Search Results

Bruce Keller and Christene Meyers bike an hour a day around their neighborhood. Nearly everyone they meet wears masks (notice the couple behind Cookie's head). Here they pause by the sculpture, Renaissance Woman" by Manuel Neri.                                                                     --photo by Amarylla Ganner Penelope and James Ganner, great-niece and nephew of the writer and photographer, use Video Messenger to call their auntie and uncle from their Bay Area home.  Normally, they'd be in San Diego now, so the phone connection with video is next best.   Editor's Note: A couple dozen readers asked what we do during a typical day while we wait out Covid. Never one to disappoint an audience, here goes: STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER  Look for the silver lining Whenever a cloud appears in the blue Remember somewhere the sun is shining so the right thing to do is make it shine for you -- Jerome Kern lyric, made famous by Judy Garland LIKE MOST  of us, I've had just about enough of the quarantine: the masks, the distancing, cancelled trips, parties, concerts.  The inability to do things, see people, resume our routines. The closed parks and theaters, depressed people, worries about the stock market, employment and health. For me, "routine" means theater and concerts -- three to five live performances a week. It means daily Jazzercise, which doubles as essential social time with friends. Keller, Cookie and Nicky work out to Michelle, during a life session with Carmel Valley Jazzercise.  It means writing this column, working on my music, answering emails and letters, walking our Yorkie Nick, hiking the nearby beach and favorite park, shopping, planning dinner, exchanging emails and phone calls with my partner to trade stories on our day and plan our evening. IT MEANS  checking on upcoming trips, arranging hotel deposits and cruise bookings, confirming magazine interviews and photo shoots, conferring with Keller when I need him to supply a particular photo for a certain theme. It means planning my writing workshops, weekly date nights, sometimes before or after a play, perhaps a world premier.  Dinners with friends in venues we love to frequent. Cocktail parties. Concerts. When we do go out -- to get Keller's regular post-transplant bloodwork -- we do wear masks. (All except our daily bike ride, still mask-less.)  It means playing the piano at private parties or sometimes nightclubs, using my tip money for gambling. It means regular jaunts to a casino for my gambling fix. Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera, as the monarch of Siam said in "The King and I." I know I'm whining.  Perhaps you, dear reader, are, too, for so much of our routine life has been curtailed. And while there is comfort in knowing we've got plenty of company, it's still disorienting. But it's not all bad. (Yes, I'm giving myself a pep talk.)  WE'RE SPENDING  long, leisurely days together. We laugh a lot, sing Broadway songs. We give thanks for one another, our health, plenty of food in the pantry and beautiful homes from which to enjoy the natural world. Fabulous Classical KUSC and Jazz88 radio. Today's visitor is a beautiful and hungry hummingbird. Our morning begins with Jazzercise on Demand. Adrienne, a spirited instructor with a charming Texas accent and raucous sense of humor, gets us moving our "bumpers." That's her word for our behinds. (Keller refers to this activity as "Sleepysize" because we're still waking up.) Sometimes we do a Jazzercise double-header, with Sharon's Carmel Valley Jazzercise workouts ably lead by three of my favorite instructors. Then it's outside to fill the bird feeders, fix a quick bite of breakfast, check the weather, put together our on-line shopping list. I write while Keller tries for a slot to place our grocery order. Then we walk the dog and bike an hour if it isn't pouring. We spend the rest of the day binging on "Grace and Frankie," "The Amazing Mrs. Meisel" and "The Crown."  We play Scrabble, bike the neighborhood, prepare fabulous suppers (moussaka's in the oven now), talk to family and friends -- sometimes a welcome video chat. We watch "Jeopardy" (this week, the college championships.) Yorkshire puddings and lamb curry prepared together by Keller and Cookie. Keller and I try to put a positive spin on the situation.  It's given us prime time together -- so we pretend we're on vacation, which works until we realize we don't have room service and we're not going anywhere, probably for a long time.  Then temporary depression sets in and I struggle to counteract that. (Keller's glass is always brimming; mine has an annoying crack.) THE BEST  ways, we've found, to kick the ass of "the black dog," (Winston Churchill's term for depression), are: get outside, even if it means wearing a rain coat and bringing an umbrella; take a bike ride; exercise; watch the birds or tune in Discovery or a travel or cooking show on the telly; cook something (don't eat it all yourself). Call an old friend or cousin to catch up. Keep on the sunny side. We will travel again.  We will see one another again. We will get through this.   Feasting can help turn the tide of depression. If one eats healthy and with a sense of art, one can keep on the sunny side. Here, a favorite Mediterranean seafood meal is recreated in our kitchen.  UP NEXT : With no way to travel in the literal sense, we're exploring the world via FOOD! Next week, we bring you a colorful culinary column, with suggestions on connecting yourselves to the world through favorite meals.  We'll update you on our progress in battling Covid depression and take you grocery shopping in foreign ports, then showcase favorite meals and maybe include a simple recipe, with ideas for making the best of this rotten isolated situation -- through food. We all eat, so let's kick cooking up a notch. Meanwhile, remember to explore, learn and live and catch us Fridays for a novel spin on life.

A well played Scrabble board includes a pair of "xs" and four blanks instead of the traditional two. Scrabble aficionados know tiny "x" words, including "xi," the fourteenth letter of the Greek alphabet. Fun diversion. ("Yar," you bet, bottom line.)  In the absence of her Jazzercise classes, and with partner Bruce Keller unable to continue his building projects, the two work out on the internet to Jazzercise on Demand. Facebook features live Jazzercise.   TIME TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX, REINVENT OURSELVES, REALIGN PRIORITIES, CREATE NEWNESS STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS  PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER MY GRANDMOTHER  always looked for the proverbial silver lining -- and found it. In times of distress or crisis, she'd say, "Let's put a positive spin on this, shall we Cookie?" Cookie's neighborhood walks find beauty. It's there. So wee Cookie learned at a young age to make lemons from lemonade. I had no idea there'd be so much citrus in my life. This latest crisis -- the Covid19 pandemic -- affects all of us, so it's a global problem, not just one with which I alone am dealing. The absence of individual routines brings a couple together in fun ways, here lifting weights to live Jazzercise. THE SILVER  lining for many of us these past few weeks is learning to appreciate the small things we completely took for granted -- time with  cherished theater pals or book-reading friends,  Coping with a changing world Cookie's missing their usual 3 or 4 plays and concerts a week, so she makes her own music for the couple. visits with a neighbor, trips to enlarge our world view. Without the opportunity to see an exciting play and share the experience with like minded theater lovers, we've found it comforting to continue our theater fix at home. We watch vintage movies and favorite TV shows ("Matlock," "Lucy," "The Honeymooners," "Columbo"), binge on "The Crown," play piano, sing Broadway musical scores. With stores closed comes an opportunity to improvise, create new habits, rituals.   WE MISS  casual chats with fellow shoppers, those one-or-two line conversations with strangers in line at the check stand. Now we stand six feet apart on taped markings, most of us in masks. No hugs, little conversation. We miss "being human," sharing a laugh or a gasp at a first-run movie, stopping to chat with a friend at the post office, rising in a standing ovation at the end of a fabulous play. On and on. We usually have Friday date night at a favorite restaurant. For the first couple of lock down weeks, we could still obtain take-out.  Now, even that has been curtailed. Redecorating the living room included hanging a painting of Nick and Nora, the couple's beloved Yorkies, in a frame  Keller crafted while on lockdown. Nick survives Nora. WE'VE FRAMED paintings and photos we'd set aside.  We printed favorite travel photos from past trips to remind us we'll travel again. Keller is sorting through boxes of tools in his workshop, using screw guns, sandpaper, oils and long forgotten wood to fashion picture frames and create beautiful shelves. Dressing for dinner cheers us up, and brings memories of happy dinners on cruises and in favorite bistros. We dressed up for dinner last night as if we were on a cruise.  We're inventing new ways to amuse ourselves. Cookie and Keller and thousands of fellow travelers found travel plans on hold, with cruising and air trips out of the  question now. So they printed trip photos and hung them.  Here they are on a sunny day in Lisbon, Portugal. WITH MY  beloved Jazzercise studios closed, no book club, no piano gigs and Keller home while his engineering and contracting projects are on hold, we're  grateful for Jazzercise on Demand and Carmel Valley Jazzercise's live feeds on Facebook. We're dancing to Cole Porter, biking  and exercising. I'm playing the piano, writing my own songs with no concerts to catch. Cookie rejoices in a wine delivery, along with specialty items, veggies, fruit, fish and chicken in the cooler bags. Each afternoon for the past week, we soak up the late sun with a garage Scrabble game. We wave at our diverse neighbors and enjoy snatches of their conversations.  In one afternoon we heard Greek, Italian, Russian, Spanish, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Japanese, Farsi and Arabic. Our neighbors keep social distance, but smile and wave as they, too, adjust, try to keep fit. Before the complete "stay home" edict, Keller  helped several neighbors with house repair projects they couldn't accomplish themselves. WE ORDER  in wine and produce, thanks to Keller's infinite patience.  Getting a slot to open for delivery has been his greatest challenge, but his persistence pays off. We've used Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods to stock the frig and cupboards, including nice wines and beautiful meats and produce.  We have braved  outings a couple times simply to get in the car and go somewhere. And we're cooking up a storm. (More about that next week.) Be safe, use caution, keep fit, stay optimistic. And we'll try to do the same.   A bounty of beautiful produce is ready for tonight's dinner as this Italian shopper chooses from the offerings at this shop in Naples. We'll take you  there, and share a typical day in our self-distancing lives the next few weeks. UP NEXT : With no way to travel and no plays, concerts or dinners with friends, readers have asked what we do in a typical day. So we'll share our world through things that provide pleasure and activity -- even in the isolation of Covid19. We'll bike the hood, play Scrabble, cook, catch up with old friends and beloved family.  Then we'll bring you a pair of exciting food columns, with suggestions on connecting yourselves to the world through favorite meals.  We'll take you grocery shopping in foreign ports, then showcase favorite meals and include a simple recipe, with ideas for making the best of this rotten isolated situation -- through food.  Remember to explore, learn and live and catch us  Fridays for a fresh spin on travel, dining, nature and the arts: whereiscookie.com

Bruce Keller and Christene (Cookie) Meyers are biking around the neighborhood, taking photos of what's happening. Nick, their remaining Yorkshire terrier after losing his beloved twin, Nora, accompanies them for short distances.   Whole Foods delivery man Leon  brings fresh fish, produce, veggies and fruit. Keller shows his ID to verify.  KEEP ACTIVE, PICK A PLACE TO VISIT, WATCH FAVORITE VIDEOS, CREATE, KEEP ENGAGED STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER WHEN WE  think of our normal life -- life B.C. -- before coronavirus -- we realize how much we took for granted: a quick trip to the store with an easy in-and-out, a stop at the wine shop for the regular purchase, a visit with our travel agent to fetch a cruise brochure, a coffee with friends after a workout or music rehearsal, all the dozens of "human" moments in our day. How we miss a cordial visit with the neighbor we meet while walking our dogs, a pleasant conversation with the UPS man while we sign for the package, a pop in next door to deliver a bouquet and cheer to an elderly neighbor under the weather. The beaches of southern California and much of the U.S. are closed. Here's Torrey Pines Reserve, usually popular with hikers and surfers. A chat at the mail box. A walk with a friend to catch up on our families. A drink with colleagues after work. The latest live theater experience. FOR US  and all of you readers, life has turned upside down. Plays, concerts, movies are no more. Dentist and doctor appointments are cancelled. We're reinventing life. We stand in line on a rare store visit, marking our places on stickers set six feet apart on the floor. Here in San Diego, our beaches and parks are roped off; we can no longer hike beautiful Torrey Pines Reserve. Our plans for a quick, safe weekend get-away on the ocean faded yesterday when our hotel emailed us of its closure. (We'd planned to hang out in our room with a harbor view, order room service and chill.) Our favorite date-night restaurant on the ocean is closed -- even deliveries are not available. Cookie has found Jazzercise in videos, her salvation. MY PAIR OF  beloved Jazzercise studios -- one for weekdays, one for weekends -- are closed indefinitely. Thankfully, I can "Jazz" live three times a week now with thousands worldwide, thanks to enterprising Jazzercise On Demand. Although my writing workshops are cancelled, I can still create at the computer and play the piano. Actor Rachel Brosnahan is "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel." We're tuning in to encore watching this wonderful show.  My partner Keller's projects are on hold -- no engineering, no contracting, no dealings with sub-contractors. Many are quarantined and those urgent on-site workers are in masks. Our stock portfolios are in the toilet (a ray of hope for a comeback, but we're all still horribly down).  Keller's regular post-transplant blood tests and still available at Scripps Green Hospital near us, albeit through a drive-up parking lot lab behind the hospital. Great-niece and nephew, Peny and James Ganner, at Legoland with "Auntie Cookie" and "Uncle KK" in pre-coronavirus times.  So we're not going anywhere at the moment. We're one of 22 million Californians trapped in our homes, and hundreds of millions worldwide. THE GOOD NEWS  is we can still write, play music, exercise, talk to our families.  Our niece and her husband, and their two precocious progeny called us on Messenger a couple days ago from their San Francisco porch.  It was wonderful to hear their voices, know they are safe and home-schooling in clever, creative ways.  This Leo doesn't do well in a cage, Her Virgo partner is restless, too. But we keep looking forward, salvaging a laugh with favorite TV shows. Keller and Cookie aboard a Celebrity ship, cruising the world, their favorite diversion. Cross fingers, they'll sail again soon.  I wrote a song to the tune of that famous show biz anthem, "That's Entertainment,"and braved posting it on YouTube. https://youtu.be/tIw1N6CXL2g WE'RE LOOKING  to happier days when we can travel again, reminiscing about favorite trips and cruises -- to the Blue Grotto in Malta, to the Costa Brava in northern Spain, to Paris for the Folies Bergere and Lido, to Monte Carlo for gambling, to Thailand where we crammed ourselves into a tuk-tuk with intrepid Yorkshire friends. We'll cruise again, our dearest travel mode. So keep smiling.  Keep planning. Keep isolating and finding new ways to connect. We'll get through this -- together! The usually bustling Westfield UTC Mall near us is completely deserted. Shops, theaters, restaurants and lovely outdoor convening areas all closed. UP NEXT: Closed! We're canvassing the neighborhood by bike in our little corner of Southern California, to see how coronavirus is affecting life, business, transportation, medical care. Entertainment and shopping are virtually at a standstill, with usually crowded parking lots completely empty and shop doors locked.  A few restaurants are serving take-out and delivery, and so far we have gas and basic groceries (with vast empty shelves and rationed paper items.) Remember through all this to explore, learn, laugh and live, and catch us Fridays for updates.

Italy is taking a terrible hit and is nearly closed down.  Here, at the Colosseum in earlier times, crowds admire the ruins. The coronavirus lockdown has left the building deserted and the entire country in quarantine.   STAY CALM, USE CAUTION, TAKE IT DAY BY DAY, WASH OFTEN, KEEP CURRENT,  DON'T OVER-REACT In San Diego, a virus testing tent was set up Friday in rain, preparing for next  week's testing at Anderson Outpatient Clinic, near Scripps Green Hospital.  Editor's Note: In response to readers' requests asking how our own travel plans are impacted by coronavirus, here goes. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER A usually busy hotel pool in southern California stands empty. AS TRAVEL JUNKIES,  who spend four months a year on the road, the coronavirus gives us pause. We have 11 trips on the books between March 2020 and autumn of 2022.  Seven are international. What to do? We're staying calm. We travel with the normal amount of caution and concern, but we have an extra concern:  Bruce Keller's compromised immune system.  Our award-winning photographer's near three-year recovery from liver transplantation means he takes anti-rejection drugs. Without those life-saving potions, he could experience liver failure in two days.  A lengthy quarantine or the virus itself could prove fatal. (Sure, we travel with Although cruise lines have curtailed travel, a future booking  can be a bargain now. We hope cruising will be back to normal in  a month or so. You'll find extra precautions on board, including  plastic gloves in the galley, buffets curtailed, sanitizing heightened.  travel with as much extra meds as insurance allows. Even so....) World travelers Sue and John Speight  of York, England, dodged a bullet this  week when their Princess ship was  quarantined and their cruise out  of San Pedro cancelled moments before they were to board. Actress, model Naomi Campbell was full out this week at LAX.  OUR BRITISH  friends, John and Sue Speight, flew from chilly England recently to spend a week with us before they hoped to board the Royal Princess for a warm week on the Mexico coast.  We helped them into the baggage-check  queue at the Los Angeles World Cruise Center in San Pedro and drove north to Santa Barbara, only to find they were in a hotel, arranging a premature return to the UK. Ship Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean Cruise Line were on board early with refund and cancellation changes, and a hold on cruise travel. quarantined. Cruise cancelled. Full refund including air. Hotel and meal reimbursement. Future cruise credit. They're sad but relieved. THREE WEEKS  ago, we regretfully cancelled a seven-week, three-cruise trip to Australia, New Zealand and China. Too many variables. Jazzercising at home may be a reality for the next few weeks -- or months. The U.S. State Department  recommends travelers defer cruise ship travel worldwide since the virus -- like all viral respiratory illnesses -- spreads more easily in close quarters. Although we cancelled our March, April and May cruises, we're hoping by August, things will be back to normal so we can resume cruising and honor bookings. Meanwhile, six booked plays have been cancelled, two concerts, a black tie party and my writing workshop. In San Diego, Legoland and SeaWorld are closed. So are Broadway and Disneyland. AT MY  Jazzercise workout, only two of us showed up. No weights. No mats. Jazzercise is working on a video to extend to people who don't want to come out. Cookie and Keller have many trips on the books and are continuing their "day by day, keep it calm" methods. Our friends were prepared to brave their Mexico cruise on Princess as respite from their cold Yorkshire winter. They're now safely home, disappointed but grateful not to be in quarantine or unable to return to the UK. Our Center for Disease Control and Prevention's official recommendations are really nothing new. They're tips savvy travelers and people who wish to stay healthy use all year: avoid being around sick people (or forcing healthy people to be around you if you're sick), avoid touching your face, clean frequently touched objects, wash hands, use  sanitizer. We've long wiped down our airline seats and tray tables. We wash hands regularly, avoid buffets, carry sanitizer. Bridge tours were once a part of shipboard life, but have been cancelled on those cruises that are still operational. Handshaking is curtailed, too. Because it's sold out in many places, here's a  recipe to make your own: Mix in a sterile jar, three parts alcohol to two parts aloe vera. Optional: a few drops of scented oil. THE LATEST: *Amtrack and major airlines waived change fees this week, but cut back routes. *Cruise lines are cancelling for 30 days, with new, liberal guidelines. If you're already booked beyond the "no cruise" dates, call to make sure new guidelines apply to your booking. Consider making a hotel or cruise reservation. Take advantage of reduced fares, new guidelines. Instead of the usual sliding refund scale based on closeness of cruise -- most lines now allow cancellation up to 72 hours before sailing, with full refunds. Why not wait, though, and see what happens in the next couple weeks. *A proposal submitted to the White House by a leading cruise trade organization would deny cruise ship boarding in future to anyone over 70 without a doctor's note verifying fitness, once cruising is restored. Hang on to your carry-on! Stay safe. Friends in Montana have heard the distinctive call of the sandhill cranes. Keller caught these beautiful birds in a meadow near Fishtail. UP NEXT:   This column specializes in travel, art, concerts, plays, and nature. Thus, many of our scheduled stories feature events and venues closed and deserted until month's end. Publishing those stories now would frustrate readers, so until the world returns to "normal," we're sharing some of our favorite nature photos, with ideas for lifting the cloud, dispelling the gloom, challenging fear. Nature will continue to provide solace and strength, so take a walk, listen to the birds,, keeping a safe distance from others and being grateful for beauty. Remember to explore, learn and live. We'll be here Fridays: whereiscookie.com

Cookie cuddles not quite year-old Nick and Nora, after a bath in Davis, California. They were born there, September, 2005  WHAT A DOG, WHAT A LIFE, AS WE SMILE THROUGH OUR TEARS The Yorkshire terrier's small size belies its personality: energetic, spirited, domineering. Yorkies are affectionate. They love attention, a good choice for one who wants to dote on a dog with tenacious personality. Beneath the glossy coat beats the heart of a feisty terrier. --AKC's "Dog Breeds, What Dog For Me?" STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER Nora stayed in many hotels in her life, here the Omni Los Angeles. She and Nick were also frequent fliers. SINCE NORA  left us two days ago, we've been touched by loving emails, phone calls, notes on our door. Anyone who has experienced loss feels our pain. Apparently this sweet pup touched many hearts. Endearing, adorable Nick and Nora entered my life nearly 15 years ago, three days after my husband Billy died. His last act during hospice in our Arizona home was to cart his IV into our office to print out the profile of Yorkshire terrier, attached to his hand-written note: "Cookie, this is the dog for you.  Two will fit in a dog carrier. Yorkies are your canine equivalent."  He passed the next morning, Nov. 11, 2005, unaware that six weeks earlier, in Davis, Calif., Yorkies Duchess and Duke became the parents of four pups. My sister Robbie had spirited me off to her Davis home to await Billy's ashes. The year had not been kind.  Besides the recurrence of Bill's cancer, we lost all four of our elderly dogs and my dad Richard died. Our great-niece, Peny, was one of many kids to love Nora; always, she patiently acquiesced. TO BE DOGLESS for the first time in my life, and to lose both my father and second husband, was a heavy burden.  Wise Billy knew Lifelong love of dogs I'd need the comfort of canine companionship. Cookie, Nick and Nora at Torrey Pines, a daily ritual after Jazzercise. That Monday morning, sis and I walked her two labs to a nearby park.  A neighbor was playing fetch with his Yorkie.  I petted Charlie and it buoyed my spirits.  Then sis went off to work where she forwarded an in-house email from a colleague. "Two Yorkshire terrier puppies need adoption." The rest, as they say, is history.  My sis, niece Amarylla and her fiance Steve along with great-niece Lucy, met the Yorkies that evening. It was a crazy, loving home with accordions in the living room. My niece's musical fiance, Steve, picked one up. I played a piano tune. We admired and held the pups -- tiny, about six inches long, completely black, less than a pound. Their mother nearly died giving birth and the pups were delivered by Cesarean.   Their lovely colors slowly evolved in their first two years, when I met and fell in love with Bruce William Keller.  His beloved Yorkie, Miss Molly, was his constant companion during his college days at San Diego State Good gig, our dog's life  William Powell and Myrna Loy played Nick and Nora Charles in "The Thin Man," inspiring the pups' names.  University. She was named after the Creedence Clearwater rendition of "Good Golly  Miss Molly" so Keller already loved the breed.  He and the pups quickly bonded and we had many happy times together from Santa Barbara to Boston. Thankful for those memories, I offer Nora's obituary: NORA CHARLES  Jones Meyers crossed the Rainbow Bridge Jan. 29, 2020, after 14-plus years of defying death and enriching lives of her grateful and humbled human companions.  Nora lived large.  Her world was filled with travel, adventure and exotic treats collected by her parents on global travels. Cookie shares ice cream -- their favorite strawberry. She and her twin brother, Nick, were named after those flamboyant fictional characters created by Dashiell Hammett in his novel, "The Thin Man" and made famous by Hollywood. The movie personae were dapper, clever characters, favorites of Cookie, who interviewed the Nora actor, fellow Montanan Myrna Loy. Like their eponyms, Yorkies Nick and Nora were a charming, dashing couple.  They downed Greenies and Yorkie day trippers Nick and Nora stayed in hundreds of hotels, here the Ashland Springs during an annual Shakespeare trek.  rawhide treats instead of martinis but possessed the same flair and allure of the Hollywood couple. Nick and Nora are all eyes to the sky in Santa Barbara. Intrepid and curious explorers, they looked the grim reaper in the eye numerous times, winked at him and sent him packing. Nora lost her spleen in a vicious attack by three off-leash dogs in an Arizona park. She survived a run-in with a wheelchair, and an attack by a ranch dog who mistook her attempts to play as an infringement. The pair bounced back after a fall from a second-story balcony while chasing squirrels. Nora nursed Nick through recovery from a rattlesnake bite that left him nearly blind in his left eye. Nick and Nora preferred warmer climes but played in Montana's snowstorms. Cookie Meyers sailing with Nick and Nora on San Diego Bay. Bruce Keller with Nick and Nora at Oceanside Harbor. THEY DEVELOPED an abiding love of culture but despite exposure to highbrow activities -- classical music concerts, art museums, Shakespeare festivals, foreign film marathons -- their tastes included Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton and Lyle Lovett.  They wagged their tales to "How Much Is That Doggie In the Window" by Patti Page.  Their "top ten" recordings also included Cat Stevens' "I Love My Dog," and Baha Men's "Who Let the Dogs Out?" They insisted Ed Sheeran's song, "Shape of You," was written for his Yorkie, not his girlfriend. They accompanied their parents to seven Tony Bennett concerts, including two with Lady Gaga. In short, their artistic bent mirrored that of their mum and dad:  eclectic, universal, diversified. They were also a beloved fixture at plays, writing workshops, yoga class, interviews, shopping treks and Jazzercise. They snoozed patiently on couches or in the Explorer between acts, jaunts and intervals. Nora was amused but puzzled when people compared her to "Star Trek's" Chewbacca. She tolerated observations that "You two look like a pair of koala bears." ("Humans mean well," she told her bewildered brother, reminding him that the koala is a marsupial not a bear, and that the taste of eucalyptus is over-rated.) Nora loved a good road trip to visit cousins, aunties, uncles and admirers in Mendocino, Atlanta, San Francisco, Phoenix, New York, Las Vegas and New Orleans.  Her friends included a gifted Israeli painter who captured the pups on canvas, and fellow Yorkie devotees, a delightful English couple who visited them in Montana.   Nora and Nick logged over 125,000 airline miles and listened to their mother's endless exasperation when the airlines refused to boost her own mileage tally or establish their own account. "Thank you for your humorous letter, but we must deny your request for miles on behalf of Nick and Nora's travel," wrote a customer service agent. Kindly Joe Rosenberg DVM came to our home Tuesday, to help Nora cross the Rainbow Bridge and console her sad parents and brother Nick. NORA SLOWED  down during her last months but still kissed and cuddled. Her parents cut short a trip to be with her on New Years Day when her dog sitter -- worried at her lack of appetite -- took her to her San Diego vet.  A loving neighbor cared for her while we flew home then she spent a week in UC Davis Veterinary Hospital's ICU, enduring tube feedings, IVs and prodding by well meaning personnel who struggled day and night to save her from hopeless kidney failure, They bought us brief, precious time with our cherished friend. Declining food, including her favorite strawberry ice cream, was the death knell for Nora. She'd early on developed a reputation for robust consumption of appetizers ranging from  turkey droppings and deer scat to carcasses of unidentifiable roadkill. ("I may be dressed for black tie dinner, but I do love to snack," she said.) When she could no longer walk-- and she loved to hear that word-- we decided to help her. She passed peacefully with a house call from compassionate vet, Dr. Joe Rosenberg, who consoled Nicky while we wept. We say farewell, not good-bye, and whisper "Ah, dear Nora. You sleep forever in a special corner of our hearts." Her ashes rest in an urn described thus: "Nora: she lived life to her Yorkie fullest." Go In Peace is recommended for its compassionate end-of-life care, complete with a ceramic paw print and a lovely wooden box for precious ashes.  Dr. Joe Rosenberg: www.goinpeacesd.com www. vetmed.ucdavis.edu/hospital/small-animal/ermedicine Cookie and Keller brought Nick and Nora to dog-friendly Bohemian Bus Beautiful recently in Mendocino County. UP NEXT:     It's a bus like no other you've seen, a lodging unlike any you've enjoyed. Bohemian Bus Beautiful in the lovely coastal woods of northern California is a dog-friendly get-away where artist and writer Blake More runs an inspired air bnb. Her fanciful artwork includes collage, sculpture, painting, mosaic, fiber work, a garden with lights and many magical touches. Even the bathroom and outdoor shower are treasure troves of unique artwork accented by nature. Each space has something to admire, ponder and appreciate. Remember to explore, learn and live and catch us Fridays for a fresh look at travel, nature and the arts: www.whereiscookie.com

Nick, left, and Nora, dry off after a swim in their "Auntie Robbie's" pool, in spring of 2006. They were born in fall, 2005. Nora, left, and Nick, spent their first few years in Arizona. WRITER TRACES HER CANINE AFFECTION TO  GENETICS STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER AND ROBBIE COSGRIFFE TOWNSLEY IT'S TIME TO  admit I've led a doggedly delightful life. I came home as a newborn to a cocker spaniel and a pomeranian. My late sister Robbie brought the Yorkies to me so they are a link with a beloved sibling. I've had bassetts and bouviers, retrievers and labs, airedales, beagles, Saint Bernards, loveable rescue mutts and many kinds of terriers. In all my decades on the planet, I've  never been dogless. My parents and grandparents were dog lovers and that is a genetic trait. Bo-Peep, a spirited cocker, was abandoned at a Kalispell tavern and rescued by a cousin.  Blondie was a smart, sweet circus dog who jumped through hoops of fire.  When the traveling circus disbanded, we took her in. Dogs introduce new worlds Dad's favorite was a golden lab, named, not very creatively, Goldie, the pick of a litter from a rancher friend.  My grandmother's chubby rescue mutt, Tiny, was anything but.  He was a black lab mix with a heart-melting countenance and prodigious appetite. He was never Tiny in my memory.... BRUCE THE FIRST  aka, Bruce Kemp Meyers, and I acquired our first joint custody dog in 1968.  Bruce and our dear friend Paul, both college professors at then Eastern Montana College, went fishing one day and came home with two Saint Bernards. I'm foggy about how Henry and Fred replaced rainbow trout but they were immediately adopted and loved. We  took them on camping jaunts and road trips for several summers. Nick and Nora as puppies in Davis, California, where they were born. On a trip to Missoula in 1970 for the wedding of two friends, we took Henry and another friend, Roger, along in Bruce's new 8-cylinder Road Runner. Dog's life, a good gig My mother, Ellen Cosgriffe, with young Nora. The fellas sat in front in the bucket seats.  Henry and I took the back seat.  In Missoula, an adorable airedale met our car in the drive.  No one knew where he belonged. He'd been hanging around for a week, our friends feeding him. But they planned to leave that Monday on honeymoon. "We'll drop him off at the shelter," said Lynn, delivering the sucker punch.  We introduced him to Henry, named him Gandalf, tucked him in with Henry and me in the back seat and had him until 1986.  He died peacefully while we were in Paris for a Jessye Norman concert on Bastille Day. Our neighbors, the Larsen family, conspired happily with my mother NOT to call us (we'd been gone only 2 days and he'd run two miles with me the morning we flew out of Billings. I got the news in New York the night before we flew to Billings in August of 1986.) Tips for dog traveling Nick and Nora in Los Angeles at the Omni. Montana meander: Max, Smedley, Ruth and Eddie at High Chaparral. Cookie with Nick and Nora in San Francisco's Union Square. The pups have visited most major U.S. cities with their owners. Nora, left, and Nick, travel with Cookie all over the U.S., here on a driving trip near Idyllwild, California. ON THE WAY  home from the Billings airport, Bruce and I detoured to the animal shelter on Moore Lane. We couldn't be dogless, not even for a day.  He chose Smedley, an endearing bouvier-sheepdog mix.  I fell for Maxwell (who knows what mix he was).  He was my friend for nearly two decades.  Both these sweet dogs outlived Bruce, who passed in 1992.  They became part of a four-dog "yours/mine/now ours" menagerie when William Jones and I began courting in 1994. His dogs, Ruth and Eddie, joined Max and Smedley and we six spent 10 happy summers in Montana, wintering in Bill's native Arizona. We bought twin Ford Explorers and Billy fashioned ramps for the old-timers' access. I HAVE LOVED  each of my dogs, but none more than Nick and Nora. Why? Because they saved my life, gave me purpose, direction, affection. Cookie and Keller, Nick and Nora in their beloved Montana. After Billy died in November of 2005, my sister Robbie flew in to Phoenix and spirited me away to Davis, Calif., where she was head of childcare services for Yolo County. While we were waiting for Billy's ashes, she received an in-house email.  Two Yorkies were available. Ironic, because Bill's last living act during our Arizona hospice time was to wheel his IV into the office and print out the profile for Yorkshire terrier.  We had lost all four of our dogs in the last four months.  Smedley the bouvier-sheepdog, lived to be 16. Eddie, the basset hound, made 17. Ruthie, the retriever, made 18 and that was after surviving a rattlesnake bite which blinded her in one eye. Maxwell, a rescue mutt, lived to be 19. Karen Jackson's roles were always memorable. She spent more than 40 years in show business, making us laugh and delivering ballads that touched the soul. UP NEXT:   We celebrate the life of a fabulous singer, actor, comic and dear friend, Karen Jackson, of Billings, Montana. In a nostalgic tribute, whereiscookie looks at her 40 years in show business and considers the gifts she shared with legions of fans and fellow actors and singers.  We pay homage to her gifts and honor the Jan. 18 celebration of her life, while previewing the new theater season in San Diego. It's one which Karen would have enjoyed and applauded -- and likely scored a few leading roles. Remember to explore, learn and live and catch us each Friday for a fresh take on travel, family, nature, the arts and more: www.whereiscookie.com

When in Tuscany one Christmas, we took a vineyards and wine making tour. These lovely casks are in a Greve winery. A Cuban Christmas before President Trump curtailed U.S. relations.  Dinner was a delicious mojo pork. WHEN IN ROME, DINE WITH THE LOCALS; CELEBRATE HOLIDAYS WITH SOMETHING DIFFERENT(give turkey, ham the bird and try duck) STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER  Turkish appetizers. a mezze party platter, made a lovely holiday meal in Istanbul. ALTHOUGH WE ARE seldom in the United States for the holidays, we always celebrate -- sometimes with paella and sticky pudding, maybe borscht and bagels, rijsttafel and raisin pie. Paella is served for special occasions, and whenever friends gather in Spain.  This one featured crab, chicken breasts,  mussels, shrimp, ham and calamari rings served with rice.  Although we plan our basic trips and destinations years in advance, once we arrive, we're spontaneous diners, up for anything. WE ASK THE  locals, consult the hotel concierge, see what people like, where they dine on "our" holiday. Some of our best culinary adventures happen by the seat of the pants. Christmas and Hanukkah "on the road" meals are no different. When in Rome, Spain, Greece, Israel, or Argentina, you can be sure it's a holiday -- somewhere, even if Christianity is in minority.  If you're outside the country, on a ship or in a hotel with a group of Americans, there will be a gathering staged to celebrate the holiday with traditional fare. Many places worldwide celebrate their own versions of Christmas, while only a few countries joined our Thanksgiving celebration: Canada,  Germany, Grenada, Japan and Norfolk Island and China.  More and more Chinese are celebrating  Thanksgiving -- to express thankfulness to those who have enriched their lives and even though there are few Christians in China, it's becoming a popular holiday there. Everyone knows Santa, known as  " Sheng dan lao ren" or Old Christmas Man. People give apples on Christmas Eve, called "Ping'an Ye" meaning peaceful evening, translated from the carol 'Silent Night'. Desserts in northern Spain. Have paella in Barcelona and drive north to San Sebastian for apple tart and bar cookies.  IN CUBA, CHRISTMAS  is a big feasting and family day. In Havana, the day is not complete without a good mojo pork, similar to our pulled pork with spices, lime and orange. That made an early, memorable holiday for us, before relationships were severed, sadly, by President Trump. Another tasty holiday meal was a gorgeous paella cooked by friends in Madrid. We continued the feasting fest the next day with a dessert orgy in San Sebastian. Potato latkes with sour cream and apples usher in Hanukkah in Haifa. Friends served fabulous potato latkes once for a Hanukkah meal in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Complete with the requisite applesauce and sour cream, of course. 'Eating Europe' fun food tours, click here IN TURKEY,  we found duck.  Istanbul’s vibrant expat American community keeps holiday traditions alive.  Tourist-savvy Turks advertised a feast at our Hilton's Bosphorus Terrace Restaurant.  While it was not promoted as holiday fare, turkey, mince meat, ham and pumpkin were are on the buffet line, and we were invited to a table reserved by other Americans. We chose the Turkish cuisine, that wonderful fusion of Central Asian, Middle Eastern, Eastern European and Balkan favorites. We enjoyed mussels stuffed with rice, nuts, and raisins. stuffed vine leaves and squash flowers, purslane with yogurt and garlic, roast lamb and meatballs. Cheese and red wine began a memorable French Thanksgiving meal for us in Provence.  AS WE STROLLED  to work off the meal, we smelled the intoxicating aromas of Cantonese and Szechwan cooking.  Following our noses to the nearby Dragon Restaurant in the same complex, we found classic Chinese fare being enjoyed by French, Moroccan, Italian and Australian diners. We peeked in the Dragon Restaurant as the chef was serving this beautifully sliced duck -- in Istanbul. We dined on a festive holiday cheese plate in France, making a meal of those fabulous bleus, bries and munsters. The French love their cheeses and offered many different types, from camembert to roquefort and boursine that we scarcely had room for the creme brule. Happy Christmas and Hanukkah it was. Dutch meal anytime treat, click here Steak and lamb in meat-loving Argentina make  a  Christmas meal we thoroughly enjoyed. THE PEOPLE  of Buenos Aires don’t need an excuse to party. But Christmas gives them one, in the city's  major restaurants and hotels. The biggest celebration is at Kansas Grill and Bar in upscale San Isidro. As the name implies, the food is inspired by high-end American steakhouses.  Our holiday meal lived up to expectations, artfully served by a tango dancer on break. We had steak and lamb, not turkey or ham, and wonderful pie -- pecan, not mince or pumpkin. Ole! UP NEXT:   New Year's traditions and celebrations around the world are as varied as the people of the many lands where a bridge might be wrapped in a bow and food rules. We take you to a few favorite spots where we've ushered in the new year -- from Singapore with its magical lights and gardens, to Bora Bora and Fiji, where Santa arrives in a kayak, to Times Square, soon to "drop the ball." Remember to explore, learn and live and catch us Fridays for a fresh look at travel, the arts, nature, family, food and more.  whereiscookie.com

Soap star Eric Martsolf of "Days of Our Lives"  soap fame headlines a zippy, pretty and nostalgic holiday show at Welk Resort Theatre, celebrating its 20th season, northeast of San Diego. The show opened to raves. welkresorts.com/san-diego/theatre/ SANTA, SONGS, SEQUINS, SNOW AS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TOP THEATERS USHER IN THE SEASON STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER  San Diego Union Tribune & theater marketing departments "Welkome Home for the Holidays" features a soap star from Los Angeles and a terrific cast of singers and dancers. WE MAY  have palm trees instead of fir, but it's full-on Christmas in southern California where theater choices abound, from song-and-dance revues to other options not necessarily holiday themed but perfect for boosting holiday cheer. Pick one or try them all to get yourself out of the Grinch mode and into a merry mood. We begin our rounds at Welk Resort Theatre. "WELKOME HOME for the Holidays."  Welk Resort. Splendidly produced musical revue guaranteed to send even the sourest Scrooge out the door with a song in his heart. Soap star Eric Martsolf headlines a top cast with a zippy montage of classics -- some cleverly revised in holiday wrap -- from Kander and Ebb to Irving Berlin. Carols, comedy, ballads, a dozen tap dancing Santas and show-stopping cameos in this show-stopping extravaganza. Through Dec. 29   welkresorts.com/san-diego/theatre/ Imaginative musical take on "Around the World in 80 Days." "A CHRISTMAS CAROL"  at Cygnet Theatre. This imaginative production features original music, creative stagecraft and puppetry, and live sound effects. Adapted from the classic Dickens tale with lyrics and score by Sean Murray and Billy Thompson. Stylishly directed by Murray. Through Dec. 29 cygnettheatre.com Piratical pleasures await  at New Village Arts. "AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS."   New Village Arts. Complete with live, buccaneer-style original tunes from The Shantyannes. Through Dec. 22. newvillagearts.org Todd Waite is an endearing Crumpet the Elf in David Sedaris' humorous tale. "SANTALAND DIARIES." Diversionary Theatre. Company Artist Todd Waite reprises his role as "Crumpet the Elf" in David Sedaris' outlandish, side-splitting chronicle of his experience as a worker in Macy's department store. A sure holiday spirit pleaser. Through Dec. 22. diversionary.org  Heidi Meyer and Jake Millgard in San Diego  Musical Theatre’s “A Christmas Story.”  "A CHRISTMAS STORY. "  San Diego Musical Theatre. Ralphie's search for a Christmas BB gun gets a magical, musical spin at Horton Grand Theatre. Guaranteed laughs, lively tunes. Through Dec. 29.  sdmt.org At San Diego Repertory Theatre, the Lyceum features a one-man show. "WE HOLD THESE Truths."  San Diego Repertory Theatre. One-man tour de force starring Ryun Yu, written by Jeanne Sakata. A Japanese-American man who spent 50 years trying to avenge injustice done to Americans of Japanese ancestry after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Through Dec. 8.  sdrep.org Lamb's "Festival of Christmas" is a lovely ode to theater -- and the holidays "LAMB'S FESTIVAL of Christmas."   Lambs Players Theatre. Heartwarming ode to the theater's "on with the show" motto is set in a New York TV studio, 1952. A live broadcast of a Christmas variety show is thrown into chaos when a blizzard shuts down the city. Music, merriment, sound effects with Lamb's trademark stylish delivery. lambsplayers.org Fabulous music, versatile actors weave a story of a father and daughter over several decades. "CAMBODIAN ROCK BAND."  La Jolla Playhouse. Brilliantly told, moving story of a daughter's search for her father's history during the genocide days of the Khmer Rouge, with gifted actors playing multiple roles decades apart. Terrific, unusual production and while not a traditional holiday show is imbued with spirit and time honored themes: love, tradition, grace, acceptance, change and the transcendent quality of music.    Through Dec. 15.  lajollaplayhouse.org   "DICKENS UNSCRIPTED."  North Coast Repertory Theatre. Crack troupe creates an improvised comedy in the melodramatic style of Dickens, with a festive theme. Two days only, Dec. 16-17.  northcoastrep org Fountains Abbey, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is beautiful all year round. We take you there and to Yorkminster and Castle Howard -- coming soon. UP NEXT:  England's abbeys,  castles, manor houses and churches represent some of the world' most magnificent architecture.  More than 800 medieval castles alone boast visible remains in England.  We take you to a classic abbey, a castle and a famous minster, in a two-part feature, whetting your appetite for English history and Medieval Gothic ruins.  One of the most famous is Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal Park Water Gardens, founded in 1132. Remember to explore, learn and live and catch us Fridays for a fresh look at travel, the arts, nature, family and more: www.whereiscookie.com

Trained historians and knowledgeable graduate students and professionals lead interested tourists to a series of both well    known and undiscovered food and beverage haunts in "Eating Europe," located in a growing number of European cities. Here Alexander Nallin shares facts, fun and fanciful stories with a group of international foodies and tourists in London.   Photographer Bruce Keller, left, and Cookie (Christene Meyers) sample fish and chips at Poppies, a legendary London eatery where Poppie himself sometimes appears.  FOOD, FUN, HISTORY ON THE ROAD THROUGH GREAT CITIES IN  'EATING EUROPE' AND DELIGHTFUL TOURS STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER COMBINE TWO favorite past times: sampling food and soaking up history in a new city. Delicious cheeses from various European countries were offered at one stop. What do you call it?  "Eating Europe." The delightful brainchild was designed to bring great cities to life through a combined experience of cultural immersion and culinary sampling, two mainstays in a visit anywhere. Guides are carefully chosen to have an interest in both the city's history and the foods served in all types of pubs, eateries, shops, bistros, cafes and more. The food stops are thoughtfully chosen to illustrate variety in each city. OUR GUIDE, Alexander, brought London's east end to life, regaling us with anecdotes and insights into kings, queens, scoundrels, lords, ladies and ladies of the evening. We began our combined gastronomic-history adventure near one of London's oldest and best known pubs, "Ten Bells."  There, in 1881, Jack the Ripper hung out and lured his victims, all prostitutes, to their grim deaths. The tour was capped with a tasty wedge of rich chocolate pie served with cream and tea.  London's restaurants, pubs and cafes serve up a medley, here a sandwich from Beigel Bake, a legendary restaurant is typical of Eating Europe's varied haunts: quality, history, fun. Our seven tasty and filling treat stops offered a pleasant mix, from a melt-in-the-mouth bacon sandwich, to a satisfying warm bread and butter pudding, nicely varied cheese plate, delicious fish and chips, a spicy curry trio, bagel with tender brisket and a wedge of sinfully delicious chocolate pie served with clotted cream and steaming Earl Grey tea. Eating Europe guide Alexander takes ten foodies and culture  buffs through London's engaging and varied east end. The tour included schools, churches, businesses, charities and of course the food stops. Alex's stories enhanced the dining. OUR DINING  companions were an interesting, international mix of professionals, students, retired folks, and a pair of honeymooners, celebrating their recent wedding in Ireland. We agreed that all the samplings were delightful and the itinerary well conceived. The order of the dishes fell comfortably into Alexander's lively comments.  His scope ranged from the city's Roman days, when the first villas were constructed, to Henry VIII stories -- he built a military camp here -- to modern times and the neighborhoods' gentrification. Fabulous lamb curry was served along with a vegetarian  offering and chicken dish at one of Eating Europe's nine  East London food stops on colorful Brick Lane.  . Through Alexander, east London came to life -- it's his stomping ground -- and his free-wheeling commentary about theater, soup kitchens, churches, schools and neighborhoods was engaging. His territory is indeed rich with history. SINCE 2013,  more than 25,000 guests have sampled  Londo's Eating Europe tour. The fun walking-eating tours have been sampled by more than 150,000 people in the program's other cities. (Amsterdam's is on a canal boat!! Next for us.) We couldn't see everything in this huge London region known for its ethnic variety and tapestry of cultures. But we got a time-travel sampling, admiring trendy new neighborhoods, lively street art, brick offices, churches and an occasional mansion built in the silk trade's glory days. BETWEEN BITES , and cuisine-based conversation over four hours, we enjoyed historic architecture, artful graffiti and Alexander's well told tales. Brisk walking between samples helped us feel less like gourmands and more like gourmets as we visited  The murals off Brick Lane are part of the tour's fun. markets, shops, bakeries, pubs and restaurants, usually meeting  the owners or managers, which added to the experience. We were happy to find the streets uncrowded as we explored hidden alleys, listening to the history of each eatery. One legendary restaurant is famous for its bone marrow, tripe and "nose to tail" eating. We learned that our beloved "bagel" is really spelled "beigel" as Beigel Bake illustrated. Fabulous. The immersive Eating Europe concept was developed to combine fun dining with a city's traditions and culture. As promised, this was delivered with flair, obvious through Alexander's passion for the city in which he lives. He shared history, architecture, ethnicity The beauty, art and variety of European bars and eateries makes the immersive Eating Europe tours a hit. in a nuanced educated but not preachy fashion. The food-walking combo makes an enjoyable way to experience a new neighborhood. Eating Europe blends fun dining with  lively history in European cities, with a focus on meeting "food folks." EATING EUROPE  is now in nine cities: Rome, Florence, London, Amsterdam, Prague, Naples, Lisbon, Strasbourg and Paris. Expansion is underway so check out the website for updates on new cities. Thumbs up, tummies happy, for this marvelous eat-walk-smile touring venture.  eatingeurope.com   Come with us next week to sample rijsttafel, as Cookie is about to, first in line at Amsterdam's popular Blue Pepper Restaurant. UP NEXT: While we're on the subject of great eating, come with us to sample rijsttafel, that magnificent Indonesian invention which originated in Southeast Asia and spread to Holland. The colorful meal is savored slowly and consists of a selection of spiced rice dishes and succulent small plates. It crossed the seas to the Netherlands because of the long interest of Dutch sailing and enterprise in Indonesia and is considered a specialty dish in Amsterdam. No place makes it better than Blue Pepper Restaurant.  Come enjoy a look at the history and appeal of this intriguing and complex culinary invention. Remember to explore, learn and live and catch us each Friday for a fresh spin on travel, nature, the arts, family and more.

Autumn arrives in the northern hemisphere. Here, Norway's  gentle slopes and hills resemble parts of Montana. FIND BEAUTY IN THE INEVITABLE CHANGE OF SEASONS “Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower. “ – Albert Camus STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER The grass was just beginning to turn as autumn began earlier this month with Cookie and Keller in the Netherlands. WE LOVE to travel in autumn. The kids are back in school, the evening air is crisp and cool. There's something about autumn that makes us appreciate being alive. Perhaps it's the leaves falling, snows coming, change in the air. The combination makes us grateful. We in the northern hemisphere call it fall: the shedding of leaves from deciduous trees. Autumn is around the corner. If you believe the chill in the air, the need for a fire and the disappearance of the hummingbirds from the northern Rockies, it's fall already. Those vivid colors – the transition from green to light yellow, deep gold, orange, crimson and dark red – are inspiring, yet bittersweet. On a fall pilgrimage to southern Spain last fall. The balmy nights of summer and hot days of July and August are a sweet memory.  We see  The hollyhocks were late this year.  This one was photographed two days ago.  Its many buds may not bloom. grass growing golden, smell the sweet smoke of controlled burning and regret that summer flew by so quickly. Autumn came early to these trees on the West Fork of the Stillwater.  Falling leaves and the colors of the season have fascinated writers and poets for centuries. One of my favorite writers, Albert Camus, had a soft spot in his heart for fall.  Skeptical about many things, he was sentimental about fall and embraced autumn above the Autumn grass and a pair of strolling bison in Yellowstone National Park last week. Cookie takes time out to admire a lemon tree rich with autumn fruit in Crete. other seasons. He defined the human condition as absurd, and struggled to understand the conflict between man's desire for meaning and clarity and what he called "the silent, cold universe" on the other.  Apparently he found warmth and meaning in fall when he wrote, "Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is awakened." WE MAKE  an annual fall pilgrimage to Yellowstone National Park, Teddy Roosevelt's finest gift to the country and the world.  In autumn, it shines like a well loved tiara. Wildlife watching is prime.  We were thrilled to hear the elks' high-and-low pitch changing bugling. Musical mating calls in symphonic splendor. Haunting and memorable. Engineer-poet-lecturer Stanley Horowitz has an autumn take I love: "Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all.” My vow: to embrace autumn, invite it into my orbit. Please join me. The canals of Amsterdam are legendary, in this city below sea level. Here, we explore the waterways near the Anne Frank House. NEXT UP: Appealing Amsterdam.  Next week we begin a lively three-part look at one of the world's most engaging, progressive cities. We take you to  Amsterdam's canals and windmills, famous cafes and coffee shops, the red light district, and the famous hotel suite occupied by John Lennon and Yoko Ono 50 years ago during their "Peace In." Finally, a rijsttafel feast, that wondrous concoction of many small courses brought to Holland during its sailing years in Indonesia. Remember to explore, learn and live and catch us Fridays for a fresh spin on travel, the arts, nature, family, food and more.  Go to  whereiscookie.com ; iamsterdam.com ( official website of the city )

Italy's Amalfi coast boasts winding roads with lovely views of the bay and water life below.  Honolulu's harbor has beauty and history, dating back to Polynesian times, and in 1941 the attack on Pearl Harbor.   SAFE, SERENE, SECURE - HARBORS GIVE US COMFORT  AND HELP OUR BRAINS STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER The fog comes in on little cat feet. It sits looking over the harbor and city on silent haunches and then moves on . --    Carl Sandburg THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT a pretty port.  A handsom harbor  speaks to the world traveler. We hear the water call, "Sail away, come along, explore, enlighten, enjoy." "Keller and Cookie," aka photographer Bruce Keller and writer Christene Meyers on "their" San Diego Bay. The Wailua River on Kauai empties into the pretty bay. Some of our favorite ports and harbors include Hong Kong, Sydney, Auckland, Portofino,  Cape Town, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Rio de Janeiro and Dubai.   Recently, we sailed out of Venice -- one of the prettiest ports for our travelers' money, with its grand waterways, colorful water life and elegant architecture. Favorites on our home continent are San Francisco, Vancouver BC, Seattle, New York City, Boston, Providence, Quebec City, New Orleans and both Portlands -- Maine and Oregon. In Hawaii, there are a dozen lovely little harbors and bays and our favorite is on the Wailua River with a waterfall and fern grotto nearby. (Keller has water skied -- sans clothes -- on this 20-mile long stretch.) Sydney, Australia, with its gorgeous harbor highlighting the world renowned Sydney Opera House and the city's beloved Harbour Bridge.   PERHAPS THE  world's most recognizable harbor (harbour if you spell it the way the Brits and Aussies do) is Sydney, Australia. Its stunning Opera House and Bridge catch the light in a lovely, magical way. The world knows this famous view, with the striking Opera House in view from nearly every corner of the harbor.  Malta's harbor is stunning in the gold of sunset. Whale watching in the Chilkat Preserve in Alaska's inside passage. Argostoli's harbor in the Greek Isles boasts a beautiful harbor.  New York's World Trade Center, the new  "Tower One," is a lovely sight from the water. We love Hans Christian Andersen's credo -- "To travel is to live" -- which captures our wanderlust belief. And to plant oneself for a few nights with a harbor view is the ultimate for us.  THE SOUND  of the water, the sight of life, of the comings and goings of cruise ships and freighters, seems to connect us with the eternal.  Since man first settled the Earth,  harbors have attracted explorers, tourists, photographers and ship's captains looking for a place to shelter their fleet and provide security for their sailors. By definition a harbor is "a place on the coast where vessels may find shelter, especially one protected from rough water by piers, jetties, and other artificial structures." But did you know that the shelter extends to one's brain? According to scientific studies, being by the sea has a positive impact on mental health. Minerals in sea air reduce stress. Negative ions increase the flow of oxygen to the brain (they're also present around waterfalls), which improves alertness and mental energy. Hats off to harbors! A trans-Atlantic cruise brought Cookie and Keller into a circle of global friends and cemented their romance.  UP NEXT:   When a spouse dies or a marriage ends, it's tempting to fold up the tent, enter the metaphoric convent.  But remember:  carpe diem, tempus fugit.  Life is short, so "cowboy up" as we say in the West.  Get back on the social horse.  Adventure awaits.  Travel, date, accept the invitation for dinner, a movie, a trip, a cruise. Connect with other humans and reap the rewards. We offer tips on surviving widowhood, loneliness or divorce from two who know: Keller and Cookie! Remember to explore, learn and live and catch us Fridays for a fresh take on the arts, family, nature, travel and more at www.whereiscookie.com

Friends from the UK, John and Sue Speight, visited Cookie and Keller in Montana, where we took them exploring. We met on a Southeast Asia cruise from Hong Kong to Singapore, shared two weeks on the road and determined to keep in touch.  They hope to return to the U.S. and we will visit them soon in their Yorkshire, England, home. Virginia Mock and Brent Morgan visited us in  Montana after we spent two weeks together in the Caribbean.  We met at a musical theater trivia contest and took them to Tippet Rise Art Center.  FROM ISRAEL TO ENGLAND, NEW ZEALAND TO NORWAY, TRAVEL CONNECTS US WITH FRIENDS AROUND THE WORLD STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER OUR HAPPIEST  times are when we're traveling, partly because of the newness and enrichment it brings, meeting like-minded people along the way. Bob and Sue Hulbert, left, traveled to Montana and we often visit them in Los Angeles.  Bob and Keller explored Saudi Arabia together. We have also traveled together in San Francisco.  Here we enjoy Disney Music Center. Friends. Global, curious, liberal thinking people we've met exploring Australia and New Zealand, the Middle East, the Far East, Europe, the United Kingdom and the Americas -- U.S., Canada, Brazil, Peru. Barbie and Tom Davidson, right, of New Zealand, joined us on Times Square in New York City for Broadway shows. We met in a chorus on a trans-Atlantic cruise. Cookie was pianist and Barbie conductor. WE HAVE  a large, loving, fun-seeking circle of international friends and we've met them all on our world travels. They contribute richly to our lives, enhancing our perspective on the world, educating us in new ways, providing insight into their cultures and thought processes, priorities, family life, ideas and goals. When we lecture about travel, and share our stories and photographs, we remember with fondness meeting people with whom we've stayed in touch. Carlos Montero of Ecuador, met Keller on a scuba dive 45 years ago. Fred Fisher, right, shares our love of east Africa. Together for paella dinner. When we say, "You must come visit" we mean it. And if our new road-tripping friends invite us, we probably will do so, as we've done with friends in Norway, Israel, Australia and elsewhere. Jerusalem journey, Israel highlight WE'VE MET  many wonderful couples on trans-Atlantic cruises:  Yosh and Shula from Tel Aviv, Ronna and Larry from Florida, Michael and Doc from Washington, D.C., Virginia and Brent from Arkansas, Lawrence and Patrick from Sydney, Australia, Nam and Freida from Melbourne, Bev and Sidway from Denver, while exploring the Amazon, Barbie and Tom from New Zealand, John and Sue from England. Friends through cruising, touring and trivia contests are planning a reunion.  And so many others. Our Yorkshire pals visited us last summer for a memorable trip through Montana's prettiest places, with a dip into Yellowstone National Park, Cody, Wyo., and Red Lodge. We met on a Southeast Asia cruise from Hong Kong to Singapore, took a sidetrip to Bangkok and prowled the hiking and bike paths of Vietnam together. Yosh Wichman and Bruce Keller at the Dead Sea. Shula and Yosh hosted us to a fabulous Israel tour. When we heard during dinner that Montana was on their bucket list, we invited them. During their visit, they extended an invitation to Yorkshire, and we'll soon be with them again enjoying the cathedrals, history and landscape of their beautiful corner of the world. Cookie and Shula Romero Wichman of Tel Aviv enjoy dinner in Las Vegas. Table mates on our cruise ship, the Speights, invited us to tour Bangkok with them, here in a tuk-tuk to the Grand Palace.  OUR ISRAELI  friends, Yosh and Shula Wichman, were our trivia buddies and fans of my piano music on a cruise through the Canary Islands with an Atlantic crossing.  We met on a jeep tour of the craters of Tenerife, along with another adventuresome couple, Ronna and Larry Schultz.  We've kept in touch and cruised and vacationed again with these friends, meeting up in Florida, the south of France and Las Vegas. All these friends are world travelers.  Our mutual spirit of adventure, love of language, history the arts and architecture fuel our curiosity.  We all share a hope for world peace and these similarities fuel our desire for travel. Yosh and Shula met our ship a couple years ago in Haifa and toured us around the wonderful country, a land I've visited multiple times. It was a magnificent two-day tour, from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea. TAKE A CHANCE  on new friendship -- join a table, say hello to the folks across the aisle, ask if there's room for you at the trivia table. It could be the beginning of an enriching new experience. Venice is captured from the rooftop of the Hilton Molino Stucky Hotel. UP NEXT :  Venice is one of the world's most visited, photographed and written about cities.  Come with us to explore the palaces, squares, cafes and museums, all of which make Venice so memorable and inviting. Take time to visit the outer "lagoon islands" while you're there, or if you're planning a trip for later this summer. Remember to explore, learn and live and catch a new post each week on travel, the arts, nature and family at whereiscookie.com