Life On A B-I7

Journal Entry (Wed October 12, 2022)

It is my privilege to offer the first toast tonight…

As the proud father of the bride,
who adores his daughter,
let me just say…

a few words about Scott.

Scott has a creative mind and is very talented,
he’s also a superb skier and climber.
A superb skier…
for a guy that skis on half a pair of bindings and a bent knee…
But, don’t try to follow him down Mid-Cirque,
unless you know what you are doing!

I’ve hung-out enough with Scott,
that I can say without reservation:
He’s a terrific guy…
I couldn’t ask for a better son-in-law.

You’re pretty cool too honey…

Let me finish this toast very simply:
May your love guide you,
may your love sustain you,
and may your love fulfill you,
for all the days of your lives!

Cheers!

Journal Entry (Thu October 6, 2022)

Porcupine Rim. BLM East of Moab.

Journal Entry (Thu October 6, 2022)

A wise man once said:
If you’re angry it’s because you’re living in the past.
If you’re fearful it’s because you’re living in the future.
If you’re happy it’s because you’re living in the present.

LIVE IN THE PRESENT

What does that mean exactly, or perhaps a better way to put it is, how do you insure you’re living in the present. I don’t know the answer for everyone, for me, it’s all about where my focus is. I think artists have a natural ability to focus on something to the point where they are creating a reality from just their mind. Of course there is an outcome to this focus, it is the art that they are creating, but there is a side effect, in order to create they have to be in the moment, they must be living in the present. I can’t imagine an artist is not happy when they are creating. To live in the present, you must live like an artist. Whatever you are doing, you must give it your focus, you must listen and not interrupt, you must think about the other person, not yourself, and certainly, It doesn’t hurt to pursue creative tasks now and then, even if you’re not an artist.

The wise man in this case is Instagram. Instagram is not a complete waste of time, but I might have also learned this by studying the Stoics, which would probably speak a bit more highly of me if that were the case.

Journal Entry (Tue October 4, 2022)

I love to write, but I prefer to write by hand. In fact almost everything that finds its way to this blog starts out hand-written. I enjoy the experience, there is something uniquely satisfying about hand-writing my thoughts. Along with that love comes a desire to find a really fine pen, one that writes smoothly and just feels good when putting words down on paper. It took some effort, but I have found the perfect pen, it is the Stalogy ball point pen. It’s a 0.7 width pen that uses low-viscosity oil-based ink, made in Japan. The latter should really not come as a surprise. The Japanese have a penchant(?) for making ordinary things well, which in turn brings joy to simple everyday tasks - like writing.

I realize this is a bit of a leap, and possible a stereotype, maybe even nonsense, but it feels real to me. Upon further reflection, it occurs to me that if Americans were able to look at the simple things in life in a similar manner, it might just have a profound impact on our culture, perhaps even how we treat one another. I realize this is probably a stretch, but I’m going to go with it anyway.

Journal Entry (Mon October 3, 2022)

The cat sleeps at my feet.
Why does he do that?
Comfort… security…
It doesn’t “accomplish” anything,
other than make him feel good.
My poetry is like that for me…

I use the word “final” in a very cautionary way. I really could not guarantee this will be the last time I ever expound poetically about cats…

Journal Entry (Wed Jun 8, 2022)

I must see:

The Grand Canyon, Arizona (check)
Mount Rushmore, South Dakota
The Delicate Arch, Utah
The Golden Gate Bridge, California (check)
Old Faithful, Wyoming (check)
Hoover Dam, Nevada (check)
Half Dome, California (check)
Chimney Rock, Nebraska (check)
Oak Alley Plantation, Louisiana
Statue of Liberty, New York (check)
Devils Tower, Wyoming
Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C. (check)
Fort Sumter, South Carolina
Antelope Canyon, Arizona
Monticello, Virginia
Middle Fork of the Salmon River, Idaho (check)
The Breakers, Rhode Island
Crater Lake, Oregon (check)
Space Needle, Washington (check)
Portland Head Light, Maine (check)
Denali, Alaska
Taos Pueblo, New Mexico
The Alamo, Texas (check)
Southernmost Point Buoy, Florida (check)
Jenny Lake, Wyoming

Score: 14/25

This is admittedly a somewhat random list of 25. (I did not come up with this list.) I hope my journeys take me to more places than these… National Parks… Classic ski resorts… Famous overland routes… Iconic bicycle routes… the list really is endless…

Journal Entry (Sun Mar 27, 2022)

”The wise man looks both ways before crossing a one-way street.”

I’m just a hard working 81 I.Q.

Thank you Terry for pointing that out to me. I live it, trust me.

Journal Entry (Sun Mar 27, 2022)

I’m aware there are people that will take exception to this, however beware, those that do may have an agenda that includes you in a way you may not be conscious of…

Facebook is a corrupter of society.
Leaving will make a difference in the world.
Be brave, pull the plug, do it now.
There will still be plenty to look at elsewhere,
and chances are, what you find will be better.

Journal Entry ( a bit later Fri Mar 18, 2022)

“Be nice. (The world is a small town.)”

— Austin Kleon

Putin is learning this lesson the hard way…

I don’t mean to make light of current events, but sometimes looking at them in a simplistic way can reveal true insight…

Journal Entry (Fri Mar 18, 2022)

It has become apparent to me why I love writing by hand in my journal. You could almost call it a blinding flash of insight (without the blinding part). The reason is because it is such an analog process. It engages my brain through my hands. It is a tactile business, and that is so necessary for creativity - or at least for giving me the feeling that I’m engaged in a creative effort. I gleaned this insight reading Austin Kleon. I recommend picking up his book “Steal like an Artist.” One of his mantras is “engage your brain through your hands.” It makes perfect sense. I now know why hand writing feels so good, even when the words produced are largely crap.

Journal Entry (Thu Mar 16, 2022)

So, someone I haven’t associated with in-person for a few year posts a photo on Instagram of two ducks in a drainage pond. The caption to the photo is something like, “where do these ducks come from?” Don’t ask me why I’m still following this person when we no longer associate personally… I suppose it is for moments like these…

I can’t resist the temptation to reply, so I do, with the following:

“If I were a diving duck, and the pond where whiskey, I would dive to the bottom and never come up.”

Crickets…

Props to Taj Mahal. There were no crickets in the photo, at least I didn’t see any…

Journal Entry (Tue Mar 15, 2022)

Today is the Ides of March. Watch out if your name is Caesar. Actually, Caesar is more a title and not really a name per se (nobody has ever named their kid Caesar, except perhaps as a bad joke). So a word of warning is in order, if anyone calls you Caesar, be doubly cautious today. Furthermore, today is a good day to settle your debts… just in case…

in Rome, March 15 was the 74th day of the Roman Calendar year. This was the day all debts were to be settled. It also was a particularly bad day for Julius Caesar. Picnics, drinking, and revelry are also in order on this day (if you are not a Stoic).

Journal Entry (Mon Feb 21, 2022)

I recently went for a ride in Smith Rock State Park. SRSP is truly a remarkable place. World renowned for climbing, which I don’t do, but also not bad as a mountain biking destination. There are a lot of hikers, so it means often yielding to people on foot, but still well worth the visit just for the scenery.

Journal Entry (Fri Feb 4, 2022)

Digging through a book on woodworking that was one of my favorites (I presume also one of the favorites of my Dad) I found the following poem. I know it is from my Dad because of the hand-writing on the envelope. My Dad copied this poem and gave it to his children (myself and my two sisters) upon the death of our mother…

Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow
I am the diamond that glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you awake in the morning, hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft star that shines at night.”

Do not stand at my grave and cry,”
I am not there, I did not die.”

My Mother (or Father on her behalf) added the following epilogue to the poem:

“This is a memorial to my children, so you know I will always be with you. Take care of yourselves, your children and grandchildren, and always be happy. Be kind to others. That is my wish for you.”

I suspect these words were from my mother, recorded for her by my father. Even though I’m not certain which one penned the epilogue, it is a testimony to their love, regardless of the source.

I tucked the letter back into the book. I now know that’s where it belongs, as well as on this page and in my heart. I do not think of my mother and father on a daily basis, but I am definitely their living embodiment. I hope when our essence is joined again, we can continue our journey in this universe together.

_ Mary Elizabeth Frye, a Baltimore housewife, has been acknowledged, as the true author of the well-known bereavement verse “Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep.” This famous verse has brought comfort to mourners throughout the world for the past 70 years._