It Has Come To This

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on November 12, 2016 in collaborating, Community, Personal Values, Service Activities, Spiritual, Striving

November 11, 2016, Prescott- I had an exemplary Veteran’s Day. Marching with a small group of humanitarians, known as Yavapai County Angels, I helped to send the message that, as I wrote yesterday, conservatives are not monsters and reaching out to those in need is a universal calling.

At a lunch afterward, the vocal women in our group excoriated anyone whose politics were not in line with the most ultraconservative viewpoint. Yet, in the next breath, they extolled the estimable Dr. Ben Carson- hardly a dead ringer for Attila the Hun. This tells me that Tea Party members are as fearful and confused as their “opposite numbers”, who have spent the past few days protesting and causing moderate mayhem, in several cities, large and small, from Flagstaff, AZ and Portland, to Dublin and Tokyo.

In my humble view, Donald J.Trump, Sr. has 180 days to establish that he has a keen sense of right and wrong, and the ability to rein in both his own impulses and those of the most vulgar among us. Barack Obama had to coach his own Vice President to not use profanity in any situation where words could POSSIBLY be overheard, then or later, by impressionable children. Mr. Trump’s position may be somewhat reversed- it may fall to the devout Michael Pence to coach his boss, in the finer points of the Lord’s English.

Then, there is policy- and law. My table mates want to see the recently ousted sheriff of Maricopa County, Joe Arpaio, as Secretary of Homeland Security. I do not, if only for the simple reason that the stress would likely kill the man- he is 84. There are more cogent reasons why I would not be in favour of such an appointment- but why quibble? Suffice it to say, wanting to see people in high office, just because those people are loud and agree with one’s fear-based thinking, is exactly what gets nations in dire trouble. Those on the Left need to remember this, just as much as those on the Right.

I want to see a Million Woman March take place- not to stop the inauguration of Mr. Trump, but to inform it, nonviolently, civilly and clearly. It has come to this: We are an organic whole. The right hand cannot slap, stab, pester, annoy or bullyrag the left hand- or vice versa.

Embrace

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on October 24, 2016 in Community, Inner Struggles, Personal goals, Personal Values, Service Activities, Spiritual

October 22, 2016, Prescott-

A number of things happened today, far and wide. Here, I was part of a large group who celebrated faith in God, and the healing that often results from commitment, both spiritual and emotional.

There were testimonies galore, at the fifth annual Hope Fest, a fine blend of vendor booths, children’s play sites and sound stages. There were a number of self-help groups present, a puppet theatre, well-trained young singers who belted out show and movie tunes and inspiring musicians and performers.

There was Todd, an accomplished country and Christian singer, a living testimony to Celebrate Recovery. There were Mia and Bill, who have weathered one emotional storm after another, to stand before a thoroughly-supportive crowd and bask in our admiration. There was Vanessa, an immensely-gifted young lady, who painted two portraits of Jesus the Christ, to the accompaniment of the two fine acts mentioned above. She painted Him from images in her mind. One was Christ in the Passion and the second was the Shroud of Turin.

As with last year, my larger role was to provide moral support and physical assistance to the sound crew at the Main Stage. This work started when Todd thanked everyone for attending and the audience began to head home, at 8:20 PM. We finished with everything at 12:30 A.M. That is almost two hours less than we took last year. We certainly had more people helping, than last year.

So, I helped good friends accomplish a major public event- and continue to honour both Spirit and Body, in becoming far more unified.

Castle in the Canyon

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on October 17, 2016 in Service Activities, Social

October 16, 2016, Prescott Valley- After a Saturday morning of service, via the Red Cross, in the incomparable town of Sedona, a fine lunch and conversation with a friend who works near our service site, and a couple of social gatherings with Baha’i friends, my knees asked for a bit of consideration. Unlike many my age, I cannot sit for too long, without getting up and giving my frame a good workout.

So this afternoon, as our biweekly Sunday lunch gathering was drawing to a close, I headed for the one peak in the Prescott area which I had not yet hiked: Glassford Hill. This extinct volcano had been State Trust Land, and largely restricted in use, until this past May. A trail was completed, and was dedicated then, and is now a welcome addition to this grassland community’s recreational portfolio.

It is a 2.25 mile hike, each way, from the trailhead to the summit. The difficulty level, to me, is moderate, with four short switchbacks of moderate incline, each connected by road-width, relatively level longer switchbacks. It took about 1 1/2 hours to go up and back.

The centerpiece of the trail is a pair of basalt outcroppings, called The Castle in the Canyon, for their imposing appearance.

Basalt formations, Summit Trail, Glassford Hill

Basalt formation, Summit Trail, Glassford Hill

The “Castle” lies just shy of the one-mile point, of the trail.

The rest of the mountain is largely tall grass prairie. Pronghorns and deer are seen quite often on the wider slopes, though none were visible when I was there. A few mountain lions are said to live on the peak, as well.

Communications towers, northwest peak of Glassford Hill.

At the summit, the peak’s namesake, Colonel William Glassford, erected a heliograph terminal, by which he was able to communicate, via Morse Code, with U.S. Army officers at Fort Union, NM. The process is described on the placard below.

Information placard, on summit of Glassford Hill

Heliograph plate, summit of Glassford Hill

Commemorative flag, honouring Colonel Glassford, summit of Glassford Hill

As far as we know,there was little use of this peak by the Apache or Yavapai peoples, who pre-dated the ranchers in this area. The first name bestowed on the mountain was “Baldy Peak”, owing to its being a grassland with a few bristlecone pine trees.

Its uniqueness among the mountains of Yavapai County, nevertheless, makes Glassford Hill a trail worthy of a good afternoon’s workout.

Last Weekend, and This

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on October 9, 2016 in collaborating, Community, Family, Service Activities, Spiritual, Striving

October 8, 2016, Chula Vista- It was a weekend of talk about change, and talk about commitments. On October 1, a Baha’i Unit Convention was held in Flagstaff, and a similar gathering took place the following day, at the Native American Baha’i Institute of Learning, in tiny Burntwater, AZ, about 10 miles north of Sanders, along Interstate 40.

At these gatherings, we choose a person to represent our communities at the U.S. National Convention, in the Chicago area, the following May. This is an important function, yet what is more important is that we are addressing the spiritual condition of our communities. It is not a bland spouting of platitudes, and there are sharp opinions voiced, during the consultation. Yet what we are, regardless of opinions, is respectful of one another’s value. There is no one, among the gathered friends, who is discounted or seen as lacking value. The goal, for each of us, is to extend this valuing to the entire community, not just committed members of the Baha’i Faith.

After an intense week at work, in which these principles of unity were put to the test, and which by the grace of God, I largely maintained progress, I headed out to my son’s place, in this southern suburb of America’s Hometown. He’s a bit laid up, from a fracture of one of his left foot’s metatarsals. So, my entire function, these five days in California is to help with his needs. My usual meanderings up the coast will need to wait until the week after Christmas.

I set out from Prescott, last night, after a particularly strenuous day and a lengthy, soothing dinner at the American Legion Post. The route this time took me to a very restful night at an economical motel in Blythe, then a drive through the Colorado Desert, through Brawley, to El Centro and over the Laguna Mountains to the coast.

A 20th Century cowboy, circa 1992, downtown Brawley, CA

The weekend is off to a fairly restful start, and we can tend to tasks related to Aram’s healing, on Monday and Tuesday.

Passages and Markers

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on September 11, 2016 in American Legion, Family, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual

September 10, 2016, Prescott- This was a day of gatherings and of paying attention to “urgent” messages. I have learned that the latter is usually a matter of perception. The former is how we survive and thrive, as a species.

I made my usual visit to the Prescott Farmer’s Market, buying a bit more than usual, so as to bolster the contents of my evening healthy shake. A trip over to a yard sale, organized by Baha’i friends, gave me a chance to pick up some books and other items that should capture the interest of the children in my care.

Then it was off to a memorial service for John A. Mortimer, about whom I wrote, two weeks ago. The chapel service was solemn and done with military honours. I found it touching and lovely. The gathering at our American Legion Post, afterwards, was packed, as befits his memory. One who fully lives, until the age of 96, is unlikely to be bid farewell, without fanfare.

John had the full send-off, and 87 or so people gave him all the love and respect he had earned.

The above was part of the 70th Anniversary of the D-Day Landing, June 6, 2014.

Today is my mother’s birthday. No one has been, and is, more of an influence as to how I have turned out as an adult than Lila Mae Kusch Boivin. She it was, who kept after me to pay attention to my surroundings, to be proactive, to not use my affliction as a crutch, to not wait for an invitation to be of help to those around me. She it was, who did everything on my behalf- from getting after a hard-edged teacher and a know-it-all school counselor, when she felt they were failing to meet my needs, to seeing that I didn’t wallow in self-pity, on any one of a dozen occasions in my adult life, not the least, when my beloved wife passed to the next plane. On all the occasions when she thought I was tuning her out, it turns out that I was actually storing all that instruction, and have put it to full use, ever since. She it is, who is behind my survival and relative success.

She wants to live on, fully, and no one is more behind her on this, than yours truly. Happy 88th, dearest Mother. (My nephew is conveying our collective sentiments, in this photo of three years ago.)

Whose Truth?

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on August 30, 2016 in Community, Matters of Faith, Service Activities, Spiritual, Striving

August 28, 2016, Prescott- I attended a couple of spiritual gatherings, this weekend. Last night, several faith leaders and community activists gathered at Scottsdale Baha’i Center. The purpose was a delayed Race Unity Day. The weather has cooled, just a tad, from June’s more extreme temperatures, thus making a late August version of “Juneteenth” more palatable to many.

The array of speakers was far more concerned with solving the ongoing problem of race relations, than in any semblance of showmanship or exclusive claim to truth. The gathering of about 100 people were able to engage in well-balanced discourse, without resorting to recrimination.

This evening, I joined a much smaller group, at an observance of Janmashtami,(Krishna’s Birthday), one of the key Hindu religious observances. It had been 32 years since I last attended any kind of Hindu gathering. Prescott’s small community is made up of white Americans- an anomaly, with the South Asian community here seeming to be mainly Christian and Muslim. They are no less fervent, though, than the multitudes of India and Nepal.

The swami, who hails from Sedona, is, like me, a child of the 1960’s. His inspiration to become Hindu came from the Beatles and others who flocked to the feet of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. I must say, he has done a fair amount of homework on the body of Hindu Scripture. Anyone who can cite the data of the created Universe that is listed in such detail ,as it is in the Bhagavad Gita, is worthy of profound respect.

There is, though, a common thread woven through all the religious traditions, from time immemorial. Each does build on those before it, as Man becomes more conscious of, and in tune with, his unique station on this Earthly plane. Truth, to me, did not stop with Hinduism, Christianity or Islam. It has not stopped with the Baha’i Faith. There will be other Spiritual Teachers, Avatars, Buddhas or whichever name one sees fit to apply to a Divine Messenger, and They will come when mankind needs them.

Truth, though, remains One- and none can claim a corner on its entirety. I was gratified to see that the swami and his community has sensed this, and dispelled some misgivings I was about to have, about their faith and its possible trend towards fundamentalism. I will be able to maintain the same dialogue with the Hindu community that I am still working to establish with devout Christians.

It was a fine, useful weekend.

Sensitivity

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on August 10, 2016 in children, Education, Inspiration, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Striving

August 9, 2016, Prescott- This is a fine “home stretch”, thus far. I have had dinner with a Young Republican, with a friend of three years and, on a couple of occasions, with several Baha’i friends, at various gatherings. I have started work again, helping special needs children in the schools, here in town- first at the high school, before being transferred to Grades 5 & 6, for the needs of the District. It’s gratifying to know that my skill set is valued at the higher levels. It hasn’t always been that way. I am getting settled financially, as well, and will be fine, especially as Autumn gets into full swing. Physically, my exercise routine is on track, and diet is healthy. The Fall hiking season is about a month away, and lightning will not be a deterrent to being on mountains. Most importantly, I have ditched the occasional tendency to lapse into conjecture and innuendo, when dealing with criticism or opposition. “Say what happened, and no more” has become my mantra.

I am working with troubled children, once again. Their struggles are very much the same as mine, when I was those grades. Like me, they struggle, despite having loving parents. Like me, they need more listening and less “by the book” judgment. So, this I provide, to the best of my ability. I find myself vindicated by their amazing curiosity, awakening intellect and sensitivity to those around them, who are suffering.

It will be a full, energizing and revelatory year.

Various Shelters

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on June 23, 2016 in animal and plant life, Community, Hiking and Nature, Inner Struggles, Service Activities

June 23, 2016, Eagar, AZ- I have been helping to staff a Red Cross shelter, in this small eastern Arizona town, for the past two days. Those who are here, have come because of respiratory issues. The smoke from the Cedar Fire, a human-caused forest conflagration, has been more of a problem than the actual blaze. Few, if any, structures have been affected by the fire. The school where we are housed is well away from the blaze, of course, as is the school in the Painted Desert town of Holbrook, where a second shelter has been opened. The concerns now are smoke and flooding, once the monsoon rains come, in earnest. We got a foretaste of the latter, last night, when the parking lot outside our staff motel got about twenty minutes’ worth of shower activity.

The other day, in between beach visits in southern California, I spent about forty minutes walking in the western lagoon area of San Elijo Lagoon Natural Reserve, in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, north of San Diego. A brackish water lagoon is also a shelter. Both marine animals and desert mountain creatures find a safe haven. The lagoon is, however, a tenuous place of refuge. Given its location near various industrial areas, there is always a balance to be struck between the natural filtering that water plants offer and Man’s perceived need to generate waste, in the name of “prosperity”. Brackishness has a long way to go, in being appreciated for what it offers the balance of nature.

Thus, San Elijo’s lagoon is a vital educational tool. Here are some views of the western portion of this extraordinary refuge.

Thick vegetation is needed, to help filter out toxins.

Several channels converge in the lagoon, en route to the sea.

A lone egret was partaking of the solace, this morning.

The channel on the right has cut through to the ocean.

The Kumeyaay people, now also called Diegueno or Luiseno, had simple, temporary dwellings, when they came to the lagoon to gather fish, crustaceans and kelp.

Here is a view of the ocean-bound channel, from the Visitor Center’s second-floor observation deck.

The eastern section of San Elijo Lagoon Natural preserve lies east of Interstate 5, in the community of Encinitas. It’s an area best enjoyed in the coolness of Fall. I may well stop and investigate the emerging channels and their hillside source, come October.

There are no real external shelters from one’s own struggles. The only way, as was said in “The Empire Strikes Back”, is through. I have been my own worst foe, in so many situations, that the aforementioned option has become my default. There were two instances, in the past day or so, where my efforts at maintaining the shelter clashed with others, who were either not thinking things through, or were just worn out and seeking the path of least resistance. The only thing I could do, in both cases, was quietly continue what I was doing, for the benefit of the shelter clients, while not pushing the confrontation envelope. Our manager has confidence in my judgement. This is a continuation of what I experienced this past Spring, at Prescott High School. It’s refreshing, actually, and indicates I’m doing something right.

I am grateful for many shelters.

Stairstepping In Kodachrome Land, Part 3: A Zip Through The Cedars

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on June 8, 2016 in Hiking and Nature, Service Activities, Travel

June 3, 2016, Chinle, AZ- After leaving Nevada behind, I decided that the drive through the expanse of heaven that is southern Utah would have to be somewhat less than just. I have the Golden Circle on my radar screen for a full month of exploration- but not until next summer, at the very earliest, and maybe not until 2020. The pines, cedars and unparalleled canyons of southern Utah are treasures to be taken one inch at a time.

One caveat I share with most other drivers is: Don’t make a nuisance of yourself, by constantly and abruptly pulling to the side of the narrow road, to get that great photo. So, the scenes presented herein are few in number- focusing on two places: Navajo Lake/Duck Creek and Orderville Canyon. These two very different environments give a snippet of the variety in a relatively small area of Kane County.

I spent a few minutes in the commercial hub of Cedar City, just refueling and resting my Nissan. The traffic was already gearing up for a crowded weekend, hereabouts, so on up through Kolob Canyon it was. Navajo Lake lies in the rim country, above Zion National Park. There were about a dozen people at the overlook, so we took turns with photographs.

Navajo Lake, Dixie National Forest, Utah

Dike across Navajo Lake, Dixie National Forest, Utah

The dike was built by members of the Civilian Conservation Corps, during the New Deal, to maintain constant water flow.

Navajo Lake, and nearby Duck Creek, were created by lava flow, which altered the course of the Virgin River, which created Zion Canyon. Below, are some scenes of the lava beds, around Duck Creek Visitor Center.

Lava bed at Duck Creek Visitor Center, Dixie National Forest, Utah

Lava bed, Duck Creek Visitor Center, Dixie National Forest, Utah

Duck Creek, Dixie National Forest, Utah

Orderville is one of the small farming towns that are a delight to visit, in the midst of southern Utah’s canyon country. It is also a jumping off point for those headed east, towards Capitol Reef and Canyonlands National Park. Orderville has a gorgeous canyon of its own, though, and can easily enchant the visitor for 2-3 days.

Orderville Canyon, Utah

With the day growing short, I headed on east and south, through Page, AZ, on the southern shore of Lake Powell, across the Navajo Nation, to Kayenta and Chinle. At Tsegi, just west of Kayenta, I cam across a couple whose vehicle and trailer had overturned. The Indian Health Service worker who had stopped to help was having a hard time getting through to emergency services. I was able to call and get help en route. Good thing that neither person,nor their two dogs, were injured. Past Kayenta, a brush fire had broken out, south of Chilchinbeto, where I once worked. Once again, 911 was dialed from my phone, and a fire truck was dispatched.

That was the end of the day’s excitement. I enjoyed a relaxing meal at Junction Restaurant, in Chinle, before heading down to Native American Baha’i Institute, another 1 1/2 hours further southeast. It is time to change gears, and focus on spirituality for a day or so.