Harry Liedstrand

Traditional Fiddle

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The “Big Drug” is Music

March 26, 2022 By Harry Liedstrand

I received a letter recently from my friend Jon Adams. I know Jon from Fresno California, Brightwood Oregon, and from our time spent together on the Portable Folk Festival in the summer of 1971. Jon is a great photographer, a creative and fun loving artist, and a fabulous musician.

Jon Adams performing at a folk festival in 1971

One of Jon’s major artistic endeavors is the art of letter writing. His letters are written in a unique script often accompamied by little sketches and drawings with humorous captions and stream of consciousness adlibs. His last two letters dated Jan. 27th and Feb. 24 were written in that same classic style, to wit:

Harry & Cindy! & Tribe!

The “Big Drug” is Music!

Legal, shareable, no permit required. Universal…

“A Little Dab’ll do Ya”!

A “throwback moment” at Caffe Lena, Saratoga Springs, New York. Portable Folk Festival, 1971. Photo by Jon Adams

Jon continues:

How can I keep from singing? *

Music is a Drug!

Snow fell here [Portland, OR] this a.m….at noon no sign!

Ukraine isn’t so lucky…

*”Our thoughts to them are winging”…

In each nation, a different name for the Creator! “Some Day”

Funny…”A” is 440 everywhere…Water is H2O…Salt is NaCL…

We’ve survived: Hulahoops, Slinky’s, Pogosticks, Etch-a-Sketchs, Legos, the 60’s, & Fresno…

Now this! A plague. Trump. WW3…& Doubt.

Alas, Play Music!!

Which is exactly what we did, the very next day, on February 25, for our happy local elementary school kids, super teachers, and amazing parents.

The tune is Trip to the Cottage.

If Music is, indeed, the “Big Drug,” then hopefully it might become the “Big Vaccine.” In which case sign me up for a BOOSTER SHOT right now! Or at least a “Booster Tune.”

Getting a letter from Jon has always been a happy, positive, enlightening experience that I look forward to. The letters don’t come often enough! Below is a scan of a letter received many years back but it contains many of the essential Jon Adams trademarks. It is dated Jan. 31st but seems to reference the yearly time of the Spring Equinox which we just passed through. Changing our clocks is now a subject for debate…or never changing them again…also hotly debated.

Letter from Jon Adams

This letter references the Portable Folk Festival Reunion Concert held at the Freight and Salvage Coffee House in Berkeley, California in the year 2000. It also refers to aspects of the Portable Folk Festival’s musical journey that would require a chapter or two to properly explain, such as the term “HOOPER” and the blowing of the “HORN.”

DANCE OF THE POCKET INSTRUMENTS by Jon Adams

“The Dance of the Pocket Instruments” is just one of Jon’s whimsical drawings. Indeed, in these times of challenge, instead of the “bad news” wouldn’t we all rather hear the call: “Let there be Dancing!“? I think so! Jon’s description of this dance is reproduced below.

DANCE OF THE POCKET INSTRUMENTS:

Do-si-do your corner and swing your own…

All-i-man left and around the hall…

Do ever’thing the caller call!

{All to the tune of Soldier’s Joy & Buffalo Gals)

As long as the band keeps playing, we gotta

dance by the light of the moon.

Buffalo Gals won’t you come out tonight?

Jon Adams, Ellen Tinkler, Cary Lung, and Ron Tinkler
At the Hooper train station. Portable Folk Festival, 1971. Photo by Jon Adams

And finally I’ll end with a short clip of a Scottish fiddle tune played by Harry and Cindy with Irene Herrmann.

Think Positive-Test Negative. Wear your mask when you need to…and try to practice…

complete, perfect, and unsurpassed optimism…everyday.

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ZariZar Fashion Show

January 29, 2022 By Harry Liedstrand

Back in mid December of 2021 I had the oppertunity to attend a runway fashion show à la European haute couture style. On display were the beautiful shawls made in Faisal Quraishi’s 125 year old acclaimed loom house in Aurangabad, India. Faisal’s great-grandfather arrived in Aurangabad 150 years ago and established a network of master weavers that has become renound and honored throughout India. ZariZar is the business name for Faisal’s handmade shawls as well as the outlet for the radiant minerals of Feroz Khan

ZariZar introduces it’s shawls through four collections: the Heritage, Taj Mahal, Golden Geometry, and Reflections Collections.

The wool yarn used is called “Fine Wool” and is a blend of New Zealand wool, Indian cashmere, and pure silk.

Some Fine Wool shawls include a thread called “Zari.” Zari is a very fine silk thread wrapped in gold. This thread creates subtle effects in the shawl. The gold reflects the light creating a fascinating sheen.

Here are some pictures of the shawls from my vantage point along the runway.

Rivendale in Ruby Red. From the Heritage Collection. 79″ x 27.5″ $650.

These shawls have names. Each shawl is exquisite and made by hand. This one is called Rivendale in Ruby Red. The border design is called Himroo and the subtle sheen is achieved with the use of Zari threads. The shawl is made of Fine Wool and is warm, comfortable, and reversible. Of course, it is beautiful on both sides.

Rehana From the Taj Mahal Collection. 84″ x 42″ 100% Fine Wool. $2000

ZariZar shawls from the Taj Mahal Collection are exquisite and expensive. The artistry and quality of the finished fabric is comparable to the highest quality fabrics in the West. When you consider that it takes two master weavers working together up to 8 weeks to create one of these large shawls you can see how work intensive they are. To put things into perspective, a family of 4 can live in Aurangabad for over two months on $2000. Buying one of these shawls not only supports these artisans, it also keeps an 800 year old tradition of craftsmanship alive and working.

Amara From the Taj Mahal Collection. 84″ x 42″ 100% Fine Wool. $2000

The shawls from the Taj Mahal Collection are the top of the line creations from ZariZar. Woven on a hand loom from Fine Wool, the designs for these shawls have been handed down through Faisal Quraishi’s family of weavers for generations. They are large, luxurious, one of a kind masterpieces of weaving. The tradition of craftsmanship upheld by Faisal and his weavers dates back to the fourteenth century.

Notice the small Haute Hijab Magnets used to hold the shawl in place during the walk down the runway. These powerful magnets offer a modern and stylish alternative to using a broach.

Pantheon in Pink From the Golden Geometry Collection. 70″ x 27.5″ Fine Wool and Zari. $290
Giza in Royal Amethyst From the Golden Geometry Collection. 79″ x 27.5″ $550

This design is inspired by the pyramids at Giza, Egypt. It is woven by hand with Fine Wool and is reversible. Needless to say, both sides are stunning. The pattern is called “Golden Zari.”

Silver Feathers on the border in fawn From the Reflections Collection.. 100% Fine Wool. $325

Men can also wear shawls. A shawl is not a poncho, or a scarf. How does a man wear a shawl? Just put on your regular pair of jeans and shirt and loosely drape the shawl over your shoulders and arms. The silver feathers and compelling color make this shawl look great.

Mastani From the Taj Mahal Collection. 84″ x 42″ 100% Fine Wool $2000
Deccan in Red From the Golden Geometry Collection
Cibola in black. From the Golden Geometry Collection. 79″ x 27.5″ $350

The Cibola comes in at least six colors: Fawn Gray, Ivory, Black, Evergreen, Cranberry, and Saffron. Made of Fine Wool, it has a border of Zari threads.

Silver Feathers on the border in green From the Reflections Collection. $325

Above is another method of arranging the shawl for a man. I like it. Wearing a shawl can be both comfortable and fashionable for men. You just have to be able to carry it. It helps to always remember: “Ki is extending.”

Here is another guy with a shawl. This picture is from the internet. Different shawl. Different model. Different style. A broach is used here to fasten the shawl. Quite different from the Haute Hajab Magnets used with the ZariZar shawls. Still, I like the manly look.

Amara From the Taj Mahal Collection.

Here, the Amara is worn by another model. This shawl takes eight weeks to craft, with two master weavers working together. Golden zari threads are woven into the delicate pattern. The reverse side reveals the sophisticated and intricate weave.

Golden Sizzle in fawn From the Reflections Collection. 79″ x 27.5″ 100% Fine Wool $325

The intriguing gold design of this shawl is heat stamped onto the fabric. Very attractive indeed.

Golden Feathers scattered in Amethyst From the Reflections Collection. 79″ x 27.5″ 100% Fine Wool $325
Deccan in Royal Amethyst From the Golden Geometry Collection. $650

The ZariZar website describes this shawl:

“Named for the Luminous Land — the area in India where it is loomed, our Deccan shawl is woven by hand with Fine Wool. The pattern is golden Zari. Reversible and beautiful on both sides.”

The Deccan in Almost Black From the Golden Geometry Collection. $650

The ZariZar website describes the Golden Geometry Collection this way:

“Gold wrapped silk thread, called Zari, is woven into Fine Wool to create radiant designs. This golden thread casts a luminous sheen with a lustrous feel.”

Truly amazing textiles woven into world class fabrics by skilled artisans working within a centuries old tradition of craftsmanship. 

Comoé From the Heritage Collection. 100% Fine Wool. $550

From the website <https://www.zarizar.com> “Relaxing on the Côte d’Ivoire or unwinding at home, the Comoé handwoven shawl with its beautiful heritage design will bring you comfort, beauty, and luxurious warmth.”

Again, Haute Hijab Magnets are used.

Gizza From the Golden Geometry Collection.

A lovely drape of the fabric creates a delightful impression. Zarizar helps you arrivie with the look of perfection.

Golden Feathers Scattered in Ivory From the Reflections Collection. 79″ x 27.5″ 100% Fine Wool $325

This exotic shawl is made with 100% Fine Wool. The Fine Wool blend of New Zealand wool, Indian cashmere, and pure silk then has the feathers heat stamped in gold upon the fabric.

The ZariZar website offers a truly international platform for the sale of these enchanting fabrics. The website is beautifully done with numerous pictures and videos of the articles available. If you are interested in having one of these magnificent shawls, or if you would just like to view them and learn more about these traditional fabrics and designs, you can visit the website here.

ZariZar.com offers not only the attractive shawls of Faisal Quraishi ‘s loom factory in Aurangabad, but also the wonderful crystals and sparkling geodes that have been collected from auspicious sites around the Deccan Plateau by Feroz Khan of Khuldabad. Faisal and Feroz market their products together as ZariZar.

Feroz introduces his minerals through three categories: Clusters, Plates, and Geodes. He refers to his sparkling minerals as “Light, frozen over time.”

Quartz Cluster $625
Apophyllite-Stilbite Plate $610
Stilbite in Matrix Geode $975

Faisal and Feroz were able to watch the exhibit of their products backstage from India, thanks to modern technology. As the fashion show concluded, they were introduced to the audience and joined us all via zoom links on iPads. They were up at something like 4 AM in India to participate and watch the show: Faisal from Aurangabad and Feroz from Khuldabad. After the presentation all of the shawls and crystals were available to view up close and purchase if desired. It was quite unexpected that Faisal and Feroz could mingle and talk with the crowd through the magic of Zoom technology and Apple iPad scientific know how.

Faisal Quraishi and Feroz Khan

The business and website collaboration between Faisal (shawls) and Feroz (crystals and minerals) is called ZariZar in honor of Zar Zarizar Bakhsh the fourteenth-century Perfect Master who lived in Khuldabad 700 years ago. Zar Zarizar Bakhsh was the master of Sai Baba of Shirdi (1838-1918). Just how a fourteenth-century Perfect Master could be the teacher of a 20th century Perfect Master seemed quite impossible to understand until the story was explained by Meher Baba:

Once on a visit to Ellora Caves, Meher Baba took his mandali (group) to a nearby small village named Khuldabad. Here on a hill stands the shrine of mystic Zar Zari Zar-Bakhsh, who lived there 700 years ago. Meher Baba asked his men to bow down and pay their respects at the shrine. Later Meher Baba told them that Zar Zari Zar-Bakhsh was a ‘ Perfect Master’ [qutb] and was the master of Sai Baba of Shirdi. Surprised at the revelation, one of the members of mandali asked Meher Baba, how this was possible when Sai Baba lived in our time and the Sufi master lived 700 years ago. Meher Baba then explained that Sai Baba had been a disciple of Zar Zari Zar-Bakhsh in a previous incarnation. During that time Sai Baba served his Master with Love and devotion and the master’s grace descended on him. This grace carried through Sai Baba’s subsequent incarnations until he became the ‘Perfect Master’ we now know as Sai Baba.

You can find more information here.

Cindy and I traveled to Khuldabad in 1987 and visited the Dargha of Zar Zarizar Bakhsh. At that time women were not allowed into the Dargha. We were, however, fortunate enough to climb the nearby hill (Hoda Hill) together to the cave where Sai Baba and Meher Baba both meditated in seclusion. We were able to sit quietly there for a few minutes.

11 years later, in 1998, we traveled with our whole family to India. While everyone else stateside was headed to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida during Christmas break we took our kids to Khuldabad.

ZariZar shawls on display for sale.

In 2002 we traveled to Arangabad and were able to visit the factory where Faisal and his master weavers make the shawls. I bought a unique blue shawl during that visit and since I wore it to the fashion show I was able to show it to Faisal and visit briefly with him on the iPad. Amazingly, he said he remembered the shawl I was wearing.

The runway for the ZariZar fashion show.

My blue shawl from Faisal’s factory in Arangabad purchased in 2002. Self portrait with Leica M10P Safari.

Perhaps, with a little luck and inspiration, there will be more stories of our adventures in India. Please keep in touch.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: harry liedstrand

Landscape Project

April 20, 2021 By Harry Liedstrand

Posted April 20, 2021

September 2020

Last September 2020, having just completed our garage remodel, we embarked upon our next big project: landscaping our yard. The first thing we needed to do was remove some trees. We worked with a certified arborist to determine the health of all our trees and decided to remove two very large Deodar Cedar trees from the front yard. Their Latin name is Cedrus deodara. The name Deodar derives from Sanskrit and translates as “timber of the gods.” The tree is native to the Himalayas, where it can grow as tall as 250 feet.

The medicinal properties of the tree are rather amazing. At the University of Redlands website (here) I found the following description:

“The wood, resin and bark have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-cancer properties. Heartwood has diaphoretic and diuretic properties. Wood has also been used to treat fever, hemorrhoids, pulmonary and urinary disorders, insomnia, rheumatism, and diabetes. Tree bark is used to treat fevers, diarrhea and dysentery. Needles can treat tuberculosis. Resins can be used to treat joint pains, skin conditions and bruises, while oils distilled from wood chips are used as antiseptic to remedy bronchitis, acne, tuberculosis, catarrh arthritis and as a diuretic. The oils also help to soothe coughs, fight viruses, promote restful sleep, open sinuses and alleviate ear congestion. These oils have also been used as an insecticide, herbicide, molluscicide, antifungal, and to scent soaps”.

After consulting with our arborist, we still decided to remove the tress since they were not in healthy shape.

As you can see, the main tree trunk branched off in many different directions. This compromised the health and stability of the large upper branches. We were advised to remove the trees before any more heavy branches fell.

For safety, many of the limbs had to be lowered by rope. This was complicated and difficult work. Here they are attaching a pully to the trunk of the tree to aid in lowering the heavy branches to the ground.

The chain saw operator was the worker who had to climb up into the tree. He used ropes to climb up and down and to lower branches. He definately had to know all his Boy Scout knots.

The saddle where the main trunk branched off was the weakest area of the tree. It was not stable or healthy in that section. Branches and limbs grew in every direction. He had to decide which ones should be cut and lowered first.

Here the team is lowering a small branch. Even the smaller branches are very heavy.

The chain saw operator frequently checked his ropes and knots. Some ropes kept him safely up in the tree while other ropes were attached to limbs that were lowered to the ground one at a time as he cut them.

Some pieces of the tree were very heavy and had to be lowered carefully. No one was hurt during the removal of these two trees. As parts of the tree came down they were fed into a huge chipper.

The size of the branches and trunk that the chipper would accept was amazing. Sometimes it took 3 strong workers to lift a section of the trunk and put it in the chipper. Once the piece of tree was properly placed the chipper would just pull it in and grind it up into mulch. It was a loud, noisy, and exhausting process.

The top of one of the trees comes down. Look out below!

Above, the chain saw operator is cutting through a section of the trunk. These sections were big and very heavy. Wood chips and sawdust flew everywhere as the chain saw cut through the main trunk.

These chaps really worked hard!

No branches left on this tree. Only the main trunk remained.

Counting the rings on the stump revealed that the trees were about 63 years old. Now the stumps had to be removed. Digging them out was not an option. Luckily, there was a machine that could help with this work.

This stump grinder chews up, grinds, and removes the stump and all the larger roots. Even the stump becomes wood chips and mulch.

The picture above shows what the chipper did to the trees and branches. This pile was from two truckloads of chips. Since there was no more room on our driveway, a third truckload of chipper material was hauled off to another location. We saved this huge pile to spread around our yard and garden. The pile was about 5 tons worth of chips and mulch. It smelled wonderful, but I certainly had my work cut out for me. This pile was spread throughout the garden one shovel full at a time with the aid of a wheelbarrow.

The pile went from a mountain to a molehill over the course of a couple of weeks. As the pile got smaller, so did my waist line! Finally, all the cedar chips were spread over our entire property. It smelled wonderful. It made me happy to think that the trees that we had enjoyed for 3 decades were still on our property, only in a different form.

We removed two large cedar trees and four small redwoods. That part of the project took two days. However, there was more work to come.

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Tall Buildings

February 21, 2021 By Harry Liedstrand

February 21, 2021

Earlier in February I went for a walk in San Francisco. I had been cooped up for so long at home, following the shelter in place guidelines for avoiding COVID 19, that I grabbed my face-mask and camera and drove to SF for a walk. This walk would be different from my walks around the neighborhood, or my wanderings in the local regional parks.

4 Embarcadero Center. 571 feet tall with 45 floors. Office building built in 1982. The 13th highest building in San Francisco.

I had recently purchased a new lens for my Leica camera and I wanted to try it out. It was a wide angle lens and I wondered how it would perform in the canyons and lanes of the San Francisco financial district. All of the photos in this post were taken with this new lens. The lens is a Leica Summicron-M 28mm f/2 ASPH Safari edition. That’s a mouthful of a name for a very fine camera lens.

It was a beautiful day with sunshine, blue skys, and white puffy clouds. It was February 3, only 24 hours after Groundhog Day, and it felt like spring was already in the air. Looking up I could see blue sky, but down at street level all was dim, shadows, and almost twilight. It was a day of contrasts; light and dark, sunshine and shade, brightness and shadow, color and black and white. I walked around for several hours, seeing almost no-one. Even though it was a Wednesday, only an occasional walker appeared. At times it felt like I had the whole city to myself.

50 California Street. 487 feet tall with 37 floors. Office building built in 1972.

Many of the skyscrapers have a stark, almost overwhelming beauty about them. One can feel the eminsity of their presence when looking up at them from the street level. The majesty and sheer weight of such a construction, framed against the blue sky, can make one feel small and insignificant in comparison. Looking down, I saw the patterns built into the sidewalks of the city. Beauty above and beauty below.

On this day the streets were empty and the curbside seating for restaurants and cafes looked strange when no one was around. A lonely picture. There was not much activity in the big city on this mid-week day.

Socially distanced seating waiting for some customers.

I’m not sure which I like best: color photos or balck and white? I’ve included some of both here. There is something about a black and white photo that almost captures the soul of the object in the picture, if skyscrapers even have a soul, that is.

In the background is the Sales Force Tower. At 1071 feet tall with 61 floors this office building is the tallest skyscraper in San Francisco and was built in 2018. It is the second-tallest building west of the Mississippi River, after the 1,100 foot tall Wilshire Grand Center in Los Angeles.

This black and white photo above shows the Sales Force Building, the tallest skyscraper in SF, in the background. Actually, the Sales Force Tower in San Francisco is taller than the Wilshire Grand of Los Angeles if decorative spires are excluded.

I love the reflection seen in this building. I think the building is called the Lumina ll. At 400 feet tall and 38 floors it is a residential condominium project built in 2015. It looks like it is made of glass, and ties with the skyscraper at 100 Van Ness Avenue for the honor of the 55th tallest building in San Francisco.

One California Street. 438 feet tall with 32 floors. Office building built in 1969. It is one of the earliest skyscrapers constructed in the city. It is the 31st-tallest building in SF.

A friend of mine who I meet with in the printmaking studio at Walnut Creek Civic Arts works for a Bay Area graphics design company. He worked on designing this address sculpture for the building at 1 California Street. When I see him in the printmaking open studio he is working on designs for block prints.

The large red letters in the sculpture are quite impressive. This is looking up at the skyscraper from the bottom of the sculpture.

Another black and white photo of reflections off a glass skyscraper. I wonder which you like best; the black and white photos or the color ones?

The Transamerica Pyramid building is located at 600 Montgomery Street. It is 853 feet tall with 48 floors. The office building was built in 1972.

Many of the buildings can reflect images in their windows. The futuristic Transamerica Pyramid building is seen reflected in the many windows of this glass and cement skyscraper in the Market Center complex. The famous Pyramid is the second-tallest skyscraper in the San Francisco skyline.

The Old Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco Building was the main headquarters of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco for nearly sixty years. Located at 400 Sansome Street construction was completed in 1924.

Above, light and shadow play on the beautiful columns of the Old Federal Reserve Bank. The building is now called the Bently Reserve.

A black and white photo of the Phelan Building. It’s triangular shape is reminiscent of the Flatiron Building in Manhattan, New York City. The City of San Francisco has proclaimed the building to be an historical Designated Landmark.

The Phelan Building at Market and O’Farrell Streets in the financial district of San Francisco is a unique landmark. It is an 11 story office building. It was built in 1908 on the site of the original Phelan Building that was damaged in the 1906 earthquake and fire.

Here is a self portrait taken with my Leica M10P through a storefront glass to a mirror.

This final picture is definitely better in color than black and white. I waited for awhile before taking the picture, but no-one walked by to be in the photo, so I just snapped the shot anyway. Coming across this graffiti lifted my spirits a bit. Love and beauty are where you find them.

Being in the stark cold canyons of the big city made me think of that wonderful song by John Hartford: In Tall Buildings. Click on the link below to watch and hear an exquisite musical performance of one of his greatest songs. The song is sad, indeed, but nevertheless a fitting end to my mind-boggling day in the canyons of San Francisco.

Sending Giftwaves…

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Garage Remodel

November 4, 2020 By Harry Liedstrand

November 4, 2020

For years we thought about remodeling our garage to make it a more useable space. We would dream of a printmaking studio, or a weaving studio, or a clean place to play and record music. When the pandemic hit and we were at home most of the time we decided to start work on our project in late May.

The doors we had were good, and even attractive, but they didn’t let in enough light. Our design had to include lots of light for artwork, music, and creative activities.

The doors came off and were replaced with heavy visqueen plastic sheeting for over 11 weeks. With delays at almost every turn the remodel took much longer than expected.

The old doors were folded, stacked, and organized with all the installation hardware put into boxes. We were able to sell them to an engineer who had a ranch in Morgan Hill. He planned to use them as doors on his barn.

Everything had to come out of the garage for the remodel. We rented a space at the local self storage and filled it up with the garage contents. Years of collecting and not processing our posessions meant that we moved out a lot of stuff into a 10 x 10 foot locker. We were hoping it would be a short lived rental.

We removed the old sheetrock from the walls facing the outside so we could install insulation. We want to be able to work in the space in the winter months as well as the summer months. Insulation will help during all seasons.

There was a lot of plumbing and electrical work that needed to be done before new sheetrock could go up. The pandemic slowed the permit process to a virtual standstill. In pre-pandemic times you would just walk in to the city or county offices to get a building permit. Now, however, everything had to be done online and it took forever. In addition, scheduling a rough inspection for the electrical work got bogged down and we waited even longer for that to clear. Once the inspection was passed the sheet rock went up.

In the meantime our washing machine and drier were wrapped in plastic and stored in the front yard for over a month. Getting our clothes cleaned with pandemic restrictions and guidelines was a challenge.

The garage cement floor had many cracks that needed to be vacuumed clean before repairs could be done. A high powered vacuum did the job.

Each crack was filled with an epoxy filler.

We wanted to get more light in the garage so, in addition to the new doors, we installed three rows of lights with 5 recessed lights in each row. This should give us plenty of light in the daytime and at night.

Finally, the sheetrock is up. The garage cement floor is cleaned, repaired, and ready to finish. A clear coat of epoxy floor coating is spread on the floor. Then confetti-like paint flakes are spread all over. They stick to the epoxy. When the epoxy dries, the flakes are scrapped off and vacuumed up. Then another clear coat of epoxy is applied.

We picked a speckled color of gray, white, and black flakes that gave the floor a gray finish that blended well with the gray cabinets that were installed next. With the floor finished the washer and dryer can return to the garage.

The electrical switches and outlets are installed. The cabinets are hung.

The job is starting to look good.

The garage door frames are made out of heavy duty aluminum for high strength. The panels have laminated glass that is obscure, letting in lots of light without being able to see through the glass. As a contemporary modern classic they are really beautiful doors.

You can see how much light the laminated glass doors let in.

Looking East.
Looking West.

It is finished. The first party includes a toast to the new light-filled space.

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Summer/Winter Solstice 2019

July 6, 2020 By Harry Liedstrand

July 6, 2020

We had a three week adventure planned for mid June of this year, 2020, that included travels in Germany, Austria, northern Italy, and Switzerland. We were going to stay through the summer solstice and return around the 4th of July. Needless to say the trip was cancelled due to the Corona virus pandemic. Instead, we spent this year’s summer solstice hiking the Bear Creek Trail in Briones Regional Park (see previous post below). Since the solstices are important “holidays” for us I thought it would be fun to revisit what we did on the summer solstice last year, in 2019.

On June 19, 2019 we arrived in Lima Peru around midnight. We had flown from San Francisco to Atlanta to Lima to begin our adventure of chasing the total solar eclipse of 2019. We had a day to walk around Lima before heading south to Paracas Bay on the solstice, June 21, 2019.

It was a rainy day in Lima on June 20, 2019

It is the dead of winter in Peru in June. In fact, June 21 is the winter solstice in South America. It was strange to pack our winter expedition gear in sunny California just before our summer solstice knowing we would soon experience the winter solstice in Peru and Chile.

The City Hall of Miraflores, Lima, Peru
I took spme pictures of the street art around the Central Park of Miraflores.
Colorful murals.
Advertising tacos and burritos.
Soccer is very popular in South America. Everybody loves their country’s team when it comes to the World Cup Championships.
We searched for a restaurant to sample the delicious ethnic cusine of Peru.
We rested at the El Pardo Double Tree by Hilton Hotels, Lima, Peru.

Travel Quest Tours International organizes total solar eclipse expeditions and astronony adventures. We joined the southbound eclipse group and were looking forward to experiencing totality on July 2 in Chile. The expedition was highly organized. The eclipse team included a trip manager, 3 trip leaders, a trip astronomer, an eclipse astronomer, an eclipse meteorologist, and a physician. We felt like we were ready for just about anything the cosmos might throw at us.

Total Solar Eclipse–August 21, 2017 viewed from Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Rob Hawley is an astrophotographer, and Cesar is one of our trip leaders.

Rob Hawley, a fellow eclipse chaser, is a serious amature astronomer and astrophotographer. You can find out more about him by visiting his website here. Cesar Higueras is one of our trip leaders. You can find out more about Travel Quest International and their eclipse tours here.

Cody Carter is TQ’s head of Client Relations and one of our favorite trip leaders.

The next day, June 21, was the winter solstice — aka our summer solstice back in California. We boarded a bus and headed south, out of Lima, towards Paracas Bay. It was a long bus ride, but before going to our hotel there we all took a dune buggy ride in a caravan to watch the sunset. We watched the closing of the shortest day of the year in Peru as the sun set over the sand dunes of Paracas National Reserve. It is very dry in this area of Peru and it rarely rains. Travel Quest set up an oasis with refreshments for us in the heart of this desert.

Sand dunes in Paracas National Reserve

We climbed into our dune buggy for and exciting ride. On the top of the last dune overlooking the tents of the oasis our dune buggy threw a rod and the engine stopped dead. You can hear the engine start to sound a little funny in the video. We only had a short walk down the dune to rejoin our companions.

Our dune buggy ride.
Our driver tries to asses the engine damage…but this dune buggy is out of commission for the rest of the day, or until it gets a rebuilt engine!

We have afternoon snacks and a Peruvian drink called Pisco Sour in our desert camp. Some travelers try “dune boarding” down the steep sand dunes on snowboards. It’s a lot of fun.

Everybody relaxes from the long bus ride and enjoys watching the sunset.

Yippie!
Let’s take a solstice picture. Smile!

We hitch a ride back to the waiting bus on another dune buggy. It has been a long and exciting day. But, in fact, it has been the shortest day of the year in Peru. It has been a happy winter/summer solstice for us.

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Summer Walks 2020

July 1, 2020 By Harry Liedstrand

The San Francisco Bay Area is home to over 7 million people in the 9 counties surrounding the bay. This area includes the Wine Country in the north, Silicon Valley in the south, the shores of the Pacific Ocean in the west, and the edge of the Central Valley in the east. In the little village of Lafayette where we live we are fortunate to have open spaces all around us. Briones Regional Park and Las Trampas Regional Park offer sunshine, fresh air, and exercise on hiking trails just a short distance from home.

Golden California hills in Briones Regional Park

Seeking health and wisdom we try to do what it takes to have an hour each day outdoors in the Natural World. Being outside, especially in uncrowded open spaces, bathes us in sunshine and fresh air. I know that the vitamin D from the sun is different from the vitamin D in the gel capsule supplement I take every day. Exercise oxygenates our blood and we breath deep, full breaths. The ridgetop provides perspective on our place in the immense network of interrelationships.

Lafayette Ridge Trail

On the Summer Solstice we took a hike on the Bear Creek Trail that circles round the Briones Reservoir. It is an East Bay Municipal Utilities District trail, and since a permit is required it is less traveled than other trails.

A Dandelion Flower hidden among ferns. I almost expect to see a flower fairy!
Briones Reservoir

The wonders of trees and grasses, streams, rivers and lakes, sun, clouds, fresh air and birds, ocean waves and wind, remind us of our connection to nature, the earth, and to each other.

Over the hill and through the woods
June was hotter than usual and the thistles are drying out.

Of course, walks around our neighborhood are also beautiful and colorful.

The children’s sidewalk art always has something good to say.

Creative decorations beautify our surroundings and energize our environment. We have so much to be thankful for.

The Truth is not complicated, it’s simple.
I am grateful for the reminders.
Ah, “excuse me while I kiss the sky”…

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Christmas Baking in April

April 25, 2020 By Harry Liedstrand

April 25, 2020

We usually make granola around Christmas time. We give it away as presents to our friends and family. We also enjoy it ourselves for breakfast, and we love the way the house smells while we’re baking. Last Christmas we bought all the ingredients for a double batch but didn’t make it. Cindy had just had thumb surgery and was in a cast and we just didn’t get around to baking. With all the extra time spent at home lately we decided to bake our Christmas granola last week.

The receipe goes back to my college years when I lived in Fresno. We ate a lot of granola in those days. I worked on trail crews for the U.S. Forest Service in the summer time. Granola came in handy while in the backcountry for 10 day tours. The local cowboys, Sierra Nevada horsemen, and USFS mule packers called our granola “horse food.”

All the grains, seeds, and nuts get mixed together with oil and water. You can use almonds or walnuts to make it, depending on your taste. Honey is lightly drizzeled on top and mixed in.

Then into a 325° oven. After 10 minutes the pans come out and the process is repeated. Drizzel with honey, mix and stir, then back into the oven for another 10 minutes.

As the granola starts to brown nicely the house starts to smell amazing.

Be careful not to use too much honey. The granola won’t burn if you mix it every 10 minutes and keep the oven low at 325°.

Umm. Smells good. The total cooking time is about 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes depending on your oven and how crunchy you like your granola.

Once the granola cools, raisins and/or coconut can be added and mixed in.

We like to put the finished granola into quart sized Mason or Ball jars.

This time we get 5 quarts and two freezer bags full of granola. It almost feels like Christmas in April!

Everything gets put away and the kitchen is all cleaned up again.

Stay healthy, happy, and positive. [I know that “positive” can have a negative connotation these days, what with the virus circulating around. Of course I mean stay positive in spirit!]

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Listen to this!

Schoolhouse Reels
https://harryliedstrand.com/wp-content/uploads/TheSchoolhouseReels.mp3
From Dos Valley Trio's 2017 recording Jewels of the San Joaquin: Harry Liedstrand on fiddle, Cindy Liedstrand on guitar, Terry Barrett on mandolin

Fire In the Mountain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Orx6wempwx4

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