Well I think it would be fair to say that with we are having quite a spring time. Basketball playoffs, zany politics, and football spring training looming. Oh. Except for Ben Rothlisberger. Poor Ben has been chastised for bad decisions made during the off season. Make a few mistakes, and wham bam (no pun intended), the press is all up in your stuff and you have to apologize and you lose several million dollars. Not knowing the details, I won't judge him, but perhaps he should stay away from bars for a bit. I personally think he hasn't been the same Ben since his motorcycle accident. But perhaps he should keep his pecker in his pants in public places.
Ben Nelson is another story. Here's a dick who's out in public all the time and apparently hasn't lost a dime. He's not a team player like Ben R. I can't say as the Democrats bill on bank reform is any more perfect than the Health Care bill, but when you're the only guy on your team not to vote on it's passage because one part of it (the retro-active restrictions on derivatives) and your state is home to one of the biggest power players in that game, and you happen to have a bunch of stock in the guy's company, well, really. To be fair to Ben N., his spokesman said that wouldn't interfere with the senator's decisions. Oh my! Perhaps we could dig a little deeper into Sen. Nelson's past and discover- a motorcycle accident? No, this guy is more like an arrogant train wreck. Isn't this the same Sen. Nelson who had to be "bribed" by the administration to vote for the health care bill?
Somehow I think Ben R. got more punishment for screwing fewer people. And who's career is going to suffer the most?
Team sports just aren't what they used to be.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
Because of a Lao Tzu quote my Mother sent
O.K.-So a hike in the elk preserve was a nice idea, but a 7 mile hike did a number on my joints. Man, I am out of shape. It was quite a hike though.
The wildflowers are just about at their peak right now. The trails and pathways are clogged with them in some places, especially out towards the point. I think I had a religious experience, or at least, one worthy of Salvadore Dali. I lean towards the Dali. A lot of thistle and ankle biting nettle as well, again , mostly the last mile or two from the point. It was hard to follow the trail in some spots because of the overgrowth. Overall, it was stunning.
The elk were grazing lazily and some were lying on their sides, looking full and content. They were quick to notice you, but seemed unconcerned as to their safety- I mean , they're on a PRESERVE right? Anyway, they looked fat and happy and couldn't care a fig that I was there.
Along the way I encountered a few others; a hermit, an angel (possibly of Death), God the Father, and the ghosts of Christmas past and future, and a pair of ominous ravens. Not bad for one hit off the pipe I'd say.
The Hermit was sitting on the leeward side of a rock formation and sitting absolutely still. I thought he was a rock before I made out the hooded sweatshirt he was wearing and noticed the rock has a beard. I just back tracked and made it up the trail to the next unoccupied rock formation and took a piss. Hooded , quiet people always get me a little jittery- I keep waiting for the gunshot. You also, can never tell about hermits.
The Angel was all together different and has had me thinking ever since she announced here presence behind me (so as not to scare the shit out of me when she passed). I was well into the "flower forest" and the trail was winding and hard to follow. It widened a bit and that when I heard her(the Angel) say, "Hello. I'm here. Didn't want to startle you", to which I thanked her as she passed me. Her walking gait was about what my jogging gait is and she quickly outdistanced me, but not before I noticed her superbly toned , lean body, and perfect blond pony tail. She had black running tights, a light yellow fleece top, running shoes, and those sporty , wrap around kind of sunglasses. Of course my imagination runs wild. Why not? Out in the middle of nowhere, gorgeous day, no one else around-I thought (I was to meet God the Father soon after that), and a beautiful young woman with a sparkling smile and perfect body. It's a disease, my imagination. And of course it being springtime and me not yet feeling the effects of a long hike, glorious visions of making love to a goddess, rolling around in the flowers (this , also , before I discovered the stinging nettles and thistle growing all about the place), her cries of passion and satisfaction playing beautifully in my mind. And I had that in my head as I trapesd along on my merry way until a bend in the trail widened and there was the Angel kneeling down , closely examining one of the dusty gray thistles. So I stopped and looked at it too and she pointed out a fuzzy brown and black caterpillar and asked if I knew what it was . I blubbered out that I hadn't a clue, but we continued to look at the creature and both commented on what a beautiful day it was. And , dammit, as strongly as the dreams of lust and frolic had grabbed me, a very noticeable calm overcame me and I felt overwhelmed by the beauty of it all; the sky, the flowers, the lovely girl , the fuzzy brown and black creature crawling on the thistle leaf- there was a purity to it all and it felt , well,...it felt like heaven. That's when I realized that I was having a religious experience- an epiphany, that's the word for it. I felt everything all at once. It was soothing and peaceful. The sun felt perfectly warm on my back. And I knew that the Angel would ask me for water.
Well, the Angel took off once again and I continued along. The trail widened and up just a ways ahead, coming my way , not more than 5 minutes from my epiphany, an elderly gent in a wind parka, floppy brimmed hat and walking staff (one of those collapsible jobs) slowly made his way along the path. He seemed just the sort of person who might have been hiking this way season after season, so I asked him if it was always this overgrown and he told me he had never seen it this lush. I mentioned the stinging nettles elevated perfectly to ankles and he said, "Yes. Aren't they lovely", or something close to that. I commented on the black and brown fuzzies, saying that the colors were the same as a monarch butterfly's, but he said no, the monarchs were still in Mexico and were weeks away from getting here. It was a bit confusing- I was looking at caterpillars and he was talking butterfly s but I saw the connection, hazy as it was. He said goodbye and shuffled off and all I could think was that there goes God and he had ever so slight a English accent. God the Father, staff and all, letting me know that the monarchs were on their way and stinging nettles were beautiful.
This was developing into a great day. I contemplated my two way nature, the carnal and the divine. Were they in conflict or merely in flux? Yes, the day was becoming more than just a cardio workout and rapidly reaching the profound. The birds were singing. I could hear bees buzzing and the fragrance of the flowers was perfuming the air. The further I walked (somewhere, in the back of my mind was something telling me the walk back was going to be long) the more wild and vibrant the air became; the deeper my thoughts became. Was the Angel the Angel of Death (bear with me- this is my imagination we're dealing with), leading me out the the end of my life? I mean, the trail was certainly heavenly. Hadn't I spoken with God the Father just minutes ago? A heart attack on a spring day, walking along a flowered trail? If I wasn't having a religious experience, it was certainly a Wizard of Oz flashback. You often hear about "being in the moment", or "being present", or the great 60's re joiner,"be here now"- well I was right there; like the crystal still, slow motion moments that occur during an accident, or the survey of a scene in nature that consumes all your attention effortlessly.
I made it up and on to the point just a bit later. The wind was blowing pretty good, so I took my hat off to keep it from blowing into the mouth of Tomales Bay. I took out my binoculars and scanned 360 degrees around me and noticed the Angel was down at the precarious very end of the point, 400yards away, standing at the edge , looking out onto the Pacific. I have a fear of standing near the edge of great heights, so I had something akin to fear and admiration for her, but just the same, I moved back from the edge and made my way to a spot where I felt comfortable looking out on the ocean. By this time I noticed a few other couples at various locations around the headland. One had a tripod and the husband(?) was shooting pictures with a telephoto lens. Another couple was making there way back from the point, satisfied looks on there faces. Angel came back up from the point and stopped and chatted with me for awhile.It brought things back into a more contemporary plane. Angel's name was Amy and she had just graduated from college and was waiting to start a job, but was taking a month off. Her boyfriend works for the forest service and she had been staying with him out by the lighthouse in employee housing- another really stunning locale. We talked for about 20 minutes. Just before she left, she asked if she could have a drink of my water. Wondrous.
As I started back I realized how far I had walked. It had taken me about two and a half hours to make it out to the point. I had been stopping all over the place taking pictures and admiring the views. For a while I took off my glasses and looked at the natural world unaided. Though slightly unfocused , the shapes and colors were softer and slightly muted, but the sensation was comfortable and I'll try doing it more often.It seemed to lessen the soreness in my feet that started on my way back. When I passed the "Ravens Roost" (self named) the two birds merely croaked a bit in my direction and went on with preening their feathers. They had checked me out carefully when I passed on my way outbound, now I was yesterdays news.
I walked into the Pierce Ranch, which was where the trail began. It had been a privately owned dairy ranch at one time, and very well maintained over the years. A fairly large compound, with a large hay barn, two dairy's, a school house, bunk house , and a modest ranch house, still occupied, all set in a flat, open meadow. The buildings are all painted white and are sturdily, but simply built- Shaker-like in feeling. It's a very peaceful place and i happened to be there on a very beautiful spring day.
You know, I've been having some doubts about my faith lately. I'm not a church goer, nor a follower of a particular philosophy, but my Catholic upbringing and experiences along my life have given me a belief in a supreme being that gives me comfort and doesn't require me to do anything more drastic than to be true to myself. I flounder about with that one rule at times. It's much tougher than going to church on Sundays or following the liturgical calender . Since my Dad passed away, one year ago this April 30th, I have been both totally encompassed with and doubting my belief. I have always had my prayers answered, not always in the way I wanted or expected, but always answered. And this feeling of losing faith wasn't an abrupt thing, it was more like losing a tan, I kind of remembered it and liked when I had it, but it seemed to fade away. I had made up my mind to pray when I remembered to, to try to be as thankful and grateful for what I had and where I was and hoped to get the "feeling" back. Yesterday was an answer, and as my God has done in the past, the answer was not what I might have imagined, but was more imaginative and vivid than I expected and I hope to let it play on my head for a while.
As my good friend, Dick Gardner , has repeatedly told me, "Life is a gift". So be it. Much Love to you.
.
The wildflowers are just about at their peak right now. The trails and pathways are clogged with them in some places, especially out towards the point. I think I had a religious experience, or at least, one worthy of Salvadore Dali. I lean towards the Dali. A lot of thistle and ankle biting nettle as well, again , mostly the last mile or two from the point. It was hard to follow the trail in some spots because of the overgrowth. Overall, it was stunning.
The elk were grazing lazily and some were lying on their sides, looking full and content. They were quick to notice you, but seemed unconcerned as to their safety- I mean , they're on a PRESERVE right? Anyway, they looked fat and happy and couldn't care a fig that I was there.
Along the way I encountered a few others; a hermit, an angel (possibly of Death), God the Father, and the ghosts of Christmas past and future, and a pair of ominous ravens. Not bad for one hit off the pipe I'd say.
The Hermit was sitting on the leeward side of a rock formation and sitting absolutely still. I thought he was a rock before I made out the hooded sweatshirt he was wearing and noticed the rock has a beard. I just back tracked and made it up the trail to the next unoccupied rock formation and took a piss. Hooded , quiet people always get me a little jittery- I keep waiting for the gunshot. You also, can never tell about hermits.
The Angel was all together different and has had me thinking ever since she announced here presence behind me (so as not to scare the shit out of me when she passed). I was well into the "flower forest" and the trail was winding and hard to follow. It widened a bit and that when I heard her(the Angel) say, "Hello. I'm here. Didn't want to startle you", to which I thanked her as she passed me. Her walking gait was about what my jogging gait is and she quickly outdistanced me, but not before I noticed her superbly toned , lean body, and perfect blond pony tail. She had black running tights, a light yellow fleece top, running shoes, and those sporty , wrap around kind of sunglasses. Of course my imagination runs wild. Why not? Out in the middle of nowhere, gorgeous day, no one else around-I thought (I was to meet God the Father soon after that), and a beautiful young woman with a sparkling smile and perfect body. It's a disease, my imagination. And of course it being springtime and me not yet feeling the effects of a long hike, glorious visions of making love to a goddess, rolling around in the flowers (this , also , before I discovered the stinging nettles and thistle growing all about the place), her cries of passion and satisfaction playing beautifully in my mind. And I had that in my head as I trapesd along on my merry way until a bend in the trail widened and there was the Angel kneeling down , closely examining one of the dusty gray thistles. So I stopped and looked at it too and she pointed out a fuzzy brown and black caterpillar and asked if I knew what it was . I blubbered out that I hadn't a clue, but we continued to look at the creature and both commented on what a beautiful day it was. And , dammit, as strongly as the dreams of lust and frolic had grabbed me, a very noticeable calm overcame me and I felt overwhelmed by the beauty of it all; the sky, the flowers, the lovely girl , the fuzzy brown and black creature crawling on the thistle leaf- there was a purity to it all and it felt , well,...it felt like heaven. That's when I realized that I was having a religious experience- an epiphany, that's the word for it. I felt everything all at once. It was soothing and peaceful. The sun felt perfectly warm on my back. And I knew that the Angel would ask me for water.
Well, the Angel took off once again and I continued along. The trail widened and up just a ways ahead, coming my way , not more than 5 minutes from my epiphany, an elderly gent in a wind parka, floppy brimmed hat and walking staff (one of those collapsible jobs) slowly made his way along the path. He seemed just the sort of person who might have been hiking this way season after season, so I asked him if it was always this overgrown and he told me he had never seen it this lush. I mentioned the stinging nettles elevated perfectly to ankles and he said, "Yes. Aren't they lovely", or something close to that. I commented on the black and brown fuzzies, saying that the colors were the same as a monarch butterfly's, but he said no, the monarchs were still in Mexico and were weeks away from getting here. It was a bit confusing- I was looking at caterpillars and he was talking butterfly s but I saw the connection, hazy as it was. He said goodbye and shuffled off and all I could think was that there goes God and he had ever so slight a English accent. God the Father, staff and all, letting me know that the monarchs were on their way and stinging nettles were beautiful.
This was developing into a great day. I contemplated my two way nature, the carnal and the divine. Were they in conflict or merely in flux? Yes, the day was becoming more than just a cardio workout and rapidly reaching the profound. The birds were singing. I could hear bees buzzing and the fragrance of the flowers was perfuming the air. The further I walked (somewhere, in the back of my mind was something telling me the walk back was going to be long) the more wild and vibrant the air became; the deeper my thoughts became. Was the Angel the Angel of Death (bear with me- this is my imagination we're dealing with), leading me out the the end of my life? I mean, the trail was certainly heavenly. Hadn't I spoken with God the Father just minutes ago? A heart attack on a spring day, walking along a flowered trail? If I wasn't having a religious experience, it was certainly a Wizard of Oz flashback. You often hear about "being in the moment", or "being present", or the great 60's re joiner,"be here now"- well I was right there; like the crystal still, slow motion moments that occur during an accident, or the survey of a scene in nature that consumes all your attention effortlessly.
I made it up and on to the point just a bit later. The wind was blowing pretty good, so I took my hat off to keep it from blowing into the mouth of Tomales Bay. I took out my binoculars and scanned 360 degrees around me and noticed the Angel was down at the precarious very end of the point, 400yards away, standing at the edge , looking out onto the Pacific. I have a fear of standing near the edge of great heights, so I had something akin to fear and admiration for her, but just the same, I moved back from the edge and made my way to a spot where I felt comfortable looking out on the ocean. By this time I noticed a few other couples at various locations around the headland. One had a tripod and the husband(?) was shooting pictures with a telephoto lens. Another couple was making there way back from the point, satisfied looks on there faces. Angel came back up from the point and stopped and chatted with me for awhile.It brought things back into a more contemporary plane. Angel's name was Amy and she had just graduated from college and was waiting to start a job, but was taking a month off. Her boyfriend works for the forest service and she had been staying with him out by the lighthouse in employee housing- another really stunning locale. We talked for about 20 minutes. Just before she left, she asked if she could have a drink of my water. Wondrous.
As I started back I realized how far I had walked. It had taken me about two and a half hours to make it out to the point. I had been stopping all over the place taking pictures and admiring the views. For a while I took off my glasses and looked at the natural world unaided. Though slightly unfocused , the shapes and colors were softer and slightly muted, but the sensation was comfortable and I'll try doing it more often.It seemed to lessen the soreness in my feet that started on my way back. When I passed the "Ravens Roost" (self named) the two birds merely croaked a bit in my direction and went on with preening their feathers. They had checked me out carefully when I passed on my way outbound, now I was yesterdays news.
I walked into the Pierce Ranch, which was where the trail began. It had been a privately owned dairy ranch at one time, and very well maintained over the years. A fairly large compound, with a large hay barn, two dairy's, a school house, bunk house , and a modest ranch house, still occupied, all set in a flat, open meadow. The buildings are all painted white and are sturdily, but simply built- Shaker-like in feeling. It's a very peaceful place and i happened to be there on a very beautiful spring day.
You know, I've been having some doubts about my faith lately. I'm not a church goer, nor a follower of a particular philosophy, but my Catholic upbringing and experiences along my life have given me a belief in a supreme being that gives me comfort and doesn't require me to do anything more drastic than to be true to myself. I flounder about with that one rule at times. It's much tougher than going to church on Sundays or following the liturgical calender . Since my Dad passed away, one year ago this April 30th, I have been both totally encompassed with and doubting my belief. I have always had my prayers answered, not always in the way I wanted or expected, but always answered. And this feeling of losing faith wasn't an abrupt thing, it was more like losing a tan, I kind of remembered it and liked when I had it, but it seemed to fade away. I had made up my mind to pray when I remembered to, to try to be as thankful and grateful for what I had and where I was and hoped to get the "feeling" back. Yesterday was an answer, and as my God has done in the past, the answer was not what I might have imagined, but was more imaginative and vivid than I expected and I hope to let it play on my head for a while.
As my good friend, Dick Gardner , has repeatedly told me, "Life is a gift". So be it. Much Love to you.
.
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