...Bach could be viewed as a musical cul-de-sac within the history of the eighteenth century itself: he did little to extend the musical vocabulary of his age, and his music hardly served as a basis for that of the succeeding generation. Yet what has made him a summit for many is his apparent ability to transcend historical contingency, somehow to stop the clock of outward progress and to rearrange and recreate the world as he knew it. - John Butt
2005, May 28
Vacation
A short trip to San Luis Obispo County to visit my daughter's family.
This month I took a short trip through the Salinas valley which lies between the Bay area and San Luis Obispo. The valley is planted mostly with lettuce and grapevines.
While I was there we visited the Las Pilitas Nursery near Santa Margarita. I found a Navaho Blue Oak and two sticky monkey flowers, the Diplacus (Mimulus) rutilus and the Diplacus (Mimulus) puniceus.
This is my baby Navaho Blue Oak.

I spent some time with my granddaughter and am so impressed with how her parents are managing.

We went for a short walk to the nearby beach, where there were Cliff Swallows nesting. You can just see the heads of the chicks in the nest opening.

The Morro Bay area is famous for peaks and rock formations.



On the beach there are evidences of the motion of the coastal hills.




The coastal scrub is at its peak of May color.








