Bringing A Smile

Is A Good Thing

So, today I bring good news and mirthful views.

From Keystone Progress

And to put the refugee and migrant increase into perspective...

Today’s Video;

We All Live Here - On Planet Earth

Weekend Update

At Least Friday and Saturday

Gardens at Golden Umbrella

Friday began with songs for the people in the dining room following their morning exercise class at Golden Umbrella.

The moon Friday night

Friday concluded with me taking moon pictures from the Treehouse parking lot. That’s convenient because my car is there and the big tripod is in the car.

Lasagna with fresh tomatoes. (iPhone 5c camera)

I almost forgot. I took a picture of Friday’s dinner with the iPhone 5c. I have been using the iPhone for food pictures lately. It is a lot simpler than the Lumix with post production on RW2 images. When it comes to a quick pic of pie or pasta, the iPhone pictures look good.

Sunglow in new rose Saturday

Saturday morning included a trip to the Farmers Market behind the Civic Center. Margaret Miller joined me in the search for fresh local produce. I got some Troxell’s Big Red Orchard apples from their booth to make a pie.

Pretty pink rose along the sidewalk

Margaret got tomatoes and eggplants at one of the many produce stalls. We located the sauerkraut stand that belongs to the son of a Treehouse neighbor. If I ever want to eat something that requires sauerkraut, I know where to get a jar of hand crafted gourmet quality kraut.

Rosebud lit by afternoon sun

I watched some of the Pope’s many activities while visiting the United States. It is really convenient that on the internet we can see the Holy See, (live and recorded on video), with a click, keystroke or touch of a finger..

It’s the Pope Francis website where you can follow the Pope. I assure you, you will enjoy the website no matter how you feel about the Pontiff.

Beautiful red rose hiding in the bush

Tomorrow we have the Redding Rubber Ducky Derby in the afternoon, and in the evening, just after sunset, a total eclipse of the moon. Later, you may see some disappointed “Enders” who will notice after the eclipse that they didn’t float up to Heaven. Be kind to them.

Gently tell them; “Do not be discouraged”. “There will be plenty more End Of The World rapture predictions for years and years to come”.

Today’s Video;

Memorial Sloan Kettering - Suzanne from Aaron Kemnitzer on https://vimeo.com">Vimeo

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Life Is Amazing

Eclipse Ahead

Rubber Ducky Derby, Too

Moon on day of equinox

We already had the equinox, (terrific scrabble word), on Wednesday, but somehow I didn’t post the pictures I took that day. It must have been something I read that diverted my attention.

Always fun to take pictures of Lassen

Playing at Golden Umbrella. For 5 years my neighbor Doris kept telling me they need me to play there and wake them up. I am a little late in going there. Doris has gone to the dancing/bingo/comedy/party in the sky.

This morning I felt her spirit was with me enjoying the dancing, smiling, people there while I played. It was fun and I will return on October 13.

Closer look at triple word score moon

This Sunday afternoon is the 26th annual Redding Rubber Ducky Derby. I have a duck in the race. Come on, 02731, I know you can do it. 

If you go there, look for my duck; It’s yellow.

Balloon Trip painting by George Bleich

Regular readers know that I am fortunate enough to have 3 George Bleich paintings. My favorite is the Balloon Trip he painted for Chrissy’s birthday one year. It hangs prominently in my living room. Like most all of George’s paintings, it changes with the light.

One recent morning I looked up and I noticed the shadow of the balloon was glowing in the atmosphere. I tried to capture it without changing the lighting, but his paintings are alive with ambient light and color and don’t wait around for me to get the camera, set it for the conditions, and finally snap a few shots. But, the pic above is close.

New rose this week

When I was watching Pope Francis speak at the White House, I couldn’t help thinking about George. He is a devout Catholic who walks the path of peace, love and understanding. And while seeing the Pontiff on TV, I noticed that in some ways George actually looks like the Pope.

Apple pie from Jackie

The eclipse of the moon will be after sunset this Sunday. It will be nice to get some images that incorporate the feeling of momentary stillness during the time of totality. If I do, you will likely see them here.

Today’s Video;

Do Good

Dignity

Sanity And Humanity

Dignity, Sanity and Humanity; These three things have been missing in our government ever since corporate infiltrators propelled Ronald Reagan into the Whitehouse.

Moon Sunday

He was hired to play the part of president. The right wing industrial, military, financial neoliberal cadre wrote the script. The best publicists and advertising agencies money could buy were hired to make people believe Reagan was a good president.

Coreopsis Orange

Reagan hit his marks, recited his lines and introduced bills and policies that allowed our national treasury to be pillaged while our military and industries ravaged and dismantled countries around the world. This theater of misdirection was conceived so a couple hundred rich men could rake in enormous profits.

Moon Monday

They first tested Reagan as an anti-union, anti-education, anti-government governor in California and looted America’s largest state treasury beyond their wildest expectations. (We have finally begun recovering some of our losses thanks to Jerry Brown and California Democrats.)

Large bee covered in pollen

The fallout from these treasonous warmongering, privatizing, criminals In the nation’s capital has turned the republican party into a bunch of greedy oafs, hootin’ and a hollerin’ in the hallowed halls of congress. They insult our president, insult world leaders, and insult the intelligence of learned people everywhere.

In Dottie’s garden

We have a chance at the end of next year to get enough respectable and honorable Democrats into the house and senate to bring dignity, sanity and humanity back to America. We have 2 effective, experienced and hugely popular presidential candidates to head us into a future of promise: Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.

All we have to do is make sure everyone votes.

Today’s Video;

Free Your Mind - Turn Off The News

What A World

Game Show Debates

Lassen on Friday afternoon

In case you missed social studies or government classes in school, let me explain briefly how the political parties select their candidates; Delegates from both parties will be going to national conventions next year; Democrats July 25–28 and Republicans July 18–21, 2016.

That is where and when the parties decide who the candidates will be for the upcoming general election in November 2016.

A poppy, I think

The candidates you may or may not be voting for will not be selected by how the public reacts to TV game show style debates. Fox news and CNN do not represent reality. Perhaps the weirdly skewed republican reality, but not the reality of the American electorate.

One ripe tomato

Who Ya Gonna Bomb?

Some news stories recently revealed that the leaders of IS, Al Qaeda, (and the leaders in “Terrorist” groups throughout the world), were trained and equipped by U. S. special forces.

I seriously doubt that cable news or most of the media are making that their big story.

Glory’s on high

This information has been available since shortly after we invaded Iraq, but not front page news. Still, if you read the papers, (not just the Record Searchlight), you would have found THIS STORY last year in the Washington Post. Or THIS STORY from last Thursday’s Russian Insider.

Butterfly takes a sip

Searching for the truth.

Speaking out against injustice.

Embracing more than one point of view.

Respecting all that is living or dead.

This is how I choose to live this life I have been given.

Today’s Video;

Excessive Wealth Corrupts Excessively

A Sunny Day

Open The Sunroof

Just a day after a bit of rain the clouds parted and wandered away leaving blue skies and sunshine over Redding. It was cool enough, (75 - 80), that I even got to open the sunroof on the Hyundai.

Do You Remember Valentina Tereshkova?

The first woman to fly in space

There is a great story with pictures and everything, on bbc.com you should READ THIS intersting and informative look at history.

View of the Sacramento river on Wednesday

I took the time yesterday to find color and stories to photograph on a dreary day.

Conditions were just ducky for these two

My travels took me to some of my favorite Redding photo hot spots. Like the Sundial Bridge, (although it wasn’t telling time due to inclement weather).

Wet and glistening

When I zoomed in to the gnomon, I saw that many birds had taken refuge there.

Hanging out on the gnomon

While at the library, I noticed one bejeweled blooming fortnight lily. It was a spot of color and beauty that demanded to be photographed. So…

Fortnight lily

With the sunroof open and beautiful weather, running errands today (Thursday) was a breeze. It was so delightful that it didn’t occur to me that a picture or two of this glorious day might be in order.

Besides, yesterday’s rainy day images were all blog sized and waiting to be seen here.

It all works out.

Today’s Video;

Joyful Noise

Liberal Future

Realistically Bright Belief In American Democracy

Explaining the importance of a liberal American future; John F. Kennedy

Love Thy Neighbor

You Do What?

I Watch TV Sports w/o Sound

That is my secret to enjoying “The Game” on TV. The mute button.

If I think there is something I see that needs an explanation, I turn the sound on. But, to enjoy the game?...I prefer not to have announcers talking about memorable moments and what kind of pie they ate on Thanksgiving while the game is going on.

I remember filming a 49er game at Candlestick when Jerry Rice was playing. (How I got the security guy and gal to let me film and for them to use my camera to show Chrissy and me watching the game is another story.)

When I wanted to watch football in the off season or get ready for opening day, I would watch that game I filmed (with some extra camera people) to remind me of how exciting and fun it really is to be there at the game.

Most of the colorful stuff with fans, players, and cheerleaders isn’t shown with TV coverage anymore. I suppose there’s no money being made by just showing all the fun people are having at the game.

All of which is why I turn off the annoying TV noise and listen to the cheers and sounds of the game with the most awesome realistic audio system ever made; My mind.

Cleats pounding, tearing turf, crunching dirt. The huff of hard breathing, shoulder pad rattling, thundering of powerful players running down the field. The roar of the crowd that sounds like what you would hear in the Roman Coliseum. The collective groan when a wide receiver drops a wide open touchdown pass.

Yeah, that’s what I like to hear. So, that is why I mute the announcers and turn on the sounds in my mind when I want to experience the excitement and thrill of professional Football.

If you have good memories of live games, try turning off the sound of announcers chatting while the game is on TV. The sounds you play in your head are far superior to the drone of TV sound and once you have learned to do that, you can imagine cheerleader routines during the commercial breaks, too.

Alright then, I will get back to watching the Raiders lose to the Bengals.

Today’s Video;

Thoughtful People Make Peace

Donation Requests

Real Or Scams?

Designated driver of the republican clown car

How can you tell?

If I receive a plea for money that uses scare tactics, “Thousands of people/animals/children will die or suffer if you don’t contribute to the cause”! That request goes straight to the trash.

Kathern’s red roses

Campaign contributions 18 months before the elections is another waste of money.

If you care about the future of America you will vote for the party that will do the most for people and protect our country’s resources.

That party is the Democrats

Wider than usual dough strips (tasty)

Democrats don’t need money to win; 65% of registered voters are Democrats. All we have to do is get everyone to vote and we can sweep every election.

Ultra violet is part of the finish process on new viola

Besides, Republicans are going to continue voting anti-women, anti-poor people, anti-labor, anti-education, anti-non white people, anti-old people, anti-peace, anti-democracy, anti-social security, anti-Medicare and anti-anything they can’t personally profit from.

Wednesday Treehouse sundown

Expecting to convert the adamantly ignorant right wing types to democracy and social justice as a result of clever TV and radio advertising is simply wasted money.

Tonight’s dinner with tomatoes from Jackie’s garden

Today’s Video;

Your Vote Does Matter