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BLOG 15/52

03 Friday Apr 2026

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I LIVED HERE

( AT LEAST FOR 3 YEARS)

LIVING ON MY BOAT

Each day when I look at the bay

It always says, “Good Morning.”

Some days it is calm and bright and

The greeting is “GOOD MORNING.”

Other days it is windy and rough and

Its “Good Morning” is almost sarcastic.

Once in a while, I find it hiding in the fog.

I try to cheer it up, but it will not speak.

I suppose we all need solitude at times.

That is why people walk their dog.

_______

Of all the doors you have opened in your life

Some brought you joy; others made you cry.

Both are needed to have a

Full life before

You die.

________

Why would you eat snails?

Because fast food isn’t good for me. 

BLOG 14/52

29 Sunday Mar 2026

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ISLANDS

     There are islands in all the seas waiting for us to visit if we please.

   The girls will dance

    For you each night.

    Everyone is happy

   There is never a fight

    They are so pretty

    You cannot resist

 You ask them to dance

     Again, before they

           Dismiss.   

 The sun slowly fades into the night      

The lights come on to our delight.

      The dancers glide onto the stage

         They know every movement 

         They have practiced all year

         We sit marveling at their skill

         As we eat and drink our beer. 

__________________________________

Tomorrow is Easter, April 5, 2015. This morning, I got up at 4:30 am and watched the moon hide in the shadow of the Earth, an event that helps us define who we are and what we are. It made me reflect on my life. What came to mind were the Easters I spent as a child. They were some of the happiest times in my life that we old folks who live at the end of the street still enjoy, in our journeys through memory.

            In my family, we all gathered at my Aunt Aggie’s house. There were about 20 of us. The years were in the early 1940s. She and Uncle Leo had about an acre of land right on the Los Angeles River somewhere in “the valley.” I have no idea now where that would be, but it was rural. She had a goat that she milked, and my cousins and I would go out to see if we could milk it. We were primarily city kids, and milking a goat was a skill we didn’t possess. My aunt would squirt the milk into our mouths from three feet away. Of course, it would get all over us, and that was part of the fun.

            Being right across the street from the river, the cousins (there were four of us who lived close enough to be there) were given the duty of collecting enough crawdads to put in the salad. The L.A. River was all mud banks back then, and it was full of crawdads. We even had a swimming hole in it and went swimming if the weather permitted us to, without our mothers thinking we would get too cold and get sick. My mother and all my aunts would prepare the meal, and of course, the crawdad salad was my favorite part of it.

L.A. River circa 1940

            As I write this, there are tears running down my face. These were wonderful times. Now the river is all cement. No more crawdads. No more swimming hole. No more goat milk. All of those people are dead now, except two of my cousins and me. I don’t think any of us have had a crawdad salad or gone swimming in a swimming hole or milked a goat for a long long time. What a travesty that is.

BLOG 13/52

17 Tuesday Mar 2026

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MANTA RAYS 

They are huge, 14 feet across

When they arrive at the scene, they 

Instantly become the undisputed big boss.

They get close enough for you to stroke

They’re quite sociable and scary

But don’t care much

About human

Folk

______________________________

What does it mean to be alive?

          This is the fundamental unanswered question of most, if not all, religions. Fortunately, it is not our job to find the answer. As painful as it may be for some, it is beyond human capability. We can define the word scientifically without issue for most of us, but when it comes to the spiritual realm, it becomes impossible. We can only make assumptions, which we choose to accept as facts, and that is okay because all facts are based on assumptions. 

          There are a few assumptions we make about life on Earth. One is that it must reproduce something at least like itself. We used to believe that if it was alive, it needed oxygen, but we found some life forms that don’t. That opens a whole new way of thinking about the Universe.

          When I was in college in the 1950s, one of my professors commented, “The only bad thing about becoming a scientist is you will be included in a small group that realizes that they know nothing.” It is sometimes hard to live in a society that thinks it knows everything. My dad told me that life would get harder, so I just handle it. I did, and it was fun. I enjoyed every minute of my 92-year life, even though I am not sure of what it is.

          My mother told me my life was only worth what it was worth to other people, and that to help them, I had to keep myself healthy, which had to be my prime job. I thank her for sharing that with me. I have been a caregiver for 28 years of my life. 

           I do not know what the ultimate meaning of life is, but her interpretation has worked for me. When the world around you seems to be going crazy, remember you are a tree, and your roots are deep and strong. The earth does not give way; you will survive the storm and enjoy the good weather ahead if you handle it. 

BLOG 12/52

12 Thursday Mar 2026

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THE PELICAN

It is a very special bird, the pelican

He can store enough in his beak 

 To last him at least one week.

 More than his belly can. 

He is truly special, just 

Like you and me

The Pelican. 

__________________

Where do we learn how to live?

          We all want and believe different things. Parents want their child to attend school and come out believing what they think about religion, politics, other people, and everything they hold as true. That is fine, except it is unlikely to happen in a school supported by taxpayers; they all want something different. I believe in and support private schools. What I do not support are individuals who attempt to dictate what should be taught in public schools. Their children should be in a private school.

           I also get upset about colleges that graduate people with majors that have little or no money-making skills. They want to have a family and pursue the American dream, just like the rest of us. All they end up with is a loan to pay off, and no skills to earn money to do it.

           Every counselor should learn from the one who collaborated with my son. He asked my son, “If you could be anything you wanted, what would it be?” My son said, “A poet.” The counselor walked over, picked up the newspaper, and turned to the want ads, saying, “Let’s see what jobs are available for a poet.” My son became a biologist who also writes poetry.

          Our brain is housed in a container we call a body. Like all containers, ours will wear out. In recent years, the repair people (doctors) have had some fantastic tools to work with and are pretty good at repairing them.

          We used to eat fresh food from the farm, but it is now very difficult to do so. The food we eat must be beneficial for us; we are living longer now.

           When I was born, life expectancy was 60 years. I’m now in my 92nd year and don’t see any reason to die for at least a few more years. I consider that a significant change, and I enjoy adapting to it.

____________________________

“We are what we eat“

Is a popular saying.

I don’t think that is true because,

I am not dead yet and

Everything I eat

Is.

BLOG11/52

24 Tuesday Feb 2026

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What is your favorite poem you wrote?

All my poems are my favorites; they all came from my heart. 

When I couldn’t find the words to say how I felt, I wrote a poem about it, 

and it worked for me. Every poem is a verbal picture of how I felt at that moment.

I will share a favorite that has helped me understand why I was feeling the way I did at that time.

I wrote this many years ago.

When I read it now, as I live in my 92nd year, it seems much more relevant.

(I wrote this while sitting on the beach watching the waves rolling in.)

Patience is a Virtue

Hi there, old salt.

You’re in-between, aren’t you?

Your face is smooth or nearly so,

Ah, but your edges give you away.

Your swells peak up and break gently.

Caressing my toes, disappearing around my feet.

If I were to take you at your word,

I would run and fling myself into your embrace.

I would just jostle your white caps and

Relax in your peaks and hollows.

But I know better than that.

You are losing control.

You are growing impatient.

I have noticed it sometimes.

Even like now, when you are calm.

That upheaval of emotion that comes

When you do not expect it.

That breaker that is less controlled

Then the rest shows your impatience.

It does not caress my toes and

Then depart through the sand.

Ho! It grabs at my knees and

Pulls at me with fierce enthusiasm.

No need, friend, for your impatience.

Think about it.

From you, I have learned to be strong,

Without a show of force.

From you, I have learned to be placid,

But never complacent.

In your depth, I have had great joy,

And near death.

You have taught me to trust,

But never to rely.

I have learned what I do is important,

And what I would like to do remains insignificant.

No, my friend, be not impatient.

Two billion years ago, I was created from you.

I would not deprive you if I could.

Yours is a millennium, mine but half a grain of sand.

Do not be impatient,

We will be as one in due time.

Until then, my friend,

 I will visit you as

 often as I can.

An Update 2026

I have kept my word, and I think

Due time is on the horizon.

The good thing is I still

Need binoculars

To see it.

_____________

Don’t look back; it may bring tears to your eyes.

Look ahead and fill your eyes with surprise

BLOG 10/52

14 Saturday Feb 2026

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A THOUGHT ABOUT THE OCEAN

In 1992, I was part of a four-man kayak expedition down the coast of Baja California from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas. It was over 1,000 miles, and the coast is exposed to the Pacific swell all the way. That means there is major surf on most of the beaches, most of the time. Your first thought might be, “Who cares?” Believe me, if you’re in a kayak looking up at the waves, you care.

We went ashore every night and had to get off the beach every morning. We had one capsize, one pitch-pole (end-over-end), and one boat broken in half (with the paddlers in it!). I wrote a book about the trip, “We Survived Yesterday”, one of my Amazon eBooks. I wrote the following one evening while sitting on one of the beaches where we camped.

The ocean is a strange and mysterious place,

One with which our senses do not easily interface.

We see with our sight, and what we see is true,

 However, upon further investigation, everything appears new.

We listen to the sounds that come oozing from the deep,

But the meaning is guessed at, for its language we don’t speak.

We touch it and feel it, but hold it, we cannot.

We capture it in tanks, but it loses a lot.

Its soul has departed; it lost its song,

 It no longer sings, its breakers

 And the currents are gone.

We peek through the glass,

to see what lies beneath,

 But all we see,

 Has just been 

scrapped 

off some reef. 

The sun shines brightly for us every single day.

It is there even when clouds get in the way.

Sometimes the clouds are in the sky,

But at times, they are in our hearts.

The ones in the sky will pass by

The ones in our hearts

Will also go if we

Are strong and

Don’t cry.

Let the sunshine on you, it’s there every day.

BLOG 9/52

08 Sunday Feb 2026

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SLEEPING WITH THE WHALE                                   

When the whale speaks, the entire ocean intently listens

When he swims to the surface to take a breath.

If the sun is out, his head will glisten.

All in the sea will understand

Except you and me

Even if we 

Listen.

But in my dreams, I know it’s true

The whale loves me

And even you.

Why I Travel

I have been asked why I travel as much as I do. I try to be somewhere besides home 2 weeks a month or longer for months at a time. It is a reasonable question because it is more than most people would want to travel.

I have always traveled if I could and never thought about it. I don’t think of my traveling as vacations, but rather as field trips in the school of life. The world is my classroom, and I love to learn, so I travel. There is a Chinese proverb that is 8,000 years old, and I am paraphrasing, that it is better to take 10,000 steps to a new place than to read 10,000 pages about it. I believe that. No words can reveal the beauty of a mountain, or the odors that rise from a marsh, or the sound of a waterfall. These things should not just be learned about; they should be absorbed in your soul, and only then can they be part of you. 

When I was able, I went to places I had no words to describe—and slept on the ground, in a tent, or belayed down a Cliff to see what was under the water in the remote spot below. I can no longer do that—my body won’t take me to those places anymore, but I have to move on anyway I can to keep learning. 

 In an Amazon River village in the upper Ecuadorian jungle, with no roads leading to it, I was told by the shaman that the secret to long life was never to stop experiencing life. He said that when you do, you are through. You might as well. Feed the environment and do some good. Placing that advice into my world was not difficult because I already believed it. I just didn’t know it.

Now I am traveling to timeshares and on cruise ships. I can still do that with my Walker and find new things in life that I had passed by without appreciating. When the time comes that I must ride in a scooter or a power wheelchair, I will find things even closer to learn that I was unaware of, as I walk over them. An example is the bellflowers that grow in the lawns. They are so small that you have to get down on your belly with a magnifying glass to see them. They are stunning.

BLOG 8/52

30 Friday Jan 2026

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THE GHOST SHIP 

When old seadogs remember their life over a beer

With others like themselves that they hold dear

Stories are told with shining eyes and held breath

About perils at sea with ghost ships and near-death.

They were always blurry and not clear to see, but just

As they were starting to board and take over their ship

Their wives would wake them up with a sharp slap on the hip.

Stop yelling and fighting, you old fool, they would always say

So much for adventures at sea, that is all for today 

Everyone pays for their beer, and shakes hands 

And walks away, but it is ok 

There’s more adventure

Another day.

JUST HANDLE IT

When changes in my world disrupted my normal routine, over which I had little to no control, I became irritable and didn’t like where I was in my life. I try hard not to let that happen. It is controlled by my attitude and acceptance of what is happening in my life at the time.

My father told me that life will get harder, but it’s just a matter of handling it. Handling it is hard because you must decide between what you want and what you need. Often, they conflict with each other, and you must choose between them.

Most of my life, want has been my guide. I find that what I need starts taking over as I continue down my path and slow down. When need becomes your guide, you may find yourself doing things that you don’t want to do but have no choice. They say that growing old is not for sissies, but getting old will make you one. We can’t stop growing old, but we can work hard not to get old and become a sissy. Keep moving forward. Be aware that slowing down is much better than stopping.

BLOG 7/52

24 Saturday Jan 2026

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NEVER TOO OLD TO LEARN

The Shaman    

The world is moving more slowly now, and so am I, but that’s okay.

The fields are still being plowed, and my cows are being fed.

I’m 92 years old, and it isn’t easy, but I’m grateful I’m not dead.

So much around me I never noticed before, too busy, I guess.

          There’s so much to learn; I knew about heat, but nothing about snow.

I know about jungles, but nothing about beaches made of sand.

I read and study all the time now; it gives me something to do.

When you are through learning, it means you are really through.

GRATITUDE

Gratitude is a positive emotion that is almost impossible to have too much of. It involves being thankful for someone or something. One of the things that nurtures happiness is being grateful for what you have, rather than feeling sad or wishing for things you don’t have. If you want something to happen, work toward it; wishing alone doesn’t make it so.

Think of the people who have influenced your life and taught you lessons. Some of them you may have never met, but they helped you in some way. Thank them in your heart, even if they are no longer with us; who knows, they might hear you. Even if they don’t, you will feel better. 

I know several people who go through a list every night before bed of things they are grateful for that happened that day. I must admit I am one of them. The good stuff always outweighs the bad, and I sleep better.

BLOG 6/52

17 Saturday Jan 2026

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 NEVER TOO YOUNG TO LEARN

 When we are born, our brain wakes up.

There is very little, if anything, in it 

It is empty now, but will fill up.

Like a sponge, it absorbs information.

It starts to form who I am

 A cute woman or a macho man.

This self-image will control and direct my life

I want to be the very best of what I am

It depends on what I see, hear, and 

Experience as I grow up

I will do my best to be

Who am I?

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

JUST FOR FUN

When there is nothing special to write about, and you are a writer, you must create something.  A writer must keep writing; that is who and what we are. It is a great self-image, but a hard one to keep. I will be sharing some of my idle times with you every so often, so you can see how hard it is.

Practicing the English language

Why is it that we can only see the stars when they are out, but can’t see much of anything when the lights are out?

I did a bad thing and wanted to make amend, but you can’t; you must make amends. So, I did a few more bad things so I could.

I wanted to take the longest zip line in the world. One person said, “Fat chance.” A second person said, “Slim chance.” I didn’t know which one to believe. I didn’t know if they were wise men or just wise guys.

I had a friend who called me in a panic and said, “My house is on fire and is burning up.” I knew he was distraught and meant his house was burning down.

Why do you have to fill in a form when they ask you to fill it out?

I spent time looking for the boxing ring at the gym before someone told me it was the square thing in the corner.

A friend told me I had a lot of odds and ends in my house, but he didn’t tell me which were the odds, and which were the ends.

These are just a few examples that demonstrate the creativity of the human mind. I don’t think the right hand was talking to the left hand when they created the language. I didn’t even know the hands spoke to each other.

I just found out that cows killed more people than sharks. I was amazed. I didn’t even know that cows killed sharks.