Happy New Year" anyway!

My annual California trip to renew kinship obligations (another anthropological term) for the holiday period was successful in that regard. However, it does not lessen my distaste for my birth state and city. There are just too many people causing a glut of traffic everywhere you go, and that is not to mention the crowding involved in attempting to circumnavigate the parking lots of all the shopping centers. The drivers themselves are atrocious, seeming to drive as if they are playing a video game with no sense of courtesy to one another.

However, the family was good and I got "quality time" with my grandsons, daughter, and sister Norma. There was a fleeting couple of hours on Christmas Day where both sisters, one brother and a niece all got together for a sumptuous early dinner of Mexican food (Norma not liking turkey has benefited us in this regard). Later, in the early evening I drove up to spend a couple of hours with my daughter's family. Christmas Day was a pleasant and very full day.

As for New Year's resolutions, I have long since given them up. It seems in all my years the only one I ever accomplished was giving up biting my nails, and that took place about 30 years ago. There are activities that I am planning and excited about for this coming year. After two years absence (in seeing me) my youngest daughter will be back for a visit from Japan in April. I look forward to that event with great anticipation. There are plans in the works to go to Alaska with my friend Cindy to visit her husband, and my friend Ranger Bob in June. Upon my return from there the plan is to make a car camping trip through Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, and Utah in July or August. On that trip I am going to visit my two nieces in Littleton, CO and their families, my friends in Wyoming, and see a couple of plays at the Utah Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City. And, of course, I am hoping for more snow in Flagstaff to Cross-country ski. So, this new year may bring some great things.

As is the case for me each year I rank movies and performances that I have viewed in theaters (no DVDs). They are as follows:

1. Descendants

2. The Help

3. Midnight in Paris

4. Whistle Blower

5. Sarah's Key

6. My Week with Marylyn

7. Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

8. 50-50

9. Super 8

10. War Horse

Honorable Mentions: Harry Potter: Deathly Hollows II, Money Ball, We Bought a Zoo, The Way, & Bridesmaids.

Best Actors: George Clooney, Descendants & Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 50-50

Best Actors in a Female Role: Michelle Williams, My Week with Marylyn & Rooney Mara, Girl with Dragon Tattoo. Honorable mention: Rachel Weitz, Whistle Blower, Kristin Scott-Thomas, Sarah's Key, & Viola Davis, The Help.

Supporting Actor Male: Kenneth Branagh, My Week with Marylyn

Supporting Actor Female: Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids

Directors: Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris & Alexander Payne, Descendants

I watched 64 films in theaters this year. Needless to say many of the best movies come out at the end of the year and some are not even released to general distribution until January. I cannot rank films or roles for a year, such as Meryl Streep's performance in Iron Lady, if I did not view them in this calendar year.

That is about it for this first blog of the new year from Flagstaff, AZ, USA.

Cheers all for 2012!