Saying Goodbye to Gulia

    My dear friend of the last eight years, Gulia is moving out to Portland. I met her the day after she arrived from Bakali. She was tired but excited and also worried. Her friend Renata was still stuck at the Moscow airport. A couple of years later Becky and I had the opportunity to visit Bakali, a small Tatar village near the Urals. Could there be a better place on earth?

    Fast forward to a gathering of her friends to see her off. A couple of days later Gulia and I visited Kentucky's Natural Bridge and rode the chairlift just like I did with my Dad 35 years ago. Then it was to Miguel's Pizza and down to Muir Valley to look for cliffs and rock climbers. A very special day.