MAN-MADE vs. NATURAL

photos taken on Sunday, May 27, 2012 which happened to be Pentecost.

Above are two waterfalls up Provo Canyon. The waterfall on the left does not have an name, it is man-made and is at the beginning of the canyon near the city of Orem. The waterfall on the right is Bridleveil Falls which is higher up the canyon.

I will write more shortly.

MEMORIAL DAY 2012

photo taken on May 27, 2012 of the birdhouse out in front of our home.

While today is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces, Memorial Day has become a day for more general expressions of memory, as people visit the graves of their deceased relatives, whether they had served in the military or not. On Saturday, my family visited the grave of my wife's father. He died a few years ago from cancer. Saturday also happened to be his birthday. He would have been 78. We left a Birthday card along with flowers.

We tend to think that only human's grieve the loss of a loved one. It is my belief that animals also have emotions of sorrow and grief.

A mother sparrow made a nest in our front yard birdhouse this year. We enjoyed seeing and hearing the chirping when the little baby birds hatched. Unfortunately, a predator of some kind came into the nest. We found the remains of the little birds on our lawn. The mother bird now sits outside of the birdhouse... with an occasional chirp. She seems to be grieving the loss of her babies. I took this picture yesterday in the morning. It has been over a week now. She still has not left.
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Below is a photo and from a story that I came across on the interent of a male pit bull mourning by the side of his dead companion has moved many to tears after it was posted to Facebook. On Friday, the female pit bull was killed by a car on South 16th Street in Phoenix, but her partner refused to abandon her. The male dog stayed by her side for more than 14 hours before Animal Control removed her body and now, they say, he is still so depressed he may not be able to find a home to adopt him. He would not eat or drink, but licked and stayed with his friend

NORTH PEAK OF PARAWON GAP

photo taken on Sunday, May 20, 2012.

the day of the Allular Eclipse

About Parowan Gap          

Hugh Nibley states, “By an interesting coincidence I had spent the previous week in Cedar City with President William Palmer, a patriarch as well as stake president, who taught anthropology in the college there. He had been initiated into the Paiute tribe, and took me out to their sacred place in the plain southwest of Parowan [Parowan Gap]. The building of the highway had put an end to the rites of initiation that once took place there, but President Palmer described the teachings and ordinances as far as was permitted. In particular he told the story of the descent of the Lord from heaven as if at that place, an event much like that described in 3 Nephi. Tobats was the God of all Creation; his son Shinob was the peacemaker full of love and eternally young. One day the Evil One Un-nu-pit killed Shinob. At once a great darkness fell upon “Tu-weap,” the whole earth. It was absolute blackness for three days. In this chaos and confusion everyone was groping around in howling and lamentation. Finally, a voice from the top of the mountain spoke; it was Tobats the Father. He told them to move about with outstretched arms, calling out to each other, and joining hands with whoever one touched. Thus they formed lines, and the lines were instructed to join with each other; people in the lines were to cry out for husbands and wives and children until all families had reformed. Then the noise ceased, and a voice told them to climb the mountain or mesa where Tobats was. They worked their way up the mountain, toiling in human chains and finally forming a huge circular formation on the top, with Tobats in the middle. Well, Tobats said he would shoot an arrow straight up (this is the well-known Indian and world-wide theme of the arrow chain to heaven [the fiery pillar of light?]). His arrow produced a tiny spark of light; but the second arrow brought light, which grew like an explosion until it flooded all the land. The blackbird and the flicker have been honored ever since because their feathers were used for the arrows—they are perpetual reminders of the great event.” (See Hugh Nibley, Promised Lands, in Brother Brigham Challenges the Saints, FARMS-Deseret Book. See also William R. Palmer, Two Pahute Indian Legends: “Why the Grand Canyon Was Made” and “The Three Days of Darkness,” Cheney, WA: Citizen Journal Press, 1987, pps. 21—22.)

SOLAR ECLIPSE: A Sign in the Heavens

Below are some photos I took of the allular solar eclipse down at the Parowan Gap. The work allular means “shaped like or forming a ring”. This type of solar eclipse is also called the “Ring of Fire”... because a ring of sunlight will still be seen as the new moon passing between Earth and the Sun, which blocks most, but not all, of the sun’s disc.

I feel there is some symbolism in this “sign in the heaven”. It begins a new day, a birth, a crowning... it is sacred especially since it occured on the Sabbath.

The Sun is a symbol of the Male, the Father, and Light. The Moon is a symbol of the Female, the Mother, Phases and cycles, the Womb. (A “New” Moon is unseen to us which is symbolic of Mother in Heaven.)

When this solar eclipse occurred, the sun and moon aligned and became "one." An eternal gold ring appears. It looked as if the Moon had a golden crown.  Interesting in childbirth just before the baby is born there is a moment in time called the Ring of Fire. It is right at the point of “crowning” when the baby's head remains visible without slipping back in. It is the most intense pain occurs and womans body feels like it is on fire.

There is alot more I could share, but here is a series of 8 photos (8 symbolic of rebirth). All of these photos are not photoshopped but are "pure" from the camera, however but the different effects were created by the settings on the camera I was using and a lens filter I had on my camera to shoot directly into the sun.

Photo 1:

The Sun just before the eclipse started around 6:00 PM on May 20, 2012. (due to the camera lens, the sun looks alot like an 8 pointed star.. alot of symbolism in this photo alone)

Photo 2:

The moon begining to align with the sun. High contrast between the glowing white light of the sun and the shadow of the dark moon

Photo 3:

Intensity beginning just before the complete union and alignment.

Photo 4:

Crowning, ring of fire and climax of the sun and moon's alignment.

Photo 5: 

 UNION and COMPLETION

Photo 6:

Moon beginning to separate from the Sun.

Photo 7:

The sun beginning to descend below the horizon.

Photo 8:

Red Sunset

Happy Mother's Day

It is hard these days to find a wife who is not only beautiful, talented and loves the outdoors, but a woman who is an amazing cook, and is a seamstress who made all of the dresses on our four daughters in the above photo. Grateful for all that I wife who puts her family needs first. I am a blessed man.
Happy Mother's Day. I Love You.

Brigham City Temple

Another photo taken of the Brigham City Temple on April 28, 2012

DENY NOT THE GIFTS OF GOD

photo taken on April 28, 2012 of the statue of Moroni

on top of the Brigham City Temple that is still being constructed.

I had the opportunity to spend the day with my oldest daughter last Saturday at her competition in Odgen..  We had some time before the awards ceremony so we went up to dinner at the Maddox in Brigham City. After dinner we went and walked around the temple that is being constructed  The sun was at the perfect height to take this picture. It is not very often that you can look directly into the sun.. let alone take a picture of it.

Just wanted to share a couple of thoughts. We tend to focus on just the first 5 verses in the last chapter of the Book of Mormon, primarily verses 3-5. It is the promise that the missionaries use to know if the Book of Mormon is true. I think we would also benefit reading more about the Gifts of God that are found in the following verses"

".. I exhort you, my brethren, that ye deny not the gifts of God, for they are many; and they come from the same God. And there are different ways that these gifts are administered; but it is the same God who worketh all in all; and they are given by the manifestations of the Spirit of God unto men, to profit them.

And again, to another, the beholding of angels and ministering spirits.

And all these gifts come by the Spirit of Christ; and they come unto every man severally, according as He will."