"You gain strength, courage, and confidence
by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.
You must do the thing which you think you cannot do."
~ Eleanor Roosevelt~
"Only an open heart understands that everyone
who enters our life is a guest bearing a gift.
Sometimes we must seek out the gift."
~Susan Taylor~
“ Far better it is to dare mighty things,
to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure,
than to rank with those poor spirits
who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray
twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat."
~
Well I got my first truck, when I was three,
Drove a hundred thousand miles on my knees
Hauled marbles and rocks, and thought twice before
I hauled a Barbie Doll bed for the girl next door
She tried to pay me with a kiss I began to understand,
There's just something women like about a PickUp Man
When I turned sixteen, I saved a few hundred bucks
My first car was a Pickup Truck
I was cruisin' the town and the first girl I seen
Was Bobbie Jo Gentry the homecoming queen
She flagged me down and climbed up in the cab, and said
"I never knew you were a Pickup Man!"
You can set my truck on fire, and roll it down a hill
But I still wouldn't trade it for a Coupe DeVille
I've got an eight foot bed that never has to be made
You know if it weren't for trucks we wouldn't have tailgates
I met all my wives in traffic jams,
There's just something women like about a Pickup Man
Who knows what roads and trails this old truck has seen. But now it sits on the side of
the road, where it breathed it's last. It's iron lungs no longer move that ratio of
air/fuel mix, the crank no longer rotates and pushes the rods up to ram the mix to be
readied for the small spark that ignites and pushes the piston down to give the rotational
energy that our economy had grown dependent on. Yes, internal combustion engines built
this land, and will rule for some time. But one day, such engines will be bygone relics of
an ancient age, relegated to garages and brought out for parades. But for now, we still
rely on the old fuels we pull from the ground, and efficient they are, we've not yet found
anything that can match the reliability and economy of a fossil-fuel burning monster. But
it's high time we look hard, 'cause one day peak-oil will be on us, and we'll see nothing
but dwindling supplies and higher costs. We have the ingenuity to do something about this,
and I am confident we will find an answer, but I'd just rather we got to it quicker, to
make the transition easier.
September 29, 2007
Wild Rose
'Rose in Paradise'
~Jim McBride - Stewart Harris~
She was a flower for the taking, her beauty cut just like a knife.
He was a banker from Macon, he swore to love her all his life.
He bought her a mansion on a mountain, with a formal garden and a lot of land.
But paradise became her prison, that Georgia banker was a jealous man.
Every time he'd talk about her, you could see the fire in his eyes.
He'd say, "I would walk through hell on Sunday, to keep my rose in paradise".
He hired a man to tend the garden, and keep an eye on her while he was gone.
Some say they ran away together, some say that gardener left alone.
Now the banker is an old man, that mansion's crumblin' down.
He sits all day and stares at the garden, not a trace of her was ever found.
Every time he talks about her, you could see the fire in his eyes.
He says, "I would walk through hell on Sunday, to keep my rose in paradise".
Now there's a rose out in the garden, it's beauty cuts like a knife.
They say it even grows in the wintertime, and blooms in the depth of the night.
A wild rose, down the hill from our place.
Waylon Jennings sung the lyrics above in a most beautiful
song, You can listen to it on the video below. For the images, someone put together a
little slideshow of stock photography. They did pretty good job too.
September 28, 2007
Boyz 'N The Hillz
And WASP rap
Ha, ya gotta enjoy this new viral marketing wherein
advertisers make a really fun advert that becomes an internet hit. It can be loaded to
YouTube and shared among friends. With little further expense after the initial
development it can be seen by millions (if it is good enough).
A good example of this is the Rap for Schmirnov called 'Tea Partay'. In it a
group of East Coast high class WASP's rap out lyrics extolling the life they have in
Martha's Vineyard, the food they dine on, their Ivy-League education, and the tennis
parties they attend. I'm no fan of Rap, mostly because I don't like the message most
of it extols. There are exceptions to every rule however, and Will Smith, Lil Rob and a
few others will meet my ear on occasion, but Tea Partay is a fun little rap, a humorous
look into the East Coast Society I see only when another Kennedy is in the news.
We sail yachts,
and we ride on horses,
every meal we eat comes in multiple courses,
when it's time to party,
we have a tea partay
and we keeps it real,
the old money way.
Haters love to clown our Ivy-League education
but they're just jealous 'cause our families run the nation
Yo! Where's the love at the tea Partay?
but if you're gonna show up,
send a RSVP ALWAYS!
Hallaback
Ice Tea in the parlor makes the ladies holler
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
West Coast Rap is Whack
Beverly Hills in da House
The video above was made last year, and we all know how hard
it is to stage a bigger arrival than the last time if the last was a hit. So what
did Schmirnov do? They capitalized on the famous West Coast/East Coast rivalry and made a
West Coast version. Yep, most folks who liked the first did not like this one as much, but
I think it is just as good. They used a different ad group to film it, the flavor of it is
definitely more CaliHippiewood trashy (that's a term I just now made up, mark this on your
calendars, it'll be commonly used by 2009).
Yes, I love self-deprecating humor. So I got a kick out of the lyrics and the video
making fun of the oddball fads that roll through California, and right on out to the rest
of the nation (sorry folks, I'm just an innocent bystander).
'Green Tea Partay'
wake up in the mornin'
put my flip-flops on,
check the highlights,
straight platinum blond.
from the PCH to Rodeo Drive,
to all my brothers locked up on the 405.
microcollagen, and implants too,
my Momma's 24,
but she's really 62
Life behind bars, ain't nothin' new to me...
I was born and raised in a gated community.
Here's a 'hands-free' headset, to answer my calls,
all our swimming pools have fake waterfalls.
In this day of Tivo and other recorders, and our new ability
to fast forward through the BS of lousy commercials, it is imperative that advertising be
entertainment in and of itself. So we can expect to see new videos and commercials that
will entertain and delight.
As before, if anyone has a great fun and creative idea for a Rivenrock
commercial, let me know, I'm all ears.
Your goal for today Homie, is to look from within
September 27, 2007
Local Happenin's
From a friend of ours,
Allyson Nakasone
Realtor/ECOBroker/SRES
Coldwell Banker Premier Real Estate
Fall 2007 SLO Home Show - This Weekend - Going Green!
Greetings!
Please join us this weekend at the SLO HOME SHOW, which is
highlighting green living for the first time. Entry is FREE from 10am
to 5pm, this Saturday and Sunday at the Madonna Expo Center.
SLO Green Build will be there with a message about sustainable
building methods and materials, resource conservation and energy
efficiency.
During my presentation on Saturday at 4pm I'll discuss the local
green market, where it stands now and where it's going. I'll also
talk about West Coast Green, which I attended last weekend in San
Francisco -- an exciting few days at the largest green building
conference in California. I'll show you the mkLotus house, an elegant
and thoroughly green pre-fab building, and I will share the most up-
to-date resources and tips for getting greener at home and work.
I hope to see you at the SLO HOME SHOW this weekend! Please call me
at 234-0809 if you would like more information.
Sincerely,
Allyson Nakasone, Realtor / EcoBroker, Coldwell Banker Premier Real
Estate, San Luis Obispo
PS: Energy used in the home accounts for almost half of a typical
family's total greenhouse gas output. This topic is huge, deep and
wide -- your planet, your home, your life. Come see how green
building saves YOU money, improves YOUR family's health, and benefits
OUR local and global environment.
Here’s a link to the home show,
where you can see who’s speaking and exhibiting.
From Shannon Len-Event coordinator 'Art in the Park
******Attention Artists*******
Art in the Vineyard @ Tolosa Winery 2007 Saturday, December 1, 2007 Art in the Park @
Dinosaur caves invites you to join us for our 3rd annual holiday show. The event will be
held at Tolosa Winery in the beautiful Edna Valley of San Luis Obispo. The event will
include 25+ artists displaying and selling their handmade artwork. The event will include
live music, wine tasting, and hors D oeuvres. Art in the Vineyard is open and free to the
public. If you are interested in participating or need more information, please see the
attached application or contact Shannon Len at 805-704-8128. The event is very limited in
space and fills up quickly, so if you are interested in participating, we recommend that
you send in your application sooner than later.
* We are calling for images/photos of accepted artists for the Art in the vineyard 2007
postcard. Please email submission by 10/10/07.
Thank you for all of your support and participation over the years!
Have a great Holiday Season
September 26, 2007
Vea victus
You can run, but you can't hide!
These deer peek out over the blackberry brambles as they try to hide from me.
These little critters are so used to us, that they hardly try to seriously hide from us.
When I see them hiding from me in blackberries like this, it reminds me of when I was a
kid and my friends and I would often crawl under fences to get into neighbor's berry
bushes, where we'd hide in the brambles while we picked sweet fruit and ate to our heart's
content. I think the fruit was all the tastier since it was forbidden.
Another interesting thing about this photo is the way these guys blend into the foliage
and background (the one on the left is hard to spot). They are master's of concealment, as
are most animals that have lived for a time. Although these guys are two yearling fawns,
siblings and still living together as family. They are a cute pair, and are always
together.
The summer sun and drought has blasted their normal food resources.
So the deer are putting great pressure on our cactus.
Here a hungry deer browses 'near-inedible' foodstuffs.
But heck, they're cute little critters.
I feel really bad for them, they are so hungry.
But we can't have them eating our cactus,
it causes too much disruption in our agricultural plans.
So we've been reinforcing the weak spots in our fences that they have learned to jump
over.
These little deer seem very fragile, but they are in actuality very tough little critters.
They are capable of jumping very high fences, and they can also squeeze through a small
hole in a fence. We had a tree branch come down and push part of the fence down, this
allowed them initial entry and they found out how good our cactus are. I repaired that
section of fence, but now that they knew there was good food inside, they continued to try
hard to get in. So the six foot fence that used to keep them out (for the most part) was
now useless. They can easily jump a fence much higher than they are. I will probably
eventually install a second fence a couple of feet out from the first. This double fence
will give them pause. They can jump high, or they can jump long, but it is harder for them
to jump both ways at once. And they don't want to get caught in a two foot space between
two fences. And if I were to put some animals in that two foot space they might keep the
weeds down there, and serve as an additional deterrent. I considered crocodiles, but have
decided that geese might be the best bet. Geese are vicious fowl that honk and
attack any intruder onto their property. They serve as excellent watchdogs, and in fact in
ancient Rome the geese of the Juno temple were famous for having honked and alerted
the inhabitants of Rome during a sneak nighttime attack by the Celts. Yes, geese
are probably a better bet for California than crocodiles.
September 25, 2007
Cattleguard
Cattle guards are often used to keep open-range cattle onto the fenced
area, and keeps them from leaving a non-gated area and wandering all over.
Most animals are concerned that they will catch their feet in the open areas. I don't know
why this is, they can walk all over avoiding animal burrows, rocks, snakes, sticks and
everything else, yet they can't figure out how to step on the flat beams of this cattle
guard.
I've heard tell that you can even paint stripes on the ground, and these
bovines will not cross them (although I think my buddy was pulling my leg when he said
that). He also told me (in 1998) that President Clinton had been told that there
were some 100,000
cattle guards around the west on Federal BLM (Bureau of Livestock Management) land,
and that the President said they should all be fired to ease the budget crises. But, that
is a patently false story, the reality is that he did not want them fired, he wanted them
retrained and sent to work on midnight basketball.
September 24, 2007
Whitewater
Tao Teh Ching Chapter 43
The softest things in the world can with quietude,
subtly and perfectly penetrate and wear away the hardest material.
Insubstantial, yielding, it enters where there is no place for entry.
From this one can see and value softness, subtlety, and non-action.
Yet few are the ones who can grasp the concept of teaching without words.
Nor are there many in the world who understand the great gains to be had by non-action.
Not the Whitewater in Arkansas, this is on Shell beach Calif.
The sea pushes hard to the shale cliffs on the California coast.
Year by year, the little rocks and sand pushed by the water wear away at the soft rock.
And year by year, wave after relentless wave, the rock retreats from the assault in a
never-ending withdrawal. It is said that in the last century sea levels have risen about
one foot, and they are forecast to rise another foot or two in the next century.
This may not seem like much, but it will make a difference in many ways for millions of
coastal dwellers and creatures.
Nothing in nature stays static and unchanging, climates, sea levels,
topography, these all change on a constant basis. We have to accept and adapt to change,
even when it's something we don't like.
During the last great Ice Age, the sea level was some three hundred feet
lower than it is today. Our local Channel Islands were a single large island at the time
that was located some six miles offshore. As the large continental ice sheets
melted and ran to the sea, the sea levels rose and inundated the coastal plains off the
mainland. The mammoths on the islands had to adapt to less resources as they could no
longer travel great distances across the large island for food, only the high peaks of the
islands remained above water and are our present day Channel Islands.
Through the process of natural selection the mammoths became smaller in
stature than their relatives on the mainland, and eventually became what we refer to
locally as 'Pygmy Mammoths'. This is a particular form of evolution referred
to as 'Insular
Dwarfism', (look to this being changed to 'Insular Littleism' at some point in the
future).
A most interesting example of this might be the disputed human fossils found
on Flores Island in Indonesia. The near-human (or less likely; human) fossils have
been nicknamed 'The
Hobbit' due to their very small stature. In actuality Homo floresiensis
probably shares the same ancestor as H sapiens and H neandertalensis,
but was not what we'd think of as a modern Human. At any rate, for the time (some ten
thousand years ago when it went extinct), it was a very tiny Homo species of less than
four feet height and some fifty to sixty pounds weight.
Oceans rise and fall, it's nothing new. Look at the submerged temples off the
coast of Greece. In fact the entire Mediterranean Basin has been dry several times as the
straits of Gibraltar open and close to the sea. Acceptance and adaptation and
knowledge are the keywords to living on this planet. We cannot change the world to suit
our needs, it is as it is, we have to learn to live within it's lifecycles from generation
to generation.
Take for instance the water channels the ancient Incas used on their fabled
terraced fields in Peru. As the centuries went by, and the mountains rose due to
geologic disturbance, the flow of the canals had to be modified, and eventually the fields
could no longer be efficiently watered using gravity supplied water. When things
like this happen it inevitably leads to population displacement and usually wars as roving
bands of displaced people become desperate enough to try wresting from more established
peoples the land on which they depend.
It comes down to 'connecting the dots'. Famine, pestilence, war; these all
force people to look for another way out. When they come to you to take your land,
you have two choices, the old ones put into the 'reptilian brain'; you can fight or flee
(remember the 'Four 'F's? Food, Fighting, Fleeing and Reproduction?). When you know
the hordes are coming, you have to make your plans so you are better prepared; either have
a place to run to, or have a place to defend.
September 23, 2007
Strange Clouds
Tao Teh Ching Chapter 48 Common learning consists in adding something new each day,
In pursuit of the Tao, every day something is dropped.
Day after day something else is lost,
until one reaches the point where one is able to do much by doing nothing.
Less and less you know and desire, until you reach the state of non-action.
By not striving to control the world, it offers itself to you.
You cannot master the world by trying to enforce change on it.
Lenticular Clouds over the San Gabriel Mountains, So Calif. Sep 2007
This is not too good of a photo, I was too far away for this
camera. But the clouds were oddly alluring that day. These Lenticular Clouds are
technically known as 'Altocumulus Standing Lenticularis'. You can see a fine gallery
of photos of these unusual cloud formations at 'Dark Roasted Blend'.
The world holds many wonders. Try as we may, most of us will not see even a
small percentage of the things this world holds. The more you learn, the more you realize
the extent of possible knowledge, and how vain, futile and useless it is to try to learn
it all. I suppose it's best to just pour yourself into the pursuits to which you feel
called. It is there that you can immerse yourself into the trivia of that vein of
knowledge, learn all you can of that particular facet of learning, and perhaps one day,
become a master in that small thread of knowledge. But always keep your eyes and
ears open to the small things you pass by daily, the tiny little wonders that appear over
the horizon, to beguile us with another little smidgen of information...information to
show us that for all our learning as a species, we are still in the 'training wheels'
stage of human development. We still have a far ways to go as a species, but one day we'll
stand on the pinnacle, and still be looking up to the stars, determined to get to the next
horizon, the next untrammeled plain, the next undiscovered land. We're a wandering
species, and we'll not stop at this world, the horizon has now opened up to us, and when
we get over the precipice, the wonders of the galaxy will be spread at our feet, ready to
be walked by man.
'Second Hand'
~Bachman Turner Overdrive~
No reason to get excited
But I feel a change blowin' in the wind
Everythin's filled with confusion
So let's start the world over again
And get it second hand, slightly used, soiled
Get it second hand, carelessly abused, spoiled
I see you're looking to find new horizons
But there are footsteps everywhere you go
And somebody else has been asunder
And the sunshine has wilted and crawls
September 22, 2007
Vultures-Gamen
I came upon this group of vultures eating a coyote.
I felt bad for the coyote because he would often run along the road looking
for roadkill, and I would sometimes stop to admire his beauty. But now, he has become
roadkill himself.
In the great way of nature, he is furnishing a meal for these smelly and
creepy flying garbage disposers we call Turkey Vultures.
Now, don't get me wrong, I appreciate these critters, we need them to keep the disease
down, and rid the world of rotting carcassi (carcasses?). And I don't have any bone to
pick with them, it's just that they are loaded with creepy-crawlies, and they kinda stink.
But they have amazing abilities, kind of like super-powers in that they can digest rotting
diseased meat and excrete relatively clean residue, reducing the spread of disease.
I enjoy watching them fly also. They have a very pristine flying style, very
smooth and conservative in nature. They don't waste energy flitting about, they save
it by utilizing updrafts which take them to great heights. It is also interesting how the
different vultures flying in an area keep an eye on one another, so when one spots a meal,
the others also know to show up and get a bite to eat. They are truly an amazing animal,
and well needed in any rural area.
When I was getting ready to put this photo up, I recalled a
song by my favorite Swedish band, Garmarna, the song is called 'Gamen', which means
'Vulture'.
Here are the lyrics in both Swedish and the English translation courtesy of
'MillicentPottywinkle on YouTube.
~Garmarna~
'Gamen'
Konung Vallemo var en så viser man
han gifte sin dotter på främmande land
Den ena dagen stod hon brud
den andra dagen i bojor och järn
Och varför ska ni binda mig
Ty du var ej mö när du kom till mig
Och hade jag mig en trogen vän
som bore de ord till min fader ikväll
Och fram kom där den gamla Gam
och nog så skulle jag förat fort fram
Å hade jag något till ungarna mina
Jag skulle vara där inom ett par timmar
Lägg dina ungar vid mitt bröst
så får de äta så mycket som dom lyster
Å här sitter du konung Vallemo
Imorgon ska din dotter på brinnande bål
Och far din väg du gamla Gam
Min dotter hon fick en så hederlig man
Å vill ni ej de orden tro
så se hennes nyckel uti min klo
Konung Vallemo gick åt stallet in
och Blacken så lägger han sadeln uppå
Å när han kom till grevens gård
så gnägga Blacken murarna ifrå
Och Blacken lyfte upp sin fot
den slog han i Grevens hjärterot
Så satte hon på Blackens bak
så rider hon hem uti god mak
King Vallemo was a wise old man.
He married off his daughter in a foreign land.
One day she stood in her bridal gown,
The next in bands of iron bound.
"And why do you do this to me?"
"For you were no maiden when you came to me."
"Oh had I a trusty friend and true
To carry these words to my father now!"
Then the old vulture came to her:
"Let me be your speedy messenger.
"If I could get food for my young from you,
I could be there in an hour or two."
"Then lay your young at my breast, if you will,
So that while you are gone they may eat their fill."
"King Vallemo, here you sit free from sorrow.
Your daughter will burn at the stake tomorrow."
"Fly away, old vulture, as quick as you can -
My daughter has married an honest man."
"If you won't believe what you hear from me
Look here at my claw, I am carrying her key.
" King Vallemo into the stable strode,
Saddled his black horse, and off he rode.
And when they came to the foreign lord's hall
The black horse whinnied high up on the wall.
The black horse lifted his mighty foot
And struck the lord in his cruel heart's root.
Then the king and his daughter sat on the black steed
And rode back home at a gentle speed.
Garmarna uses ancient Norse poems and sagas to form the basis of their
songs. I imagine these lyrics also were penned over a thousand years ago. What a bridge
between the ancient and the modern this band was! 'Was', because sadly, Garmarna has
broken up now, but hopefully the individual players will continue on in some fashion to
bring the ancient Norse past alive for us in the modern age.
What a video, what a song, what a band!
Energy, passion, drive, it's what all people need in their lives.
If you have energy, passion and drive to learn more about
Turkey Vultures, you can even go to the Turkey Vulture Society Website (yes, by Golly there is such a thing!).
September 21, 2007
Teutonic Humor
'We Germans'
~Mundstuhl~
Ve're Germans
football play ve better zan you
Ve're Germans
Hope you like Germans too
Welcome here in Germany
from ze Alpen to the sea
in unsren Kneipen you can smoke
Lederhos, Oktoberfest
unsere Biere are ze best
gebraut nach Germans Reinheitsgebououout
Und ve build ze better cars
German Wertarbeiter vars
For example BMW
Des heißt 'Double U', escht?
Have the Autobahn gebaut
Und ve love ze Sauerkraut
maybe West Germany
Wir haben die Zugspitze
Do you know ze Lorelei?
Fahr mal auf dem schönen Rhein
und have a look at Norderney
Germany is supercool
in Köln every boy isst schwul
Every German has a bauch
My Oma is German too
our cows make also "muh"
Hämorriden have we auwowowauch
It's great to see the creativity some people possess.
Perhaps one of the best things a person can do is bring a smile to another's face. And
these two fellows above sure did that to me. The video called 'We Germans' is so funny,
that I can watch it a dozen times and still laugh.
Perhaps the changing weather here has brought back memories of Germany.
The cold air, the smell of rain on the breeze, and wet clouds piling high into the sky
sometimes bring back memories of charging through the woods as a kid, chasing imaginary
dragons, or battling with wooden swords in the ferns. The song has little references in German that have small meanings.
And I suppose using the 'Germish' language, it is easier to find words that rhyme. I
see silly references to the German 'Beer purity' laws, their grandma is also German, and
Germans have bellies, and their cows speak the same language (although in Germany the cows
go 'muh', not 'moo'). And since I am a Bob Marley fan, I loved the nice familiar Reggae beat, way to
go Dudes, "you da Menschen!"
But we can't speak of Bob Marley without including video of The Master in action.
Yes, Bob is in my book as quite possibly the best singer/songwriter ever.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Now, the German band's song made me think of an old e-mail you might have gotten
already...
The European Commission has just announced an agreement whereby English will be the
official language of the European Union rather than German, which was the other
possibility.
As part of the negotiations, the British Government conceded that English spelling had
some room for improvement and has accepted a 5- year phase-in plan that would become known
as "Euro-English".
In the first year, "s" will replace the soft "c". Sertainly, this will
make the sivil servants jump with joy. The hard "c" will be dropped in favour of
"k". This should klear up konfusion, and keyboards kan have one less letter.
There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year when the troublesome
"ph" will be replaced with "f". This will make words like fotograf 20%
shorter.
In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage
where! more komplikated changes are possible.
Governments will enkourage the removal of double letters which have always ben a deterent
to akurate speling.
Also, al wil agre that the horibl mes of the silent "e" in the languag is
disgrasful and it should go away.
By the 4th yer people wil be reseptiv to steps such as
replasing "th" with "z" and "w" with "v".
During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd from vords kontaining
"ou" and after ziz fifz yer, ve vil hav a reil sensi bl riten styl.
Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi tu understand ech oza.
Ze drem of a united urop vil finali kum tru.
Und efter ze fifz yer, ve vil al be speking German like zey vunted in ze forst plas.
If zis mad you smil, pleas pas on to oza pepl
Yeah, if you possibly can, it's a good thing to have a laugh,
I especially need it, otherwise I think about the deer eating so much of our cactus...
I'd rather laugh than cry.
September 20, 2007
Sycamore Skin, aspen leaves a-quaking in the wind
I took this photo a couple of weeks ago. I think it's just a bit early for the trees to be
losing their leaves. This and the tarantulas being early show me that we are likely to
have an early winter this year. I hope we get some decent rain too, we're way behind the
last couple of years. All over the hills look so dry and barren. A few more years of this,
and the chaparral will be so dried up, we'll be looking like desert.
Every fall the sycamore trees lose shards of their bark. It falls off the tree as the new
bark below it pushes it off. I imagine in the old days folks would do things like use the
bark pieces for utilitarian purposes...perhaps as plates, or something to write and draw
upon.
In this photo you can see a sycamore tree with the older darker bark peeling off, the new
younger bark is so pristine, like the plants will be when the first good rain washes the
accumulation of summer dust off of them. Winter is the season of rebirth and renewal
here, the life giving water will flow to the plants and cause regeneration. The green
grasses sprout here in fall and grow through the winter. The timing of many animals mating
and birthing seasons coincide with the fresh green grasses of winter.
Right now, in late summer, with everything so dry, the deer population
is doing all they can to get to our cactus to feed their bellies. They found a way
in through the fence, and ate almost all of our current growth. Dang deer!
September 19, 2007
Jambalaya Seemann
I went and visited my parents last week, and while driving
to a restaurant they like, they both began singing songs. But oddly enough, they each sung
a song that was from their own youth. My Mom joked about how two deaf people can
sing different songs together and not bother each other.
My Dad sang the Hank Williams tune 'Jambalaya', while my Mom sang a German
song called 'Seemann' by a singer named Lolita. I have found a video of both of
these disparate songs. Yes, each is so different In a way, yet each deals with the
sense of love. One in a heart-happy way of two loves coming together to be shared by kin
at hearth and home, and the other a lovelorn ballad of love lost to the sea.
Jambalaya, by Hank Williams.
You can't help but smile when you hear this tune.
And the Betty Boop accompaniment made for a fun Video for Vickie who's a BB fan.
Goodbye Joe, me gotta go, me oh my oh
Me gotta go pole the pirogue down the bayou
My Yvonne, the sweetest one, me oh my oh
Son of a gun, we'll have good fun on the bayou
Jambalaya, a-crawfish pie and-a file gumbo
'Cause tonight I'm gonna see my ma cher amio
Pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gay-oh
Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou.
Thibodeaux, Fontainbleau, the place is buzzin'
Kinfolk come to see Yvonne by the dozen
Dress in style, go hog wild, me oh my oh
Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou.
Jambalaya, a-crawfish pie and-a fillet gumbo
'Cause tonight I'm gonna see my ma cher amio
Pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gay-oh
Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Seeman, by Lolita
Seemann, laß das Träumen,
denk nicht an zuhaus,
Seemann, Wind und Wellen rufen
dich hinaus.
Deine Heimat ist das Meer,
deine Freunde sind die Sterne,
über Rio und Shanghai,
über Mali und Hawaii.
Deine Liebe ist dein Schiff,
deine Sehnsucht ist die Ferne,
und nur ihnen bist du treu,
ein Leben lang.
Seemann, laß das Träumen,
denke nicht an mich,
Seemann, denn die Fremde
wartet schon auf dich.
Deine Heimat ist das Meer,
deine Freunde sind die Sterne,
über Rio und Shanghai,
über Mali und Hawaii.
Deine Liebe ist dein Schiff,
deine Sehnsucht ist die Ferne,
und nur ihnen bist du treu,
ein Leben lang
Sailor, you leave a-dreaming,
you don't think of returning home,
Sailor, wind and waves call
you outside.
Your homeland is the sea,
your friends are the stars,
over Rio and Shanghai,
over Mali and Hawaii.
Your love is your ship,
your longing is the distance,
and you are faithful only to them,
all life long.
Sailor, you leave a-dreaming,
do not think of me,
Sailor, there the foreigners
already wait for you.
Your homeland is the sea,
your friends are the stars,
over Rio and Shanghai,
over Mali and Hawaii.
Your love is your ship,
your longing is the distance,
and you are faithful only to them,
all life long
September 18, 2007
The Sound of Water
~Chuang Tzu~ "You will always find an answer in the sound of water"
Shell Beach California
~Edgar Allen Poe~
'A Dream Within a Dream'
Take this kiss upon the brow! And, in parting from you now,
Thus much let me avow-
You are not wrong, who deem
That my days have been a dream;
Yet if hope has flown away
In a night, or in a day,
In a vision, or in none,
Is it therefore the less gone?
All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.
I stand amid the roar
Of a surf-tormented shore,
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand-
How few! yet how they creep
Through my fingers to the deep,
While I weep- while I weep!
O God! can I not grasp
Them with a tighter clasp?
O God! can I not save
One from the pitiless wave?
Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?
This world holds so much beauty,
often times in the most common of things...
the look in your child's eye, the wag of your dog's tail.
When beauty comes your way, it is good to take the time to appreciate it.
This stormy day on the shore, the waves came crashing in;
the tide was so high it made the beach treacherous to walk upon.
The waves thundered up to the cliffs and the vicious undertow
tried to take me down to Davey Jones's locker.
But it was worth it to get a good look at the waves hitting against this rock.
I have another set of beautiful memories locked away.
God's gift has come to me for another day, and I am content.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
~Chuang Tzu~
" I dreamed I was a butterfly,
flitting around in the sky;
then I awoke.
Now I wonder:
Am I a man who dreamt of being a butterfly,
or am I a butterfly dreaming that I am a man?"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Simon and Garfunkel
'The Sound of Silence'
XXXXXXXXXXX
The Gregorian Monks
'The Sound of Silence'
This video brings back memories of all the beautiful monasteries,
castles and cathedrals I visited while in Europe, so many years ago.
September 17, 2007
Black Oak
'The Oak and It's Moss'
~Paul Palvadeau~
Beside an Oak of towering size,
Whose trunk stood under billowing beards of moss.
A child looked up with wondering eyes
And asked, quite at a loss:
"Papa, why is this tree so full
Of ugly wool?"
"That 'wool,'" Papa replied, to ease his mind
"Grows low, among the dank morasses',
Noxious gasses,
The higher the tree, my child, the less you find."
"So too does lowly Envy, clinging tight,
Beleaguer Merit, try to humble him,
To tumble him,
To crumble him.
The oak grows tall and scorns his parasite."
The predominant oak tree in the local Oak Woodlands
is the Coastal Live
Oak. The Black Oaks are a tree that can grow much larger than the California Live Oak.
But they are not so well adapted to this particular climate. If you go over the Cuesta Grade just north of us, you can find almost nothing but Black
Oak. And since they are so well adapted to the hotter, drier climate of that area, they
are much larger than this fellow.
This guy is struggling to live, but my reckoning is that he'll get in a
decent good life as long as no one comes and cuts him down, or fire does not kill him.
He is in a spot that was graded for a road some eighty or more years ago. It has
not been used as a road for probably forty years. This particular road used to run up to
our place where the cattle were herded down from the surrounding hills and loaded onto
trucks for delivery to market.
We now use a nearby road that is a bit better than this one, so now the
tree has grown up in what used to be the middle of a road.
I like the looks of the Spanish Moss hanging down from this tree. It is a fun
tree to walk by when it is getting dark, with the shadows, the rustling sounds of critters
in the woods, the long hanging strands of the moss, it makes for a very Gothic portrait,
fit for Edgar Allen Poe.
September 16, 2007
Here we have two types of sea plants. Both the kelp, and a sea grass.
The colors of some of the plants and animals in the sea can be very vibrant.
It is a wonderful world both above and below the sea.
The spots of air you see on the sand are from tiny crustaceans that live right under the
sand, and filter out micro-organisms from the water when it washes in. These same little
critters provide food for the shore-birds that range up and down the beach following the
waves in and out, looking for those tell-tale signs of life below the sand. They will
probe into the sand with their long beaks and extract the tiny creatures, eating them.
This is all part of the great cycle of life, death and feeding that goes on in the natural
world.
September 15, 2007
Kelp art
This is a piece of kelp getting buried by the sand on the beach.
This is a little graphic I made with the photo above. I put this full
screen size along with over a dozen other pieces I made into a nice screensaver that you
are welcome to download for free at our free screensavers
page. We have a lot of other screensavers there also, with photos I've taken around
the California Central Coast and Southland.
September 14, 2007
On Kelp
This is a piece of kelp. The kelp forests off the
California coast are stupendous, awe-inspiring, wow, they are something! To go
diving into the kelp forests is to be brought into a blue/grey world of greens and whites,
movements, cycles, life and tremendous beauty. It's like flying nice and slow in a dream
through the redwoods. You can spin to your heart's content among the giant towers of kelp,
reaching from the sea bottom to stretch a hundred feet up to the surface where it fans out
in long arms dancing in the waters' movement.
Kelp is a floating plant, but it needs to be anchored to keep it from washing
ashore, so it has these little root-like things called 'holdfasts' that grip to the rocks
on the bottom. It will then reach high to the surface to get the light it needs. It's a
tremendously fast growing plant also. Here in California it is regularly cut and
harvested by huge boats with some kind of harvesting mechanism on the bow, sort of like a
corn harvester on the ocean.
California kelp has these little bladders at the base of the
leaves (fronds). These bladders have a gas in them that cause the leaves to hold the
entire length of stalk up, and also keeps the leaves as near the surface as possible.
This one has been broken off and is nearly full of water.
September 13, 2007
Skid Steers
Bobcat is a trade name of a variety of small utility
tractors referred to as 'skid steers'. They have this name because to steer them you lock
up the wheel on one side, this causes the other side to steer the direction of the locked
up wheels. While this makes for a strange way of moving around, the main advantage is the
'turn-on-a-dime' steering capability. It also makes them inherently unstable. They tend
also to be narrow and tall. Yes, again this adds to their instability. But they can spin a
circle pivoting all the while. Contractors like them because they are easy to load onto a
small trailer. they can get through narrow gates, into small yards, and still get a huge
amount of work done. They are adaptable as well. One can buy attachments such as backhoe,
brooms, jackhammers, pumps, mowers etc that replace the front bucket. The attachments are
quick and easy for one person to accomplish, and can be done in a minute or less.
Yes, these things are a blast to drive. Give me a vehicle with two or
more tires, something to drive on, and I can have a good day.
The video above shows some of the great versatility of these tiny
little 'Can-Do' tractors. They are a blast to drive, they get a huge amount of work done,
and they are a great example of American know-how. Yes, the story I heard on these is that
some farmer back east used his standard tractor to clean out his cow stalls. But it was so
long and difficult to turn he had to do five point turns to get it in and out of the
stalls. So he designed a skid steer to work around his difficulties.
Any vehicle has it's limitations. There is nothing that is perfect for all
uses (if I designed such an implement I'd make thousands!) My theory is that you can
have a Lamborghini and drive fast on the highway, but I'd have a rough time getting it to
the house on the dirt road. I could have a huge 'Monster Truck' for the dirt road, but
it'd be no good for the freeway. Instead, I have the Toyota truck and the GMC which are
both a compromise that are livable.
September 12, 2007
The Gulls of Summerland
Shorebirds are always fun to watch. These gulls are walking around eating little bugs they
find on the beach...actually they are referred to as 'flying rats', cause they eat
anything they can find. These gulls are on Summerland Beach.
Pigeons are also referred to as 'flying rats' for the same
reasons. You don't often see pigeons on the beach, but on the Santa Monica Pier, they are
a regular attraction, or nuisance...depending on your perspective.
A local beach (Pismo) has now outlawed feeding the pigeons on the pier, they
are thought to cause a toxic algae bloom and high amounts of fecal matter in the water due
to their huge amounts of...detritus. Notice the white 'detritus' marks on the green
part of the pier that does not get a regular hosing down to prevent....messy hands.
Now, of these two types of birds, one has adapted to man's
presence and is in high numbers despite man. The other one has spread like oatgrass with
the spread of man, and they don't tend to live off the land, but as layabouts, living off
the handouts of the people who feed them. Here it is seven in the morning, and these
fellows are still sleepy eyed, waiting no doubt for some kind soul to bring them their
morning coffee and donut...lazy pigeons.
September 11, 2007
Bullseye!
I took a walk down to the neighbor's place. They live three
or so miles away and have a Bull-Riding school. The fellow is Gary Leffew, of Gary Leffew's Bull Riding School. He's a world champion Bull Rider
from the seventies. He has a lot of interesting points to consider when it comes to
bull riding on a competitive level. It seems all professional bull riders know of Gary and
his school. I was down in Indio one time and met a bunch of bullriders and spoke to them.
When I mentioned I was a neighbor of Gary's they said "why are you down here? that's
'God's Land' up there".
I've done some pretty fun and wild things in my life, like racing cars and
motorcycles and scuba diving etc, but I'd not want to get on one of these bulls. But Gary
has a lot of points and tips for the students he coaches. His perspective seems to settle
around a knowledge of yourself and the bull. That's what's so difficult about bull riding,
the bull isn't going to always behave in the same way. And each bull has it's own
personality. In fact the bull riders consider the bulls to be true athletes in their own
rights. The bulls develop reputations and a following of riders who want to prove
themselves on a particular bull. It's all a very specialized world these fellows are in,
and it's fun to have it practically in our front yard.
Gary and his sons have been in many commercials and movies. Also some films
have had segments filmed there. 'Cowboy Up' was filmed partly at their ranch, and the most recent
'Jackass' film had the bull riding segments filmed at their place.
Here's some photos of some of the athletes they have in their fields.
These fellows had just been fed. But they eyed me well, good thing I didn't wear red!
There's a lot of form and muscle in this fellow.
You don't outmuscle these bulls, cause a human can't pit his flesh to the
bull, they are just too strong. A deep awareness of the animals and their likely
movements is what it takes to make the eight seconds to score a ride. Another thing I've
noticed, most bullriders are actually smallish fellows (but they are also very competitive
and the types that won't back down, so just cause they aren't massive dudes don't
underestimate them). A large, taller, and heavier fellow is going to have more inertia
transmitted to him by virtue of the leverage effect. So a shorter lighter fellow is going
to be able to take the forces exerted upon him better.
Now, what got me interested in taking photos of the bulls
was the video I saw of bullriding below. There were some comments made that this is a
terrible sport for the animal, but actually, the animals are well taken care of. They are
worth a lot of money and time invested for care. The bull riders respect the animals and
take care to keep them healthy and fit for the competitive events they go through. So,
don't worry about these animals. And anyways, if they weren't to be used for this, they'd
have been turned into steers years ago, and been hamburgers by now. So they've got a
pretty sweet life all in all.
The fellow in this video couldn't get his hand loose from
the rope, so his hand was stuck to the bull's back, and he was getting slung around like
I'd shake a stuffed animal toy around playing with my dog. It's pretty awful, but in the
end, he seems to have escaped any real injury..these bullriders are tough dudes!
Another thing I find amazing is the bravery of the bullfighters, commonly
called the Rodeo Clowns. All Rodeo people acknowledge the bravery and heroism of these
fellows who go running around the bull, touching it, distracting it to keep it from
hurting the rider. Good going fellows.
Rodeo is a pretty interesting and entertaining set of sports. If you've never
been to one, you should go sometime.
September 10, 2007
Down in the Boondocks
We get wild turkeys coming through here a lot. Here are some
by our neighbor's place.
No one here seems to bother hunting them, I've heard they are scrawny wiry tough-meated
birds. Why eat that when you can get a good butterball for a decent price? All the
folks around here seem to enjoy having the turkeys around. In fact we all have a lot of
respect for their woodsmanship. Benjamin Franklin argued that the turkey should be made
the National symbol for the USA. That might seem odd to many people, but the wild ones
really are so very smart.
Unfortunately, domestication has turned the common barnyard turkey into
a stupid thing (as domestication has done with nearly every animal, including perhaps
humans). They are said to be so stupid that you have to keep them in when it rains.
They'll look up at the sky wondering what's happening, and all the rain will go down their
gullet and drown them in the yard (you'll notice domestic Turkeys are blonde).
But these wild birds are canny and wily creatures. They can slip
through the woods with nary a sound. I've tried to follow these things, and always
have been amazed at how stealthily they can slip through heavy brush.
The turkeys stay near water most of the time. One day I was walking near the
creek and heard water being splashed around. I crept up, and fifty feet away were
two turkeys knee deep in the water, kicking water on each other, and I swear those two
turkeys were laughing and smiling! Unfortunately they saw me, and quickly dropped their
fun and ran off. I hated the fact that I spoiled their playtime. But I suppose
that's one of those memories I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
~Little Big Town~
'Boondocks'
I feel no shame
I'm proud of where I came from
I was born and raised in the boondocks
One thing I know
No matter where I go
I keep my heart and soul in the boondocks
And I can feel
That muddy water running through my veins
And I can hear that lullaby of a midnight train
It sings to me and it sounds familiar
And I can taste
That honeysuckle and it's still so sweet
When it grows wild
On the banks down at old camp creek
Yeah, and it calls to me like a warm wind blowing
It's where I learned about living
It's where I learned about love
It's where I learned about working hard
And having a little was just enough
It's where I learned about Jesus
And knowing where I stand
You can take it or leave it, this is me
This is who I am
Give me a tin roof
A front porch and a gravel road
And that's home to me
It feels like home to me
You get a line, I'll get a pole
We'll go fishing in the crawfish hole
(Down in the boondocks)
Five-card poker on a Saturday night
Church on Sunday morning
Say a little prayer for me
September 09, 2007
The Paradoxical Commandments
People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered... Love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives... Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies...
Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow...
Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable...
Be honest and frank anyway.
The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by
the smallest men and women with the smallest minds...
Think big anyway.
People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs...
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight...
Build anyway.
People really need help but may attack you if you do help them...
Help people anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you may get kicked in the teeth...
Give the world the best you have anyway.
- Dr. Kent M. Keith
September 08, 2007
Hollywood Hillbilly
Hannibal Lecter to Agent Clarice Starling
from the film 'Silence of the Lambs'
You're sooo ambitious, aren't you...?
You know what you look like to me, with your good bag and your cheap shoes?
You look like a rube. A well- scrubbed, hustling rube with a little, taste...
Good nutrition has given you some length of bone,
but you're not more than one generation from poor white trash, are you Officer
Starling...?
That accent you're trying so desperately to shed - pure West Virginia.
What was your father, dear? Was he a coal miner? Did he stink of the lamp...?
I must confess to a lot of pride in my Hillbilly ancestry. My Dad came
from the Ozarks, and before that his people had worked their way through the forests of
the South to Arkansas/Missouri from North Carolina generation by generation. Since I am a
generation away from that Poor White Trash, I can look at that with a deep sense of relief
that I grew up with carpeting and electricity. But I still love the woods of the South,
and I sound like a Hick if you hear me. The mystique of the woods is deep in me. And
I also enjoy seeing the Mountain People portrayed in the stereotypical Hollywood fashion.
Hollywood is so cliche, but that's all part of the magic of it all, 'suspension of
disbelief' they call it.
Here's a photo of our canyon road. If you broke down here late at night and didn't know
the area or the people, I suppose it'd be natural to feel some apprehension. Especially if
you saw me come walking silently up to you in the darkness.
Dale Watson has a fun little video and song entitled 'Hollywood
Hillbilly'
September 07, 2007
On the physics of washboard road
People who find out how remote we live, and how far away
neighbors are often think that there is never any friction between neighbors (to us
neighbors might be anyone within a few miles of us). But the sad reality is that even
though I could crank the stereo as loud as I want without bothering anyone but Vickie and
the animals (I've sometimes put my big Klipsch speakers on the porch and blasted Pink
Floyd across our side canyon, it's pretty cool and the aucustics are great!), but we still
have neighborly squabbles. Yes, mostly these relate to livestock, but people tend to be
pretty forgiving when a fence goes down and critters run around knocking things over. But
the biggest source of contention seems to be the long dirt road we must all use to get in
and out of the canyon. Yesterday while walking the road, I took some photos of the
washboard condition that exhibits itself and shakes the living bejeezus out of all our
vehicles.
Here's one view of the 'metal-fatigueing' washboard that causes such contention.
In this view Whitey shows the relative size of the washboard.
Interestingly, one time going down this section of road I saw a fellow
stranded in front of a huge oak tree that had fallen down from the cliff above to the
left. The huge tree had fallen in such a way that the entire road was closed off...the
miraculous thing is, he had been following behind a friend of his who lived in the canyon
and had come to the canyon mouth to guide him in to visit (people get lost visiting in the
canyon, most people guide their friends in on the first visit). His friend had warned him
to stay a hundred yards behind to avoid getting too much dust in his air filter.
The canyon resident had gone in, and the oak had fallen between the two
vehicles. they came back when they saw their friend was not behind them, and brought some
saws to cut the tree up. As more people congregated we were all cutting the tree and
hauling off huge logs to cut smaller at home. A fallen tree here attracts the canyon
people like a dead cow attracts vultures. In a couple of hours a multi-ton tree can be cut
up and hauled off by a half dozen families, leaving only sawdust and some small branches.
This is a closeup of the patterning of pebbles and sand that comprises the washboard.
I often meditate on the physics involved in the washboard of the road.
I theorize that the compressible forces of the tire spinning
in a rotational fashion on a dry surface are such that the tire will rise up over the
small hump becoming airborne for a span of space, the tire will then spin and when it hits
the ground again it will have more spin on it. This will cause the rubber to dig into the
'valley' between the ridges and kick the particles up onto the higher area. the large
particles will travel further. It can be seen that this photo is examining the surface
while facing the oncoming traffic. The faster one travels (to a degree) the more
pronounced this 'digging in' will become. In essence, if people travel this road at high
rates of speed, they help develop this washboard pattern, and as the washboard becomes
more pronounced it seems to make less jarring in the cars if people travel faster, this
leads to increased washboarding.
Now, where the friction between neighbors comes in, some (like me) insist on
travelling at ridiculously slower speeds than they'd like, resulting in people tailgating
and trying to pass.
The oddity of it is that one person's 'fast' is another persons 'slow'.
I can have some person stuck behind me mad as heck at me for going so slow (I tend
to travel about 20-25 mph), and I will come by another person travelling the other way
going 10-15 mph, who will holler at me for going too fast.
The only benefit I see to this road is it does keep 'Lookey-Lous' out. On the
occasional Sunday I travel out I have seen vehicles of families out for Sunday drives who
got a mile down the road before deciding the road was too rough to subject their family
vans to, so they are trying to find a space to get turned around.
I must admit, the look of the canyon is a bit startling to some people. The
brush so close to both sides of your vehicle at times, the fact that there are times you
must pull over to let an oncoming vehicle pass due to the narrow road, and the creepy
'Deliverance' effects of the Spanish moss and people like me driving around in trucks with
gun racks and big floppy hats is a bit too much. A friend of mine of Chinese descent
decided he'd come out unannounced one day, he got halfway into the canyon before he got
too spooked and turned around. He told me later ("Honestly John, it was too scary, I
though a Chinese boy just should not be in that canyon without a local guide").
Perhaps the 'anti-Haole' traits he picked up growing up in Hawaii added to that
thought process.
But as it says in the Bible, "There is nothing new
under the sun". And yes, history changes, but things still stay the same. The
old-timers (I'm getting into that category) sit and mumble about 'how it was in the
'good-old-days', while the proponents of change make their changes on the world. My
parents both grew up on farms with no electricity, and were farming with horses and mules.
Now the advanced farmers have sensors in the ground to regulate moisture application
automatically. I know a fellow who travels and uses his laptop to check in and see how his
fields are doing, he can be a thousand miles away and turn his sprinklers on! In the early
twentieth century the hot debate was about paving roads. the horse owners who could not or
would not go to cars resisted the paving of roads. they delighted in the times they pulled
'horseless carriages' out of muddy roads. But the automobile owners soon got roads paved,
and this was a death kneel for horse transportation, and even teamsters were in motor
vehicles. An excellent article on this is at 'mumbles'.
September 06, 2007
Canyonwalk
I took a walk along the canyon this afternoon, walking
several miles from home. I passed several houses, and many canyon people passed me
by in their cars and trucks. Everyone who knows me stopped to make sure all is fine,
that's cause I live near thoughtful considerate folks. The mason, the miner, the blues
musicians, the realtor, the hospital worker, the mathematician, all hit the brakes to make
sure all is well.
Back in this canyon we see each other on the road more often than in any
other venue. We all live a ways from one another, and people live back here because
they like the isolation and sense of removal from other people. But this does not mean we
don't ever want to see anyone, so when we pass on the road, we often stop and chat for a
minute or two.
Several other people passed by without stopping, to a person these were folks I
don't know. In this ten miles-long canyon there are many small side canyons, and we don't
know the folks living in those other small canyons. These were the people passing me by,
but still they waved, and smiled, I think the sight of a bearded giant walking with his
Chihuahua is a funny sight.
~Stealers Wheel~
'Stuck in the middle with you'
Well I don't know why I came here tonight
I got the feeling that something ain't right
I'm so scared in case I fall off my chair
And I'm wondering how I'll get down the stairs
Clowns to the left of me
Jokers to the right, here I am
Stuck in the middle with you
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Sycamores to the left of me, oak trees to the right.
The culvert section carries water from a spring,
it is running about ten gallons a minute right now,
this is a good source of fresh water.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
A hillside of Poison Oak.
It just goes on and on.
Here we see the poison oak dropping long tendrils down from the trees,
just right to coat an unwary passerby with the oil that will cause the terrible itch.
But, that itch is good, it builds character.
You learn that to satisfy that itch will cause broken skin,
it's best to just resist the urge to scratch,
in time the inflammation will go away.
Seriously though,
I've always been able to cure my poison oak with a day or two at the beach.
The sun and salt water seem to dry it out.
So for me, beachtime is a medical necessity,
I should write a beachhouse off on my taxes.
I couldn't resist adding this classic Stealers Wheel video,
'Stuck in the Middle with you'
I just love the look of these Hippies in the video.
I understand that the original lyrics were 'Stuck in the middle of you',
but the BBC told them they'd get no airplay unless 'of' was replaced with 'with'.
Something about that last sentence is reminding me of Bill Clinton,
"I suppose that depends on what the meaning of 'is' is".
September 05, 2007
Hot enough for ya?
Well, I suppose everyone's had some hot weather this summer.
It got a bit warm in Cali this week also.
We usually get cool nights (in the forties or fifties), this allows us to
cool the house overnight. But during this heat wave, for a few nights it never got cooler
than eighty degrees at night, so the morning started out hot, and had nowhere to go but
up.
On the second of Sep the morning sun quickly brought the house temps to the
nineties, and the direct sun was measuring nearly 120 degrees, the shady side of the house
was at this time 100 degrees. By the time it was 110 in the shade, it was nearly 100 in
the house (we have no A/C).
So...Vickie and I went to the beach nearby. This is an area
called Dinosaur caves due to huge concrete dinosaur statues that used to be there, and the
caves the waves have carved from the rock. We had a good time, the temperature was in the
nineties, the water was nice and cool. I also got a nice little video I made up that day
with the pelicans who were lounging on the rocks. Kayakers were doing their thing in the
water, and the sea lions also made an appearance. We include the video in case you wish to
look.
Pelicans are an odd duck, they remind me of Pterodactyls, with their odd head
shape.
This spot, Shell Beach and Pismo Beach make me happy, they show how humans
and animals can both co-exist in the same spot. The pelicans are used to being around
humans, and know they are not likely to be harmed, it is not too hard to get close to
them.
I suppose everyplace has some nice spots. Seek out the beauty around your
area.
Tao-Teh-Ching
Chapter 45
The masters' greatest perfection seems imperfect, yet when used it is inexhaustible,
The masters' greatest fullness appears empty, yet it can continue giving without end.
The masters' greatest straightness appears crooked, yet it is upright and righteous.
The masters' greatest skill appears rustic and clumsy, yet it works with unparalleled
accuracy.
The masters' greatest eloquence appears as tongue-tied stammering, yet he teaches without
words.
The masters' movement conquers cold,
The masters' stillness conquers heat,
The stillness and tranquility of the master conquers the world.
September 04, 2007
Tarantulas never lie
Local lore has it that when you start seeing tarantulas
walking around, you are within six weeks of the start of rain. For the last few years I
have chronicled the first tarantula I saw in late summer, and each year we did get rain
within six weeks.
Yesterday I found the first one of the season, so we should have rain here by
the fifteenth of October (note, this does not mean a huge big rain, just rain).
This guy got a bit perturbed at me taking his photo. I am so daring getting
this close to record this event.
Today is the one year mark since the death of Steve Irwin. He
would'a had a good time with this little fellow, and he would have taught us so much more
if his life had not been so tragically cut short. We wish the best to his wife and kids.
September 03, 2007
Venice Gargoyle
Venice California was designed to be an American version of the beautiful city in Italy.
As such, it does have the occasional touches reminiscent of a European city.
This gargoyle painted onto the side of a building is a case in point.
From the colors on the wall, to the window shutters and flowerboxes, it aims for that
Euro-touch look.
September 02, 2007
A happy dog in Venice California
Another happy dog (Whitey) sitting with his buddy John. May 2006
'
It's just another day in paradise
As you stumble to your bed
You'd give anything to silence
Those voices ringing in your head
You thought you could find happiness
Just over that green hill
You thought you would be satisfied
But you never will-
Learn to be still
We're like sheep without a shepherd
We don't know how to be alone
So we wander 'round this desert
And wind up following the wrong gods home
But the flock cries out for another
And they keep answering that bell
And one more starry-eyed messiah
Meets a violent farewell-
Learn to be still
Now the flowers in your garden
They don't smell so sweet
Maybe you've forgotten
The heaven lying at your feet
There are so many contridictions
In all these messages we send
We keep asking
How do I get out of here
Where do I fit in?
Though the world is torn and shaken
Even if your heart is breakin'
It's waiting for you to awaken
And someday you will-
Learn to be still
Back in March I took a drive up to Morro Bay.
The fields were still green from the winter's rain.
It's nice to look back at the green. Right now everything is so dry.
History tells us that what usually happens will probably happen again.
Therefor I know that the winter rains will come again and green up our hillsides once
more. The deer will find plenty to eat and stop trying to find out how to get to our
cactus.
In wintertime, things will be good again...
But come wintertime I'll yearn for the warm sandy beaches of summer, the
prolific cactus harvests, and ease of driving on dry roads with no rain reducing
visibility.
Yes, every season has it's issues, blessings and challenges. It does not
matter who or what or where we are, we all have our burdens in life. It's difficult but
best to look past the burdens and accept them as man's daily lot...But the blessings are
so easy to overlook and pass by in the rush to provide a living. What a shame it is to
pass over the small moments one can have of happiness. Accept
happiness and blessings when they come your way, we all deserve some decent time of fun
and happiness.
This road for example; to be able to drive along a serene country road in the early
springtime is a pleasure. And I have the photographs and the memory locked in my head of
that day.
It was a good day.
San Luis Obispo County is a really great place to live, we've been truly blessed.
The Tibetan singer Yungchen Lhamo has a very beautiful video.
The song is entitled
'Happiness Is...'
