End of the Day Reflections

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Sunrise....Sunset

Intra Coastal Waterway (ICW) Thunderbolt, GA
circa summer 2011

As the first beams of light break through the clouds the world comes to life.  From out of the darkness the sights and sounds of nature begin; birds chirping, the turkey brood coming up the hill, the deer as they wake and start stirring from their resting place, and of course da boyz yapping that they need to go out!  That moment just before the sun clears the horizon, before the sounds of mankind crank up and disturb the peace, the world is so calm you can hear your thoughts.

Sunrise (I think)
Mt. Bachelor, OR circa 1997

Sunrise, that brief moment in every one's morning when they choose how they are going to face the day.


Sunrise, that brief moment in every one's morning when they make the choice to rise and shine...kinda like the sun.

Sunrise, that brief moment in every one's morning when they say to themselves, and sometimes out loud, DAMN!  WHO LEFT THE BLINDS OPEN?!

I-5 Southern Oregon

I really should be careful taking pictures 

with my i-phone while driving....

but at least I'm not texting!

Sunsets have a place in almost every one's heart.  Who hasn't had a moment with someone of significance while watching a beautiful sunset?
And if you say you haven't; then I say either "BS" or "WOW, that's really sad!"

Talahi Community Dock View
Turners Creek, Savannah, GA

The peace and beauty of sunrises and sunsets can inspire the most cynical of minds.  We go through our lives talking about how beautiful "a day is", when was the last time you actually scheduled time to watch a sunrise or a sunset?  Due to the briefness of sunrises most are missed or ignored due to more important tasks, such as getting ready for a work day.  Due to exhausting days and long hours we tend to only catch a sunset by accident or on fancy vacations.  Not all that surprisingly I found I have more sunset pictures than sunrises.  I also noticed I could not locate several of both that I vividly remember.  Did I take a picture of that sunrise/sunset, maybe.  Most likely if it was a sunrise I did not.  At the time of a sunrise I doubt I thought clearly about grabbing my camera.  Something I should work on.  Sunsets however, are a different story.  It is not uncommon to have your camera with you when the sun is going down.  Just good cocktail etiquette.

Newport, Oregon circa 1996

The end of a stormy New Years Day fishing trip.  The captain may have had to turn the boat around due to the dangerous currents but the day did end on a very inspiring note.

Newport, Oregon circa 1996

Group of RTM Arby's managers posing at the end of a stormy day.





The pictures included here are just a sampling of many that I have had the distinct pleasure of seeing during my life time.  As I mentioned earlier, I have more sunset pictures than sunrises....and not because I overslept, if I am up that early I am usually working.

Grand Cayman, circa 1991

Ashland, OR, circa 1994

Check out the moon at the very top of the Cayman sunset.




Sunsets, a great way to end a long and stressful day as well as those beautiful relaxing ones.
Sunsets, designed so you can stare longingly into the horizon and dream of better things.
Sunsets, designed so you can stare longingly into the horizon and say thank you for all you have.
Sunsets, designed so you can...well, so you can just enjoy God's creativity.

Florence, OR, circa 1994

Oregon circa 1995

Jamaica, circa 1996

Jamaica, circa 1996

Tybee Island, GA, circa 2003

The reality of sunrises and sunsets is that words simply can not properly describe the intense beauty and serenity they provide.  
"And so without further gilding the lily and with no more ado".... pour yourself a glass of your favorite happy hour drink, let go of the day's worries and dream amazing dreams.

Turners Creek, Savannah, GA
circa GA/FL weekend 2011

Turners Creek, Savannah, GA
circa GA/FL weekend 2011

Cudjoe Key, Florida, circa 2003

as always,
bkd
"Hope guides me. It is what gets me through the day and especially the night. The hope that after you're gone from my sight it will not be the last time I look upon you"    Kate, A Knight's Tale


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The Evolution of Home Gardening

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Urban Farming Gains Popularity

Growing tomatoes, cucumbers and even peppers has been a past time for many American families.  In recent years however the idea of a few plants for that "fresh homegrown taste" has taken an enormous turn toward year round gardens designed to not only feed the family but make a move away from pesticides and chemicals.  

One of my many chores as a youngster was to dig the annual holes for Dad's "garden".  We regularly planted three or four tomato plants, at least one cucumber and both bell and hot peppers.  The garden was planted along the wall of the carport side of the house.  Dad's idea of "crop rotation" was to simply dig next year's holes in between the previous year's holes.  When digging the holes we would hit good ole Georgia red clay about an inch and a half down.  To fix this we took the little red wagon down the dead end street where the woods started and found areas with rich black dirt to use in the planting process.  When it came to gardening we kept things pretty simple.

PESTO TIME!

Today things are much different.  Growing not just the basics we now grow onions (scallions), beans, several types of tomatoes, and numerous herbs.  Basil has proven to be my favorite due mostly to the way my wife cooks with it and the fresh pesto she makes.  Delicious to say the least.

The start of a new garden

Whether starting from small plants from the local gardening store or from seeds we no longer just dig holes in the ground.  Seeds are started in homemade green houses, replanted into pots; and raised garden beds are built in lieu of holes in the ground.  Soil has been purchased to fill the gardens and food scraps are composted in a fancy compost barrel.  Yes, the family garden has definitely taken a more technical approach.  

Compost Barrel, making rich soil

Composting is a great way to lessen the amount of garbage.  You don't have to spend a lot of money on a fancy barrel but it does help eliminate some of the critter issues. Though a rat did naw it's way in through the wire covering the air hole.  I recommend a thicker wire screen from the start.  If you have a large amount of yard debris to compost simply build an area off to the side of your yard to churn it all up.  Over time add some of that with your food compost and you'll save a small fortune vs. buying compost from the garden store.

Toby's Christmas Present:

10+ foot tall cherry tomato plants

Two pallets worth of landscape blocks, a few hundred pounds of dirt, some wire mesh (to keep the moles out), and your in business.  One pallet will build one 15ft by 4 ft garden bed with two blocks left over.  Couple of reasons for the blocks; wood rots, termites (previous year's bed eaten in less than a year), just plain general maintenance; concrete doesn't rot and bugs don't eat it.  I have however, seen some great wooden raised beds, usually old beams or other recycled  pieces of lumber.

Basil, Cherry Tomatoes, Scallions, Beans, other Herbs

Basil at its best

Yes, the one garden bed was short some dirt, hence everything was still in pots.

As summer wore on, hottest in Savannah since 18_something, the tomato plants took a beating with the heat.  Note for future gardens, plan ahead with stakes to tie up the rapidly growing plants.  The tomato plants grew so fast I was unable to stay on top of keeping them from getting tangled together.






Regardless of what approach you choose to take gardening can be a lot of fun....and a royal pain if you bite off more than you can chew.  Be sure to keep in mind how much you will actually use and what you might be able to give to neighbors.  Cost is certainly an issue as you begin to expand.  Just getting the beds built or enough dirt can make this actually cost more than buying vegetables at the grocery.  Over time though the cost will balance out.  Enjoy and happy gardening.


as always,
bkd

"The best way to garden is to put on a wide-brimmed straw hat and some old clothes.  And with a hoe in one hand and a cold drink in the other, tell somebody else where to dig."
-  Texas Bix Bender, Don't Throw in the Trowel 

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Orcas of the San Juan Islands

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San Juan Islands, Washington State
circa May, 2000

The Pacific Northwest has many opportunities for whale watching.  My first trip allowed me to take a short boat trip out of Depot Bay, Oregon in 1994.  The grey whales were swimming near shore in one of their migrations.  Once you learn what to look for it becomes a fun challenge to try and spot them from the Pacific Coast Highway.  Gotta be careful though, don't want to miss the next curve as you drive.



Several years later in May of 2000 I had the opportunity to take a similar boat trip out of Washington and tour around the San Juan Islands in search of several orca pods.  We took a large ferry out to the islands and there caught one of the larger boats for the whale watching adventure.  

The San Juan Islands are part of Washington State.  The four main islands being San Juan, Orcas, Lopez and Shaw Islands.  There are over 172 islands in the area.  Known for whale watching tours, bike rides (part of Trek Tri Island - coming in a story some day) and pretty much any outside activity you can imagine.

For more information refer to
http://www.visitsanjuans.com/





Anxious to get the "great shots" I had my trusty Cannon ready to go.

The First Sighting

The problem(s) with picture taking is, 1) having the proper equipment to zoom in on the subject and 2) being ready to spend a fortune on film trying to catch nature when it chooses to show itself.  We did see one full breach that day, of course I didn't get it on film.  Some things are better as a personal memory...ha, see if you try hard enough you can rationalize almost anything!




We finally found a Pod and they began showing off for us.  The pods in the area are named or coded by researchers who have been able to identify the individual whales.  J-Pod is one group we caught up to and followed for about an hour.  

According to the few articles I have read, orca pods are usually lead by a dominant female with males mating with females from other pods.  

Much like the dolphin tours out of Savannah, GA there are rules and regulations with regards to boats and the whales.  On this particular day there were multiple boats sailing in the area, all of which did their best to kill the motors or divert direction to avoid contact with the pods.  On the other hand they, like us, were also doing their best to get a good sighting of the whales.

J-Pod's number one male is known as J1 or Ruffles due to his wavy (5 Foot) dorsal fin.  It is believed Ruffles' mother is the leader of J-Pod.  I did some research online with regards to Ruffles and J-Pod and it appears Ruffles has recently gone missing and presumed deceased.

Ruffles, male leader of the pod
Last seen November 21, 2010 near Victoria BC

Ruffles/J1
circa May, 2000

Please see
http://www.whidbeyexaminer.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=5479
or simply google "Ruffles Orca" for more up to date information regarding this iconic Pacific Northwest Orca.  I was surprised to see as many articles as I did as these photos are 12 years old, but it appears Ruffles was pushing 60 years old.  His mother is assumed to be close to 100!  Average life expectancy of orca whales, you ask?  Try 29 for males and 54 for females!

Good Bye Ruffles...

MISSED THAT ONE!!

Ruffles/J1
circa May, 2000

Just a different angle....

A time long before grey hair

Big and Little

This should really qualify as part of the "Sightseeing USA" series but then just about all of my articles could.  Whether you are visiting the San Juan Islands of Washington State or the Swamps of the Southeast, take a camera and be sure to schedule time for seeing the wildlife of the area.  Be sure to take a moment to read up on Ruffles and his fellow whales.  It is truly incredible.

hope you enjoyed.
as always,
bkd

"He deliberately left you your boat because he wants to fight you alone on the sea."  Rachael in Orca, the movie
"You're me, he says... I'm you, he says... you're my... drunk driver... he says..."  Captain Nolan in Orca

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Sightseeing America....part two

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America the GRAND

January 1995
My first trip to America's Grand Canyon

America has 58 National Parks.  This does not include National Monuments, statues, or State Parks.  Two of the parks are truly grand and not just in their name.  

Traveling I-40 west through Arizona one will pass the Petrified Forest National Park.   I should note that while I have "seen" the Petrified Forest I have not actually SEEN it.  I did however see the sign.  Sleeping in the camper outside the entrance on my first trip across the country doesn't really qualify as a visit.   So, since I have not seen it, and it doesn't have the word GRAND in its title, we will not be discussing the Petrified Forest tonight, even if it is a National Park.

I-40 West, Arizona

Approximately four hours west of the Petrified Forest however, is one of God's greatest marvels and one of America's two Grand National Parks.  The Grand Canyon, formed over the years by the Colorado River, is 277 miles long and some 18 miles across at its widest point.

I-40 West, Arizona
snow/sleet giving way to blue skies in the distance

As I made the journey across The United States in the winter of 1995 I chose what I call the southern route, basically Interstate 40.  The decision to detour off of I-40 and see the Grand Canyon was initially a little stressful.  In the few days since my departure from Atlanta I had encountered less than ideal weather and I was under time restraints with a new job only days away.  Travelling through Texas the day before I had encountered heavy sleet and ice with the threat of snow?  Little did I grasp that the elevation of Arizona can lead to snow in January.  As I neared Flagstaff there was snow on the ground and a large dark line of clouds  above.  Off in the distance I could literally see a line in the sky where the darkness ended and Carolina Blue Skies reigned.  I took a deep  breath and told myself if I hit the blue line before the the turn off at Hwy 180 I was going to go for it and see the Grand Canyon.  As luck would have it, the dark faded and the blue skies prevailed just  a few miles before I reached Flagstaff.

Holding to my promise I turned north and proceeded along Hwy 180 toward the Grand Canyon!

Road to Grand Canyon's Southern Rim
Sign for first "viewing spot" up ahead

I have always believed you can build something up in your mind to the point of disappointment.  Such as, when you go back to a restaurant or place you visited as a child expecting nothing to have changed and for the burger/pizza to still be the most amazing one you've ever tasted, only to have your dreams dashed because somethings just don't compare to your memories or imagination.


Well don't worry about that when it comes to the Grand Canyon.  ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!

The Grand Canyon
January, 1995

 So to put things into perspective; can you find the people in the above photo?  When you do, you begin to grasp the Grandness of this amazing place.  Using the above photo as a reference, enjoy the following...and be sure to click on the photo if you want to see it on a larger scale.

The Grand Canyon is listed as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, as if there are only seven.

I have now seen the Grand Canyon from the southern view point on two occasions, each as breath taking as the other.  I plan someday before the body is too weak, to do a trip down into the canyon, hiking or rafting, preferably both.

The pictures to the right and below are of the Grand Canyon, January 1995.

Can you spot the people?

The scenery of North America is truly majestic in its grandeur.  On the second of my three cross country road trips I did a northerly route from Washington AC (that is "above California" as apposed to DC) through Idaho and Montana into Wyoming.  From there, dropped down into Colorado and eventually picked up ole I-40 either in Texas or Oklahoma.  The idea was to visit "Jackson Hole".  Well here is a wee bit of trivia for all those who think they can find Jackson Hole on a map; you can't.  At least not the city, because there is NO city named Jackson Hole.  There is the city of Jackson; Jackson Hole is an area, not a city.  I have always heard of Jackson Hole and just assumed that was the city.  Live and learn.

So the trip across the northern section, at least while west of the Mississippi, was to see Yellowstone National Park and to visit Jackson Hole.  And we did.  Yellowstone National Park (to be discussed later) is an amazing place and it is literally adjacent to the second of America's Grand National Parks, Grand Teton National Park.  GTNP is located in of all places, Jackson Hole.  Jackson Hole is actually the valley in the northwestern part of the state of Wyoming.  Traveling south on the John D. Rockefeller Memorial Parkway one leaves Yellowstone and enters Grand Teton National Park.

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Having NO idea what we would see in the morning we crashed after dark in one of the many lodging facilities available in the park.  Maggie, one of the dawgs mentioned in a previous article, was snuck/sneaked in and we found the local watering hole at the lodge.  With it being the last week of May in the grand year of 2000, almost everyone in the bar was apparently college students gathering for their summer work at the park.  On a separate note:  Moms and Dads, LET YOUR KIDS DO THIS IF THEY EVER ASK!  What an experience these "kids" were having.  As we listened to their excited conversations we gathered that several had just scaled a mountain the day before and were preparing to climb a different face the next morning....oh  to be young, energetic and afraid of nothing.  With a day of driving through Yellowstone under our belt we soon realized it was time to go; well that and they closed the bar.  We reached our rooms, checked on the dawg and fell fast asleep with just a hint of disappointment that we had not been able to see some of the mountain peaks we had located on the Atlas Road map.

PURPLE MOUNTAIN MAJESTY!!

Grand Teton, The Teton Mountain Range, Wyoming
May, 2000

Morning arrived and we headed back up to the lodge for a hearty breakfast.  Here you will need just a little bit of imagination as I do not have photos to help describe everything within the lodge.  As you enter the lodge at some point you encounter a set of steps, if you will, I say that cautiously as the steps were enormous halves of trees!  Take a tree, yes the ENTIRE TREE, cut it in half....length wise, top to bottom, not side to side and then with the middle or flat side facing up, VOILA! you got yourself a set of steps.  Steps big enough for John Henry, Pecos Bill and Paul Bunyan all together!  I'm talking a serious set of steps.  

Some 20 (?) steps up and easily 60 (?) feet across, obviously to handle the large seasonal crowds, these were some awe inspiring steps if I do say so myself. 

  

As I ascended this grand staircase little did I know I was about to have a Grand Experience.  Having only heard of the Grand Tetons on a few occasions and not actually knowing anyone who may have encountered them, I had no, zero, nada expectations of what to see.  As I reached the top of the stair case I noticed a large lobby in front of me.  To the right was a dinning room, cafeteria style, next to the bar we had visited the night before.  What lay in front of me however was absolutely GRAND.  Beyond a series of side beside windows, 100 ft tall if they were 10 ft, lay a lake and HIGH above that lake, GRAND TETON!  I found myself staring across a room of tourist and sightseerers much like myself all standing in amazement as beyond the windows lay an unobstructed view of the Teton Mountains....well the proper name would be Teton Range.

not my photo, but you get the idea of the view

I never planned on seeing these as I honestly did not know they were there, at least not in this magnitude or grandeur.  I, like most people, had seen pictures of The Grand Canyon but I had no idea what the Grand Tetons were.  As I said, we went to bed disappointed that we had not seen "some peaks" notated on the road map.  I never dreamed of walking up a set of stairs and having a direct view through these floor to ceiling windows of such incredible majesty.  I don't know, and don't want to research the mountain range or ranges behind the phrase purple mountain majesty as I believe in my heart that it has to be The Grand Tetons.

Grand Teton is the one in the middle of the first picture, it is also the picture below.  Apparently I only have these three photos, which when laid over one another create the first photo above.








As I have mentioned before it is one thing to see these locations and another to actually spend time visiting and exploring them.  Regardless of whether I ever get to explore them in more detail I must say that just having seen them was an experience I will never forget.  Travel the world if you can, but be sure to take a moment and travel to these locations here in America.  God worked really hard at making sure we have some natural wonders of our own to enjoy.

America's Grand National Parks INDEED!  I highly recommend these among others of our National and State Parks.  Hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading.

as always,
bkd

* know in your heart there is a Supreme Architect by whatever name you wish to recognize him by *


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