Travelog 4

Western Wear--
On our way to Hood River we took a side trip to Smith Rock. One of my big regrets lately, and I have a few, is my inability to do some serious hiking that I so loved. I was envious of the hikers getting into their gear and heading up the many switchbacks on these rocks. And if I just closed my eyes, I felt like I was amid canyon walls in Utah. Another magnificent aspect of this natural stone outcropping is they pop out of almost nowhere in the land, stick jaggerly out of the earth and then are gone just as fast. The next thing you realize is that you are back on a highway with Ponderosa pines and Western Whites towering over the roadway that you can almost roll down the window and touch just about all the way to the Columbia River.
It was indeed some side trip.
I'm still in wonder.
Now, if I only had a cowboy hat! 

Travelog 3

Meditate.
Take it all in. 
And I did.
Last week my sister took me to "The Grotto", the popular name for the National Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother, just outside of Portland. For a couple of hours we  walked some of the 62 acres of the botanical gardens and chapels. At one point, we took an elevator ride up 110 feet to the top of a cliff. Pictured here is the Meditation Chapel that overlooks the city. It has comfortable leather, over-stuffed chairs amid polished granite and a wide expanse of glass. It's a lovely spot with Mt. St. Helens off in the distance.
A fabulous building in a magnificent location.
Reflection.

Travelog 2

It's raining books!
Yes, it's true. My sister lives in a suburb of Portland, Oregon. She basically moved from that Portland to this Portland. Powell Books has been an institution  since 1971 in this Northwest city. Powell's has about 1.6 acres of retail floor space and was rated by CNN, a while back, as one of the coolest bookstores in the world. Looking for a book? This place has something for everyone really, in its collection of out-of-print, rare, used and 'just off the press' books. This flagship store has quite a few floors and rooms within. I headed up to the third floor's Pearl Room for their music section. I had seen the Lennon book, in paperback, a couple of times in bookstores at home but wanted the hardcover. Eureka! Found it here.
If you are looking for a rare or out-of-print book, it's probably in one of these rooms on one of these floors or they know where to track it down.
Powell's is a city of books.
Visit this city.
Read.
It's the right thing to do! 

Travelog 1

Guess!
So where have I been the past week? I bought books. My sister took me to Powell Books where I purchased a couple of titles that I've had my eye on over the last month or so. I do enjoy all the Paul Theroux travel books. I'm halfway through The Last Train to Zona Verde and enjoying it immensely. I also picked up The John Lennon Letters. It's a thick, hardcover collection of notes, letters and postcards that gives more insight into the man. Got it for $15 bucks. What a deal!
So where did I venture?
Any guesses?
Here's a BIG hint. 
We live approximately 3,191 miles apart.

Airport Peeve

My peeves are few. Here's one. I get a kick out of those folks who walk around in public places talking on their cells with an earpiece and a microphone for all to hear. I've been on the road recently. Yesterday, I settled into my chair with a good book at O'Hare awaiting my last leg home. No sooner had I got myself comfortable then a gal plopped herself in the seat across from me and took a call. Here's JUST part of a 30 minute conversation:
"You don't understand me, Sam.
I'm on the otherside of happy.
Put Mom on.
Landing 10:51 in Portland.
Don't care if she's cutting carrots.
Sam, I can't talk about that now.
You're an hour behind me. I'll wait.
Been waiting all my life.
Mom, Mom, Mom...
Please put Carl on.
Carl, she's crazy, you know.
Can't remember the last time I was happy.
Stop it!
You're lucky I'm coming.
We'll have a good time. I hope.
If not, welcome to my world.
Hey, they're asking for someone to give up their seat. Should I?
Taking the day off Monday.
Workshop, you know.
See you in 2 hours.
Sheeeesh!
Ya, love you too."
That was my world.
How embarrassing for her.
I guess she thought I needed this.
What an idiot!

Fall Work

Reality always sets in during early fall days. Summer fun is over. My mind moves into fall gear. What to do to ready the yard and the outside for winter. Clear the deck of chairs and the grill, burn brush that has accumulated over the spring and summer in the garden and move the wood. That's pretty much the big stuff.

Joanne's Helpful Hint #7
Fall Work-
It's called 'transition', and it's all good. In the Pacific North West, you want to start preparing for fall come the first of October. Although the weather is still stunningly beautiful, it's time. Beat the rainy season. Get it done early. Clear the deck of chairs, table and the umbrella. When the umbrella is down, summer is over. Bring out the pumpkins! Take the screens off and fill the birdfeeders. Roll up the hoses and do a final 'blow' of the leaves off the back deck. Do these chores in any order, but get it done. 
Oh, yes sad as it is, put away the gin and tonic glasses. G&T is summer all over! 

Everybody has a plan to 'attack' the seasons' changes.
Bottom line: Keep It Positive.
Life changes.
Deal with it.

Day Hike

"Let's push on!"
That was an expression I always used when, after a water and energy break, we started back on our journey.
These days I consider myself an 'urban hiker'. I carry my leather backpack wherever my feet take me. We are pretty much inseparable. Camera, notebook, pens, novel etc. That's about it. I'm sort of like that song from my childhood "The Happy Wanderer" that I used to sing:
"I love to go a-wandering,
Along the mountain track,
And as I go, I love to sing
My knapsack on my back.
Val-deri, Val-dera"

Joanne's Helpful Hint #6
As you can see by today image, Joanne's a hiker. Her motto: always Be Prepared! She should have been a Boy Scout. She carries a topographic map of the area hiking, a repair kit, a medical kit, compass, whistle, thermo-blanket, mirror, rope, fleece, hat, cell, hiking poles, food and more. Her hikes these days are on the average 8-14 miles. She knows what she's doing. She always hikes with a pal, and she could build a lean-to if she had to.
Remember: Go prepared!
You just never know.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Rvd3CJFnpc

Round and Round

Some days, life seems sort of like a labyrinth, a maze, a puzzle to me. Things seem to be going round and round. I get a bit overwhelmed. I get dizzy. There's really not a minotaur in this game, but there are times it sure feels like there is. Buying furniture, appliances or redesigning a kitchen from scratch can drive a person close to insanity. Don't panic. Help is on the way. 

Joanne's Helpful Hint #5
Start from the outside of the store and work your way to the center. Take mental notes of anything that catches your eye. Don't get scattered-brained and go off in any direction. Have an organized plan. Keep to the plan.

Oh, and make sure your credit card is at the ready.
Come to think of it.
Your 'plastic' can be your minotaur.
Yikes!

Packed and Loaded

When I'm on the move, packing is not Job #1 for me. I dislike doing this activity immensely. I put it off as long as possible. I'm often still packin' 20 minutes before we are to pull out of the driveway and head to the Jetport. If I think I might wear it, it's in the bag! If it fits, it's going! I always pack more than I need too. It's a big issue for me.

Joanne's Helpful Hint #4
Easy packing made easy. Belts and socks shoved in shoes. Buy a small bag for shoes. Tri-folding everything is the key. Travel with less. That's important. Oh, and one  final packing tip: Bring a Credit Card! If you forget it, buy it!

If I can do this, I'll be a better man.
I think.

Table Rules

Elenka often asks me to set the table. That request can send me into panic mode. Help! Fork, knife, spoon...???
Let me get this straight from the left: salad fork, dinner fork, plate, on right, dinner knife blade in towards plate, spoons to the right tea spoon or dessert spoon, outside would be the soup spoon, if you are so inclined. 
So complicated! I say, "Keep it simple." Right handed? Place the fork to the right and "Let's get started." I like the uncomplicated. Went to dinner last night. Dined outside. Very nice. Silverware came to us in a rolled up in a  white napkin.
PERFECTION!
There!
The way life should be!
 Simple!
Joanne's Helpful Hint of the Day #3
BMW
Always remember; Left to right placement- Bread, Meal, Water.
Keep life simple.

*btw in photograph today is my homemade tomato soup.
See spoon to left, already breaking etiquette rules.
I love it!

Perfect

I have lots of friends that offer me helpful hints to make my days a little bit easier. Some I might adopt readily, others might cause a raised eyebrow or two, while still others fall into that 'black hole' never to be heard of again. So take your chances this week with my suggestions.

Joanne's Helpful Hint of the Day #2
The Perfect Gin and Tonic
Find the perfect glass, which is wide-mouthed of generous proportions, add fresh ice filled to brim, squeeze slice of lime over ice (critical), pour in a healthy dose of Tanqueray gin (2 shots), add tonic water ( Hansen's Natural Cane Soda or Whole Foods 365 in purple can), add cocktail straw and attach a whimsical cocktail napkin. 
Enjoy!
Watch the sun go down!
Cheers!
Ah...

Season Framed

Summer is passing by. I know it. Each morning as I'm pounding away on these keys condensation is my serious friend. Now I've felt the season of fall in Maine making its way into my life, but the visual of the wetness attacking the pane of glass on the porch door is a sure sign of fall. The moisture is pretty fast too. As a 'sign' of the season change, it beats the foliage falling and covering the lawn.
* a couple of notes-- For those of you rolling your eyes each morning when you see the length of my daily blog postings, you're in luck. Short postings over the next week or so. Details to follow.

Joanne's Helpful Hint of the Day-
For all you coffee buffs out there. Don't refrigerate your coffee. Hold it in an airtight coffee canister. Swooosh! No refrigerating needed. Removing the air and storing it in a kitchen cabinet is the way to go. I must admit her coffee today, Stumptown's 'Hairbender', was quite aromatic and delicious.
I'm off for another cup!

Beading Tears

Rain, rain go away!
This candy-apple red SUV was parked at a local doctor's office yesterday. It certainly has a good wax job compared to my Envoy. Mine didn't bead up at all. It just looked wet in the morning shower.

Love the Stones. Always have; always will. "As Tears Go By" is certainly one of my all time favorite songs. If you have the time, play this link and take a look at all their stills from the Sixties music scene. My parents were afraid of these guys in their matching suits? Good Grief! These guys were fashionistas before the word existed. I wanted to dress just like them. Wear those suits, wide-collared shirts, tight pants and the 'sharp' sweaters. 
I liked sports, but my heroes didn't exist on playing fields.
I looked up to guys lugging guitar and wearing great clothes.
The British Invasion of the Sixties brought music and fashion to America.
I was there!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQlmywY_qEM

Splendor

We get cruise ships visiting the city throughout the summer, but activity really picks up in mid-September. These days it's time for the big ships. This past week alone we've been invaded. Eight ships in port this week bringing in 12,000 passengers, including the
Norwegian Dawn, Explorer of the Seas, Brilliance of the Seas, Carnival Spendor and Eurodam of the Holland America line. Overall passenger visits are up 15% this year with 82,000 total tourists visiting the popular spots around the city and southern Maine hotspots. Yesterday, wasn't the best Maine tourism day. Thanks to light rain falling throughout the morning and gray skies filling the rest of the day, our guests were piling out of the Carnival Spendor early in their blue Splendor rain slickers. Now, here's the number that counts. Each passenger, who steps foot in the city, drops on the average $200 bucks.
It really is all about the Benjamins!

Blue Dawn

There was low light as I made my way up Congress Street the other morning. Often I have been asked about how this city has changed since the days I rode my bike up and down the streets. The city has exploded. Changes are everywhere I look. Like everything else in the world big changes often begin without notice. If I had to make list of all the ways this town has been altered, I would probably run out of paper before I stopped writing. Parking, like in any city, has always been a big deal. When I saw my first parking garage going up, I said, "They are going to park cars up in the air?" In this photo today, we see two large ones connected by this skyway. These two provide parking for the Maine Medical Center, further up the hill and to the right off of Bramhall Street.
Parking garages eliminate one problem: getting vehicles off the narrow, limited parking streets.
Now, if they could only lower the prices.
Yes, the city has changed a lot, but other things haven't.
I'm still living in a dream world, some days!
And I can get blue.

Four Bells

When it comes to bells, a few things come readily to mind. Growing up in the city, we always had door bells, and a couple were rather musical. Our Stevens Avenue and Coyle Stret bells were both  melodious in their sounds. Certainly the large rooms at 27 Coyle sent echoes ringing throughout the house. I could even hear the ringing way up on the third floor. Out here in the country, there ain't no such thing as a doorbell. Heck, we don't even have a knocker. Well, to be perfectly honest, we have one that's never been hung. I see no need, really. Visitors out here are few and far between, as they say. Now, if I was Navy man I'd know all about bells. They marked a seaman's watch time. Each bell represented a 30 minute watch time. So four bells would mark 2 hours. I think I have that right. Here's something I know I have right. Hemingway's novel, For Whom the Bell Tolls  was a memorable book for me and certainly a prominent placard of my high school's Junior year.
By the way, it 'tolls for thee".

Allusion

Do you have fun checking out "Magic Eye" books. When I do I often find myself in the shoes of Mr. Pitt on that Seinfeld episode. Mr. Pitt stamps his foot and in frustration, while staring at the photo that Elaine has handed him and says, "I don't see it!" You sort of blur your eyes and try to look right through the mass of colored designs. Unfocus your eyes. And suddenly there it is: the spaceship! It sounds crazy, but it works. I photographed this rock in the center on three days in a row at different times with and without the sun. This is my third attempt. Things are not always as they seem. Sometimes the dirt looks higher than the rocks. At other times, it's the other way around.  It's the 'magic eye' effect. The sun's placement is playing tricks here, forcing thick, harsh shadows at times.
Things are certainly not always as they seem.
Case in point.
The magician's touch.

Yellow Splash

It's sunflower time in the garden!
My crop of sunflowers is small this year. I don't mean in number but in size. Each spring when we buy our seeds, I always get a packet or two of sunflowers. I make sure that one contains 'Monster' seeds. When they bloom they have flowers that measures about 14 inches in diameter. They are quite something to see waving in September breezes. Now that our bountiful daisies have passed, the bright yellow stage is reserved for our sunflowers. The marque reads this morning: "Now Playing- Sunflowers". However, I guess last springtime I must have just reached for the packets of regular size and the colorful orange and reds, because there are no gigantic 'faces' struting their stuff this fall. Oh well... For now the bees are reigning on the faces, and as soon as the October winds hit the birds will have their banquet. Making my way up the snowy path in January in the midst of a snowstorm, I'll hear the icy sound of the precipitation on the dead stalks, knee deep in snow. Come April, they'll be thrown on the burning pile of brush, as the garden readies for another cycle.
Full circle.

Mollycakes

zzzzzzzzzzzzz
Do cats dream?
I wouldn't bet against it.
I've spent a good part of my life studying the life of cats. It all began for me with a kitty named Inky, a tiny black kitten with a few splotches of white. His life, as I recall, was not long but spending time with him began my lifelong interest in felines. When we moved to our homestead in '77, one of our first acts that first week was traveling to the Animal Refuge League and getting us a cat. Wiz served us well for well over twelve years. He was a special one. My study is leaning towards they have to dream. We've had two cats for a quite a few years now. Companionship is always a good thing. Heck, they sleep about 21 hours a day. The other 3 hours or so are filled with eating, hunting, playing, 'doing their busines' and providing comfort. Reading a good book or watching "Project Runway" or "Madmen" with a sleeping cat in your lap is just the best feeling.
Sleeping 21 hours a day.
You betcha they dream.

"Let's see... my to do list today will include: chasing moles, chipmunks, butterflies, birds, stretching, walking on the stonewall, eating whitefish, tuna pate, wrestling with my sister, and nuzzling Birdman. 
Now, that's a full day."
Later-
"So I'm driving into Westbrook in my blue pickup, heading to play some golf with my friend Puff. Got a call on my cell  from Pretty Girl..."
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Book Art

I mentioned that I attended the Book Arts Exhibition at the Glickman Family Library on Monday. The afternoon started with a lecture by Maine artist, printmaker and illustrator, Holly Berry. Her presentation was titled "Building Images: Narrative and Decorative". The exhibition reception followed. The books were all in glass display cases, but you still could get views of all the creative efforts. My photograph shows Elenka's finished work. She designed it as an illustrative look at Joyce Kilmer's poem "Trees", with actual branches reaching from her pages. Collages, sculptures, photographs, dioramas and actual book pages folded in intricate patterns were all a part of the show and on parade around the room. It was a fantastic 'take' on books!
I've known about this book arts class for awhile.
I've even thought about taking the class.
Book building has always intrigued me.
I must admit. The finished projects, held within these glass cases, were a bit intimidating.
Even for me.
I might try it though.

*The postcard announcing this exhibit shows a pair of pink women's shoes constructed from the pages of  a discarded book. 
Pretty cool design.

Afternoon Shadows

We spent Monday afternoon at the opening of the 2014 Book Arts Show on the University of Southern Maine campus. Here we see some long afternoon shadows ruling the groundfloor of the Glickman Family Library. What a beautiful building. It was my first visit there. When I spent evenings on the campus in the late 70's, the library at the time was a dark, drab structure that really tested your skills to get work completed. It has since bit the dust. The upper floors of this building have huge windows that flood reading rooms with loads of sunlight. You can sit there with your books and computer in comfy chairs and look out over our active little city. It's a bright, positive environment that suits the intelligentsia just fine. 
Might be a mighty fine hangout on cold winter days.
Have book; will travel!
Book.
Computer. 
Big sunny windows.
Comfortable seating.
Now, if I can only find a coffee pot...

Harvest Basket

I don't know about all of you out there who garden, but for us it was probably our best crop of tomatoes ever. I made one wicked good batch of homemade tomato soup last week and we've been 'working on it' since then. Delicious, if I do say so myself. I make it in double batches and plan another this morning. Seems a bit strange, but we've been eating these like candy. I like them pretty simple: sliced with salt, pepper and a little dash of basil flakes. Somedays, I get a bit feisty and throw together some sliced cucumbers, sliced tomatoes and vinegar. 
Now, that's a happy snack or lunch!

*On a side note: Derek Jeter(19 years Yankees), Ann Compton(40 years White House correspondent) and Birdman (41 1/2 years at BEMS) all retiring in the same year?
Now that's a powerful trinity!
I can't help myself!
Hehehehehehehehe!

Marina

It was a beautiful early morning. I had my camera aimed at the boats gently bobbing along the ramps at this local marina. Little did I know at the time that I was being watched from the nest on the pole to the left. I'm going to conjecture that it's an osprey's nest. They are are all around along the water. Give em a post with a platform, and they'll oblige. We have been reminded lately that those photos we take with our cells, or digital photographs we take and load on computers are here forever. They're out there someplace and never go away. Well, at least until I take a sledgehammer to my hard drive!
Technology is scary.
You never know who might be taking a peek at you.
Look at the birdie!

Upright Spans

Going Up!
A couple of weeks ago, I found myself on the Casco Bay Bridge headed towards Portland. I was travelling in 'my little world' and noticed that the cars in front of me were coming to a stop. Glancing off to the left, I discovered the reason. I sat there for about 3 minutes and nothing. No movement. People getting out of their vehicles and walking over the barrier to get a better look was not a good sign. I started wondering. What do they do when the bridge is in an upright position and mechanically frozen? With traffic snaking off in the distance behind me, a u-turn was out of the question. There was no access to the empty lanes across the stone wall. How does the Highway Department handle this dilemma? It happens at least a couple of times a year. They must have a plan, but what it is escapes me, unless the two lanes begins a long backup procedure. Well, this day my panic was soon calmed, when I saw the black stack and white nautical bridge making its way under the upright spans. You see the top of the tanker to the left just over the wall. Within 5 minutes, 'my world' was moving again.
Not all that exciting, but it happened.
Coming Down!

Moth Landing

My ignorance will be on display today. What do you call this flying bug? I call this a moth. Is it? I have no idea. I'm not completely up to date on my moth scholarship. Some might call this a miller. If the flying moth-like bug had tan, creme colored wings Mom called them millers. I'm pretty lax when it comes to my bug hierarchy too. I'll go out on a limb here (bugs do that) and say that moths, caterpillars and butterflies are related in some way. Some sort of extended family. You know, the moth being that quirky uncle who always showed up late on Thanksgiving a bit disheveled and little inebriated. I do enjoy the stories on "Moth Radio Hour", but I have a pretty good idea the two (bugs and tese stories) are not related. And yes, it's true. Someone better get to cleaning out this birdhouse. Looks like a mouse or two have been 'playing house' here.
I'm all over the place this morning.
Anyone up on their bug knowledge today?
Moth?
Miller? 
Or maybe something else?

Bamboo bees

I'll try not to sound too much like Jerry Seinfeld this morning but, "What's the deal with bamboo?" For us, it does two things rather effectively around the homestead. It forms a great buffer between our backyard deck area and the the street that passes in front of the house. It is a magnificent muffler of road traffic sounds. Come winter, it dies off leaving nothing but the stiff rotted poles. Each spring it has a rebirth and comes back thick and as strong as ever. Don't fight it. Nothing kills it. Not even dog urine and that, I hear, kills everything. The other thing that bamboo does is attract bees rather well. It flowers in mid-August, and like clockwork the bushes are buzzing come Labor Day weekend. The bees must wear tiny bee wristwatches that have the August calendar attached. It is amazing how they return. This summer, on many of the blogs I check, I heard refrains about the diminishing numbers of bees and butterflies. Well, I'm not a scientist; however, I have played one of TV--- one of the "Doctors of Love" around Valentines' Day on a cable access channel (honest!), and this wouldn't be a very scientific poll, but based on my bamboo bee visits this summer, the population of the flying pollinators are doing just fine, thank you. 
I saw no decrease in their numbers
They covered the white flowers.
And yes, they make quite a racket with all that buzzin'.
There, that's my gift to science for September! 

Yellow Explosion

As summer wanes, our garden wall is experiencing an explosion of yellow daisies. They show up every late August but never so overwhelming as this year. They look striking in both bright sunlight and foggy morning tones. And as you can see here, clearly I have some work to do to upright this birdhouse. It, among others, weathers harsh Maine winters. Of course it does; it's an 'outhouse'. Get it? Terrible pun. I know it late in the season, but I have a new birdhouse to hang today. I painted it gold to make it a bit unique and to celebrate my first summer of 'freedom' from the workday. When I finish this piece, I plan to do the hanging.
Looking forward to Joanne and Bruce winging it from the West today.
As always, they have much planned.
Two weeks of Maine fall weather coming their way?
Tomorrow, their first day here, it'll be in the 90's, hot and humid.
How did that happen?
I'm not complaining.

His Trees

His Dad, His Trees

The trees were free, a gift, you see. 

A humble birth put into earth.

His father’s gift, he gave these

so in our hands and on our knees, 

we dug the soil with tender care, 

while breathing in the springtime air. 

Two tiny trees, so young so lone, 

now stretch their roots in their new home. 

His dad, he checked on these young lives, 

sending prayers that they survive. 

Many years have come and gone, 

these babes have grown toward sky beyond. 

Majestic, tall and strong are they, 

dancing in this earth’s ballet. 

Life must  be just like these trees, 

swaying, bending in the breeze. 

His Dad has left us here alone,

his saplings stayed, with us homegrown

Thank you Don, these trees alive,

can give us strength to live and thrive.

Within our lives, so rooted here,

these trees, to you, our hearts endear.

By Elenka

* A couple of notes are needed here. Elenka wrote this poem to use for her BookArts project. The BOYS in the botton photo are saplings no more: Zack, Stephen, Adam and Justin. The tree in the picture was planted on an Easter Sunday around 1979. Dad got it as a gift at Maine Savings Bank. It now stretches 40+ feet tall.
*The poem speaks of the trees but the boys are there too, 'majestic, tall and strong'.
* Back photo: Moms and Dads still watching over their small 'trees'.

Cupolas

Cupolas for sale!
 If you live in New England and have a big ol' barn, you really need a cupola to top off the building with a weathervane. They really give it a good look. Be careful though. A buddy of mine is a part time house painter. Once he was helping out a friend roofing and painting an old barn. At one point in his day, he was up at peak dabbing some paint to the wooden dome, when he upset a few thousand hornets peacefully, nesting in the cupola. Needless to say, he made a rapid retreat down the roof to his ladder, but not before the hornets had left their mark and messaged him that the pinnacle of this barn was their domain. He returned later in the fall and uneventfully finished throwing some paint on the cupola.
There's moral here somewhere. 
Some seemingly easy jobs can leave a sting?

Theme Day: Rust and Ruins

Today, September 1, 2014 is Theme Day across the citydailyphotoblog(cdp) community. This rusted Ford is just sitting here in the warm August sun continuing to rot away. Its contents has been gutted, and this old coupe will not be rolling down Route 1 anytime soon if ever again. What year is it? I have no idea. If Marchin was with me, he'd get to the rear lights. He says the year of the vehicle can always be found near the lights in back. We came across an old VW bus right out of the Sixties, a while back, and sure enough he found the year 1961. Kerouac would have loved it. I have to be careful believing Marchin though.
He makes things up.
Some claim that it's a family trait.
That's still up for debate, if you ask me.
Ford.
Quality is Job 1.