Man collapses at Foster City summer concert

The Foster City Housewives' Club organised a picnic dinner at the Leo J Ryan Park today! It was the first of the summer concert series. We had so much fun last year (here and here!) that we had to do it again... and better! A bigger group,  better food, proper tables and chairs. We were gonna have a fabulous evening!

We expected loads of dancing, eating and drinking. What we didn't expect was a major scare at the concert. 

We were seated away from the platform because the kiddos needed space to run around. Halfway through our picnic dinner, we noticed that the music has come to a halt. The band made an inaudible announcement and there was an unusual buzz among the audience. 

From a distance, we saw crowds of people starting to form near the dance floor. We suspected something was amiss when siren sounds followed and paramedics appeared minutes later, shouting at everyone to make way. We sent our reporter team - Len, Panda and Little Z - to the front to find out what happened. 

In the midst of all the gaiety, an elderly man had apparently suffered a cardiac arrest on the dance floor. The paramedics performed CPR on the spot to try to revive him.

We were held in suspense for the next 10 minutes. We thought he must be gone because the paramedics were still not rushing him to the hospital. Fortunately, we heard cheers moments later. When the stretcher went past us, the elderly man was on the ventilator and a drip. That must mean he was going to survive.

Thank God for this miracle! 

And the poor wife must have had a terrible scare. She was sobbing as she trailed behind the medical team. Her evening had just ended in the most frightening way.

The band followed up with mellower songs after that. People started to pack up because it was getting chilly. We decided to continue our party at Wendy's place.

What a start to the summer concerts. I hope there are no more such scares for the upcoming ones!

Photos courtesy of Kevin:

Summer's here!

Just a post to say that SUMMER'S HERE!

 

The weather has been too hot recently. Yesterday, we couldn't stand it any longer. We had dinner at the balcony because it was just too warm inside the house. It was one of those rare occasions where we can wear tanks and shorts and still perspire like mad. On normal days, we would be blown away just by standing outside.

 

We saw another Asian family across the car park having dinner at the balcony, too. Our neighbours must be thinking, what's with all these Asians?

 

 

 

 

In a few months or so, we would likely be packing our bags to return home. Such a strange feeling to be saying goodbye to a place we called home for the past two years, and to the awesome friends we have made here.

Oh well, we shall enjoy our remaining time and this fabulous weather while it lasts!

Yellowstone: End notes

So I have finally finished my trilogy on Yellowstone. I just wanted to end this series with a few notes - additional information for anyone who wishes to visit the park.

Base camp:

We planned our trip only a month in advance. By then, it was too late to stay in the park. Sad! While searching for alternative locations, we came across Cody, WY, Jackson Hole, WY, and Billings, MT. Initially, we booked our lodging at Cody because it's closer to the park, it's relatively cheap, and the air fare is nearly half the price of Jackson Hole.

But we changed our mind at the last minute because air fare from San Francisco to Salt Lake City has dropped to $244 per pax. Even though that would mean a 5-hour drive from SLC airport to Jackson Hole, and we would commute two hours into the park instead of one each day, we chose this cheaper option.

It helps that we all love to drive!

And we enjoyed our stay at the quaint little town of Jackson Hole. It's a popular ski area in winter; in summer, it's abuzz with bikers, kayakers and other outdoor enthusiasts. It was pleasantly vibrant during our short sojourn, and dinner choices were aplenty.

Accommodation:

We stayed at Elk Refuge Inn. We didn't see any elks during our stay at the Inn, but we did see a lone moose at the refuge on our second night. The Inn comes with free muffins and coffee in the morning. For $160 a night, the room and its surroundings are pretty decent.

Our alternative choice was Motel 6, which is closer to downtown Jackson. We also considered Snake River Park KOA and Cabin Village just for the fun of it, but we realised the location is further from town.

There are plenty of other accommodation at Jackson Hole, depending on your budget. It's a pity we couldn't stay at the bigger lodges. They looked really pretty on the outside!

Grand Teton: The Bonus

Saving the best for last. Because we stayed at Jackson Hole, we drove through Grand Teton National Park every day. Grand Teton is the beautiful cousin of Yellowstone. We felt obliged to focus on Yellowstone; yet, it's hard to ignore the grandeur of Grand Teton.

On the morning of departure, we finally set aside time to explore the park. We only managed to visit Craig Thomas Discovery & Visitor Center and Jenny Lake. The visitor centre offers so much information on the area's geology and wildlife that we spent longer than expected there.

We also discovered that there are boat rides at Jenny Lake. It's such a pity that we didn't have time to go on a scenic cruise. The views are breath-taking.

Duration:

It's hard to say how long one should set aside for Yellowstone and its surrounding area. There's so much to explore, and plans are always changing because of the unpredictable weather. We had planned to do both north and south loops. The plan was aborted in the end because we didn't want to rush through the points of interest.

Looking back, I would say plan at least a week, so that you can truly take your time to appreciate the park. Staying inside the park would also help cut down a lot on travelling time.

Lastly, go with an open mind! Check out the visitor centres and join the ranger talks. Remember to put aside your camera from time to time, and just enjoy what nature has to give!

Yellowstone: More than just Old Faithful (3)

Continuing from Day 2...

We had such an action-packed day with wildlife the day before that we decided to take it slow and enjoy our last day at Yellowstone. We abandoned our plan to visit Mammoth Hot Springs up north (because that would mean a near 4-hour drive from Jackson Hole!), focusing on the rest of the south loop instead.

Our first stop was West Thumb Geyser Basin, an area which could be easily overlooked by visitors wanting to check out other more popular places. We had a toilet break there the day before, and was only planning to make a quick stop on Day 3.

Turns out, we were so taken by the beauty of the place that we stayed longer than expected. The basin's proximity to Yellowstone Lake meant that we had spectacular views of the lake and the Absaroka Range.

It also meant we could see temporarily submerged cones and geysers. The lake's water level is higher in spring/early summer due to melting snow, hence the vents near the shore would be covered. 

On the day of visit, we even saw three kayakers paddling close to the vents of Lakeshore Geyser. It must be quite an extraordinary experience, going so close to an underwater geyser! 

Our next stop was Norris Geyser Basin. The area is huge with two different components - the Porcelain Basin and the Back Basin. Admittedly, after three days of geysers, we weren't impressed with just any geyser. We needed to see unique ones! 



One of the more interesting geysers at the Norris area is Steamboat Geyser, touted as the world's tallest active geyser. It is highly unpredictable, and obviously, it did not erupt while we were there. Insert sad face.

But we were able to hear a first-hand account of its last eruption on 31 July 2013 from ranger Cindy, where it shot water and steam up to 300-foot high. That's close to a 30-storey building. Who would have thought there's so much power hidden in this harmless looking geyser?

Our third and last stop was the Fountain Paint Pot Trail, an area as lovely as its namesake. This is an easy 0.5-mile loop on the boardwalk. Pastel colour lovers would dig this place; even the bacterial mats are of a soft-hued orange.

What I loved most about this place was the Red Spouter, a muddy hot spring that seemed like a geyser as it angrily spews reddish water a few feet high. Its colour is distinct.

As a farewell token, I was also sprayed by the nearby Clepsydra Geyser. This geyser, whose name means "water clock" in Greek, erupts almost without pause. I was caught by surprise as the change in wind direction brought down water on the bystanders on the deck.

Is this the rite of passage for a true Yellowstonian?

And then, it was time to bid Yellowstone goodbye. I have fulfilled a childhood dream of visiting this world famous park. 

Would it be strange if I say the trip was educational as well as emotional? It's like, you just spent three quality days with someone who has always been around, whom you have never taken the time to understand, and suddenly you felt closer to that person?

I felt a marked connection to the Earth we live in.

That's what Yellowstone did for me.

  

Yellowstone: More than just Old Faithful (2)

Continuing from the first day...

We decided to wake up really early the next day to join the ranger tour at the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. I honestly wasn't expecting much, because I have seen the real Grand Canyon at Arizona. What could beat that?

On our way to the meeting point, we ran into a little 'problem'. A few bisons decided that the road belonged to them and refused to move. They hogged the road for a good five minutes, before one of them finally decided to give way.

These animals, weighing up to 2,000 pounds, are enormous and are known to have gored visitors at Yellowstone. Although they appeared docile, it's best to give them plenty of space because they charge pretty fast!

In spite of the bison delay, we managed to reach the South Rim Trail in time for the ranger tour. I must say, I was wrong; the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is magnificent in its own right. I can hear the Upper and Lower Falls even from a distance.

The ranger took us on a short south rim trail, but we continued on to various view points on both the south and north rims. My favourite has got to be Artist Point on the south, and Grand View on the north. Endless opportunities to appreciate the grandeur of the canyon. I especially love the winding valley.

Then rainbows, rainbows, and more rainbows! Big, beautiful arcs over the water!

Although the ranger tour was short, it gave us a lot of interesting information. I asked about the large piles of poop littered around the trail, and found out that animals like bisons and elks like to use the trails carved out for park visitors, too. Wolves, on the other hand, prefer the power lines.

The day before we arrived, the rangers also had to close off one north rim trail. A grizzly bear had hidden the carcass of an elk calf close to the trail and was feasting on the insides (poor baby!). It would be coming back for the rest of the kill, so it would be extremely dangerous for visitors to walk on that trail.

So the next time you see a 'no entry' sign on a trail, stay clear for safety's sake!

After exploring the Grand Canyon, we headed back south to check out the Mud Volcano Trail. It is a small area compared to the Old Faithful Area Trail. I was more impressed with the Dragon's Mouth Spring, which makes hissing sound as the vapour spouts out. It sounded like a giant's respiration.

It was also the perfect day for animal viewing! Other than a bison-filled morning, we spotted an adult elk grazing at the side of the road. It was a pity that we didn't see more animals at Hayden Valley.  

As we were about to leave the park for the day, we noticed a commotion by the side of the road with lots of people and 2-3 ranger vehicles. Instinctively, I knew it was bear. I stopped the car, grabbed my camera and jumped out. True enough, we saw a grizzly sleeping in the middle of a field. We had a good view of it through the telephoto lens of another visitor.

The guy was talking and showing us other bear photos he had taken. We were admiring his photos when suddenly, out of the corner of my eyes, I saw movement. The grizzly has woken up.

"Oh, it's moving!" I said excitedly, straining my eyes to see the fuzzy brown patch over the field.

"Yeah... I think he is coming towards us," the guy said nonchalantly.

"Really?" I had thought it was heading in the opposite direction.

I was still thinking, how cute, we can see a grizzly up close.

Then I remembered the elk calf.

"Say, do you think this is a safe distance?"

The guy paused for a while. "Well... not really."

He started to pack his camera quickly.

I panicked and yelled, "MOM, LET'S GET BACK TO THE CAR NOW! MOM!"

Everything happened so fast in the next minute. I recalled backing away as quickly as I could without running, making sure that Mom was following me. I recalled waving wildly at Dad who was about to drive away because he had wanted to move the car for a better view. I recalled the rangers shouting at everyone with a loud hailer, to please get back inside our cars now.

By the time we jumped back inside our car, the grizzly has gotten much closer. At the same time, mom spotted a deer emerging at the other side of the road - the poor deer must be the reason for the bear's movement!

We got blocked by trees momentarily and lost sight of the grizzly. Just as we were wondering where it was, it reappeared at the side of the road. For a moment, we looked back and forth between the bear and the deer, the latter obviously in shock. Will it end up like the elk calf?

The moment was lost as a white lorry cut our lane, breaking the bear's attention. The bear then trotted across the road, and both bear and deer disappeared into the bushes.

What a drama!

To be continued...