three hundred fifty eight

DARK SKY

Throughout man's history the sun, moon and stars have dictated our outdoor activity. When the sun rose we began our day and when the sun set we ended our day. Out of our shelters the only source of light were the stars and moon. The dark star filled sky above them caused them to ponder the vastness of the universe. 

Stars were used for navigation, worship and determining the seasons.  Comets, meteor showers and eclipses were witnessed by everyone. Today we may have an App on our phone to tell us exactly when and where these things will happen, but we rarely take the time.

The use of fire gave warmth, food preparation and light but it was limited to one central location.

Torches were created by using animal fats and some tree extracts. This made them mobile but they were still very limited.

Oil lamps had both mobility and duration, most used olive oil.

Candles were used and are still popular. Early candles were created using animal tallow and bees wax. Today there is an entire industry but most candles are used for atmosphere and special occasions. Even candles have been replaced by battery operated candles to limit indoor pollution.

Kerosene lamps are adjustable, mobil and long lasting. I have camped with one many times. I had a collection of the indoor style. In the winter they can actually heat a small room.

  

Along came the electric grid, indoor lighting soon was in the majority of homes. The incandescent light bulb allowed industry to operate twenty four hours a day. Even areas without access to the electric grid may have solar panels, long lasting batteries and converters.  

The original use of light was focused on our indoor use. Outdoor lighting was on porches to see who was at the door or find the key hole.

Street lights were common in larger cities but they were simply to see where we are going. I lived in the country when there were no outdoor lights at all. Finally a neighbor put a Mercury Vapor security light in his front yard, I hated that thing. One stupid light ruined my night time view of the stars.

Soon everyone had one of these lighting their back yards like a football stadium. Street lights turned night to day. Car headlights became brighter and brighter and flashlights got into a lumen war. What's next night time light protection lotion?

 Cities are lighted so much many people are completely unaware that there are stars. This is good for safety and night time activities but I don't believe man being so separated from the majesty of the night time sky is healthy for our souls.

The view of the US from space reveals how civilization has embraced lighting. It must be a beautiful sight from the International Space Station but from earth we only see the limited world around us. 

I recently found a Dark Sky app that maps out the places on the earth not effected by light pollution. If you look closely at the east half of the country there is very little "Dark Sky". 

On my trips across the country I found many star filled nights. Sleeping under the stars is my all time favorite. In fact I rarely have a campfire because it ruins my night vision. If I have my short wave radio I'm away from electronic noise. 

I can spend hours pondering the universe while scanning international broadcasts. I once tuned into a shortwave transmission from the International Space Station while I could see it streak through the heavens. 

I get a kick out of fine tuning a SSB ham radio signal from half way around the world. This doesn't seem like a big deal today now that we have the internet, if I knew his phone number I could just call him on my cell phone.  

This was a passion of mine when I lived in the country but living in the city there is just too much electronic background noise. Most of this noise is from the newer energy saving light bulbs.

Fortunately I live only 20 or 30 miles from an ideal dark sky area. I plan to do a few nights in an isolated spot, drinking coffee, scanning the radio bands and pondering the mystery of the universe. 

I will find a perfect clear no moon meteor shower night. I'll take my scooter, camp chair, radio, monocular, camp stove and sleeping bag. I will also take a red head lamp so I can read my Bible and ponder his words.........

God put all of this above us as proof of his existence and power. It is good to know how insignificant we are in the whole scheme of things. 

Without occasionally acknowledging where we stand, we can forget and focus on our meaningless differences. It is good for a man to feel how truly small he is. 

We can also ponder how the same God who created all of this as an afterthought cares enough about us that he listens to our individual prayers. 

Being away from all distraction, prayer is easier. I can not only pray, I can stop and quietly listen for his answers. 

three hundred fifty seven

 

BIRD DRAMA

The neighborhood I live in is on the edge of a large wilderness. A mile to the east starts a high desert all of the way to the Idaho border. Streams, hills, valleys and lush ranch land with a mix of pines and Juniper trees. The volcanic nature of the terrain is similar to the Hawaiian Big Island. We have no traffic noise or pedestrians other then dog walkers. It seems like there is nothing going on but if you pay close attention there is plenty of drama. 

It's winter in central Oregon so I feed the birds in the neighborhood. Small birds hide in our thorny shrubs for protection from larger birds and the local cat. They take turns popping in and out to raid the feeder. I enjoy watching their system. 

Like most flock birds, every bird is a look out but a select few hold back to watch the area while other birds pull the seed out so it drops to the ground. This creates a larger open area where more birds can eat and there are more escape routes. 

This goes on until the doves show up but most of the small birds just ignore them. The bullies in the neighborhood are the Bluejays. Last summer there were four young ones living in the tree close to the feeder. 

The young ones are as large as the adults but their feathers are not filled in completely. The mother Bluejay would sit on the peak of our roof to yell directions and warnings. When they are around they run the show but I haven't seen any in a couple months. 

Robbins show now and then but they are usually alone. I have seen Quail in my yard, they don't seem to be very bright. I pulled into my driveway, opened the garage door, they panicked and ran into my garage. I had to get out of the car and chase them out.

A gaggle of crows occasionally roars into the neighborhood like an outlaw biker gang. They stay for a few hours to scavenge then they roar back out. 

The state has several types of predator birds. I occasionally see Eagles but mostly Red Tailed Hawks. This one was hanging out on the railing outside my wife's hospital room. The hospital is only a couple blocks from our home.

There is one, maybe the same one, that sits in the very top of a tree about two hundred feet down the street. The birds are aware of this so when there are no birds around our feeder I look to see if one is there. 

Most people only see a few birds and they don't see the constant battles for food, territory, nesting and mating. They may notice the more vicious battles but most think the bird kingdom is all peace and harmony. 

Birds are amazing creatures. They are direct descendants of dinosaurs with feathers. We have had birds as pets for years. Our first birds were when we lived in San Francisco. There was an exotic bird store close to my work. I started to walk through it a few times a week when I went to the post office. They boarded birds so many were mature parrots that could talk. 

My wife had a cat that died before we met. I'm allergic to cats and a dog wasn't practical so we started to think about a bird. They had just received two male Derbyan Parakeets. They were still in an incubator and required hand feeding. 

 We decided to buy one that we named Elvis, but the other one looked so lonely we bought him too and named him Ringo. 

They are larger birds but are called parakeets because of their long tails. Their markings were stunning. They were very timid and were bonded to each other unfortunately they weren't very interactive with us. The did talk a little and could be handled but mostly they tolerated us.

 

We had them for two years when we moved to Hawaii. The permits, quarantines, inspections and extra tickets were expensive. Two weeks after we arrived they were stressed from the long isolation and plane flight and their cage had not arrived. One morning they made a break for it and escaped. 

This was so unusual because they were afraid of the outside and open doors. They stayed in the area for three days saying "I love you" but they would not come down from the mango tree. 

At around five in the morning on a Sunday I heard their distinct morning calls. I saw them across the street in a mango tree. I know they saw me but then they did one last fly over and headed for a macadamia farm up the mountain.

We searched for months, put up flyers, played recordings of their calls and followed several dead end leads. The good thing is they are young, together, their wings weren't clipped and they were healthy. 

Hawaii has an abundance of food the year around, there are very few predators other than mongooses but Elvis and Ringo are tree top birds so they are never on the ground. We thought if they survived the first few weeks they should be okay.

I ask myself the question, thirty or forty years in captivity or five, ten or more years in the wild, which one would I prefer? We miss them and always will but we have hopes that they are thriving in their tropical paradise. 

The locals say there are fresh water pools and caves high on the 8250 foot high peak of the Hualalai dormant volcano high above Kailua. They say there are  hundreds of exotic birds of all kinds up there. I never hiked up to see, the locals warned me not to because locals liked their privacy, don't like outsiders and have guns. 

A few years later we still miss them but we still wanted a pet. The local big box pet store had several Conures. They were so small when we brought them home they could squeeze through the bars of their cage. They could not fly yet so they could only climb around but it didn't stop Frankie the female from stealing jewelry and hiding it in her cage. 

They are both Conures but different types. Marty Feldman, the classic dark green male. He is smaller, grumpy and a perpetual lover. Frankie is a female Green Cheek Conure. She is the dominant one and bent on world domination. Parrots bond to particular people but they still interact with us both.

Frankie has become my stalker girlfriend now that she has laid eggs a few times. She has always bossed Marty around but now she is attempting to run the house. She is constantly into everything.

Open cupboards, open drawers, freezer, refrigerator, dish washer, washing machine, dryer, flushing toilets and empty pitchers if you leave them on the counter. 

Marty is a curmudgeon he loves to eat and really enjoys his bath time. He has a history of flying into walls, windows and doors and has actually knocked himself out a couple of times.

They do team up and go on what I call adventures. They are like children, if they are quiet they are into something. They might be shredding a roll of toilet paper in the back bathroom, throwing everything off of my office desk, popping the buttons out of my key board or hiding in any dark place they can find. 

They don't talk, do tricks, stay quiet when you are on the phone and yes they will chew the edges of the book you are reading. They are just cute and part of the family. The personalities, instincts to lay and take care of eggs, and warn us if danger is interesting to watch. 

We don't want to raise birds so we replace her eggs with fake eggs.  She knows something is up so she gives us the stink eye for a couple days. They are moody, hold grudges, cuddle inside your shirt and let you know when they are ready for bed. 

There is bird drama everywhere including on my key board. Today they want my full attention and don't want me to type. 

They are both in their cage now because she nipped my finger (crazy stalker girlfriend). She knows what she did and flies to her cage and he just follows. I'll let them out in an hour and they will behave for the rest of the day. Bird drama.....

three hundred fifty six

 PUT DOWN THE MENU!

I'm a people watcher. Watching how people drive, shop, select the fastest check out line or order in a restaurant reveals a piece of their personality. I'm sure if you watched me do these things you would learn a lot about me too. 

Navigating a crowded grocery store I have noticed more and more people saying "I'm sorry" for some unknown reason, all they are doing is shopping, but the thoughtless people who should say "excuse me" don't.

Driving styles reveal temperament.... 

and illegal cellphone use. 

Four way stops... 

and rotaries also reveal temperament.

Some people are passive and almost too polite and some people are overly aggressive for no apparent reason. Others feel they are the supreme traffic controller so they openly critique the behavior of motorcycles, cars, trucks, bicycles and pedestrians. I guess I'm just a little different instead of road rage I write about it in my blog.

This post is about how people behave while they order food in a restaurant. The setting is a new restaurant with a large menu. It is not a quick bite for lunch it is a relaxed meal with friends. I define dining with friends as a conversation with food. 

Some order by price, some order to be safe, some order for adventure and some order to make sure they don't make the wrong choice.

I'll get myself out of the way first. Ice water is good, I order for price, order what I like and am the first one to lay down my menu. I'm not a foodie but I do like hot, so I order the first thing I find that I like.

The pollsters; they ask others around the table what they are ordering to get a consensus. They usually scan other tables to see what other people are eating then ask the waiter about what they see. 

The questioners; I personally have put less effort into buying a new car. They study the menu front to back and back to front. The waiter comes, answers several questions then they ask for more time. The waiter returns a few minutes later for more questions and then gets a completely off menu order. Moments later the waiter is flagged down for a change or two.

The more people; they want more bread, more butter, more salsa, more chips, more sour cream, extra napkins, a different fork and extra cheese. 

The second thoughters; they regret what they ordered and spend the entire meal complaining. They look at everyone's plate saying "Oh I should have ordered that".

The special diet people; they want BPH free bottled water, gluten free, organic, sugar free, low carb, preservative free, vegan, caffeine free, polyunsaturated, dairy free but ironically they are the one who suggested Jakes Barbecue Pulled Pork and Ribs food truck for lunch. The really annoying ones wait until they get their order to point out what they can't eat.

Don't get me wrong I enjoy observing these different styles. People have every right to order the way they want to order. The waiters may quietly grumble in the kitchen but this comes with the territory, after all it was their choice to be a waiter.  

As I watch the ordering drama play out, I smile. I know my friends smile as I act out my ordering quirks. This is a small window into how we navigate life. I think the only negative style is never putting down the menu. They may finally order food but in the rest of their lives they are usually paralyzed by indecision. 

What if I choose wrong? What will I miss? What if I don't like it? Can I change my mind? They endlessly research, poll everyone, study data, read their horoscope, Farmer's Almanac, Magic Eight Ball, flip a coin, ask God to choose or anything to avoid making a choice. 

Part of this is not wanting to take responsibility if things go wrong. Choices are hard because of the fear of living with a bad choice. Ironically not choosing is the wrong choice. 

Looking at my own life I have made emotional choices, impulsive choices, obvious choices and a few wise well thought out choices. Some worked out perfectly, some caused me to miss out on opportunities and some were complete disasters. There are no parallels to how I chose, the most thought out were sometimes disasters and the most impulsive worked out perfectly. 

I heard General Schwarzkopf speak about leadership. He said as a young General in Vietnam he was told his function as a General was to choose. Stop, go, right, left, up, down fast or slow, your soldiers are looking to you for direction so one thing is clear, not choosing is failure. 

He then asked "I'm sending men into harms way, what should I do?" They said, "if you ever want a good nights sleep again in your life make the right choice."

He learned to clear out all of the politics, pressures and opinions and make the best choice to accomplish his mission. I don't know if he slept well but what I took away from what he said is to ignore opinions, pressure and popularity and make a right choice. Like General Schwarzkopf, I am the one who must live with my choices.

There are many examples of indecision, one is Leonardo DiCaprio. He is almost fifty and continues to date under 25 year old women. Granted he is rich, good looking and famous but after the sex what on earth do they talk about? A wild guess, it might be about Leonardo DiCaprio. Come on Leonardo, put down the menu.

What is the right career, college, city or climate? Should I stay single, get married, have children, no children, a life of service or a focus on wealth and leisure? All of these have an upside and downside. The only choice that is certain, living with indecision or regret is a waste of precious life. 

We all have a life to live and I have no advice on the right or wrong choices. I do however have two things I say to young people, live your life and don't miss it. Perhaps I should add, think as clearly as you can, make your choices, then put down the damn menu and enjoy the world around you.

three hundred fifty five

I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A SNAPPY DRESSER

As I posted about my first car I ended with my second car, my brand new 1969 Triumph Spitfire Mark 3. This brought to mind my first steady girlfriend Elaine Davidson. 

I met her in art class, she was attractive but very shy. No one her age had ever asked her out. She was so shy everyone thought she was "stuck up" so they assumed she would not go out with them. I thought the same thing but I was impulsive and gave it a shot. We dated until she went off to college. This was my first breakup. 

While we dated we went to concerts in Youngstown or North Canton in my little sports car. I inherited my brothers suit, a tailor made dark green suit with white shirts and skinny neckties. It fit me perfectly except for the pants length. 

This was before bell bottoms, grunge, Carnaby Street or western wear. I loved that fifties look so I dressed up for dates. Short hair, side part and Brylcreem in my hair, you know "the little dab will do ya" stuff.

DICK CLARK AMERICAN BANDSTAND

DON CORNELIUS SOUL TRAIN

Yes I've always had my own look and I wasn't ready for long hair and bell bottoms. I have never been a slave to fashion, many would agree, I like what I like. Pre M-TV I watched American Bandstand with Dick Clark and Soul Train with Don Cornelius. I thought Soul Train was so much cooler. 

At the time I was one of the white kids discovering Motown. Motown didn't need my help they had been discovered long ago. The messages in the songs were all about the passionate actions of men impressing and pursuing women. While the Beetles were holding hands Marvin Gaye was getting it on. The energy was intoxicating, it even got this skinny white boy to dance.  

TEMPTATIONS

JAMES BROWN

SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE

IKE AND TINA TURNER

We saw Ike and Tina, The Temptations, James Brown, Sly and the Family Stones and a bunch more. Elaine and I went by ourselves, me in my suit, skinny tie and slicked down hair and Elaine in her mini skirt. 

She was attractive, two years older and a head taller then me. She got a lot of the attention. I think the guys were impressed I got a nod of respect because a runt like me in a suit and skinny tie had her as my date. I would not say I was confident I just didn't know better.

One date night I surprised  her with tickets to see the Temptations their newest album Psychedelic Shack had just come out. She asked me if we would be the only white people there again? I thought about it and said probably so we laughed and headed for North Canton.

Guys I worked with thought I was crazy to go to that part of town, I guess I might have been naive but we went for the music not trouble. The energy was something I had never experienced especially sweat covered Tina in a leather skirt. I think this was my first experience confronting my preconceived notions.

THE ABA TOOK THE WORLD BY STORM

Around that time the ABA took the sports world by storm. Three point shots, 30 second shot clock, an extra step turned a game of defense and strategy into a flying circus. Dr J, Artis Gilmore and Mel Daniels, giant afros and short shorts. Imagine what these guys could do with modern shoes.

Our culture in those days was different. There were high crime poor neighborhoods, high unemployment and bigots on both sides, but person to person we could get along. My generation took a giant step forward influenced by music and sports. Race, sex or religion the bottom line is talent is talent. 

Sadly some have distorted this progress for financial and political gain. They talk about caring but their actions say different. Don't tell me there has never been progress I was there. 

Redefined words, rewritten history and the stirring of emotions is meant to divide us. There have been other societies overtaken by dividing by class, they are now using race for the same reason.  

My generation is fading away, we witnessed, participated in and sacrificed to heal these divides. Watching it all destroyed and minimized is infuriating.

Yes haters will always hate, there will always be opportunists but we still have more in common then differences. We need a common focus a loving and forgiving God. I will never count Him out.

My bicycle trips found a world that is much better then what they show us in the media. Love your neighbor and ignore the master minds.