Panorama from Olympic NP

August 2011

A few patches of snow lingering in some of the high places, this photo was from near a series of waterfalls, near the junction of the trail to Flapjack Lakes.

view larger here

Colorful Sunset

This is from January 2010:

May the beauty of nature inspire humanity toward great achievement: toward world peace.

Rape. Pillage, Desecration

Primeival Rain Forest

Beautiful Nature

Wilderness!

Wilderness on my mind!

Just a Scene from Olympia

A forest scene at the Washington State Capitol Campus in Olympia, Washington on Monday the 15th of February 2010 (which was my birthday.)

This past February 15th the Capitol Campus was also the scene of a Rally "to Protect Our Future" against discriminatory budget cuts against vulnerable and disadvantaged people (as well as against workers and higher education.)

Here's a slideshow from that rally (which I thought was awesome!):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rwhitlock/sets/72157623321099247/

Recent photos

Watershed Park


Capitol and Heritage Fountain Park


No Trespassing on City Hall Construction Site
Olympia—Construction site for the new city hall.
olyblog.net/city-hall-arson-damage


Olympia BDS: Why Boycott, Why Divest
Olympia BDS presentation about their work to get the Olympia Food Co-op to boycott products from Israel.
www.olympiabds.org/

A Couple of Recent Photos

The Forest: For the Trees


Gull in Flight

I was standing in the port plaza tower when I saw this Gull fly by, my camera wasn't set right to get a great shot, but I did get this one.

I was reminded of this photo by a letter to the editor from George Kurzman in the Tuesday the 3rd of August 2010 edition of the Olympian. George wrote about developers getting special treatment v. the public. I agree with George.

The port should not grant developers special preference over the public.

Ambrose Bierce defined politics thusly: "A strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles. The conduct of public affairs for private advantage."

I see the truth of this definition reflected time and time again.

The roots of this problem are deep, and are enabled by many prevailing (harmful) social myths—coupled with the profit system itself.

www.theolympian.com/2010/08/03/1323896/port-should-serve-...

May all beings be happy. Real Peace, Real Happiness, Berd

Ship in Port, with Ideas about Success, Materialism, Society, and Health

July 10, 2010
view original size

A ship carrying logs is seen at the Port of Olympia, in the City of Olympia, Thurston County, Washington State. The ship is the STX Pioneer, of Panamanian registry.

Despite the many faceted objections of environmentalists, the Weyerhauser company has teamed up with the public sector and is operating a log export operation at the Port of Olympia.

Many people who understand and care about the environment object to the activities of the Weyerhauser company. The lists of reasons is long. The objections stem at least in part because of the fact that the logging operation is harmful to ecosystems. The logging and shipping imperil the delicate biodiversity that is at the heart of ecosystem health. This goes along with a number of other reasons to object to the log export operations, including but not limited to the environmental effects from the transport of such a heavy commodity over long distances.

Should companies be allowed to engage in activities that harm the environment?

Who does the environment belong to? Or rather, who ought the environment belong to? (To some and not others? To all? To none?)

When there are harmful industrial activities, does it make more sense that some few should benefit disproportionately more than others, or does it make more sense to distribute the wealth in a way so that everyone would benefit equally?

Does the focus on a definition of success that leans on the metrics of materialism (v. spirit, or community, for example) promote a fundamentally harmful, abusive, violent relationship with the material of existence, the substance of the planet?

Is it possible that there other ways of defining success that would be more favorable toward a vision of economic stability and justice, and toward an end to what many believe is the criminal behavior of big companies?

In of the current system societies are engaged in competition to exert control over resources. Instead of this scenario, think about societies moving toward a culture of cooperation and stewardship and mutual prosperity. Think about society moving away from a culture of war, conquest and dominance.

Instead of measuring success based solely on personal material riches, perhaps success could be defined along the lines of a healthy community, on the ability to take care of each other, and to be truly aware and awake, conscious (and conscientious) in our daily lives, so that we are careful to the greatest extent possible to NOT do harm...

Perhaps success could be defined along the lines of efforts to strengthen the fabric of society, to work toward an end to all violence, and an end to all unnecessary suffering - an end to poverty, starvation, illiteracy, homophobia, sexism, ageism, racism, nationalism.

Perhaps success could be defined along the lines of contribution to the mutual health and well-being—the mutual happiness and prosperity—of all people.

Berd

Forest

 
Forest Trail Overlook

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Burfoot Park

view larger

Forest

Sunlight in the Forest

Forest Trail

August 2008
Grove of the Patriarchs Trail

Woodard Bay Forest Panorama

This is an 11 image composite. It was made shooting free hand.

larger (2.8 MB, 10,000 x 1,584): Woodard Bay Forest Panorama

Trail with Trees

McLane Creek
May 2008

Watershed Park, Olympia, Washington December 2009

26 Photos from a walk in Watershed Park, Christmas Day, 2009:

Watershed Park, Olympia, Washington, Christmas Day, 2009

Weyerhauser Log Lifters at the Port of Olympia

Question: does clear cut logging and overseas log export fit in with a future of ecological sustainability and social justice?

More: Weyerhauser Log Lifters at the Port of Olympia

Jedediah B Smith Redwoods State Park Forest Panorama

Jedediah B Smith Redwoods State Park Forest Panorama

view larger:
1024 x 151
and larger still:
6548 x 966

Among the Giants

Mariposa Grove Giant Sequoia Trees

Mount Rainier September 2009

Mount Rainier National Park September 2009

Woodard Bay Forest Panorama

ten image composite:



view larger: Woodard Bay Loop Trail Forest Panorama