Picture of the Times

At first I thought I would call this page "Picture of the Day."  Then I realized I don't take enough good pictures to put up a new one every day. 

Then I thought, well I could call it "Picture of the Week."  But, honestly, could I put up a new picture every week?  Or what if I decide to change pix two or three times in one week?  Picture of the Month?  Such a Quandary!

Finally I realized that what I want is to show pictures of the times we live in.  I probably won't put more than two or three at a time here, since a picture is worth 1K words. 

Originally, the first picture here was of my backyard after the rain.  However, I have recently moved to a condominium with a view of Mt Konocti and Clearlake.  So now my backyard is the lake.  Here's a picture:

And here is a picture of some other newcomers to the condo.  They live in the roof of our parking garage.  Their mommy is in the habit of leaving them at home alone while she goes out shopping for bugs.  Here, they are eagerly awaiting her return.  (The second from the left seems camera shy.)  Well, it's always nice to meet someone who can still be hopeful and optimistic about the future:

This weekend (August 9, 2003) I went to Arcata for the annual benefit bicycle ride put on by Rotary.  I didn't do the 100 miler, only 20.  A pleasant, meditative ride through the rural countryside.  It came to me that there is still a wide gap between City living and Country living.  I have done both, and I know.  It's common wisdom that things like TV, films and Internet as well as automobiles have brought us all together and blurred distinctions.  I don't think so.  Someone who has spent his/her life in the heart of a big city has no concept what it's like to live on a farm, with cows and chickens and wildlife - and vice versa. 

During my bike ride, I was at one point cruising down a narrow lane near some farm houses, with thick bush on one side and a cultivated field on the other.  At the moment, I was quite alone.  A red fox dashed out of the field, across the lane directly in front of me, into the shrubbery.  It had a field mouse dangling from its mouth.  The sight lasted only a moment, but it made the entire trip worthwhile, for how many are privileged to witness such a sight in their life times?  Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of that, but here's another I took not far from that spot. 

Picture of our times #3:

"Our Times" includes memories of past times.  These old barn-painted billboards are slowly fading from the American scene.  I have passed this one hundreds of times, driving down Highway 101 near Healdsburg.  I always say, "I gotta stop sometime and take a picture."  Finally did.  I will always wonder, What was Dr. Pierce's Medical Discovery?  Did he find a cure for cancer, or the common cold?  The first line may have given a clue, but notice that at some point in history it was painted over with "Realtor."  Dr Pierce must remain an enigma.  But if his Medical Discovery is forever lost, at least his advertisement has become folk art - which the property owner, thankfully, has so far seen fit not to paint over. 

Mystery Solved!!

(Sort of)

Thanks to Craig M. the identity of Dr Pierce's Medical Discovery has been at least partly solved.  

"When people are losing flesh and strength and vitality, with the life oozing out of them day after day, they need Dr. Pierce's Golden Medical Discovery..."

Please see: Dr Pierce  From the same web site, it appears Dr Pierce also provided "Dr Pierce's Pleasant Pellets," guaranteed to cure windy burping.  Wish I could get my hands on some of those!  Unfortunately, we still don't have Dr Pierce's formulae, which may be lost to us.  This all just goes to show to what extent the Big Drug Cartels will go to suppress medical progress ; )