Don't Argue, Testify....

A couple of years ago I had lunch with a friend who is a part time preacher; he is a great guy and has very firm beliefs -- as one would expect of a leader. He loved to argue scripture and could quote chapter and verse at death defying speed. This man is still preaching today and leading a church in our area, he devotes his free time to service and for him what he is doing is a great, but it is not and never will be for me.

Faith is a deeply personal thing and true faith is not something anyone can be talked into. If someone can be talked into believing in a deity by clever arguments then a better orator can talk that same person out of that belief. That is not faith, that is logic, or at least a poor attempt at logic, and faith is not logical. Faith is a deeply held certainty that something is true regardless of any visible, logical or provable factors.

As humans we love to argue, to hear our own voices and to “prove” to ourselves and anyone who will listen that we are right. I am doing that right now, but I try to hide it by cleverly denying that I like to argue. Arguing that I don’t argue, so to speak.

Anyway my point is, if you want to talk to someone about your faith don’t argue with them over who is right and who is wrong. Just tell them how you feel and what your faith has done for you.

Testify.

There used to be a guy on TV selling an herbal diet drink that understood this concept better than anyone else I have ever heard. When people would ask him an overly technical question he would answer something like, “ I’m not sure about that, but let me tell you how it affected me.” And from there he would tell them truthfully of his experience. People can and will argue over minute and meaningless details, but how can they argue over your experiences? They may be asking for an argument but you will answer them with a living example from your own life.

The next time someone asks you an argumentative question like "How can a loving god allow war?" don’t fight with them or defend your beliefs. Don’t try and prove to them or yourself that your are right, or smart, or clever. Instead be sincere, be honest, be vulnerable, and tell them how your faith has helped you in this life.

Testify.

The Search for Fall Colors

On the second day of our trip we came across this church, which has been going continously since 1890, looking at the old cross leaning on the tree under the incredible colors of fall was one of the nicest things I have ever seen. Faith is a very personal thing and I try not to preach, there are enough good preachers in this world that no one should ever have to listen to me try, but if seeing God's creation at this time of year doesn't stir something in your soul then you need to go out and take a second look.

God doesn't live in a church, or a temple made by the hand of man, he is everywhere. He certainly is here, as witnessed this by month of Ocotber 2009. What a sight to behold.

We desperately wanted to camp this trip after the great time we had on the last adventure, but all the campgrounds in the area are closed due to the threat of an early freeze. Since deer hunting season opened this weekend I didn't want to just dry camp in the middle of the forest. Not that I fear or think poorly of hunters, I do not in any way, it's just the dust that will be kicked up by all the traffic on opening weekend. When it's dry like this the dust gets so thick you can taste it. So, we roughed it at the Best Western. It is awfully nice to have a warm bed between trips out to see the fall colors. We were treated to a pretty spectacular set of golds as soon as we hit the mountains. This shot is from a spot near Mill Creek, CA named Childs Meadow.

Right before dinner on the first night I looked out the window and the sunset was going crazy, I jumped up and started throwing gear into a bag trying to get to the lake before it went totally dark. My poor wife was trying to help and I asked her to set up the tripod. She was so excited she extended all 4 legs out to seven feet tall and locked them down with Godzilla like strength. If I were tall enough to reach up there and attach my camera I could never have seen through the viewfinder. Anyone who knows me can testify that I am not seven feet tall, and my vertical leap is around 4 inches. I briefly considered getting a step stool since the legs were locked down so tight I could not budge them. After our comedy of errors we managed to get this shot setup with a series exposures ranging from about 4 to 30 seconds before it went black. It was well worth the effort, this was one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen, and to spend it with my best friend while producing art made it that much better.

Thanks for coming along and if you got this far, thanks for reading!

JP

Nobody Beats the Weather

It's been a wonderful six days but it is time to pull the chocks and go, there is a big storm coming in for the next couple of days and my kids are going to be home this weekend, hopefully both of them.

No camping trip on earth is better than a dinner at home with my family. It is so rare that we get together anymore. Everyone has their own lives and issues to deal with and scheduling conflicts make together time a special thing.

So it's goodbye seafood and hello ranch country.

I am going to miss the clam chowder, it just doesn't taste the same when you are 200 miles from the  ocean. The journey home is a long one, but expectations grow with every mile. There is nothing as good as going home after an abscence, even a slight one.

Goodbye Brookings, we will see you again in June!

Whaleshead State Beach

whaleshead 72_1080_web, originally uploaded by plattj1.

So far it's another incredibly sunny day... We braved the dirt road to Whaleshead Beach State Park, what a great little spot. We have been here before with my kids about 18 years ago. It looks exactly the same. No graffiti, everything in working order and a nice people enjoying the Pacific Ocean.

Why is it that Oregon can maintain their state parks and beaches and California cannot? Virtually everywhere we stop the facilities are clean and in working condition. There are park employees out working and the infrastructure is not crumbling and destroyed. I know it is not due to lack of use, you have to make reservations at some of these campgrounds up to 9 months in advance, they are full every night.

It is embarrassing to compare the way California treats the parks and public spaces they are responsible for, our stewardship is horrible. All of the people I know who camp, hunt or fish feel the same way I do, we pay our taxes and the demanded fees to use the parks but find they are falling apart around us. I just want to know where the money is going. Obviously it is possible to have a great park system, the drive from Patrick’s Point State Park in Trinidad, CA to Harris Beach State Park in Brookings, OR only takes 2 hours. They are both geographically spectacular, however only one is cared for properly.

Stewardship says a lot about the inner life of the steward in charge, in this case  what is being looked after is not the public spaces for future generations. By all appearances those we have entrusted with our facilities are choosing to devour the park funds for some other area. Our California parks and public spaces need a new steward, one who cares for them first.

A Day at The Beach

Sunny and warm with a breeze out of the north.

After a nice shower (free hot water - Yay!) in the campground we ran down to the beach to see what the day was like.

It was perfect.

The Pelicans were pounding the shore and practicing their close formation flying manuvers to the delight of the crowds. They fly inches apart and dive from 100' like a precision flying team. What a show.

Since it was time for lunch we headed to the harbor where the Pelicans go to rest and relax, that seemed like a good idea so we had lunch and hung around for a couple of hours. After a nice meal it was back to the campground for a quick Photoshop session and some afternoon reading.

Thanks for looking, I hope you like Pelicans.

Random Acts of Kindness

Well we made it to Harris State Beach in Oregon, what a great campground. The mornings are foggy but the evenings are clear and wonderful. We had a first today; we went out to start the truck and it died instantly -- which was a HUGE suprise, our truck has been a faithful beast for the past 5 years.

No problem, out with the AAA card and minutes later there was a tow truck en-route, as an afterthought I asked the operator to call the dealership and make sure there was a diesel mechanic on duty. The service writer asked me if I had lost prime. Doing my best imitation of someone who had the slightest idea of what he was talking about I said; "Maybe, let me check, how do I do that again?" After being directed to the priming button and pumping it, the truck started right up and ran great for the rest of the day.

That was the second act of kindness bestowed upon me in the past two days. Yesterday after pulling 14,000 pounds up the side of a mountain I noticed that my rear tires were underinflated. Off to the nearest mini-mart I went with 35 feet of 5th wheel in tow. None of the .25 cent air machines would put any air in my tires, they do not fill past about 40 pounds and I was trying for 80 plus. Pulling back onto the highway I rolled into Trinity Tire Center in Weaverville, CA where the service writer was trying to enjoy a quiet lunch. After hearing my tale he jumped up and said let's get you back on the road safely. With no small effort he untangled a LONG air hose and filled the tires on my truck, all the while his lunch was waiting and he refused any fee.

Anyone with doubts that California is still full of wonderful folks should get out more, there are still plenty of people willing to lend a hand to a traveler in need.

There is more to share, like the way my dog thinks that seagulls were created for his entertainment, or how much fun it was to see a little boy about 3 years old yell "Hi" at every boat in the Chetco river because his mom told him daddy was on one of those boats fishing.

More tomorrow....

Harvest Moon

I spent an hour watching the moon go by last night, what an enjoyable time that was. It is so infrequent that we take time to gaze at the night sky anymore. It really is awe inspiring. For you tech weenies, this is 3 exposures blended in Photomatix, I started with raw files of -4 ev, -2 ev and 0 or a correct exposure. The dark edge was burned a little and the saturation was barely turned up. The WB was auto, I believe the warmth is because of fires in the area. It was resized, sharpened in CS4 and posted.

Take the time to look at the sky soon, it is quite inspiring.

If anyone out there needs a reason to slow down and think about what matters most in life I would like to introduce you to my friend Pepper Benz, his story needs no embellishment from me, it speaks for itself.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/pepperbenz

Enjoy every day as the gift that it is....

Railroad Days

The wife and I are looking for a place to introduce the in-laws to camping. We had heard about a nice little park in Dunsmuir which features a railroad museum, so off we went with our Subway sandwiches and our faithful sidekick Rocky (our mini-Schnauzer) for a quick look. We found a very nice little park and some cool railroad cars. We may end up spending a weekend there soon.

Many of the cars are fully restored, but my favorites were the older cars which showed their age. It's a great place to stop for a meal if you are on I-5 in the Dunsmuir area.

I doubt that the cars were this bright and pretty when they were hauling freight around the Northwest, but they sure look nice now.

Enjoy!