PicShers

March 16

2009-03-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

365 days, 365 pictures, 365 memories, each of which triggers a chain of others.
365 days, a loop around the Sun, an anniversary.
This 365th falls on the best of all anniversaries, the one that Diane and I share of that little ceremony in our apartment in Cupertino 17 years ago today.

She doesn't show up much in my various internet conceits (blogs, photo collections, and so on) because she prefers not to be so publicly displayed. But make no mistake, she is the love of my life.

This photo shows her selecting her 10th anniversary memento in our favorite Sausalito trinket shop, Petri's.

I have had a wonderful time putting together this year's worth of glimpses from my life, courtesy of the miracle of photography and my Dad's meticulous cataloging. While I won't be adding anything more to this blog, I'm not going to delete it, either -- so this calendar of photos should remain available as long as Google hosts it. After a little break, I'm going to start another, very different kind of retrospective, and will update this entry when it's ready to go.

Date: March 16, 2002
Location: Petri's Glass Shop, Sausalito, California
By: SH

March 15

2009-03-15T10:32:00.000-07:00

Adrianne, Baby Grace, and Doug Visit Ft. Harrington, 2003

(Tomorrow's will be the final installment of PicShers!)

Date: March 15, 2003
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

March 14

2009-03-14T10:29:00.000-07:00

Fonzie Adds Load to the CPU Cooling Fans

Date: March 14, 2003
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

March 13

2009-03-13T10:27:00.000-07:00

New Penn-Can Highway (the Northern Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike), 1964.

Date: March, 1964
Location: Northern Pennsylvania
By: LH

March 12

2009-03-12T10:25:00.000-07:00

Ft. Harrington During a Rare Snow Shower

Date: March 12, 2006
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

March 11

2009-03-11T10:22:00.000-07:00

Rocky in Spring Training, 1964

Hall-of-Famer Rocky Colavito played briefly for the Kansas City A's in the twilight of his career. Here, he bats against the Houston Colt .45s (later the Astros) in a spring training game.

Date: March, 1964
Location: Daytona, Florida
By: LH

March 10

2009-03-10T10:19:00.000-07:00

Rare Dusting of Snow, Ben Lomond Mountain, California.

Date: March 10, 2006
Location: Ben Lomond Mountain, California
By: SH

March 9

2009-03-09T10:15:00.000-07:00

"Sugar"

An Araucana chicken who lays green eggs. She was hatched on June 18, 2005 -- the exact same day on which our younger Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Jax, was born. June 18 is also the birthday of Adam Harrington, noted voice actor, and a lesser celebrity, Paul McCartney.

The final PicShers installment will be one week from today!

Date: March 9, 2007
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

March 8

2009-03-08T10:08:00.000-07:00

Joe Cool Visits Brookgreen Gardens with His Mom.

My mom was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and grew up there. She and my dad met during the last years of WWII, and, after they married, they moved to my dad's home territory of upstate New York. From my earliest memories, we visited her family in Atlanta at least once a year, almost always in the spring. This photo was taken on our last such trip as a family (the next year's spring was taken up with preparations for me to move away to college), on a stop at Brookgreen Gardens near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Date: March, 1964
Location: Brookgreen Gardens, South Carolina
By: LH

March 7

2009-03-07T10:01:00.000-08:00

Blanche Visits My CyberSpace.

In hindsight, Blanche was a pretty remarkable chicken. She was one of the "Fearsome Foursome" -- the group of four chicks we got from a feed store in Santa Cruz after the first two worked out pretty well. Blanche was inquisitive, adventuresome, and friendlier than the other five. Unfortunately, she was also our introduction to how short-lived pet chickens can be. She died within a month of this picture's date. A veterinary necropsy showed that she was riddled with tumors, a fate which later took several others of our variable-sized flock.

Date: March 7, 2003
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

March 6

2009-03-06T09:54:00.000-08:00

Fort Harrington, Fortified.

Early March, 2004, brought the most copious rainstorm we have experienced in our decade here in Creepy Hollow. Ft. Harrington's residence building is downhill from the road, and the county's drainage system was overwhelmed -- water poured down the steps (behind us in this view) and almost -- but not quite -- reached the red front door. Instead, it diverted to the right to a sluiceway, thanks to luck or some clever landscape grading by earlier owners. Just to make sure it kept going that way, we piled up the sandbag barrier seen here, since more strong storms were forecast.

There are only ten more days left in PicShers' one-year run!

Date: March 6, 2004
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

March 5

2009-03-05T09:52:00.000-08:00

Late-Winter Vista across the Thompson Creek Valley.

Date: March, 1960
Location: Kings Settlement, NY
By: LH

March 4

2009-03-04T09:50:00.000-08:00

Hayseed Spaniel.
Jax, 2007

Date: March 4, 2007
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

March 3

2009-03-03T09:46:00.000-08:00

Snow Devil on Snowshoes, 1967.

My sons' mom and I used to like making elaborate snow figures -- we constructed this one in my parents' yard during a visit from Amherst in March of 1967, when the snow was warm and sticky enough to fashion the devil's tail without any interior reinforcement.

Date: March, 1967
Location: Kings Settlement, NY
By: LH

March 2

2009-03-02T09:44:00.000-08:00

Alleyway of Shops, Sausalito

Date: March 2, 2002
Location: Sausalito, California
By: SH

March 1

2009-03-01T09:41:00.000-08:00

Mom tries out Chenango County surfing.

Date: March, 1960
Location: Kings Settlement, NY
By: LH

February 28

2009-02-28T10:37:00.000-08:00

Ft. Harrington Main House from the Gazebo, Winter, 2001.

Date: February 28, 2001
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

February 27

2009-02-27T10:34:00.000-08:00

Abandoned Railroad Right-of-Way, Winter, 1964.

Date: February, 1964
Location: Chenango County, New York
By: LH

February 26

2009-02-26T10:32:00.000-08:00

Young Emma.

Date: February 26, 2005
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

February 25

2009-02-25T10:28:00.000-08:00

Upstream from "Streamhouse" (Dad's Sisters' House), Winter, 1962.

SH (leaning on ice), Marjie Pence (red jacket), CMH.

Date: February, 1962
Location: White Store, Unadilla Valley, New York
By: LH

February 24

2009-02-24T10:24:00.000-08:00

Frozen Rock Falls, 1958.

Date: February, 1958
Location: Chenango County, New York
By: LH

February 23

2009-02-23T10:21:00.000-08:00

Cats 'n' Dogs, Winter Pileup.
Jax, Emma, Guinness, and Finn.

Date: February 23, 2008
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

February 22

2009-02-22T10:16:00.000-08:00

Thompson Creek Valley in Winter, 1962.

Date: February, 1962
Location: Chenango County, New York
By: LH

February 21

2009-02-21T10:13:00.000-08:00

She Will Hate Me for Posting This, Eventually.

Date: February 21, 2004
Location: Pleasant Hill, California
By: SH

February 20

2009-02-20T10:11:00.000-08:00

Alnitak, Boxed.

Date: February 20, 2006
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

February 19

2009-02-19T10:09:00.000-08:00

Emma in the Mist

Date: February 19, 2007
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

February 18

2009-02-18T10:06:00.000-08:00

Jax-the-Hayseed

(Note the redwood leaf hangin' out of his mouth.)

Date: February 18, 2007
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

February 17

2009-02-17T10:03:00.000-08:00

Me, "Gorgeous Gorge," and Late-Afternoon Winter Light, 1962.

Date: February, 1962
Location: Chenango County, New York
By: LH

February 16

2009-02-16T10:01:00.000-08:00

Chenango County Surfing.
Dad dominates the toboggan, 1960.

Date: February, 1960
Location: Kings Settlement, New York
By: CMH

February 15

2009-02-15T09:58:00.000-08:00

Fonzie and Max Enjoy the Heat from the Dishwasher.

Date: February 15, 2003
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

February 14

2009-02-14T09:55:00.000-08:00

Alnitak on Valentine's Day, 2004.

Date: February 14, 2004
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

February 13

2009-02-13T09:53:00.000-08:00

Looking East from the Tower of the St. Francis Hotel, San Francisco.

Date: February 13, 2005
Location: San Francisco, California
By: SH

February 12

2009-02-12T09:51:00.000-08:00

A Rare Snowfall in Boulder Creek, 2001.

Date: February 12, 2001
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

February 11

2009-02-11T09:45:00.000-08:00

Kelsey, Jax, and the Rain Guage, 2006.

Date: February 11, 2006
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

February 10

2009-02-10T10:42:00.000-08:00

Late Afternoon Toboggan Run, 1960.

Date: February, 1960
Location: Kings Settlement, New York
By: CMH

February 9

2009-02-09T10:40:00.000-08:00

Winter Yardwork, 1962.

Mom supervises a trimmings fire.

Date: February, 1962
Location: Kings Settlement, New York
By: LH

February 8

2009-02-08T10:37:00.000-08:00

Fonzie.

Date: February 8, 2008
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

February 7

2009-02-07T10:34:00.000-08:00

Gorgeous Gorge, Winter, 1962.

See yesterday's post for description.

Date: February, 1962
Location: Chenango County, New York
By: LH

February 6

2009-02-06T10:25:00.000-08:00

"Gorgeous Gorge" in Winter, 1962.

This frozen stream is a tributary that runs South to the Thompson Creek just across the valley from our little house. Click here for a view of this little waterfall in summer.

Date: February, 1962
Location: Chenango County, New York
By: LH

February 5

2009-02-05T10:23:00.000-08:00

Mom, Me, an Apple Tree... and a Flying Saucer

Date: February, 1960
Location: Kings Settlement, New York
By: LH

February 4

2009-02-04T10:20:00.000-08:00

Cooper and His Little Buddy, Guinness.

Date: February 4, 2008
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

February 3

2009-02-03T10:15:00.000-08:00

Adieu, Good Horse.

Our 1992 Cherokee, just before I turned it over to Chris Clarke, who is now using its capabilities to help him research a book in the Mojave Desert.

Date: February 3, 2008
Location: DeAnza College, Cupertino, California
By: SH

February 2

2009-02-02T10:12:00.000-08:00

Chenango County surfing: Me, daredevil tobogganer.

Date: February, 1960
Location: Kings Settlement, New York
By: CMH

February 1

2009-02-01T10:10:00.000-08:00

Fonzie and Max

Date: February 1, 2006
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

January 31

2009-01-31T08:00:00.000-08:00

Abandoned Railway Right-of-Way, 1964.

Date: January, 1964
Location: Chenango County, New York
By: LH

January 30

2009-01-30T08:00:00.000-08:00

Emma.

Date: January 30, 2005
Location: Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, Felton, California
By: SH

January 29

2009-01-29T08:00:00.000-08:00

Askew view from the "Top of Peachtree" restaurant (probably), Atlanta, 1962.
Click here for a discussion of this photo by an Atlanta history buff.

Date: January, 1962
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
By: LH

January 28

2009-01-28T08:00:00.000-08:00

DeAnza students revel in a rare snowfall.

It doesn't snow very often here in the San Francisco Bay area. When it does, of course, the most likely places to get a bit of accumulation are the high points of the ridges around the bay -- including the Saratoga Gap along California Highway 9 between Silicon Valley (where I work at DeAnza College) and Boulder Creek in the Santa Cruz mountains (where I live.) On January 28th, 2002, we had a pretty good snowfall, and I encountered this group of students from my school having a blast at a vista point along my commute.

Date: January 28, 2002
Location: Santa Cruz Mountains, California
By: SH

January 27

2009-01-27T08:00:00.000-08:00

Fence-cat.

Date: January 27, 2001
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

January 26

2009-01-26T08:00:00.000-08:00

Emma and Al.

Date: January 26, 2005
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

January 25

2009-01-25T08:00:00.000-08:00

Date: January 25, 2001
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

January 24

2009-01-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

Butt-scoot. Chenango winter entertainment.

Date: January, 1960
Location: Kings Settlement, New York
By: LH

January 23

2009-01-23T08:00:00.000-08:00

Guinness, Cooper, Fonzie, Finn.

Date: January 23, 2008
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

January 22

2009-01-22T08:00:00.000-08:00

Adrianne, Doug, Grace, Adam.

Date: January 22, 2005
Location: Pleasant Hill, California
By: SH

January 21

2009-01-21T08:00:00.000-08:00

Stephen Hawking at DeAnza College, January 21, 2000.

My wife, Diane, is the gorgeous redhead between Hawking and me.

From an account of Hawking's visit to DeAnza by Bryan Rockstroh:

"...The smile is what gets you. It strikes without warning and when it hits it seems to change Stephen Hawking from a wheelchair-bound physicist to a mischievous grandfather who would sooner play a practical joke on you than spend a lifetime trying to decipher God's master plan...

"Professor Stephen Hawking visited De Anza College on Friday, Jan. 21, and addressed a wall-to-wall crowd for lunch in the Hinson Campus Center. The Lucasian Professor of Mathematics, dressed in a relaxed red-and-blue plaid shirt, spoke to the students through the voice synthesizer on his wheelchair for about twenty minutes on the topic of 'Awakening the Scientist in All of Us...'

"Astronomy instructor Sherwood Harrington conducted the question-and-answer session following the talk. Students wrote questions down on slips of paper and handed them in before the lecture began, and some of the representative questions were directed at Hawking.

"It takes him some time to answer each question because he has to compose the answer on the computer on his wheelchair, word by word. It's a long process that seems to underscore the quiet determination of the man. During the lapse between question and answer, other non-scientific questions were thrown at his assistant, Chris Burgoyne.

"'What kind of music does he listen to?' one student asked.

"'He listens to ear-bleeding Wagner,' replied Burgoyne..."

Date: January 21, 2000
Location: DeAnza College, Cupertino, California
By: DeAnza College Public Information Department

January 20

2009-01-20T08:00:00.000-08:00

*ax. (Jax and Max.)
The heating pad was supposed to be Max's -- he was ancient by the time this image was captured, and was little, and had health problems -- but young brat Jax often found a way to steal the therms. No matter; Max just soaked up the warmth from the brat. Second-had heat is just as warm as new.

Date: January 20, 2006
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

January 19

2009-01-19T08:00:00.000-08:00

Mom's snow-sports form never did become terribly graceful -- but she had a good time, anyway!

Date: January, 1959
Location: Kings Settlement, NY
By: LH

January 18

2009-01-18T08:00:00.000-08:00

Grace and Gramps, 2003.

Date: January 18, 2003
Location: Pleasant Hill, California
By: Doug Harrington

January 17

2009-01-17T08:00:00.000-08:00

Dad blasts his toboggan toward a jump.

Date: January, 1959
Location: Kings Settlement, NY
By: CMH

January 16

2009-01-16T08:00:00.000-08:00

Scooting down the lawn on a "flying saucer," 1960.

Date: January, 1960
Location: Kings Settlement, NY
By: LH

January 15

2009-01-15T10:14:00.000-08:00

First Eggs

Our first chickens, Lucy and Red, finally popped out their first eggs in the winter of 2003.

Date: January 15, 2003
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH (with help from Lucy and Red)

January 14

2009-01-14T10:12:00.000-08:00

Some of Ft. Harrington's Backyard Redwoods

Date: January 14, 2001
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

January 13

2009-01-13T10:09:00.000-08:00

Flood Sign, Henry Cowell State Park

Our dogs' usual walking place would have been difficult in the year of this epic flood!

Date: January 13, 2007
Location: Henry Cowell State Park, Felton, California
By: SH

January 12

2009-01-12T10:07:00.000-08:00

San Francisco Bay in January

Date: January 12, 2003
Location: Sausalito, California (looking toward San Francisco)
By: SH

January 11

2009-01-11T10:04:00.000-08:00

"Gorgeous Gorge" (across the Thompson Creek Valley from our Kings Settlement house) in the dead of winter.

Date: January, 1959
Location: Kings Settlement, NY
By: LH

January 10

2009-01-10T10:01:00.000-08:00

Chris Murphy (left) and his cousin, Sherwood Harrington, confer.

Date: January, 1961
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
By: LH

January 9

2009-01-09T08:13:00.000-08:00

Max

Date: January 9, 2004
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

January 8

2009-01-08T08:11:00.000-08:00

Rain- and shade-nourished flora, Ft. Harrington front yard, Winter 2005-06

Date: January 8, 2006
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

January 7

2009-01-07T08:08:00.000-08:00

Redcats: Finn and Fonzie

Date: January 7, 2008
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

January 6

2009-01-06T08:00:00.000-08:00

Taking Down the Tinsel
Deconstructing Christmas

Date: January 6, 2008
Location: Ft. Harrington (Living Room and Bar Area)
By: SH

January 5

2009-01-05T08:04:00.000-08:00

Central Boulder Creek, January, 2008

Date: January 5, 2008
Location: Boulder Creek, California
By: SH

January 4

2009-01-04T08:01:00.000-08:00

Kings Creek from our back deck after a storm.

Date: January 4, 2008
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

January 3

2009-01-03T07:59:00.000-08:00

Emma

Date: January 3, 2008
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

January 2

2009-01-02T07:56:00.000-08:00

After a New Year's storm, 2003-04. The structures silhouetted are Ft. Harrington's grape arbor, chicken run, and "garage" (fallin'-down shed, usually kept upright by the junk packing it to the walls and rafters), the light is from our neighbor John's yard lamps.

Date: January 2, 2004
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

January 1

2009-01-01T07:53:00.000-08:00

Emma and Al share a snooze on New Year's Day

Date: January 1, 2007
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

December 31

2008-12-31T05:00:00.000-08:00

Doug and Grace on the Cusp of a New Year

May your new year be an adventure from which you gain more in spirit than in gold, may your old years be treasured for what they gave instead of regretted for what they took, and may your now be concentrated in love. I wish you peace.

Please pass it around.

Date: December 31, 2003
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

December 30

2008-12-30T08:57:00.000-08:00

Down-Home Holidays:

Diane, Kelsey, and Ryan make Ft. Harrington all it should be.

Date: December 30, 2007
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

December 29

2008-12-29T08:54:00.000-08:00

A Walk in the Park

Our great friend Lucile helps guide our doggies through Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, just down the road from Ft. Harrington. Left to right: Lucile, Kelsey, Diane, Emma, Jax.

Date: December 29, 2006
Location: Henry Cowell State Park, Felton, California
By: SH

December 28

2008-12-28T08:52:00.000-08:00

The Divine Miss Em

Date: December 28, 2007
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

December 27

2008-12-27T08:48:00.000-08:00

The Murphy Clan, December 27, 1958

JC and Edith Murphy with their children.

Front row: Tom, Carolyn, Calvin, Ed
Back, seated: Catherine (my mom), J. C., Edith, Ophalon

Date: December 27, 1958
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
By: LH

December 26

2008-12-26T08:44:00.000-08:00

Jax and Emma

Date: December 26, 2006
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

December 25

2008-12-25T05:40:00.000-08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!
May your gifts be given and accepted with love, no matter what they may be.

Date: December 25, 1959
Location: Kings Settlement, New York
By: LH

December 24

2008-12-24T08:38:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve Carols in the Lobby of the Awahnee Hotel, Yosemite National Park, 2001

Date: December 24, 2001
Location: Yosemite Valley, California
By: SH

December 23

2008-12-23T08:36:00.000-08:00

Diane and her tree, 2006

Date: December 23, 2006
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

December 22

2008-12-22T08:34:00.000-08:00

Kelsey Dreamin'

Date: December 22, 2001
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

December 21

2008-12-21T08:31:00.000-08:00

Yeah. Read the pillow, dimwit.

Old Boo, Christmastide, 2002.

Date: December 21, 2002
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

December 20

2008-12-20T08:29:00.000-08:00

Fonzie-in-the-Basket
We never use the top napkin.

Date: December 20, 2007
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

December 19

2008-12-19T08:27:00.000-08:00

A Horse for Grace

Date: December 19, 2003
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

December 18

2008-12-18T08:24:00.000-08:00

Raul, Oolie, the Black Freighter, Himself
Ho, Ho, frickin' Ho.

Date: December 18, 2003
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

December 17

2008-12-17T08:22:00.000-08:00

Old Boo decorates the new rose garden.

Date: December 17, 2000
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

December 16

2008-12-16T08:20:00.000-08:00

Guinness

Date: December 16, 2007
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

December 15

2008-12-15T08:17:00.000-08:00

Doug, Adam, and Sherwood visit the elder Harringtons' place, December, 1972.

Date: December, 1972
Location: Kings Settlement, New York
By: LH

December 14

2008-12-14T11:12:00.000-08:00

December, 1972: I visited my parents in the house I grew up in during the winter break before I began my teaching career at City College of San Francisco. Here, Doug and I play "caroms" on a great board my dad built with typically outstanding skill and craftsmanship sometime in the early 1950's. We are in the room that was my bedroom from the time I can earliest remember until I went away to college.

Notice the meticulous positioning of the books on the bookshelf, spines in rigid file alignment. If we looked closer at the bookshelf's construction, I'd bet that all the screws' heads were parallel. That was just the way Dad did things.

Date: December, 1972
Location: Kings Settlement, New York
By: LH

December 13

2008-12-13T11:10:00.000-08:00

Guinness and Cooper A-Snooze

Date: December 13, 2007
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

December 12

2008-12-12T11:09:00.000-08:00

Christmas decorations on the chickens' mansion.

Date: December 12, 2002
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

December 11

2008-12-11T11:07:00.000-08:00

A cozy December evening at the Fort.

Date: December 11, 2002
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

December 10

2008-12-10T11:01:00.000-08:00

McCall Pond outlet in winter.
(For more about McCall Pond, and its location, see this earlier entry in the PicShers series. )

Date: December, 1959
Location: McCall Pond, Chenango County, New York
By: LH

December 9

2008-12-09T10:58:00.000-08:00

Guinness (the little one) and Cooper (the gigantic one) belly up for a nap.

Date: December 9, 2007
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

December 8

2008-12-08T10:57:00.000-08:00

Guinness

Date: December 8, 2007
Location: Ft. Harrington
By: SH

December 7

2008-12-07T10:43:00.000-08:00

Mom, Dad, and I played a lot of cards when I was young, usually at this kitchen table. Here, Dad's camera on its tripod and with its timer delay records hot action in a rummy game. If you look closely by clicking on the photo for a clearer view, you can see a nuthatch in the plexiglass bird feeder just outside the window.

Date: December, 1959
Location: Kings Settlement, New York
By: LH Automaton Proxy