The great Columbia River Gorge

The most beautiful of all my childhood memories was traveling back and forth through the Columbia River Gorge. We lived in what was then called Eastern Oregon, and to go almost anywhere we would follow the Columbia River.  To a child, the mountains we wound through were so majestic and green and filled with trees. The winter was even more so, with all the snow hanging on the trees and the waterfalls becoming shimmering ice.

Below is a photo of Multnomah Falls, the greatest waterfall in the gorge, from the blog of Captain Hops

Another photo, taken by Dave Johnson of Tigard, Oregon, shows the incredible ice of Horsetail Falls. It is known for being able to send spray as far as the highway and freezing so solid in the winter that people can walk on the ice.



If you can, picture me as a child, sitting in the back seat of the car, watching the wide, strong Columbia River rolling past from one window - and then craning my neck to see the immense slopes through the other window. I always felt such a strength and blessing from God here.

Hood River, Oregon , located in the gorge has an excellent broshure/slideshow of the area.

Japan: Dolphins & Whales

I have been searching out more information on the Japanese slaughter of whales, and have found they are also slaughtering dolphins. There is another website devoted to saving the Japanese dolphins, http://www.savejapandolphins.org/  It is headed by Ric O' Barry, who has produced a documentary called The Cove, for the Animal Planet Channel. It won the feature documentary Oscar this year. It seems there will also be a television series on Animal Planet called Blood Dolphins, by Ric O'Barry.

Ric O'Barry began working with Dolphins in the 1960's. He was the trainer for the dolphins in the television show Flipper. He was so moved when one of them died in his arms, from an apparent suicide, that he has fought to keep the dolphins free ever since. The cove he documented in Japan is where 23,000 dolphins are killed every year.

Wikipedia also has a good article on the Japanese killing of whales and dolphins, giving both sides of the situation. The argument seems to be based on whether whales and dolphins are still endangered. I find it very sad that more consideration is not given to the intelligence of these creatures. Endangered or not....

My most wonderful twitter friends - Ariaa Jaeger

Each day on twitter I am so uplifted by Ariaa, and I have found so many good people to follow on twitter from her retweets. Her last message was about saving the whales of Japan. The petition is at http://www.savethewhalesnow.org/

Many years ago, she had a powerful spiritual experience in the high Alps of Austria. Since then she has become an intuitive singer, poet, visionary, prophet and spiritual counselor. She was selected by Huffington Post as one of the 16 people on Twitter who inspire the world.

Her music is available for download on her website, along with many other services, including prayer requests. Ariaa's Website . There are also links to follow her on Twitter and Facebook on her main page.

 

Outlook from Salt Lake City

I am starting this new blog to share my opinions of the special and good things I have found in my life. I am in awe at how much social media has opened the world up to us all.

This photo is from my cellphone this morning, when I walked in Sugarhouse as the sun cleared the mountains.

Let us keep in touch with the fresh promise of each day; and remember that as the clouds are touched with light, so are we.