The worry lines

You could see the wide smile a mile away as cheering from a super-excited audience drowned the repetitive "thank you". Sometimes, you were reminded of legends such as Gandhi, Mandela and Martin Luther King who energized people with their sheer presence. The flags, the banners, the posters and the youthful crowd warmed the cockles of the heart - for there was hope and there was a groundswell of support for change.

Today, a few days after the number game has been put to rest and the competition vanquished, we also see the worry lines crease the brow. Responsibility lays a heavy hand on even broad shoulders. This one is yet green and uninitiated. And hopefully, in not too distant future, the head will wear the crown lightly and with humility and wisdom. Until then, I hold my breath and wait to exhale.

The subject of my thoughts is conspicuously inconspicuous but, hey, this is a name all of you see, hear and talk about these days.

PS: My loyalties were with the competition but I take this loss lightly because we aren't getting a raw deal and the real "enemy" waits to be tackled !

Summer da jawab nahin !

Its summer when you have daylight streaming in at 5:30 AM and the birds are busy at the feeder before your morning cup of tea is ready. Its summer when you drive up to the farmers market to take in the sights and smells of flowers and fruits, vegetables and freshly baked bread. Its summer when bing cherries flaunt their luscious red and green beans cant hold back their freshness. Its summer when you can walk around the yard with minimal clothing as you would dare to. Its summer when the wooded trail is swathed with wild flowers. Its summer when the kids are out on their colourful bicycles and their parents sheperd them on the wooded trails. Its summer when the evening sun sinks to vibrant hues behind a green cover that is so soothing to the computer-fatigued eye. Its summer when garage sales abound and tiny tots sell their lemonade. Its summer when you see a 90-something couple prefering to walk across the street hand in hand to lounging in deck chairs. Its summer when the young and hip drive around in their convertibles with itsy-bitsy pieces of clothing and flashy eyewear. Its summer when the gas stations keep the price ticker going up all the time. Its summer when the outdoors are bustling with life - fishing, running, walking, dog-walking, biking or doing anything to keep from going in and losing contact with precious sunlight.

Its summer *because* this season is a good lesson in life on how to stay grounded in the here and now without fretting about the past and worrying about the future. A potent lesson indeed.

Bird sightings

On Sunday 11th May at Whitewater state park :

The common grackle
American Goldfinch
Oriole
Ruby-throated hummingbird
Red-necked Grosbeak
Tree swallow ( a spring swallow has a blue head and back and a white belly. In summer the head and back turn brown !)
Black header Chickadee
Swift
Red-headed woodpecker
Pileated woodpecker
Common crow

All this without binoculars. Which led me to believe that with a pair of binoculars it must be paradise out there !

Virtual travels Eastward

Yesterday was the annual fund raiser at the local public library here. It was titled "Wine, wit and wisdom". Before I step in to the details, I do wish to say how wonderful the public library system in the USA is. A few cents from each dollar paid by taxpayers goes towards the upkeep and each county has its own elected body to run the network of libraries. The Rochester Public Library (http://www.rochesterpubliclibrary.org/) is well stocked and a very pleasant place to spend an evening browsing for books, music, movies or simply curling up with a book and a cup of hot chocolate. It has a elected body but the worker bees are mainly volunteers who are passionately devoted to their jobs.

The fund raiser saw over 250 people and the President told us that this was a record ever. There were all sorts in the crowd - they young, the old, the single and the groups all dressed in their party wear. Wine and a few short-eats were on the house (sponsored by a local restaurant). The entry fee was $50 per ticket. Each person could choose 2 classes or presentations to attend. I chose "Hope for Sudan : ..." and "Meats and cheeses of Spain".

Dr. Celestin Musekura is a doctor in theosophy and spends his life trying to rehabilitate young lives in the poverty stricken, strife-torn Sudan. Sudan got independence from the British in 1956 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudan) but as is their wont, they left the country fragmented by religion and race. The killings have never stopped. Some of the pictures Dr.Musekara presented were gruesome and revolting. But there were also those of hope. Girl children in uniforms, women in classrooms learning to read and write, children drinking from borewells with fresh, clear water are all signs of revival. But how long should a Nation suffer before it gets back on its feet ? Does Bob Dylan know ?

My next event was delightful to the senses palate inclusive. Chef Schoville could be mistaken for a college student - feeding others keeps aging at bay I suppose ! We were introduced to 4 cheeses of Spain including Mahon a sharp cheese with the flavour of olives and Cabrelas a strong, blue cheese made out of both cow's and goat's milk. I skipped the red meat but got to taste some wonderful black and green olives with sea-salt and fresh bread. It made a fine meal. I also tasted membrilo (pronounced mem-bri-o) a spread made of a fruit called quince (it resembles a berica - a cross between a pear and an apple). The Spanish it seems are a fun-loving people who like to think of the French as the country cousins when it comes to cheese !:)

My take-away from the evening was how small events could be big eye-openers for the willing. Rochester grows on me steadily this winter....

Des mein nikla hoga chaand

Sep 8 - 21st

A two week whirlwind trip to India helped heal the psyche a little bit. It also brought out parts of me that were buried under the Rochester snow.

My niece, Nivedita, has grown up nicely and is a year old now. Thankfully she has a very loving mother in Surekha now. I enjoyed her antics, her wide welcoming smile, her display of affection and her various other moods. Day 1 I saw her standing outside her cradle and rocking it - an enduring image.

Amma is her usual nervous, worrying, caring and loving self. She has been this way since I know her (and that is from a few decades ago ?;) except that in her prime she had the energy to overcome the worries. Now they rack her frail body and threaten to overpower her other facets. She enjoys having her granddaughter around and the feeling evidently, is mutual. She misses her late daughter (as I do my sister - oh, its difficult to describe how much). "A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance" ( Pete Seeger's 1950s number with lyrics from the Bible ).

I got to spend time with S'mai without the link being with us (read significant other). She leads a full life and has a lot of good friends and well-wishers. V'pacchi and she together pack a punch that puts all of us "high energy" folks to shame. We had a good time shopping and also visiting several Ganapathi's. PS: Food in festive times in India is a feast. Ergo gluttony. :)

My brother and V are a good team, each of them individualistic in their goals but collective in the execution of them ! Got to see watch their daily routine. They are hard-working, sincere, honest and high integrity people with a terrific positive attitude towards life - great examples to follow. G3, my darling niece, is a great kid and very affectionate, shy girl in her early teens. She is forever busy and happy excelling in her academics ! She devours books, watches Indian Idol and likes her school uniform perfectly ironed :)

Met J and had very little time to catch up on related world affairs and our own lives. Does growing older mean making fewer friends ? Jim continues to be his own enthusiastic self tempered by events in his life. A touch sober but bhalo. I did not get to meet any other friends at work but had a hearty conversation with Abhishek. I miss his wit and humour and the technical insights he was an endless source of. Microsoft has a great asset in him.

Everybody else - friends and relatives - were living lives. As this brilliant bumper sticker said "I'd rather be".

Work, traffic and commute to the Hosur road office form the background of this trip. Rains gave it the added splash of colour. And the endless visits to put my finances in order added the noise.

On that note I mark this post closed. Asta la vista.

Services that Indians could do with

In my virtual travels over the internet, I came across this amusing yet thought-provoking web-site : www.qms-dc.com/linestanding.html. In the USA, there is usually a fair amount of people wanting to be present when the legislature meets to discuss an important bill. And presto, there is a service that helps these people cushion the discomfort of waiting in line for a price. I thought this concept of line standing services was outstanding and simple. So I visited the site and found out how complex it could get. Take a peek and let me know if you disagree ! That however is the aside.

In 1996, when I had to visit the USA from India, I was given a visa in-person appointment at the Chennai consulate. And my employer, had also very thoughtfully provided a line-stander. So this "nameless" person made a few rupees waiting in line outside the fortressed building until I got there and took over. So the service does exist in India but has it got its due ?

So here are my suggestions :

- Allow these services to be professionalised and for a start give them a 10-year tax holiday. That will encourage people to join the "industry". See ma, no taxes !
- Instruct all offices that have and may need linestanding to have markers (straight lines of course) outside to help facilitate these services. So everybody falls in line.
- Mandate free advertising space : all RTO, Passport offices, Registar offices and others to have billboards for linestanding services - "Deliniate your effeciency. Outsource linestanding" or "IN LINE ? STAND OUT WITH BEE-LINE SERVICES" looks rather catchy.
- As a perk, allow all the workers in the industry to break queues at temples such as Tirupati when they are on personal trips. How would you know - they wont be wearing badges that say "STANDING FOR YOU". No average human being will grudge the linestander his perk. And as Milton said, "They also serve who only stand and wait".
- Allow them to form a Union and request them to help formulate the laws and regulations. For instance, weekend standing should four times as expensive. Afterall the price of free-time is more than that of working hours, right ?;)

So where would this industry's revenue come from ?
- Temples : Tirupati looks like a treasure trove but the work conditions are harsh too.
- All ticket reservation counters - buses, trains,..
- All Govt offices (remember Jug Suraiya say that the line for the Delhi employment agency ends in Shimla ?)
- Ration shops
- MTR (for non-Bangaloreans : this is the famous Mavalli Tiffin Rooms where you sometimes have 24 hr wait time :)
- Cinema theatres and more..

With the world being flat (that really helps linestanders else the curvature of the earth might not keep them steady on their feet), the next time you see Mr.S.Santhanagopalan (purely fictitious character) outside Capitol Hill, Washington DC waiting patiently with the badge of honour, do a jig because linestanding would have come full circle.

Westwards heeding..

You know you are on vacation when the 5:00 AM wake-up alarm is not greeted with scorn. Our eight day trip to the west dawned bright on 21st Apr 2007.

What is "home" ? To many million immigrants such as us, this word evokes different responses. For our Nigerian-born cab driver, “home” was Nigeria and Minneapolis a place for his vocation. He sees this country as a dangerous place to raise kids and railed against school children having easy access to arms. (The Virginia Tech incident is still fresh in everybody’s mind here in the US where 31 people were gunned down by a student on Apr 16th. The whole country is mourning this senseless act.). His thoughts might surprise those who consider the African continent to be politically fragile and a land of violence. The "land of milk and honey" is no hive but just another flower to this bee !

21st Apr 2007
The flight into Los Angeles, CA was picturesque and we got in at 3 PM. After several faux transactions at Hertz Car rentals (which included a bright blue two-door Ford Mustang and a Chevy HHR), we managed to get a Hyundai Santa Fe 4WD and drove to Pasedena, 40 miles away from the airport to meet P Mallya (Y’s cousin) and family. The Mallyas are wonderful hosts and genuinely warm people. They live in paradise – beautiful garden with roses as large as peonies, hummingbirds at the kitchen window, parakeets in the trees and the Santa Madre hills in the background. Y and S’mai had a good time catching up on news with P and Lyn while I retired early to recover from the jet lag !;)

22nd Apr 2007
We left for Universal Studios, Hollywood City rather early that morning. Universal is an entertainment park-cum-film studio. We avoided the rides like plague and took to the shows like there was no tomorrow. The special effect show was entertaining and educative. After a special photo-op with Shrek, we also got to see a 3D show of this adorable gnome. It was past 5:00PM while we drove out to Bakersfield, CA, our halt for the night. The I-5 route runs through hills and valleys and presents a very pretty picture for passengers while the driver has to watch out for large runaway trucks that struggle with their controls on steep slopes. In Bakersfield, G guided us over the phone to an Indian restaurant for dinner (predictably named Taj India).

23rd Apr 2007
Next stop Sequoia National Park(SNP). The drive to Sequoia from Bakersfield was very refreshing. With songs from the Raj Kapoor era playing in the car, we drove down roads lined with orange orchards. The trees were laden with fruit and the ground around them strewn with fallen oranges. Orange trees are squat and dense and as S'mai so well described it , were “like girls who sat with their petticoats around them (gavana ghalnu basle manke – the Konkani version)”.

SNP and Sequoia National Forest are adjacent green lands but are administered by different govt. departments. The visitor’s lodge at SNP is at 4200ft. We drove up to see the giant red oak trees and General Sherman (who stands at 240 ft at an altitude of 6000ft) in particular. But zero visibility, fresh snow and the narrow winding road deterred our attempt and we had to turn back without as much as a sight of those magnificent oaks. All of us were disappointed - cest la vie.

We drove on to Kingman, AZ in what could be the most grueling part of the vacation. I took the wheel for 2 hours and Y did a marathon 7 hours to cover the 560 odd mile stretch. We got to our hotel at midnight and sensibly just went to bed!

24th Apr 2007
Kingman is a small town of ~40,000 people. Tall cactuses (that cowboy movies sport) are a common sight and as we drove out of town we were rather charmed by the landscape. We were also excited by our next destination – Grand Canyon. Tusayan, on the southern rim of the Canyon is 60 mi east of Kingman and we got there at noon. My perception of the Grand Canyon was that it was a good tourist spot with all the elements of a good trekking spot. Nothing that we had heard, read or seen prepared us for the magnificent grandeur of the Canyon. The Colorado river runs through the deep gorge that is 8500 ft deep and 10 miles wide. The wide open skies and the Ponderosa pine forests, the soaring birds and the giant squirrels were all a compliment to the stunning beauty of the canyon. Each view was breathtaking. The rocks are stratified and colored based on their mineral content and sunlight highlighted the layout differently by the minute.

Geologists date the bottom layer to be over 15,000 million years old. The top layer is relatively young at 270 million years ! It is mind-boggling that life could have existed on this planet that far back. It is equally fascinating to see how Man has tried to unravel the secrets of the past – it has been a slow process nonetheless a tribute to the intellect of the homo sapiens.

We watched the sunset that evening with happiness in our hearts marvelling at this extraordinary natural formation. Later, the mountain lion was so well profiled by a park ranger that evening that all of us made our way cautiously to the car park hoping not to meet the big cat. We also attended the birding program, the geology talk and the ecology talk by park rangers. We sighted the California Condor, a magnificent bird with a wingspan of around 9 feet.

Park rangers work round the clock to help preserve the habitat, educate visitors and tackle growing ecological problems in the Canyon. Rangers are tenured govt. employees and that makes their job coveted enough to be keenly contested. It is an interesting phenomenon to see how a strenuous job profile such as this is packaged into an attractive career. The passion to live and work in the wild is, however, only something specific individuals can bring to the table (errr..forest).

25th April 2007
We slept past sun rise and had a rather lazy morning strolling from point to point within the canyon until noon. Tusayan has a fleet of helicopters operated by small organisations and we did feel like Mavericks when we boarded one for a 45 min ride over the Canyon. Those who know of the Indian epic Ramayana and how the earth parted below Sita to engulf her will appreciate what it means for the earth to bottom out from under your feet. Our pilot took off over green wooded terrain and 15 min later we were over the edge of the canyon and then, in an instant, there was only the yawning gap of the canyon and no ground beneath us. While we caught our breath and overcame the panic, the sights around us of the many peaks and plateaus, the hues, the river and panoramic view of the landscape stunned us into silence. The north rim of the Canyon is fairly less visited and more pristine from the lack of man-made structures. Our pilot pointed out the fault line that ran through the Canyon (like a crease on a wrinkled shirt), the confluence of the Colorado river and the Little Colarado river (that was a cobalt blue) and many of the rock formations some named after Hindu gods (Vishnu schist, Brahma, Krishna schist..).

In the evening we took a 7-mile ride on the shuttle bus to Hopi (named after a Native American tribe) point and back.

26th April 2007
We got to sunrise point by 5:30 AM but there was a lot of cloud cover and the sun barely managed to peek out.

It was time to pack and leave. This was getting to be a routine – arrive, lodge, unpack, pack, drive, arrive, lodge, unpack. There was much left to be done. We told ourselves that we should do the 7 mile trek down the gorge next time or event attempt the mule ride. That we also should visit the West Rim where the glass lookout beckons. Or simply trek 12 miles along the Southern rim. There is also a bird census in summer that is open to public. The Canyon offers countless opportunities to study the Earth and its ways !

We drove 27 mi to the East rim Desert View. The watch tower offers great views of the Canyon and the gift shop is very well stocked. We returned to our car feeling a lot lighter financially !

20 min into our drive we were into the arid regions of Arizona. Barren land and McAdamised highways. It was a stark contrast from the canyon. We drove on to Hoover dam, which is marketed as a symbol of man’s power to positively exploit natural resources for social betterment. It was surprising to know that the gates of the dam are held in place by the force of the water. While the sound and light show told us all that we should marvel about the dam, my thoughts were about the plant and animal life that we may have conciously altered in the quest for happier, trouble-free living.

We drove on to Las Vegas a little before sunset. The MGM Grand parking lot is attached to the hotel but a good mile away. Each hotel in Vegas is a city by itself complete with shops, food, entertainment and of course, the casinos. The streets are always busy during the day and super busy at night. People seem “uplifted” from the worries of daily life and there is a gay abandon in their behaviour. Margaritas by the yard, Eiffel tower all of 690 ft, shark and lion shows make it a very exotic place for tourists. Gandhi India served us good dinner that night.

27th April 2007
We toured Las Vegas Boulevard first, stopping at the Paris hotel, taking the ride up Eiffel tower, dropping in to Luxor Hotel, walking in the scorching sun down the street and taking the shuttle ride along the entire boulevard. The icing on the cake was the spectacular performance at the Cirque du soleil show “Ka”. Some incredible acrobatic feats, unique moving sets, great costumes and packed crowd made it a memorable night.

28th April 2007
Star Bucks is a star brand beyond doubt. Their cafes are well laid out, the staff professional and coffees consistently good. Las Vegas has numerous of these cafes and after a breakfast of muffins and coffee, we left for the airport to catch our return flight to Minneapolis. Las Vegas, asta la vista.

We had covered over 4600 miles in eight days using different modes of transport. We had hopefully also covered atleast a few more in our personal journey towards a more humble life.

Journey through winter or rather winter's journey !

There have been no long distance journeys in the near past if I exclude the trip I made to India. Trips to India, since I came to the USA, can be at best termed chaotic. The intent is to meet and spend time with family back there but ambition usually gets the better of me (and my spouse) and we spend a lot of time travelling by all modes of transport. On this note, I suspect that I should not narrate the tiring time we had there.

Winter is a great time to hibernate. This winter has been spectacular from within the glass windows of a warm house. Temperatures have been abnormally low for Al Gore's warming globe. We had 10 days of under-zero (Farenheit) temperatures where even a walk from the car-park to the grocery store was more than a journey. Fortunately, most of us kept warm and away from the cold. And then we had two days of glorious, warm weather in the 30s before we got battered by a snow storm that left our porch white, windows frosted and the newspaper box buried. And when it did let up, we are on the verge of another one tonight where it will be sleet, ice and snow. Wintry mix is what it is called to make it sound alluring.

Welcome to Minnesota, the land that the Indians lived and flourished without overreacting to the extreme conditions. This Indian however told herself that the best way to befriend the cold is to face it. So, on that occassional walk outside for a block, I go without my gloves all the while feeling heroic and numb with cold. I also read that the top of the head radiates the most heat and to keep it covered will help prevent that loss. So, sometimes I go without a head cover too and my ears get brittle like peanut chikki !


10 days from now we will be wallowing in the 40s with our sweaters off and in our T-shirts. But the journey from now to then will be a time to record and reflect upon. One frequently heard phrase at home is : "Cold builds character". That one comes from Y who likes to believe that torture is the best form of acclimatisation. He also believes that I need to build a lot of character !!

This one is from within the family.

Madison, WI - America's Dairy heartland

Madison, WI is a good 200 miles from Rochester and the drive was accomplished in over 4 hours after brief stops for dinner and fuel. Why did we choose Madison for our short vacation ? Well, frankly, it didnt involve too much driving. And unlike tourist destinations, we didnt have monuments or museums to dictate our schedule. But perhaps what really mattered was it being a University town. University towns are vibrant, energetic and inspiring. A good way to recharge one's batteries.

We stayed at the Country Inn Suites, a 2 1/2 star - the room was clean and well furnished and the staff courteous ( will recommend ? yes.).

On Sat morn we set out to State Street in the heart of Madison but got diverted by the farmer's market that was on. Much like the Indian "santhe" or "bazaar", farmer's markets are huge draw with the local folk. The mood is really festive and the compulsive shoppers are happy ! We succumbed into buying cheese, fresh basil, giant aubergines (that Y loves to hate) and some freshly made salsa.

Next stop was the Museum of history, Wisconsin. One section of the exhibits trace the migration of the Native Indians and their history. It was interesting to note that the front desk was manned by a potential student of archaeology and she was earning her way into college. It is commendable that the University system in the USA emphasises original work and contribution along with financial sufficiency. Both of these are super catalysts to academic progress.

Madison is proud to be the pioneer of Dairy farming in the country and the University has its own dairy and outlet as continuing research. They take their cows quite seriously and the whole city has plasticine models of cows decorated by local artists. This one, dressed as Uncle Sam, caught my eye.

State street offers a variety of cuisines and we lunched at a Greek restaurant. Post the meal, we walked around the University campus a bit before we headed out to Mount Horeb, 14 miles from downtown Madison.















The singular attraction in that city of 5000 people is a Mustard Museum that has over 20,000 different types of mustard ( a sauce made primarily of mustard and flavoured differently acc. to taste). It was interesting to see how important mustard was to the British - endorsed by no less than W.C.Grace.


But wait, I must not forget to mention the Trolls that dot the main street in Mt. Horeb. Those are definite tourist attractions too. See this picture of the troll trio :).

A few miles further is the Cave of the Mounds. We took a tour and were led through over a mile of stalactites and stalacmites. Here is one way to remember which one grows in which direction ( courtesy the tour guide). A stalactite stays tight on the ceiling and stalac"mite" get there one day ! Ha ha.. Interestingly, the caves are a constant 50F ( around 10C) round the year.

After an excellent meal of tofu kababs at a Nepali place downtown and a short walk downtown, we called it a day.

Sunday dawned bright and very pleasant. We walked along the Lake Monona and had a good look at the University campus spread along its shores. UofM has a pride of place being ranked 13th in the country. Har Gobind Khurana, our desi Nobel laureate, was an alumni of this institution.

We left Madison at 11:30 AM and headed towards Baraboo, WI where the International Crane Foundation allows visitors to get familiar with these large, loud, ungainly but extremely lovable birds. It was the most rewarding stop for me. The ICF continues to be a breeding and rehabilitation site for many endangered cranes including the Whooping Cranes. I was surprised to learn that cranes are closer to coots than to egrets. Looks can be deceptive indeed !
The tall single bird is the Indian Sarus crane, the largest of the species. This one, Majnu, is 44 years old and continues to helps its communal cause by breeding ! Its latest mate is called Chandini. Laila is a "used to be"..

We had an uneventful journey back. But as a friend said, driving into the garage from a vacation always rudely shocks one into reality !

The Meandering Mississippi

6th May 2006

The "great river" of the native Indians winds its way through the mid-west and is the geographical boundary for many a state in this region of the United States. Over the ages it has helped nurture life, been a conduit for trade and a haven for wildlife.

In my younger days, the river was a nightmare for all of us students alike, with its repeating "s"s and "p"s. Now, under no grim compulsion to spell it right, the river seemed a lot friendlier as Y and I drove by it on a warm Saturday morning. Winona, a week ago had given us a birds-eye view of the river. This morning, we were cruising alongside it.

From Rochester we worked our way Northeast towards Red Wing. Enroute, Bushel & Peck beckoned us with its signboard for fresh orchard apples. Though they had run out of apples, but we got to meet a friendly dog and window-shop a variety of fruit and vegetable preserves and sauces. Some persuasive marketing by the owner had us buying morels. This is morel season and hunting for them is a past time and often a prelude to a fine meal for most farmers.

Red Wing is a small town 45 miles from Rochester. It is proud to be one of the habitats of the American Bald Eagle that was successfully saved from extinction and is now a strong symbol of conservation. Barn Bluff at over 350 ft is the highest point in Red Wing. The trails to the top are walled by rock and we met a few climbing enthusiasts straining their sinews. The west scenic viewpoint overlooks the town of Red Wing and also the bridge across the river into Wisconsin. At the top, we were caught unawares by the sweet smell of corn syrup wafting into the air from a processing unit below.

Crossing over into Wisconsin we drove south along The Great River Road along the M, stopping at historic markers at Bay City, Maiden Rock, Stockholm and Pepin (see this). Each of these markers tells a story. The Maiden Rock marker, for instance, recounts the legend of an Indian girl who jumped to her death to avoid being forced into marriage (ah ! this is a recurring theme). At one such marker, Y and I met a couple of bikers and got to exchange a few words. Biking is a very popular hobby during the spring, summer and fall and couples often travel in several pairs. The sight of gleaming machines zipping across the road at 70 mph is an awesome sight.

All along, we got glimpses of Lake Pepin which is the largest body of water that lies alongside the M and drains into it. At Pepin, we pulled over for lunch at the Pickle Factory, a quaint pub and eatery on the banks of the lake (Y claims he deserves appreciation for the find !). The menu was sparse but seemed popular and the waitress at our table agreed that there could have been more catch on the menu! By the way, the USA gives its fish very funny names: perk, crappie, tilapia and walleye to name a few. I am tickled! :)

We continued our journey south and crossed back into Minnesota at Winona later in the afternoon. Summing it up: The weather gods were benevolent, the mighty M open and gushing to appreciation and the soaring birds of prey unperturbed by our visit. We could not have asked for more!

Winona - the first born daughter

Winona is a small town east of Rochester, Minnesota. It was not the best of days to travel 40 miles but on Y's insistence, we set forth on a wet, cloudy Sunday afternoon. The drive to Winona is to say the least - breathtaking. Spring was in the air, cows in the meadows and verdant fields rippled in the strong breeze. Grain silos stretched into the skies and totem poles dotted well-kept gardens.

The ride to the viewpoint at Garven Heights is winding but short. At 575 ft, the highest point offers a breathtaking view of the town and beyond. The eastern front is of the mighty Mississippi winding her way along the state border with a two-lane bridge spanning the river into Wisconsin and on the north side are the bluffs shrouded with deciduous vegetation. The mist in the air and the tall, drenched cedars added a romantic touch to the visit.




On getting back to ground level, we walked around the streets of Winona. Downtown Winona is centered around the University campus and like every U town, the denizens projected a carefree attitude. A desperate coffee hunt yielded Abbey's Soda Jerk and Candy Cafe built along the 1950s soda-pop place.

Winona appeared to have a fairly strong Christian population. Lutheran, Catholic and Episcopal churches are numerous and are all visual treats with their tall spires and manicured lawns. However, the one that caught our eye was the domed St.Stanislaus church with its white facade and prim exterior.

A walk around the local lake was refreshing. I noted hundreds of dead worms ( earthworms I presume) washed out on the tar from the lake. What caused death in such numbers ? And for my mental notepad : the black-winged bird with a touch of bright red on its shoulder and a shrill call needs to be identified. (Post-script : this is the Red-winged Blackbird )

The return journey through the spectacular White Water State Park was relaxing. We were guided back to Rochester by road signs and the dark, water-bearing clouds that condescended to shower us at intervals.

A trip to the grocery store marked a mundane end to a delightful journey ..

To see a world in a grain of sand,
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
An eternity in an hour.

- William Blake