Tripping With Mike and Deb

28 June 2020

Deb's Covid-19 Photo Project (Part 2)

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Dick & Barb (Kalamazoo)

She is fellow photo club member, nature lover, and dear friend.
He is a retired architect.

Jim & Lois (Comstock)

Another dear friend, Lois, has inspired me in so many ways.

Jim is an artist using nature’s “leftovers.”

THOUGHT - Isolated in Nature.
(Their home is surrounded by acres of woods and lake.)

Jill & Bob (Kalamazoo)

Long-time friends through my sister. Jill is a scrabble buddy.

Bob retired for the City.

Erin (Danny’s girlfriend), Danny, Tanner with Lake, Kevin

with Harper, Stevie, and Danny’s lab Ziggy (Richland)

My brother Kevin and family.

Jerolyn Selkirk (Galesburg)

Dear friend and fellow "Russian-ologist."

Bill & Carrie (Downtown Kalamazoo)

Carrie is a dear LLA friend and fellow photographer. Snazzy.

THOUGHT - Unmasked for a moment on a beautiful spring day.

Helen (Downtown Kalamazoo)

We were actors in The Women, a play at the Kalamazoo Civic some years ago. I had a bit part and she had a lead.

THOUGHT - This too shall pass.

Steve & Chris (Downtown Kalamazoo)

More condo neighbors.

Denise and Oscar (in arms) and Bridget (Kalamazoo)

Dear LLA friend and best tablecloth ironer in the world.

THOUGHT - I have sort of enjoyed the time at home.

Vanita (Kalamazoo)

My dear friend from LLA and co-author

(among others) of our LLA book.

Mary (Kalamazoo)

A fabulous gardener and long-time friend through my sister.

Tom & Sharon with Frank (Kalamazoo)

Both distinguished Kalamazoo historians.

THOUGHT - Enjoying a typical day of no baseball (Tom) and work from home (Sharon). We have enjoyed the extra time together by reading, taking long walks, and trying new recipes and, at times, trying to stay out of one another's way.

Ina Whitney (Kalamazoo)

Dear friend and miniature enthusiast.

I said I would stop the project when Governor Whitmer lifted the Stay-In-Place order, which was expected to be June 15. Instead she lifted it on June 5, so got cut short. I would love to have added my mom, my bro Bob and Lo, and other friends, but stuck to my original time line. I may add more later, just for the heck of it.

This project was sooo much fun. Thanks all for joining in.

25 June 2020

Deb's Covid-19 Photo Project (Part 1)

C-19 Stay-in-Place (SIP) Photo Project (May 24-June 5, 2020)

Mike and I were bored with SIP, so Mike had the idea that we go to my eight photo club members' homes and take a pix of them in their doorway or close by. I became obsessed, so the idea expanded to family and other friends. I couldn't drive (because of my recent seizure), so Mike would chauffeur and I would take the photos. We drove over 150 miles on this project.

(This photo by Barb Baker.)

(This photo by Carla Noe-Emig.)

Each posed just outside their door or nearby. They could be masked or unmasked (we were outdoors and a safe distance away) and could have signs or props or pets or whatever to express the moment. Totally freeform. We also asked our posers to add a thought if they wished to, and some did. In order of shots taken.

Dixie & Ron (Kalamazoo)

Our Kalamazoo besties were first.

THOUGHT - From a Warren Zevon song: I’m glad to be here with someone I like.

Alanta (Downtown Kalamazoo)

Our neighbor on her balcony, down one story and across the way.

THOUGHT - Thank goodness for technology and social media. It made quarantining tolerable.

Us (Downtown Kalamazoo)

Then Alanta took our photo from her balcony looking up. I’m wearing my "Hidden Kalamazoo" t-shirt.

THOUGHT - It has been heart-warming to see our friends and family, even for a few minutes while taking these photos. Wonderful to know they are safe and well.

Mary with Freckles (Mattawan)

A photo club buddy, world traveler, and dear LLA friend.

Dee (Mattawan)

Fellow photographer with flowers from her lovely garden. She knows how to set up a shot.

THOUGHT - This Pandemic has reminded me that all I really want is to live my life freely. If I needed to choose between freedom and safety, I would choose freedom. Everything in life is a risk, so uncertainty is a given.

Lisa (Downtown Kalamazoo)

We met at the LLA, cat lover, world explorer, and dear friend.

Chuck & Kathleen (Kalamazoo)

She is fellow photo club member and dear sweet friend. He is recovering from surgery.

THOUGHT - Back home together after open heart surgery.

Kandace (Portage)

She had herbs from her garden for us — chives, thyme, and lavender.

Bill & Judy with Polly (Kalamazoo)

Met at LLA, tea-time organizer, and a dear friend. Been married 50 years!

Anne (Kalamazoo)

Friend and original foster mom to our dear cat Bella.

THOUGHT - I decided to grow a few vegetables this year because of the pandemic and not knowing if the farmer's market would be open. We had to add a DIY wire top to keep the local deer out of it. It's fun to check it every day and see what has changed.

Carla (Kalamazoo)

A very fine fellow photographer. Seems like we’ve known each other all our lives.

THOUGHT - 2020 quarantine camping in my driveway: not as scenic as travelling the beautiful Michigan roadways--but currently much, much safer.

Lauren & Tom with Pepper (Kalamazoo)

Deb’s sis and bro-in-law.

THOUGHT - Virus preppers. Everyone must be prepared, everyone.

Continued....

19 June 2020

Russia 2019 (74) - A Wrap on RUSSIA

We returned home from this Viking river cruise on June 1, 2019. So it has taken me 74 entries and a few days past a year to finish my Russian trip blog. I'm happy it is done, but also a little sad because it was so much fun reviewing and re-living the trip. Such an interesting country. Plus I learned more about Russia during research along the way.

There is always the caveat that I might have gotten facts wrong, but I tried my best to be accurate. If you see something incorrect, you can always send a comment and I'll fix it.

Once you get familiar with something (like miniature doll houses or whatever) you seem to notice things about that topic everywhere. So here are some things we have experienced since we returned home.

My fun friend Jerolyn, who has visited Russia 16 times and helped us prepare for this trip, got us involved with the Kalamazoo Russian Club. She was also instrumental in creating a "sister city" relationship between Pushkin, Russia and Kalamazoo, and having Russian artists display and sell their works here.

The club invited us to give a slide show presentation at one of their meetings. It was well-received with lots of oohs and aahs for the photos.

We also attended a "Russian Weekend" of events put on by the club. It started with Friday's Art Hop display of Russian art and things to buy. (Can't find that pix at the moment.)

Then on Saturday, three lectures on Western Michigan University's campus--one on the Russian Orthodox religion, another on Ukraine-Russia's controversial history, and one other.

Sunday was a Russian Concert and Cuisine program.

I entered one of my photos in travel writer Peter Greenberg's photo-of-the-week contest and got this one of Red Square published online. No prize, just glory.

I read the Hermitage history book given to us by the Viking Company after our Hermitage tour. It was long and detailed with lots of Russian names that were new to me, but also fascinating and interesting.

And also this fictional history book I grabbed free at a Russian Club event. It jumps around a lot in time and place, and a little bit of a bodice ripper. But a good mystery page-turner. I enjoyed that it was set in several places we have visited--SP, Amsterdam, NYC.

I also read "A Gentleman in Moscow" by Amor Towles, another really good read. Not a lot of history points but another page turner.

Watched a 5-hour tour of the Hermitage Museum on Youtube. The first part is pretty slow because it has dance pieces included, so I fast forwarded through much of that. Probably watched the whole thing in less than two hours. I used my right arrow button to click by five seconds at a time, so as not to miss anything. Was excited to see the Winter Palace again and had time to really study the rooms and decor. Saw things I had not noticed in our quick walk-through. Wish there would have been commentary, but worth seeing for me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49YeFsx1rIw

Most importantly we kept in touch with our new riverboat friends Donna and Jim (left) of the Columbus, Ohio area. Mike's sister Kathy lives near there also and when we last visited Jim and Kathy (middle), we all met for dinner at the Pearl Restaurant. Then later they stopped by Kalamazoo for a quick visit. It was so good to see them on both occasions and review our wonderful travels to Russia.

Although pricey, we highly recommended a visit to Russia on Viking river cruise. Although at first I had apprehensions, it was all wonderful. So, that is a wrap on Russia.

I don't know what I'll write about in this blog next. No trips planned due to C-19, but maybe will go back and review trips from before I started the blog. Not sure I can remember details, but we have some great photos to share. Please check back periodically.

18 June 2020

Russia 2019 (73) - PEOPLE of Russia

Random shots of people seen throughout Russia. In native dress, at work, on the street. My favorite kind of photos. At a bus stop.

We saw little graffiti in Russia, but happen to catch this shot in SP during one of our bus rides. We weren't close by, but for some reason the three kids here got spooked and started running away right about this time. Is it a cat?

And on the ship there were four Debbies. We got three of us together for this photo.