Interesting to see your picture from 1974 in West Lafayette, Indiana. We lived most of our lives about an hour south of there in Covington, Indiana. Many great biking routes in that area. I also want to note about your very fine mile time. The same effort on today's track surfaces and wearing the new so called "super shoes" would yield a much faster time.

Weird, Steve and I are engaged in a similar futile attempt to continue to declutter our house. We have boxes, bookshelves and drawers of multiple dressers, all filled with memorabilia, books and clothing/other stuff which we promise ourselves regularly will be sorted and thinned out. Who knows, this may be the year?

I’ve never been to one of those bullfights either, but if it ever did it would be one of those in the. Camargue, or maybe in southern Portugal. I don’t know anything about where all they take place in the region, but there are multiple venues scattered around. There was a bull running in in Aigue-Mortes when we were there this fall, and also in Saint-Remy; but the stadium in Arles is the primary venue in the region. It would take some research to see if you could figure out where and when you might see one though. Let me know if you’d like me to help you hunt.

We were just researching the Carmague this morning! I even went so far as to find out the pronunciation - ka-maar (those letters on the end are there only to confuse foreigners like me). Jacinto would like to see a bull fight, and I'm willing to see a French style bull fight where the razeteur tries to pull rosettes off of the bull's horns. There are several razeteurs in the ring at a time, competing agains each other to retrieve the most rosettes. I can go for this style of bull fighting!

I have a few mathoms myself - thank you for the introduction to the word.

I too have rocks... Hundreds of pounds of them. Slowly giving away a few brachiopods, corals, crinoids, etc. to folks who have an interest. At this rate, 90% will remain when I pass.

It was perfectly fine - the street was all but empty and he just pulled off into the parking lane and then walked out into the middle of the street and pointed his long lens our way. Gerry Lewin, arguably Oregon’s premier photojournalist of the era.

Worthy of the front page photo, but not sure about the sudden stop from the photographer to get the shot.

Glad to hear it!

Oh, well yes, of course. They were my standard footwear for years, in all seasons. Those and open-toed sandals, with a pair of black oxfords I’d wear maybe once or twice a year to special occasions such as a wedding or mom or dad’s birthday party.

And pretty good outfitting for a bike tour across half the continent, don’t you think? I put in several centuries and even an epic 195 mile ride with a rucksack on my back, in tennis shoes.

The iconic Converse canvas shoe, the Chuck Taylor All-Star. https://www.converse.com/shop/chuck-taylor-all-star-shoes

Likely not. What are Chuck Taylors?

Are those Chuck Taylors?

I’m glad you said that, because I actually did get a very limited scholarship to the University of Washington, where I competed as a freshman until the lure of the pool hall ended all that. I’d forgotten all about that too.

Looking and feeling both. It always amazes me how many lives we carry within ourselves, stashed away and half forgotten.

Looking very different with a beard!