Monthly Archives: July 2024

Getting Past Hiccups

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, distraction issues, Family, Hiking and Nature, Inner Struggles, Inspiration, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

July 20, 2024, Tofino, BC- I will forever consider myself blessed, when it comes to family. I can talk with my son, any of my siblings and any in-laws, with no qualms or trepidation, at a moment’s notice.

So many friends don’t have that blessing. I have heard from friends, recently, about being cut off from adult children and siblings-most often not because of anything they did, but because of third-party interference. This may, or may not, be part of the story, or even the whole story. I know there are those who prey on disaffected youth and actively work to turn them against their parents. There is a special place in the world of retribution for such monsters, but I digress.

No one can turn a person against their loved ones, without that person’s consent. In the end, though, there is loneliness. Chances are, the manipulator won’t be there for the lost soul. The person who is disaffected from their parent(s) or their children will have outlived any usefulness to the predator-who is most often seeking power, in a neurotic manner. So often, the predator will use mainstream religion, or cult membership, to appeal to the prey. Only when the troubled soul wakes up and reconciles with those s(he) has cast out, can there be any chance for real recovery.

I thought about these things, whilst en route to the exquisite Pacific Rim, of west central Vancouver Island. Earlier in the day, after a marvelous rest at Turtle Hostel, in Victoria’s Hillside/Quadra district, I had pleasant meetings with two dear friends, and was glad to be able to offer them support. Regarding Hillside/Quadra, it is ringed by churches and Victoria’s Conservatory of Music-and as I mentioned in the last post, is a haven for unhoused people.

Alex Goold Performance Center, Victoria Conservatory of Music
Anglican Church of St. John the Divine, Victoria
First United Church, Victoria

Each of these institutions does what it can, to help its unhoused neighbours. As is the case back at Home Base, Prescott, there are soup kitchens and active efforts to clothe the people. There, but for the grace of God……

In the next post, I will focus on the cathedrals of a different sort: The majesty of the Pacific Rim and the edge of Clayoquot Sound, particularly in Tofino and Ucluelet. Here is an example:

Clayoquot Sound, Tofino

Smoother Sailing

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, impediments, Inspiration, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, service, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

July 19, 2024, Victoria, BC- The distraught woman was yelling, at everyone and at no one, as I walked toward Bold Butchery and Grill in search of a falafel dinner. She was adamant that “he” had no business telling her to clean her room. The “room” was a small dome, that actually looked quite tidy. I saw no male around there, so who knows whether the “boss” was present, or was an unwanted memory of a past overlord. There are about twenty-five people living in tents along and adjacent to Quadra Street, down a bit from Turtle Hostel, where I am spending the night. There are about twenty-five of us in the hostel. Only four walls and the ability to pay for lodging really separate the two groups.

Joseph Campbell, in “Myths of Light”, describes the primal cakra of kundalini yoga as muladhara, the “root lotus”, the most basic urge to hold onto something which represents one’s identity. We see this in everyone, from a politician holding onto an office to a soldier fighting to the death, to someone living on the street and guarding personal space, along with the few possessions that are there within that zone. I tend to exercise reasonable precaution and care of my possessions, so that I have what I need, day to day. Obsession with them left, quite a few years back, as the realization set in that there was nothing that couldn’t be replaced-except my life. It has also been thirty-two years since I was homeless, and even then, my little family and I were not living in a tent, but in a motel-and that was only for a month or so. I wish smoother sailing for the folks in this little community, who do seem to take care of one another. There is even a “mayor”, who lives in an RV that is parked across the street from the ornate Conservatory of Music. He was making the rounds this evening, seeing who needs what basics, which he will try to find, when he goes to the Farmers Market tomorrow.

I will meet a Baha’i friend across town tomorrow morning, spending a bit of time along the waterfront, and praying for another friend, who is laid up a bit. That has been the nature of this journey-to connect with members of my Faith community who have felt a bit isolated, of late. So far, it has worked out, and if there are no Baha’is to visit, I have been able to connect with other old friends who I haven’t met in person.

I left the incomparable Bayside Motel, on Bellingham’s commercial strip, after getting Sportage its overdue maintenance check. All is well, and the lead mechanic remarked that the vehicle is in tiptop shape. Lord knows I pay attention to it. Bayside is a reasonably-priced establishment, that keeps up with the chains, when it comes to things like breakfast and a guest laundry room, as well as the sheer comfort of the sleeping room itself.

I got to the ferry terminal at Tsawassen, a bit early, and so had to drive around a bit, then return to the gate. The computer system resets on the hour, so a 1 p.m. check-in does not mean 12:55. Once in queue, there was plenty to do, in passing two hours-between lunch, writing to my resurfaced friend and organizing what I could of still-damp laundry, drying in the car. (Long story short, the dryers at Bayside were taken up by one family, and check-out happened before the clothes could be finished. At least they’re clean!)

The ferry ride was smooth, I napped for a while and it was easy to find Turtle Hostel. As indicated above, this is a somewhat artsy area. It also has several Mediterranean restaurants, which is good for my palate. Bold Butchery and Grill has several varieties of hummus to go with its excellent falafel. I chose the turmeric version. After dinner, it was easy to connect on a Zoom devotional, then segue into a section of Myths of Light that talks about the seven bodily cakras.

Smooth sailing depends on self-knowledge, so I am definitely interested in continuing to learn what Joseph Campbell had to say about the upper cakras.

Owning Up

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Posted by on in collaborating, Community, distraction issues, Historical, impediments, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

July 18, 2024, Bellingham, WA- I went in the out door, so to speak, this morning. Parking with Sportage’s nose to the curb, in a “back-in” zone, I took two photographs of nearby buildings, got back in the car and carefully backed out, watching for any vehicles that might have come along-and which would have had the right of way. There were none, so on I went to Tacoma’s Old Town. I rarely, if ever, do such things, but have learned to not hide from judgment or ridicule, when they do happen.

Ownership of missteps is often absent, or only grudgingly done, in modern life. We fear judgment and ridicule, but you know they are going to come along, anyway. So, why fear, run or hide? I apologized to someone I love dearly, this evening, because it was the only thing to do, under the circumstances. Erich Segal was off-base, when he wrote “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” It is the first thing that someone who has heart must say, when a loved one is hurt. Apologizing to my late wife, to our son, to a beloved student or client, to a dear friend, has been de rigeur, when I go on a wrongful tangent.

Today, otherwise, was a fine day, partly spent in and around Tacoma’s Old Town and waterfront area, meeting with an old friend from Xanga, and her husband and patiently navigating the heavy traffic, from Federal Way to Mount Vernon. Seattle rivals any other major city, in the thickness and slowness of its major thoroughfares’ traffic. It is best to make do. Owning up also means pushing forward, without moaning about short-term circumstances.

Here are some scenes from Tacoma, an underrated gem of the Pacific Northwest.

Northern Pacific Office Building, City Center, Tacoma
Clock Tower, Old Tacoma City Hall
Job Carr’s Cabin, Old Town Tacoma

Job Carr was the first settler to make Tacoma his home, building this cabin in 1865. He got along quite well with the indigenous Puyallup community, and was well-known for navigating Commencement Bay, where he encountered whales and dolphins, whilst going back and forth to Puyallup, in his canoe.

Job came to the area because he thought the Burlington Northern Railroad would have its western terminus at the spot where he settled. When the BNR stopped two miles east of his cabin, he was rattled, but made do.

Burlington Northern railbed, near Commencement Bay
Commencement Bay, at Tacoma (above and below)

The afternoon found me back at another gem: The Muse, at the edge of Everett’s waterfront. I visited this lovely Victorian coffee house/bar, a year or so ago. This time, I was honoured to be joined by these fine folks:

Debra (“Ampbrea”) and Jeb Watts

I will not forget those friends from the 2000s and 2010s who stuck with me, even during the times when I “flaked out”.

Slumgullion for Breakfast

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, Hiking and Nature, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

July 17, 2024, Fife, WA- Tuesday and Wednesday are “the weekend” for both of Yachat’s downtown coffee shops. Both Bread and Roses and Green Salmon sound interesting, but all must rest, at some point during the week. So, I found myself in the mood for a different sort of morning repast. I found it at Luna Sea Fish House, right on the waterfront, in the heart of downtown. There were numerous “breakfasty” items, like salmon and scrambled eggs, (which I have been known to whip up, myself, on occasion). I took the leap, though, on this nippy morning, and opted for a heaping bowl of Slumgullion. It’s been decades since I found this creamy Puget Sound-style clam and shrimp chowder, in any restaurant. Luna’s rendition was excellent, and took care of my palate, and my sense of warmth, until evening.

Luna Sea Fish House, a haven for slumgullion, and other fruits de mer, in downtown Yachats

After this hearty meal, which was eaten at a picnic table, outside, I looked about Yachats a bit longer, checking out the beach.

Perpetua Beach, Yachats, with the Cape in the background.

View of Cape Perpetua and beach, Yachats
Grey skies at morning, with incoming tide, Perpetua Beach, Yachats

My next stop was in Newport, where I took in Yaquina Park, after a small brain fart, with regard to finding the turnoff. A couple of locals “directed” me to the right spot, and all was well.

Yaquina Point Lighthouse, Newport, OR
Yaquina Bay Bridge, from Yaquina Point, Newport, OR

With that, I was fairly done with photography for the day, as a dinner engagement awaited, in Hoquiam, WA, some five hours to the north. So, great places like Astoria and Fort Stevens will be off in the future, it seems. After a stop at Blue Heron, in Tillamook (one can scarcely show up for dinner empty-handed, after all), I made a beeline for Hoquiam.

Spaghetti, in spicy meat sauce, was a delight, as was conversation with these fine folks.

It was a fairly short hop over to Tacoma/Fife, after dinner. On to Old Town Tacoma, and northward to Bellingham, tomorrow.

Balance

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, Hiking and Nature, Inspiration, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

July 16, 2024, Yachats, OR- The otherwise congenial motel owner bemoaned the fact that the temperature in this resort town had not topped 55 F today, and that the fog had hung on for most of the day. I can understand the frustration that many residents of the coastal Northwest, at the constant fog and drizzle. Still, for the rest of the continent, such gloom is actually a pleasure. We seek balance, wherever we may live and in whatever circumstances we may find ourselves. Therein lies the choice: Be content with where and how we are, or make adjustments.

Yachats (pronounced YAA-haats), is a small resort town, just north of Cape Perpetua, on the central Oregon coast, north of Florence. The Yatel is a delightful small establishment, with a mini-kitchenette (plates, bowls, cups and glasses, stainless steel utensils, cookware, hot plate, toaster-and the standard mini-fridge and microwave oven). The place is worth the cost, though I know that if I am ever this way again, it would be a good idea to book ahead.

Cape Perpetua, about three miles south of here, is another Oregon Coast gem. The wind gets intense up there, just as it does at Cape Mendocino, way down in California’s Lost Coast region and in many similar spots along the North Pacific. Still, it is a magnificent place, and I noted a huge number of RVs parked in the roadside spots, last night. Here are some scenes of Cape Perpetua, in the clarity of daylight.

Cape Perpetua (Above and next few scenes)
Looking towards the top of Perpetua. (Above and below)

Earlier today, I spent about an hour with two dear friends in Ashland, OR., catching up on how things have gone for each of us, since my visit there last July. Jody, Philip and their faithful guard dog, Stryker, are still hanging tight.

From Ashland, I continued up I-5 to Winston, then cut over on Rte. 42. Coquille has Uncle Randy’s, with hearty diner fare. Randy has a pay-it-forward option, mainly for locals: A regular can pay a certain amount towards a meal for one who is known to be less fortunate. The limit is one person paying for one meal, once a week. This is a fine example of faith-in-action-and compassionate conservatism. The food was marvelous, in my palate’s opinion.

I will spend a few minutes checking out Yachats further, in the light of day, then head onward up the coast, completing a journey that I interrupted in 2012, and be in Hoquiam by mid-afternoon.

Action, rest, heat, cold-it’s all about balance.

Farm to Table

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Posted by on in animal and plant life, Assistance, collaborating, Community, Hiking and Nature, Inspiration, Personal Values, Service Activities, Slow Food, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

July 15, 2024, Orland, CA- My hosts have a “tomato problem”. The fruit is everywhere, on their ten acre spread. Lots of goodness has found its way to fruition here, on the south side of this earnest, and squared away, farming community, west of Chico.

The Central Valley is hot, as it always is in the height of summer, with the added burden today of a massive fire at a recycling plant on the edge of Chico, some twenty miles east. There have already been fires in Oroville, 40 miles to the south, and I could see the faint outlines of smoke to the north of here, as I drove into Orland’s neat and clean downtown.

Here on County Road 18, though, the air is cooling off and the fields are lush, drawing sustenance from the canals and the irrigation ditches that connect these tendrils of one of America’s prime breadbaskets. My hosts came here from the oven of Phoenix, about 18 months ago, and immediately felt a ton of relief, at the ambiance of being between two mountain ranges and the sense of contributing to food security.

Almond orchard, Orland, CA

Assorted fruit trees (apple, plum and apricot) adorn the north and east sides of the spread. (Above and below)
Irrigation is king here. This ditch nourishes several farms in southwest Orland.

The trees also serve as windbreaks.
Every farm needs a barn with good bones.
Lee, with the bees. This mini-apiary helps to not rely on commercial hive keepers, who service the larger farms nearby.

Needless to say, 9/10 of the dinner plate was filled with goodies that came straight from the backyard: Potatoes and a good part of the salad mix. The meat was from down the road, but it was organic, too.

The road here from Carson City was a very clogged, slowed by construction along I-80 and CA 20, and much quicker on CA 32. Truckee was a fun stop, with mid-morning snack at Coffee And, and just people watching along Main Street. Families are just a joy to observe.

Breathing country air is, likewise, a joy-especially on a spread that is free of toxic pesticides. It’s been a reassuring break, to see the fruits of good folks’ labours.

Devotion

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Posted by on in Assistance, children, collaborating, Community, Family, impediments, Inspiration, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Striving

July 14, 2024, Carson City- There is much that one does for love, in this life, that would not otherwise be on one’s personal agenda. Parents and grandparents most often know this. So do caretakers of disabled spouses or elderly parents. Teachers and coaches also do, to some extent, though their personal agendas are wrapped within their callings.

This goes well beyond the obvious things, like bathing and dressing those who are unable to do so for themselves, or watching small children who are playing outside, or in a public space. It extends to those who “hold their noses and play yet another round” of a game one finds tiresome or even irritating. It becomes, at its level best, an exercise in detachment.

Thus did a friend spend time with a beloved child. I joined them, finding actually a mild amusement in the game, which is more than a bit whimsical. Such is childhood, on occasion, and rightly so. There is more than enough preparation for adulthood that faces today’s children, and at an earlier age-despite what pundits and commentators say about delayed adolescence. There is that too, of course, and the rub is that someone has to be the mature decision maker and social actor. When an adult-even a parent-is in the midst of delayed adolescence, sometimes the child(ren) have to step in. I have seen this in a great number of cases, over the years. Children, in such instances, are out on a limb, and do the best they can-but they don’t have all the tools necessary to hold things together.

Grandparents are in a very special position. There are jokes made about being able to send the kids home, at the end of a day, but there is no love quite like that of Grandma, Grandpa, Nana, Papa, Nonna, Aba, Bump or Meemaw. It is, in its essence, a reflection of the deep love that is held for one’s adult children, that the thought of them not succeeding, of them suffering the injury or loss of their offspring is beyond the pale.

Being a grandparent in waiting, I understand this concept, and am glad to just be able to dote on those children and youths of other friends and relatives-until such time as my own grandkids arrive-and even then, devotion is unlimited.

Intolerance

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, distraction issues, impediments, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

July 13, 2024, Carson City- It is as despicable as it was predictable: The attempt on the life of former President Donald Trump, thankfully unsuccessful, will do nothing to stem the flow of anger and hatred towards those who see life differently than the would-be assassin and those who think like him-or their anger and hatred in kind, as voiced by a member of the United States Senate-and even more ominously, by a “political adviser” who cited a list of 350 targeted “opponents”.

People are still entitled to vote their conscience, even if the majority of us vote differently. People are still entitled to speak their peace, even if their ideas come across as ridiculous to a good many others. People can think far ahead, or look longingly to the past. People can accept differences, or peacefully need more time to process change, before either accepting the changes or choosing to stay in their own bubbles.

What no one should claim the right to do is to deprive another citizen of the right to voice an opinion, or even to exercise violence towards that citizen. Today’s events are a cautionary tale-both to those who might view the dead assailant as some sort of hero and to those whose interpretation of the contents of Project 25 is that the document is a green light for returning to the days of Jim Crow and public lynchings.

America is a big tent. Let it never be shrunk to a pup tent, or lean-to.

“You’ll Understand Some Day”

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Posted by on in Assistance, children, collaborating, Community, Family, impediments, Inspiration, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

July 12, 2024, Beatty, NV- So did the attendant, at a convenience market in the small Mohave Desert town of Dolan Springs, explain a decision she had made to a much younger woman. Since I am inclined to wish long and happy lives to just about anyone I meet, I silently concurred. Mom always answered my chortles at one or another of her predicaments by singing “Your day will come“.

After a morning of home base activities, whilst waiting for the final word on a possible shelter, I prepared for Trip # 3, of 2024. Right at Noon, the shelter was deemed unnecessary, and by 1 p.m., I set out. Six hours later, after pit stops in Seligman, Dolan Springs, Las Vegas and Amargosa, I stopped here, so as to join a Baha’i Zoom call. It was plenty to drive here, in heat that ranged between 95-118 (35-47.77) degrees. My AC worked its magic and I was fine, so long as I kept pushing water down my gullet.

All along the drive, I contemplated the when of letting go- of power, of control, of position. This is not an issue for me, personally, but it seems much of the leadership of our governmental, financial and social institutions is unable to pass the baton. I have been ecstatic when a younger person shows up and is ready to take up the mantle of whatever mission I have had in front of me. I will always be willing to lend a hand, but being in charge is a bonus, not a craving.

Perhaps some of the younger ones will experience a strong urge to hold on, overstaying their welcome and even outliving their usefulness. Should that happen, I offer this, right here, right now. “May your time in the limelight impart lessons and knowledge that serve you well-and may those be of the sort that can be shared with the younger generations of YOUR seniorhood. May you remember these days, and know when to take the position of being ONE among many, of a number of generations who work together.”

I will spend much of the weekend with one of my favourite families, with 5 or 6 bright, engaging children, and their loving parent and grandparents. There is no overbearing or insecure adult there, at least not when it comes to the children’s upbringing.

Those who have tried are relegated to the periphery of the children’s lives. May they understand, some day.

Once More, with Cinnamon

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, Family, Inspiration, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

July 11, 2024- The whirling dervish of energy kept on spinning today. At one point, I packed a “go bag” of stuff, went out to the car and found…I had left my keys in the house. After looking about for a bit, I found the carefully hidden spare key and got my act together again.

This is a week of everything happening simultaneously. As the call came for me to join two other volunteers on a preliminary shelter arrangement, I was also dealing with a charitable transaction that involves a phone app-which is similar in name to another phone app. (Don’t worry, both are legitimate.) The school that is getting the cash will wait until tomorrow, and as it happens, the decision on setting up a shelter will also wait until tomorrow.

So, three of us went out to a community about 45 miles west southwest of Prescott, and dropped off a trailer of supplies, to be used in the event of a shelter being established. We then turned around and came back. My part in this matter is done, unless a roaring blaze rekindles, between now and 10 a.m. tomorrow.

The day started with my annual physical examination. I was pronounced a fine physical specimen-younger in appearance than my age. There is only an issue with not drinking enough water-easily resolved, and a slight uptick in LDL-so I am to take one more Red Yeast Rice capsule (total of 2)-and 1 cinnamon capsule, each day. I can do this, and keep on with weight reduction and a fine mental balance. This PA sees all of his 70+ year-old patients every six months, so I will be checked again in January. No worries.

Tomorrow, I will head over to Kingman, up through sizzling Las Vegas and on towards Carson City, spending two days with my Nevada family. Then it’s up through northern California, Oregon and Washington, with stops to see Baha’i and other friends-and across the Straits of Juan de Fuca, to Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast, Metro Vancouver and southeast British Columbia, before reversing the route.

That is, unless the blaze rekindles.