A BITTERSWEET ANNIVERSARY

By Debbie Bulloch



Exactly two years ago, on April 28, 2009, I wrote an article titled Between Homes and the Kindness of Strangers. The article was written to coincide with the one-year anniversary of the creation of Between Homes (BH). The article, however, was much more than an anniversary piece. I wanted to thank all avies (and the real persons behind each of those avies) who helped create BH; their support, guidance and encouragement were invaluable – without their continuing help there would be no BH today.

This coming Sunday, May 1, will mark the third-year anniversary of BH. As it was true back in the early days, it is still true today – BH still relies on the kindness of others to continue providing a safe place for newbies and other homeless avies.

I wish to thank all of you for your help and, most importantly, for your friendship. I would not have kept up BH for as long as I have if were not for you and what each of you brings to “the plate.” I especially wish to thank those of you who help me pay for BH with your contributions of land or money to BH’s tipjar.

Merci beacoup to M. Arcabulle Odriscoll. M. Odriscoll is my SL French teacher and bike riding coach. He is getting me ready not only to one day ride L'Etape de Tour but also to be able to speak like a native Parisian once I get there. M. Odriscoll, or Arc as he is known to his friends, was one of the earliest supporter of BH, helping to recruit new people to join our group. His new job assignment (in RL) keeps Arc from spending as much time in-world as he used to spend; nevertheless Arc continues to be an important supporter of our group.

Very special “GRACIAS” go to Teressa “baby Tess” Adamski. Tess and her family help me run BH. Tess is always there for me, fixing problems as they come up, helping new residents set up home, being my eyes and ears when I am not in-world and keeping BH’s bunny population well-fed and happy.

Finally, I wish to acknowledge two very special people, whose absences from BH (and SL) make this anniversary date a bittersweet occasion. As you probably know, Yucca Gemini was BH’s the primary architect. She was responsible for creating the majority of the buildings in BH, she was also responsible for most of the beautiful landscape that graces the grounds. Yucca was (and I suppose still is) a good friend; almost a year she unexpectedly left SL. I am not sure when, or if, she will eventually return - I am hoping that she will return someday ‘cuz I really miss her.

Another avie who is also MIA is Gloeing Ember, or as I affectionately called him, “Moose.” I last saw Moose in May of last year. My first meeting with Glo, his contributions to BH and his role in my life are amply detailed throughout this blog - just do a search for Gloeing Ember, Glo, or Moose and you will see. His absence from BH has left a huge, gaping hole in my heart. Like Yucca, I do not know when, of if, Glo will ever return to SL and BH. It is true what they say, that “absence makes the heart grow fonder,” because everyday that goes by I miss him more.

This song from Jackson Browne, a singer we both enjoyed very much, is dedicated to my sweet Moose.

SKY BLUE AND BLACK – Jackson Browne (Video)



SKY BLUE AND BLACK (Lyrics)

In the calling out to one another
Of the lovers up and down the strand
In the sound of the waves and the cries
Of the seagulls circling the sand
In the fragments of the songs
Carried down the wind from some radio
In the murmuring of the city in the distance
Ominous and low

I hear the sound of the world where we played
And the far too simple beauty
Of the promises we made

If you ever need holding
Call my name, I’ll be there
If you ever need holding
And no holding back, I’ll see you through
Sky blue and black

Where the touch of the lover ends
And the soul of the friend begins
There’s a need to be separate and a need to be one
And a struggle neither wins
Where you gave me the world I was in
And a place I could make a stand
I could never see how you doubted me
When I’d let go of your hand

Yeah, and I was much younger then
And I must have thought that I would know
If things were going to end

And the heavens were rolling
Like a wheel on a track
And our sky was unfolding
And it’ll never fold back
Sky blue and black

And I’d have fought the world for you
If I thought that you wanted me to
Or put aside what was true or untrue
If I’d known that’s what you needed
What you needed me to do

But the moment has passed by me now
To have put away my pride
And just come through for you somehow

If you ever need holding
Call my name, I’ll be there
If you ever need holding
And no holding back, I’ll see you through

You’re the color of the sky
Reflected in each store-front window pane
You’re the whispering and the sighing
Of my tires in the rain

You’re the hidden cost and the thing that’s lost
In everything I do
Yeah and I’ll never stop looking for you
In the sunlight and the shadows
And the faces on the avenue

That’s the way love is
That’s the way love is
That’s the way love is
Sky blue and black

REDEMPTION ON TWO WHEELS

By Debbie Bulloch



When people, myself included, talk about bike riding they often talk about the pleasures of charging hard up a steep hill, or they talk about the joys of spending a few hours moving from Point A to Point B in a human-powered vehicle; they may even talk about the incalculable health benefits of pedaling for hours on end under clear skies. Few people, however, ever speak of, or even think about, the redemptive power of riding a bike.

Two recent stories, from countries separated by “the pond” (aka the Atlantic Ocean), illustrate the enormous power of the bike to help heal wounds and, to some degree, lead people on the road to redemption.

Dougie Dalzell was a lieutenant in the British Army, assigned to the Coldstream Guards. On February 18, 2010, the day of his 27th birthday, Lt. Dalzell lost his life while commanding 2 Platoon in 1 Company, 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards during Operation Moshtarak in Babaji, Afghanistan. Dougie died as a result of an IED explosion in the Babaji area of Nahr-e-Saraj in central Helmand. At the time of his death, Lt. Dalzell was leading an operation to clear insurgents so that a checkpoint could be built and a road laid through the area. These developments have brought enduring security and freedom of movement to the local Afghan people.

Unlike us Americans, our English cousins tend to be a slightly reticent when it comes to celebrating home grown heroes. But if there ever was a man deserving of being called “Britain’s best” Lt. Dalzell certainly was it.

A graduate from the University of Leeds law school, Mr. Dalzell decided that life as a barrister was not for him - not just yet anyway – so he joined the British Army. On November 26, 2009, while leading a patrol in the Helmand province of Afghanistan, one of his platoon members was wounded by a Taliban bomb. Not thinking of his own safety, Lt. Dalzell undertook heroic measures to save his fallen comrade. Because of his actions on the field, Lt. Dalzell was awarded the British Army Military Cross.

The citation for Lt. Dalzell’s MC states,

“His leadership under such extreme pressure and his indomitable courage in the face of the enemy successfully brought the whole patrol away safely…This unique young officer demonstrated repeated acts of conspicuous gallantry under file and selfless commitment to his soldiers and his duty.”

Now jump forward several months later and meet Emily Brooke. Emily Brooke, from Farleigh Hungerford, met platoon commander Dougie Dalzell in 2009, when they were both on holiday in Devon. The 24-year-old student said she admired his dedication to the job and they fell instantly in love.

Since the time of Lt. Dalzell’s death Emily has devoted her time to his memory. It was while thinking of a way to honor his memory that she decided to embark on a bicycle ride from Land's End to John O'Groats to raise money for his memorial fund.

She will take on the challenge in September alongside Dougie's sister Olivia, who lives in his home town of Newbury.

Emily said: "He was a very positive, incredible and perfect man and this is exactly how he would have wanted us to behave. I am really excited to have a positive focus.

"His men were so important to him and he cared about them so much.

"They absolutely adored him as well and they were his number one concern at all times.

"He would be incredibly proud of us."

Emily said that the ride gave her something to focus on. "It is something to talk about and a positive thing to do. We want to raise money to help other people going through the same thing."

She said she had barely ridden a bike before but had been training hard. Emily’s father, Major (retd.) Hugo Brooke, is an avid cyclist and he helped Emily train for the 900 mile journey.

"We are doing it properly,” Emily said, “We are building up 100 miles each month and we have all our Lycra gear ready."

On September 19, 2010, Emily, and Dougie’s sister, Olivia, completed their cycle from Lands End to John O’Groats, cycling a distance of 910 miles in 13 days.

All money raised by Emily and Olivia during their 900 mile bike ride will go to the Lt. Dougie Dalzell Memorial Trust. The Memorial Trust (Registered Charity Number 1140415) supports soldiers who give so much for their country.

Life will certainly never be the same for Emily without her beloved Dougie. But in riding a bike in his memory, Emily may not only have found a way to help others, but she may have also found a glimmer of hope at the end of her cycling journey.

To read more about the Lt. Dougie Dalzell Memorial Trust go here:

Lt. DOUGIE DALZELL TRUST

To see pictures of Emily and Olivia’s journey go here:

EMILY’s RIDE

Now for a different story - about a man who lost his beloved son and then embarked on a cross-country bike trip trying to find light in a dark world.

Eric Okerblom was Dr. Bob Okerblom's son. According to Dr. Okerblom, “By any measure, 19 year old Eric Okerblom was a remarkable man. While still in high school he had already developed as an artist and a musician, earned seven varsity letters, and was a National Merit Finalist. In a single weekend he both ran the LA Marathon (without training) and presented his original research at a youth scientific symposium. He dabbled in beekeeping, was intrigued by carnivorous plants, loved mountains, enjoyed photography, and rocketed on a snowboard. Eric was wise, gentle, sensitive, and genuine; a quiet leader who was voted ‘Most Likely to Succeed’ by his senior class. Despite all of his gifts, Eric was humble and grateful. Eric was the rare, enlightened person you would want for a friend.”

On July 25, 2009, the life of this promising young man was cut short. On that July morning, Eric was riding his bike on a country road near his home in Santa Maria, California when he was struck and killed by a distracted teenage driver. An investigation into the cause of the collision revealed that the driver of the car had been texting immediately prior to the collision. At the time of his death Eric was studying molecular biology at UC Berkeley.

Dr. Okerblom writes on his web page, “This beautiful life was extinguished and our family and community diminished entirely from unnecessary driver distraction.”

To honor his son’s memory, and to shine a much needed light into the deadly risk caused by drivers distracted by cell phone usage and texting, Dr. Okerblom embarked on a solo cross-country bike ride from California to Florida.

On Day 54, the last day of his trip, Dr. Okerblom wrote:

“I started this journey alone in a lonely place, traveling unescorted through the circles of Hell. This memorial ride was not only a tribute to the glorious man I was blessed to call my son, but also a desperate attempt to sustain my sanity. I hoped to restore meaning and harmony to my life. During the two months of cycling, I have tested my physical limits, experienced much introspection, searched for the presence of my God, advocated for mindful driving, and embraced both friends and strangers.”

“I have shared my story innumerable times, and some modicum of good has resulted. But I bleed each time I relive Eric's senseless, mindless killing. The compassion of both strangers and friends has fortified me, I am grateful for the warmth of the human family, which reminds me to be cognizant and appreciative of the many blessings I have in my life. Clearly, I am not alone.”

“But I conclude this travel unrestored. My God has remained silent and elusive.”
…

“Some injuries heal completely without residual or scar. Others heal without residual, but leave a disfiguring scar as a reminder. A few injuries aren't fatal, but linger and smolder,never to resolve completely. One must learn to live with them and not to be dominated by them. My challenge is to learn the live with this injury, but not become the injury.”

“Last night Eric appeared to me in a dream. Smiling, he ran up to me and then past me, neither responding to my entreaties nor looking back. He was happy and carefree. As Eric moved forward, so must I. I must strive to be a person with the compassion, acceptance, actions, and character that my children would be proud to call their father. I lack both the resilience and fortitude for the task, but cannot concede the struggle.”

To read more about Dr. Okerblom’s efforts to eliminate the growing threat distracted drivers go to: ERIC OKERBLOM FOUNDATION.

To read more about the doctor’s trek across America and his spiritual journey in search of meaning for his loss, go here: BOB’s BLOG,

THE 2011 RIDE OF SILENCE

By Debbie Bulloch



Riding a bike is my passion. I ride because it is fun; I ride because I am competitive; I ride because it helps me relieve stress; I ride because I love the feel of my legs pedaling me from point A to point B and then back to point A; I ride because riding means freedom.

I love everything about riding a bike. I love the mechanically supreme simplicity of the bike; I love the pain that I feel on my legs as I climb a tough hill; I love the feeling of elation as I descend the other side of the same hill; I love the sweat pouring down my back when I sprint; I love the wind blowing on my face; I love the sweet smell of orange blossoms that greet me as I ride by an orchard; I love the sight of the rolling hills that surround my home; I love the waves crashiing right below me when I ride down PCH.

When English mountaineer George Mallory was asked why he wanted to climb Mt. Everest, he famously replied:

“Because it’s there.”

Ask any cyclist why he rides and invariably you will get a similarly succinct answer:

“Because it’s fun.”

As much as I love to ride my bike, however, I am not unmindful of the dangers that all bike riders face as we share the road with 2-ton steel vehicles. Every year, in the United States alone, more than 600 cyclists are either injured or killed by careless or inattentive drivers.

In 2003, Chris Phelan organized the first Ride of Silence in Dallas after endurance cyclist Larry Schwartz was hit by the mirror of a passing bus and was killed. Since that time, The Ride of Silence has become an international event.

This year, on May 18, 2011 at 7:00 PM, the Ride of Silence will begin in North America and roll across the globe. Cyclists will take to the roads in a silent procession to honor cyclists who have been killed or injured while cycling on public roadways.

The Ride of Silence is a free ride that asks its cyclists to ride no faster than 12 mph and remain silent during the ride. There are no sponsors and no registration fees. The ride, which is held during National Bike Month, aims to raise the awareness of motorists, police and city officials that cyclists have a legal right to the public roadways. The ride is also a chance to show respect for those who have been killed or injured.

In Thousand Oaks, riders from the local bicycle club (the Conejo Valley Cyclists) will join cyclists across the world in honoring the memory of our fallen comrades.

I love riding my bike – on May 18, I will ride for all those other riders who cannot longer enjoy the pleasures of cycling.

God bless them!

For more information about The Ride of Silence, go here:

Ride of Silence

For more information about the CVC 2011 Ride of Silence, go here:

Conejo Valley Cyclists 2011 Ride of Silence

To read more about the Ghost Bikes project, go here:

Ghost Bikes

JAPANESE RISK RADIATION EXPOSURE TO RESCUE STRANDED DOGS

By Debbie Bulloch



Preeminent German philosopher Immanuel Kant, author of Critique of Pure Reason, wrote: "We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals." Writing more than 200 years later, Mohandas Gandhi, India’s political and ideological leader during India’s independence movement wrote: “The measure of a society can be how well its people treat its animals."

I was reminded of the writings of these two great men, who lived in two very different parts of the world during two distinct historical periods, by a story that appeared in newspapers around the world. The story was about a courageous group of Japanese people who risked exposure to radiation, and possible injury or death, to save a pack of dogs stranded by the earthquake and tsunami that recently devastated Japan.

Etsumi Ogino is a 56-year-old volunteer at an animal shelter in Chiba prefecture. While reading the local newspaper Ogino saw a news photo of a pack of shelties wandering through an abandoned town near Japan's tsunami-damaged nuclear plant. When she saw the pictures, Ogino immediately thought of her own 13-year-old dog, Kein. "My heart trembled," said Ogino, “they looked just like my dog. I started searching for them right away."

She and others around Japan called Asahi.com, the website of the Asahi Shimbun newspaper, which had run the photo. An Associated Press photographer had snapped that photo and others of the dogs on an empty street in Minami Soma city, an area evacuated because of radiation fears. A couple of days later , the AP gave Ogino details of where the dogs were spotted. Ogino then relayed the information to a team of animal rescuers called Sheltie Rescue. By then, the group had been getting emails from dog lovers around the country about the abandoned pack.

Through emails and Internet research it was established that the owner of the dogs was a breeder in Minami Soma. The group contacted the Fukushima city branch of the Japan Collie Club, tracked the owner down by phone at a shelter and got her go-ahead to rescue the dogs.

Early Sunday morning, seven volunteers left Tokyo and drove over broken roads and past demolished houses to meet three other volunteers in the ghost town that Minami Soma has become. Some had prepared radiation suits and others wore simple vinyl raincoats.

The first two to arrive found the pack around the Odaka train station, near the owner's home, where the AP team had last seen them. "They were waiting for their owner," said Tamiko Nakamura, a volunteer who went with the group from Tokyo.

It took a while to entice them with snacks, and six or seven were bundled into each car. The group saved 20 dogs in all.

Most were taken to a veterinary clinic in Kanagawa prefecture just west of Tokyo. Others are being cared for by individuals in other areas.

The owner, worn down by the disaster and worrying about her dogs, was "extremely happy," Nakamura said. She said the owner did not want her identity revealed.

Nakamura only regrets that some of the dogs in the pack ran away and countless others are still stranded in the evacuation zone.

"There are still some left behind," she said. "I'm concerned about them and want to pull them out."

In these days, when newspapers headlines and the evening news programs are filled with horrific stories about man’s cruelty to his fellow men, it is reassuring to read that there are still men and women willing to risk it all to protect the lives of helpless creatures.

Editor's Note: As some of you may have noticed, I wrote my last previous post on February 4, 2011. At that time I wrote that I was getting over a pretty severe bout of bronchitis. Well, recovery took a lot longer than I had anticipated. I spent most of February and a big chunk of March, feeling pretty darned sick. I am happy to report that I have made a full recovery and I am back writing. Thanks to all of you who contacted me inquiring about my health and wishing me a speedy recovery.

It is good to be back!!!