I think that anyone who likes camp, I mean really camp, in the mountains enjoys the campfire tradition. I have never been camping without seeing everyone in the entire campsite, sit by the campfire in the morning, and especially in the evening to cap off the day.

Ok, I understand. I understand that we are in another drought and water must be limited. I understand as a result, the necessity for National Parks in California to ban campfires for all campers this summer, they have done it before.

However this understanding is not without disappointment. We had already planned our yearly Summer camping trip. We had already made our campsite reservations albeit pre-COVID reservations were not necessary. We jumped through the reservation hoops and we diligently trolled the reservation website for DAYS to reserve a campsite spot. We also had already purchased a lot of our camping trip groceries.

Yesterday, we received an email from the reservation site stating that beginning July 1, ALL campfires are banned due to fire restrictions. There will be no campsite campfires. There will be no smore making at the campfire. There will be no connection time with your loved one, or new friends by the campfire because there will be no campfires.

Lousy.

The campfire is part of the overall camping experience. For us, without the campfire staple, decisions must be made. Anyone who likes to camp, I mean really camp, understands that we have begrudgingly cancelled our camping reservations for 2021.

Sigh. Last year – COVID, campsites closed. The previous year – ear surgery for Bonnie, no dirt or water. This year – campfire restrictions. Hopefully the summer of 2022 will be without restrictions or reason for cancellation.

We need to not have yearly droughts. We need predictable precipitation so that yearly droughts are the exception, and not the norm. We need an environmental miracle. Mother Nature, are you listening?

Just posted under the Dreams tab is an essay titled Mechanicalism. I don’t usually title the Home Post entry with the same name of any essay posts, but this one was creepy enough for me to want to duplicate. I want no part of Mechanicalism.

Under the Musings tab is a newly published essay titled When I Grow Up. It’s interesting how we are sometimes led to places and ideas that were never intended when we started. I had no idea ‘where I was going’ when I began the essay, it just happened. And what a wonderful direction it took. The concept has now added a new facet to my approach in my teaching practice. Exciting!

Before you go about your daily business today, think about who you are, where you are, and who you will or may encounter. There are great things in foresight and hindsight. In the I Remember tab is a newly published short essay titled Monumental. It’s a childhood memory, which in hindsight was an indicator of ‘who’ I was then as an individual, and who I still am as an adult. It is interesting how we often don’t think about some things, until we actually think about some things.

It is oddly interesting how our own vocabulary may have deep meaning depending on the context in which it is used. I love to learn. I always want to know more, and therefore am always in search of more meaning to everything. The first piece of today’s title is more of a blanket statement that describes an internal and personal passion.

The latter portion of today’s title has a profound connotation the first part did not. By simply swapping two words in a sentence there is now deep meaning to ponder. Something in which takes the person ‘out of themselves’ and into the lives of others.

Learn to Love. These are words to live by.

Just added to the Sky tab is an image taken from yesterday’s display of molecular beauty. Those who know me, knew that I was taking pictures of the Sky. How could I not? It’s like a painting that is always in a morphed state, a story that is always changing. For me there is no such thing as monotony in the Sky, rather giddy excitement of what Is.

Fear of Failure is something that most likely affects all of us in some form or another. Those that possess any one or all of the Five Intensities/Overexcitabilities, from Polish psychologist Kazimierz Dabrowski’s past research, are highly affected by the fear of failure. So much so that we will often not even attempt to do something just because it might not be done perfectly, as such we have invited the fear of failure in our thinking.

I have attempted and succeeded much in my life, mostly through reckless abandon, and it has served me well.

There must be a very good reason why years ago I saw the following statement in print somewhere “Without The Risk Of Failure, There Is No Success.” The small things are Big to some people. Trust in the ability to succeed and take the risk. As works in progress, no one should allow themselves to be burdened with FOF.

I just finished an essay found under the Musings tab titled The Ravages of Linear Time. In it I describe circumstances in life that change due to biological entropic reality. While this sounds of doom-and-gloom, I was moved in the days while writing the piece to understand a different perspective, a different viewpoint. One that allowed me to finish writing it with a smile. I’m going to hold on to that smile.

Queen’s last studio album before Freddy Mercury died, Innuendo, was recorded shortly before his death in 1991. It is one awesome album! I was listening to it recently and there are many songs on the album that are very reflective on life and love, all while maintaining vintage Freddy. I’ve been playing one song in particular titled These Are the Days of Our Lives and over the recent days I have listened to it over and over again. The song’s lyrics sparked a lot of self-reflection in me.

Under the Art Center tab is a newly published piece titled Water Frisbee. It’s an essay on one of those carefree days in my life that brings back wonderful memories. The piece may just spark a fond memory within you.

While I had hoped to see the Blood Moon this morning, I did not. Our sky was covered with a layer of thin clouds. However, I did capture some images from yesterday of these thin, wistful clouds. One of these beauties can be seen in the Sky tab, Sky 5/25/21.