AUG 28, 26.. HAPPY BIRTHDAY PATTI..

 Because today, August the 28th 2026, was Patti's Birthday, we wanted to share some of Patti's Birthday photographs with you.

Patti waves Hello to all of us !!

Patti and I were joined this afternoon by Patti's niece and Jason.

The flowers Patti is holding, were a gift from Eryn and Jason.

Patti and I are still very much in love !!

Hello to our Birthday Girl !!

Thanks so very much Patti for sharing your Birthday with all of us!!

Cap

JUN 1, 24 .. GUEST CONTRIBUTORS.. ERYN AND JASON..

Last Summer, Eryn and Jason took a trip from Girdwood, South to Homer, Alaska. From Homer they flew by float plane to Taylor Bay and during the next 3 days the two of them hiked a little over 30 miles along The Tutka Backdoor Trail.

When they reached the end of the trail, they were picked up in Tutka Bay by boat and returned to Homer.

The below photos will give you a good idea where The Tutka Backdoor Trail is located.

The trail is the dark red line at the bottom of the above and below photos.

A closer look at The Tutka Backdoor Trail.

The route begins at the Taylor Bay trailhead and follows the Tutka Backdoor Trail, Tutka Falls Trail, and Tutka Lagoon Trail to finish at Jakolof Bay. Total distance is 50k+ or 31 miles, with around 9,000 feet of elevation gain spread across four major climbs. This is a trail for those who want an epic experience. There is one major river crossing and three minor ones, as well as several creeks to cross, and a tidal lagoon to skirt. Parts of the route are marked only by cairns, and the trail is both steep and rugged. Most of the distance is in alpine tundra, rocks, and subalpine meadows, with lower elevation sections in old-growth spruce forest. The views are amazing. The trail is longer than any other trail in Kachemak Bay State Park.

Below are a few photos from their trip.

Yes it was in a remote location up here in Alaska. 

Nice views.

Their campsite with their dog Vigo guarding the tent!

Smiles and thanks so very much, Eryn and Jason.

Cap and Patti

Eryn responded : 

Hi Cap! It's a great synopsis and it brings back all the memories from that trip, thank you for writing about it! We called the miles we hiked on that trip "hard earned miles" because the trail was very rugged and the miles took longer than most of the trails we hike. We enjoyed every moment though, even when we got off course a few times and had to use the GPS to find the trail. I noticed the photos look a little pixelated. Maybe the ones we sent you were reduced in size.

We did some hiking today and harvested Devil's club buds and fiddleheads. We are still finishing up the cleaning and processing of them now, it's a bit of work! 

MAY 10, 15 .. THE NAN LIAN GARDEN ..

Were it not for Patti's niece Eryn and her Her Man Jason I would NEVER have discovered these two PHENOMENAL sites .. THE NAN LIAN GARDEN and THE CHI LIN NUNNERY ..

THANK YOU SO MUCH JASON AND ERYN ..

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The NAN LIAN GARDEN and the CHI LIN NUNNERY are a Tang Dynasty Buddhist Temple joint attraction. The two are located in the Diamond Hill District of Kowloon a city across Victoria Harbor from Hong Kong.

The NAN LIAN GARDEN (on the right side of the below photo) is located directly across from the CHI LIN NUNNERY (on the left side of the below photo). The two are joined by a raised walkway structure across Fung Tak Road.

One of several methods to get to the two attractions is to ride the Hong Kong MTR to the Diamond Hill Station.

As you walk out of the Diamond Hill MTR Station .. there are several references to the two sites ..

It takes approximately 15-minutes to walk from the Diamond Hill MTR Station to the two sites.

Just in case any of you think these exquisite sites are located out in a remote area of Kowloon ..

GUESS AGAIN !

I am here-to-tell-you that these kind folks KNOW HOW to dress-up their gigantic city! The freeways not withstanding!

My hat is OFF to the local City Planners!

We have arrived ..

A nice 'overview' of the garden.  At the top of the below map of the garden you can see the elevated walkway that leads you across Fung Tak Road into the CHI LIN NUNNERY.

Are you all ready?

Deep Breath! .. Hold it! ..

Into the NAN LIAN GARDEN we go!

Below is your first glimpse of the beautiful ..

Pavillion of Absolute Perfection (Golden Pavillion) located in the center of a reflecting pool (The Lotus Pond).

Yes Indeed! We are in the heart of an enormous city!

The Pavillion of Absolute Perfection .. The Golden Pavillion ..

Now I am walking away from the Pavillion.  I will circle the garden and at the bottom of this Post I will come back to the other side of the Pavillion and show more photos of it.

I feel it is the Center Piece of NAN LIAN GARDEN.

If you look very closely at the above photo .. You can see that there is actually a restaurant behind the water falls!

The below photo .. Is a photo of a photo in the garden.

Now I have come full circle through the garden and have arrived back at the Pavillion of Absolute Perfection that I showed you near the beginning of this Post.

Find the bridge across Fung Tak Road at the top of the map .. Now come directly straight down and you will see the Pavillion of Absolute Perfection (The Golden Pavillion) in the center of The Lotus Pond reflecting pool.

Below you can see the Pavillion on the right between the two red Zi Wu Bridges leading to it.

I will now approach the Pavillion from its opposite side.

I have walked up onto the bridge across Fung Tak Road and am looking down upon the Pavillion.

Some scenes down from the bridge and around and beside the Pavillion.

The stone structure is the base of the bridge across Fung Tak Road.

Now for several photos of The Rockery .. An indoor display of rocks from the Hongshui River ..

The Rockery is the building on the left below.

Inside of The Rockery we go ..

I never seem to tire of nor to be amazed by the Chinese characters!

Patti was with me on the first of my several photo shoots at the NAN LIAN GARDEN ..

 STUNNED and HUMBLED? 

WE TWO BOTH ARE! .. Patti and Cap ..

The next Post below dated May 9, 2015 .. Shows the CHI LIN NUNNERY ..