Expecting to hear the voice of God

There was a break in the weather so Simba and I decided to take a walk to the meadow and take a few photos. I have been reading on ways to take better photos and was anxious to make use of a day with changing light. We snapped a few of the brown ferns -- and then waited as the clouds began to move.....

and the Lord said, blessed are the peacemakers

looking outside the cabin

It was a stormy weekend at the cabin. Forecasts indicated huge wind and rain -- we got the rain -- lots of it. However, on Saturday the clouds parted and we got some November sunshine.

Cabin weekend mealtime

Catie's twice baked taters

a fungi by the side of the road

During our walks, Simba and I came upon this pretty mushroom next to the meadow.

A doe...a deer

On a walk at the cabin heading to Sitka Center.

Odd looking little dude

Later Uncle Bud identified this as one with hallucinogenic traits.

Reunion reflections

My uncle sent me a note about his 50th class reunion. In it, he spoke of being envious of other kid's families. It reminded me about a reunion I had.


I remember going to a wedding with Kim in Olympia. Kim and her girlfriends were bonding so I contacted my best friend from college. We had been roommates and experienced much life together. I admired his family. I wished it was my own. Over drinks, I confessed to Dave for the first time how much I envied his family. How one time in particular, Dave and I were out fishing in Puget Sound. I was silently watching him skillfully prepares his tackle. I clumsily tied a square knot on my line and tossed it in the water.

That night I told Dave about that moment -- how I ached that I didn't have the type of father-son relationship he had where the manly arts of fishing were handed down.
Dave laughed a sincere laugh.
Dave said, "my dad didn't teach me any of that. I had to read a book." Dave went on, "the family man thing was all fake. We pretended because dad was a minister. But even now -- he never comes to visit our kids -- his grandkids."
It was an odd moment.
I realized I carried a lifelong envy of something that only appeared to exist.

A new addition to the family

Meet Casper -- as in the friendly ghost.

It's been a year since we said goodbye to Ashley the cat.

Ash had been through 3 moves with us and many things. We loved and missed him much.

But it was time for a kitten. Our pup Simba couldn't make friends with psychocat Lolo -- and Casper seems to be doing much better in the interspecie relationships.

and now the movie:Daddy, what did you do on 666?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hnJtmG-RQ8

Catie's barfing pumpkin

Greg's creepy cauldron

Dog the Bounty Hunter (and Mrs. Dog) visit 9th Street

The Witches of 9th Street

Halloween 2006 on 9th Ave.

Spooky girl

Kids cook while mama is in Cleveland

When Kim leaves for trainings, the kids step up. This time, Ricky and Catie said they wanted to make dinner. So while I installed a new sound system upstairs, the kids went to their recipe book and cooked up some great soup and drink.

I love you guys.

At the Hare

Prodigal son returns to Oregon

Rob returns

Sunset at Cascade Head

Multimedia message

After a two day training at Newport, I headed up to the cabin. While waiting for the fam and dog to arrive, I went up to the Pelican Brew Pub in Pacific City. I was warmly received due to my attire -- a Pelican fleese.

At the Falls

Catie field trip

Greg stays at Agate Beach

An evening in Newport

Foggy day at Newport

Newport

Dallas aquarium

Dealey plaza -- Dallas

Oct. 14, Saturday
Flight from DFW to PDX

Spent the afternoon in the historic section of Dallas.
It was pretty run down.
The major attraction was the Sixth Floor Museum on Daily Plaza – as I knew it, the Dallas School Book Depository.
About a dozen of us from the conference took a bus there.
Everyone of my generation knows the site.
As I approached, I drew the site in my mind.
The image of John Kennedy and his wife in the open car.
Making the sharp turn in front of the brick building – then the second by second frames of the Zapruder 8 millimeter film.
The grassy knoll in the background.
The president lunging forward, then back as the second and fatal shot hits him.
The cars speeding off under the triple underpass to the hospital.
I walked past the brick building where the shooter supposedly fired at the president.
Over to the grassy knoll.
There on the road – two white X marks.
One about twenty yards from the first.
The museum was well organized. Every element of the Kennedy presidency was represented. Newsclips of those days were played.
There were relics – actual objects of that day.
There was an exhibit of Parkland Hospital where the critically injured president was taken. I stared at the white smock and shoes of one of the doctors who treated the president. I was four inches from it. I imagine the person inside it who treated the president. Of what he must have realized when the extent of the injuries were known.

I looked out the window where the alleged assassin stood. I saw what he saw. I saw the two Xs on the road.

I went outside of the museum. Everyone emerged in silence.
The sun was shining.
It was on a sunny fall day like this just a few feet from me that history occurred. A moment seared into the memory of all who lived through it.

I walked around the neighborhood of the museum for about an hour. Finally, I got back on the bus to head to the hotel.
It took a few minutes before I realized our route.
There was Dealey Plaza.
Ahead to my right was the grassy knoll. Beside me – the brick building – the school book depository.
As our bus passed directly over the first X, I unconsciously moved my head forward as if to imagine the scene I had watched over a hundred times. Then a few seconds later, as I passed over the second X, my head again snapped back.
I looked ahead and slightly to the right and saw what was probably John Kennedy’s last conscious view.
And then – we went under the triple underpass and onto the freeway and on the same route the motorcade took to Parkland Hospital.

I looked out at the Texas countryside as we headed back to the hotel.
What did that moment, that experience mean to me.
In some ways, it was the end of my childhood innocence.
No longer did I have the illusion that the world could be a safe place.
In a moment, a nation was plunged into sorrow.
In a moment, a nation lost a president. Perhaps even hope.
A beautiful first lady was a widow.
Two joyous children were fatherless.

That day a nation had to come to terms that the most powerful and protected man in the world could die on a sunny afternoon.
What else could happen?
Two days later, Kennedy’s alleged killer was shot dead.
Five years later, race riots broke out following the shooting of Dr. King. A few months after that, Kennedy’s brother was killed as he sought the presidency.

In this context of the death of three leaders, hope was rare.
Perhaps in this context, it is easier to understand the subsequent search for inner hope, inner meaning.
It was the dawning of the Age of Aquarius.
A time to renew hope in the face of a divided and hurt nation.
But that is a chapter for another time.

My friends -- the Kleins

On the 33rd floor of W in downtown Dallas.

Margo looks like Christy Brinkley in this one.

Ron is the guy who gave me the lizard brain concept.

Dallas at night

A sign

Sign in the men's restroom at W.

yee haa -- dinner at the Circle R Ranch

Greg and his award winning communications staff

I love Grand Parrrie's logo

My view of Texas

When they said this hotel was close to the airport, little did I know it was just across the street.

Texas communications conference for Greg

– writing in the plane, somewhere over….well, clouds.
Talked about a packed bus….I mean plane.
Greyhound buses had more room and less people.
I guess this is how you run a profitable airline.

Funny morning. Got up earlier than I thought needed, but figured it would be nice to have some extra time.

Parked the car, took the shuttle bus into the terminal. Used the ATM-like kiosk – and had the departure time pop up…6:15.
Interesting. My confirmation said 7:15 – and here it was 5:45.
Counter clerk helped me get my act together.
Hustled down to the security.
Went through security quickly – I am thinking more people are checking luggage rather than taking on board. Makes security faster. Plus, folks are getting used to security so they are more prepared.

Anyhow, hustled down to the plane. Got in the middle seat, full plane.

So now I am listening to Dixie Chicks on my headphones and writing.

The best part of the week was preparing for my presentation here at the communications conference.
I love to combine visual images with concepts…using humor to bring focus and attention. It is a joyful activity.
It was so much fun doing what I do well, preparing to share, to teach, to entertain, to transpose images with concepts, to unveil my understanding of communications to others. Best day ever.
It’s one of the things that I love about our new Mac. The software is so cool. What I would really like is to import into the Mac some of my original home movies from Evergreen and remaster them with audio, photos and effects.

I remember as a kid, watching TV with an empty paper towel roller over an eye and pretending to be a TV cameraman, guessing what the next shot would be. Telling stories with pictures.
It’s funny, for someone who worked on his vocabulary and public speaking all his life – my passion is to tell stories with images – and songs. Docu- ? Docu-music videos?
I think it might be because images to the eye are a purer or more direct way to the soul than words.
Words must be processed. Their meanings nuanced.
Images are different.
More primal – is it a stick or a snake?
Can this hurt me? Does it mean something? What does
it remind me of?



Day 2 in Texas


Presentation went very well. I pushed myself to try new things…not to look at the slide….to go to a new slide and not say anything until it sunk in…so it was a personal best for me.
Wonder if I can post PowerPoint slides to the blog.


My dinner last night was incredible….they called it Adobe pie.
Corn mesa muffin with meat and cheese and peppers inside
http://www.bluemesagrill.com/

the area it was located creeped me out.
It was like Stepford or main street Disneyland….or like Bridgeport, but a full city, city hall, banks, condos….all built at same time.
A local guy I chatted with said the area is growing so fast that new ‘cities’ have no town center….so they invent one from scratch. Doesn’t seem real.
City Hall looks like the one from Back to the Future.
I even got to the point where I wondered if the leaves on the street had been placed thee.
Ran into a guy who works for the Golf TV network. Crazy job – setting up a week before an event.
He is married to a lady from Beleize. Dark Jamacan looks.
Their daughter has golden hair in braids, like chocolate coloring and her father’s steel blue eyes. She is four and a half – she told me.

The hills of Leavenworth

An end of summer vacation to Couer d'Alene and Leavenworth.

A view out of our back patio of the golf course and hills.

Happy moment in a cheese shop

I love this image.

Kim and her brother chatting at a Leavenworth cheese shop.

We are loading up on some exotic cheeses for an evening of wine and munching.

Love the joy in Greg's face here.

A quiet moment in Leavenworth

One of the great things about my family is their understanding.

At times I merely need to wander, sit, and ponder.

Oh yes -- exotic beer helps also.

As you may have seen, I am developing a portfolio of images of "great beers I've sat in front of."

A story

This is a goat.

It is standing behind a fence on a main street in Leavenworth.

I don't know why. No one I asked seemed to know why.

It provides amusement for those who pass by.

On the road to Leavenworth

Wenatchee: we stopped to buy some fresh fruit.

Since I was a child, I knew the repuation for fruit from this area.

A woman inside complained with NAFTA, there won't be any fruit orchards here soon.

CDA view

View of Couer d'Alene from our patio.

Easy rider

I have no idea who these people are -- it's just a cool image of two riders with CDA in the background.

Another good day at Eddie's

My bro in law and I agreed -- Eddie's on the lake was a great place to vacation.

All you need at Eddies

Cell phone, wallet, money and bucket of....what was that called?

A moment

This looks more profound than it is.

Kim is playing shuffleboard with me at Eddies.

Home away from home @ CDA

A view from the lake of our condo unit at Arrowpoint.

The lake from our patio

Slightly tilted -- Eddies is on the far right.

Another view of lake

Stopping @ Columbia Crest winery

This was a spur of the moment decision. Half way through our five hour drive to Idaho, we stop in Eastern Washington at a winery.

Wonderful place.

A good lesson -- stop and smell the pinot.