Art of Preparedness

Lounge-Eugene

At approximately 3:08 p.m. a fire broke out in the Westerly Creek Damn in Lowry, in which large portions of the wildlife sancturay were destroyed. According to Denver Shift Commander Greg Champlin, the fire began in thick brush within the sanctury itself and quickly spread to the south. “Though winds were high, we were lucky today,” stated Champlin, “the winds kept circling around until the fire pretty much put itself out.”

The eternal unfolding of the waters above and below have brought to us a rare phenomenon; weather. Yes, blue skies have run to Vegas for vacation and the surrounding area of Ojai is enjoying the lightest blanked of, you guessed it, SNOW!!!

A hunt for photos led us into the Sespe Wilderness, where in a drive through the clouds gave us a little reminder of Colorado and Montana. At one point I engaged in a snowball fight with a snowplow, and to mine and my camera’s delight, lost.

On the way to the clouds

Single Peak

Layers

Leg Stretch

“Found in its natural element, a Snow Bunny!”

Rock

Bend

Blam!!!

On December 12, 2008 the Moon was in perigee, meaning it was at its closest point to earth in a 15 year cycle. It also meant it was 6% closer than average, and so 11% brighter! It was also the night of a certain Christmas Party for a certain bunch of news hounds on a certain boat in a certain harbor in Ventura. And like all full moons, it certainly brought about the wilder side of the night.

This plucky photog was on the scene, and though names are being withheld for the protection of those captured here, their stories will none the less shock and amaze you.

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To see in a child the discovery of the most basic principles of our reality, the “laws” that comprise our universe, is simply God’s greatest gift. Even better, these moments serve as gateways to our truest selves. “Good times” depend on the way you spend time and whom you spend it with; this of course is an obvious point. Best, I think by way of a huge realm of experimentation myself, are the times where in focus is present moment, where number is small, not large, where food is prepared, not bought.

Recently we spent the evening with the Keenans. Barbara prepared macaroni-&-cheese made with pureéd cauliflower. It was incredible. Nestled deep within every bite was a feeling I can only describe as mirth. During the course of the evening Kiya discovered a stuffed penguin, or rather a penguin discovered her…

“A penguin!?! Really? Here, in this room? No way!”

“Yep! Penguin wants to go home with you!”

“Yeah! Take me home!”

Dinner with close friends, especially those who have children is true delight.

Anyone who knows me already knows my wish-list presidential candidate, Dennis Kucinich, didn’t make the cut this time around. However, I have no complaints. We have elected, through a landslide decision, a president that holds great potential. If indeed his actions as Commander in Chief hold half of what his campaign trail words promised, then we are headed in the right direction.

This is the kind of support I’m talking about!

Our union is in peril, and what we hear on the news is only a clever smokescreen for the true harm we face. Yet instead of concentrating on the negatives we face, I want to deliver this…Hope is with us. Not for a very long time has America, the US of A, demonstrated to the world, in one action, our potential for greatness. With the election of a ‘black’ president (he’s not black, he’s mixed, like we ALL ARE!), a man who has truly seen the world and comes from a place of intellect, understanding, and grounded action, we have now collectivley achieved a shining example of all our founding fathers dreamt of. Thank goodness for that.

The night of the election we went to a local bar, where a good portion of the Ojai Valley was at, and witnessed, together, the announcement that Barack Obama would lead our nation away from the turmoil of the last eight years. People cheered. People screamed. And people wept. Tears of joy, of relief, and of disbelief streamed down men and women’s faces. For the first time since the infamous attack on NY I felt that we might be stepping with our best foot forward. Thank you to all who voted.