I traveled by bus and train with my friend Joan from June 24 to July 10 in Portugal.

What a great dinner with Teresa, Joao, Ramona, and Fernanda as well as my friend Joan in Lisbon at Ceverjeria Portugalia! Later, Joan and I met up with Tere and Joao in Cascais for a lunch of fresh sardines and went to Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in Europe.

sardines and went to Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in Europe.

I spent April 3-9 in Istanbul. There were flowers everywhere, and most of the days were sunny if cool. Mary and I had a great time looking at the many historic buildings and wandering from sight to sight. It's a very walkable city.

sight. It's a very walkable city.

I traveled in Australia from June 21-July 14 and had a wonderful time! Here are 41 of the photos parred down from about 500. Note that the colors of the Great Barrier Reef are much more beautiful than my photos show.

my photos show.

I just had a wonderful weekend in Kuwait visiting places I remember from 20 years ago and seeing all the changes as well.

I recently spent 2 weeks in green beautiful New Zealand. Part of it I spent touring South Island on a Flying Kiwi tour. Highlights were walking on Fox Glacier and sailing in Abel Tasman National Park. I also visited Auckland, Rotorua, and Tauranga on North Island and was especially impressed with the Maori thermal village in Rotorua. There are 30 photos in all.

I also visited Auckland, Rotorua, and Tauranga on North Island and was especially impressed with the Maori thermal village in Rotorua. There are 30 photos in all.

I spent 3 days in Siem Reap and visited the ruins of Angkor Wat. They're spectacular! Here are a few photos. Note that the lens lid often did not open entirely, and I didn't notice, so there are black parts of the right top and left bottom of some photos. I already got dust in my new digital camera!

parts of the right top and left bottom of some photos. I already got dust in my new digital camera!

I rented a car expecting friends to come for a visit during my 9 days off. When they were unable to come, I rented the car anyway. I visited a family of friends and went to a desert oasis town.

These photos were taken the first week in my new home. They start with the apartment building I live in. Then you see views from my windows on the 13th floor , the walkway on the Corniche (roadway alongside the Gulf), and sights from a tour of the city.

alongside the Gulf), and sights from a tour of the city.

My niece, JaLynn, flew into San Diego, and we spent June 24-28 together. The photos show some of the things we saw at Horton's Plaza, Old Town, the zoo, Torrey Pines Beach, and Cuyamaca Rancho State Park.

Park.

At 6:15 a.m., the "landscapers" came to cut down the mesquite tree in my backyard. It was much too big for my small yard and was again scraping its thorny branches on the roof of the house. It had already cracked the back cement block wall. Notice the long shadows early in the morning. The tree branches are cut from the bottom ones to the top and then the trunk from top to bottom. 2 little birds lost their home and sat quietly in the shade of my covered patio till the workers finished around 12:30 p.m. Then one of them put the nest with the birds back up in a neighboring tree in the shade. Hopefully, their parents come back to take care of them. Also, notice all the yellow bean pods at the top of the tree. I wanted the tree cut down before those fell to the ground and covered the yard a foot deep. Also note how much space the branches take up after they've been moved to the front yard in preparation of grinding them up.

already cracked the back cement block wall. Notice the long shadows early in the morning. The tree branches are cut from the bottom ones to the top and then the trunk from top to bottom. 2 little birds lost their home and sat quietly in the shade of my covered patio till the workers finished around 12:30 p.m. Then one of them put the nest with the birds back up in a neighboring tree in the shade. Hopefully, their parents come back to take care of them. Also, notice all the yellow bean pods at the top of the tree. I wanted the tree cut down before those fell to the ground and covered the yard a foot deep. Also note how much space the branches take up after they've been moved to the front yard in preparation of grinding them up.

Michele, Lynn, Ann, and I hiked north from Dyar House on Cold Stream Trail to West Mesa parking. We crossed 79 and went south on West side Trail to Green Valley. Then we recrossed 79 and walked north to Sweetwater Parking. There Dave gave us a ride back to our cars.

to Sweetwater Parking. There Dave gave us a ride back to our cars.

Karen S. and I had a relaxing camping trip in the Lagunas. We saw some beautiful wildflowers.

These photos were taken while Jen, Timmy, and I traveled around Arizona together from 4/3 to 4/9. There are photos of Tombstone including the Bird Cage and the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. In Tucson we visited the Sonora Desert Museum and Old Tucson. I didn't take many photos in Yuma except for dinner at my friends' the Berkeys. Lew M showed up after I got back from Phoenix, so he's included here.

we visited the Sonora Desert Museum and Old Tucson. I didn't take many photos in Yuma except for dinner at my friends' the Berkeys. Lew M showed up after I got back from Phoenix, so he's included here.

These photos show old friends I met up with and new online friends I met face to face for the first time. The photos are from both March 16 & 17.

I hiked with the Harnages and Ray McFarlane around part of the Cuyamaca Meadow Loop starting from Stonewall Mine. A stellar jay visited us at break time and ate some of Mike peanuts.

It was a beautiful day for lunch outside at the Garden restaurant.

It was snowing we arrived at Paso Picacho at 8 a.m. We hiked up to Azalea Spring mostly on fire roads, retraced part of that, and then came down the trail into the campground. It was a winter wonderland. I haven't walked in new-fallen, pristine snow in years!

wonderland. I haven't walked in new-fallen, pristine snow in years!

Ed made sardine spaghetti dinner, and we invited the Berkeys to dinner.

Diana Lindsay spoke about her new book on Marshall South, who lived on Ghost Mountain in what is now part of Anza-Borrego State Park. She gave a Powerpoint slide presentation. The photo shows her with a copy of the video she helped make about Marshall. It will be showed in rotation at Anza-Borrego SP Visitor Center. Later I did an IAU rove, and we saw where School Camp kids had made a jack o'lantern out of pine cones.

a copy of the video she helped make about Marshall. It will be showed in rotation at Anza-Borrego SP Visitor Center. Later I did an IAU rove, and we saw where School Camp kids had made a jack o'lantern out of pine cones.

Michele and I went on the nature hike with Ray McFarlane. Doug Hanson and Mike Harnage also were on the hike.

Diane and I hiked on Mt. Lemmon (above Tucson) on September 3 and 4. We were lucky that it was cloudy and thus rather cool. There were a lot of beautiful wildflowers

We crossed the Colorado River while driving from Natural Bridges to Capitol Reef.

We had only a couple hours at Bryce Canyon as our time was running short.

We drove on Highway 12 from Torrey to Bryce Canyon and beyond. Part of it passes through Grand Staircase/Escalante Nat'l Monument.

We saw the rock art created by the Fremont Indians and hiked up Capitol Gorge, which is the old road into the park. 2 cars could barely pass at its narrowest part--16 feet wide.

There is a 9-mile driving loop to see 3 natural bridges. We only hiked to Kachina Bridge.

This is the SE part of Canyonlands.

It was cloudy, and we had a few sprinkles today.

These are the places Vicki and I visited the 2nd day at Arches and the 3rd evening after a day trip to Canyonlands - Island in the Sky.