Bluebirds and Hummingbirds

This week I had the gift of seeing a brood of bluebirds reach full growth and fly away. I also had to rescue a hummingbird that was stuck in the garage. (After he was exhaused, I put a pole near him. He jumped on it, I lowered it and he flew to freedom).Read about how the North American Bluebird Society (and Dr. Lawrence Zeleny) helped save this wonder of nature here.

Blue Bird of the Manger


Journalists, media moguls
And Hollywood thespians
Appear daily to tell us
The world is ending,
The earth is warming.
And death, destruction,
Disease, starvation

And all form of pestilence
Are one more pollutant,
One more war,
One more way,
Other than their way,
Just about to strike.

And yet, the blue birds sing.
They arrive Christmas Day
Just when it seems
They would never appear
In the nest box some poet
Put in the middle of a garden.

They sing and sing
From God’s lips
To our hearts
To tell us the answers
Are with our Creator

If we are not so busy
Worrying and pontificating
To hear the bluebirds sing
From their holy nest box
Around the crypt, city and country
About The Gift in the manger.

Bridges of Washington County

On a hot day in August, I took Eamon (my youngest) and Sidda (our dog) on an adventure driving around to view the stone bridges of Washington County, Maryland. It was a blast.These stone bridges of Washington County, Maryland are a wonder of early 18th century American genius. The politicians in those years wanted the farmers and merchants to be satisfied with wooden bridges...which often collapsed from a heavy load or from flooding. So...those early American's voted the crooked politicians out of office and voted in honest ones who set about to build these strong, solid stone arch bridges. Hmmm...maybe we can learn from our early American ancestors and imitate their success in the 1810 election.

  

Alan Bean Astronaut and Artist

"When I was assigned as Lunar Module Pilot of Apollo 12, I wondered if paying close attention as we traveled out into the heavens might result in some special insight, some better understanding about who we are and why we are here. With this in mind, I scheduled time to be still and alert; time to listen and be aware and receptive...

I look at the moon now, and it's hard to believe that half a lifetime ago, I was there. I still can't say if anyone else is out there, but I do know that there is a very real spiritual power within our hearts. Maybe that is where the answers for us have been waiting all along."

Alan Bean


Freedom, liberty, equality, hard-work, paying all your taxes even (so a space program continues)...so many American characterists lead to so many great achievements.

Alan Bean presents his art to celebrate one of the greatest milestones: Apollo.

Now, if I could just afford one of the Corvettes astronauts used to drive to celebrate one of the capstones of American civiliization.