“Up, up, the long delirious burning blue I’ve topped the wind-swept height with easy grace wherenever lark or even eagle flew. And while with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod the high, untrespassed sanctity of space … put out my hand and touched the face of God.†– Jon Gillispie Magee Jr. [Royal Canadian Air Force … [Read more…]
When John Muir wrote: “The great poets, philosophers, prophets, able men whose thoughts and deeds have moved the world, have come down from the mountains…†he was too humble to imagine that he would become a great poet, philosopher and prophet whose thoughts and deeds moved the world. He was, however, keenly aware of the … [Read more…]
The Excesses of God Is it not by his high superfluousness we know Our God? For to equal a need Is natural, animal, mineral: but to fling Rainbows over the rain And beauty above the moon, and secret rainbows On the domes of deep sea-shells… – Robinson Jeffers In his wonderful poem, “Excesses of God,†… [Read more…]
Thank you to those who have wondered if we are OK here in the Napa Valley. Although the fire is called, “The Valley Fire,†it did not reach Napa Valley. Miraculously, rains on Wed. 9-16-15 slowed the firestorm and hopefully it will be contained in northeast Napa County, just north of Aetna Springs. Saturday, 9-12-15, … [Read more…]
It is intriguing to note that, even though Teddy Roosevelt traveled the world seeking adventure, one of his greatest experiences occurred in 1903 when he camped with John Muir near Yosemite’s Glacier Point. He was inspired and encouraged by Muir to initiate the American Antiquities Act which led to creating 18 National Monuments preserving over … [Read more…]
Transcendent: adjective; transcendent is extraordinary or beyond human experience. I highly recommend viewing the beautiful and informative video that the NPS did on Half Dome. Yosemite Nature Notes – Half Dome I was supremely blessed to have slept on top of The Dome with 20 biology classes (when it was still legal). Each night offered … [Read more…]
Warning: Henry Van Dyke’s epic poem, “THE GRAND CANYON,†is “soul food†and beyond the “fast-food†attention span. However, it just might be the most important poem you will ever read.Van Dyke plumbs the depth of Grand Canyon and the depth of the human soul. He challenges believers and non-believers to set aside their baggage … [Read more…]
“You know what music is? God’s little reminder that there’s something else besides us in the universe; harmonic connection between all living beings, everywhere, even the stars.†– Robin Williams When our local PBS station announced it was planning a “pledge night†featuring the1981 New York Central Park concert by Simon and Garfunkel, I dismissed … [Read more…]
“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.†Psalm 139 13-14 It is a stunning irony that an “uneducated†sheepherder wrote this Psalm circa 3,000 years ago! He may have been closer to the truth of our origin than … [Read more…]
“Surely all God’s people, however serious or savage, great or small, like to play. Whales and elephants, dancing, humming gnats, and invisibly small mischievous microbes – all are warm with divine radium and must have lots of fun in them.†John Muir- The Story of My Boyhood and Youth, (1913) Native Americans hold a deep … [Read more…]