Two lit lamps

Thou seest, O my God, how the wrongs committed by such of Thy creatures as have turned their backs to Thee have come in between Him in Whom Thy Godhead is manifest and Thy servants. Send down upon them, O my Lord, what will cause them to be busied with each others' concerns. Let, then, their violence be confined to their own selves, that the land and they that dwell therein may find peace.

One of Thy handmaidens, O my Lord, hath sought Thy face, and soared in the atmosphere of Thy pleasure. Withhold not from her, O my Lord, the things Thou didst ordain for the chosen ones among Thy handmaidens. Enable her, then, to be so attracted by Thine utterances that she will celebrate Thy praise amongst them.

Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. No God is there but Thee, the Almighty, Whose help is implored by all men.

--Bahá’u’lláh

Hale Bopp

OLD MONEY DOG

Memes

I'm working on Russian palatalized (soft) consonants.  It's all about the placement of the tongue, and it makes the difference between the sound of nah and nyah in the letter n (H), for example.  Besides the soft sign (мягкий знак ), when certain vowels follow a consonant, they become soft.  I'm going to practice my pronunciation this afternoon with my учительница (teacher).

Rather than wasting my time, in some way I hope my efforts--even in a small way--will mysteriously further  всемирный братства.

Printer WIN

Chloe was adaptable. When I moved back with her to California after several months in the Northwest in 1994, I rented a room at an inn in Carmel Valley that accepted pets. I arrived at night, and supervised her for the first couple of times she wanted to go outside. By midnight, I just left the door open, and hoped she'd know where home was.  Happily, she woke me up at dawn as she always did*.

I moved to a room with a kitchenette the next day, and removed a window louver so she could come and go as I came and went.  It was as if she had always lived there. What a traveler!

She was just as at home at Casa Juanita, the apartment I soon rented in town. Here she is enjoying an afternoon sunbath in front of the open balcony door.

*

Irises with Vase - Van Gogh

IRISES WITH VASE  -Vincent Van Gogh

A Tempest

'A tempest, unprecedented in its violence, unpredictable in its course, catastrophic in its immediate effects, unimaginably glorious in its ultimate consequences, is at present sweeping the face of the earth. Its driving power is remorselessly gaining in range and momentum. Its cleansing force, however much undetected, is increasing with every passing day. Humanity, gripped in the clutches of its devastating power, is smitten by the evidences of its resistless fury. It can neither perceive its origin, nor probe its significance, nor discern its outcome. Bewildered, agonized and helpless, it watches this great and mighty wind of God invading the remotest and fairest regions of the earth, rocking its foundations, deranging its equilibrium, sundering its nations, disrupting the homes of its peoples, wasting its cities, driving into exile its kings, pulling down its bulwarks, uprooting its institutions, dimming its light, and harrowing up the souls of its inhabitants.' ~Shoghi Effendi

First and Last take your cat to work day

Watching cartoons on Saturday morning.

Caryopteris x clandonesnsis 'Dark Knight'

I found a great plant for the portion of my yard that's being re-worked.  The hummingbirds and bees love it, too.


Things are a little shabby in this corner of the yard, but the Dark Knight Bluebeard will be a nice mass next Summer to compliment in texture and color the Dusty Miller and Rhododendron.

Here are some pics of what I am looking forward to next summer and the summers after that.

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.