Blog draft june 5 26

Recalling

It appears a coincidence has occurred: we traveled 8 days on our recent trip and I posted 8 blogs about it. I could have covered it all in one posting, but it was more fun for me to do the 8 posts. Besides, my mind went to many bits and pieces I would have left out if I hadn’t recalled more details.

That’s the fun of any trip; seeing and experiencing the many aspects of travel we often take for granted. Vistas is the biggest memory, but the components of that view are just important. Things like color, texture, smells, wind or breezes, temperatures and that sort of thing all comprise the experience. Feelings are a part of that as well. How did I feel that day? What mood prevailed? Was their laughter present? What produced the feelings in those moments. So much more is recalled.

I remember once that Rocky was not used to my need for motion. He asked to stop often to take photos. I demurred. He finally stuck the camera out the sun roof to snap shots he would otherwise miss. They came out OK; not great, but OK. We laughed about that for years. Recall; see what I mean?

Aromas, too, are powerful memory boosts. I can sit in an office with a window open, and one whiff will take me back to California, or Massachusetts, or wherever I’ve lived. An example: living in Massachusetts for just a few weeks, I asked a neighbor about the smell I noticed about the region. She pondered for several moments and finally mentioned the while thyme that grows everywhere in the Berkshires. And that was it exactly. Wil thyme stuck with me forever. Any time I smell it I am transported back to Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

Perspective is another cause for recall. I see dots moving about a space and remember seeing large trucks moving along a highway in Arizona or Utah. The spaces were so vast I often failed to note what I was seeing. A long way off is but a glance in the great open west. Highways are bare lines in the distance. Things moving upon the look like dots.

And sounds! The roar of silence. In the desert this is most obvious. Great open spaces without much movement. A breeze moves scant flora a little bit. Few animals to see. Just sand and rock and blue sky. Silence so prevalent the ears ache to hear anything. A roar becomes apparent but only seeking sound.

Travel provides a dictionary of recalled moments. Surprising what prods the mind. But the recall is its own treasure.

June 5, 2026

Remember the Epstein Files

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