Shoghi Effendi

“Is there any greater blessing conceivable for a man, than that he should become the cause of the education, the development, the prosperity and honor of his fellow-creatures? No, by the Lord God! The highest righteousness of all is for blessed souls to take hold of the hands of the helpless and deliver them out of their ignorance and abasement and poverty, and with pure motives, and only for the sake of God, to arise and energetically devote themselves to the service of the masses, forgetting their own worldly advantage and working only to serve the general good". --'Abdu'l-Bahá

BROWNS POINT LIGHTHOUSE

BEATLES AT CANDLESTICK

CANDLESTICK PARK, 47 YEARS AGO

My brother and I were at the last official public appearance of the Beatles 47 years ago in San Francisco on a chilly night at Candlestick Park.  I distinctly remember John Lennon remarking on how cold it was.  The screaming of the 25,000 fans mad it difficult to hear the lads, and apparently for them to hear themselves.

This was our view, more or less.

"There was a big talk at Candlestick Park that this had got to end. At that San Francisco gig it seemed that this could possibly be the last time, but I never felt 100% certain till we got back to London. John wanted to give up more than the others. He said that he'd had enough".--Ringo Starr

Here's a recording of  Day Tripper from the concert.

Rise---Herb Albert

Nice syncing.

Golden Eagle

I happened to be in my backyard with my binoculars this afternoon, and I saw what I believe was a Golden Eagle soaring about 1000 feet overhead.

RIM FIRE-- STANISLAUS NATIONAL FOREST



A video of a fire retardant run near Yosemite National Park.

'Nothing is as frustrating as arguing with someone who knows what he's talking about'.  ~Sam Ewing

Altai, the ancestral home of Native Americans

THE ANCESTRAL HOME OF NATIVE AMERICANS


The ancestral home of Native Americans can be traced through DNA to a region first known as Bazla, now named the Altai Republic.  It is bordered by Mongolia, China, Kazahkstan, and is a part of Russia.

The republic is situated in the very center of Asia at the junction of Siberian taiga, steppes of Kazakhstan and semi-deserts of Mongolia. Forests cover about 25% of the republic's territory. wiki

The migration from Central Asia to North America took thousands of years.

Penn Current Article

PENDLETON BAHA'I CENTER



I was passing though Pendleton, Oregon, early one morning a few years ago and found the Baha'i Center. What a thrill just to see it--we're so obscure!  

 Here is a screenshot from the Baha'is of Pendleton's website.  It's a welcoming introduction to what Baha'is believe.

The Ford Falcon of the 1960's were basic, stylish, and unpretentious.

The Ranchero model was a very practical vehicle.

I love the station wagons--particularly the two door model.

If I owned this one,  it would be my daily driver.

Seven Dangers to Human Virtue

SEVEN DANGERS TO HUMAN VIRTUE

Wealth Without Work
Pleasure Without Conscience
Knowledge Without Character
Business Without Ethics
Science Without Humanity
Religion Without Sacrifice
Politics Without Principle

--Mahatma Gandhi

BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK


I saw and identified a new bird at the feeder--a Black-Headed Grosbeak.  A handsome visitor!

photo from google

жизнь горька. Жизнь СЛадка

The Sower  -Vincent Van Gogh

AUGUST SKY



I had to remove a Magnolia soulangiana from my backyard that  I had planted 12 years ago.  I came to realize that its nature was to produce a canopy that would eventually cover the entire yard--something I didn't want to happen.  It didn't take pruning well, so I had no choice.

Here it is blooming last April, its finest hour.

What I lost in spring color, I gained in southern sky.

TUG

TUG stifling my productivity.

Olive Grove, Vincent Van Gogh

'Consider, moreover, how the fruit, ere it is formed, lieth potentially within the tree. Were the tree to be cut into pieces, no sign nor any part of the fruit, however small, could be detected. When it appeareth, however, it manifesteth itself, as thou hast observed, in its wondrous beauty and glorious perfection. Certain fruits, indeed, attain their fullest development only after being severed from the tree'.  --  Bahá'u'lláh

VINTAGE SOUVENIR HANKIE


This would have been a nice gift for my mother.

Birds in the Backyard

(Photo by Eugene Beckes)

I don't know what was special about today, but I counted 14 different species of birds in my backyard this morning.   Here a list of those I could identify.  I believe there was a Varied Thrush, but I couldn't get a good look.

Sparrows
Pine Siskins

House Finches

Northern Flickers

Steller's Jays

Scrub Jays

Hummingbirds (2 kinds)

Chickadees

Robins
Dark-eyed Juncos

Pigeons & Starlings

(I separated the last two as they are uninvited guests)

Could it be the new brand of suet?  There was definitely a party going on back there.

The Chickadees and the Flickers really love suet---any kind.

This is the Day in which God’s most excellent favors have been poured out upon men, the Day in which His most mighty grace hath been infused into all created things. It is incumbent upon all the peoples of the world to reconcile their differences, and, with perfect unity and peace, abide beneath the shadow of the Tree of His care and loving-kindness. It behoveth them to cleave to whatsoever will, in this Day, be conducive to the exaltation of their stations, and to the promotion of their best interests. Happy are those whom the all-glorious Pen was moved to remember, and blessed are those men whose names, by virtue of Our inscrutable decree, We have preferred to conceal.

Beseech ye the one true God to grant that all men may be graciously assisted to fulfill that which is acceptable in Our sight. Soon will the present-day order be rolled up, and a new one spread out in its stead. Verily, thy Lord speaketh the truth, and is the Knower of things unseen. 

DEBORAH SZEKELY AND MARIO ROBAU



West Coast Swing repost.

It's all lead and follow and spontaneous.  The great thing about the dance is the freedom of expression for both partners within a structure.


The silliness ends/the dancing begins @ 0:23.


VOLUME warning.

One of my favorite parts, and there are many, occurs around 1:47, when Deborah slows the five, six, seven and eight counts of the whip.


I danced with her once in Seattle.  I told her that it was as close to driving a Ferrari as I'll ever get.

Today I'm thinking of the Camas Prairie...

Никсон и ХРУЩЕВ

NIXON AND KHRUSHCHEV IN MOSCOW, 1959


Khrushchev waves "hi!" (привет) @1:06 as the Soviets pass U.S. capitalism in technical advancement.  The competition was laughable in retrospect, but the clash of ideologies was anything but.  It wasn't called a cold war for nothing.

Mission San Antonio de Padua

MISSION SAN ANTONIO DE PADUA


 I'm working this week on the structural strengthening of Mission San Antonio de Padua.  Very interesting!

Drawings from a 1934 survey.

Here's a scan of the campanario elevation, showing the new structural elements.

Historic drawings/images.

A girl named Lucinda with her model of the original mission.