Following our annual tradition, Micah and I had a fantastic father-son backpacking trip in California’s Sierra Nevada. Of course, we missed Jacob, especially when we saw the lakes full of big fat trout. Throughout the trip, we enjoyed beautiful weather. The highs were in the 70s, lows in the 50s. We looked up to brilliant blue skies. True to the idea of wilderness, we saw few people once the weekend ended (Our trip was from Sunday to Wednesday)....

The perfect Friday ending to a busy week? Bossa nova with Bebel Gilberto at Menlo Park’s Guild Theater. She was accompanied only by an acoustic guitar and drums/percussion, which allowed every nuance of her voice to shine. Bebel has perfect phrasing and played a wide range of her songs and Bossa Nova classics. One highlight was her interpretation of Neil Young’s Harvest Moon. Details Location: Guild Theater Date: September 15, 2023 Attending: Vic, Jeremy

As the lights dimmed, members of Shakti entered the stage to a thunderous standing ovation. The minimal stage set (a low riser, draped in black, and spread with a few Indian carpets) gave few clues to the amazingly complex music soon to follow. As the musicians took their cross-legged seats, a subtle droning sound filled the room. The musicians tuned their instruments casually and settled into their places, like friends relaxing at home....

In May 2023, we returned from Portugal with over 400 photos. For this blog. I picked just a few favorites with a story to tell. A separate photo album covers our time in Magical Madeira. Arrival in Cascais The idea to visit Portugal began with an invitation from the Jacobs Foundation to attend a conference on the theme of how learners can adapt to our changing world. As the timing fit my 60th, Audrey and I decided to make it a birthday trip....

A wild mix of blues, jazz, cuban funk, oh my! Micah and I enjoyed so many genres in one day at this year’s San Jose Jazz Festival. On the main stage, we discovered Vanessa Collier, a passionate young blues singer from South Carolina. In addition to having a captivating voice, Vanessa sang the blues through her saxophone. On the cover photo, she is jamming with Laura Chavez, a brilliant blues guitar player from nearby Mountain View....