Faith, Hope, and .... "Leaks"

In matters of government and society it seems to me (as it relates to the media) that "truth" (and motive), unlike "fact", can be concluded from fact(s) and "opinion". But at the end of the day, the "truths" we each draw are solely our own, while the "facts" once discovered - live on ... and on ... and on. Wise men and women ought not to confuse the two, nor should they realistically expect them to coexist in every expressed opinion.

If asked, I can tell virtually anyone what I believe to be true, in whom (or what) I trust, and what I think I "know". But in the grand scheme of things, it is one's "faith" and "hope" that sees us through, renders our live's meaningful, and brings us some comfort ... amidst an often sea of despair.

an amazing six year old - 'Z' generation :-)

Simply amazing!

19 and 0 .... Zenyatta

Can she repeat this year? I hope so. But win or lose, she's fabulous!

Takes a while ...

... to get all my Glacier National Park photos edited, resized, and posted online ... But, I'm getting close.

Morning in Missoula ...

... and it's a bright and quiet morning here at the Days Inn on Hwy 93 ... It's the absolute quiet and coolness that strikes me the most. Temps here are in the fifties with a few clouds visible above the mountainous profile in every direction. T'is gonna be a good day. Folks are very friendly here. Big Sky ... and big hospitality. On the last leg of my flight to Missoula yesterday my seat was beside a lady who lived here, and she told me that I ought to stop by the National Bison Range ( a small side trip on the way up to Glacier). So, that is my plan for the day.

Was able to find a REI outlet here yesterday and managed to pick up two cans of bear spray (just in case :-). I understand that the bears are in their eat-a-lot mode as they get ready for the end of season bulking up. And, I understand that the huckleberries are ripe and plentiful now ... and they 'like um' ... lol.

The rental car I got yesterday is much better than what I was expecting and had pre-paid for. ... a 2010 Subaru Outback AWD. That's Cool!

To me: More later ... :-)

"My Girl" ...

What a Queen ... 16 for 16 !!! I ... Love Zenyatta !!!

HDR in the outback ...

... this, reformatted to an HDR image from one I took back in the spring along the extreme western edge of the greater Fort Lauderdale area - along the dike and flood control structure along the length of the everglades ... ... where one can get interesting sunsets ...

Happiness is ...

A short story passed to me by a friend (Author unknown). It's a good story with a good message:

"A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed each 
morning by eight o'clock, with his hair fashionably combed and shaved 
perfectly, even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today. 
His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After 
many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled 
sweetly when told his room was ready.  As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description 
of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on his window. 
I love it,' he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just 
been presented with a new puppy. 
 
 Mr. Jones, you haven't seen the room; just wait.' 
 'That doesn't have anything to do with it,' he replied. 
Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. 
Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is 
arranged ... it's how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it. 
'It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; 
I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the 
parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful 
for the ones that do. 
Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I'll focus on the new day 
and all the happy memories I've stored away.. Just for this time in my life. 
Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you've put in. 
So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank 
account of memories! I am still depositing.


'Remember these five simple rules to be happy: 
1. Free your heart from hatred. 
2. Free your mind from worries. 
3. Live simply. 
4. Give more. 
5. Expect less.

Have a nice day, unless you already have other plans."  

milestones ...

'Ya know', this is among my milestones - a totally frivolous post, for a totally frivolous reason. I cared and felt that it was an incidental, personal moment in my life, sigh. But really, who else cares? ...

Let the day come to you ...

With the hot summer weather prevalent these days, maybe it's just best to wait for early evening to get out for meditation of the day. So it is for me some days. I just head over to Crabtree and see ... what floats by ... It is almost always rewarding - even if nothing floats by ...

All science is ...

... forensic

Todays thought ...

Is it enough? You bet it is ...

still ... a nation of "sheep" ?

... With 85% of the constituency previously being covered by some form of health insurance prior to the passage of health reform, it is of no surprise that the majority of that constituency now thinks the reform was unnecessary and a costly mistake to them. But this type of thinking is so short-sighted, because the previous "system" was on a fast track to total failure. I, for one, applaud the efforts of the Congressional Reps and Senators (including those from my district) for having the vision and courage of conviction to vote for this much needed reform, even if the responsible action they have taken might mean that they are not re-elected in the coming term by the "sheep" now so collectively determined that we should have jumped off a cliff instead ...

Read more: http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/04/10/430724/dems-defend-health-overhaul.html#ixzz0kiVDcEtA

Someone ....

... must have spiked the Tea ...

All the anti everything emails I get are turning vile. Too many folks have way too much time on their hands, and they seem to be spending it at "Tea parties". Somebody spiked the tea ... for sure.

Healthcare Reform ... one more time

The status quo is the real time bomb in this entire equation. The democrats (and some Republicans) have put in a very valiant year long effort in assembling a 'better way' - and I both applaud and support them for that. The country needs this 'shot in the arm' for a multitude of reasons. Will it hurt and cause some discomfort? Of course it will. But it will save our country's moral and fiscal life. Doing the right thing is so often difficult, so often unpopular, but we know that we must. We can tweak it later, but we simply can not now fail. Way too many lives are at stake here, and everyone knows that. It's time to move forward. There's really nothing left to talk about. Get it done!

an open mind ...

... An open mind ... is one that has greatness ... as it's potential.

Mostly ...

... Certainly not all, but mostly ... my life is a storehouse of memories these days. No matter that I dream ... of future trips to God's creations still in a natural state, and still some slices of wilderness carved out and yet unspoiled, I know now what I never wanted to know. I can feel it in my bones and in my heart and worse, I feel it in my gut. I feel it in the dwindling energy I have each day. I see it in the slowing of accomplishment, even of the simple things. I watch ... as each day goes by ... ever faster, the unfinished lists ... ever longer, ever more impossible to complete. So many things have vanished, friends, loves, abilities ... once bountiful ... gone, but for the memories. Will they someday die with me, these memories? And yet, God's grace calls to me, ... and I respond, and still I dream, and still I hope ... that in the end, somehow I will have given something of benefit ... to those I've known ... to those I've loved ... to those in need, to those who cared - if only for a brief moment in time. With love in my heart, I remember ... them all. And, I am thankful ... for the memories.

Puffins' Census ...

These little guys and gals are spending more time in the Atlantic ... it seems.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7526601.stm