Tuesday, June 3, 2008

pic dump 2

Sculpture along Peace Portal Drive (Blaine):


Looking outward:


The sculpture's pediment testifies to the town's Icelandic heritage:


The sculpture again (it's titled "Vigil"):


This looked more dignified when the flag was flapping freely; now it looks as though the guy is spearing the flag:


The dessert I had at the Mexican restaurant on Peace Portal: fried taco shell containing apple pie filling, topped with strawberry sauce and whipped cream. Delish.


Goff's Department store in Blaine, which Nan Geer told me contained something famous...


...a 1909-era cash register that still works!




A last look at First Church Unitarian on the day I left it (this past Saturday):




Down the long road we go...




This snake greeted me while I was on the Birch Bay-Lynden road:




Making it to Lynden:


The entrance to the Sikh gurdwara (place of worship):




A closer shot of the gurdwara itself. I stayed in an outbuilding off to the left.


An interior shot of my digs:


The Korean-style bed I enjoyed after my 16.67-mile walk:


The Hugeness. Note the cryptic salt patterns.


See the khanda on the door of my place? Interestingly, the only room that had a doorknob was the bathroom. I wonder why.


The garden outside my outbuilding:


What's this flower?


The refectory:


Another refectory shot:


Charnjit, the guy who first helped me out when I entered the temple. He practices taekwondo and recently had to fight his sister, whom he described as "energetic."


Charnjit suggested I take a picture of the bulletin board:


I need to read through my notes to describe the food I was eating, but it was good:


Mr. Satpal Sidhu (center, no turban) with Charnjit and friend:


Another refectory shot:


A glimpse of the anteroom before the prayer hall:


The red line divides the worship space into the women's side (left, from your point of view) and the men's side (right). Note the people sitting on the small stage. They are like musical liturgists, singing/chanting the scripture and thereby providing the textual content of the service (or at least, the part of the service I saw, and I was there at least 30-40 minutes):


This man, who said nothing the entire time I sat in on the worship service, had a magnificent brush that he would wave about periodically. I tried to determine what would motivate him to wave the brush (which looks a lot like one of those giant horsehair brushes used by Korean calligraphers when they make those gargantuan Chinese characters)... near as I can figure, he would wave the brush whenever someone was crossing the worship area's threshold, but that's only a guess. (Sorry for the blurriness.)


The expensive hotel where I'm currently staying-- the Chrysalis:


We're walking out to the water now with the intention of touching the ocean...












One witness to the act:


Almost there:






And here's the video of the golden moment.


Another couple shots of my hotel:




In Bellingham Bay:


The Zen center I'd been hoping to visit. Each time I've been there, no one was in. Poor timing, I guess.


Some plantish action happening at the Zen center:


Up close:


These sure look like Korean tap (tiny tower/cairns formed of stones piled on each other and often expressing prayers or wishes; the word also refers to pagodas), but why all the crumbly concrete?


I must be at the right place:


There are eight flagstones. Eight-fold Path?


What follows are pics of my over-luxurious accommodations. I'll never be able to do this again.










And now... a picture not for the squeamish:


The above is from my left hip, where the fat roll was pinched and otherwise severely chafed. Some pus action happening. I've done the disinfecting thing, but as long as I keep wearing this backpack, this is going to happen. Luckily, the pain goes away after I belt myself in and walk about a hundred yards. Of course, it returns after I've rested for a bit...


_

7 comments:

Stafford said...

Kev,

That's some nice chaffing action. As you might know I have a bit of experience with chaffing being that I have survived something like 5 summers in Korea now, and am still the same large size.
The key is dryness. While you are in the state you are now make sure you cover it with gauze or something.
Once it heals (and you may want to try this on areas you think are prone to chaffing) smother the area in antiperspirant. I find the stick stuff works better than roll on or spray. The Active ingredient works a treat in keeping stuff dry, and lubricated in the initial stages of the morning.
This approach is reasonably cheap and there is the added bonus of smelling nice. (or at least "Manly Fresh")
Have been following you with great interest, and I'm missing you on the RoK.
-Stafford

Horace Jeffery Hodges said...

I see those salt marks on your shirt . . . and recall my own less-sedentary past.

Good luck. Stay strong. Don't give up as the going gets rough.

Jeffery Hodges

* * *

Unknown said...

The name of the flower pictured toward the top of your "picture dump" is an iris.

Anonymous said...

If yew let infection infect mhore, your trhippe won't last that long hatte.

Anonymous said...

They have zazenkai at the Red Cedar Zen Center on Wednesdays at 1 pm and 6:30 pm:

http://www.bellinghamzen.org/practice.html

Anonymous said...

Also, that's a garter snake. Looks like the Northwestern Garter Snake, Thamnopsis ordinoides.

http://www.ups.edu/x6126.xml

Kevin Kim said...

Thanks, all. Alan, that's the very Zen center I've been trying to get in contact with since I was in Blaine. I'm hitting a campground this evening and going back over to the Zen center tomorrow. They're willing to put me up for the night, and might even be working on my next stop. More on this in a bit.


Kevin