SHADOW PLAY and DOES THIS SURPRISE YOU?

SHADOW PLAY

     Wherein a recent walk over a bridge spanning a now dry wash offered a chance at a dimensional portrait.

    You can see the effect of the now historic drought along the central coast.  We need rain.

IS ANYONE REALLY SURPRISED?

    In reviewing data from four states, the Associated Press has learned you can't trust what the oil and gas industry says about ground water contamination.

     Records from Texas, Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia find many more problems with well water contamination than what industry sources say, that such problems are rare. 

     There are serious problems and they are spreading as gas and oil drilling and fracking spread.  Too bad there isn't a law to crack down on lying corporations and public relations officials. Too bad too that Dick Cheney got away with his criminal conspiracy to allow the lying corporations to skirt clean air and water standards.  And while we are lamenting, too bad the justice department hasn't gone after crooked Dick for any number of his corrupt practices, many of which are now documented by authors, historians and the Inspector General's office.  

     Cheney has lived long enough to see the truth made public about how even George W banned him from the oval office and close contact. I hope he lives long enough to see criminal charges brought against him.  He can totter off into the sunset assured that historians will rip his heart out-that would be his original heart, mechanical heart and the one he got when others, more critical and more in the target profile, continued to wait.  Too bad no one has investigated how the old buzzard got that new heart.

     See you down the trail.

LIGHT FUN & THE NEWS BIZ

SORKIN'S GENIUS RUNS THE NEWSROOM

Courtesy HBO

     It's a subjective thing and thus, Aaron Sorkin's scripts in season two of HBO's THE NEWSROOM weave a brilliant faux reality that parodies, parses and probes what we know as "true reality," however vague and ephemeral that may be and gives us entertainment without peer.
     Last year he build a foundational understanding of the sliding iterations of broadcast journalism in modern America, against the back drop of journalistic iconography. This year he bores in, delivering core samples, albeit fiction, that examines how it is in the newsrooms of broadcast journalism. The fiction is virtually life like, and he delivers characters, drama and intrigue in story arcs that are painted in some of the most effective dialogue ever.
     The situational ethics are real and so are the characters. Yes, it's fiction, but after a life time in newsrooms I tell you unreservedly he nails it all. And brilliantly he holds a mirror to America where our political and journalistic mores are exposed, laid bare and in a way that will move you-to laughter, anger and even tears. And yes, the cast, everyone of them are up to walking and talking those brilliant words.
      If you haven't joined in this Newsroom fandom, make a point of starting with last year's season 1.  I'll best most of you will be like the rest of us-we can't wait until the next episode.  It's not Downton Abbey, but it is just as addictive. And it is about our age.

LIGHT FUN

     Jeff and Florence Pipes hosted a marvelous wine club dinner in the Pipestone Vineyards.  The candles and torches set against the gloaming created an enchanting mood. You can see more in a brief video below.

MUSICAL SHADOWS

 A pre sunset concert at Harmony Cellars provided a couple of interesting shadow moments.

Spend a gorgeous evening dinning in a vineyard

in about a minute and half-thanks to Pipestone Vineyards and my IPhone.

     See you down the trail.

THE WEEKENDER-PRINCELY WORK & SHADOW PLAY

TIS APPRECIATED

     Well, I didn't expect it.  Thanks to those of you have responded publicly, or by email or like my friend and fellow tennis warrior Janos, in person.

      I noted that my old pal Griff, chided me about the number of flowers captured in these posts.  It was nice to hear that you have taken the time to look at my snaps.  I'm simply dazzled by the beauty and as the old saying goes

"can't help myself!"  So, more pics of floral color still to come. Sorry Griff!

A PRINCE OF A FORECAST

     The Weekender fun video comes from YouTube and is an unusual take on a local weather report.  

      Having hired, coached and managed television "talent" I think the Prince is a natural! Apparently I'm not alone. Here's a quick behind the scenes evaluation of his royalness in tv land.

WHO DO YOU THINK LIVES HERE?

WARM DAY SHADOW PLAY

    Enjoy your Weekend.  See you down the trail.

IS THIS DANGEROUS TAMPERING?

DO WE KNOW WHAT WE ARE DOING?

     I ask you these questions after reading the Interior Department's plans that call for killing barred owls to save the spotted owl.

     This is another example of "man as nature's referee." I wonder if it wise?

      In this case the spotted owl, at the center of a long and loud case in logging country in the Pacific northwest 20 years ago, is still in decline.  Back then the government set aside millions of acres to protect the spotted owl, but its population has dropped 40 percent in 25 years.  Now Interior Secretary Ken Salazar says this plan is "a science based approach to forestry" that will affect millions of acres of national, state and private land in Washington, Oregon and California. It is a complex strategy that involves forestry, jobs, land management and the killing of the barred owl.

      I don't doubt the sincere concern, but really wonder about the wisdom of meddling with this balance of life.

      25 years ago we stepped in to try to prop up the spotted owl and those plans have failed.  Is this one any better?  Should nature be allowed to run its own course?  We are now killing California sea lions in the Columbia River to protect salmon.

      Nagging beneath all of this is the question, where does it all end?  Let me know what you think.

DAY BOOK

SPRING SCENES

Some in two takes

A weird confluence of angles on a hill. 

 Tricky pruning.

 Shadow play on the garden shed

 Leaning succulent bloom

 The muses of the potting bench in a shadow stairs

 more shadow play

See you down the trail.