It May Be Winter-Time...

If you read my blog regularly, you'll hopefully notice that I try to keep the topics diverse. Variety is a good thing, right?

Well, you will have also noticed, no doubt, that even with 48 blog entries, there are some themes that get repeated. Most notably, I seem to find a way to work in something regarding the John Huston film classic, 'Moby Dick' every several blogs, or so. (What can I say? The more I watch it, the more I take something new away from it!).

Another fairly common motif, especially with my own pictures, is the sunrise or sunset motif.

This blog is showcasing one of the typically awesome winter-time sunrises that we see here. I luved the cloud shapes and the colors, and had to snap off a few shots before they changed (wait 5 mins to drive to a clearer view of it, and the clouds and colors have already changed -- so these were taken from my front porch).

Anyway, enjoy....

As Capt. Ahab put it: 'Tis a mild, mild day, Starbuck -- a mild looking sky'.

Sorry, couldn't resist. As always, click the pics to enlarge.

The Evil, Evil Sock Monkey...
(To be read quickly, as if out of breath & anxious...)

Day after day, HE stares at me... he spies me... unwavering... stoic. That unyielding countenance of his... that unbending smirk... that silent mockery.

Does my Being never leave his constant stare? Does my movement not escape him, and his unblinking gaze?? Does he watch o'er me, even as I sleep?

Ahh, sleep... I do indeed take repose, but yet with one eye open... casting about to catch his silent shadow against the unspeaking, unbending walls...

... laying awake for hours without end, and void of peaceful dreams, I listen for him... Him... HIM!!

"And now, have I not told you that what you mistake for madness
is but over-acuteness of the senses? Now I say there came to my ears a low, dull, quick sound -- such as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. I knew that sound well, too... it was the beating of the old man's heart. It increased my fury, as the beating of a drum stimulates a soldier into courage. But even yet, I refrained & kept still... I scarcely breathed...."

Truly, I tell you, friend -- the Sock Monkey castigates me! He seeks to wear me down & whittle away my peace by the ungodly screaming of his perpetual silence!! Oh! How he seeks to destroy me!!!!

Is that which I speak, blasphemy? How can it be so when all that I have related to you about the Sock Monkey be faithful & true?

"Speak not to me of blasphemy, man! I'd strike the sun if it insulted me!... Look ye, Starbuck... All visible objects are but as pasteboard masks. Some inscrutable, yet reasoning Thing puts forth the molding of their features. The White Whale tasks me.. he HEAPS me! Yet, he is but a mask. Tis the thing behind the mask I chiefly hate... the malignant thing that has plagued & frightened man since time began... the thing that mauls & mutilates our race -- not killing us outright, but letting us live-on with half a heart, and half a lung!"

I swear to thee, that last nite, in darkness of midnite -- or was it the darkness of my soul? -- I did creep upon that Sock Monkey, and caught him whilst he looked away, toward a sound in the opposite corner of the room... Hahahahah! Oh! I did fool that evil, cotton-filled primate by cleverly tossing a small stone against the opposing wall, to distract his perpetual vigil against me!! Twas then that I struck -- quickly and lethally, as a coiled cobra! Struggling mightily, I rendered him helpless, and cast him asunder... never to again disturb me with his evil quietness...

And, yet, now, several hours later... I do swear that I can hear him... I can feel his buttoned-pupils upon me once more... I can sense his ceaseless ridicule and boundless insults against me!! I listen again... and though my ears fail to detect any sound whatever, I DO hear him.. feel him... dread him...

How can this be so?? Did I not rid myself of him but a scarce few hours ago?? What is it that I hear so loudly as if to presently drive me mad??

"... but the noise steadily increased! Oh, God! What could I do? I foamed! I raved! I swore! I swung the chair upon which I had been square-sitting, and grated it upon the boards... but the noise arose over all, and continuously increased! It grew louder, & Louder, & LOUDER!!...

... But, anything was better than this agony! Anything was more tolerable than this derision! I could bare their hypocritical smiles no longer -- I felt that I must scream or die!! And now, again -- hark! Louder... Louder!! LOUDER!!

Villains!! Disemble no more!! I admit the deed!! Tear up the planks!!! Here! HERE!!... It is the beating of his hideous heart...!!!!"

(with apologies to Edgar Allan Poe & Herman Melville).

A Valid Question, Sometimes: 'Who Cares?'

It's easy to do. I do it myself. Turn on any TV newscast, or read headlines on a newspaper, or on the internet, and it's easy to become kinda jaded.

Terrorism here.
Disasters there.
Starvation.
War.
Suffering.

Newscasts are made up of almost entirely negative things. Sometimes even awful and grisly things. After 58 minutes of making us depressed and/or scared to death, they throw in a little, 2 minute segment at the end: Man saves cat. Dog saves drowing boy. Kids raise money for victims. That sort of story, which is supposed to make us leave the newscast feeling good about life. But, not surprisingly, that 2 minute blurb at the end gets totally lost under the previous avalanche of depressing stories. Afterwards, it becomes all too easy for us (me) to shake our heads & say: 'Who Cares?'

Natalie Merchant had a really great song on her first solo CD, "Tiger Lily". The song was entitled 'Where I Go'. It was a simple, soft, acoustic-laiden song. Natalie's beautiful & extremely recognizeable voice is a perfect compliment to the positive beat and lyrics. The song is about getting away from everything, and going to a river, and letting go of all of the daily burdens that we become buried under.

'Well, I go to the river to soothe my mind,
ponder over the crazy days of my life,
to sit & watch the river flow...'

Last wk, on vacation, I had a chance to do just that -- go to the river. I used to get there quite often, especially in the fall and spring. It's the perfect, peaceful place to go and just watch clouds, or birds, or listen to the river flowing by. I hadn't been down there for almost a yr, and probably longer. That simple thing that I loved so much, somehow got lost in the bombardment of blinking lites and technology that I immerse myself in -- much in the same way in which that 2 minute segment at the end of the newscast gets lost.

Those of you who have been faithful readers of this blog, will no doubt realize that I think that the John Huston film, 'Moby Dick' (with Gregory Peck as Capt. Ahab) is the best film ever -- or, at least, my favorite film. I think this is the 3rd blog where that film has made some sort of appearance or reference. Anyway, the great tale begins with one of the most famous introductions in literature, spoken by the voice of the story's teller:

"Call me.... Ishmael. Some years ago, having little or no money,
I thought I'd sail about, and see the oceans of the world.
Whenever I feel grim & spleenful,
whenever I feel like knocking people's hats off in the street,
whenever it's a damp, drizzly November in my soul,
I know it's high time to get to sea again.

Choose.... any path you please,
and ten to one it carries you down to water.
There's a magic in water that draws all men from the land,
leads them over hills,
down creeks & streams & rivers
to the sea...

... The sea -- where each man, as in a mirror -- finds...
... himself.

There's alot of truth in that. I was grateful for the opportunity last wk to go to my aquatic refuge -- the river. It was just what the Dr. ordered, and I was reminded of how much I had missed that simple get-away.

So now, fully a week back into the old grind of work, I'm trying not to throw my hands up in the air, and say 'Who Cares?'. The next time my soul feels it's own damp, drizzly November, I'll try to make a conscious effort to escape down to the river 'to soothe my mind'. Unlike my dirty reflection in the anonymous message, scrawled by someone's finger on the dusty window of an empty building -- I'll look into the clear reflection of a crisp, clean river. And maybe, once again, as in a mirror, I'll find...

... myself.

(Here is a link to a great song/music video by R.E.M., called "Find The River").

'Tis A Mild, Mild Day, Starbuck... A Mild Looking Sky...

Everywhere has it's own unique beauty about it. Even the most remote places have their hidden charms. In most places, the very best times of day are at sunrise and sunset. Even tho I can gaze under blue skies for 50 miles or more on any given day, (even in the winter time), I still think that sunrise is the best time -- especially when there are whispy clouds on the horizon where the sun comes up.

I'll share one particular sunrise w you. This is one blog where clicking the pics to enlarge will pay off nicely.

But, 'tis a mild, mild day... and a mild looking sky.

Without A Wind, We'll Lose Him!!...

In the classic, 1956 film by John Huston -- "Moby Dick" -- Capt. Ahab (superbly played by Gregory Peck) is in a relentless pursuit of the Great White Whale. At one pivotal point in the movie, Ahab and the crew of the Pequod have rowed out to give chase to Moby Dick. The great ocean beast has surfaced just beyond their little boats, and is slipping away from Ahab's grasp. Ahab looks up to Heaven with disdain and anger, and yells out: "Without a wind, we'll lose him!!"

There have been many more times than I care to admit, when I've cried out to Heaven, and offered my own, rather insistant 'advice' as to what I think I needed in order to get 'somewhere', or obtain 'something'. In my own pursuits of various Great White Whales, I've often let myself become so blinded by the intense Want of 'It' (whatever 'It' was, at the time), that I didn't realize where 'It' was leading me.

Ahab chased Moby Dick to his own demise, and ended up engulfed as much by his blind passion, as by the ocean itself. Here's hoping that I'll finally be smarter than Ahab, and recognize when it's time to lay down my oars, and silently accept Heaven's decisons for me, as I watch some of my Great White Whales just majestically swim away...

"Without a wind, we'll lose him!!"

... I need to be better at realizing that calm winds are more likely to make for smooth sailing.