Friday, August 20, 2004

Intense

I live in a unique part of a unique city.  One of the special things about my ‘hood is that there are houses on only one side of the street, which usually means plenty of parking.  The exception is the sunday morning church rush: the San Francisco Bible Church holds forth in a small building at the end of my block and those damn holyrollers clog up all the parking on Sundays.  It’s enough to turn me to Islam, but then we’d have no parking on Fridays and that might be just as bad.  So I try to find it within my soul to let them co-exist with me on this shabby old planet of ours. 

But I think I may have cut all the slack I have to offer these good lambs of the shepherd.  The church has posted a city zoning notice prominently on an outside wall, advising the public at large of a meeting to discuss their plans for a variance to permit “an intensification of an existing religious facility.” Not bigger, or taller, or less lawn or more bell-ringing - it’s just going to be more intense. I must say, I’m not sure what it means but I don’t like the sound of it.  These people are intense enough as it is.  If they need city permission to get more intense, I can only think I’ll need state protection from them.  Sundays are for mellowness, people.  You want intensity, go back to work!

And with this cheerful sentiment, I will hasten to resort to a few more Tropical Tidbits, because they’re easy and I like things that way:

The Locomoco was a locomofo.

The full yellow moon’s creamy light on a quiet country road through pastures.

Hoping that the “smelling strangers’ farts” part of my day has come to an end.

And, since I’m not actually getting any complaints about it, here’s a few more photos from my vacation.  Get mellow, people - that’s what’s called for in these days of municipally-sanctioned intensity!

This is the road on top of Mauna Kea, where the observatories breed and frolic.  We’re at nearly 14,000 feet, people - some people need nitrous to get this lightheaded!

This is our rented Jeep next to two observatories.  To me, they seem like giant cylons or some such, but once again, the altitude may be having some effect. 

This is a view down the east face of the mountain, where cindercones thrust into the sky below my feet.  I tell you, it’s like being on Mars up there. 

This is a small shrine on the very highest peak of the mountain, looking across a sere valley to Mauna Loa, the world’s most massive mountain.  This particular shrine was palpably sacred.  It was a gift to visit it.

This is the trail to the shrine pictured above.  It’s not very long but it’s pretty steep; I really took my time walking it.  The process helped me appreciate how special this acreage actually is. 

This is a picture of Maui, taken from the top of the Big Island - that’s Haleakela in the distance.  Below, you can see the north shore of the Big Island and, in particular, where the Waipio Valley cuts into the landscape. 

That’s enough beauty and serenity for now, I think.  Time again for my day job.  Catch you next week!