A MARVELOUS FRENZY and A FRIGHTFUL MEMORY

     Do you have triggers in your life? Something that turns a switch in your brain?

      This does it for me.  As far back as I recall, simply seeing a small boat switched on two circuits of emotion.  Adventure-the romanticized notion of going to sea as a fisherman struck me as a noble endeavor-man in the elements and nature, laboring earnestly for good purpose. Hard work, health, independence.

       And it awakens a deeply embedded dread-Davy Jones Locker.

     It started at "The House."  "The House" was a large two story turn of the century affair complete with root cellar, orchard, a barn like shed, massive garage, grape arbors and a front porch that spanned the big place. It was in all practicality a boarding house, in this case the residence of my widowed grandmother, her sisters, including husbands, and her eldest sister who was also widowed. Nana Cochrun, Aunt Sarah, Aunt Anna and Uncle Ed, Aunt Mat (Martha) and Uncle Pete and their daily tea and supper companion, their "kid" brother Uncle Bill. The sisters were English, emigres from Tinkers Green Farm by way of Warwick. Ed was a Scot, Pete was an Irishman. Bill, though born in the US, was the perfect English gentleman and always "dressed like the Duke," as the sisters said frequently. The accents were thick, the behavior prim and proper-the sisters never without their purses-and the culture was pure Brit.

      Being the eldest child of WW II vets I was often padded off to "The House" as my young parents enjoyed a post war social life and time with friends. It was in this context Davy Jones locker was embedded deep in my psyche.

      The books were from the UK and it seems an inordinate number of them contained harrowing stories of sailors lost to sea. A couple of the illustrations are so affixed in my memory they give me shivers still. 
      I don't know why I spent so much time on those stories, but I remember my stern English grandmother, very much a no nonsense woman, telling me if I didn't behave I'd end up in Davy Jones Locker.  Bad boys it seems were parceled off to the British Navy or merchant fleets and being the bad and inexperienced lads they were they ended up as fish food.

      Today I admire those boats and the sea but as a devoted landlubber. Sure going to try to avoid Davy Jones Locker.
       Is there anything from your childhood that frightens you today?

FOR THE BIRDS

 Driving south on Highway 1, I spotted a frenzy of birds feeding on a bait ball.  If you look to the left and lower third  in the above frame you will see a tell tale fin of another diner.

   Brown pelicans, western gulls, Heerman gulls, cormorants, sooty shearwaters, black vented shearwaters and terns all looking like an Escher print.

   Pelicans provided an aerial assault show.

   All the drama playing out under a morning quilt.

     Autumn on the central coast.

       See you down the trail.

ALL THE MARBLES

   Most days I'd rather trust these guys than the bozos ruining the House of Representatives. While John Boehner will be remembered for his shortcomings as Speaker, he is parting with a dash of honesty. The Hill is full of "false prophets" and Ted Cruz is a "jack ass." 

   I expect Cruz to begin channeling tail gunner Joe McCarthy. For the history challenged, he was the drunk demagogue who fueled the "red scare" hunting for communists in Hollywood, the State Department and under the bed. He did a lot of damage until common sense, decency and journalism exposed him for the gas bag fraud that he was. Oddly he is still a darling of some right wing Evangelical Christians, so Cruz may indeed reincarnate intolerance, ignorance and ignominy. 

FLASHES OF KID HOOD

   While a lot of folks in Washington have lost theirs, Lana still has hers. She's beginning work on some painting ideas and rolled out her kid hood prized marbles.

AND THESE ARE HISTORIC

   These clay marbles belonged to her mother and are well over a hundred years old.

A SKY MARBLE

    An appreciated cloud cover and fog occluded our view of the eclipse, but the night before the moon and clouds provided a dance of their own.

    See you down the trail.

A HOMELIST ON THE HILL----THE ODD CHILL AND CONSTANT HEAT

    September Sunrise in Cambria

     It's a new day in American politics. The buzz and passion of Pope Francis's sermon to congress and American politicians will fade, but not the significance of the address.

    If you are of a certain age you will recall that a knock on John Kennedy was that he was a Roman Catholic. In 1960 there were some who worried that he might be a "Papist" more loyal to the church than American principals-however that might have been defined by the worriers. Absurd by contemporary thought and now buried with other American ignorance on the trash heap, buried even deeper by the historic appearance of the Pope before congress.

    One need not be a Christian to understand the pointed message. Nor does one need to delve into the uniquely Catholic skewed topics. There is nothing uniquely religious in telling the most powerful nation on earth it needs to end polarization, tend to the needy, work as hard at peace as selling weapons and engaging in wars, take better care of the planet and not to let money be more important that people.

    In a world that pulses with the speed and frenetic energy of trending, it was arresting to see the Bishop of Rome preaching to the United States Congress. Historic, profound and difficult to ignore.

A SOLITARY WALK

FEEDING FRENZY

    Happy hour off the Cambria coast.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN

Image Courtesy of NOAA and The Washington Post

   Even a casual glance at this latest data will lead us to conclude adaptive as well as remedial action is needed, critically.  

     A new concern is the cold blob and its implications. A continuing worry is the fact the hottest years on record have been the last two.

     See you down the trail.

POPE FRANCIS, BEN CARSON, BUDDY GUY, GEORGE THOROGOOD, WINE COOL

HARD CHOICE

     Before we jump into high energy personality and wine country cool a couple of ironies that define the complexity of your world.
      How long before American political and military leaders have to address our compliance in pederasty.  American troops have complained they have been told to "look the other way" as Afghani police and military men sexually abuse young boys. The New York Times, among others, reports American troops have been told it is part of the Afghani culture.
       My colleagues and I learned of this cultural practice when we were reporting on the Mujaheddin, the US supported Afghanis fighting the Russians. I was repelled. This is not consensual same gender sex. It's called bacha bazi "boy play" and in truth is tantamount to rape. 
       How long do we look the other way for the sake of cultural respect and political alliances? Is looking the other way immoral? Do we condone child sexual abuse by acting as though it's their culture and we should stay out of it? How many other "blind eyes" and trade offs must we engage in and to what end?
         What brings "boy play" to the front page is the growing number of US Marines and others who are sick of condoning the often violent assaults.

Another Trick Bag

     Pope Francis and Ben Carson, two men who profess faith as Christians. The Pope embraces the outcast and in an act simulating Jesus, he washes their feet. Carson who speaks of his belief says on the political stump no Muslim should be President.Carson is a Seventh Day Adventist, a Christian denomination that believes in the imminent second coming of Christ. 

       Makes you wonder what Jesus would think, huh?

       It's a hard world and our choices are complex.

A BLUES GUY AND ROCK HARD

coming up-but first

PICK UP DEFINED

   You're looking at a pick up-actually a multiple pick up party.

   After we moved to California our mid western friends would say "What?" when we told them we were going to a pick up party.  

   Wineries stage parties for wine club members to "pick up" their wine.

 Though the temperature was near 90 in the Paso Robles West Side wine region, the old barn was cool and provided a breeze.

 The new public tasting room at Halter Ranch is almost ready to open.

  The Members Tasting room and offices were closed on this pick day as harvesting and processing is underway in the work area and acres of underground caves.

    Storage barns were makeshift check out lines and still
offered a gorgeous view.

       Harvest is underway in Paso. Members pick up and harvesters pick.

FACES OF BUDDY GUY

   It's always a thrill to see the great blues guitarist Buddy Guy.

 The six time Grammy winner and member of the Rock and Roll hall of fame lit it up at Vina Robles Amphitheatre. 

   The 79 year old virtuoso is a beloved legend.

BOOGIE BLUES DESTROYER

  George Thorogood and the Destroyers may be the ultimate bar band. 

 The Wilmington Delaware native is 65 and still kicks it up as much as he did back in the early 80's when he burst onto the scene, touring with the Rolling Stones.

 High Velocity Impressions

  He electrified the audience.  

   See you down the trail.