tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85423182659053502492024-02-07T17:22:05.791-08:00Woman at WorkDebra Sniderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467694513460878293noreply@blogger.comBlogger196125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542318265905350249.post-89445178152500925852016-11-09T20:26:00.001-08:002016-11-09T20:27:31.551-08:00A Beautiful Thank-You to Hillary Clinton<i>My daughter, of whom I am always proud, but never more so than today, penned and posted the following gorgeous tribute/call to action on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/annie.snider.5/posts/10100852808696336?from_close_friend=1&notif_t=close_friend_activity&notif_id=1478719819375958" target="_blank">Facebook</a> this morning:</i><br />
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Hillary Clinton,</div>
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Thank you. We, as women, as a country, and as a global citizenry, owe you an enormous debt of gratitude. You fought unyieldingly for what you believed was good and fair and right. You shared this vision with all of us and took the returned mountain of abuse gracefully, as perhaps only you could.</div>
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I am so, so proud of you. I'm proud to share a vision, a country, and a gender with you. I am proud of the campaign you ran and the voices you surfaced. May they never be silent again. I'm sorry we couldn't finish this for you, and for all of us. I'm sorry that everything we had wasn't enough. I believe that someday it will be. Though I wanted more than anything for you to prevail, I am glad you will be spared the frustration and indignity of a weak mandate and an obstructionist Congress. You deserve better. I hope you will be able to take solace in your friends and family, in the support you've coalesced, and in the lasting effect I hope you'll have. I hope you'll rest, but I know you won't. You will move tirelessly forward, as you always have, knowing that it is darkest before the dawn. I will be thinking over the next days and weeks about how to honor your vision and find that dawn, how to make this a birth rather than a death.</div>
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Please join this discussion. Discuss it with your friends, neighbors, and coworkers. With those who agree with you and those you don't. And let's come together and fight, once more unto the breach.</div>
Debra Sniderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467694513460878293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542318265905350249.post-12080154373230137962016-11-08T10:48:00.000-08:002016-11-08T10:54:16.476-08:00Online Interview & MannersMy <a href="http://www.debrasnider.com/" target="_blank">website</a> gets a lot of visitors every day, and every now and then one of those visitors writes to me about something he or she has read on the site. I'm a big believer in responding to email (I used to include the words "within 24 hours" at this point, but of late even responding at all is apparently worthy of mention). Often when I respond (yes, within 24 hours), a little dialogue begins; less often, an actual business relationship or friendship blooms.<br />
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That delightful result happened with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffany-yu" target="_blank">Tiffany Yu</a>, a market strategy and business development specialist on the other side of the country from me. We've been emailing and talking on the phone for a while now, to our mutual benefit. I love mentoring younger business women, and Tiffany loves sharing her creative marketing know-how, an expertise that couldn't have popped into my life at a better time given that I have a new book out.<br />
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Tiffany is active in <a href="https://womeninparking.com/" target="_blank">Women In Parking</a>, where she serves on the Leadership Board and as Secretary, and when <i><b><a href="http://debrasnider.com/site/epage/43062_639.htm" target="_blank">Lost Wyoming</a></b></i> was published, she suggested we do an interview for <i>WIP Matters</i>, the organization's newsletter for members. Please click <a href="https://womeninparking.com/book-review-lost-wyoming/" target="_blank">here</a> or on the Women In Parking logo below to read the resulting interview, which is not only a great bit of publicity for my new book, but also a great reminder of why it's worth it to answer those emails.<br />
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<a href="https://womeninparking.com/book-review-lost-wyoming/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhomDWGuhBW67gXEFcACgyODFx0tV0-jGgbqrz0-xcSPdHY7ybFStyzO6mQExUtS1Guui6RKKKF7uY8cF6DMBn6DMVOHLkGtt4gkvoqmCTrhIsnEjbNm6LSOggtFkSyRxDglbfzaeQxELQm/s1600/WIP+logo.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />Debra Sniderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467694513460878293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542318265905350249.post-89038039088758189642016-09-12T09:01:00.000-07:002016-09-12T09:06:41.317-07:00It's Here!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiKXh-3vPgJDR4FPUIFjVln8FJRboe1U791QoV_qAEU1TYHKG7wrWxT7UOqITVhbRUfGW5ZnERulfaQsLMg2xY0A92fcfkq8ZCC4cnyzwXITDjiAvZ_mMPEwsTBAc0OpPuHNeCDcYB-lvl/s200/thumbnail.jpg" width="129" /></div>
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My new novel<i> Lost Wyoming</i> is now available in paperback and/or ebook editions from:<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://booklocker.com/books/8763.html" target="_blank">BookLocker.com</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1634915038" target="_blank">Amazon US</a> (<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lost-Wyoming-Debra-Snider-ebook/dp/B01LWBL8NS/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1473656154&sr=1-2&keywords=lost+wyoming" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.de/LOST-WYOMING-Debra-Snider/dp/1634915038/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1473656291&sr=8-2&keywords=lost+wyoming" target="_blank">Amazon Germany</a>)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lost-wyoming-debra-snider/1124477329?ean=9781634915038" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a></li>
<li><a href="https://itun.es/us/OdUVeb.l" target="_blank">iBooks</a></li>
<li><a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/lost-wyoming" target="_blank">Kobo</a></li>
<li>Bookstores everywhere (some of which may have to order it for you)</li>
</ul>
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<i>Lost Wyoming</i> tells the story of Maggie Winslow, a bright and thoughtful, yet thoroughly disillusioned heroine, as she discovers how family shapes who we are, who we aren't, and who we have the potential to become.<br />
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Disillusioned by a life that just isn't perfect and sick of second-guessing basically everything, Maggie has taken in her late 20s to standing on the sidelines, wondering how everything got so...uninspired. When a family crisis jolts her out of her malaise, Maggie is forced to take charge, to rethink the meaning and the import of the losses that inevitably accompany growing up, and to take stock of the choices and convictions that have kept her from being the person, and living the life, she always envisioned. Poignant, heartbreaking, and unflinchingly honest, <i>Lost Wyoming</i> is an ultimately uplifting tale about the puzzles we must solve for ourselves—and the joys that await once we learn to get out of our own way.<br />
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“Examines the complexities of relationships, the challenges of communicating feelings, and the difficulties of discovering what one really wants. . . .[Snider] makes some deft observations and asks some important, universally relevant questions. . . .Her prose remains eloquent and often beautiful throughout.” <i>—Kirkus Reviews</i><br />
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Debra Sniderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467694513460878293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542318265905350249.post-31647405541622135582016-06-13T15:21:00.001-07:002016-08-30T20:27:36.268-07:00New Novel Coming Soon!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiKXh-3vPgJDR4FPUIFjVln8FJRboe1U791QoV_qAEU1TYHKG7wrWxT7UOqITVhbRUfGW5ZnERulfaQsLMg2xY0A92fcfkq8ZCC4cnyzwXITDjiAvZ_mMPEwsTBAc0OpPuHNeCDcYB-lvl/s1600/thumbnail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiKXh-3vPgJDR4FPUIFjVln8FJRboe1U791QoV_qAEU1TYHKG7wrWxT7UOqITVhbRUfGW5ZnERulfaQsLMg2xY0A92fcfkq8ZCC4cnyzwXITDjiAvZ_mMPEwsTBAc0OpPuHNeCDcYB-lvl/s200/thumbnail.jpg" width="129" /></a></div>
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I'm so delighted to announce that my newest novel will be released this fall! Entitled <i>Lost Wyoming</i>, the book is the story of Maggie Winslow, a bright and thoughtful, yet thoroughly disillusioned heroine, as she discovers how family shapes who we are, who we aren't, and who we have the potential to become.<br />
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Coming soon! Please <a href="http://eepurl.com/b83vrH" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">sign up here</span></a> if you'd like to receive release details as they become available.Debra Sniderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467694513460878293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542318265905350249.post-46260681759989072452013-02-06T10:24:00.001-08:002013-02-06T10:44:01.630-08:00When a Necktie isn't just a NecktieFlorida <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/florida-business-logo-sexist-152636699--finance.html" target="_blank">has a new business slogan designed to promote job growth</a> in the state. The slogan, "Florida: The Perfect Climate for Business," features a necktie in place of the "I" in the word "Florida." I am baffled as to why there is any dispute over whether this slogan is sexist. How is it NOT sexist? Is a necktie an article of clothing worn by anyone but men?<br />
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This necktie flap may seem like a small point, but I would argue that it is not. It is utterly tone deaf to the realities of the business world (eerily, in exactly the same way so much of the Republican Party's rhetoric was tone deaf to the realities of the electorate in the 2012 election). The state of Florida could not have said more clearly that it considers
business to be a male-only club. The likely fact that this was entirely
unintentional makes it worse, not better.<br />
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According to <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/florida-business-logo-sexist-152636699--finance.html" target="_blank">the article</a>, Florida is home to more than 587,000 female-owned businesses, which ranks it 4th of 50 in the country. Yet the slogan-creators, apparently unaware or uninterested in that truth, chose as their logo a male-only article of clothing. Let's look at it the other way: what if they'd chosen a business suit with a skirt instead of pants to stand in for the "I"? That would be sexist, wouldn't it? It would also strike everyone as weird. "Why exclude men from the equation?" and "Why pander to PC feminism?" and "What the hell could they be thinking?" would echo loud and clear from every corner of the rafters. And the detractors would be right - logos should not exclude huge swaths of the population unless they are designed to do so for some legitimate business reason. (Tampons don't need to be marketed to men; testosterone-replacement therapies don't need to be marketed to women.)<br />
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Why wasn't Florida's logo gender-neutral? One of the commenters in <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/florida-business-logo-sexist-152636699--finance.html" target="_blank">the article</a> suggests a briefcase or a smartphone. I'll suggest an office building, maybe an iconic Miami or Tampa or Jacksonville office building. To anyone inclined to object, "But lots of businesses aren't in office buildings," I'll reply, "Really? Does using an office building suggest big business in a way using a necktie <i>doesn't </i>suggest men?"<br />
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This kind of casual, throwaway, in-all-likelihood-unintended sexism drives me nuts. It bespeaks a mindset about how and what the world is that relegates women - in this case, women in business - to an inferior position. It's not merely tone-deaf. It forces women into an inaccurate political and economic box. It diminishes opportunity. It intimidates, it succors discrimination and limiting definitions, and it perpetuates antiquated negatives. For men as well as for women.<br />
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Casual sexism of this ilk is particularly infuriating because there is arguably no realistic recourse once it occurs. Anyone who points out and attempts to address every instance looks like a tiresome, obsessed crackpot with no sense of humor or perspective whatsoever. You can't be a vocal, hard-nosed activist on every little thing if you want to be able to influence some real change. But being a good sport is equally wrong. Sexism is like any other prejudice. Letting it go lends it an acceptability, even a validity. It amounts to tacit approval and inures people to the harm. When we keep quiet, we have to cope not only with outrage and frustration, but also with the discomfort that comes from knowing that our silence effectively constitutes consent and makes us collaborators.<br />
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So, Florida, unless you intended to demean women in business, change your slogan. And next time, think harder about what and whom you're trying to attract.Debra Sniderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467694513460878293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542318265905350249.post-37978959201495477942013-01-23T12:36:00.000-08:002013-01-24T11:50:55.927-08:00Baked Goods<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It's been unusually wintry in Las Vegas this month, and wintry weather (even when the sun is nearly always shining) puts me in mind of stews and casseroles and baked goods. I rarely admire photos of stews and casseroles, so I never take any. <span style="font-size: small;">Somehow, all that lumpy, molten deliciousness looks disgusting in two-dimensional <span style="font-size: small;">form.<span style="font-size: small;"> So you'll have to trust me that the beef stew, <a href="http://debrasnider.com/site/epage/71384_639.htm" target="_blank">chili</a>, chicken tet<span style="font-size: small;">razzini, and barbecued pulled pork were everything you might hope for in warming winter food.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Baked goods, on the other hand, manage to look as mouthwatering in two dimensions as they do in three. Photos o<span style="font-size: small;">f</span> bread just pulled from a super-hot oven evoke the <span style="font-size: small;">fragrance of the </span>yeast and the cracking sound<span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="font-size: small;">a crisp crust makes as it cools</span></span> (the French call this "singing," which I love)<span style="font-size: small;">. Go ahead - try it. <span style="font-size: small;">Can you</span> sme<span style="font-size: small;">ll <span style="font-size: small;">the </span></span>whole wheat and olive oil in the rustic Italian boule? The semolina in the scored loaf? How about the cinnamon<span style="font-size: small;">, </span>raisins and oats in the second boule?</span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> My first attempt at homemade bagels a few months ago (sorry, no pix) was a huge success, so much so that it made me wonder why it's all but impossible to get a decent bagel out in the world. Time and patience were the main ingredients; the tangible ingredients and the process couldn't have been much simpler. Buoyed by that success, I decided pizza crust probably wasn't overly difficult either. And it wasn't! I'm not a big fan of pizza (shocking for a Chicagoan, I know), but I do love a crisp, brown, chewy, slightly charred pizza crust.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Y</span>ou can <span style="font-size: small;">absolutely smell th<span style="font-size: small;">e pizza, can't you?</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>Debra Sniderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467694513460878293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542318265905350249.post-78194537732205979512013-01-12T13:40:00.001-08:002013-01-23T11:28:40.739-08:00Maine, Boston, Perspective & Hindsight<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Last summer, we <span style="font-size: small;">spent a couple weeks in Maine and Boston. We like to <a href="http://debrasnider.blogspot.com/search/label/Oh%20Beautiful%20for%20Spacious%20Skies" target="_blank">travel</a> to <a href="http://debrasnider.blogspot.com/search/label/Alaska" target="_blank">cold climes</a> in the summer and, although we knew i<span style="font-size: small;">t wouldn't be exactly cold in New England, we figured being right on the ocean would make it pleasant. <span style="font-size: small;">Wrong. It was disgustingly hot and humid all but a few day<span style="font-size: small;">s, <span style="font-size: small;">which made <span style="font-size: small;">everything we <span style="font-size: small;">wanted to do <span style="font-size: small;">less fun tha<span style="font-size: small;">n it should have been.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">The trip wasn't a complete disappointment. We enjoyed </span>extraordinarily delicious lobster<span style="font-size: small;"> -<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span>my favorite food and one I planned to, and did,<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>eat daily<span style="font-size: small;"> - <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">along with </span>a few other local delicacies (<span style="font-size: small;">including </span>Ipswich clams in Ipswich and t<span style="font-size: small;">ender, rosy </span>roast bee<span style="font-size: small;">f sandwiches in Boston</span></span>), some excellent boat<span style="font-size: small;">ing<span style="font-size: small;">, lots of nice people with highly entertaining accents</span>, and the stirring historical <span style="font-size: small;">thrill</span> of the Freedom Trail (made no less stirring, but a lot less comfortable by the<span style="font-size: small;"> triple<span style="font-size: small;">-digit heat and humidity index the day we walked it). <span style="font-size: small;">Still, <span style="font-size: small;">the trip was not what we'd hoped and it left us wishing we'd gone <span style="font-size: small;">somewhere else</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">That sense of disappointment clung to the photos I took. When I looked at them soon after taking them, <span style="font-size: small;">they, too, struck me as pallid. </span>Culling th<span style="font-size: small;">rough <span style="font-size: small;">the<span style="font-size: small;">m today, however,</span> I realize<span style="font-size: small;">d</span> that there were some lovely moments <span style="font-size: small;">amidst the disgruntlement and general stickiness.<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>A lobster pound where I <span style="font-size: small;">lunched on an enormous lobster so bright, so fresh, so altogether delectable that rays o<span style="font-size: small;">f sunshine seemed to<span style="font-size: small;"> b<span style="font-size: small;">righten the<span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="font-size: small;">piles of gloomy gray clouds<span style="font-size: small;"> surrounding the open air patio on which we ate</span>:</span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>One of the northeastern edges of the United States<span style="font-size: small;">,</span> at Aca<span style="font-size: small;">dia National Park </span>(th<span style="font-size: small;">ese aren't</span> bad photo<span style="font-size: small;">s</span>; the water and air really were this foggy:</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Different northeastern edges <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">and <span style="font-size: small;">a bluer Atlantic </span></span>on a much nic<span style="font-size: small;">er day:</span></span></i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyzKH1VkFQrcaYgL7YNYzuh4wPaJ3gfs5WRuQeHfPfYJyXcqZ7HPihapBzE-pdRYdd3jfdHfADddTS-OvREUDcqHy_ItqfP39kpE_KjJd-7o5vF6zU5ai6FoqXPDk9IbUFHRA_1P1FUrmO/s1600/P1020005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyzKH1VkFQrcaYgL7YNYzuh4wPaJ3gfs5WRuQeHfPfYJyXcqZ7HPihapBzE-pdRYdd3jfdHfADddTS-OvREUDcqHy_ItqfP39kpE_KjJd-7o5vF6zU5ai6FoqXPDk9IbUFHRA_1P1FUrmO/s400/P1020005.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU5cPgHEYKIJxwsFTGXByvuNlE6n16C76o1KlNR5J-d2A4iQjnXWSJ3F9TkPazHYWLVNqBzExct_z-n0GZLG4gL6R6Rk0ZeaqI8QBG-HDDw3L_KD2nzu3NEhrxV97xPoMow1HwxmPxX-m_/s1600/P1020010.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU5cPgHEYKIJxwsFTGXByvuNlE6n16C76o1KlNR5J-d2A4iQjnXWSJ3F9TkPazHYWLVNqBzExct_z-n0GZLG4gL6R6Rk0ZeaqI8QBG-HDDw3L_KD2nzu3NEhrxV97xPoMow1HwxmPxX-m_/s400/P1020010.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A<span style="font-size: small;">n</span> American <span style="font-size: small;">e</span>agle in <span style="font-size: small;">her</span> <span style="font-size: small;">aerie</span> (<span style="font-size: small;">she's just above <span style="font-size: small;">and slightly to the right of the center of the photo; </span></span>click on it<span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="font-size: small;">to see</span></span> her more <span style="font-size: small;">clearly)<span style="font-size: small;">:</span></span></span></span></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMcwCFbP8PLXgJy8Zs6mtnreLo46ZXL_ISqnyGFVQY_ZA2IM8b1sECMl6YH_5IHZBFN-U5yK94acY5fz4e8THKW1Jp_hXrGN3PqEPvz8ml1oKVbPbVuVApRjU_t7CuxnYZQKj8NG3ekTTR/s1600/P1020036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMcwCFbP8PLXgJy8Zs6mtnreLo46ZXL_ISqnyGFVQY_ZA2IM8b1sECMl6YH_5IHZBFN-U5yK94acY5fz4e8THKW1Jp_hXrGN3PqEPvz8ml1oKVbPbVuVApRjU_t7CuxnYZQKj8NG3ekTTR/s400/P1020036.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">A</span> ground-bound bird<span style="font-size: small;"> ready for its close<span style="font-size: small;">-</span>up</span></span>:</span></span></span></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1md32eNrqxhVLwb_e8sbhThsn4T-uiCWBgMYtqLjdsvSGwUy1KmyFUqc-lVHqMbfQrP4g9Q7FrXw6FGfx13_XJaQHyGCwhJYmxD8mwppS7FJx_j6UnrM2Tqcl5exos5CLI5PBhsK7Fsuc/s1600/P1010965.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1md32eNrqxhVLwb_e8sbhThsn4T-uiCWBgMYtqLjdsvSGwUy1KmyFUqc-lVHqMbfQrP4g9Q7FrXw6FGfx13_XJaQHyGCwhJYmxD8mwppS7FJx_j6UnrM2Tqcl5exos5CLI5PBhsK7Fsuc/s400/P1010965.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>One of many evocative headstone<span style="font-size: small;">s</span> in the venerable <span style="font-size: small;">Granary burying ground adjacent to the </span>Park Street Church<span style="font-size: small;"> on the Freedom Trail</span> in Boston:</i></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3LrLhggCLwg94JugVspkg95yj52T9saPi2XEHSN5y_i_CHsvXf4Hsdbhzcym3JBJJPxD4lSqNVdBksqmONBSISZQZpraL5flzwXqZXiYul5daFdXL77vgzhoWSLfZm-ATuLiMzNk6TJMh/s1600/P1020050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3LrLhggCLwg94JugVspkg95yj52T9saPi2XEHSN5y_i_CHsvXf4Hsdbhzcym3JBJJPxD4lSqNVdBksqmONBSISZQZpraL5flzwXqZXiYul5daFdXL77vgzhoWSLfZm-ATuLiMzNk6TJMh/s400/P1020050.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Sign of the times, also on the Freedom Trail: the Old Corner Bookstore is now a Chipotle Grill:</i></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivWepoYQ4ciO0ry2kzNFiomqsTOF95FioWBp0oJhRvEDWijIzZf0JHNbn50OjT1fQqV_VPpzCXLdFsZMyW_PnK0tHrqwdttxa-C5O2Rn6ooKp1E6YzX7RdKFCZdnCDCPKJdCfywJPW1BgC/s1600/P1020058.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivWepoYQ4ciO0ry2kzNFiomqsTOF95FioWBp0oJhRvEDWijIzZf0JHNbn50OjT1fQqV_VPpzCXLdFsZMyW_PnK0tHrqwdttxa-C5O2Rn6ooKp1E6YzX7RdKFCZdnCDCPKJdCfywJPW1BgC/s400/P1020058.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Boston from t<span style="font-size: small;">he water (the only tolerable place to<span style="font-size: small;"> be when the temperature is <span style="font-size: small;">nearly 90 and the <span style="font-size: small;">relative </span>humidity is even higher):</span></span></span></span></span></i><br />
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Debra Sniderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467694513460878293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542318265905350249.post-571365488498632922013-01-08T15:54:00.001-08:002013-01-08T15:54:22.112-08:00Sunset?<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I can't decide if I want to resume blogging or not. I reread old posts and am pleased with them, and also with the memory of what fun it was to craft them, usually out of an explosive kernel of an idea that niggled and prodded until I gave it its due. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The habit of blogging was so infectious. Once I got going, ideas piled up and popped
all over the place, begging to be chosen, pinned down and expressed in
words.<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span>It would be good to experience more of that particular pleasure. And to take on more of that kind of short-term, quickly gratified intellectual challenge.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I didn't deliberately turn away from blogging. For a few weeks after my <span style="font-size: small;">last post in </span>January 2012, I thought often about posting. After a couple months, I thought less often <span style="font-size: small;">(and more guiltily) </span>about it. After a couple more, the idea <span style="font-size: small;">flitted <span style="font-size: small;">vaguely </span>through my mind every now and then</span>. I took pictures on trips and composed descriptive paragraphs in my head, thinking to write travel posts, if nothing else. But the inspiration was never sufficiently compelling to prompt an actual post. Not even when it got to be November and December and I had to see that <span style="font-size: small;">accusing </span>January 2012 date looming at the top of my blog whenever I checked it to see if the bloggers I follow had posted anything new. (They had. Often. See "Interesting Blogs" in the sidebar to your right and look them up.)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Twitter was the same. When I tweeted regularly, my brain developed a whole Twitter compartment, a bustling, observant mechanism that parsed the world into 140-character bursts of revelation. Twitter, too, was fun. It, too, was infectious and challenging. And it, too, fell by the wayside in 2012.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Why?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">It could be laziness or a sense of diminishing returns. It could be that I got busy with other, more captivating, things. Or maybe it was merely the end of a natural life<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>cycle. Hobbies, interests, even passions come and go.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I spend the bulk of my time crafting words. For a time, a long time, the challenge of crafting blog posts and tweets complemented my writing work. It was hugely entertaining, it made me some great friends, and it honed my skills. Ultimately, though, blogging and tweeting stopped complementing and started distracting. At first, the distraction was <span style="font-size: small;">a </span>welcome diversion. I was at a difficult juncture with my book; expressing myself pithily elsewhere served as a needed outlet and a reassuring relief. But eventually the distraction was only a distraction. It lost its enticing appeal, <span style="font-size: small;">and </span>I turned to different side dish<span style="font-size: small;">es</span>.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> I rediscovered two former passions in 2012: ba<span style="font-size: small;">king bread and </span>cooking. Like all good hobbies, neither of these can ever be entirely mastered. There's always something to improve on or something new to learn. They offer a constant challenge, and one that, unlike blogging and Twitter, is not verbal. You decide what you want to create, assemble ingredients, apply techniques<span style="font-size: small;">,</span> and - <i>presto!</i> - you very shortly have what you wanted and it's a tangible thing. This may be a metaphor for novel-writing, but it's the antithesis of writing <span style="font-size: small;">an </span>actual novel - and not only because you get to eat your results.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">It's been cold and cloud<span style="font-size: small;">ier than usual</span> in Las Vegas this winter, and the clouds make for gorgeous sunsets. As I was uploading photos of a recent beauty to my computer, it occurred to me that <span style="font-size: small;">a </span>sunset is a worth<span style="font-size: small;">y</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> and </span>enjoyable</span> phenomenon whether or not <span style="font-size: small;">it </span>precedes a sunny dawn. I may blog <span style="font-size: small;">or tweet </span>regularly again; I may not. For now, here's the sunset:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXGTNVJsGEsrmqq4OfuF2htY3E01lUsJVxpvHB4AvU45Rc6QCZuKbIpvyrXVjk-WAeWQ0CR5CsVukpUSqmzv8Iijzti_WkwRwl5KucbT8LSnzoqQmYBv2Eq3bGdYzXHkEoIqiPlRNjfoRn/s1600/Sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXGTNVJsGEsrmqq4OfuF2htY3E01lUsJVxpvHB4AvU45Rc6QCZuKbIpvyrXVjk-WAeWQ0CR5CsVukpUSqmzv8Iijzti_WkwRwl5KucbT8LSnzoqQmYBv2Eq3bGdYzXHkEoIqiPlRNjfoRn/s400/Sunset.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Debra Sniderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467694513460878293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542318265905350249.post-10177797208275962042012-01-24T10:19:00.001-08:002012-03-19T17:49:01.681-07:00Death Valley for the Holidays<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Death Valley is not aptly named for a holiday destination, but it makes a good one even so. Home to great winter weather, both the lowest elevation in North America (Badwater Basin at 282 feet below sea level) and the highest in the continental U.S. (Mt. Whitney at 14,505 feet above sea level), rocks of all colors and textures, mountains, craters, sand dunes, vast salt flats and nights ablaze with stars, Death Valley also has the advantage of being only three hours by car from Las Vegas. What more could you ask of a natural marvel?<br /><br />I took quantities of photos; here are a few of my favorites.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artist_palette">Artist's Palette</a><br /></span></span></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlsvTAWPhclAUDP2Q2VlqElAic-O4fx2iLV7auy4ASj4vZ3weQLeH7Y9OUTkkssXEW6_L9KWYGCXRr7rqzNHXmQ5_AQDbVwIHrYiShxVIsT8yCsvQac8ZBCw5_8RC_UZznC7_ZMFlcBA77/s1600/P1010925.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlsvTAWPhclAUDP2Q2VlqElAic-O4fx2iLV7auy4ASj4vZ3weQLeH7Y9OUTkkssXEW6_L9KWYGCXRr7rqzNHXmQ5_AQDbVwIHrYiShxVIsT8yCsvQac8ZBCw5_8RC_UZznC7_ZMFlcBA77/s400/P1010925.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696502465907280994" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFi8h5RvItdDvaW-pPokiyBBjRVbT50rus_j9U56RG61ywGdmsgP72D4EPDT18BkMlbruimTWU7cvvnOJzvH9f5UmFrWOpnLSMEbcJUHP-m2tWbFshwFk3roq7zL4Td8xOwMbz-uRHL_kx/s1600/P1010924.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFi8h5RvItdDvaW-pPokiyBBjRVbT50rus_j9U56RG61ywGdmsgP72D4EPDT18BkMlbruimTWU7cvvnOJzvH9f5UmFrWOpnLSMEbcJUHP-m2tWbFshwFk3roq7zL4Td8xOwMbz-uRHL_kx/s400/P1010924.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696502459260455058" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubehebe_Crater">Ubehebe Crater</a><br /></span></span></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4t6XuOTM2mjGk6teYQ-EEWpeyFwHfCEs7R1crC18MIMbb0DjBs9kUAXJ0sdoonmKFVoPPMGFNPM4_4lu8bajpBWKBh2wiNqwcSMn2CrdoVXfwjW1R-u50TUXguLg6VbMkTj0Z6TESUjbF/s1600/P1010912.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4t6XuOTM2mjGk6teYQ-EEWpeyFwHfCEs7R1crC18MIMbb0DjBs9kUAXJ0sdoonmKFVoPPMGFNPM4_4lu8bajpBWKBh2wiNqwcSMn2CrdoVXfwjW1R-u50TUXguLg6VbMkTj0Z6TESUjbF/s400/P1010912.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696502113601708370" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdBoo3iIXgbMk6sKoDk4bwktT7vv6PPP2UG6NybrO_sgrzhyphenhyphenGfrrnqxoAl1gRvAag9iy94oUWXS6qyRhFZ1rXM67XUJFttR8Ele5ockutPsVb7PrLpMHJsvmymwtoUQNwrxl9sZUQ5KKw5/s1600/P1010904.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdBoo3iIXgbMk6sKoDk4bwktT7vv6PPP2UG6NybrO_sgrzhyphenhyphenGfrrnqxoAl1gRvAag9iy94oUWXS6qyRhFZ1rXM67XUJFttR8Ele5ockutPsVb7PrLpMHJsvmymwtoUQNwrxl9sZUQ5KKw5/s400/P1010904.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696502102637587298" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8X39Jl8rHyKgqwcGzSX7wZc2DiP6zpJuOo5b_YUbrnTQf5Um1s2aMClSftV498LkBSmxlOHxLprd17MpTaJzwV0jeqki2YBxDU1P6nsyrsq4GLmfNyXn9xJto4IGydGnOyj9lCrWKZqgS/s1600/P1010890.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8X39Jl8rHyKgqwcGzSX7wZc2DiP6zpJuOo5b_YUbrnTQf5Um1s2aMClSftV498LkBSmxlOHxLprd17MpTaJzwV0jeqki2YBxDU1P6nsyrsq4GLmfNyXn9xJto4IGydGnOyj9lCrWKZqgS/s400/P1010890.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696502101743926626" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxbpyzfByidLGv7oqEhGmJ_d6Kag9khZA6TXuGk7SC0LjYNwHUCFVUDP3pD8n5A48zn-xStoOdw8OJvfvXKdmL9VTIklZlMvW8RSpGBTxm_9sNs9G1onmjDpEmB5dWYyYPjty58UbjQ4U6/s1600/P1010913.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxbpyzfByidLGv7oqEhGmJ_d6Kag9khZA6TXuGk7SC0LjYNwHUCFVUDP3pD8n5A48zn-xStoOdw8OJvfvXKdmL9VTIklZlMvW8RSpGBTxm_9sNs9G1onmjDpEmB5dWYyYPjty58UbjQ4U6/s400/P1010913.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696502130693712754" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Salt flats<br /></span></span></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu9XIj0ZvWJz90gHVOmrjFF_YD6jPsXt7d6L7sTWCXfPuBHptwfdSFdYeFKTDUVIqR15VuncSkmp-fFk9xfSl1xgrCCIVBSGOV1Z-UjiKKwJxAO3A2egai0m_R0OP4Y3tOzYZ0ODXJkA88/s1600/P1010836.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu9XIj0ZvWJz90gHVOmrjFF_YD6jPsXt7d6L7sTWCXfPuBHptwfdSFdYeFKTDUVIqR15VuncSkmp-fFk9xfSl1xgrCCIVBSGOV1Z-UjiKKwJxAO3A2egai0m_R0OP4Y3tOzYZ0ODXJkA88/s400/P1010836.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696500885955789490" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpDFCXFyVUbaaDrQmmhwP2YuJhOvB2cwzygOj-NVHkvSVK5nbclBi6sBLax7Jxr5vdnk3TQqjhV1B9V13ois0CXJDkpIM3NN5Fil01aB3t4W-34z5FRyHKxbZW6kV3KDXF4w7c21PPJwBB/s1600/P1010840.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpDFCXFyVUbaaDrQmmhwP2YuJhOvB2cwzygOj-NVHkvSVK5nbclBi6sBLax7Jxr5vdnk3TQqjhV1B9V13ois0CXJDkpIM3NN5Fil01aB3t4W-34z5FRyHKxbZW6kV3KDXF4w7c21PPJwBB/s400/P1010840.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696500893711941474" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt3SqskdGjfOe5Du-Fw3Z8h8Rn4otMPhWqbLohQQWCxVdrZo9MRCX_QHFLFVN2iRtePPQQ0mJldISxWYyaqWU18r9_Xp_h0y3ywmvsO30HOHfNRPjbz0KlrARAGXu2i8nH759IehN-op75/s1600/P1010833.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt3SqskdGjfOe5Du-Fw3Z8h8Rn4otMPhWqbLohQQWCxVdrZo9MRCX_QHFLFVN2iRtePPQQ0mJldISxWYyaqWU18r9_Xp_h0y3ywmvsO30HOHfNRPjbz0KlrARAGXu2i8nH759IehN-op75/s400/P1010833.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696500877625433010" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh35Z72-2CKaLoz-SzyjIE7hYdFJvOqJQsEwHvRmrNlo-EJSnIWe1PIop1M3QXJpMHGKsSDS1CVa3M1m1eSUzxGSxY3Shwu6Y0PeheMnxNATk403MKvnLmfykPsx0vpOHkn2dF00ADAxyND/s1600/P1010929.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh35Z72-2CKaLoz-SzyjIE7hYdFJvOqJQsEwHvRmrNlo-EJSnIWe1PIop1M3QXJpMHGKsSDS1CVa3M1m1eSUzxGSxY3Shwu6Y0PeheMnxNATk403MKvnLmfykPsx0vpOHkn2dF00ADAxyND/s400/P1010929.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5701268729186276594" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1s1CeYSK2fQ3i1Ebx3BOA0mbgul-u9XnRKkcxo51AxolMcgFnepgYR92o0aGU51_xOe-vLVbRb0DbMAYH_23nVLfpFc2GSwi2LsVcTsgmwdHGVS6-LMZ-qG1aUEOHpKcNk0cWBSRcZmMT/s1600/P1010935.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1s1CeYSK2fQ3i1Ebx3BOA0mbgul-u9XnRKkcxo51AxolMcgFnepgYR92o0aGU51_xOe-vLVbRb0DbMAYH_23nVLfpFc2GSwi2LsVcTsgmwdHGVS6-LMZ-qG1aUEOHpKcNk0cWBSRcZmMT/s400/P1010935.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696502477280735330" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4H9Gi5yUEbmIDraCMotLS-AvE38xzfugw5Vq09eBwPDtHjqhYmL-eanFmKnvRGa92MbzpDjfG7UfGXBI4WllGaNlU8hiyhWdmvsfwKhcA__TKFfsG-eqvD4vRcSgbP_kx_dQGYDh-Odz-/s1600/P1010941.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4H9Gi5yUEbmIDraCMotLS-AvE38xzfugw5Vq09eBwPDtHjqhYmL-eanFmKnvRGa92MbzpDjfG7UfGXBI4WllGaNlU8hiyhWdmvsfwKhcA__TKFfsG-eqvD4vRcSgbP_kx_dQGYDh-Odz-/s400/P1010941.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696502481891249538" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">A plant eking out an existence<br /></span></span></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINzr4pFdJRvek8X7IJ48C3yCuN-285eOZbLHZ5Yk0SRyFKK9EnxnHuVo-gH1hkTLVy3HSGJh_qM_5NURPnkm6imx0Ah9bEo1Ab5ulERXRzebHoVzjR2xmm6eJYmVPFWdJNpNqwFHVhMx0/s1600/P1010920.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINzr4pFdJRvek8X7IJ48C3yCuN-285eOZbLHZ5Yk0SRyFKK9EnxnHuVo-gH1hkTLVy3HSGJh_qM_5NURPnkm6imx0Ah9bEo1Ab5ulERXRzebHoVzjR2xmm6eJYmVPFWdJNpNqwFHVhMx0/s400/P1010920.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696502134449131314" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">General gloriousness<br /></span></span></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjamgoYtWRYUS_qqobJ-Ln1mCYsl-j52T2WlX2xw6xfx0kiBSjsSPHjK_0HWCvi5ysKW13dcEhQhoIIYL3OoDYZD8pBfCgQZmMX6oU636mkrOrzXCkCTbDsVXh7JJTMf0C8VXcOgt_z3W6W/s1600/P1010861.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjamgoYtWRYUS_qqobJ-Ln1mCYsl-j52T2WlX2xw6xfx0kiBSjsSPHjK_0HWCvi5ysKW13dcEhQhoIIYL3OoDYZD8pBfCgQZmMX6oU636mkrOrzXCkCTbDsVXh7JJTMf0C8VXcOgt_z3W6W/s400/P1010861.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696501595500873618" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpqwvJi23jtwYgFcbJPSpQEJ2PKYTDFtPRUFWrc3TelWW6kmu9a4kgSkrD3v8gtDjmTF9MjTD67O3lqFSm_0XM5o2rJ-MxN_qOYdE3YEoOmUoWqtargBZNabRUyht4MlpwcT2381a7aV-f/s1600/P1010855.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpqwvJi23jtwYgFcbJPSpQEJ2PKYTDFtPRUFWrc3TelWW6kmu9a4kgSkrD3v8gtDjmTF9MjTD67O3lqFSm_0XM5o2rJ-MxN_qOYdE3YEoOmUoWqtargBZNabRUyht4MlpwcT2381a7aV-f/s400/P1010855.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696501590578500082" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGVwuSFlUfuE_-x2pu0pQlZjs1T8rSt6T_CONX9yD51Fi_8yPoNwiEV8vgB_e9s_io3mV6VFOqg7H6F0SEC_7EfODJ0jBHvhecAUwzXpOpEwLY8PYmwbz0I87jpOeJ-C-71HRaGY-Dnx9C/s1600/P1010853.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGVwuSFlUfuE_-x2pu0pQlZjs1T8rSt6T_CONX9yD51Fi_8yPoNwiEV8vgB_e9s_io3mV6VFOqg7H6F0SEC_7EfODJ0jBHvhecAUwzXpOpEwLY8PYmwbz0I87jpOeJ-C-71HRaGY-Dnx9C/s400/P1010853.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696501578505460434" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh71kfrE6uA070_4Qz0RurslHlxZ0MqEDoLEIO8mZZN_rZmdFWwEJTmCZinDMK3jLw1bypnv4GaTj_kKFPKANcDoteZY71bdrBBLK65DuEo40whkCfMDOW9j8-01IZPUntVwmzoGmCLQ3C_/s1600/P1010868.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh71kfrE6uA070_4Qz0RurslHlxZ0MqEDoLEIO8mZZN_rZmdFWwEJTmCZinDMK3jLw1bypnv4GaTj_kKFPKANcDoteZY71bdrBBLK65DuEo40whkCfMDOW9j8-01IZPUntVwmzoGmCLQ3C_/s400/P1010868.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696501616652932114" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4w70k26uYoSx9JpxJVmTSwZyqiUEd-A5LSoEw6BqMVEHupITJfrkRpKkTpuB5M96LqiYQoY-s7hrHl5iFy4bAVulGhFsQBP0ZXtwTT-5blFuWpQ6WgZmlRWLl63P45QRN1gpsUGbCAL8I/s1600/P1010842.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4w70k26uYoSx9JpxJVmTSwZyqiUEd-A5LSoEw6BqMVEHupITJfrkRpKkTpuB5M96LqiYQoY-s7hrHl5iFy4bAVulGhFsQBP0ZXtwTT-5blFuWpQ6WgZmlRWLl63P45QRN1gpsUGbCAL8I/s400/P1010842.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696500901866044002" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8466RjFkTYM9Zy9lbOu-OBu4Q4pKI9yeYXr9iQt_u92UU64nfRZZaiiBc8iAKb_TY9F2nXEozHKgZIhJXQ5spoRc4N0Iow2SemDRn-NdyTHLZqfmFinh5sq_juv7APgJtuAyBVMyu9nJd/s1600/P1010851.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8466RjFkTYM9Zy9lbOu-OBu4Q4pKI9yeYXr9iQt_u92UU64nfRZZaiiBc8iAKb_TY9F2nXEozHKgZIhJXQ5spoRc4N0Iow2SemDRn-NdyTHLZqfmFinh5sq_juv7APgJtuAyBVMyu9nJd/s400/P1010851.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696500910019028658" border="0" /></a>Debra Sniderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467694513460878293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542318265905350249.post-9894267441218146202011-08-29T15:48:00.000-07:002011-08-29T16:17:00.179-07:00Lake Tahoe<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-qLtNECxLDoqW_RsSXuBx-S2RFrkkpXTHz6xvFL8htOVcWZRFRAIC_WshJ_GmkwFv6j9W46UitoM1ejvCkQe6Sc31vEKIsFX1FN9SRm2UlG5mAGeJH5X8Cr5jM_MO3Ez4ik5BGCHaf62/s1600/P1010786.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-qLtNECxLDoqW_RsSXuBx-S2RFrkkpXTHz6xvFL8htOVcWZRFRAIC_WshJ_GmkwFv6j9W46UitoM1ejvCkQe6Sc31vEKIsFX1FN9SRm2UlG5mAGeJH5X8Cr5jM_MO3Ez4ik5BGCHaf62/s320/P1010786.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5646407244656443762" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I wonder if it's possible to appreciate beauty in a vacuum, without reference to other things one has seen or read or heard. I imagine that it is, in large part because of scenery like that around Lake Tahoe. It seems to me that the splendors of Lake Tahoe would be perceived as gorgeous by everyone, no matter his or her frame of reference, experience or aesthetic preferences.
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<br />Huge (192 square miles), deep (at 1,645 feet deep, the second deepest lake in North America), high (surface elev. 6,229 feet), with cobalt blue water of extraordinary clarity (it's said that a white dinner plate at a depth of 75 feet would be clearly visible; I don't know if that's true since we didn't toss one in to find out, but glacial lakes are always astonishingly pure) and surrounded by snow-capped mountains, Lake Tahoe is quite an eyeful. Glacially carved Alpine scenery is my favorite: its pristine magnitude is all at once majestic, serene, spectacular, evocative, and profound. There is no better example than Alaska, and the Lake Tahoe area is reminiscent of our 49th state, although on a far smaller scale (and with a lot more sunshine).
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<br />In fact, our first impressions of Lake Tahoe were somewhat spoiled by <a href="http://debrasnider.blogspot.com/search/label/Alaska">our memories of Alaska</a>. It was rather like seeing the Mona Lisa for the first time: the small, dark painting tucked away in a corner of the Louvre was underwhelming until we got ourselves intellectually revved up over it and examined it more carefully. Similarly, Lake Tahoe struck us primarily as not-Alaska until we adjusted our brains and used our eyes to take in what it was, rather than what it wasn't.
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<br /></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSqxljgsmtww3SYdobvzSZjf8o2rK5_sSF9DE73X9lf0cEj3v2xtrbukPLmtssHkOopanIX_192_-Qg99b07c043JOWdcdsxppG0W5A0lSgtUyuw75aV3ChGbqkjxEuWKTiG3PpO8eE5TF/s1600/P1010785.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSqxljgsmtww3SYdobvzSZjf8o2rK5_sSF9DE73X9lf0cEj3v2xtrbukPLmtssHkOopanIX_192_-Qg99b07c043JOWdcdsxppG0W5A0lSgtUyuw75aV3ChGbqkjxEuWKTiG3PpO8eE5TF/s320/P1010785.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5646416341210081010" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwy5vQ6QvQuyz9MtY3CUEkMEmrAXfzKhghv34soheUAwpN4P2UDwo1NgWeIGBsqtCU7Zs8OnjvQEK9VnOzLh-rDgbDS_c5006Gx8STk70_WGvQ5CnpNtZbcMhqHiz45a19jNC2ZAh9gs7Q/s1600/P1010795.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwy5vQ6QvQuyz9MtY3CUEkMEmrAXfzKhghv34soheUAwpN4P2UDwo1NgWeIGBsqtCU7Zs8OnjvQEK9VnOzLh-rDgbDS_c5006Gx8STk70_WGvQ5CnpNtZbcMhqHiz45a19jNC2ZAh9gs7Q/s320/P1010795.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5646407988619786034" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9f5OU51mWz-vt29A59J1FsBELBdDV0BNO-dVBe9ZYWhJXS7k1R6VSKDDkDSs4XzFLqhJVzapIg0ADw2rAs3LcNwN46w7v0BQTgbsh5v8dN3XnIB9cu5T82P8DK3_gN6lEKDCUA62F3HL-/s1600/P1010805.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9f5OU51mWz-vt29A59J1FsBELBdDV0BNO-dVBe9ZYWhJXS7k1R6VSKDDkDSs4XzFLqhJVzapIg0ADw2rAs3LcNwN46w7v0BQTgbsh5v8dN3XnIB9cu5T82P8DK3_gN6lEKDCUA62F3HL-/s320/P1010805.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5646408190949111954" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdMAunJSD9xHBUrrJe_bUBIFuOeEZKFeQ3To8loe-a5oHtuiai08mC5-3STDAzFgEav6ZBQS9OwvtqcV2R_wTUwAlKlf5_wyTDLKXZ_vbckqqPOUW3gDy6AAWa0vy4lw6CylHJ8shbRtb5/s1600/P1010796.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdMAunJSD9xHBUrrJe_bUBIFuOeEZKFeQ3To8loe-a5oHtuiai08mC5-3STDAzFgEav6ZBQS9OwvtqcV2R_wTUwAlKlf5_wyTDLKXZ_vbckqqPOUW3gDy6AAWa0vy4lw6CylHJ8shbRtb5/s320/P1010796.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5646407995637683746" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNRqXzye1HZ1LfjNK0TSx5SsEx9E4RDHPBXTjUb87Lr3pQGUvMb6DZEPWfF5_vir_g7dLgS9pkgeiM0lYIfoTbWCE_exPmHbzwk87nk1Y8rHBhDiBvaFC5Tc8YMTjBwKEETPFGdB-R1rPG/s1600/P1010804.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNRqXzye1HZ1LfjNK0TSx5SsEx9E4RDHPBXTjUb87Lr3pQGUvMb6DZEPWfF5_vir_g7dLgS9pkgeiM0lYIfoTbWCE_exPmHbzwk87nk1Y8rHBhDiBvaFC5Tc8YMTjBwKEETPFGdB-R1rPG/s320/P1010804.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5646408003219066114" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ_Z_Ob3v6bXmA3OaTfSfwLEJanV-kIgq88Zr4uQjLc0RbF3enVodCjzV8po227OUXf_ncvabwy9gbt4xXA0qJ0sOh6p0Xuqv1U2Fem38zlqxxKuags4OxMXHWpzY1tWU0HtB5t6_gQCzL/s1600/P1010798.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ_Z_Ob3v6bXmA3OaTfSfwLEJanV-kIgq88Zr4uQjLc0RbF3enVodCjzV8po227OUXf_ncvabwy9gbt4xXA0qJ0sOh6p0Xuqv1U2Fem38zlqxxKuags4OxMXHWpzY1tWU0HtB5t6_gQCzL/s320/P1010798.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5646408000113087970" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5aY4dYVSCun6Vs2QgmNKPaxI5qz-cL_5AhGt84vqMyukA0IduG372ijbNjVOYFvJ4SiSd5zJC6azZdBUIW1X2ilv3W8UBl1JgMfQALfiHB40hcN-l-qZwgVKtSYfT1NBz3h8FFLD-ZRzc/s1600/P1010790.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5aY4dYVSCun6Vs2QgmNKPaxI5qz-cL_5AhGt84vqMyukA0IduG372ijbNjVOYFvJ4SiSd5zJC6azZdBUIW1X2ilv3W8UBl1JgMfQALfiHB40hcN-l-qZwgVKtSYfT1NBz3h8FFLD-ZRzc/s320/P1010790.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5646407983259408098" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Don't miss the moon in this last picture. (Click on the pic to make it bigger.) These photos are all from the area around Emerald Bay. For some reason, I didn't take pictures of the craggy mountains surrounding the lake this time; if you'd like to see some of those in a different glacially created setting, click <a href="http://debrasnider.blogspot.com/2009/08/on-road-again-post-10-glaciers.html">here</a>.</span></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">
<br /></span> </span>Debra Sniderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467694513460878293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542318265905350249.post-27980478199823745422011-08-24T16:51:00.000-07:002011-08-24T17:39:33.760-07:00An Unexpected Passion<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF-UftDhsdZqN3goKxtQQoO3sW9CwAXN0ML2PONStDjMxyk4aLeKuoFhDmpaNEYTsJ5FikKPY5P35xnEEj8NXA5BLk-9pvl78aJv_MBDNUxCCDLXkEt8cqAUryhPL-QmnwpfYY64_IAWO7/s1600/P1010728.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF-UftDhsdZqN3goKxtQQoO3sW9CwAXN0ML2PONStDjMxyk4aLeKuoFhDmpaNEYTsJ5FikKPY5P35xnEEj8NXA5BLk-9pvl78aJv_MBDNUxCCDLXkEt8cqAUryhPL-QmnwpfYY64_IAWO7/s200/P1010728.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644571127207882978" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">No, that's not the title of a bad romance novel (although, plainly, it could be). Instead, it's meant to reflect the surprise I feel at having developed a little passion for hiking. When I first realized hiking was just walking with a fancy name, I was disappointed. But <a href="http://debrasnider.blogspot.com/2011/01/hike-through-zion.html">then I tried it to impress my daughter</a> and discovered it could be delightful. Basically, it's walking amid great scenery with the addition of cool gear. What's not to like?
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<br />This year, I've gone from someone who disliked walking from the house to the garage to someone who can hike for up to six miles before I get tired and start visualizing Diet Cokes and comfy sofas. I figure that's really the same as being able to walk indefinitely on level ground at reasonable altitudes inasmuch as nearly all my hikes have been hilly and at high-ish altitudes - from the 2500 feet above sea level where I live to as high as 9500 feet. (Yes, that high-altitude hike was really hard; my lungs felt like they were gathering themselves up in preparation for exploding right out of my chest.) The two June hikes I enjoyed at just above sea level in Chicago were the easiest I've done - and I didn't even have SmartWool socks or hiking poles at the time.
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<br />There are only two things I don't like about these treks. One is loose-rock terrain that requires one to emulate a mountain goat, a difficult feat I don't handle well, probably because I am bipedal. The other is heat. It's way too hot in Las Vegas right now to hike at any time other than just before sunrise.
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<br />It's a testament to the sincerity of my new passion that I actually get up at 5:40 every other morning to walk a 1.25 mile loop around my hilly neighborhood. I hate getting up early even more than I used to hate walking; my preferred schedule is to go to sleep well after midnight and to get up around 10:00. I started this ridiculous (and in my opinion heroic) crack-of-dawn walking because it's impractical to head up to the mountains every day and I didn't want to be out of shape once it cools down and we have nine months of fabulous weather during which to hike the myriad trails around here any time we feel like it. I've continued it, though, because I find I crave it. I've felt this way about swimming for years, but it's astonishing to me that I now feel similarly about repeatedly putting one foot in front of the other.
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<br />As it turns out, the lower temps at higher altitudes are disappointingly still not low enough to make hiking a non-sweaty enterprise. We were on the Mount Charleston trails and at Capitol Reef and Bryce Canyon National Parks in July, and we just got home from a week in Lake Tahoe. All were spectacular in terms of scenery, and Lake Tahoe provided the additional pleasures of staying at a super-deluxe resort, but for me at least, the brilliant sun in the thin air at 6000-9500 feet made even 65-degree air feel overly warm.
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<br />The only place it felt cool enough to hike enthusiastically was Wheeler Peak (elev. 13,065 feet) in Grand Basin National Park, which we drove up to on the way home from Lake Tahoe. The parking area at 10,000 feet was beautifully cool, and the splotches of snow on the peak itself also contributed nicely to the overall sense of chill. But it was hard enough </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">up there </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">to breathe and walk from spot to spot to take pictures, and my hiking companion had a little stress fracture in his foot by then, so we lazed and gazed instead of exerting ourselves.
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<br />I've written about the beauty and geologic glory of <a href="http://debrasnider.blogspot.com/2008/07/day-2-capitol-reef-national-park-utah.html">Capitol Reef</a> and <a href="http://debrasnider.blogspot.com/2009/07/on-road-again-post-2.html">Bryce Canyon</a> in other posts, but here are a few new photos from there:
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<br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">CAPITOL REEF</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">
<br /></span></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKbet_yEQZzHL5AKI250n-MD0jwaMY_YhnPMUJ3wUVZokZoBlnLQ7dmK4vDHkVEnVMZNR_EsrnsbxvlGxlxQTz-C8sVWHmZCAVdDCxrJP6EKMNJOD9UMgZtDmI5w7owfEFr0oJXtYfzVC5/s1600/P1010763.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKbet_yEQZzHL5AKI250n-MD0jwaMY_YhnPMUJ3wUVZokZoBlnLQ7dmK4vDHkVEnVMZNR_EsrnsbxvlGxlxQTz-C8sVWHmZCAVdDCxrJP6EKMNJOD9UMgZtDmI5w7owfEFr0oJXtYfzVC5/s320/P1010763.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644571955308878258" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjp1yxI4l6vwANb5PgTUtgTYeYGKn4AKzV6Op6VgNMe0uWfx8Y6s0C8NWMDYW78dhchGpULftNN_dxnfiAG-9TsqEcVPqyXLXKU5dAeXK05W8h5OQhYisFCh4FI35AElmzxvA5rFnGYtnP/s1600/P1010737.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjp1yxI4l6vwANb5PgTUtgTYeYGKn4AKzV6Op6VgNMe0uWfx8Y6s0C8NWMDYW78dhchGpULftNN_dxnfiAG-9TsqEcVPqyXLXKU5dAeXK05W8h5OQhYisFCh4FI35AElmzxvA5rFnGYtnP/s320/P1010737.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644571766650996610" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoouxK2fovJIGPJdnVkKBkzuBrKJOJbcV0LIT6tX3FJRfRDUxlHbuRNcFNBSO_Jn017rWYUe5N3Q_0REp95Wd5OFq89IRgkqYhn9ew9rRtek3Dp6Dq4gMG46ck0uD5fYQkdl5I-010wlEw/s1600/P1010727.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoouxK2fovJIGPJdnVkKBkzuBrKJOJbcV0LIT6tX3FJRfRDUxlHbuRNcFNBSO_Jn017rWYUe5N3Q_0REp95Wd5OFq89IRgkqYhn9ew9rRtek3Dp6Dq4gMG46ck0uD5fYQkdl5I-010wlEw/s320/P1010727.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644571739807168706" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBnZ7uVrJJTfBexw4HoRR7EM91AWncxNjdQtU02wMP0u2eZ8SrjYa8PIZTPYqagcA511BmCygLqEzhD11rzvfSZJ5M_lMnvET1jOg9PswyJmU4bjVVg77kRz5rgO55THXX6DdxFEhPNG-G/s1600/P1010732.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBnZ7uVrJJTfBexw4HoRR7EM91AWncxNjdQtU02wMP0u2eZ8SrjYa8PIZTPYqagcA511BmCygLqEzhD11rzvfSZJ5M_lMnvET1jOg9PswyJmU4bjVVg77kRz5rgO55THXX6DdxFEhPNG-G/s320/P1010732.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644571756057706834" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglF3aYbQudiyeA_i5qjzwYibFQWZdh-b-NYlBW9fKUjlKuAk3TWZFsiVvSksW5JB7CbaXVBTga-yjkJTnyKBnb4u6Q0r5bEtuLWwHeUZxOyXz0bYJE8ztlKwO6epUdMHyDItkHl0PUDD4n/s1600/P1010719.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglF3aYbQudiyeA_i5qjzwYibFQWZdh-b-NYlBW9fKUjlKuAk3TWZFsiVvSksW5JB7CbaXVBTga-yjkJTnyKBnb4u6Q0r5bEtuLWwHeUZxOyXz0bYJE8ztlKwO6epUdMHyDItkHl0PUDD4n/s320/P1010719.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644571733816023330" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf9DC-oBuEiUM2b_cbhRS_FmEaY8n21ihvU-VTaC93NN294klKKECy4RlzNgLj8xL8fUych1DGSbUZ0aOFnaoDtou49QynVM52wAH4KXb_6B6cv_wcTp2EL7aTcFOCIbO8EaE1Ygs3TA9C/s1600/P1010735.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf9DC-oBuEiUM2b_cbhRS_FmEaY8n21ihvU-VTaC93NN294klKKECy4RlzNgLj8xL8fUych1DGSbUZ0aOFnaoDtou49QynVM52wAH4KXb_6B6cv_wcTp2EL7aTcFOCIbO8EaE1Ygs3TA9C/s320/P1010735.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644571750532215762" border="0" /></a>
<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">BRYCE CANYON</span></span></span>
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh3ukZSZfy7X7aVJh9ro739t9pAwEog2SIxKhLVUelo5mi_qXMgurUw7n85T0_lQzcWiYO6sPEAbrpnNsR3ttchaLI7tjH13Fu7GQlWbrdNa8KLS2SKhON5qcCzKPDPWBbhU1U5WwO_92Z/s1600/P1010766.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh3ukZSZfy7X7aVJh9ro739t9pAwEog2SIxKhLVUelo5mi_qXMgurUw7n85T0_lQzcWiYO6sPEAbrpnNsR3ttchaLI7tjH13Fu7GQlWbrdNa8KLS2SKhON5qcCzKPDPWBbhU1U5WwO_92Z/s320/P1010766.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644573438549369634" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfWkiaPbZg0J_jraZtRv2adPHA7GD3ZjNoaqrHVkCZX3ijI9EOuCQnwlRoHfqGOWybiOq6OGlDaO_WLiK4NtlbosPB_Xyw7Vq-gtIm1OjXl8p3ah2NDOyhxBQJ2DzlNSq_utHZZ1vfIQ7z/s1600/P1010765.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfWkiaPbZg0J_jraZtRv2adPHA7GD3ZjNoaqrHVkCZX3ijI9EOuCQnwlRoHfqGOWybiOq6OGlDaO_WLiK4NtlbosPB_Xyw7Vq-gtIm1OjXl8p3ah2NDOyhxBQJ2DzlNSq_utHZZ1vfIQ7z/s320/P1010765.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644573429554367490" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXL0Bs9XCiL5atTSpqsWC0Nd-2qIRoq7at_-V7pf3yE9Y6GqRPybZaDDjD9LPfOkP7KwUC1Pz2lSjWI_AfcIYEwEvcIlrkFUbQ7zpaKw80AFzExfL5k7qh84K1KQ2EPIAczrO50hSMexkl/s1600/P1010768.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXL0Bs9XCiL5atTSpqsWC0Nd-2qIRoq7at_-V7pf3yE9Y6GqRPybZaDDjD9LPfOkP7KwUC1Pz2lSjWI_AfcIYEwEvcIlrkFUbQ7zpaKw80AFzExfL5k7qh84K1KQ2EPIAczrO50hSMexkl/s320/P1010768.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644573449727154578" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdQ5iRmW6kXE-uAV3NThgK_6caYxNJK035uAHZ8pkSGWHAX5mHlMFRsSR9oZT8DKNSSt8Bt8gPZkUOzg7ow9lGu8UKrR151sDI6AU1Phapn87FQ3rIcScHMISmnNZXF0Vk-MTBChic5wIK/s1600/P1010776.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdQ5iRmW6kXE-uAV3NThgK_6caYxNJK035uAHZ8pkSGWHAX5mHlMFRsSR9oZT8DKNSSt8Bt8gPZkUOzg7ow9lGu8UKrR151sDI6AU1Phapn87FQ3rIcScHMISmnNZXF0Vk-MTBChic5wIK/s320/P1010776.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644573462861281458" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzY8w3Wk7s0KvYxgKsV8hm90ebLEA2Rsv2cXDwGoTmDvGMNWDpdhp3ak2NwQ2wxPkozzaU8jXUP979r47MeRcCyUMfVo8AGH3Y5W3YqvsyxSEd75OMeBhWgezCdc3kPqOsRSy1CnKWOMO2/s1600/P1010778.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzY8w3Wk7s0KvYxgKsV8hm90ebLEA2Rsv2cXDwGoTmDvGMNWDpdhp3ak2NwQ2wxPkozzaU8jXUP979r47MeRcCyUMfVo8AGH3Y5W3YqvsyxSEd75OMeBhWgezCdc3kPqOsRSy1CnKWOMO2/s320/P1010778.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644573603873414642" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOW1-gwDdreL_yrhkEoKGDXYDDkwctbZ8l4GTPrE8OknA58uyw6TvahPT-DPU_Yk3E0KglPB5KYIK5tvIO3m4DbXsLy7EsTNO5GKXQU7D7BvPk4X1ltUb4m_NFhyphenhyphen_S0WBK_mqnHrkAkC1M/s1600/P1010772.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOW1-gwDdreL_yrhkEoKGDXYDDkwctbZ8l4GTPrE8OknA58uyw6TvahPT-DPU_Yk3E0KglPB5KYIK5tvIO3m4DbXsLy7EsTNO5GKXQU7D7BvPk4X1ltUb4m_NFhyphenhyphen_S0WBK_mqnHrkAkC1M/s320/P1010772.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644573455752193074" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(More on Lake Tahoe and Great Basin, including photos, in subsequent posts.)</span>
<br /></span> </span>Debra Sniderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467694513460878293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542318265905350249.post-3475398672737034502011-05-12T13:12:00.000-07:002011-05-16T10:39:55.929-07:00Ode to a Friend<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I'm mourning today. I learned this morning of the sudden death over the weekend of my friend Molly. Molly and I never actually met. But the memories of her that flood my thoughts today, and the sorrow I feel, make it plain to me that she was indeed a true friend.</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />We met on Twitter, early in my career there. It's easy to dismiss social media as frivolous and shallow. I have often done so myself with respect to the great majority of the tweets I read. But it turns out that a genuine connection made via Twitter is as real and wholehearted as one made anywhere else. A connection is a connection is a connection, I guess.</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />Molly and I started with each other's tweets, moved on to include each other's work, and emailed occasionally as well. We shared a lot of interests: books, photography, the foibles of US, UK and Italian politics, feminism, the scenery and history of the Western United States. Her comments, unfailingly kind and supportive, are sprinkled throughout my travel posts and photos.</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />We knew the bare outlines of each other's lives - husbands, kids, backgrounds - but only as they came up in conversation. And what a conversation it was. Molly was old enough and sharp enough to have no qualms about voicing her strong opinions on a wide variety of subjects; conversing with her was alternately hilarious, touching, profound and validating, and it was always fun. For three years, we exchanged ideas, opinions, befuddlement, poignancy and even a recipe or two over Twitter, sometimes daily for weeks on end, other times sporadically. Nothing made me happier than to open Tweetdeck and see she was "in the room."</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />Molly was a writer, as am I, so perhaps it's not surprising that we formed a true connection via written words. It's interesting to recollect that we never actually spoke because I know her voice well. Her turns of phrase, the smatterings of Italian and French interspersed in our tweets, the personality that was so evident in her intelligent, articulate writing all accumulated into a voice I could hear. I can hear it as I write these words. And although Molly herself is no longer here, I think I will hear it for a long, long time to come.<br /><br /></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU9cTGDuZ5yIVwd8NbGtCkRcVum21v410932xbC55jiWKRL3iSm4QZUIqwENbkNYEi1P89c5h-wvXqCc0kvohjz4KmgRyKN9lW8I3E1cDDnbNIpgRCJN-obysoj1P7CFCJzzPVMwh3uxFW/s1600/Sunny+Window.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU9cTGDuZ5yIVwd8NbGtCkRcVum21v410932xbC55jiWKRL3iSm4QZUIqwENbkNYEi1P89c5h-wvXqCc0kvohjz4KmgRyKN9lW8I3E1cDDnbNIpgRCJN-obysoj1P7CFCJzzPVMwh3uxFW/s320/Sunny+Window.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607369900543238962" border="0" /></a>Debra Sniderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467694513460878293noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542318265905350249.post-62765153382160948542011-02-07T09:42:00.000-08:002011-02-07T11:33:41.770-08:00Super Sunday<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">In a great break from tradition, yesterday's Super Bowl game was not boring. Yes, I was rooting for the Packers (and, once the game started, wishing I'd decided to bet the season's winnings on them instead of sitting this last game out, gambling-wise). But it wasn't only that. The game was not the plodding, conservative, try-not-to-lose-instead-of-play-to-win non-spectacle of most past outings. The Steelers and the Packers actually played. Except for a quarter-length stretch starting in the middle of the third quarter, when I did...let's say, multi-task...a bit, the game held my riveted attention. As it should have, given that it's the last football I'll get to see until I'm literally starving for it - ravenous enough to watch even the lame pre-season games in August. I'm already wistful.<br /><br />I thought I might be projecting my bias as I watched the teams file through the tunnels to enter the field - the Pittsburgh players flat, unsmiling, sedate, possibly nervous; Green Bay hopping around, giddy, all but bursting with excitement - but it was obvious even then how the game would play out. Is there anything in football more graceful, magnificent or eye-popping than the passes Aaron Rodgers throws when he has time in the pocket? Anything more certain than Ben Roethlisberger's chances of throwing a perfect strike as he thuds to the ground in a thicket of defensive tacklers and then, soon after, standing tall and tossing an inept, brain-dead pick?<br /><br />The melodic mangling of "America the Beautiful" and the verbal mangling of "The Star-Spangled Banner" struck me as right in line with the apparent belief of younger generations that meticulousness and accuracy are obsolete traditions of the past. The flyover above a closed stadium roof perfectly encapsulated the blithe, wasteful, out-of-touch-ness of Jerry Jones and his ilk. John Madden texting while sitting at a football game next to a former President of the United States was priceless. Whimsical and iconic, it was a beautiful blend of old and young, traditional and modern, the past and the present. (<a href="http://debrasnider.blogspot.com/2007/10/insult-to-injury.html">I adore John Madden</a>.)<br /><br />And throughout the game, I kept wondering what another football icon might be thinking and feeling. A persistent image of Brett Favre sitting in his Barcalounger, nursing his sore muscles, broken bones and equally banged-up spirit while he watched TV, flitted through my head. Was he thrilled for the Packers, for so long his team? Bummed about his own whimper of a final (I presume) season? Texting with John Madden? Or was he, like me, relishing the game and already sad that there will be no more NFL football until August?<br /></span></span>Debra Sniderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467694513460878293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542318265905350249.post-48125660732769301622011-01-10T17:42:00.000-08:002011-01-10T18:47:43.280-08:00A Hike Through Zion<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyRBho3tP7FNCu1Rx8FjJUkSMTCWIPEhuPVswkV2ZRYAxj_sXK_5EQVSk9-fgNzILr-AxrnJGfZ2iZJKCs47i4ZGCo8vCJ9sye4YunL8noZO9zbHIencr86v112tN6OhaeKp_FWedAhUcq/s1600/P1010641.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyRBho3tP7FNCu1Rx8FjJUkSMTCWIPEhuPVswkV2ZRYAxj_sXK_5EQVSk9-fgNzILr-AxrnJGfZ2iZJKCs47i4ZGCo8vCJ9sye4YunL8noZO9zbHIencr86v112tN6OhaeKp_FWedAhUcq/s320/P1010641.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560748345103982258" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I am not a fan of the one-foot-in-front-of-the-other mode of transport. Except when I'm sightseeing in European cities or making my way through vast casinos to the double-deck pitch blackjack tables, walking provokes in me all the mental and physical sensations commonly associated with the word "trudging." So it should come as no surprise that I am not a hiker.<br /><br />But last week we visited Utah with our daughter, and she suggested a hike through Zion National Park. The hike in question, she noted, was mostly paved, relatively flat and only (only!) 3.5 miles round-trip. I didn't want to disappoint her or cause her to think I'm a wimp, so I agreed. Do kids have any idea how much their parents do to avoid falling short in their eyes? I'm guessing not; I surely never sensed my parents were making any such efforts.<br /><br />Anyway, hike we did, and it was wonderful. </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Zion is the middle rung of the so-called Grand Staircase that starts in <a href="http://debrasnider.blogspot.com/2009/07/on-road-again-post-2.html">Bryce Canyon</a> and ends in the Grand Canyon. The whole thing was, and continues to be, created by the rain that falls on the 11,000-foot-high Colorado Plateau and then rushes downhill, slicing through and carving layers of rock. This rushing and carving creates glorious scenery, which y</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">ou get to see from an entirely different perspective when you're walking instead of driving. Frequent forays from the car to see a slightly hidden sight up a little closer or to get the best angle for a photograph aren't the same, I've learned, as experiencing the whole thing on foot.<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Zion is spectacular, </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">possibly even more so in winter than in summer. Snow highlights crags and striations in towering cliffs. It contrasts gorgeously with red rocks and creates a charming visual oxymoron with green cacti. There's more visible flora and fauna than in the summer, too, and the cold, cold water in the streams and rivers sparkles with extra extravagance. </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">It could be the ongoing adrenaline rush talking - I'm still thrilled and impressed with myself for having actually hiked - but the park may well be at its pinnacle of beauty when seen on a crisp 40-degree day from a trail that winds through its snow-painted cliffs under the blazing sun.</span></span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju7zHI6tKexazcvwY6add0oFhM8EvbTz2ZUzYcti5_uEAyJAoUEwj3xtlNP09qTL_ld9tmKPpP-iGXtxTQGpshuMRocaq_u3gG67IbAtoOao3uU6uRh4c2_5ho_xSZxIFP_aqUdXbmOJQ-/s1600/P1010632.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju7zHI6tKexazcvwY6add0oFhM8EvbTz2ZUzYcti5_uEAyJAoUEwj3xtlNP09qTL_ld9tmKPpP-iGXtxTQGpshuMRocaq_u3gG67IbAtoOao3uU6uRh4c2_5ho_xSZxIFP_aqUdXbmOJQ-/s400/P1010632.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560748973603200866" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFBjEP4HPR91rmuAuaYIkQvbngsiQ6ZdBLJqQA0w20zURiJ76-NhfgmtwHy1vocNeMkXnvYFpVSQHUH7GcW-VcbBGx0QZMEysrOKRkCk51h2yXKo2_gbqrv-dyZm2TK_Wzc2k3-Zt67NHj/s1600/P1010653.jpg"><img style="display: block; 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margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhguoicKANjTp6NBfZr8_nYSd5PqStSk7sqv_a3P9x7DuA9bIqzH2nFAzShTsIvddgBzeMIwPdtiJFHiUvHrbpwcw5yebDl-3iWh0Nhl6U0HEEClBO9jr7KPYm3xgQqMOMbtUKHAUeyoAiO/s400/P1010685.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560750357401198802" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEa8bPE9tsnZiFINaTPW9ZCbACH-rXngvwQBUhyNFZ9NPvcg_iFUX_oXquSZNyB7ffwpLY55dJJmRXMNOUDrAYCOwupIfG3sCPuSMamYi0orh1whsDry5RVHE2PeC2lVIB2hmhDJrT-fmm/s1600/P1010695.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEa8bPE9tsnZiFINaTPW9ZCbACH-rXngvwQBUhyNFZ9NPvcg_iFUX_oXquSZNyB7ffwpLY55dJJmRXMNOUDrAYCOwupIfG3sCPuSMamYi0orh1whsDry5RVHE2PeC2lVIB2hmhDJrT-fmm/s400/P1010695.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560751242045409138" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd3E-_aYEpHRdNAaDa-_KgX0ao8dIocrkXoENKAWWiajAWaWg7hZJq09qh2ySlzcHXqLcvIEmztYPzXwoaVAIK456fEF0MCHn7GtQNIHW0K0e9Q0ge7zeg0YDTsmCBSUw4W78slrBX7gvi/s1600/P1010696.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd3E-_aYEpHRdNAaDa-_KgX0ao8dIocrkXoENKAWWiajAWaWg7hZJq09qh2ySlzcHXqLcvIEmztYPzXwoaVAIK456fEF0MCHn7GtQNIHW0K0e9Q0ge7zeg0YDTsmCBSUw4W78slrBX7gvi/s400/P1010696.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560751246218358178" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></span>Debra Sniderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467694513460878293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542318265905350249.post-91242895330620393152010-12-17T11:55:00.000-08:002010-12-17T12:38:04.557-08:00Shaking Hands with the Future<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Well, I've done it. I've joined the digital revolution. Sort of. I still shudder at the thought of actually reading a book on an electronic device, but I've made my own novel <a href="http://amzn.to/fMAYPD">A Merger of Equals available on Kindle</a>. Now, I'm fervently hoping that all the people who assured me this was a good idea, a necessary step, <span style="font-style: italic;">absolutely essential</span>, will get busy proving they were right. Let the e-buying begin.<br /><br />Little in life makes me happier than cuddling up with a book. It's a sensory pleasure as well as an intellectual one. The heft of a book in my hands gladdens and reassures me. The font and spacing of the text interest me (or, in the occasional case, make me wonder what lunatic thought extreme ugliness or illegibility was the way to go). Equally delicious are the choices of cover art and colors, of matte or shiny finish for the jacket or cover paper, the formatting of the front matter - copyright page, acknowledgments, dedication - and the tantalizing brevity of the About the Author paragraph, which is inevitably pristine and enigmatic in what it says and, even more, in what it doesn't.<br /><br />And then the story unfolds, a sinuous mental flow of ideas, characters and events evoked by a black-ink parade of words marching across and down each porous cream-colored page. The way letters <span style="font-style: italic;">look</span> etched into paper. That experience of flipping a page because you can't wait to see what the next words will be, then going back because the words at the bottom of the previous page are calling irresistibly. The story's the thing, to be sure, but, for me at least, the delivery package is so intrinsic a part of the enjoyment, so integral to the full experience.<br /><br />I've sampled a friend's Kindle. (The very friend, in fact, who previewed my book to make sure the conversion process hadn't gone horribly awry - a million thanks to you, Jeanine!) It's a super-cool device, and a superb alternative to hauling a suitcase full of books when you travel. Maybe it even offers tactile and visual pleasures comparable to those of paper-and-ink books. But I seriously doubt I'll ever find out.<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The love of learning, the sequestered nooks,</span></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />And all the sweet serenity of books.<br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Henry Wadsworth Longfellow</span></span></span></span></div>Debra Sniderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467694513460878293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542318265905350249.post-23955872752195148302010-11-06T10:37:00.000-07:002010-11-06T10:45:32.342-07:00Clearing the Path<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Apparently, I'm not going to get around to writing the post I have in my head about the <a href="http://debrasnider.blogspot.com/2010/08/rift.html">Rio Grande Rift and the geology of New Mexico</a> any time soon. Honestly, the opening paragraph and a snappy conclusion have been mentally written since late August, but neither the middle itself nor the motivation to create it has been forthcoming. Worse, other potential posts seem to be log-jammed behind this unwritten obstacle.<br /><br />This may or may not help, but I've decided to post photos from the Rift and the beautiful northern New Mexico landscapes around it before even more time passes. With any luck, the desire to put some delectable text with the photos and to commit to paper the three or four other posts knocking around upstairs will soon follow.<br /><br /></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDJKqH0a10JcStpweZ0A1IXJpVlxNnCGbclTef5zX5I1CLWH9vRgWGu1w-m2dMvk5ivXBtYEuMVpirrJDICX_1bQJ6-PA0yaRfGdceRmGr4rxVcY-ap8nvb5qrvVUEW1GCUq6HMBZE09jD/s1600/P1010504.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDJKqH0a10JcStpweZ0A1IXJpVlxNnCGbclTef5zX5I1CLWH9vRgWGu1w-m2dMvk5ivXBtYEuMVpirrJDICX_1bQJ6-PA0yaRfGdceRmGr4rxVcY-ap8nvb5qrvVUEW1GCUq6HMBZE09jD/s400/P1010504.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536486308497834530" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7h3kkfTiddNKRJkwqsBmdwd0IqL5wx4Ph9tnQXPcznOkCRev4hpZOknKwwY4pwxzkrUdeseB277_w_6ZMGvRlhRe0NquOnuMYqmDDHbsdZldEI4pUw_OzMe5eNPV0j8WJxE-x9Q7FClzI/s1600/P1010517.JPG"><img style="display: block; 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margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRs9Wp76k1lY3IV6jkmDBM49ySIwwELaLQ9j8K0x9xOhl6pnk-xVFImrIEOZTK2G0nOAQmd3cZyOKs2-77uvnCOOeMISiNV_mJozey6LX046xeyi5dR9sE7BDAi-Ju5egWM9IcH73HRNH_/s400/P1010556.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536488785186214738" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPmR6LBTasTw-EKF4m4Pu2IGmOVZbf0ue3Q4l22Ie-y7vla0zqnPrXi39dGovF7RVfSYa0G7islwwzRt9YgeQEm3kxJ5KajYWcjgfsaaGY6Px45eR0nF5RkyqAqRmEUcYOF2IJ1b-xnzAw/s1600/P1010558.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPmR6LBTasTw-EKF4m4Pu2IGmOVZbf0ue3Q4l22Ie-y7vla0zqnPrXi39dGovF7RVfSYa0G7islwwzRt9YgeQEm3kxJ5KajYWcjgfsaaGY6Px45eR0nF5RkyqAqRmEUcYOF2IJ1b-xnzAw/s400/P1010558.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536488788203154050" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihvxcCpn8YxeXJEX-Nsq-GeQtDEgyQQj4aYwGqb7sIVgM9xRgo1Ufc6A9DiV71qj_MG3Gr-6x-PpGh1jIQUhccGTNCPDPgRysK2SnrxIxtOh1og0JOVSMPzHRUZMxK-JjkS9xlHtYRIfTh/s1600/P1010559.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihvxcCpn8YxeXJEX-Nsq-GeQtDEgyQQj4aYwGqb7sIVgM9xRgo1Ufc6A9DiV71qj_MG3Gr-6x-PpGh1jIQUhccGTNCPDPgRysK2SnrxIxtOh1og0JOVSMPzHRUZMxK-JjkS9xlHtYRIfTh/s400/P1010559.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536488799082410562" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8KAVM2sV6zAMNUbWcHcdOZ4JxEiJtQTqmv_SRb8fA-VR5035hcIxzqMerCdn2Zl_6pPX7ZK9Br8rR4i7fc_3GUYdn0Chcn7PWxxcE9NUYr0NW2kolTU-3Q5zE_Z7tBTMS1fpFOXiyOrjy/s1600/P1010553.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8KAVM2sV6zAMNUbWcHcdOZ4JxEiJtQTqmv_SRb8fA-VR5035hcIxzqMerCdn2Zl_6pPX7ZK9Br8rR4i7fc_3GUYdn0Chcn7PWxxcE9NUYr0NW2kolTU-3Q5zE_Z7tBTMS1fpFOXiyOrjy/s400/P1010553.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536488778479952994" border="0" /></a>Debra Sniderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467694513460878293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542318265905350249.post-24382551565180855742010-08-09T18:34:00.000-07:002010-08-10T19:15:54.385-07:00♫ "A-standin' on the corner in Winslow, Arizona..."*<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I didn't really grasp the concept of elevation until I moved to the West. I understood intellectually that higher elevations meant cooler temperatures and different topography, flora and fauna, but knowing something like that intellectually and experiencing several different elevations in the course of one afternoon are two very distinct ways to comprehend.</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />Our travels today took us from 2500 feet above sea level to over 7200 feet, then down to around 5,000 feet. The temperature swung from 104 to 72 to 86. Desert scrub and sandy, barren mountains gave way to tall pines and green-carpeted slopes, which in turn transformed into the dusty greens and gently rolling contours of the high-desert railroad towns along Route 66. The air stopped sucking the moisture out of everything not already bone-dry and started hydrating skin and tightening curls. (I imagine the wildlife also differed significantly from elevation to elevation, but I'm not particularly interested in fauna, and we saw neither snake nor mountain lion nor buffalo.)</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />Unless I've forgotten or something's changed in the last five-and-a-half years, one cannot travel by car from Chicago in any direction and encounter in the course of a single afternoon meaningfully higher elevations. (Lower elevations need not be mentioned; Chicago is barely above sea level.) So my Midwestern-born-and-bred understanding of elevation was based on book knowledge and the intelligence gleaned from travels by plane. Taking a plane to a destination that's novel, whether by reason of elevation or other attribute, is not the same as experiencing entirely different environments within 30 miles of one another.</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />I've been wondering all afternoon what else I might know intellectually, but not truly get because I haven't actually experienced it. I bet elevation isn't the only such thing.</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;">*I really did write this post in Winslow, Arizona. Though I wasn't standing on <a href="http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0905/arizona-winslow.html">that corner</a> (or any other) at the time, how could I resist using the title everyone (or at least everyone alive in the 1970s) associates with this sleepy little town full of railroad- and Route 66-related history? Here are a few photos from Winslow:</span><br /><br /></span></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEWdKnlzQzDgfNQ_a1QX_lrNKwmt6jAdczTDyib7K7y0xchXnq3JXkanHQEypKVn0k1H9j8gP6L3XX8rlox9-yvnaHCU1fVDTx2V0wo9TcfOQeWxsiLOayVMXQcvrAbeQxOwvpiT-SYUkP/s1600/P1010486.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEWdKnlzQzDgfNQ_a1QX_lrNKwmt6jAdczTDyib7K7y0xchXnq3JXkanHQEypKVn0k1H9j8gP6L3XX8rlox9-yvnaHCU1fVDTx2V0wo9TcfOQeWxsiLOayVMXQcvrAbeQxOwvpiT-SYUkP/s400/P1010486.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503963979167844178" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSCsEau_H3eyE6NEai3YVeB9dHLjURKjWDyDfU0gHuuiQgcJATv2XHcZgYGcqxTuYcZsPmygJNEVNRXAW93TqoK5KbVqx_avPWzt0gRxMeo5YScdcbLiv3JNrGrrqFa-4HDvOPCQnsYijk/s1600/P1010492.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSCsEau_H3eyE6NEai3YVeB9dHLjURKjWDyDfU0gHuuiQgcJATv2XHcZgYGcqxTuYcZsPmygJNEVNRXAW93TqoK5KbVqx_avPWzt0gRxMeo5YScdcbLiv3JNrGrrqFa-4HDvOPCQnsYijk/s400/P1010492.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503963988435675986" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv7IwUexWLqc9nvBoH06AskSWGDKGDtpSmMUj3Q0R54r2uz4o5tmhW2QTjHYBgDLT_wYdcQ6_PhVqYN5Wya-JSjCgxdtLwJnYOAcJ6WrRk8QVcvSJow_OfgrL0Y4MtEfxYLS_ehL9zoyjk/s1600/P1010493.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv7IwUexWLqc9nvBoH06AskSWGDKGDtpSmMUj3Q0R54r2uz4o5tmhW2QTjHYBgDLT_wYdcQ6_PhVqYN5Wya-JSjCgxdtLwJnYOAcJ6WrRk8QVcvSJow_OfgrL0Y4MtEfxYLS_ehL9zoyjk/s400/P1010493.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503964000332050402" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVAEV-wlsrfeOwtp3U85toPXAP1fK-ArlpldFmNkK1wte6akwXKxmMzY5cNFhmZ00Z6-Gs9bOcBGnHj6p1SH1mDqWEEvLR4O8gNQVBx0oEha4j8w9wwXBOpp91vw3lrGZogiVrLOgTHWlI/s1600/P1010498.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVAEV-wlsrfeOwtp3U85toPXAP1fK-ArlpldFmNkK1wte6akwXKxmMzY5cNFhmZ00Z6-Gs9bOcBGnHj6p1SH1mDqWEEvLR4O8gNQVBx0oEha4j8w9wwXBOpp91vw3lrGZogiVrLOgTHWlI/s400/P1010498.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503964008133616818" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTqLmfNA288JKCNXrevCoCQKPsC8f_eerLBph8Ta4k-NGt3q1TYGww8quYN8hyBVB-JsM9E7dYFTR4YOnWDXwQvL_6C0tOEiKfvDXIBfMKzWTOsVhBqPqvYErINCzcr_3pLL3xnTHak9OM/s1600/P1010500.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTqLmfNA288JKCNXrevCoCQKPsC8f_eerLBph8Ta4k-NGt3q1TYGww8quYN8hyBVB-JsM9E7dYFTR4YOnWDXwQvL_6C0tOEiKfvDXIBfMKzWTOsVhBqPqvYErINCzcr_3pLL3xnTHak9OM/s400/P1010500.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503964014814856514" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4p5I33nWiHmdrNlF7B4vrZepvkF6UmKc6PObr5DYLzUlZsqcMVgVc4JiijzHwFPc03eTp2Sqw2CpaeweNnSW43KHwTX_jXdukQEhjYaued-7DRwzvLPR4y5wSAtN_wxu0j9tvkVGuDwIF/s1600/P1010501.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4p5I33nWiHmdrNlF7B4vrZepvkF6UmKc6PObr5DYLzUlZsqcMVgVc4JiijzHwFPc03eTp2Sqw2CpaeweNnSW43KHwTX_jXdukQEhjYaued-7DRwzvLPR4y5wSAtN_wxu0j9tvkVGuDwIF/s400/P1010501.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503964944692001746" border="0" /></a>Debra Sniderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467694513460878293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542318265905350249.post-60827381396299330362010-08-06T15:09:00.000-07:002010-08-06T18:39:47.221-07:00Rift<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKX0rK-bJFNwLCjBqGrxyVNdI172QRo5nmaGQRWFZ1sVwHw_ZMkugsuyihIrZ2tXbH8qOoQcD2bYoiznqOFTFhr2wrgJjBC4cVQMf6VxmoovRQE-SOaIklAkadMRAqWkvnRd3aHEz_wskh/s1600/Passport.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 164px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKX0rK-bJFNwLCjBqGrxyVNdI172QRo5nmaGQRWFZ1sVwHw_ZMkugsuyihIrZ2tXbH8qOoQcD2bYoiznqOFTFhr2wrgJjBC4cVQMf6VxmoovRQE-SOaIklAkadMRAqWkvnRd3aHEz_wskh/s200/Passport.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502435237361690018" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I'm getting ready for our trip to explore the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_Grande_Rift">Rio Grande Rift</a>. Like the Rift, our route will bisect New Mexico, from north of Santa Fe all the way down to Las Cruces. There will be geologic glories galore, including calderas (volcanic craters), lava frozen in place by millions of years of time, mountains (ditto), and the sparkling water of the Rio Grande itself. This trip will also feature the sophisticated man-made glories of Santa Fe, which will be our home base for a variety of mostly geology-related side trips before we head south.</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />I'll post a travelogue with photos while we travel, but the rift I want to write about today is the one caused by Arizona's immigration law. </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">For </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">the first time in over fifty years of traveling within the United States, I feel obliged to take my passport</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">.</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />I am not a fan of "shoot first, ask questions later" type laws. I'd just as soon not visit Arizona or patronize any of its businesses until its state legislature decides to recommit to the principles of democracy. But </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">the only sensible way to drive from Las Vegas to Santa Fe is via Arizona's roads, so out come the documents proving we're U.S. citizens.</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />It's very strange to think we might need our passports to travel to an adjoining state. I'll be surprised - and horrified - if we actually do need them. But who knows what some over-zealous officer in some middle-of-nowhere Arizona town might conclude based on my curly brown hair and my and my husband's tanned, olive skin? I don't relish the idea of spending part of our vacation being detained, interrogated, confined to a jail cell or deported.<br /><br />I'm a law-abiding sort, and I do not support illegal immigration. I also do not support racism, racial profiling, intolerance or fear-based legislation that fails to take into account or respect inalienable Constitutional rights. Appearing to be "foreign" or, for that matter, actually being from somewhere other than the United States is not an appropriate basis for being suspect under the law.<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">The U.S. as we know it has benefited from the contributions of immigrants ever since the Pilgrims first arrived at Plymouth Rock. </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Immigration and immigrants aren't the problem - <span style="font-style: italic;">illegal</span> immigration is. </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Immigration reform is certainly necessary, but ill-thought-out, misguided, and fundamentally un-American responses like Arizona's have no hope of effecting it</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">. </span></span>Debra Sniderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467694513460878293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542318265905350249.post-30073338489419045552010-05-16T13:44:00.000-07:002010-05-16T14:18:05.947-07:00Deserts, Mojave and Palm<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">We decided to spend a couple days visiting the Mojave Desert before it gets too hot. Actually, most years it's already too hot by mid-May, but this year we're enjoying an unusually cool spring/beginning of summer around these parts. The drive through the Mojave National Preserve was wonderful: spectacular desert scenery via a bumpy two-lane road, full of roller-coaster rises and dips. The road would be annoying if there were traffic, but we saw maybe a dozen other cars the whole time.<br /><br />I'll get to the scenery and some photos, but we stayed overnight and spent a delightful day in Palm Desert before we headed home, and I have to exclaim over how incredibly friendly the people were. They were super-friendly, Midwestern-level friendly. We felt like much-loved regulars as we enjoyed fish tacos, queso fundido and entertaining conversation at the bar at Armando's on Friday night. It was like being at a great dinner party. Not only do we feel like we now have friends in Palm Desert, we also have a bouquet of California-related vacation suggestions for future trips. We had similarly convivial experiences with everyone we encountered on Saturday. What's this about? Southern California has in the past struck us as much more...well, let's say standoffish.<br /><br />The journey from Las Vegas to Palm Desert through the Mojave Preserve swings back and forth between elevations barely 600 feet above sea level to nearly 5000 feet up. At the low point are the salt flats near Amboy, CA, and they are about as cool as scenery gets. Check this out:<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj50ZucBXPa7EsXd7tsoNVEVgdHHS2fbLOBGYenr6jJ4F8l0HmNoa5LyiArUthXrYP9uJ4Ilz_28ooM4lnJOWQnMjhfRY59RrSSxeedu5dkU01yBiDavBflGFUi8C2TBWwK99G0Lglqi5De/s1600/P1010453.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj50ZucBXPa7EsXd7tsoNVEVgdHHS2fbLOBGYenr6jJ4F8l0HmNoa5LyiArUthXrYP9uJ4Ilz_28ooM4lnJOWQnMjhfRY59RrSSxeedu5dkU01yBiDavBflGFUi8C2TBWwK99G0Lglqi5De/s320/P1010453.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471923597882740274" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Looks like snow, doesn't it? But no, it's salt. Here's another flat, this one less liquid:<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjHjzOJ2vXri32xtSN25z41wAl4jIepacIteSn2lt2uOJdDvLlZquHK6cpfZKwgHVNQ_0AwFDPx4SnYoMRClgP0qV2TfPSkp-kfTkw5n0lAUxXPEbaRNWbCua88fVzEmA2Ij-W4HuyfmiP/s1600/P1010454.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjHjzOJ2vXri32xtSN25z41wAl4jIepacIteSn2lt2uOJdDvLlZquHK6cpfZKwgHVNQ_0AwFDPx4SnYoMRClgP0qV2TfPSkp-kfTkw5n0lAUxXPEbaRNWbCua88fVzEmA2Ij-W4HuyfmiP/s320/P1010454.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471923836682912546" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">And here are some snaps of the crazy rock mountains*, scrub and Joshua trees in the Mojave Preserve:<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNaTYN8OgZ7N3pzTspfihg9iAD1GpK15_hFlprlZxf702HfILLm0wCc5_zOPu4gKCoDdtIytkaDFuxXKyOPosBeAvegAgFaAq_B8x5eTOmoZZxJ6NJTWLdEdVJX2vL6dYQjl2BK1lOy6-y/s1600/P1010449.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNaTYN8OgZ7N3pzTspfihg9iAD1GpK15_hFlprlZxf702HfILLm0wCc5_zOPu4gKCoDdtIytkaDFuxXKyOPosBeAvegAgFaAq_B8x5eTOmoZZxJ6NJTWLdEdVJX2vL6dYQjl2BK1lOy6-y/s320/P1010449.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471923583360557618" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGwjIdZ-mZzsHUKBFC-d0_SGSmy9vgXLMADEP-DAqOb8_yAohIPEVZbt-MaI71u_h0cEwW8r6fZalMJG7IclVgcniaGh1PuH8hXyefiwFpnZ5s5E5R7Qibn1zyl63bXRCudZ1_MxL6-tCG/s1600/P1010447.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGwjIdZ-mZzsHUKBFC-d0_SGSmy9vgXLMADEP-DAqOb8_yAohIPEVZbt-MaI71u_h0cEwW8r6fZalMJG7IclVgcniaGh1PuH8hXyefiwFpnZ5s5E5R7Qibn1zyl63bXRCudZ1_MxL6-tCG/s320/P1010447.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471923560377569330" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisDDs1ZNOwCirYJ4is2HgVEpWXL9bQoXWbuQbeCBE3SdQRgRWkD9cEs9yKARtY1332VymtA4Rojtd5r8sVJL1TUAfwarNohW1nzLnRgUa7QdQ0Fp89cv9eQdC3y6w86oQAUGB7Qbd8Gknw/s1600/P1010448.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisDDs1ZNOwCirYJ4is2HgVEpWXL9bQoXWbuQbeCBE3SdQRgRWkD9cEs9yKARtY1332VymtA4Rojtd5r8sVJL1TUAfwarNohW1nzLnRgUa7QdQ0Fp89cv9eQdC3y6w86oQAUGB7Qbd8Gknw/s320/P1010448.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471923575015293826" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFSlkQ3sdBacf-uSfgcCEpQXYm8tMyAZZ0zTeBz4zmLSZSrt51P9KYmHaTCMt4MQroJioHLIFUsbohNdQSKaNmHfnT_pl7ixdn3fgZqXQoYxoAy6EwYfhKQQCge-IEar_ASjQFcBBlaRny/s1600/P1010451.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFSlkQ3sdBacf-uSfgcCEpQXYm8tMyAZZ0zTeBz4zmLSZSrt51P9KYmHaTCMt4MQroJioHLIFUsbohNdQSKaNmHfnT_pl7ixdn3fgZqXQoYxoAy6EwYfhKQQCge-IEar_ASjQFcBBlaRny/s320/P1010451.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471923588927189682" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">*I've written about these crazy formations before, in the second paragraph </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://debrasnider.blogspot.com/2007/09/perfect-day.html">here</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> and the ninth paragraph </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://debrasnider.blogspot.com/2008/07/day-3-yellowstone-wyoming-to-glacier.html">here</a><span style="font-style: italic;">. They are outlandish; it's hard to believe they're a naturally occurring phenomenon.</span></span></span>Debra Sniderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467694513460878293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542318265905350249.post-39680024624763969642010-04-06T10:04:00.000-07:002010-04-06T10:12:36.970-07:00Honest Scrap Blogger Award<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Rather to my dismay, <a href="http://twitter.com/goonerjamie">Jamie Harding</a> (a normally delightful person whose blog, <a href="http://goonerjamie.blogspot.com/2009/11/honest-scrap-blogger-award.html">The Life and Times of a Househusband</a>, I love and who is a complete kick on Twitter) "honored" me with the above-titled award.<br /><br />I don't usually react to honors with dismay, but this one comes with a suspiciously meme-like obligation. Here are the rules:<br /><br />1. The Honest Scrap Blogger Award must be shared.<br />2. The recipient has to tell 10 true things about him/herself that no one else knows.<br />3. The recipient has to pass on the award to 10 more bloggers.<br />4. Those 10 bloggers should link back to the blog that awarded them.<br /><br />I don't plan to follow these rules. What a rebel, huh?<br /><br />I'm not one for chain letters; in fact, I can be counted on to break the chain, no matter the entreaty, the cause or the direness of the promised consequences. (Hmm, I wonder if this bit of explanatory narrative could count as one of my 10 things. So it will if it turns out I can't think of 10 others.) But, hey, I can be a good sport about Rules 1 and 2. We'll see about 3 and 4.<br /><br />My 10 things (some of these aren't quite known by <span style="font-style: italic;">nobody</span>; it's hard to come up with those when you've been married for over 30 years to someone you met in high school):<br /><br />1. When we were children, my youngest sister ate French fries slowly. She always had some left by the time my other sister and I finished ours. We would ask her for a few, and she would command us to bark like dogs: Bark! Bark for French fries! Yep, we did. Woof.<br /><br />2. I have never owned or come into contact with a toaster that worked properly.<br /><br />3. No, I did not get married in high school. Or in college. I'm just older than you think.<br /><br />4. If I had to choose one favorite song, </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">just one, it would be "Roll Me Away" by Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band (as recorded for "The Distance" album way back when). If naming it meant listening only to it and nothing else, then I would choose the first movement of Schubert's Ninth instead because I'd hate having to get sick of "Roll Me Away" and I appear to have an infinite capacity for listening to the best first movement ever. (Just ask my husband or kids.)</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />5. I routinely slather my feet with Bag Balm, a lanolin salve meant for cows' udders, before I put on socks.<br /><br />6. After knee surgery in 1989, I spent an entire week on the couch, determined to conquer Super Mario Brothers 1, 2 and 3. By the end of the week, my knee was fine, I could rescue the princess in every game, and I was very popular among my kids' friends.<br /><br />7. I have been in every state in the U.S. except South Carolina and South Dakota. I don't have a problem with states named South something; this is just an odd coincidence. Oh, and by "been in," I don't mean drove through or changed planes in; I mean actually visited long enough to have to take a shower in.<br /><br />8. I try to understand it and, failing that, to be tolerant of it (at which I also fail dismally), but I can't shake my sense that Facebook is the dumbest f*%#in' thing on earth.<br /><br />9. I played Ado Annie in a high school production of <span style="font-style: italic;">Oklahoma!</span> Lots of bizarre things inherent in that experience, but the ones I recall/care to disclose are the thrill of being cast, the surprising raciness of the old-time musical's lyrics, and the appalling smell of the costume (eau de years and years and years of sweating teenagers).<br /><br />And ta da! Number 10 is that I always break chain letters. Now you know who deserves the blame for the promised riches that never arrive.<br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></span>Debra Sniderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467694513460878293noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542318265905350249.post-19319978412313977542010-03-06T09:26:00.000-08:002010-03-06T11:22:05.015-08:00A Cheesy Clip Show<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I got the nicest note from one of my Twitter friends a couple days ago. She noticed I hadn't blogged in a while and wanted to know if I was OK. She also said she missed me. This started me thinking about how oddly wonderful Internet friends can be.<br /><br />The term "Internet friends" has more dubious connotations than anything else, at least for me - can't help remembering the end of <span style="font-style: italic;">Old School</span>, when Juliette Lewis' character invites Will Ferrell's character to a party: "yeah, you know, just some Internet friends."<br /><br />But I've found some of the most charming, intelligent and delightful people on the Internet. And it's weird: we've never met, we've never spoken voice-to-voice or face-to-face, but I have the sense we know each other. Turns out a lot can be communicated in the accumulation over time of 140-character snippets.<br /><br />Anyway, I feel remiss about blogging, but I've been in a writing frenzy for several weeks. I'm working feverishly on my new novel; my characters have co-opted all the space in my brain. I have no unexpressed thoughts that aren't going into the book. Every now and then, I get a nubbin of a side idea, but both these and my will to explore them are too weak to flower into a blog post. They're barely enough to sprout a tweet.<br /><br />So how about a clip show instead? (Cue the Simpsons<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span></span>singing about how lame it is "when a long-running series does a cheesy clip show.") Still, I'm always a little sorry old posts get buried in the past. Even if the ones linked below aren't new to you, I hope you'll enjoy the encore.<br /><br /><a href="http://debrasnider.blogspot.com/2007/01/writing-epiphany.html">What it's like to write obsessively</a><br /><br /><a href="http://debrasnider.blogspot.com/2008/01/reflecting.html">Where blogging fits into life</a><br /><br /><a href="http://debrasnider.blogspot.com/2008/06/you-exist-even-if-we-arent-watching.html">Where blogging doesn't fit into life - or the value of privacy<br /></a><br /><a href="http://debrasnider.blogspot.com/2008/04/displacement.html">A little tidbit about the new book</a><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br /><a href="http://debrasnider.blogspot.com/2009/08/on-road-again-post-10-glaciers.html">Glaciers</a></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><a href="http://debrasnider.blogspot.com/2007/11/epithets.html">Why I dislike and try not to use the noun "bitch"</a><br /><br /><a href="http://debrasnider.blogspot.com/2008/03/rose-is-rose-is-rose.html">The dangerous silliness of political correctness</a><br /><br /><a href="http://debrasnider.blogspot.com/2008/07/sex-and-parenting.html">A spreadsheet approach to sex and parenting</a><br /><br /><a href="http://debrasnider.blogspot.com/2008/06/dpg.html">Ode to a lost friend</a><br /></span></span>Debra Sniderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467694513460878293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542318265905350249.post-30781283838633741592010-01-07T12:59:00.000-08:002010-01-07T15:41:24.325-08:00Corporate Cranberries<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">In what must have been a fit of inspired creativity, the holiday decorators at the Palazzo came up with utter brilliance. The </span></span><em></em><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">bedecked papier-mâché bears were good, the snaky branch, flower, ornament and light thing was super-cool (if a little reminiscent of one of Lord Voldemort's scarier incarnations), but the ornamental pool filled to the brim with cranberries was pure genius.<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQRovJmq8Axb80A1dP_O0GzPc3dWaKkJPuFggZqiBR5X1wxJhyphenhyphenq_7lHSRQ446jw8JaWlBKXgW3kIUqgroXJLcV0WITFP6H3c-KmNYPMMUfwVUXxjBlKYWMeuNO9ipuopmMMayiNcqfgmnW/s1600-h/Cranberries,+Bears.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQRovJmq8Axb80A1dP_O0GzPc3dWaKkJPuFggZqiBR5X1wxJhyphenhyphenq_7lHSRQ446jw8JaWlBKXgW3kIUqgroXJLcV0WITFP6H3c-KmNYPMMUfwVUXxjBlKYWMeuNO9ipuopmMMayiNcqfgmnW/s320/Cranberries,+Bears.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424108156872595890" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4zXq_h2QaEMUTptjCj2oaeewEH8fMsfK_Lsy6N_cM5pi67mshSuWS4dFgBMwYVCAkK_vVuuKyjp4RGNlbUcy3aZBIVrMn0t5W34S6G5X9Al5tERg3ka39_oqsuZ0CsB36_5pemGbfY-X8/s1600-h/Cranberries,+Snake.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4zXq_h2QaEMUTptjCj2oaeewEH8fMsfK_Lsy6N_cM5pi67mshSuWS4dFgBMwYVCAkK_vVuuKyjp4RGNlbUcy3aZBIVrMn0t5W34S6G5X9Al5tERg3ka39_oqsuZ0CsB36_5pemGbfY-X8/s320/Cranberries,+Snake.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424129003008888002" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKlgkiv5Lqfsi-WByRu-sTiY_gEzJWHpcBYuJhx_uHItdbbP6Lk8daSr64nyMDJ_jBkNE07fa5b0-KSUqemA9gO_HfsMEMXvn0NOGkmJpHa7mUUND35FDJuakO-5jcmOESO2XfiqD6Rd9e/s1600-h/Cranberries.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKlgkiv5Lqfsi-WByRu-sTiY_gEzJWHpcBYuJhx_uHItdbbP6Lk8daSr64nyMDJ_jBkNE07fa5b0-KSUqemA9gO_HfsMEMXvn0NOGkmJpHa7mUUND35FDJuakO-5jcmOESO2XfiqD6Rd9e/s320/Cranberries.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424108153291181938" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(Click on the picture to get a better idea of the full force of a profusion of cranberries.)<br /><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I can just imagine the corporate meeting at which this design was pitched. Purchasing: We're going to need a cranberry guy. Number-Crunchers: How do you measure ROI on a gazillion cranberries? Idea People (all but the one who came up with the idea): I wish, wish, wish I'd thought of that! And the Suits: Top <span style="font-style: italic;">this</span>, Steve Wynn!<br /><br />Actually, in the context of the Strip's fanciest over-the-top hotel/casino/shopping/dining/entertainment extravaganzas, </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">the whole concept of business meetings in conference rooms is hilarious</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">. In what other corporate setting could cranberry-related agenda items nestle comfortably and sensibly right alongside occupancy rates, profit margins, Impressionist art exhibits, and the latest in uniform concepts for leggy cocktail waitresses?</span> </span>Debra Sniderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467694513460878293noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542318265905350249.post-84382153013596389792009-12-09T15:13:00.000-08:002009-12-09T15:23:43.372-08:00A Rave Review & a Holiday Offer<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.debrasnider.com/"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDjWHD65KNLkkGO-MWPVW6oIw31ZwZn1gFXdo4IQlrhSPrmaVhzYzkFpCs3f3uxy8JKXhoBk5UaOo_L36TZXIVXId0zsCJqaIG2AC-54WlkvbQJO46jk4lgr8v8foPuTcJxwpzsg5nz1Jd/s200/Merger+of+Equals+Cover.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413380037724912754" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">It suddenly occurred to me that I might have a blog reader or two who doesn't also visit my website or follow/friend/whatever me on some social media platform. In case there are indeed any of you out there, here's a heads-up about a couple current events.</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;" ><br /><br />A Merger of Equals </span><span style="font-family:verdana;">just received a rave review in <a href="http://suemagazine.com/">SUE Magazine</a>, which is an aptly (and hilariously) titled e-publication for women in litigation. The reviewer gave my book five gavels, the magazine's highest rating, and the review is delightful. <a href="http://bit.ly/7LVD2R">Click here to read excerpts or to download a PDF of the complete review</a>.<br /><br />To celebrate both the review and the season, </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I'm offering <span style="font-weight: bold;">free shipping and special prices</span> on <span style="font-style: italic;">A Merger of Equals </span>through December 18. If you've thought of buying copies for yourself or to give as gifts, now's the time to do it. The more copies you buy, the better the savings. <a href="http://bit.ly/2InIA">Click here for the particulars</a>.<br /><br />Thanks to all my readers - books, website, social media platforms, and blog. Writing is a huge pleasure for me; knowing you're out there reading is the richest of icing on the cake.</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></span>Debra Sniderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467694513460878293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542318265905350249.post-38386750385113045752009-11-10T10:59:00.000-08:002009-11-10T11:44:27.501-08:00A Little Help?<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Thanks to the bookshelf review I undertook for <a href="http://debrasnider.blogspot.com/2009/09/for-your-reading-pleasure.html">this post</a>, I'm now rereading Mary Renault's <span style="font-style: italic;">The King Must Die</span>. It's the story of the mythical hero Theseus, King of Athens. One of Theseus' early adventures (before he gets to Crete and deals with the Minotaur, the book's centerpiece) takes place in Eleusis, a kingdom ruled by women. The women are like despotic rulers throughout time: contemptuous and dismissive of those not like them. In Eleusis, men are considered childish, weak-minded, and utterly unfit for the worlds of business, government, religion and everything else the society deems important.<br /><br />Women rule in Eleusis because the society is an antiquated one, still wedded to cultural dictates developed in response to the ancient notion that women and the gods create life. Although the Eleusians in Theseus' time know the role earthly men play in conception, Eleusian culture has not evolved to take that into account and elevate men above second-class status. Everyone seems OK with this except, of course, our hero.<br /><br />As events spin out, Theseus ultimately finds himself in position to modernize (it's killing me, but I'm not going to put that word in quotation marks) Eleusis. The following passage made my hair stand on end:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Later that day, I appointed my chief men, from those who had been resolute in defying the women. Some of these would have had me put down women from every office in the land. Though I tended myself to extremes as young men do, yet I did not like this; it would bring them all together to work women's magic in the dark. One or two, who had pleased my eye, I should have been glad to see about me. Only I had not forgotten Medea, who had fooled a man as wise as my father was. And there were the old grandmothers, who had run a household for fifty years, and had more sense than many a warrior with his mind only on his standing; but besides their magic, they had too many kindred and would have managed the men. So I thought again about what I had seen in Eleusis of women's rule, and chose from those sour ones who took their pleasure in putting the others down. And these did more than the men to keep their sisters from rising up again. A few years later, the women of Eleusis came begging me to appoint men in their stead. Thus I was able to make a favor of it.</span><br /><br />I recognize that Mary Renault wrote those words in the 20th century, but they haunt me anyway. There were written records in the times the book depicts; I presume she relied on them for political and cultural realities just as she did to paint the book's remarkable depiction of the time's religious rites and its architectural, scenic and other physical realities.<br /><br />Obviously, the passage says a great deal about the nature of power and how and why institutions as well as individuals promote on the bases of sexism, opportunism, tokenism, protectionism and atavistic fear, rather than solely on the basis of merit. But does it also </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">illustrate something fundamental in the nature of women? Or</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> does the passage simply confirm that in times of oppression and discrimination, when power is scarce for one gender or the other, some of those with power will do anything to hang onto it?<br /><br />Most career women have at some point in their careers run across a successful woman who's reached an elevated position and acts as if she believes there's some honor and glory in remaining alone there. Instead of trying to help other women succeed, she revels in her exclusive status. This sort of queen-bee behavior does as much to mask opportunity and hold women back as do sexist men or the pressures of the status quo. It horrifies me to think it might have been going on since ancient times.<br /><br />Either way, I'm feeling galvanized. I'm determined to do something right this minute to help another woman succeed. I hope you will, too.<br /></span> </span>Debra Sniderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467694513460878293noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8542318265905350249.post-87561185460960409002009-10-26T14:59:00.000-07:002009-10-26T15:35:41.993-07:00Valley of Fire<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3eIx2ZtRwvw3J04Pqh9L1czLV3BUq_uNTQif7SOkWeUgsh8YOGpNiqOVo8JbSVkD-VGVSLPfJH_ynD9eQoYnhHIapjtvSxxZY2DdFmveBmj61hvhEM4x7eYAC8QQ6vVjV3fbM-G6_3rdO/s1600-h/36.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3eIx2ZtRwvw3J04Pqh9L1czLV3BUq_uNTQif7SOkWeUgsh8YOGpNiqOVo8JbSVkD-VGVSLPfJH_ynD9eQoYnhHIapjtvSxxZY2DdFmveBmj61hvhEM4x7eYAC8QQ6vVjV3fbM-G6_3rdO/s200/36.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397033197983714114" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">We've had visitors here for the last few days and on Saturday, a perfect day for being outside in the desert sun without roasting (as are most October days), our guests decided they wanted to see some Vegas glories of the natural versus man-made variety. Not being either shoppers or out-of-towners who are obliged to clog up the Strip on weekends in order to see it at all, we were delighted (and a bit relieved) by this choice. Our definition of hospitality includes letting guests decide on plans, then chauffeuring them, keeping them company, and otherwise doing what we can to make sure they have a wonderful time. This policy occasionally leads us down dubious paths activity-wise, but not this time.<br /><br />Valley of Fire, Nevada's oldest state park, is within an hour of Las Vegas. Its name comes from its eye-popping red sandstone formations. These </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">fantastical shapes</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> and </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">sinuous layers </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">were created 150 million years ago by enormous shifting sand dunes, then sculpted by both the uplifting and faulting of the entire region (which occurred in pulses from about 80 million years ago until about 35 million years ago) and by erosion, <a href="http://debrasnider.blogspot.com/2009/07/on-road-again-post-5.html">geology's most dogged player</a>. The park also features layers of limestone, shale and other gorgeous and geologically fascinating rocks, chipmunks as bold as game-show hosts, lizards, jackrabbits, coyote, birds, and the usual array of desert plants.<br /><br />It's amazing how distinct and colorful these plants now appear to us. When we first moved here, our eyes accustomed to the splashy colors of Midwestern foliage, all the desert flora looked similarly scrubby and more or less beige. Familiarity has transformed subtle beauty into vivid beauty, as splashy in its own way as the rich rainbow of humid climate colors or the gaudiness of the Strip. Here as elsewhere, I guess, perspective is everything.<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgljyLnfDg-QWcB39852ynaTTYIGHL8WI3acRs1GT6w5BUPdmzkdXvg_GsaSqfmllB1GVjioknLzvrLqhIBkVHWCsOzQgQlB4cHA3Hy12fH-ATntt-X59KZ4r0oVN4jgCTN0TSDXsVUnT6R/s1600-h/25.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgljyLnfDg-QWcB39852ynaTTYIGHL8WI3acRs1GT6w5BUPdmzkdXvg_GsaSqfmllB1GVjioknLzvrLqhIBkVHWCsOzQgQlB4cHA3Hy12fH-ATntt-X59KZ4r0oVN4jgCTN0TSDXsVUnT6R/s320/25.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397035763432813634" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib4lPPtFYv6WPvvvaEVxn6_gffLs-VMOztXqR8LvBHsyNdJkv_36d3gJogVfJEMf__dArIjTnr2uwbf_lMI84aU7ro0_RAUjz540rf3za4PAB0AMnI7t-ngpULxGK0SbI_hxI7pBJrMFA1/s1600-h/40.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; 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