Season Of Enlightenment

It Might As Well Be Spring

Flowers in Dorothy's garden. 3/20/09

That was the scene Friday afternoon.

This evening, (Saturday), the sound of the blowing wind is accented by the occasional rumble of thunder. There is a chance that we may get some rain with these clouds and gusty air. I have some books to read while I am warm and dry in my abode. They are; The Wordy Shipmates-Sara Vowell, Bones-Jonathan Kellerman, and The Brass Verdict-Michael Connelly.

I like to read more than one book at a time, and I picked these three new releases from the library to enhance this rainy weekend, should it actually rain. This is the first book by Sara Vowell, for me, and I am finding a kindred soul in her observations, and the way she bundles time, and related events, into compound sentences in a way that gives the reader room to tie up the loose ends with our own knowledge of history.

Some of you already know that there seems to be something extraordinary about the seemingly random choice of books that I read in groups. This is the case with the Sara Vowell book and a Michael Crichton book I am still reading. They both stress the importance of knowing history and how the present, like an island, is just the tip of the mountain. The Crichton book is, Timeline.


Island Paradise Available Soon

Remodeling underway at island paradise near Tonga.

Sweet Story

« Review of the Day: Sugar Cane ... Good, new, kid's book.

From the tomato sauce on a Pizza Hut pie called “The Natural,” to the just-released soda Pepsi Natural, some of the biggest players in the American food business have started, in the last few months, replacing high-fructose corn syrup with old-fashioned sugar.

You may have read my research on the damage that HFCS is doing to the health and well being of humans who have been consuming products that contain this non-food sweetener, or read for yourself about the epidemic increase in obesity, diabetes, heart disease, allergy's, and other global health issues; and how it can be linked to the introduction and proliferation of HFCS in processed food and drink products. Well, take heart, if yours is not too damaged by this stuff, corporate food companies are switching back to sugar.

Have Your Wedding Here

Juliet's balcony, now available for weddings.

Travel to Verona and get married at the house of Juliet, (13Th century home of the Cappello family). The house of the Capulet's, in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

What could be more romantic than the balcony that played a part in the tragic suicide of a couple of teenagers. I don't think it bodes well for a long and happy life together.

I love This Stuff

Photo by Jimmy Sakuma, using his iPhone. 3/18/09

March 23rd begins with a crisp clear spring morning, here in Redding.

Mount Shasta awakes in a shroud of cloud, while a mantle of mist lies upon the southern flank of Lassen.

Ever changing,
the morning reveals more more majestic perspectives.

Now a cotton candy coating in the sunlight, glowing on Shasta leads me back home to a cup of organic coffee and soon, this being Monday, breakfast, just the way I like it, prepared by Sandi.

I am blessed. God makes everyday beautiful. My eyes are open. I am happy.

Today's Relatively Appropriate Song;
It Might As Well Be Spring

Grateful

Welcome Rain in Redding

Rainy Tuesday and Wednesday

Sundial bridge in the rain...............................2/10/09

There was an article in the local paper about the cost of replacing the glass panels on the Sundial Bridge.

Laminated, 3 layer, 160 lb., $416, glass panels. 2/10/09

City to Spend $10,000
For New Glass Panels

Picture from Redding Record Searchlight....2/10/09

Some people were outraged and submitted their grumpy comments.

I just had to reply;

Posted by HappyPhil on February 10, 2009 at 3:41 p.m.

Wow! Some people love to complain. I enjoy reading the comments. I can see that, over time, the complainers lives don't seem to get any better, but they do make the positive comments shine like beacons of commonsense.

My camera doesn't show the cobwebs when I take pictures of the bridge, unless I am really up close looking for them as pieces of natural art.

I like to imagine that the impacts that break the panels are from the seasonal meteor showers.

I wonder if the old panels can be used to repair potholes, or turned into something like "Sundial Bridge" magnifying glasses.

After reading the article, I am confident that Dan Cannon will do the right thing.

Rainy days are picturesque and magically moody down at the Sundial Bridge, too.

To read the article and comments, click HERE .

I went to The Bridge

I shot some video in the rain.....................2/10/09

I took some pictures in the rain.........................2/10/09

Mt. Seymour
Mountains named after Governors, named Seymour.

Mount Seymour

I got an e-mail from my brother, Jerry, with a picture of a store called; Spirits of Mt. Seymour. It's in Vancouver. I figured if there is a Mt. Seymour, it's probably on a Google map. Yep, and in Google images too.

Mount Seymour
To get the latest snow report and event calendar;
http://www.mountseymour.com/today/snow
They have a valentines weekend ski special.

Hiking, fishing, camping and skiing, oh my!

Mount Seymour-BC

I did a Google search for Mount Seymour and got 438,000 results! Who knew? (Well, obviously, at least 438,000 people).

Wikipedia says; Mount Seymour is most commonly identified for its ski area of the same name, and as a popular hiking area. It is named in honour of Frederick Seymour, second governor of the Colony of British Columbia.

While I was reading about the Canadian mountain, I came across another Seymour mountain in New York.

Seymour Mountain

This one in New York is named after Horatio Seymour.

Seymour Mountain is a mountain located in Franklin County, New York, named after Horatio Seymour (1810–1886), Governor of New York (1853–1854, 1863–1864). The mountain is part of the Seward Mountains of the Adirondacks.

That's enough of the family name for this post, but it is fun to find stuff like this. Mountains named after Governors named Seymour.

Neutron Star is Video Star

To see the video of SGR J1550-5418, click HERE

The Swift satellite's X-Ray Telescope captures an apparent halo of X-ray light expanding outward from SGR J1550-5418. This gigantic star is 40 times greater mass than our sun, and is located 30,000 light-years away in the constellation Norma.


February 11th is my 3rd ex-wife's birthday. Also, it's our anniversary. We don't exchange presents or pleasantries these days, but we had a good time while it lasted. Have a happy day, Vicky, wherever you are.

Interesting Coffee

Fancy coffee was on sale at Raleys................2/11/09

Interesting Book

I found this in the Library's new releases section.

The rehearsal with my new band went well today. We should have a lot of fun at Thursdays Valentines show. We play from 8 to 9.

I stopped at the store on my way home for a few items and saw there was a sale on coffee. Tanzanian sounded like an adventure, so I got some. I think it will go well with the book I am reading, which is mysterious and adventuresome. It somehow ties together Cain and the story of superman. It's 5:30PM, it's raining, the temperature is 40 degrees, and my easy chair is calling to me.

Today's Relatively Appropriate Song;
Sing a Simple Song
-Sly and the Family Stone

Peace is Good

Part 1 of Ringing Out The Old Year

Out With The Old ?

A diamond is forever, since 1948

De Beers diamond company hired the ad agency N.W. Ayer & Son in 1939. They launched the, "Diamonds Are Forever", campaign to promote diamond engagement rings. In 1999, De Beers chairman Nicky Oppenheimer confessed, "Diamonds are intrinsically worthless, except for the deep psychological need they fill.”

I am always amazed that this story appears about every 10 years, like it's news. Then I remember that most people have to be reminded every day to eat at Mac Donalds.

Nothing is Safe From Humans

Star gazing in Death Valley is getting washed out.

Chrissy and I used to love to camp out in Death Valley.

The night sky was spectacular.

We were a fortunate couple.

Viva Las Vegas ♠

(Tip; Click on the spade)

Strange Structures

(From my neighbor, Jo Anna)

Mammy's Cupboard Natchez, Mississippi

Solar Furnace Odeillo, France

Some Colorful Pictures
(From my Sister, Sue.)

Horses in the snow

Yo ho ho Matey

Today's Relatively Appropriate Song;
Ride Captain Ride - Blues Image

"If my ship sails from sight, it doesn't mean my journey ends, it simply means the river bends."
John Enoch Powell

Many Happy Returns

After Christmas Specials

German Amusement Park

Männerspielplatz (literally "men's playground")

For 219 euros (about $280), patrons can spend the day operating 29-ton Liebherr backhoes and 32-ton Komatsu front-end loaders, off-roading through the woods in a Mercedes-built Unimog, peeling out in a Suzuki SUV, and slinging some mud on quad bikes.

Refrigerator Magnets

These retro humor magnets are from allposters.com

It has been a wonderful Christmas
for me, here in Redding.

Happy Phil on Christmas day 12/25/08
In addition to figuring out how to make acceptable videos with the equipment I have, I discovered a way to use my external hard drive as the destination for the giant files that are part of the movie making process. That is a great gift, thank you.

I hope you had a ball this Christmas

I had dinner with Sandi, Stu, and family.
It was delicious.

Stu's traditional Christmas prime rib roast

'Tis the seasoning

After dinner, Austin and Jordan,(the grand-kid's), joined me for a few seasonal songs.
A good time was had by all.

I must admit that it feels good to have celebrated Christmas knowing that I didn't cause embarrassment, offense, or discomfort for myself or anyone else. This sobriety thing really works for me.

Sunset for Christmas 2008

Today's Relatively Appropriate Song;
The Orioles
What Are You Doing New Years Eve?

Harmony

It's Great to Be Alive

God's Infinite Reality

Telescopic image of the Orion Nebula in Orion's sword
I just love the abundance of information and images we have been obtaining in recent months and years. This is a picture of where, some scientists have determined, our sun was created. Using calculations based on the relative motion and behavior of matter in our galaxy, our sun and Sirius-B, passed so close to one another that our sun got pushed out of the Orion Nebula to it's present position in the milky way galaxy.

The other day, someone asked me, "You believe that the lord Jesus is your God and savior, don't you?''

Snap! My mind went into high gear as I assessed the potential for conflict. I answered, "Er,...sure, among other things."

I am sure that, had I been born and raised as a member of an illiterate. nomadic tribe, I probably wouldn't have the mental capacity to form a broader view of God and the universe, and would have to accept the Bible as an end-all explanation of the Creator. However, with access to thousands of years worth of information from all over this planet, I believe God is far more complex and dynamic than the petulant, angry old man that was portrayed in the Bible to keep the simple minded goat herders in awe.

Thursday Was Beautiful

Mount Shasta 11/6/08

Shasta View Drive 11/6/08
The sky was blue, the air was clean, and it was a day that begged me to get out and enjoy this little piece of God's magnificent universe.

I also thought it would be a good day to get a robe and slippers. The weather is starting to get a bit chilly, and to do my part to conserve resources, I thought something warm to wear around the apartment would keep the heater from running all the time.

My official, "old guy", robe and slippers.

The next day, I went to Outdoor World, looking for some gloves and a scarf, and found this traveling gun show in front of the store.

It is Redding, after all. 11/7/08
The store, Outdoor World, should have been called Guns-be-Us. The place was packed with people buying guns like crazy. I found gloves, but they were designed for shooting deer from a blind. They had Lot's of guns and camouflage beer coolers. It was heaven for the willfully ignorant. These were some seriously vocabulary challenged shoppers. I tried to keep my conversations to a few grunts and one syllable words for fear that I would be shot for being some sort of commie, intellectual, Muslim, baby killer, liberal.

I found out later that gun stores had been spreading a rumor that Obama was going to outlaw firearms. One gun store reported making over $100,000 a day since the election. Obviously the customers rely on Fox news, rather than reading. Had they taken the time to research Obama's position on the 2ND amendment, they would find he is a staunch supporter of the right to bear arms, and all of the constitution of the United States of America.

Weaverville

The Joss House, Taoist Temple 11/7/08
30 miles west of Redding is the little town of Weaverville, the gateway to the Trinity Alps. Chrissy and I stayed there on a trip we took, 18 years ago. I drove out there with my friend Mike, to take some pictures of the fall colors. After Outdoor World, I felt the need to enjoy God's more peaceful expressions. I had forgotten about the Joss House and the more enlightened philosophy it represents. Very refreshing.

Shrine to, "The one who listens".
While in Weaverville, we stopped into a coffee house called, Mamma Llama. I struck up a conversation with one of the owners, Steve Friedman.

Steve Friedman and his dazzling array of coffee flavors.
The sandwich I had was better than I could make, and I highly reccommend you get a cup of coffe and a bite to eat at Mamma Llama's, if you are ever in Weaverville.
Until recently, Steve has been having, "Live", music in his place, but a representative from a group called, SESAC, came in and told him he would have to pay them for having music, or face an enormous fine and court battle.
So far, my research has revealed that SESAC was formed in England in 1930 to collect royalties for European artists, but recently it has been expanded to an international, for profit enterprise. They keep some of the royalties for themselves and are in the business of making money, not music. I have to do more research into the legality of their extortion.

Back Here In Redding

Landscaping outside the Treehouse common room.

The residents had their rummage sale this weekend, in the common room. I stopped in for a look see, and as I left, I noticed how nice, Ed keeps the grounds. I just love it here. I am very happy, and fortunate, and grateful.

I can smell this rose when I look at the picture. 11/8/08

God is more than we are capable of imagining.

Happy Columbus Day

Columbus Day
It's a Holiday
-Boney M

Flaming Squirrel Sparks Brush Fire
(Redding)

Fireman uses rainbow technique on brush fire

A squirrel shorted out a high-voltage power line, caught fire and dropped into dry vegetation this morning — sparking a brush fire along North Market Street just north of Benton Drive.

Fire crews contained the blaze, which started behind the former Catanio’s Italian restaurant, within 20 minutes, Gray said. Eighteen firefighters and six fire engines responded to the blaze.

Lot's of jokes come to mind about Rocky and Bullwinkle, (For my older readers, Rocky was a flying squirrel.)

Bryan's Board is Back

Bryan, (left), and Bo with surviving surfboard
I got an e-mail from my nephew, Bryan Smith;

Last week I got a call from my buddy Wyman Wade. He and his buddy Henry Fry made surfboards here in Houston and Costa Rica for the last 30+ years. He got a call from a Bo Nelson who found my surfboard a few miles outside of Smith's Point. Gina and I went and picked it up on Saturday. My surfboard was one of the only items of value to me that was left at the beach house when Ike took it away. Smith's point is approximately 10 miles across the bay. Please see attached picture. Amazing. Have a nice week. Bryan

Google map of Bay

Smith Point (upper left), and Crystal Beach (A)
The Gulf of Mexico is in the lower right corner.

For more about the hurricane and my sisters Beach House, click on "Beach House", (under "Labels").

The Adventures of Bat Girl

Shell found near Devils Tower
The last I heard from Bat Girl, she was in Yellowstone National Park, but she did send me a picture of this shell she found on her travels. If you know what kind of shell it is, let me know.

"Stay tuned for my next exciting installment."

Bat Girl is thinking about getting a trailer and becoming a gypsy-vagabond, just roaming around these beautiful United States. It reminded me of the old, (1938), cartoon, "Mickey's Trailer".

Donald takes a bath in Mickey's trailer

Well, whatta you know, I found it. Here it is, for your enjoyment...
Mickey's Trailer

What a wonderful life

Quantum Physics, Crazy Horse, A Shameful Moment, Life at the Bottom of the Sea

Thoughts and Dreams

A star is born on the edge of our Milky Way galaxy

Thoughts and dreams can be real in our physical universe.
Electrons and energy arranged into a thought, is a physical action, creating a detectable construct.
Fleeting thoughts?
One time dreams?
Temporary, but real, structures.

Repetitive thoughts?
Lifetime dreams?
More or less permanent structures.

Repeat a thought enough times and it becomes,"hard wired."
Some hard wired thoughts can become, "perceptions."

We are told, "The sky is blue."
We begin to perceive that the sky is blue.
Eventually, that perception becomes our reality.

Something to think about.


The Adventures of Bat Girl

Camping in Custer state park

Looking at Crazy Horse Monument
Bat Girl tells me that she really likes camping and seeing the attractions in the American west. She feels energized by the vagabond life, and looks forward to the next roadside attraction.

"Stay tuned for my next exciting installment."

Global Warming in the Tropics

This tree has to move up the mountain to survive
Climate change is warming the tropics, too. Average temperatures have increased by 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit (0.78 degree Celsius) in the last 30 years, making them as warm as at any point in the past 2 million years. That increased warmth, however, is not good news for tropical plants and insects, according to a new study.

McCain Campaign Looking for Theme Song

"I'm crazy, crazy for being..."

The latest in a long line of musicians complaining about Presidential candidate John McCain for his use of their music at campaign stops would be the band the Foo Fighters.

It seems that, as long as politicians pay the appropriate ASCAP fees, they can use any song they like. What's funny to me is they usually don't listen to the lyrics and just use the song for it's, "Hook."
A good example would be Ronald Reagan using Bruce Springsteen's,"Born in the U.S.A."

But I guess it would even be worse if you actually had to play at a rally for these guys...

I Played for Ronald Reagan!

Remembering the horror
I was playing at the airport lounge in Medford, Oregon, when the manager informed me that I would be playing at a Ronald Reagan rally. "You have got to be kidding?", I exclaimed. "That guy ruined California when he was Governor!", (Actually, he didn't have the mental capacity to ruin the economy of California. It was his handlers, Dick Cheney, Karl Rove, Donald Rumsfeld, and the rest of those greedy, crazy men who were telling Ronald what to do and say.)

I adamantly refused to lend my support to that bunch of evil crooks. I felt proud of my stance for truth, justice, and the American way, until I found that even I could be corrupted.

It seemed important to the woman who owned the place, that the manager had to get me to play at this event. So much so, that it wasn't just my job on the line, (along with my band members), but the managers job as well. (At least that's what he said.) So I caved in to their needs, and for a couple of hours on a sunny afternoon, I was part of the "Reagan Country" snake oil traveling show.

Ronald and his wife sat on the stage waiting for his moment to speak and answer a few questions from a handful of people they brought with them to "Salt" the crowd. As they sat there, Ronnie had his eyes half closed and his mouth moved as he went over his "Lines." (I guess he figured he was in a movie where he played the president.) Nancy couldn't focus her eyes, and kept slipping down in her seat like her drug of choice was barbiturates. The band and I played a few of Reagans favorite songs while the humorless, secret service guys made sure we didn't play any "commie" stuff.

Once everything was ready, we got to stop playing, and it was time for Reagans act. He stood up, squared his shoulders, got into character and stepped up to the microphone to deliver his speech with appropriate gestures, inflections and facial expressions. He did not react to real questions from the "crowd", but responded to his "cues" when given by the trained questioners.

He left the stage, we played another tune, packed up our stuff, and went in to the bar to wash away the shame.

(One day I will write about the time I went duck hunting with the Governor of Mississippi.)

"Dumbo" the Octopus

Grimpoteuthis
Dumbo octopuses can reach up to 1.5 meters long, but are often very small, fitting in the palm of your hand. Much better than Sea Monkey's.
Of course you would have to be on the ocean floor where they live.

Todays Relatively Appropriate Song;
Octopus's Garden -Beatles

Humility Builds Character