An August Post before it is History

Just begin...

as the month of August ends...

Do you ever read the last page of a book and then rush back to reread the opening lines?

Hartnell Professional Center  Monterey, California

                                         

On my way in for an ultra sound of an elbow the other day,  I was so struck with presence of the building I stopped and took a number of pictures.   The entrance grounds, the building, the blue sky, the oak boughs above the path are a bit of medicine all in themselves.  

This photo was taken from my seat in the waiting area.  I saw a photo of  Clint Eastwood  unveiling a plaque and later read that this building also houses the Clint Eastwood Youth Program, for youth needing to recover from substance abuse.  I saw Clint last night,  not here in town, but on television as he spoke at the Republican National Convention using something reminiscent of the psychotherapeutic empty chair gestalt method. The theory emphasizes that in order to get  fully into the experiential present moment, so you can go forward in life, you may have to extricate yourself from  webs of relationships that have formed your past, without the help of those significant others, and hence you address an empty chair.  Recovery is a big theme in our time.

Also hanging on the walls of  Hartnell Professional Center,  are a number of  large oil paintings,  gifts from local estates, of the colorful early settlers of old Monterey.  Monterey was the first capital of California, from 1776 to 1822  under Spain and then when Mexico achieved independence from Spain, Monterey was the Mexican capital of California.  Spain had not allowed foreign traders in California, but Mexico opened the ports for trade.  It was in the same year, 1822, that the namesake for this building, William Hartnell  arrived and began his first California ventures in the cattle business and later he began a school for  boys.  You can't live in this area and  not know his name as there is a street, a park and schools named after him, but his story is not fully available and questions of accuracy abound.  I suppose that isn't unusual, is it?   Well, Monterey was not chosen as the capitol when statehood arrived for California in 1849...but it is still a capital little city.

But back to August while it is still the present, for it is about to become history itself.  August gave us a few, and some of our first, sunny days in a good long time. As I mentioned fog on my one and lonely several July posts,  I feel as if I must really share some of the August glory.  Fog is not a hardship like so many of the extremes many regions face, but when it lifts it certainly lifts more than itself.

From Scenic Road in Carmel ...those rocks on the left are the tip of Point Lobos.

Last weekend we climbed down

                                              through the creek...

                                         to a neighboring beach were there was not even a footprint in the sand.

                                             

And later back at home, Mark set the table under the redwoods and cooked our dinner on a fire...now that felt like a summer day.

August 2012...people came and went...one of the guests who left early bequeathed to us tickets to an event we have never had on our personal horizon, the 62nd Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. While we have enjoyed the free parade of antique cars down the Costal Route, we had never been to see the competition exhibit on the 18th fairway of the golf course as automobiles have never been an interest or hobby for either of us.  I learned that Monterey Peninsula is still an open port...by inviting car enthusiasts from all over the world the Concours creates a source of support for many people in need...Prior to this year, donations to charitable organizations exceed 15 million dollars.   As we wandered around the relics of years past, we were also aware of  how many jobs this expensive event creates.   I took a lot of pictures and post a few here for your entertainment.

The cars from India, the "Maharaja cars" were a big attraction and were given the honored spot of the waterside edge of the fairway.  This  award winning 1924 Rolls-Royce  belongs to the Maharana Arvind Singh Mewar of the Palace in Udaipur.  

Saffron colored-a symbol of bravery

The local Carmel Pinecone did a story, "Indian royalty make grand impression at Concours" that unearthed interesting details about the1932 Rolls known as the Star of India.

The grandson of the original owner has repurchased the car after its  44 year exile in Europe and will now return it to India as a present to his father on the occasion of his 75th birthday. 

I liked this green car...

but in one of the merchandise halls I saw the car that is probably closest to my speed.

We never had to go to school in August, but I hear that many schools are already open.

I have seen signs lately urging people to "Please Drive as if Your Children Live Here" which strikes me as a good admonition, not only for driving with such awareness, but to live with an awareness of the children of the future.

History is in the making...and 

September will be here tomorrow.

Battle of the Sun and Fog

                                                     There was blue sky before 9am.

                       It takes some serious sun to make such shadows.

                                         The daisies were dazzling in the light.

I am grateful that I ran out into the sun and even took a few pictures of it before the fog descended and the sunshine disappeared, it  didn't even make it to the 10 o'clock hour,but I know it is out there...I have seen it and I know, it exists, it is out there shining.  This evening I learned, watching the news, that it was 107 degrees somewhere in Oklahoma, and in Redding, that's right here in  California, it was 101 degrees F.   So we had a cool foggy day; it is  actually very okay with me, but it is kind of pretty when the sun shines, isn't it?

Golden Flowers on a Foggy Shore

I can see these flowers, bobbing in the breeze beyond the ferns on yonder path outside my door.  They are taller than I am - and I am  5' 6 .75 "- unless I have shrunk, which is of course possible.   They bloom in July which is very good of them because the Central Coast of California tends to not see much sun midsummer.  Of course when the sun does break though it is a dazzle beyond what tongue can tell, but  days can pass without a glimmer of the golden glow.

When I first became responsible for these flowers I was told that they are Frittillaria 
and I loved the name how it just rolled around in my mouth and reminded of good things to eat and sounded so exotic.  Then I found out that in fact they are Lilium.  Well Fritti or Lilium, I did know they were Lilies and due to the spots I knew someone must call them Tiger Lily.

Not only is it foggy but the breeze has been constant and me with my hand held camera in the breeze...I present to you Lilium  columbianum...

I suppose it is possible that it will be August before I am, God willing, back here sharing...never my intention to be gone so long...and I suppose I could surprise my self and hurry back sooner having typed up the ink scribble offerings I have been cloistering or write the book review that belongs on Write Purpose... time might tell.  In the meantime, I  wish you the best in these last few days of this July.  

Distant Views & Close Ups...Megabytes Reduced!

See the little spots of red below the windmill my dad made years ago, those are poppies.

I took these pictures in our garden in May.  They, like the other photos I had been uploading  without reducing them, were huge.   Thanks to everyone who commented on my questions about paying for photos.  It gave me the energy to explore my options.  I knew how to reduce in other  photo programs and  now have learned that on a Mac I needed to export them out of i-photo to work with sizing.                        

Here they are,  the lovely poppies, up close, a few days before a gopher ate them.  If I had my dad's device set up as he designed it....the pole of the windmill, which he called a clacker,  is to set inside a metal pipe in the ground with room to wiggle so it clangs and clacks and disturbs the peace of the tunneling nibblers.... maybe the flowers might not have been on Mr. Gopher's menu.  Ah well, when St. Paul was reminding the people of Corinth not to bother others about what they chose to eat he  quoted Psalm 24 : "The earth is the Lord's and everything in it..."

I saw the actual gopher one day when he popped out and had a brief skirmish with Miss Phoebe the cat which skirmish both survived.  Phoebe follows me in the garden, sometimes playing quite the overseer.  Her quiet company is a great blessing to me...friendliness...showing up...coming alongside...checking in... and she often makes me smile and laugh.

 So a little snap of the view like this photo above is over 7 MB... that's megabytes...and  reduced the photo is down into the kb size....that's lots smaller.  I must continue to make time to learn about the technologies I allow in my life.
                                           

 This is the rose named for Julia Childs...who was very good with a spoon.

So, as time and energy permit, I hope to be back soon to share  "of this and that " with you who find and follow and enjoy my wandering missives.  I have enjoyed taking a few quiet moments to share this morning, so I thank you.

Pay for Pictures on my Blog?

I know I haven't posted for over a month.... What happened? Well one thing that happened, the one thing that I am going to tell you about, not the other (x+y) 24 things that happened that I won't bother you with is that I was doing a  post  ready to share beautiful images with you and I  got a notice that I needed to buy some room  for my photos....

                   ( Generally by now I would have already draped a lovely scene in  here for you to gaze at, but bear with me.)

Well, it was late and so I bailed and then the next day  I poked through my blog and took out a few photos here and there and started reading back in my archives and was amazed out how much is here to read, if one chooses and can find their way through it .  So at that point I was not only  wondering what  to do about photos, and yes, some I should have made smaller before I uploaded them, and I could rectify that, but we are talking time and patience and that is more costly than money....anyway...I started thinking about organization and layout.  Those pesky labels, do I have just a few  generic ones or do I name drop and make a cloud big enough for a deluge?

In the meantime, if you are new here, I hope you will read my first entry on this blog from January 2009 found here: Non- Zero Compliance , and then another short piece  written in February of 2009 that talks, in part,  about how I chose the name Bread on the Water for my web log: Bread, Money, Energy .  And wander around, whenever and where ever you like of course...

I thank those of you who do stop by and read and if you take the time and go through the process of leaving a comment, you are doubly thanked.    Now it's time to pick labels for this posts...hm mm...can't get away from this organizational categorizing stuff, can I?

And do vist my other blog where I did actually post just yesterday...Write Purpose.

And if you know how to organize blog labels in a really effective way...or have any other good advice for me...let's hear it. Thanks!

Picture within a Picture : The Rose Outside My Window

This rose opened on May 22nd right outside my window and unlike most of the buds, it opened turned towards the window...however because my window needs, shall we say, a little attention I went out the door and popped my picture outside.

Tonight, two days later, the rose showed the first signs of fading and I realized how much I will miss it...right there peeking in my window, so I opened the adjacent window and in the rays of the setting sun took another little shot of it.  Yes, it smells wonderful too.  Opening the window attracted little Phoebe and she and I both admired a new  bud on its way...

And then...

 Looking at the pictures I had taken on my computer screen - yes my computer is also right at the window- I couldn't resist a picture within a picture and then once more again...  And I still haven't cleaned the windows....ah art...what you might lead to in the morning.

That's it...Good night!

A Restful Ramble in the North Country

Guess we're like cows going home to the barn...we had a few days off work and choose to head up to Sonoma County.   While we weren't  able to see everyone we would have loved to see, we got to be with some of our special people.

Golden shafts of light fought  their way through the clouds  and disappeared  only to sparkle momentarily on another knoll as we looked  south over downtown Kentucky Street, Petaluma, California. I have a sporadic but long history with Petaluma reaching back into the early 1970s. 

 I was glad to see the hills in green.  The sunshine months will soon repaint the hills in golden hues.

But being the first week of May, we found many green hills to admire...and beautiful creatures outstanding in their fields!

                        I am always willing to  make a new friend, but how magnetic could I be?  Could I possibly attract that little donkey way out in the field outside of Napa ...do you see him?

                                                                       

YES!

And when another little fellow tried to share in the friendship, look who had something to say about it.

  Just for the time...I was his girl and he wasn't wanting to share me...or the apple I  had planned to eat myself.

On the other side of the road two other beauties came to greet us but I dared not climb the slope for the poison oak bushes were thick between us.

                                        My theory about old barns has developed over the years...when you  see one, lose  no time in appreciating it.  You never know when it might tumble down in the night or be moved to make way, make way...

                     I plan to show this photo to the young lemon trees in our coastal garden..just to give them an idea of what they can become.

                               Two mallard  ducks and an egret are  lovely reminders to stop and slow the pace, but of course we soon kept going...wandering down favorite country roads.   Did you ever hear the old folk song  with the chorus :

"Green, green, it's green they say, 

                                                            On the far side of the hill

Green, green, I'm goin' away

To where the grass is greener still."

                 

You can't go to Petaluma and not see some chickens...

We've had flocks of chickens in the past, and maybe someday we will again, but in the meantime, when I got home, I have contented myself with making a new potholder.

      

 I thought about cropping out the top of the power pole in this photo...Mark took this one with his i-phone...but this relic isn't even on a farm anymore...it is in a  salvage yard waiting for a new home.

Everything just seems to fill my head with old songs this morning...after humming a few bars of Bob Dylans' "..you don't need a windmill to know which way the wind blows..."  I've moved on mixing up lyrics of two old songs...
"Silver threads among the gold"- "...make new friends, but keep the old..."  did I mention that we were celebrating our 35th wedding anniversary?

   

            This is a fading polaroid, precious as it was taken by Mark's father and I found it in an old album of my father's.

And on that day too, golden shafts of light fought  their way through the clouds  and disappeared only to sparkle momentarily on other green hills and valleys...and eventually we had rainbows.

It was a restful ramble, our little trip.  I hope you've rested in the moment you've spent here with me.