FOR MY CUBAN FRIENDS

By Debbie Bulloch



I have a very dear and close friend who was born in Cuba. More than forty years ago he and his family were forced into exile after the Castro brothers stole the Revolution, that was meant to deliver democracy to the Cuban people, and turned the promise of freedom into a ruthless communist dictatorship. Almost 50 years later Cuba remains a land without democracy and the Cuban people remain a people without freedom.

My friend's mother is very ill; death is not far away. It hurts him (and it hurts me and it should hurt all of us) that his mother will die and be buried in a land far away from the land of her birth - that the ground that will take her mortal body is not the same ground upon which she took her first steps. His mother will most likely not see a Free and Democratic Cuba before her death.

This is for you, my dear friend and for your mom. Espero que tu Cuba, nuestra Cuba, sea libre. I hope that your Cuba, our Cuba, will soon be free!

From Andy Garcia's The Lost City



CUBA LINDA by Willie Chirino



Jose Martí and the Cuban flag.

FRIDAY NIGHT MUSIC AND MORE

By Debbie Bulloch



For Buccaneer Braveheart, who requested this Stevie Wonder song.

Here is for you Buc!













AS (ALWAYS)



Here are the lyrics, so that you can follow along.

"AS (ALWAYS)"

As around the sun the earth knows she's revolving
And the rosebuds know to bloom in early May
Just as hate knows love's the cure
You can rest your mind assure
That I'll be loving you always
As now can't reveal the mystery of tomorrow
But in passing will grow older every day
Just as all is born is new
Do know what I say is true
That I'll be loving you always

Until the rainbow burns the stars out in the sky---ALWAYS
Until the ocean covers every mountain high---ALWAYS
Until the dolphin flies and parrots live at sea---ALWAYS
Until we dream of life and life becomes a dream

Did you know that true love asks for nothing
Her acceptance is the way we pay
Did you know that life has given love a guarantee
To last through forever and another day
Just as time knew to move on since the beginning
And the seasons know exactly when to change
Just as kindness knows no shame
Know through all your joy and pain
That I'll be loving you always
As today I know I'm living but tomorrow
Could make me the past but that I mustn't fear
For I'll know deep in my mind
The love of me I've left behind Cause I'll be loving you always

Until the day is night and night becomes the day---ALWAYS
Until the trees and seas just up and fly away---ALWAYS
Until the day that 8x8x8 is 4---ALWAYS
Until the day that is the day that are no more
Did you know that you're loved by somebody?
Until the day the earth starts turning right to left---ALWAYS
Until the earth just for the sun denies itself
I'll be loving you forever
Until dear Mother Nature says her work is through---ALWAYS
Until the day that you are me and I am you---AL~~~~~~WA~~
~~~~~AA~~~~~~~AA~~~~
Until the rainbow burns the stars out in the sky~~~~~AA~~~~
~~~~AA~~~~~~~AA~~~~~~~~~AA~~~~~~~YS~~ALWAYS

We all know sometimes lifes hates and troubles
Can make you wish you were born in another time and space
But you can bet you life times that and twice its double
That God knew exactly where he wanted you to be placed
so make sure when you say you're in it but not of it
You're not helping to make this earth a place sometimes called Hell
Change your words into truths and then change that truth into love
And maybe our children's grandchildren
And their great-great grandchildren will tell
I'll be loving you

Until the rainbow burns the stars out in the sky--Loving you
Until the ocean covers every mountain high--Loving you
Until the dolphin flies and parrots live at sea--Loving you
Until we dream of life and life becomes a dream--Be loving you
Until the day is night and night becomes the day--Loving you
Until the trees and seas up, up and fly away--Loving you
Until the day that 8x8x8x8 is 4--Loving you
Until the day that is the day that are no more--Loving you
Until the day the earth starts turning right to left--Be loving you
Until the earth just for the sun denies itself--Loving you
Until dear Mother Nature says her work is through--Loving you
Until the day that you are me and I am you--
Now ain't that loving you
Until the rainbow burns the stars out in the sky
Ain't that loving you
Until the ocean covers every mountain high
And I've got to say always
Until the dolphin flies and parrots live at sea~~AL~~~WA~~~AYS
Until we dream of life and life becomes a dream-Um AL~~WA~~AYS
Until the day is night and night becomes the day-AL~~~~WA~~AYS
Until the trees and seas just up and fly away-AL~~WA~~~AA~~~~~
Until the day that 8x8x8 is 4~~~~~AA~~~~~~~AA~~~~~~~AA
Until the day that is the day that are no more-AA~~~~AA~~AA~~~AYS
Until the day the earth starts turning right to left-AL~~~WA~~~A~~~AA
Until the earth just for the sun denies itself-~~AA~~~AA~~~AA~~~AYS
Until dear Mother Nature says her work is through-AL~~~WAYS
Until the day that you are me and I am you
Until the rainbow burns the stars out in the sky
Until the ocean covers every mountain high
Until the dolphin flies and parrots live at sea
Until we dream of life and life becomes a dream
Until the day is night and night becomes the day
Until the trees and seas just up and fly away
Until the day that 8x8x8 is 4
Until the day that is the day that are no more
Until the day the earth starts turning right to left
Until the earth just for the sun denies itself
Until dear Mother Nature says her work is through
Until the day that you are me and I am you

After work I went on a bike ride along the beach. As you can see, the wind was blowing pretty darned hard!





Life at sea can be as harsh as it is exciting. This evening I saw a seagull feeding on what looked to be the floating carcass of a dolphin. (Using a pair of binoculars that I carry with my photo gear bag I could see that it was the carcass of a dolphin. The zoom lens that I was using was not long enough to show a better view of the seagull and the carcass.)

Just a couple of days earlier I took pictures of a dolphin pod frolicking on this very same spot. The dead dolphin was most likely a member of that same pod/family. Dolphin pods, like wolf packs, have been known to include long-established generations of the same family.

The circle of life!

(Click on image for a bigger view.)









For my daughter, the surfer-chick (love 'ya).

SURFIN' USA



And, finally, for all the California girls out there, for those who wish they were California girls - and for everyone who loves California girls!

CALIFORNIA GIRLS

THURSDAY'S MUSIC SELECTION - LONG LIVE THE SIXTIES!

By Debbie Bulloch



The 60’s were a time of tumultuous change not only in this country’s history, but the world over. Change (some good, some bad) was coming just around the corner and when it finally got here, it turned things around in a hurry.

The 60’s also inspired some of the most beautifully lyrical popular music. Growing up, I used to spend lazy summer afternoons lying on my bed, reading poetry and listening to Dad playing his old, scratchy vinyl records – including Petula Clark, The Seekers and Peter Paul & Mary. It was a great musical education for a romantic at heart like me. It was the memories of this sweet music that helped carry me through the stormy days that lay ahead.

So, for those of you who lived through the 60’s (or wish that you had) here is Thursday’s Music Selection.

First, here are three from Petula Clark

DOWNTOWN



COLOUR MY WORLD (Note The Chicago version)



I KNOW A PLACE



From Australia’s premier “mod group” The Seekers

MORNING TOWN RIDE



I’LL NEVER FIND ANOTHER YOU



GEORGY GIRL – This is for all the “georgy girls” of the world (you know who you are!)

Hey there! Georgie girl
Dreaming of the someone you could be
Life is a reality, you can't always run away.
Don't be so scared of changing and rearranging yourself.
It's time for jumping down from the shelf a little bit.



And from America's own folk-music group, Peter, Paul and Mary

LEAVING ON A JET PLANE



PUFF THE MAGIC DRAGON – After you listen to this song, please go hug your children, before they grow up and leave the nest.



IN THE EARLY MORNING RAIN



Here are two photos of one of the oldest, and most adorable I may add, breed of herding dogs - the Cardigan Welsh Corgi





D & D 4ever!

THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE - VE DAY OBSERVANCES

By Debbie Bulloch


Second Life’s THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE recently sponsored a special event in remembrance of Victory Day in Europe or VE Day. VE Day marks the official end of War World II fighting in Europe. In Europe the day is observed on May 8. In the US it is observed in late May, as Memorial Day (in remembrance of all the men and women who have died fighting this country’s wars). Incidentally, Victory Day over Japan (VJ Day) marks the end of hostilities against Japan, on August 1945.

Please go to The Learning Center’s blog for more details and additional information about all the event and projects sponsored by TLE.

Here is a video of the event. Some of the images may be disturbing for some.

VE Day Remembrance with Holocaust Survivor in Second Life from Pooky Media on Vimeo.

Finally, as part of the remembrance, TLE sponsored a poetry contest. The poems submitted will be published in a book commemorating the VE Day event.

My father was German and even though we never spoke about it, I know that he carried a lot of anguish over the events surrounding WWII. He was a very sensitive and moral man who was deeply troubled by the events that took place in Germany.

I submitted these poems for TLE VE Day poetry contest. I now dedicate them to my Dad’s memory for he too was a victim of the horror that swept over his land.

I HEAR THE SOUND

Clickety-clack, clickety-clack,
I hear the sound
Clickety-clack, clickety-clack,
I hear my Mother singing in the kitchen.

Clickety-clack, clickety-clack,
I hear the sound
Clickety-clack, clickety-clack,
I hear my Father snoring in the study.

Clickety-clack, clickety-clack
I hear the sound.
Clickety-clack, clickety-clack
I hear my sister playing with her dolls in the front porch.

Clickety-clack, clickety-clack,
I hear the sound.
Clickety-clack, clickety-clack,
I hear my dog barking at the neighbor’s cat out in the yard.

Clickety-clack, clickety-clack,
I hear the sound.
Clickety-clack, clickety-clack,
I hear the train rolling into the station.

Clickety-clack, clickety-clack,
I hear the sound.
Clickety-clack, clickety-clack
I hear the door sliding open.

Clickety-clack, clickety-clack,
I hear the sound.
Clickety-clack, clickety-clack
I hear the soldier yelling, “Off the train!”

Clickety-clack, clickety-clack,
I hear the sound.
Clickety-clack, clickety-clack,
I hear the sound of my stolen innocence.

TEN AND EIGHT

I turned ten and seven,
“There is no more flour to bake you a cake,”
Mother said.

I turned ten and seven,
“The Fatherland needs you!”
The old man said.

I turned ten and seven,
“There is no more leather to make you shoes,”
Father said.

I turned ten and seven,
“Take this gun and fight for your land,”
The sergeant said.

I turned ten and seven,
“There are no more flowers to put in the vase,”
Sister said.

I turned ten and seven.
“Victory will soon be ours,”
They all said.

I turned ten and seven,
And I was sad.
Because in my Fatherland,
I would never see,
Ten and eight.

I HEAR THE DISTANT ROAR

I hear the distant roar,
I run and hide.
I feel the distant thunder,
I run and hide.

In the skies above,
Faceless men pilot metal birds.
On the ground below,
More faceless men battle each other.

Day after day,
I look into my mother’s eyes.
Hoping to divine,
My father’s fate.

And the metal birds still fly,
In the skies above.
And the men still battle,
On the ground below.

The blood of a thousand faceless men,
Runs like an angry river.
Blood from different lands,
Blanketing the burning earth.

The metal birds spit out bolts of fire,
That cover the land with softly falling metal-jacketed raindrops.
While the faceless men,
Dance a mortal pirouette around desolate fields.

I hear the distant roar,
A child runs and hide.
I feel the distant thunder,
Another child dies.

All poems. © Copyright 2009, DB. All Rights Reserved.

TUESDAY EVENING BIKE RIDE: FOG, ROCKS AND SEAGULLS

By Debbie Bulloch



Yesterday evening (Mardi 19 Mai) I went for my usual after-work bike ride. I ride on the same stretch of Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) from just South of Solimar Beach down to the pier in the City of Ventura and back.

I like this route for several reasons, it is fairly flat (the net elevation loss-gain is minimal), vehicular traffic is light, the views are awesome (and change daily depending on weather conditions) and I know the route well, which means that I can easily track my performance over any portion of the route.

The one “problem” with this route, however, are the ever changing wind conditions. Depending on the prevailing weather pattern, winds can be completely calm or they can blow at a fast, steady rate. The weather further affects wind conditions by dictating in which direction the wind will blow – out to sea or in from the sea.

On yesterday’s ride the wind was a major factor. As you can see from the picture below, the wind was blowing in from the sea at a steady pace (look at the flags to the right of the photographs).



The wind pushed the waves (you can see the white caps on the photos below) creating choppy conditions. Of course, diehard surfers are not deterred even by choppy waters - I am told that windy conditions make for lousy surfing, however.





On the “out” half of my ride, I had the wind at my back. I rode the eight miles out with no problem at all, averaging over 15 mph. On the way “in,” however, the wind made me “pay” for the easy ride out. Facing a stiff headwind, I was never able to go faster than 5 to 6 mph. If you have not ridden your bike against a head wind, imagine what it feels like to climb a mountain on a bike – that is exactly how it felt yesterday evening. It felt as if I rode eight miles straight up hill.

The ride back was hard, but it made for a wonderful workout. My calf muscles got pushed hard and at the end of the ride my gluteus maximus was tired but I couldn’t complain – you all ought to try riding against the wind sometime!

Now for more photographs…

Another interesting weather condition is the fog created by the marine layer. In Ventura County (as in most California coastal regions) it is not uncommon for a deep shroud of fog to roll in the early morning hours, burn off at midday, and then return on the late afternoon.

In these photographs you can see the fog that has settled right over the hill bordering the coast. The fog is “sucked,” by warm air, in through inland valleys and it can reach in for many miles away from the coast.





Another nice “bonus” from these coastal bike rides are all the interesting sites, such at the gun emplacements (featured in earlier posts), dotting the coast line. The beach draws an interesting crowd of people; some of who are very talented (like the artist who arranged these rocks overlooking the surf).















On these rides I usually come across interesting sea life (like the dolphins from Sunday’s post). There are also groups of pelicans “patrolling” the coast, like ancient pterodactyls. Pelicans are interesting to watch for a couple of reasons. When they are flying in a V formation, pelicans, like Canadian geese, like “draft” like bike riders in a peloton. If you watch them, you can see how each pelican takes a turn as the lead, or point, pelican. The lead rotates, so that the work is evenly distributed, just like bike riders in a peloton. The other interesting thing about pelicans is how they “fish” for food. A pelican will fly over a spot and, when he notices a tasty morsel swimming below; the pelican will dive straight into the water, like a diver bomber, and catch its food.





The shore also has delicate plant life that does not grow anywhere else. These are very fragile ecosystems and that is the reason why I encourage you to walk, and not ride your bike, into the areas where these plants grow.





And there is also the driftwood that washes ashore -the tangled wood creates interesting patterns, almostlike a boneyard.



Finally, what is a ride along the beach without the obligatory shot of waves crashing into the rocks?



And, for me at least, there is the obligatory shot of sea gulls at play. Seagulls are as bright and playful as crows and ravens. But they don’t have the dark, ominous reputation that crows and ravens have. That is why I enjoy photographing seagulls and sharing their pictures with you.





Hope you enjoyed this ride down the beach with me!

Soon I will return to more serious topics and more poetry, but for now, a romp by the beach is as serious as I can possibly get.

Ciao!

All photos © Copyright 2009, DB. All Rights Reserved.

For more fun information and facts on the City of Ventura pier click the links below:

Photos of Ventura, including the famous pier.

A brief history of the pier

Pier view from Beach Cam (You must have Java enabled and updated.)

An added-added-added bonus: roses from my backyard!

THE GUNS OF VENTURA - PART TWO

By Debbie Bulloch


A few weeks ago I wrote an article describing the mood of Californians after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the attack, few months later, on a Santa Barbara offshore oil field. As a result of those two events, the Army decided to install two gun emplacements off the mouth of the Ventura River. You can check the post here:

Sunday Photo History Corner - April 19, 2009.

At the time that I posted the April 19 article, I promised that I would go to the actual site of the gun emplacements and take pictures of the remaining ruins and share them here with you.

Well, I do like to keep my promises so this Sunday morning I headed out by bike to the beach where the guns are located and waited for the low tide. When the tide was low enough (at approximately 11:00 a.m. PST – SL time) that I could safely walk across the mouth of the Ventura River, I picked up my bike, held it aloft (cross-country rider style) and headed for the gun emplacements.

After walking for a about half a mile I reached the site of the East Gun. The low tide had exposed both gun sites. Please note, however, how the shore line has shifted by comparing my photographs to photographs of the same area taken approximately five years ago.

Walking on wet sand, pushing a mountain bike and carrying a backpack with photo gear can pose a special challenge – but it can also provide a nice workout (especially for the calf muscles). When I finally got to the first gun emplacement I encountered one problem that I had not planned for. The rocks around both gun emplacements had been worn smooth by the constant action of the tides and waves. Additionally, the smooth rocks were covered with slimy green seaweed (“sea lettuce”). The combination of smooth rocks and “sea lettuce” made these rocks extremely slippery - too slippery to walk across on my bike shoes. Cleated shoes are great for pedaling (the cleats on the soles attach to the pedals). But the very same thing that makes cleated shoes great for bike riding makes them lousy for walking across wet and slippery surfaces rocks. Some of the rocks were also covered in places by sharp coral-like growth. This growth made the rocks too rough to walk across barefooted – the sharp, cutting edges could cut right through the soles of feet made tender by the water. So, much to my disappointment I had to content myself with taking shots from a safe distance, using a telephoto lens. (I promise, however, that I will return to take more pictures - this time using proper footgear.)

Here are photos, taken from various angles, of the old gun emplacements. The type of gun emplacement used on the shores of Ventura County is called a “Panama Mount.” Here is information on what a Panama Mount gun emplacement is. Here are photographs of surviving Panama Mount guns. Please note that on these photographs the “mount” is at the center of the circle and the top is level. I have not found photos of what the Ventura guns looked like when they were first installed. I suspect, however, that the “mount” was also at the center and the top was level (like in the pictures of the Bolsa Chica guns). Time, a shifting coast line (the original Ventura guns were well above the tide line) and the power of the ocean’s waves have shifted the location of the mount shown on my photographs.

A view of the East Gun emplacement.



Same gun emplacement, but in black and white.



A view of the rail upon which the gun turret turned.



Close up of the gun mount. Please note that the mount is off-center and it is no longer level (like the ones seen in the pictures of the Bolsa Chica guns). Time, the shifting surf line and the powerful action of the waves have taken a toll on the guns of Ventura.



This is a view "back" to the area behind the guns, the area that the guns were supposed to protect. The city of Ventura is in the background.



Another view of the East Gun.



Another view of the East gun emplacement. Please note on the background, on the left hand side of the picture, my trusty "steel steed" at rest.



These are two views of the second gun emplacement, the West Gun. I will take closer pictures of this gun at a later time.





As and “added” bonus I have included some photographs that I took of the surrounding area.

A crane scouting the surf. Planning to go surfing perhaps?



A sun bleached tree trunk. Black and white.



Two trees. The train bridge over the Ventura River is to the right of the trees. The bridge is still in use by AMTRAK and by Southern Pacific RR. The bridge was in place before the guns were set up.



Close up view of bridge.



Amtrak train going over the same bridge. Picture taken from the East side of the Ventura River.





And as a real “value added” bonus, here are photographs of a dolphin pod that was feeding close to the surf line. The pod probably consisted of a mommy dolphin and its baby (in one photograph you see them swimming very close to each other). In the pod there were also what appeared to be two males dolphins and maybe one or two more females. Dolphin sightings are common along this stretch of the Ventura coast between the shore and the Channel Islands. The area is a protected habitat, the waters are deep and cold and they are full of rich marine life presenting these playful and smart animals with a perfect playground – and an all-you-can eat seafood buffet.

Images of dolphins frolicking by the beach - followed by birds.









Seaside life in Southern California - kids playing on the beach, surfers, dolphins and a boat. It does not get any better than this (earthquakes or not).



I hope you enjoyed looking at these photographs as much as I enjoyed taking them. (In the summer I may rent a kayak so that I can get closer to the dolphins. But first I need to spend more hours on the rowing machine to build my upper body and I need to buy a waterproof case for my camera gear. Stay tuned!)

BTW – as I was finishing this post another small quake rattled Southern California. Maybe the “Big One” is coming! Here is the preliminary information on this “event.”

A moderate earthquake occurred at 8:39:36 PM (PDT) on Sunday, May 17, 2009.
The magnitude 4.7 event occurred 3 km (2 miles) NNE (24 degrees) of Hawthorne, CA.

The hypocentral depth is 14 km (8 miles). This quake caused moderate damage in the L.A. area, it was followed by a number of aftershocks.

For the latest information, please click the link below.

May 17, 2009, Hawthorne Earthquake

This is the same fault line that caused severe damage in the 1933 Long Beach Earthquake. The extensive damage caused by the 1933 quake eventually led to the enactment of very strict building codes.