April 2006, Pueblo, CO: Just returned from a visit to New Orleans and Lafayette. Once again, dear friends made the trip less difficult. Katrina-effects in New Orleans are chilling. Lafayette is growing but at least has added a few good Thai restaurants. The smell of sweet olive, jasmine, and honeysuckle, as always, soothe fears and despair. Back here in Pueblo my bulbs are blooming.

March 2005, Pueblo, CO. I arrived after a beautiful drive from eastern Washington. The weather is wonderful, the snow doesn't last long, and all is well.

December 2002, Omak, WA: Arrived after a grueling drive across the Cascades to start a new job here on the East Side. Very different from the Seattle area.

July 2002, Seattle, WA: After much red tape and hoop-jumping, I was able to move my father from a hospital in Biloxi, Mississipi, to a nursing home in Orting, Washington.

April 2002, Seattle, WA: My father's two strokes prompted moving up the date of my trip to New Orleans two weeks. Being with old friends, eating shrimp po-boys at Sid-Mar's, and walking on the beach helped. I'm particularly happy that I was able to spend some time with my friends, several of whom were close with my mother. Galatoire's with Professor Holditch, Campari and soda at the Napoleon House with W.T., softshell crabs with C., in mint juleps with L. and T., hunting for waxed paper with J., and G. reading Wallace Stevens again--all were as soothing as the honeysuckle, jasmine, and sweet olive.

March 2002, Seattle, WA: What a strange place. It snowed today, enough inches for us to make snow-statues and have snowball fights. Hard to believe there'll be a drought this summer.

October 2001, Seattle, WA: Not much going on these days...working, putting together a family tree, practicing Tai Chi, reading, planting bulbs. M.K. visited in August, D.L. and C.L. came in September. Now the leaves are changing color and falling--amazing colors.

February 2001, Seattle, WA: Last night and this morning covered Seattle and the Puget Sound region with 5-12 inches of snow. My first snow.