Creede Colorado 4th of July Parade

Chicago miscellania

Made a quick trip to Chicago to visit Charlotte and Hannah. 

Our stay at the Lincoln Hotel offered a beautiful view of the sunrise over Lake Michigan.

I took daily walks through Lincoln Park to see the Chicago skyline.

Also visited the Lincoln Park Zoo, where I sat with the silverbacks...

chimpanzees...

and a polar bear, who was not particularly happy with the warm summer weather.

Finally, here's Hannah doing her best to be supportive of Charlotte, 

who was recovering from surgery and needed to take lots of naps. 

All in all, a good visit and a relaxing few days with the ones I love most.

Morning Walk to Seepage Lake

We headed out on Monday to check out the state of Seepage Lake near our cabin.  We parked the truck and hiked up the last half mile to the Lake.  

Seepage is brimming full this year and the water is clear and cold (hopefully growing large and hungry trout). 

Walking along the edge there is much to see. But no trout in this bright sunny morning. 

Around the lake, a herd of the happiest cows ever were contentedly chewing down high mountain grass.   

This fellow was not bothered in the least by the cold water or our stopping by for a visit. 

After a three-mile circumambulation of Seegage, we are satisfied that the water is just right for many days of fishing.  We'll be back! 

Relics of the Past

So, I'm in Queens, NY, for the premiere of Relic, Or I Was Bubbie's Favorite by Joel Feinman at Queens Theatre in the Park. It was a quiet day today, simply working on lights and sound cues.

More interesting is the fact that the theatre is adjacent to the Unisphere, which was erected for the 1964 World's Fair.

The theatre is also located in a building from the World's Fair era.

Since I couldn't sleep, before rehearsal, I spent the morning at Mt. Zion Cemetery, visiting with relics of my family history. It feels like I'm here on a pilgrimage of sorts, revisiting familiar people and places and presenting a play about family, tradition and inheritance. 

The Simon section at Mt. Zion is part of the Empire City Benevolent Society, which funded the plots. My great grandfather Jacob Joseph Simon was on the Benevolent Society committee, so his name is listed on the above gate.

Jacob Simon also was an Indian War veteran.

Jacob Simon's brother George changed his last name to Simonds, perhaps because it sounded less Jewish. His son Leonard died in childhood and is buried nearby.

 

Annie Simon was my great grandmother.  She married Jacob and had four sons, including my grandfather Barney, also known as Benjamin.

After Annie died a the age of 42, Jacob married Ray Simon to help him care for his four young sons. A relative from England, Ray was Jacob's "spinster" cousin.

Barney and Rose Simon, my grandparents. 

Uncle Leroy Simon is the third generation of Simons buried here.

Life in Laguna

It's not every day in Laguna that we get to the beach or out on the water, but we did so this weekend, and had the most amazing experience seeing gray whales migrating north, as well as common dolphins swimming along with the boat.