MONTEBELLO UPDATE, SUNNY NEWS & FELINE YIN AND YANG

COASTAL RELIEF

It has been a couple of weeks since scientists delivered 
good news, and the real sense of relief has just
kicked in. The Montebello poses no environmental
threat to the central coast. As I noted in the post
linked above, extensive deep water diving determined
the tanker, sunk by a Japanese U-boat in December 1941,
no longer contains any of the 3 million gallons of crude oil that was aboard when the tanker went down 6 miles off shore of Cambria.
Just the thought that a potential environmental 
catastrophe could occur, worked like a low grade
fever in the back of your mind. Getting
the news that it won't happen is a powerful relief.
Those of us who can find things to worry or fret about,
have only now allowed this one to sink in, so to speak,
and it is like a weight being removed. There was always
a "what if" in play and in the last couple of weeks
we've been able to put it out of mind.


SUNNY BITS

SOLAR DYNAMICS OBSERVATORY  
NOVEMBER 3 FLARE
Did you see the recent buzz about the cost of solar power?
Scientists say they are seeing evidence of Gordon Moore's law of computing beginning to happen in solar applications.
Moore's law postulated  the number of transistors on a circuit board doubles every two years and thus lowers
the cost of computing.  It's been true for 50 years
and now solar technology is experiencing increased
efficiency at lower production costs.

YIN AND YANG

Little brother Hemingway shares basket

with big brother Luke

Peace!

See you down the trail.

QUESTS, DRAONS AND THE ORCHID

JOURNEYS
REEL THOUGHTS
Peace & Heroes

THE WAY
Directed by son Emilio Estevez, father Martin Sheen
plays a father who fulfills his son's journey 
on the El camino de Santiago from France to Spain.
The Way is an earnest film that has some splendid
moments.  Sheen must recover the body of his son
who perished on the journey. He decides to complete
his son's quest but he starts the pilgrimage with a 
hardened heart.  The journey and those he meets
on the camino have an impact.
Estevez is a fine director.
FINDING JOE
The documentary explores ideas of Joseph Campbell extrapolated from his life long study of faith, myth, religion, belief and spiritual disciplines.  This 
piece examines the idea of the Heroes' journey-defined as separation, initiation and return. The image of the dragon is used liberally as those "shoulds and shouldn'ts" of behavor and other limits to the human spirit.
 Cleverly filmed sequences help elaborate the occasionally exquisite point being made.  Campbell is not so much found as he is explained.  
He is certainly a man who's words
lend themselves to profound place and explanation.
Campbell fans, or those who feel at home in the deep waters of mixing faiths and human behavior will find 
FINDING JOE of value.
DAY BOOK
The new orchid.

See you down the trail.

THE WEEKENDER:) TAKE FIVE

THE CLASSIC

Dave Brubeck's TAKE FIVE took me out of a rock and

pop world into jazz back in high school.  I found a 

jazz station on the dial and was hooked, though my

buddies barely tolerated it on my car radio. 

I enjoyed being able to punch back and forth between say,

Satisfaction by the Stones and and Sidewinder by Lee Morgan. When they drove it was all Beatles, Stones,
Beach Boys, Dave Clark Five, etc.  That was fine
but jazz held a special allure.
As a school kid I worked in the downtown area of Indianapolis  as a "stringer" and gofer for the Indianapolis Times and as a board operator for a "fine music" FM station headquartered in an old hotel.  Well the jazz station was on the top floor of another hotel that I passed on my commute.  I'd stop by that hotel, buzz at the studio door and be ushered into warren of an album filled rooms. 
"Look around kid, see what you like." 
The DJ's were not like the
pop star jocks at the rock stations.  These guys were older, both black and white, musicians themselves and
somewhat tickled that a white middle class kid
was hooked on jazz.  
It all started when I first heard Brubeck's piano and Paul Desmond's sax.  
So the Weekender :) wants you to dig it.

See you down the trail.

THE NEW KID & THE NEW RAIN SEASON

HELLO HEMINGWAY

 The family has grown by one.  Our new rescue adoptee

has joined us.  Hemingway is a polydactyly-a six toed cat.

When you visit the Ernest Hemingway home in Key West

you'll likely see several six toed cats. I'd never seen

a polydactyly until we were there.  Cindy at the HART rescue center named this little cutie after his "cousins" in Key West.

 So now we have a socialization process to observe

as this rambunctious and high energy little guy

gets to know his older brother Luke and Nesta the 

old gal and reigning fussy Queen.
Here he makes his first journey outside. 
Look at those paws.

"Big" brother Luke naps as he watches over the little guy.

Dinner hour has gotten more complicated.

 Luke still maintains proprietary rights to making sure

the food tin is clean to his inspection standards.

THIS WILL LEAD TO GREENING

Almost a half an inch of rain over night, accompanied by  thunder which most people noticed, though some of us
snored through it.  We had a splash in October, but 
now we may get a couple of rains in the next week and
ranchers, farmers and gardeners are ready.

It cleared as the Friday Lunch Flash Mob assembled
below the castle, joined today by nearby steers.
The post rain views were pristine.

The old William Randolph Hearst storage buildings
played in the sun as well.

See you down the trail.

GOOD FOR GAGA

UNLIKELY PARTNERS TEAM

TO BATTLE BULLYS

Joel Page Reuters

It is buried under news of the G-20 Summit and 

the continuing Occupy movement, but it may

have more personal significance in the lives of

many youth than any other news of the day.

Lady Gaga has teamed with the John D and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the California Endowment and the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University to launch the Born this Way foundation.

The nonprofit will deal with youth empowerment, self confidence, well being, mentoring, career development and one of the most critical issues of youth development bullying.

The name of the foundation of course is from her

hit song-born this way.

Gaga is a reigning superstar of pop culture.

Her creative expression seems limitless.

The long form video of Born this Way can be

compared to a Tolkien or CS Lewis style fantasy and allegory of good and evil.

Gaga says it like it is and while that outrages some,

her effort with this new foundation attacks one of

the evils of our age. Her statement says it well.

"Together we hope to establish a standard of 

bravery and kindness, as well as a community

worldwide that protects and nurtures others

in the face of bullying and abandonment."

Can't the world use a little more nurturing, bravery

and kindness?  She commands attention and

good for her for taking on an issue she could

simply ignore.  An act of bravery and kindness

in itself.

 See you down the trail.

DECK THE HALLS

ALREADY?

I love the yule and Advent season.

Christmas is one of those times of year

that has the power to enchant.
One of my first posts spoke of the magic.
But----

This the first residential tree I've spotted.
Not sure what my disdain does nor where it goes
as I exude it passing Christmas displays at department, big box and even drug and grocery stores.  I've been tossing
that disdain at the all too early set ups since before Halloween.
My mother said it was improper to decorate or even
seriously prepare for Christmas until after Thanksgiving.
So as I continue on my journey to being a full fledged
crank, I guess I should pull down Dickens
or hum a few bars of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
let nothing ye dismay...
May I be the first to wish you
MERRY CHRISTMAS
See you down the trail.

CREATIVITY

PLAY AND CREATE

"WITHOUT THIS PLAYING WITH FANTASY

NO CREATIVE WORK HAS EVER YET COME TO 

BIRTH. THE DEBT WE OWE TO THE PLAY

OF IMAGINATION IS INCALCULABLE."

Carl Jung

 It is not a great shot, but this

"Jellyfish" was one of the most

imaginative costumes I saw last night.

See you down the trail.