2007.9.29. Seattle Symphony.

Bright Sheng: Tibetan Love Songs
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4

I arrived late. Luckily they started with National Anthem (why?), so I didn't miss anything on the program.
The Tibetan songs are very loud. Large presence of wind instrument. I don't like it, but I appreciate Gerard Schwarz's willingness of staging new composition. At least it's short.
Cecile Licad is wonderful: tremendous power yet delicate at places. I almost forgot how I love this piece.
Tchaikovsky composed 4th symphony after a brief and disastrous marriage. However it sounds more upbeat to me than his own description (in a letter to Nadezhda von Meck, copied from the program notes):

The introduction is the germ of the entire symphony. This is Fate, which prevents our hopes of happiness from being realized, which ... hangs over us like the Sword of Damocles, a constant, relentless spiritual torment. It is invincible, inescapable. There is no recourse but submission to suffering... Would it not be better to turn from reality and lull oneself with dreams? Little by little, dreams capture the soul. Despair and sadness vanish. There is happiness! But no, it is only a dream, which Fate dispels once more. So life swings constantly between cruel reality and ephemeral dreams of happiness.
The second movement expresses another aspect of suffering. It is the melancholy of evening, ... [when] memories flood the mind... How bitter yet sweet it is to sink into the past.
The third movement expresses nothing to definite. Rather, it is a succession of capricious arabesques that pass through the mind when one has had a little wine and feels the first glow of intoxication.
Fourth movement: If there is no joy within you, turn to others. Go to the people. They know how to lose themselves in revelry and pleasure... But no sooner do you abandon yourself to merriment than Fate reappears, reminding you of your suffering. The others pay no attention to your sorrow... They still enjoy simple, primitive pleasures; join them, and life will yet be bearable.

2007.9.23. Rachel Lake. 8 miles RT / 1900 ft gain. Took us 3 hrs up and 2 hrs down. Pretty slow for this. Only the 3rd quarter is a bit steep. Huckleberry leaves are turning red. Some minor creek crossing. Small waterfalls due to the season. Saw one cute woodpecker with a red highlight in his hair, many mushrooms (either wormy or poisonous). Very pleasant lake. Windy and chilly. Next to the lake provides a good view of the valley. More trails from here, lead to Rampart Lakes (snowed last night!), Lila Lake, or Alta Mountain.
Direction: I-90 exit 62, 4 miles to Kachess Lake Campground, then left 4 miles to a junction, then left 0.2 miles.
Another good link.

2007.9.20. Seattle Symphony and Vocalpoint! Seattle (a high school branch of Northwest Choirs) performs Sci-Fi movie favorites (Star Wars, Superman, E.T., Star Trek, Once upon a time)

Jack Everly, conductor
George Takei, narrator
Kristen Plumley, soprano
Mike Eldred, tenor

The soprano has a true opera voice, the tenor's is more for musical, Captain Sulu's is magnetic. The conductor wears white costume, black bow tie and black trousers, a bit too rush. He speaks before each piece. His baton turns to a green little laser stick at the end. Strong green laser beams synchronize with some numbers, but rather silly. Entertaining, nonetheless.

2007.9.18. Lone Star Love at The 5th Ave Theatre. Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor, set in Texas. Good music and dance, costume and stage design. Messy story. Some of the chorus pieces were fabulous, for example, the very first song: "cattlemen of Texas". Great violin playing, for example, the solo song by the doctor "the fatal dose".

2007.9.17. Twelfe Night at Seattle Repertory Theatre. Excellent acting and costumes. Simple yet well designed stage (didn't change during intermission). Clear articulation, witty and rhymed verses. S Very funny, even though I could only understand half of what's been voiced. Well, maybe some day I'll read Shakespeare.

2007.9.15. Keith Urban in his world tour, promoting his latest album Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing. Key Arena 8pm. Two young girls sang the first 30 minutes, then a 30 min pause. Urban showed up at 9:05, with his ugly consort (4 other guitars + 1 drum). A local group Cascade Drum Corp was featured. A large screen was put up with sophisticated lighting switches and camera & projectors, so you can see the singer's sweat.
The songs are fine, especially the one he sang alone on a piano (at least the volume was manageable). I had my Ipod ear buds in through out the concert, and it was still too loud. The accompaniments were rhythmical, repetitive, yet not too boring. The crowd was in love with the guy, they can sing every single song, and kept standing for most of the time. While I had never heard of his name until this day. I still don't know why I went. Maybe because I was told that he was married to Nicole Kidman, who, in my opinion, the embodiment of western beauty. Some teenage girl at the door sold me a $60 ticket for $20.

2007.9.14. Tony Bennett at Paramount Theatre (8pm - 9:20). A sold-out event, but were able to buy tickets from the box office, when some reserved seats were released. (Had to line up at the ticket office 90 minutes before the show. But worth it: good seats!)
Tony sang one song without microphone. His gang includes a keyboard, a base, a guitar, and drums. The guy at keyboard is incredible.

2007.9.9. Celebrated my first climb at Herb Farm. An delightful experience, but not plentiful. Menu changes twice a month. Extensive wine list. Crowded tables with 5 wine glasses and a water cup for each guest, and most guests have to share the table with others. Even though this is a 9 course meal paired with 5-6 courses of wine (possible to order other selective pairings), I ended the evening with my neighbor's desert. Slow but reasonably attentive service. Arrived at the restaurant at 4pm, left at 9:20, content and sleepy.
Before dining, Angela lead a brief yet wonderful tour of the kitchen garden, handing out a few herbs / flowers for the guest to taste (my favorite was day lily, fennel flower and cinnamon basil come the second), and visited two cute pigs.
Both chef Jerry Traunfeld and sommelier Tysan Pierce gave a quick run-over of what we would be tasting during the first course, introduced the staff and walked among the guests throughout the evening. The reservation confirmation email stated that the wine will be poured freely. That's not my experience. Only one of the wines I asked for a bit more (what everyone was given was very little to begin with), but I didn't get any.

1st course: Behold the Tomato
Sungold tomato and goat chease tart
Albacore tuna on fried green tomato
Herbed tomato and melon cocktail
2002 Argyle Oregon Brut
(The tart and tuna were wonderful. I had half of a pineapple basil leaf in the wine: one of the three to choose from.)

2nd: Essence of Corn Soup
with Grilled Matsutake, purslane, and tiny ears of corns
2006 Nefarious Cellars Rieslings, Stones Throw Vineyard
(The soup was exceptional, just too little: maybe just one table spoon. Mushroom was a bit too salty.)

3rd: Lummi Island Reef Net Salmon
Gently roasted in a squash blossom with fine herbes sauce
2003 McCrea Cellars Roussanne, Red Mountain
2002 Seven Hills Windery Viognier, Columbia Valley

4th: King Boletes & Chanterelles
with Hebed Gnuddi, red pepper sauce, and globe basil
2004 L'herbe Sauvage Pinot Noir, Etzel Grapes of Wrath Cuvee or
1994 Eyrie Vineyards Pinot Noir.
(They wouldn't pour me more wine!)

5th: Lavender-Crusted Muscovy Duck
3 colors of beets, onion pudding, fillet beans, Huckleberry sauce.
2002 Buty Winery Rediviva of The Stone.
(The best course of the evening. Both magret and confit were delicious.)

6th: Estrella Creamery Farmstead Cheese
with Apple-sage Strudel.
(Strudel was better than the cheese.)

7th: Watermelon and Blueberries
with Cinnamon Basil Ice.
(The sorbet was fabulous. Just too little: smaller than my thumbnail.)

8th: Stone Fruits and Herbs
Balckberry-rose Geranium Ice Cream Cone;
Plum, Lavender, and Walnut Tart;
Caramelized Pear, and Almond Cake;
with Anise Hyssop Ice Cream.
(The tart was the best.)

Last course: coffee, or tea and Small Treats
Raspberry Gel;
Chocolate Mint Macaroon;
Vanilla Palmier;
Lemon Verbena & carrot White chocolate;
Candied Fennel Dark chocolate Truffle.
(My favorites were the raspberry and the dark chocolate. About 10 different tea to choose from. I picked something familiar: jasmine dragon pearl.)

2007.9.8. Tiger again. This time, added a 15 minute hike to West Tiger 2. Saw 4 para gliders. There's an unnerving ticking sound at the cable station.

2007.09.01-02. Climb Mt Adams

Climbing Mt Adams (12276 ft)'s southern (non-technical) route: trail 183. My first (maybe only) time ever attempt to climb a real mountain. Accommodating weather, incredible view (Mt Rainier appeared to be lower!), fabulous sunsets, dry trails, extremely windy slopes, and seemingly endless steps. I'm still digesting the fact that I have made it, and a sense that as long as I try hard, and not give up, I can do anything I want.

Day 1: Depart from Seattle at 8:30am. Took 84 in Oregon and crossed Columbia River over the toll bridge (c75) Hood River <-> White Salmon. Arrived at Trout Lake around 1pm. Lunch next to the White Salmon River (a raft launch spot). Registered at the ranger station ($15), and picked up the plastic "Human Waste Pack-out System". Drove to Cold Creek Campground: the trail head (5600 ft). Started walking shortly after 3pm. Trees soon gave away to dust and rubbles. Reached Lunch Counter (9000 ft) around 5:30. Picked a camping spot 20 min higher up, with view of Mt Hood and Mt Jefferson to the south, and a clear view of tomorrow's destination. Melt snow to cook dinner. Temperature dropped fast, I huddled into my down sleeping bag without cleaning my pot. However desolate and windy, few grass actually made their home here. Sunset (~8pm) and the night sky took on a different splendor.

Day 2: The sun rose ~6:30am, casting Mt Adams' shadow over St. Helens. ~7:15, armed with plastic boots, crampons and ice axe, the real climb started. Two ice fields, one terrible rocky slope with loose stones, and countless little pauses later, stopped for lunch ~11:40am behind a pile of rocks, watching clouds zooming by. Quite a number of climbers wore no crampons, nonetheless they marched past me like rockets. I even saw one guy in shorts! Half an hour later, I was on all fours, trying to scale the last steep slope towards Piker's Peak (11600 ft). Once here, when the true summit came into view, I began to entertain the idea that I might be able to reach the goal. A small dip and the final yet gentler ascent put me on the summit ~1:15pm. Boy, what a feeling, and what a hut! I signed in the log book in a lead box next to the ruined hut. Now, picture time!
Coming down was no easy matter. Sliding at places, which was fun, but got my butt all wet. Again, seemingly endless trek. When I spotted the tent, my heart almost sang. 3 hrs later, had some hot soup, washed up a bit. I couldn't keep my eyes open to wait for the sunset.

Day 3: Up early, packed everything and started descent ~7:30am. 2.5 hr later, back to the car. ~3pm home, and laundry! It's a long way.