Half Dome and Tunnel View at Yosemite NP

In almost every granitic mountain range (but especially in the Sierra Nevada of California) enormous, astounding hemispheres of naked stone-called domes, appropriately-stand above the surrounding terrain to catch the eye and fuel the imagination.

Jon Krakauer, Home Ground, Language for an American Landscape, 2006



We went to the park 2 weeks ago, stopped at the Yosemite Sugar Pine Railroad, (what a blast) and then braved the traffic into Yosemite Valley. It was the Saturday at the end of spring break, talk about a traffic jam. Yosemite is the Hyde Park of the West.



On the way to the valley I just had to stop and take another photo from the Tunnel View. It is always a great spot to people watch, that day there were alot of Asian Indian families there, all the men were in their business suits. If you love to look at waterfalls, now is the time to be in Yosemite. The spring runoff is going great guns and all the valley waterfalls are running full, and there are not that many people in the park. I spent the last 2 weeks working at Curry Village putting shakes on the Curry Village Lounge and everybody is surprised at how few people there are in the park.

Guitars and Porches

Sorry for the time away from the blog, lots going on, the online class I am taking takes alot of free time, deed, census searches, etc.



Every now and again I actually make it into the shop and work on a guitar. Several weeks ago I routed out rosette channels for the Simplicio style double soundhole guitar and I need to update with new photos of that guitar top, because I installed the inlay of curly redwood burl. This photo shows my hand holding the top to drill holes for the router index pin.



The porch has been poured at #705. From left is Marty, Rod, Randy and Casey. Now we are ripping cedar shingles down to 5 and 1/2 inches to nail on to the exterior walls at the Curry Village registration building in Yosemite Valley. My eyes got crossed today from ripping the shingles, it is a very monotonous task.