Mike Garofalo lives in Vancouver,
Orchards & Five Corners Neighborhoods,
Northeast Clark County, Washington State.

He is available for public readings
in Vancouver or Portland.

He writes, reads and studies Poetry.
His hobbies include: gardening,
writing, walking adventures,
yurt camping, reading, blogging,
Taijiquan, exploring the Northwest,
research studies, local trips,
and family activities.

He has been web publishing since
1998 at Green Way Research.

Mike is 80 years of age.
He has a calm, pleasant, and
friendly speaking voice.
He is a big tall elderly gent.

Best to send him email.

Thursday, December 19, 2024

Portland, Oregon

Photos Taken from the Internet:

Friday, December 29, 2023

Mr. Hood, Oregon

Stratovolcano, 11,240 Feet (3,425 M)

East of Portland, Vancouver, Gresham, Troutdale, Sandy OR

Cascades Mountain Range, Northwestern Oregon

Mt. Hood, Oregon - Wikipedia

Cascade Volcanic Arc

We can view Mt. Hood from many locations in Vancouver and Portland, Washington.

Karen and I have traveled all around this dramatic mountain many times since 2001.

Cascade Volcanic Arc

Tuesday, October 31, 2023

Columbia River Sightseeing

Sunday, July 03, 2022

Gardening in Different Places

Since we now live in the Columbia River Valley in Clark County, Vancouver, Washington, North West USA ... our gardening and yard chores will be different.

I believe that our USDA zone in Vancouver is Hardiness Zone 8a (10F-15F)

Our chore list will change significantly in the coming months. We now live on a parcel that is .3 acres in the unincorporated area of Vancouver, Washington, while, before we lived for 17 years on a five acre parcel of land in Red Bluff, California. We lived before in a rural area; now we live in a suburban neighborhood, part of the Portland, Oregon, Metropolitan area.

One constant is the daily watering of potted plants of summer annuals, and some potted perennials and shrubs.

July - Quotes, Poems, Sayings for Gardners

Months - Quotes

High Summer Feast Day, August 1st

July Gardening Chores
For Red Bluff, California, USDA Zone 9

Water plants: take advantage of cool morning hours, use daytime shade.
Water plants deeply and less frequently.
Water potted plants carefully on very hot days.
Mow lawns, but don't mow low.
Mulch and compost: straw, cuttings, leaves, twigs, chips, shredded paper, garbage.
Water compost pile areas.
Manage cutworms and other garden pests.
Weed around vegetables and shrubs.
Plant for autumn vegetable crops.
Use straw mulch to help control weeds and cool soil.
Maintenance on lawn mowing equipment.
Pick and save or eat fresh vegetables and fruits.
Dry fruit in sun.
Water plants. Use irrigation ditch water efficiently and effectively.
Get up early to work in the cool morning hours.
Thin out excess fruit on trees.
Mulch with straw, chips, compost.
Train vines on support structures.
Read, listen to music, relax and sleep in the shade.
Tend to and enjoy annuals in bloom.

Monday, June 20, 2022

What Runs But Never Gets Tired?

The annual average rainfall (AAR) in the different places I have lived is of note for me:

1946-1967 Unincorporated East Los Angeles, Bandini Neighborhood/Varrio,
City of Commerce, Southern California AAR = 15”
1948-1958 Karen grew up in Alexandria, Central Indiana AAR = 42"
1969-1973 Biloxi, Mississippi AAR = 65”
1973-1983 Bell Gardens, Southern California AAR = 15”
1983-1998 Hacienda Heights, California AAR = 15”
1998-2017 Red Bluff, Northern California AAR = 25”
2017– Vancouver, Southwestern Washington, Northwest USA AAR = 42”

Vancouver, Washington, is rated as USDA Agricultural Zone 8B.

Zone 8b means that the average minimum winter temperature is 15 to 20 °F.

"Ancient traditions have long associated holy wells and springs as very special places of the Goddess or anima mundi: symbolic of the Great Mother and associated with birth, the feminine principle, the universal womb, the prima materia, the waters of fertility and refreshment and the fountain of life. The dreaming sites, as they are called, have also been associated with visions, healing, and other paranormal experiences. In ancient Greece, for example, there were more than three-hundred medical centers placed at water sources, where patients experienced healing."
- Christopher and Tricia McDowell, The Sanctuary Garden, 1998, p. 62

"Day after day we looked for rain, and day after day we saw nothing but the sun. Lavender that we had planted in the spring died. The patch of grass in front of the house abandoned its ambitions to become a lawn and turned into the dirty yellow of poor straw. The earth shrank, revealing its knuckles and bones, rocks and roots that had been invisible before."
- Peter Mayle

Water and Rain: Quotations, Sayings, Thoughts

What runs but never gets tired?
Water

"Water is the driver of Nature."
- Leonardo da Vinci

Interstate 5 Highway Bridge from Vancouver, Washington to Portland, Oregon.

This bridge crosses the Columbia River.

Columbia River Valley

Mt. Hood and Hood River Valley, Oregon
The Hood River flows into the Columbia River.

Astoria, Oregon, where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean.

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Fetyko Family School of Taijquan

Today, 10/24.2017, I attended a class conducted by Sifu David Fetyko in Vancouver.

The class location was at 318 99th Street in Vancouver, Washington.
The group class is located in a Taekwondo dojo.
Phone: 360-695-6741
Email: info@taichiwithme.com
Facebook

The morning class is on Tuesday and Thursday morning. Qigong is from 8:45 am to 9:15 am, Taijiquan from 9:15 am to 10:45 am. Sifu is generous with his instructional time. He also teaches elsewhere in Vancouver, and offers private lessons.

The classroom is in a very nice, clean, not smelly, and spacious Taekwondo studio near Interstate 5 at 99th Street.

Cost is about $15.00 per lesson.

I watched Sifu Fetyko teaching two students the short Chen 17 form of Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang.

He was a patient, considerate, and kind teacher. For a 77 year old man, he was steady, agile, skilled, and confident. He corrected students postures in a gentle manner.

He took the time after class to introduce himself to me, chat, and provide me with some insights. He recommended two books on preventing and reversing heart disease.

I have been exploring Taijiquan classes in Vancouver. I have attended Taijiquan classes by Sifu Knack and Sifu Fetyko in Vancouver. They teach in nice, clean, and fresh facilities. I did not like the dojo of Sifu Moy in Salmon Creek.

After three months of taking classes with Mr. Fetyko, I stopped taking his classes. His style of teaching was far too slow for my tastes. Too much time spent warming up, obscure explanations of Qi, expensive class costs, and too many tedious corrections of the student's form work. Also, as you came to know Mr. Fetyko on a personal basis, your worldview and his Christian Fundamentalism and anti-intellectualism might not be compatible.

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Autumn in Southwest Washington

The autumn colors in Southwest Washington are much more dramatic than in Red Bluff, California. We are greatly enjoying the colorful display in Vancouver.
Today, we are taking a drive in the country.

Autumn: Quotes, Poetry, Lore, Links

Friday, September 22, 2017

Camping at Horseshoe Lake

Last weekend we camped for three nights at Horseshoe Lake. It is on the western side of Mt. Adams (12,200 feet). The glaciers on Mt. Adams were the largest I have ever seen, other than in documentaries.

The views of Mt. Adams were spectacular. Next summer, I hope to camp at Takhlakh Lake. We visited four different small lakes in the area. This was the last week for camping in this area which will be closed from around September 22 to July 1st of next year due to the heavy snowfall.

Mick fished. Since nobody was in this campground, Mick and April could let their two dogs roam around more.

Everyone enjoyed themselves.

The campground was under strict fire prevention rules. We could not have a campfire - which was missed in the morning at evening.

Karen and I still had problems with poor sleeping pads. We will solve this problem before our next trip.

The 47 mile drive down dirt/gravel Forest Service road 21 to Horseshoe Lake was a bit difficult for us. We are not used to the challenges of driving on this kind of road. Our old 2003 Ford Explorer did just fine.

I purchased a Washington fishing licence on 9/20. Mick and I plan to go to Battleground Lake next Monday.

Thursday, August 24, 2017

Steady Progress

Karen and I have been busy working on making our new house our home.

We have improved the back yard with new plants, trellis, pots, fencing, steps, pavers, etc.

There are still some boxes remaining in our garage waiting to be unboxed, sorted, and moved. We want to park one of our cars in the garage for easy loading and unloading in the garage, especially during our coming wet autumn-winter season. With 45 inches of rain per year average, a sheltered place for our car will be useful.

I joined the local LA Fitness gym. It is 2.8 miles from my new home. It has all the facilities, equipment, and amenities I will need for exercising. It also has a very nice heated lap pool. I will try their yoga classes.

Walking for 30 minutes in the morning and/or evening. Beautiful summer weather here in Vancouver for pleasant walks.

My new (6/6/17) pacemaker seems to be working OK. My sprained right hand and broken right ring finger are steadily healing. I now have a team of physicians and good health care support here in Vancouver.

I had hoped to study Tai Chi Chuan and Qigong here in Vancouver with Sifu Brian Knack. However, unfortunately, he retired and moved from the area. I am researching Tai Chi Chuan training options in Vancouver. There are many options in nearby Portland. However, commuting from Vancouver to Portland and back to Vancouver is very time consuming and inefficient considering typical traffic patterns.

Thursday, July 06, 2017

Work Completed: Phase One

We define "Phase One Completed" as when a room in our new home has no storage boxes in it, most of our current belongings fill the room in a relatively normal manner, the room is functionally useful, and we are both satisfied with the progress.

We have completed Phase One for the front entrance living room, the main large bedroom, and Karen's office in the first small bedroom, and the two bathrooms.

The golden retriever dog is my daughter's dog. This is the front entrance living room.

Karen's office in the first small bedroom. This is her main "communications" center. A comfortable rocking chair behind her makes for a good place to stay in touch with others with the phone, texting, or social media; and, a nice place for reading books or her Kindle. She is the family business manager.

We are now working on our large family room that we call the "Wood Room." Not near Phase One Completed.

Thursday, June 29, 2017

Busy Moving 2

Got the Main Bedroom back in order.
Got an office workstation set up for Karen in 2nd bedroom. Cable TV and high speed Internet.
Set up an area for potted plant nursery in southwest corner of back garden.
Set up hoses and watering areas.
Cleaned off the outside back porch.
Keep a close eye on Bruno in the back yard: temptations include chickens, dogs, ducks. Bruno can dig under fences.
Working today on installing wood shelving in Wood Room (large room with wood floor).
Moving books from boxes to shelving.
Install sliding screen door on outside of sliding glass doors in the Wood Room.

I will include some photographs later today or tomorrow.