Sign the Golden Rule Resolution - a Global Ethic for a Global Civilization

Most of us, at one time or another, have wished that we could send a unified message to "the powers that be". A message telling them that we expect them to treat our planet and everything on it, including us, with care and respect. The Golden Rule Resolution is that message.

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Buried Treasure...

So Don and Judy arrive at our place...
"Hey Jan" "Hey John" "Hey, everybody."
"Look what I found! This old lantern I got at the antique store! Look what I found inside!"

I look at Don, waving this piece of paper in my face. What is he going on about now? You know, it's always something with Don.

"Look, Jan," says Don, "this paper was folded up inside and there's writing on here. I wonder what it says. And it looks real old! Look, it's even burned in spots! "

Jan (not the sharpest tool in the box) finally begins to realize that Don is doing a real good acting job here and I had better jump right in. Peter is over the other side of the cabin, not really paying attention, but listening like most 6 year olds do and not missing a word.

"Peter", says I, "Come look at this! What do you think this is? Wow - it looks like a map to me!" Peter's eyes are starting to get round and he's acting real shy and not saying much - but he's hooked.

We start to look more closely - is that our lake? what about that creek - hey Don, doesn't that go right by your place? -- Pete, do you remember that picnic table - we had a party there last year -- and what are these marks? are they clues?

Well, to make a long story short - Don and Peter made a date to meet at his place the next morning at 10am - and Peter had better bring a shovel and maybe even a backpack. Don was going to go over to see another friend of his - Keelan, who was only 5 years old to see if she would like to help Peter with the clues on this map...

Next morning, everyone gathered for the reading of this map! There were a couple of young ladies who volunteered to help Peter and Keelan follow the clues... and all the rest of us followed - how could we not ???


Boy, am I glad we wore lots of bug spray - the trail took us along the lake shore and then plunged us into the bush where there were huge mushrooms and giant ferns and lots of mosquitos buzzing around...


Pete and his friends followed the clues and when they decided they must be in the right place, why they started digging around till they heard something go 'clunk'

There was this big, heavy tin box and the lid fell off and there were coins flying everywhere - well - everyone helped the kids fill their backpacks and they carried the loot back to the picnic table where everyone stood around in awe looking at the pile of coins.

Don suggested that the only thing left to do now was to divide the loot. So Peter and Keelan shared their find went home ready to visit the candy store, lots! Right Pete ???

Wow - what a day that was!

later man, jan

Interview with Ann Rice...

Anyone with a spare half hour can listen to this Audio Interview with Ann Rice...

...quoted from Oneplace.com ... in a broadcast from "the White Horse Inn, Michael Horton talks with Anne Rice, author of numerous books in the Vampire Chronicles series and Christ the Lord, Out of Egypt. In particular, the focus of the conversation revolves around her return to the Christian faith and her belief in the general reliability and historicity of the New Testament texts after years as an atheist."

couple of comments - she thinks Dan Brown's book was 'a hoot' and that he 'lied about absolutely everything'.

I don't ever want to be so sure about my faith that I can't be open to the voice I really need to hear - sigh
later man, jan

Trish - did we miss 2004?

2003

This was 2005 - if you look close, you can see Morgan :)

and then 2006

and just this year 2007


this was all I could find - maybe you didn't come out that year??
where have the years flown...
later man, jan

Momma Sandpiper lays guilt trip on me...

So - we're enjoying a day on our beach...
I'm in the water and talking to Sandra who is on a towel next to Meghan, soaking up the sun...
Look, Sandra, right behind you...
There's a sandpiper going in and out from under that tiny little foot high fir tree...
I wonder if there are good bugs in there...
Wait, maybe she has a nest...


Yep - four beige eggs with mottled brown spots - almost as big as the bird herself...
Right there on our high water line...
Right there where I have cleared the beach of grass and rocks and the water is great for swimming without having to trek 5 minutes down the sand to Grants place...
Where's that bird book...
Spotted Sandpiper - right - 20 days to hatch...
Sometimes lays more than one nest and one of her male playmates will be left to guard a nest...
So maybe she is actually a he - I'll never know :)
Sigh...

After two weeks of trying to stay as far away as possible, she finally stays in the vicinity and if I sit quietly, she will come back to the nest...
But we had to come home...
And they hadn't hatched yet...
Maybe when they hatch, that great big garter snake Sandra found will be waiting greedily for them...
We'll see what next week brings...

Anyway - we had a lot of luck with wildlife this trip...
Horned Grebes doing their daily bathing right out front...
Loons being noisily chased from a select piece of grassy beach by a Merganser duck...
Wonderful time watching a bald eagle while out in the boat (Rose, hope your photos are good, mine are too far away to see clearly)...
The Red Naped Sapsucker found a friend and the two were chasing each other through the trees for a couple of days...
And the usual hummingbirds at the feeder - but only 3 this year...
Oops - don't forget the bears - Al won't - but at least we found that Katie will actually bark at them - we thought she only noticed tennis balls. Although, she did tree one while chasing the ball, and came home without seeing the bear, but John saw it go up the tree. She'll learn, she's new to all this...

later man, jan