Today we leave on another adventure, which includes two river cruises and a train journey from Toronto to Vancouver.  During the Spring we usually find ourselves somewhere in Japan for the sakura blossoming.  The peak this year will be from the end of March to early April.  This time, we will see cherry blossoms virtually all across the USA and Canada, and, surprisingly enough, our timing is good. I spent three years working for the U.S. Senate in DC, and had memorable Sakura viewings.  Cherry blossoms are now blooming there, with a peak expected to be from the end of this month to early April.  The top three sites in the USA, according to Google AI, are the Tidal Basin in DC, Macon-Georgia and the University of Washington Quad in Seattle. First stop, Las Vegas.  And amazingly enough, Google AI mentions three locations. Gardens Park   (Summerlin):   Located at 10401 Garden Park Dr, this park features real cherry trees that bloom, offering a peacef...

This is September 13, and a Friday.  Some consider this to be a bad luck day.  The origin goes back to   The Bible , and more specifically, Jesus.   As such, many other countries also are stuck with this superstition.  However, in Italy, long associated with Catholicism, Friday the 17th is  unlucky .  This is because the number 17 in roman numeral is XVII, and anagram of VIXI, which means  I have lived in Latin .  Some consider this is a bad omen, as it  implies that death is soon .  Oh well, I am posting this article today because it relates to September 13, which in 1969 was a Saturday. 1969 was a heck of a year. That was 55 years ago. I was sent to LSU in Baton Rouge, Louisiana by C. Brewer of the Hawaiian Sugar Industry to earn a master's degree in chemical engineering.   They paid my salary and LSU gave me a full fellowship, waiving tuition, so when you add the income of nurse wife, this was the only time when we actu...