Hello December!

Simple theme this week for the Headbangers---Hello December!

Simple, well, maybe, maybe not. My header image is a luminaria, used in some areas to light  a path during December's holiday celebrations. Originally from the Southwest, I think. And we just came from there, traveling this morning through snowy Meachem Pass in Eastern Oregon.

This luminaria was one of only a few which stayed lit the evening a couple of Decembers ago when we visited the Yakima Arboretum during their luminaria events. Maybe that is why these lights welcome December in the Southwest and not so much in our snowy Northwest.

Welcome, December!

Visit other Headbangers to see how they are welcoming December. You will find their links in my sidebar.

ABC Revisiting T

Revisiting Seattle's Troll.

He resides below the Aurora Bridge in the Fremont district.

Yes, that is a Volkswagen beetle in his left hand, and that is me standing up there.

Thoroughly investigated.

ABC Wednesday--in its 9th Round. Wow!

Four Legged Turkey?

Not that odd...



DD cooked two.


Be sure to visit odd shot posters who link below.

Sunday's Psalm--First Sunday of Advent

Lord, make us turn to you; 

let us see your face and we shall be saved.
O shepherd of Israel, hearken,
from your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth.
Rouse your power,
and come to save us.

 Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
Once again, O LORD of hosts,
look down from heaven, and see;
take care of this vine,
and protect what your right hand has planted
the son of man whom you yourself made strong.

 Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
May your help be with the man of your right hand,
with the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
Then we will no more withdraw from you;
give us new life, and we will call upon your name.

Lord, make us turn to you; 

 let us see your face and we shall be saved.

from Psalm 80

Visit Robert at Daily Athens to see more illustrated Psalms today. 

Turkey Trot Sunrise

Thanksgiving Morning in Mesa, Arizona

Skywatch Friday

Headbanger Challenge--Thanks

Eventually the choice of this week's theme descended upon me, and, having pondered some other ideas as my date for choosing either was conveyed to me in error, was misunderstood by me, or actually changed, as the actual date came I offered the topic of "Thanks".

It is not coincidence that the Americans among the group are celebrating the holiday of Thanksgiving this week, but the fact is that any time is a perfect time for  "Thanks". The theme could have been done six weeks from now or six months from now and been just as valid.

As a society, we have too much let the holiday boil down to football (the American variety), commercialized parades with gigantic balloons, and too much food, so calling attention to what its meaning should be won't be a bad idea either. (Maybe six weeks from now or six months from now would have been better.)

I had ancestors in Plymouth Colony where the first Thanksgiving was celebrated  in 1621. They had not come on the Mayflower, but on "the second boat", so to speak. Things did not go all that smoothly for them, as one was kicked out of the colony on two separate occasions--on one of them having had to leave through a gauntlet of rifle toting colonists whacking him on the behind as he departed. He later ran afoul of the natives as well, and was murdered by Indians. I guess I could say "Thanks" that I am here to tell of it.

Now the other bit is that, having declared the theme to be "Thanks", I promptly left most of my photo files at home and left for the holiday. So my options for a header must come from my limited collection of photos resident on the laptop (most of this year), those I have used in my blogs in the past, and those I can take now. Thus I call your attention to my header collection page to see many things I am thankful for that are not included--as my past headers have pretty much always represented something dear to me in some way.

So now I must peruse my available files, and come up with something both "Thankful" and adequately pleasing to my eye to top the blog for the next week.

Visit the other headbangers, listed in the sidebar, to see how they interpret the theme of "Thanks".

ABC Revisiting S

Seattle


I  am revisiting favorite places during this round of ABC Wednesday.

To see what others are posting for S, visit the ABC site.

Not Likely!

Odd Shots

Sunday's Psalm--Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King

ABC Revisiting R

Rainier, of course.

ABC Wednesday

Odd visitor

Not having an odd shot handy in the files, I went poking around in some boxes of snapshots from film days. This puppet --I would call it a puppet -- was snapped at Bumbershoot, a festival at Seattle Center a few years ago.

I should have used it for the headbangers weird and wonderful theme last week.

But it is odd.

Share your Odd Shot in the linky and please be sure to visit and comment on other Odd Shotters.

Sunday's Psalm--33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

Blessed are you who fear the LORD,


who walk in his ways!


For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;


blessed shall you be, and favored.


Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

 Your wife shall be 

like a fruitful vine

in the recesses of your home;

Your children like olive plants

around your table.

Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

Behold, thus is the man blessed

who fears the LORD.

The LORD bless you from Zion:

may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem

all the days of your life.

Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

from Psalm 128

Find others who have illustrated the Psalms at Daily Athens each Sunday. 

Headbangers--Weird and Wonderful

The Headbangers theme, presented to us this week by Dave, is Weird and Wonderful. I was welcomed by the Headbangers last week and managed a silver shield.

With this week's theme I am taking you to several National Parks of the American West. The header itself it my favorite mountain topped by one of its famous lenticular clouds. Those are a weird and wonderful treat to see.

These other National Park sights are weird and wonderful as well:

A "fin" and hoodoos at Bryce Canyon National Park

This weird and wonderful hoodoo is actually at Arches National Park  supports a balancing rock. Hoodoos, arches, and fins are typical of the red rock parks of southern Utah and northern Arizona.

We found this weird and wonderful phenomenon at Yosemite National Park near Mirror Lake. An area where hundreds of people do some rock stacking each year. Yes, each year over the summer season the rocks are stacked, then the winter's snow does the demolishing job so they can start again.

Stalactites? Or Stalagmites? I knew at one time. These weird and wonderful creations are at Lehmann Caves at Great Basin National Park.

 Another weird and wonderful place--very weird--that we have visited is a castle. Yes, we visited phenomenal Edinburgh Castle and Lincoln Castle and several castles and palaces when we were in the UK. But this particular castle is located in a suburb of Los Angeles. It is called Rubel's Castle, and I wrote about it here.

I mean, really--a portcullis? in Southern California?

 This castle was built, helter skelter, by one eccentric Southern Californian, and he included all sorts of strange things.

 This is the top of the clock tower. Really, follow the link and read about the clock tower and the clock.

One really weird and wonderful thing about this place--we stopped by to visit my cousin Terry and she said, "Oh, yes, you are going through Rubel's Castle--I went to school with Mike Rubel."

And you thought some of your classmates were weird!

Check out the other headbangers. they are listed in my sidebar.

ABC Revisiting Q

 Q

ABC Wednesday today we are posting Q

In this case, I am posting queue.

Where better to find a queue than in London--in the London Underground--waiting on the Picadilly Line.

Or a queue of double deckers queued up waiting to take you to your next sight.

All those folks watching the changing of the guard are queued up to see the Crown Jewels.

ABC Wednesday--Q

munch lunch

The dinosaur has a name that I have forgotten. He resides on the Google campus with his flamingo friends. I took this odd shot during my Google visit a couple of months ago.

Sunday's Psalm--32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
O God, you are my God whom I seek;
for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts

like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water.

My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

Thus have I gazed toward you in the sanctuary

to see your power and your glory,

For your kindness is a greater good than life;

my lips shall glorify you.




My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

Thus will I bless you while I live;
lifting up my hands, I will call upon your name.

As with the riches of a banquet shall my soul be satisfied,
and with exultant lips my mouth shall praise you.

My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

I will remember you upon my couch,
and through the night-watches I will meditate on you:

You are my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy.

My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

from Psalm 63

Others also illustrate the Psalms each Sunday. You can find them linked at Daily Athens.

Weekend Reflection

I was looking for a particular photo and along the way found this one, forgotten, in the files. Who would have thought that a culvert could be so artistic?

Weekend Reflections

Watchful Sky

Skywatch Friday

Headbangers--my first week

So I finally accept the invitation to be a Headbanger. And then Imac gives me this week's theme.

Sanguine

Sanguine?

I'm not sure whose choice that was, but thanks a lot, guys. This leaves me banging my head indeed.

I told Imac I had something in mind, but when I went and looked, I thought oooooooooo-nooooooooo. I don't think I want that at the top of my blog for the next week. In fact, I will only share this bit of haunting in a very small form--click to enlarge if you really want to see all the gory detail that I had forgotten from a couple of Halloweens ago.

But besides referring directly to blood, sanguine also means:

of a cheerful disposition or a ruddy complexion that sometimes goes with it

kind of like my Halloween persona

or blood-red in color, like these fall leaves.

And then I realized that my fall colors from last week are also blood-red. And so, I think I will leave them there as none of these others are better, and hope for an easier theme for next week.

The Headbangers vote as to the best interpretation of the theme, and so, I refer you to them in the list in my sidebar to see what you think. Did I do okay for a beginner headbanger?

ABC Revisiting P

During our visit to the  Scottish Highlands last year we hiked the peak                               Stac Pollaidh, pronounced Stack Polly.  The summit is a crest of sandstone with lots of pinnacles and gullies. It is a bit over 2000 feet in elevation.  

Our whole group started out from the carpark across the road. The heather covered base of the mountain was a lovely hike. 

While the younger members of our group scaled the crumbly peak, we seniors enjoyed the view of Cul Mor, the mountain we had claimed the previous day. Rain and mist are part of the mystique of the Highlands. You can just imagine Brigadoon appearing and disappearing right before your eyes.

 Back around all the way and down, Stac Pollaidh was the last peak we hiked that week.

ABC Wednesday once again at the letter P. Next week will be interesting.