GOLDEN OLDIES & OTHER SENTIMENTS

a throwback 

    Old images come back to haunt. This was a billboard in the 1970's when Gold Cards were the big thing. Cris Conner and I hosted a morning show on WNAP. Cris, the "Salvador Dali" of radio jocks and yours truly, the sedate investigative journalist, made an odd couple though enormously compatible. Halcyon, salad days they were. 
    Cris was and is a supremely talented photographer. He also handcrafted a walking stick that has gotten miles of California trail time. 

when a plan comes together

     June Lake in the Sierras

    Karen, a friend and former colleague and her husband Larry have just completed a move from Indianapolis to California, something I am familiar with. Karen reminds me that 5 years ago when she decided on the move I told her how quickly the 5 years would go. Joy of joy, they have located in the Republic and have been reborn as Californians.

   Karen and her eldest are planning a trip up to the Sierra and was asking for info. It gave me a chance to evangelize my absolute love of the eastern slope and that area from June Lake to Yosemite. It is our favorite place to hike.

the continuing saga of

an electoral college drop out

    Those of us who have been around the block a few times and especially those of us who were paid to cover politics  are seeing something without precedent, political pros who boldly question the competence and intelligence of a candidate who could be given the nuclear codes. Nor have I seen national security experts en masse warn the nation about the danger of electing said candidate. One former director of the CIA gave up a compensated post at a network and membership on boards of directors, also at personal financial loss to warn us about the danger of Donald Trump. 

     It is my view Trump lacks the character, skill, experience and emotional balance required of the job. He is irrationally irresponsible. His remark of  the "second Amendment people" stopping Hillary Clinton is "morally criminal" at least. 

     He and his apologists can try to explain this away as a joke or an off the cuff comment that is now being overplayed, but that is bullshit. He knows everything a presidential candidate says will be scrutinized or he is stupid. The comment is either another nail in his coffin of incompetence or he is advocating violence. Either disqualifies him. I wish there was a prosecutor out there with the stones to file a charge of some sort to punctuate the gravity of such mindless trash talk.

     You don't have to like Hillary Clinton to realize Donald Trump and his campaign should be flushed. 

     See you down the trail.

    

A GAY SLUR? AND GETTING AWAY FROM PEOPLE

WORDS

CUTTING BOTH WAYS

     Teaching us diplomacy and providing a way to keep us out of continual scrapes, fights and altercations, mom taught us the childhood adage

      "sticks and stones may break my bones-

       but words will never hurt me."

     How I wish that were still true.  Maybe it would be if only we all lived that reality.  But words have power and the meaning can hurt.

      An NBA star is in trouble and has been fined for something he said.  The phrase "no homo" derives from a black idiom, complicated by African American attitudes about gay life, but has mutated in use to where in the macho world of professional athletes it meant to imply something else and was not meant in disrespect, though it could be offensive to some.  No harm intended, but offense could be taken.  Such is the tyranny of political correctness especially in the hyper amplified world where big name stardom and social media meet. 

       I don't know if it is an improvement that we now are more aware of our language skills and word choices and sensitive to their impact, or if we have just netted ourselves in a time and place where, despite intent, a word or phrase can lead to a knee jerk type of social persecution.

      I'm inclined to think we must indeed be wise in our word choice, but still there was so much wisdom-and hassle avoidance, in that old childhood retort.

SO LET'S JUST GET AWAY FROM PEOPLE

Big Sur-Lime Kiln Canyon-One of the world's special places

    A simple pleasure is to hike from where water falls out of the mountains to where it runs into the Pacific.

  Here, words and language seem secondary.

  See you down the trail.

DO THEY KNOW ABOUT THIS PLACE ON THE STRIP

ENTER ONLY IF
YOU WANT TO SEE ANOTHER SIDE OF VEGAS
BEAUTIFUL RED ROCKS

    Less than an hour west and north of the strip is a world

apart from the Vegas that comes to mind.  Magnificent mountains, light and the interplay of both.  To take you "close to the action" there is a loop drive and a dozen options for hiking, walking and climbing.

     The only special effects here are provided time and nature.  These old Yucca heads look like old shrunken heads indeed.

     As one in our party noted, they look like old spirits.

     This trail takes you over and through slanting rocks.

     Look carefully in the frame below.  How'd you like that view?

On the mid horizon line and you can
see the beginnings of the Vegas most people think of.
See you down the trail.

A WORLD APART

TORO CREEK ROAD

This new walk offers great vistas. You might find it hard to believe it is only a mile or so from the Pacific Ocean.

"It's the California I grew up in" was the comment from a

couple of hikers.

It's cowboy country to me, like scenes

from the old westerns.

You can find it off the Pacific Coast Highway

between Cayucos and Morro Bay.

Whatever you are dealing with today,

take this walk in a peaceful valley.

 Accompanied by the sound of birds, the creek and wind through the trees.

 Post card scenes of California that many do not know exists.

 Below, the sun splashes off Toro Creek.

 An old ranch homestead.

 A combination of cattle country and agriculture.

Below, old gourds wait to enrich the soil.

 Typical to ranch and farm country-a kind of museum of

old implements.

Probably some life left in this old boy.  Just waiting till it is needed again. 

 I particularly like the frame below.

Five layers of mother earth

including a fault line.

See you down the trail.