Almost Gone

From Tor.com's newsletter:

Good Riddance, but Now What?
by Ogden Nash

Come, children, gather round my knee;
Something is about to be.
Tonight's December Thirty-First,
Something is about to burst.
The clock is crouching, dark and small,
Like a time bomb in the hall.
Hark! It's midnight, children dear.
Duck! Here comes another year.

To End The Year in Appropriate Fashion

Back in November (yes, all that long ago) we "kicked" off the holiday season around here with Straight No Chaser's Christmas Can-Can. What better way to bring the season to a close with a beautiful acapella version of the New Year's Eve Favorite, Auld Lang Syne.



Be safe out there tonight.

Forgive Me, Charlie Parker

For no reason in particular, and certainly none that would make any sense, I share this wonderful video moment of class and harmony that only proves that there is too much sax and violence around. (Found in an evening of pointless surfing on You Tube.)

Relive the Blizzard

A fine short film capturing the recent east coast blizzard. Roger Ebert liked it:

This film deserves to win the Academy Award for best live-action short subject.
(1) Because of its wonderful quality. (2) Because of its role as homage. It is directly inspired by Dziga Vertov's 1929 silent classic "Man With a Movie Camera." (3) Because it represents an almost unbelievable technical proficiency. It was filmed during the New York blizzard of Dec. 26, and Jamie Stuart e-mailed it to me with this time stamp: December 27, 2010 4:18:18 PM CST.

Wow.

In Memoriam: Dr. Billy Taylor

Jazz pianist and educator extraordinaire Dr. Billy Taylor has died at age 89. (July 24, 1921 – December 28, 2010)

Here is a video of him in performance. Remarkable, smooth, and cool. This is from 2001- when Billy was already 80!!!
 (Wikipedia; Official website; Billy Taylor You Tube Channel)



And his great composition, a civil rights anthem, I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free.

THAT Was Quite a Storm

It's well known among train buffs as the Rockville bridge, the world's longest stone arch bridge. It is north of Harrisburg, PA, on the old Pennsylvania RR mainline. Back in the early 80s I went there several times with another railfan friend for some photo time.

Rockville Bridge over the Susquehanna River
pmPilgrim picture, 1981

The Rockville Bridge, at the time of its completion in 1902, was, and still remains, the longest stone masonry arch railroad viaduct in the world.[1] Constructed between 1900 - 1902 by the Pennsylvania Railroad, it has forty-eight 70-foot spans, for a total length of 3,820 feet (1,164m).
(Wikipedia)

Conrail heading west over the Rockville Bridge
pmPilgrim picture, 1981 

The bridge crosses the Susquehanna River about 5 miles (8 km) north of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The eastern end is in Rockville and the western end is just south of Marysville.
(Wikipedia)

Rockville Bridge north of Harrisburg, PA
pmPilgrim picture, 1981 

Well, on Monday, as the Big Blizzard of 2010 was winding down along the east coast, the winds were, well, blizzard strength. A Norfolk Southern freight was heading westbound to Chicago when it was derailed.

Two empty containers even ended up in the Susquehanna.

The blizzard part of the storm didn't hit that part of the state, but the power of the wind is obvious. The gust was probably at least 50 mph.

--pennlive.com and the Patriot-News

Another Winter Sunday

Winter Sundays can be amazing in the rural southeastern Minnesota landscape. Heading to church is turned into a winter wonderland. It was a cloudy day, but at that one moment there was a bit of light in the east that added to the mystique.


After church- off to Whitewater State Park for another snowshoe hike. It was a cloudy day so the bright blue sky didn't make the snow and trees stand out quite as much as they did last week. But the Whitewater River was as photogenic as always.



It's hard to see, but to the left of the sign are a bunch of animal tracks- crossing thin ice.


The brown and white colors, highlighted by gray, provide the opportunity for pictures galore, even with the downed tree I've watched before.



Even though the water keeps moving, ice forms and makes for gentle crystals.








And let's not forget the birds. I peeked around the corner and managed to get this one.


The extended forecast has major rain coming in on Thursday and Friday before freezing up on Saturday and sun next Sunday. All this snow could get really messed up if the storm continues the way predicted.  We'll see how this impacts the snow show at Whitewater.

Christmas 2010

Peace Plaza, downtown Rochester, MN

December 25 -
The Sunday After Christmas


Christmas is a time to open our hearts to God and his gifts.  Just like the rest of the year.  

~Author Unknown

I Think I Know One Popular Gift

I bought by wife a Nook for Christmas. As we played around with setting it up I could not get the registration to work. So I went online to see what my account is and discovered the problem. Barnes and Noble was overloaded. Server busy. Try again later.

Even after I finally got logged on and was doing some looking online, it was still slow. Very slow. I have a hunch that there were many people entering the eBook world today.

Christmas Day

December 25

Luke 2:1-20

In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” 

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Christmas Eve: Morning Star

In me shine, Jesus mine,
Fill my heart with light divine.



From Christi and David Melby-Gibbons of the GAPS community in Downey, CA.

Advent Calendar: Christmas Eve

Berea Moravian Church, St. Charles, MN

December 24

Except the Christ be born again tonight
In dreams of all men, saints and sons of shame,
The world will never see his kingdom bright.
~Vachel Lindsay

Why the Incarnation Matters

Got this from The Beatitudes Society Weekly Circuit Reader. It fits right in with what I have been reading and meditating on this Christmas season:

"In the scandalous Christmas stories of God-made-flesh, we see crystallized in Jesus the promise of a world transformed, a world of justice and peace where empire must be challenged, where God asks sleeping, frightened shepherds -- like us -- to jump up and run. God still comes, God is still being born, in our tired world. Incarnation calls us to face into the future, and to put flesh on Micah's ancient dream: ". . . they shall all sit under their own fig trees and no one shall make them afraid."
--~ From Anne Howard’s response to
Patheos December blogging challenge
"Why the Incarnation Matters."

Advent Calendar 2010: Day Twenty-three

Peace Plaza, downtown Rochester, MN

December 23

I can understand people simply fleeing the mountainous effort Christmas has become... 

but there are always a few saving graces and finally they make up for all the bother and distress.  
~May Sarton

Familiar Place Never Seen Like This

I did my first winter adventure on Sunday afternoon. I went snowshoeing at Whitewater State Park by Elba, MN. I have shared many spring through fall pictures from there. It is a remarkably scenic and wondrous place. Earlier this fall I thought that I am missing a portion of the year at the park. Winter.

Now, I am not a winter person. I don't like being cold. Many years ago now I tried downhill skiing but it took too much skill. I have done some cross-country skiing- but very little. When I was young I went ice-skating at the Brick Pond, but never liked it. I have never lived where it is warm in the winter- I just stay inside.

But as my bicycling and hiking season came to a close I realized that one of my problems is that I don't get enough outside time in the winter. Skiing is out. Running? Nah- I can't take pictures when I run. So why not try snowshoes. Fortunately Whitewater Park rents them. So Sunday I tried them out. I went to the place I know best at the park- the river crossing behind the park office.

Sunday night I ordered my own pair of snowshoes. I don't think our almost 40" of snow is going to disappear very soon.

Advent Calendar 2010: Day Twenty-Two

December 22- A World-Wide Fellowship: Christmas raavananja neram - Mochanam

Lest We Get Lost in Seriousness

Yes, it is so easy to get lost in seriousness. It is so easy to get bogged down in keeping the spirit of Christmas from becoming just another commercial holiday. We can lose our sense of who we are as people. So, to prevent that from overcoming us on this however many days before Christmas it may be, let me give you a quote from the great philosopher, Dave Barry:

In the old days, it was not called the Holiday Season; the Christians called it 'Christmas' and went to church; the Jews called it 'Hanukkah' and went to synagogue; the atheists went to parties and drank. People passing each other on the street would say 'Merry Christmas!' or 'Happy Hanukkah!' or (to the atheists) 'Look out for the wall!'

~Dave Barry, "Christmas Shopping: A Survivor's Guide"

Advent Calendar 2010: Day Twenty-one

Plummer Building and downtown Rochester, MN

December 21

When it's Christmas man is bigger and is better in his part;
He is keener for the service that is prompted by the heart.
All the petty thoughts and narrow seem to vanish for awhile
And the true reward he's seeking is the glory of a smile.
Then for others he is toiling and somehow it seems to me
That at Christmas he is almost what God wanted him to be.
--Edgar Guest

Advent Calendar 2010: Day Twenty

Berea Moravian Church, St. Charles, MN

December 20 -


It begins long before the first frost -
Somewhere between memory and reality.
It touches us with compassion
and whispers to us of hope.
It tiptoes into our hearts with elation
and opens our souls to faith.

Its name is Christmas and we have yet to learn
How to keep it close for more than
this one brief, shining moment.
Someday, perhaps... with love.
--Judith A. Lindberg

Advent Calendar 2010: Day Nineteen

Covenant Moravian Church, York, PA

 December 19 - The Fourth Sunday in Advent


Matthew 1:18-25

The Birth of Jesus the Messiah


Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel’,

which means, ‘God is with us.’ When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.

Googling Christmas "News"

Yeah- I thought that would be interesting. So last evening I put the single word "Christmas" into the Google News search bar.

The first story to show was:

• Experience: Christmas trees gave me a new lease of life

It was a "lifestyle" story about a guy who found life in forestry and Christmas trees after an accident left him seriously injured with a broken back.

The Guardian

The stories connected with that had the headlines:

• How Green Is Your Artificial Christmas Tree? You Might Be Surprised (New York Times)
• Americans are picky about the perfect Christmas tree (msnbc.com)
• Real Christmas trees vs. fake ones (Chicago Tribune (blog))

The second storyline:

• Diplomats Talk Kanye West's 'Christmas In Harlem'

No, not Hillary et. al. but other rappers in a group called the Diplomats.

Here's the link: MTV Maybe you can figure out what it's about.


The third storyline: Yep- you guessed it--

• Fox News Poll: Most Voters Say 'Merry Christmas'

Of course they have this bit of info:

[N]early half of Republicans (46 percent) and white born-again Christians (48 percent) would stop shopping at a store that refused to allow employees to say “Merry Christmas.”
Fox News

Disclaimer from Google at the bottom of the page lets us know that this is not in order of importance or anything else for that matter:

The selection and placement of stories on this page were determined automatically by a computer program.

I guess this proves nothing about Christmas and the media, other than it was interesting.

Advent Calendar 2010: Day Eighteen

December 18


There are stars who's light only reaches the earth long after they have fallen apart. There are people who's remembrance gives light in this world, long after they have passed away. This light shines in our darkest nights on the road we must follow.
--The Talmud

Advent Calendar 2010: Day Seventeen

Tree at Mayo Clinic in downtown Rochester, MN

December 17



To be a star, you must shine your own light, follow your own path, and don't worry about the darkness, for that is when the stars shine brightest.

Advent Calendar 2010: Day Sixteen

Poinsettias, St Marys Hospital, Rochester, MN

December 16


I am not alone at all, I thought. I was never alone at all. And that, of course, is the message of Christmas. We are never alone. Not when the night is darkest, the wind coldest, the world seemingly most indifferent. For this is still the time God chooses.
--Taylor Caldwell

More From The Blizzard

Last Sunday, later in the afternoon, I had to go out to the store, so I took my handy-dandy new Evo phone. Here are some of the pics from that late-in-the-day sojourn.

Snow piles from the parking lot next to where I often bike in the summer.

Same spot, just zoomed in a little with the sun showing through the needles.

There's the frozen creek with a pedestrian bridge in the background.

Seems useless in a blizzard.

Christmas wreathes at the Hy-Vee are really more appealing with the snow.

Advent Calendar 2010: Day Fifteen

December 15- A World-Wide Fellowship: Qaititsi Ilipsi (Inuit)

More Truth

From Seth Godin. He just continues to amaze with right-on-target insight:

Two things are always not true:

• Everyone likes this.

• No one likes this.

Sorry.

If you try to please everyone, the few you don't delight will either ruin your day or ruin your sense of what sort of product you should make.

And if you believe the critic who insists that no one is going to like what you made, you will walk away from a useful niche.

One other thing: Sometimes it's easy to confuse, "the small cadre of people I want to impress because my ego demands that this 'in' group is important," with "everyone." They're not the same.

Advent Calendar 2010: Day Fourteen

December 14

"This is Christmas: not the tinsel, not the giving and receiving, not even the carols, but the humble heart that receives anew the wondrous gift, the Christ."
--Frank McKibben

Can Retirement Be Far Behind?

Brett Favre was listed on Minnesota's inactive list with an injury that snapped his National Football League record for consecutive starts at 297, dating back to September 20, 1992 with the Green Bay Packers.

Age catches up with us all. In any case, over 18 years without missing a start is quite an accomplishment in such a beat-em-up sport.

Brett, thanks for a lot of memories of all kinds, even as a Viking.

And, since it has been posted at least half a gazillion times, I will not post the video of the roof collapse at the Metrodome. I will just say that the roof caving in is a good metaphor for the Vikings season.

Awesome, Amazing, Incredible...

Ever wanted a director's commentary of a space shuttle launch? Here it is, 45-minutes on You Tube.

Photographic documentation of a Space Shuttle launch plays a critical role in the engineering analysis and evaluation process that takes place during each and every mission. Motion and Still images enable Shuttle engineers to visually identify off-nominal events and conditions requiring corrective action to ensure mission safety and success. This imagery also provides highly inspirational and educational insight to those outside the NASA family.

This compilation of film and video presents the best of the best ground-based Shuttle motion imagery from STS-114, STS-117, and STS-124 missions. Rendered in the highest definition possible, this production is a tribute to the dozens of men and women of the Shuttle imaging team and the 30yrs of achievement of the Space Shuttle Program.

The video was produced by Matt Melis at the Glenn Research Center.

Advent Calendar 2010: Day Thirteen

Berea Moravian Church, St. Charles, MN

December 13


"The purpose and cause of the incarnation was that He might illuminate the world by His wisdom and excite it to the love of Himself."
--Peter Abelard

The Morning After

Up the road in Minneapolis, the Metrodome's roof collapsed. No NFL tomorrow night for the Vikings and the Giants- at least not on the Vikes home field.

Around here we have anywhere from 18 - 25" of snow and the temps are now dropping faster than, well, temps in the Arctic. This was a record storm- the greatest 1-day precipitation. It's in the top 5 of snowfall totals. Think about that: Only, at most, four other times has there been this much snow in one storm. In over 100 years.

Anyway, enough weather geekiness. Time for some pictures. These are just out my windows.

Looking north. Note the center of pic (see below left) and drifts on right (see below right)

Extreme closeup of a snowman buried to his armpits.

Extreme closeup of shadow and drifts in parking lot.

Working hard at removal.

This one may take a while.

Advent Calendar 2010: Day Twelve

December 12- The Third Sunday in Advent

Candles and Creche with Star, Bethlehem, PA (1970s)

Isaiah 35: 1-10 - The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are of a fearful heart, “Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you.”

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God’s people; no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Just Snow

Buried in blizzard: It fell, and fell -- and keeps falling

The biggest snowstorm to hit the Twin Cities since the Halloween storm a generation ago whited out -- and pretty much paralyzed -- the metro area and much of the rest of Minnesota Saturday.

That's the headline at the Star Tribune website. That was around 7:30 and here, at 8:45 it's still going on and on and on. Then will come the dropping temps and wind.

This is the REAL THING. This is a mid-western BLIZZARD.

It may not end up as the biggest ever, but here in the Rochester, MN, area it will be in the top 3 or 4. These are rare. (Thank You, God!!!) As they head our way several things happen, I have noticed.

• We sort of panic because the news people need HYPE! So, do we believe this or not?
• We then sort of blow it off thinking that it will disappear as many such predicted storms do.
• But we then head to the store. Just in case.
• Through it all we minimize it. We're tough. We're northerners. We can make it.

But we do forget that these are rare. VERY RARE!

In reality these are not the storms we have survived in our lifetimes. Even when many of us were young in the 50s and 60s, these storms were just as unusual. We think we have put up with bad weather in the past. But we have not- not these. These are our versions of Katrina and earthquakes. This is our winter version of those twisters and tornadoes. These are EXTREME.

We are more able to deal with them today, yes. But until they slow down and leave us with frigid sunshine and drifts up the sides of the houses- let's be careful out there!

 Pics taken from INSIDE. I'm not that crazy.

Parking lot in the snow. Rochester, MN

No, it's not in a ditch. Just buried in a drift.

Advent Calendar 2010: Day Eleven

December 11


Christmas renews our youth by stirring our wonder. The capacity for wonder has been called our most pregnant human faculty, for in it are born our art, our science, our religion.
--Ralph Sockman

Advent Calendar 2010: Day Ten

Peace Plaza and Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN

 December 10


"Reflect on your present blessings of which every man has many, not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some."
--Charles Dickens

Advent Calendar 2010: Day Nine

Snow and Lights on trees, Rochester, MN

December 9


Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold,
everything is softer and more beautiful.
--Norman Vincent Peale

A 30-year Memory: Farewell, John

And one more for good memory:

Advent Calendar 2010: Day Eight

December 8 - A World-Wide Fellowship: Douce nuit, sainte nuit

Advent Calendar 2010: Day Seven

Ronald McDonald House, Rochester, MN

December 7




Christmas is not an eternal event at all, but a piece of one's home that one carries in one's heart.
--Freya Stark

Advent Calendar 2010: Day Six

Berea Moravian Church, St. Charles, MN

December 6





Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind.
--Mary Ellen Chase

The Flash Mob Hallelujah

I know it's been making the rounds, and I am far from the first to post it. But here is one of those inspirational and uplifting and feel-good moments. The Hallelujah Chorus sung by a flash mob for unsuspecting but grateful shoppers.

Advent Calendar 2010: Day Five

Moravian Beeswax Candle

December 5 - The Second Sunday of Advent


Isaiah 11: 1 - 10 -- A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins. The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den. They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.