Sunset at Summer Solstice

At dawn the next morning, I found a five dollar bill in the sand that had filled a four-foot deep by 6' wide hole dug in the dark by youth.  I wish I had taken a picture of the hole.  Here's the five.

The sand at low tide at dawn the next morning looked like this in some places. I don't understand the hydraulics that make this pattern.  Is it the gradient?

O COMPANION OF MY THRONE! Hear no evil, and see no evil, abase not thyself, neither sigh and weep. Speak no evil, that thou mayest not hear it spoken unto thee, and magnify not the faults of others that thine own faults may not appear great; and wish not the abasement of anyone, that thine own abasement be not exposed. Live then the days of thy life, that are less than a fleeting moment, with thy mind stainless, thy heart unsullied, thy thoughts pure, and thy nature sanctified, so that, free and content, thou mayest put away this mortal frame, and repair unto the mystic paradise and abide in the eternal kingdom for evermore.

Baha'u'llah, The Hidden Words of Baha'u'llah

巴哈伊信仰


China's Central Television feature of the Baha'i Gardens in Haifa, Israel.

Today Is Pathers Day.

I've loved my birdbath for 30 years.

My most treasured award.

Валентина Терешкова



VALENTINA TERESHKOVA

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the first woman in space, Valentina Tereshkova.

The selection of candidates for the mission began in early 1962. The first female astronaut had to meet certain criteria: Be a parachute jumper, younger than 30, less than 170 cm (5 feet 7 inches) tall, and under 70 kg (154 lbs) in weight. Finally, out of several hundred candidates, five were selected, including 26-year-old Valentina Tereshkova – a regional champion in skydiving who had 90 jumps under her belt.    RT

On June 16, 1963 Tereshkova became the first woman in space. She spent almost 3 days (70 hours 50 minutes) on the Vostok-6 spacecraft which was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome, presently Kazakhstan. She orbited the earth 49 times. Another Soviet spacecraft, Vostok-5 piloted by Valery Bykovsky was in space at the same time. 




Climbing aboard Vostok 6 (East, Orient, Dawning 6)

With Valery Bykovsky (left), and Yuri Gagarin.

On Lenin's mausoleum rostrum in Red Square, with left to right,  Pavel Popovich, German Titov, Andriyan Nikolayev, Yuri Gagarin, Valentina Tereshkova, Nikita Khrushchev and Valery Bykovsky.

At age 76, Valentina has a dream of going to Mars, her "favorite" planet.  She recently applied for a one-way trip to Mars.

Stevenson House, Monterey, California.


Robert Louis Stevenson stayed in this rooming house for a few months during the Autumn of 1879.  It is said that his novel Treasure Island was inspired by the the rugged coast nearby. 

猫の置物



Japanese Figurines

Advancing unity among all the worlds peoples:  THE CHILEAN BAHA'I TEMPLE

Structure

Art images of the Monterey Bay I've gleaned.

Cowell's, Santa Cruz.  This must have been painted from the wharf. Steamer Lane is to the left, and Indicators on the right.

A poster purchased in one of those shops on the wharf in Monterey in 1969.

I tried to buy this painting on an Ebay auction (FAIL).  It captures a typical late morning in Monterey in the Summer when the fog has almost burned off.  I can hear the seals and smell the sea, and visa versa. It looks about 11:00am, time for my English 101 class (taught by Mrs. Karas) at Monterey Peninsula College.

Here's a sketch at Carmel River State Beach looking north at the outcrop, with Carmel Point (Carmel Bay beyond) and Pebble Beach.

Paintings by S.C. Yuan.

I hadn't noticed the subtle treatment of El Gabilan before editing this post. 

This is the only painting I've seen by Thomas Kinkade  that I believe honestly captures genius loci. 

Lover's Point

I sketched this sitting on a bench on a nice afternoon in Pacific Grove.  There was a moderate swell.  El Gabilan (Fremont's Peak) is in the upper left.

 I'm sure I'll add more images to this post.  The Monterey Bay has inspired thousands upon thousands of artists.


Moss Landing needs to be represented.

Frances Ewing




69 years ago my paternal grandmother spent the day wearing a helmet on Omaha Beach, Normandy, France.