More Travel

Arrived at the Hood Canal today after a brief stop in Poulsbo. Cute town! Friendly people.

128 stairs total to get to the tidal flats & boat house; another 128 to return. Wow! Quite a workout!

Then there was a quiet sunset. All in all, a grand day!

Remembering Nagasaki

9 August 1945

May we never have another day like that!

As I think about this day and what it meant in the history of the world, I find myself reflecting on the war we are now involved in ~ Afghanistan ~ and about the people suffering in Syria, the stolen tank in the Sinai, those imprisoned for their outspoken beliefs anywhere in the world. I am also reminded of this quote from a 1985 speech given by Father George Zabelka, who was the Catholic chaplain to the flyboys of the 'Enola Gay' (bombed Hiroshima) and the 'Bockscar' (bombed Nagasaki):

"We must all do something for peace. We must stop this insanity of worshiping the gods of metal. We must take a stand against evil and idolatry. This is our destiny at the most critical time of human history. But it's also the greatest opportunity ever offered to any group of people in the history of our world~to save our world from complete annihilation."

Hopefully, we will all care enough to do something, however small and insignificant we think it is, in the pursuit of peace.

Pausing to Wonder

When I consider the wonders of the universe......

What an incredible beginning to a thought! Yet I often forget to notice the mysterious, the wonders of the universe, the miraculous moments that exist in every moment I'm alive. Einstein's observation that when we miss the emotion inherent in awe, we are as good as dead. We have no true life within us.

The subtly greater issue is that we still walk and talk and eat and work and breathe as though we are real.... we miss the truest moments of beauty and life. We miss beauty and passion.... true, living passion .... as well as wonder. I continue to move forward to recall the passion I've experienced in my life.W

On the Road Again....

Today was my final vacation day. I packed most of my stuff last night… barely slept [4-7 a.m.]

We packed up, checked out, & went to breakfast at Becky's on the waterfront. Tasty, home style cooking... fairly simple fare.

Then we went to Exchange Street because it was on my current trip bucket list. Calm & fun; ended with buying a Starbucks soy green tea latte.

Now as I wait at JFK for the final leg of my trek, I am extremely grateful for these past three weeks.... time with my brother, with new friends and with the friend I visited for the most extensive segment of the trip. Grateful for the job that provided the money, for family left behind, for friends keeping good thoughts heading my way.

Moral Principle

From the Dalai Lama:
As human beings we are all the same. We have this marvelous intelligence, which sometimes creates problems for us, but when influenced by warm-heartedness can be very constructive. ... In this context we need to appreciate the value of having moral principles.

Sometimes, after incidents such as what happened in Aurora, Colorado, I begin to think that our intelligence can take us in different directions ~~ toward the good or toward the evil. We create problems in different ways. Does it matter that he planned it out? Would it be less evil if he'd just spontaneously gone there and shot up the theater? What is the moral principle here? Whose more principle matters?

Bangor's Famous Son

Today I drove past the house of Stephen King. I felt odd taking pictures of it.... then decided to just go for it!

It's a big beautiful place with an unusual gate ... spider web at the bottom (really well done!) and the gate posts have gargoyles, or maybe bats, on them.

Dreaming of Sailing

Yesterday morning I woke from sleep in the midst of a dream of sailing.... not something I do in real life...

I was alone on a sailboat in the middle of a river or perhaps in a bay or cove, there was land nearby though not within easy reach. The water was mildly rough, nothing overwhelming, but not like glass. I stood on the deck of the boat, checking the wind, feeling the sway of the boat and getting my 'sea legs'. I felt calm, joyful. I was beginning to unfurl the sail, everything was perfect.

A song was also playing in my mind: Sail On by Lionel Richie
Sail on, honey, good times never felt so good.....

And that's literally how I felt! It was as though Spirit was confirming in every possible way that I'm on the right path at this moment. I knew I was paying attention as I needed to do in the way I needed to do it. At least in that precise moment.

Moving forward moment by moment.....