Greetings from Vernal, Utah! Thankfully, my presentation today in Denver went extremely well and was attended by 62 people. Then came the fun part ---- a flight on Great Lakes Airlines flight #5125 from Denver to Vernal. Oh boy .. what an experience! A very small plane (seats only about 14 people; no toilet and no flight attendant!). Seemed as though most of the Great Lakes flights this afternoon were being delayed for maintenance reasons. Our flight was no exception. We departed Denver 35 minutes late and arrived into Vernal at about 8:38 pm Mountain time. A colleague picked me up and I checked in to a simple room at the Weston Plaza motel. Trust me, this place is nothing fancy! I walked across the street to a Walmart for some food and now it's time for bed to get some badly needed rest. Tomorrow I give my presentation yet again. The 'crowd' here in Vernal is supposedly going to be a LOT smaller than the crowds I had in Anchorage and Denver - they expect about a dozen people to show up at best! Ah well, c'est le vie! I'll give it my best no matter how many people show up!!
Thankfully, after tomorrow's presentation, I am allowed to rest up the weekend and I'll give two more presentations (in two other locations) next week before returning home to Houston. Sorry for not posting any photos but I have simply been so pressed for time!
More later ....
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UPDATE (Thursday, Sept. 17): I managed a reasonably decent night's sleep although I could have used a few more hours of rest. Still, the "show must go on" and my presentation is scheduled for tonight (Thursday) at 6:00 pm local time. By now, my nerves are settled and I have my lines fairly well rehearsed so that the flow of the actual presentation is quite smooth - if I say so myself!
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UPDATE (Thursday, Sept. 18): There were only eight (8) attendees present for my lecture. Apparently the Uintah section of the professional society to whom I was lecturing is so small that it is normally hard to coax members to show up for these monthly seciton meetings.
The weather today is excellent!! Sunny skies. Not a cloud around. Sadly, however, I have no rental car and hence must remain here at the motel (the 'Bates Motel' ??). I may walk outdoors a while just to get some fresh mountain air.
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Replies to Comments:
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Searching Soul: Thanks for sharing your concern about small planes! I wish I had a picture of the twin-engine propeller Beechcraft. This was a night flight and when one passenger turned off her reading light, the ENTIRE cabin became so dark that the star light outside the plane was brighter than the inside of our cabin!! At least the flight to Vernal from Denver was smooth. Mountain flights can be BUMPY. A colleague here in Vernal has given Great Lakes Airlines the nickname: "Great Mistakes Airlines"!! Or just "Great Frights"!! Care to book a flight?!
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Al: Indeed I will get some rest!! Keep up the woodworking!!
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Day 3 of my Lecture Tour - DENVER, Colorado
Here it sit preparing myself for my third presentation of this lecture tour. Today I am in Denver, Colorado. I flew in last night at 9:45 pm and after a 40 min taxi ride, I arrived at my hotel room (the Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown Denver) at shortly after 11 pm. I managed to nod off to sleep OK and now - after a pleasant breakfast buffet - I am getting ready to walk over to the building next door where I must summon up enough energy and mental concentration to deliver my presentation (and answer all the questions thrown out after the talk) in a way that all the attendees can appreciate and enjoy. Sadly, there is not time to snap pictures and hence no picture to share with my postings. Perhaps I will catch up on my picture taking efforts sometime during this weekend!!
Update (Sept. 18th): A total of 62 section members showed up for my presentation!
Update (Sept. 18th): A total of 62 section members showed up for my presentation!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Day 2 of my Lecture Tour - BAKERSFIELD, CA
Just a short note to update my followers. I departed from Anchorage on Monday after delivering my 45 minute presentation and managed to catch an early flight out to Seattle and then it was onto a connecting flight to Fresno, California. I arrived at my motel room in Fresno at 11:30 pm and thankfully managed to drift off to sleep quick enought. After 6 hours sleep I drove 1.45 hours (113 miles) to Bakersfield and deliverd my presentation to 37 people.
Now I am awaiting my flight to Phoenix and then connect to Denver where I shall deliver my presentation tomorrow at noon. This lecture tour is physically quite tiring!
Now I am awaiting my flight to Phoenix and then connect to Denver where I shall deliver my presentation tomorrow at noon. This lecture tour is physically quite tiring!
Sunday, September 13, 2009
North to Alaska - My First Visit to Our Nation's 49th State!!
Greetings from Anchorage, Alaska! (My first visit to the great state of Alaska!!!) I arrived here from Houston on Wednesday (Sept. 9) after a 7 hour flight. After some work on Thursday, I had two fun-filled days available to play tourist and take in some of the most wonderful scenery in America!! I will share just two photos in this post but will take more time later to share some additional photographic gems.
FYI: I am on a multi-city lecture tour starting with Anchorage. Once I start my first lecture (Monday, Sept. 14 is Day 1), it will be a different city each day so I am sure I will be rather tired and ragged and hence may not have time to blog until AFTER my entire lecture tour is completed. In the meantime, I hope all of my loyal followers will have patience. And wish me luck - I hope I have smooth flights and no missed connections all the way.
The bald eagle - symbol of the USA.
The face of the Blackstone Glacier in Prince William Sound off the coast of Kenai Peninsula (about a 1.5 hour's drive SE from Anchorage).
FYI: I am on a multi-city lecture tour starting with Anchorage. Once I start my first lecture (Monday, Sept. 14 is Day 1), it will be a different city each day so I am sure I will be rather tired and ragged and hence may not have time to blog until AFTER my entire lecture tour is completed. In the meantime, I hope all of my loyal followers will have patience. And wish me luck - I hope I have smooth flights and no missed connections all the way.
The bald eagle - symbol of the USA.
The face of the Blackstone Glacier in Prince William Sound off the coast of Kenai Peninsula (about a 1.5 hour's drive SE from Anchorage). -
Replies to Comments:
John: Breathtaking indeed!! And, yes, it sure was cool standing on the deck of the boat! The tour guide explained that glaciers have their own weather. The prevailing outdoor temperature in Alaska that week was in the 50's (ca. 10 deg C) but at the face of the glacier I'd have to estimate it was in the 40's F (ca. 5 deg C). Still it was worth taking the time and making the effort to visit a glacier!
Monday, September 7, 2009
The Gravenstein Apple - A Vanishing Gem
As promised in my prior posting, I just want to take a few moments to devote some space in my blog to tell my followers of the plight of the humble Gravenstein Apple - one of nature's finest creations! One of the highlights of my recent vacation in Northern California came on Monday, August 24 when I had the good fortune to get a first-hand view of apple production at two of Sononma County's largest apple growers.
My first stop came at Ratzlaff's "Apple-A-Day" ranch where one of the owners - Mr. Ratzlaff himself - pointed the way to two large bins containing some of the ripest Gravensteins ever - these apples are perfect for making apple sauce. Mr. Ratzlaff weighed out the 18 pounds of apples I had personally selected.
I purchased 18 pounds of orange-red Gravensteins .... puuuuurfect!!
The second stop came at Walker Apples. The young Mr. Walker was so kind and gave me a tour of his orchard.
During the walk through his orchard, Mr. Walker told me of the many problems he and the other apple packers in Sonoma County are facing. Turns out the USA is literally being flooded by a sea of imported apple juice from Asia! That, coupled with the rising value in grapes and the replacement of many orchards with vineyards is threatening to cause the demise of the Gravenstein Apple. Most folks who read this posting may not care about all this ... BUT if you have ever tasted a sweet Gravenstein apple, well, you would know of which I speak!! Sure there are many other apples sold in grocery stores, many quite satisfying. Sadly, however, Gravensteins are only grown in Sonoma County and if they stopped growing these little gems, that would represent a true loss in what the locals refer to as biodiversity.-
For more details, I refer you to the following WEB sites:
Walker Apples is the LAST actual apple packer in the county. There are still other orchards in the area but they only sell to the public directly and don't ship the apples around the country as does Walker Apples.
The finished product - delicious apple sauce. No sugar was required to make this sweet pleasure. Mmm-mm good!!
If you made it to the end of this posting, many thanks!!! I would certainly appreciate any and all comments!
And now - assuming all goes as scheduled - it is time for yet another trip! See you later this week ....
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Sonoma County, California - Vacation, Gravenstein Apples, Redwoods ... and More Vineyards!
Vacation Time!! Thanks goodness for vacations! Especially after a three-week business trip to the Middle East, this respite could not have come at a better time! The same family who invited me to stay at their home in Sebastopol, California (located in California's Sonoma County - a.k.a. "Wine Country), did so again this year and so I was blessed with another week in "Paradise". (For a glimpse of my vacation visit here last September, 2008, click here.)
I arrived on August 22. Although I had to depart this past Saturday, Aug. 29, I was still able to cram in as much as I could handle in six restful days of apple hunting, wine tasting, sightseeing and pleasantly cool daytime temperatures and even cooler nights. (I had to wear my sweater and jacket every morning much to the chagrin of my hosts!) Now that I have returned home, I will endeavor to post as many of the photos I was able to capture (using a Canon 50D digital SLR camera) over the past week. For now, however, I will leave my Loyal Followers with these preliminary photographic treats and will add more comments and pictures as the work week progresses:
On Wednesday (Aug. 26), I drove the 50 miles to Muir Woods Redwood Park and also managed to visit a park overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge - probably THE most photographed bridge in the world (and why not!).
While in Sebastopol, I had a successful scavenger hunt for the world's BEST apple - The Graventein Apple! I collected over twenty pounds (10 kgs) of the most ripe Gravensteins I could find from two major apple growers in Sonoma County. By the way, not only are these apples great for eating right off the tree, but they make excellent apple sauce! There is a lot I feel I need to say about this little humble little apple but will leave those comments for later this week. Trust me, there is a story to tell about the Gravensteins that I believe my followers will appreciate!!
Muir Woods - perhaps the best known of the redwood parks in California. Located in Marin County, this park is just a few minutes drive north of San Francisco and well worth a visit. (Caution: arrive early in the day as the tiny parking lot quickly fills up to capacity!!)
What makes Sonoma County what it is today more than anything else, are the hundreds of vineyards. I love visiting wineries and tasting some of the finest wines Northern California can produce (rivaling those of France in my humble opinion). Turns out there is a connection between these grape vineyards and the apple orchards that is worth a brief telling and I shall do so in a few days.
I arrived on August 22. Although I had to depart this past Saturday, Aug. 29, I was still able to cram in as much as I could handle in six restful days of apple hunting, wine tasting, sightseeing and pleasantly cool daytime temperatures and even cooler nights. (I had to wear my sweater and jacket every morning much to the chagrin of my hosts!) Now that I have returned home, I will endeavor to post as many of the photos I was able to capture (using a Canon 50D digital SLR camera) over the past week. For now, however, I will leave my Loyal Followers with these preliminary photographic treats and will add more comments and pictures as the work week progresses:
On Wednesday (Aug. 26), I drove the 50 miles to Muir Woods Redwood Park and also managed to visit a park overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge - probably THE most photographed bridge in the world (and why not!).
While in Sebastopol, I had a successful scavenger hunt for the world's BEST apple - The Graventein Apple! I collected over twenty pounds (10 kgs) of the most ripe Gravensteins I could find from two major apple growers in Sonoma County. By the way, not only are these apples great for eating right off the tree, but they make excellent apple sauce! There is a lot I feel I need to say about this little humble little apple but will leave those comments for later this week. Trust me, there is a story to tell about the Gravensteins that I believe my followers will appreciate!!
Muir Woods - perhaps the best known of the redwood parks in California. Located in Marin County, this park is just a few minutes drive north of San Francisco and well worth a visit. (Caution: arrive early in the day as the tiny parking lot quickly fills up to capacity!!)
What makes Sonoma County what it is today more than anything else, are the hundreds of vineyards. I love visiting wineries and tasting some of the finest wines Northern California can produce (rivaling those of France in my humble opinion). Turns out there is a connection between these grape vineyards and the apple orchards that is worth a brief telling and I shall do so in a few days.Enjoy the pictures ... there are many more soon to come!
(PS: This post marks my 101 posting for The Traveling Chemist! Many thanks to all my Loyal Followers!!)
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Replies to COMMENTS:
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John: Wow!! Finding that quote about the Gravenstein apple was really cool! Many thanks!! By the way, there is a Luther Burbank museum and farm in Santa Rosa, CA (population: 155,000).
Saturday, August 15, 2009
HOMEWARD BOUND!!
It's been a relatively "short" trip abroad as international trips go - only about three (3) weeks in duration. Still, it's always pleasant to be on the plane that carries me HOME! It must have been the fact that I was extremely busy throughout the entire period having only a few opportunities to sit back and relax (save for those nice weekends).
A view of the River Rhine as my flight takes off from Frankfurt Airport on Thursday, August 13.
Typical view of the departure area of Terminal "C" at Frankfurt Airport. Planes from everywhere going who knows where.
There is something special about these mechanical flight boards, with each and every one of the individual lines flipping over and over as they change the various numbers and letters. I suppose one day they will replace this huge board with a fully digital display. Still, it's always special (for me at least) to stand and watch this contraption for a few minutes, viewing all the many cities and places that people are flying to. And my flight home is one of these!!
And here is my flight to home - sweet - home! The door to the aircraft was closed on time (about 10:30 am) but we took off about one hour late (an allegedly "minor" mechanical problem). It was "wheels up" at about 11:40 am; we finally landed in Houston about 35 minutes late at 2:30 pm Central time (published arrival time was 1:55 pm). Not bad considering.
A display in the departure lounge of Gate C15 reminds one of all the many time zones we frequently must cross as we scurry about from one place to another ... and that gives rise to that dreaded physical affliction - JET LAG! (I am suffering that now!)
A classic Mercedes on display at Frankfurt Airport (this one was parked in one of the shopping areas located somewhere in-between Terminals "A" and "B").
In case you think the Traveling Chemist only eats at five-star restaurants, well guess again!! Most of the work week I prepare my own sandwiches. About once or twice a week, however, I venture over to what I call "Le Mess Hall" (shown above) and indulge in what I assure you is strictly average fare.
A typical menu at Le Mess Hall in Wafra Field.
A view of the River Rhine as my flight takes off from Frankfurt Airport on Thursday, August 13.
Typical view of the departure area of Terminal "C" at Frankfurt Airport. Planes from everywhere going who knows where.
There is something special about these mechanical flight boards, with each and every one of the individual lines flipping over and over as they change the various numbers and letters. I suppose one day they will replace this huge board with a fully digital display. Still, it's always special (for me at least) to stand and watch this contraption for a few minutes, viewing all the many cities and places that people are flying to. And my flight home is one of these!!
And here is my flight to home - sweet - home! The door to the aircraft was closed on time (about 10:30 am) but we took off about one hour late (an allegedly "minor" mechanical problem). It was "wheels up" at about 11:40 am; we finally landed in Houston about 35 minutes late at 2:30 pm Central time (published arrival time was 1:55 pm). Not bad considering.
A display in the departure lounge of Gate C15 reminds one of all the many time zones we frequently must cross as we scurry about from one place to another ... and that gives rise to that dreaded physical affliction - JET LAG! (I am suffering that now!)
A classic Mercedes on display at Frankfurt Airport (this one was parked in one of the shopping areas located somewhere in-between Terminals "A" and "B"). 
In case you think the Traveling Chemist only eats at five-star restaurants, well guess again!! Most of the work week I prepare my own sandwiches. About once or twice a week, however, I venture over to what I call "Le Mess Hall" (shown above) and indulge in what I assure you is strictly average fare.
A typical menu at Le Mess Hall in Wafra Field.That's it for now. Until next time .....
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Replies to Comments:
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SearchingSoul: Excellent quote and very appropriate! And, as always, thanks for taking the time to read my blog and for your comments. Us fellow travelers know what being away from home is like and, even though we usually enjoy the new horizons our many trips may offer us, how sweet it is to return!
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