Bear

T&T & Bear. (Museum Volunteer photo 2010)

There is a BIG stuffed grizzly bear in the community museum at the public library of Valley Center California and it is a custom to be photographed standing in front of it: so here we are.

Valley Center is an interesting micro-community because it seems to have no center but is spread out over a big, wide valley.

There have been some interesting people living here though from the old days of Hollywood and California of the 1940's.

Now it is more hidden than "Escondido".

See you here sometime soon. No kidding.

~:~

Good Words 3.

La Mano Poderosa. (Tomasito photo, 2010)

The third in this series of "Good Words" comes from the same good book: "Mission" by Roger G. Kennedy.

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Be thou praised, my Lord, with all Thy creatures,
Above all Brother Sun, who gives the day brightens us therewith...

Be Thou praised, my Lord, of Sister Moon and the stars;
in the heavens Thou hast formed them, clear and precious and comely.

Be Thou praised, my Lord, of Brother Wind,
and of the sir, and the clouds, and of fair and all weather, by which Thou givest to thy creatures sustenance.

Be Thou praised, my Lord of Sister Water.
which is much useful and humble and precious and pure.

Be Thou praised, my Lord, of Brother Fire,
by which Thou hast lightened the night,
and he is beautiful and joyful and robust and strong.

Be Thou praised, my Lord, of Sister Earth,
which sustains and hath us in rule,
and produces divers fruits with colored flowers and herbs.

(A few stanzas from the "most famous prayer of Saint Francis", 13th century CE.)

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Good Words 2.

Tanya in Blue. (Tomasito photo, 2010)

The Shield of Saint Patrick

For my shield this day I call:
Heaven's might,
Sun's brightness,
Moon's whiteness,
Fire's glory,
Lightning's swiftness,
Wind's wildness,
Ocean's depth,
Earth's solidity,
Rock's immobility.

(This stanza from an old Irish prayer reprinted in Roger G. Kennedy's book, Mission--details in my last [posting.)

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Good Words 1.

KFC View, Escondido, CA. (Tomasito photo 2010)

New Construction Northeast Escondido, CA August, 2010. (Tomasito photo)

I would like to post some words meaningful to me.

I found them in the book: "Mission" by Roger G. Kennedy and published by Houghton Mifflin, 1993.

There is a copy in the Escondido, CA Public Library collection--thanks!

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"Now our words we direct to our Mother Earth, who supports all life...we include all plant life, the woodlands, all the waters of Earth, the fishes, the animal life, and the Four Winds. As one mind our acknowledgment, respect, and thanksgiving move upward to the Sky World; the Grandmother Moon, who has a direct relationship to the females of all species of living things, the sun and the stars and our Spiritual Beings of the Sky World..."

(Audrey Shenandoah, Onandaga at the Global Forum on Environment and Development for Survival in Moscow, Russia, January, 1990.)

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Lucas' Big Bro

Lucas' Big Bro. (Tomasito photo 2010)

A couple of days ago I posted the photo of baby Lucas' tiny feet and his mother's hand.

This photo is of Baby Lucas' big brother.

A big Teenager, still in school, he faces troubling times--recession at home, gangs at school, population explosion, global warming and constant foreign wars.

And he is fast approaching the age of military duty--the armed forces are about the only ones hiring just now.

We can only hope for the best for him--Lucas' big brother.

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Avatar Review Part 2

Avatar Movie Review Part Two

WHAT is a review of a popular SF movie doing in THIS ahimsa-themed blog?

Well, the last hour of the melodrama glorifies Hollywood mayhem WAR with the before-noted stunning special effects. Thrilling if you are a little boy with not much experience or an adolescent with the aggression juices freely flowing.

Satisfactorily, by the end, the good guys are bruised and bleeding but the bad guys are vanquished complete.

The biggest baddie is rightfully dead (he deserved to die!) and some of his surviving minions are ignominiously shipped back to their self-wasted and selfish planet

The thing is--there is a hint of things in real-time current events in the movie.

Things which are widely known but hardly mentioned in polite society.

Some earthling ex-Marines--now mercenaries--are going to win the hearts and minds of some aliens so the sky people (earthlings) can mine the alien's planet of some fantastically valuable mineral desired by huge, faceless earth corporations. If the local residents don't like this, the earthlings are going to destroy the alien's tree-village and kill as many of them as necessary.

Substitute "oil" for valuable mineral and Iraq/Afghanistan for alien, far-away planet and the usual huge, faceless corporations manufacturing war-materials and so forth--the Blackwater cowboys and other soldiers-for-hire and you have a rather bold anti-war statement--especially since the aliens who must be eliminated to get the valuable mineral are portrayed as more-or-less noble and sexy high-principled savages heroically fighting to preserve their homeland and way of life from unprincipled intruders.

This very popular movie shows a change perhaps in American's patriotic knee-jerk support of all these endless foreign wars.

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Lucas Arrives

Mom and Lucas. (Tomas Photo, 2010)

Lucas arrived eight days ago--he just missed being a Yankee Doodle Dandy "born the Fourth of July" by four hours.

Wouldn't it be nice if eighteen years or so from now he would not be off somewhere defending our corporations?

Peace. It's wonderful.

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Avatar Review Part 1

Avatar, the movie. We finally saw it.

We were prepared not to like it because so much Hollywood hype usually means an inferior product.

I agree with almost everyone that the special effects were exceptional. Avatar is as far out in this department--well, almost--as the first Star Wars movie was when it burst on the movie scene lo these many years ago.

We saw Avatar because it was an offering in the Blockbuster Dollar-a-Day video machine at the Dollar Store.

We could afford it.

(To be continued next blog.)


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No More War

Neighborhood Dummy (Literally!) This dummy never moves. It is a kind of scarecrow to frighten erstwhile bandits or neighborhood kids away. The same house has a gang of bulldog watchdogs patrolling the inner fenced garden. (Tomas Photo, 2010)

Here's an old song, but still, it touches you:

"Gonna lay down my heavy burden
Down by the riverside,
Down by the riverside,
Down by the riverside.
Ain't gonna study war no more."


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T on a Tree

T on a Tree. (Tomas photo, 2010)

Afternoon in Felicita Park.

It is definitely easier to be non-violent in this environment or maybe a Himalayan cave than it is out in traffic!

Well, we do what we can.

You Too!

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The idea of Non-violence

Boulder Loop Trail, Daley Ranch Park. (Tomasito photo, 2010)

Well, that's what ahimsa means, isn't it?

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Sadhu Tom

Sadhu Tom. (Tanya photo, 2010)

Yes, it's me.

Sadhu Tom snapped in our apartment in a moment of clownitude.

(Would you buy a used car from this man?)

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Tanya's Hands

Tanya's Macrame. (Tomasito photo, 2010)

Macrame is a peaceful craft--tie a whole lot of knots in pretty cords and you have something creative and special.

You don't see a lot of macrame done these days, but when you do--it is refreshing and beautiful!

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Pig and Cat

Pig and Cat (Tanya photo, 2010)

We were out for a little stroll of our neighborhood the other evening and managed to snap this surprise photo.

Yes it IS a pig and a cat--and this is NOT a farming community but a fairly urban part of our town.

We've seen a few CATS during our ramblings, but this is the very first PIG! This was just a few blocks from our apartment and we don't know WHERE the PIG came from, but guess it is one of the "pot-bellied" race which are sometimes kept as pets.

UP, URBAN CRITTERS!

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Time Out

Tomasito (Tanya photo)

Dear Readers,

I am going to take a few weeks off from blogging--a short vacation is due.

(In Arnold Schwartznegger voice.) I'll be back!

Catch ya' later!

Tomasito

asd

Paradise

Waving Tanya.

Our Escondido one-bedroom apartment from down below: running hot and cold, new carpet and floor tile, electricity, garbage pick-up and landscaping, sparkling pool--fairly quiet, safe neighborhood, covered parking for one car and like that--not exactly cottage small with picket-fence and rambling rose, but just as good for us.

Paradise is where you are.

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Garden Variety Warning

Daley Ranch Rock. (Tomasito photo)

There is a beautiful book in our public library which I have read recently: "Japanese Gardens" by Gunter Nitschke.

The book has excellent photos of some of Japan's finest gardens and interesting commentary regarding the historical development of those very typical Japanese art forms.

I was kind of surprised to see that the gardens of our present era have dropped the living component completely--no more plants or trees or even raked sand--the modern "Japanese Garden" is a construction of concrete, steel, plastic and other man-made products.

But in summary Mr Nitschke says: " With our present knowledge of the catastrophic environmental disasters ahead it is tempting to speculate upon the possible shape of a future garden prototype..." (My italics.) And he suggests some sort of jungle environment might be suitable.

He also suggests that without some profound change in consciousness there will be no future Japanese Gardens and he recommends meditation as the only possible way to avoid annihilation.

A pretty scary note from a Japanese garden specialist!

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Old Green Road

The Old Green Road. (Tomasito photo, 2010)

We have had some very good spring rain this year here in Southern California--and up north, our friend in Redding reports that the huge lake behind the Shasta Dam on the Sacramento River is up to the brim--and this us the first time is YEARS that that has happened.

The old road in the photo above is in the Daley Ranch Park--one of the nicest walks in Escondido. (It is NOT always THIS green!)

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New and Old

New and Old

Perhaps we are born with some talents, hopes and dreams--and we have a bit of time to develop these attributes using our physical body's senses and mental qualities.

With luck and enough time perhaps we make a little progress in a lifetime--probably a very little bit in even a very long lifetime--or maybe none at all and maybe even lose what we had in the beginning--but there is plenty of time--eons and ages of it--you might say an eternity of time.

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Integrity

Long Beach View. (Tomasito photo)

I have been reading about the old Maya people.

Most of the ancient civilization was thoroughly wiped out, but there are some bits and pieces coming to light due to the concentrated effort of some linguistic scholars--and there are some Maya people persisting in their old homeland of central America.

There is a practice among them which I think is admirable and can be summed up in in this notion--that "it is not good to trade integrity for money. "

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The Door

The Door.

This is the door you may have been looking for.

Walk right through--they are waiting for you there and are ready, willing and able to answer ALL your questions!

But of course the door you are looking at here on this non-existent page of non-existent images does not really exist! It's just a dance of imaginary electrons.

You just think it does, but:

It is ALL in your mind!

That's where it ALL is!

And THAT may not exist either!

Think about it...

and be happy.

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McTom

McTom. (Tanya photo)

It is a little hard to believe, but Ahimsaland is right here too--just like it is wherever you are!

You don't have to go along with the main program.

(You sure can't avoid it either, of course!)

But it doesn't have to ruffle your feathers!

Ahhhhimsaland!

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Daley Ranch Pond

Daley Ranch Pond

This pond was SO lavender when we walked by a few days ago that I had to snap this photo.

The "Coast Wild Lilacs" (Ceanothis) are in full bloom all around the pond and on the hillsides which augments the wonderful color. Even the sky seems to be lavender!

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The Inner Courtyard Garden at San Juan Capistrano Mission

It has been raining every day and all night--just like I remember from my childhood in Hillside Village near Los Angeles.

Such a wonderful, wet and hopeful spring after years of drought.

The emerald green of new grass and young plants make our part of Southern California look a bit like Ireland--and just in time for Saint Patrick's Day!

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ahimsaland

Mission Garden, San Juan Capistrano.

There are so very, very many beautiful and peaceful places in California.

Stressful and awful places and situations too.

Not so very different, I suppose, from any other place on this tiny blue island in space.

Any place anywhere can truly be Ahimsaland.

Its up to us to make it so.

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Exploring Medieval Village

Tanya Exploring Medieval Village

It looks like one doesn't it?

This charming and romantic village street scene is actually in the restored ruins of the San Juan Capistrano Mission in California.

Of course, the way to this quiet place is far from quiet--no famous place in Southern California can be reached quietly or peacefully.

Unruly drivers--heavy traffic--and the freeway culture which is so much a part of life in the Golden State--make "getting there" so much less than "half the fun"--as they used to say.

But once there--the old place has some lovely nooks and crannies--especially in the winter after the rain on a week-day.

Peaceful!

We are very lucky to live close to such a beautiful spot: The Mission of San Juan Capistrano.

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Ruins Bring out the Artist

These colorful plants were hanging out at the San Juan Capistrano Mission grounds.

Such vivid blues in an ice-plant!

And the old arches make everything seem to be of another time.

Lots of tourists, of course--and everybody just like me snapping photos of the famous ruins.

It's OK.

Here everybody can be an artist and everybody can see the beauty!

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Endangered Species

Threatened Species

The photo above is an endangered ape's eye view of another threatened species at the Wild Animal Park near Escondido.

There are only 300 of the endangered variety of ape presently living in the wild and millions of the above pictured species--but probably individuals of neither species is aware of its nearness to extinction.

Great numbers of living individuals of a species do not guarantee its survival as we have seen from the demise of the passenger pigeon and others--it seems most difficult to stop or turn around a species which no longer fits into the earth environment for any number of reasons.

Also a species which has been successful for the billions of years necessary to evolve into its present form may suddenly not be successful enough to withstand new environmental conditions.

We can only wish good luck and bon voyage to both of these closely related life forms.

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Predator Drone

Original California Freeway

"Weapon technology does not remain secret for long, and whatever works for one side can be readily adapted for use by the enemy."

Jack weatherford, "Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World"

When Predator drones were first being used by the American military in Afghanistan I would sometimes see a birds eye view of their work on the Internet news: first I would see some tiny buildings perhaps with some miniature people moving about--more like ants really than human beings--then I would see a shadow move with lightning speed across the screen toward the target and everything in the target area would go black. Bulls eye. Enemy gone.

Gradually the news stopped showing the results of Predator drone's activities in Afghanistan but switched to the news that drones were being used to patrol the Canadian/US border watching for drug smugglers or terrorists.

Last summer I read in the daily newspaper that a Predator drone was flying in North Dakota to monitor the flooding Red River--the pilot-less drone being a big advantage over manned aircraft because it could fly for thirty hours straight.

I was wondering how and when the enemy would start using their own version of Predator on us?

Practice Peace. They say it's wonderful.

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Prefer Peace

Eagle photo by Tanya

Reuters news service included this remark today in an article about Iran's nuclear program:


"Tomas Valasek, director of foreign policy and defense, Center for European Reform, said if the needs of Iran's research reactor were to dictate the process there would be no agreement.

"That's a deal breaker, because of course the whole idea behind the deal is let's get all of the stuff out so that we win more time so that the Israelis don't feel itchy and don't bomb Iran in the next few weeks," he said."

We hope too that the Israelis don't get itchy and bomb Iran--but if the Iranian government does not make some positive moves the Israelis are not such fools as to allow them to strike first.

I assume that the common people in both countries would much prefer peace.

I assume that all "common people", everywhere would much prefer peace.

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Mexican Food B-Day

Steamy Mexican food Birthday

Happy Birthday!

And MANY MANY MORE!

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