This is the pond where I put those three pebbles sent to me from England.The Lobster-Quadrille, from Alice in Wonderland.
….(and then) the Mock Turtle sang this, very slowly and sadly:
“Will you walk a little faster?” said a whiting to a snail,
“There’s a porpoise close behind us, and he’s treading on my
tail.
See how eagerly the lobsters and the turtles all advance!
They are waiting on the shingle—will you come and join the
dance?
Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, will you join the
dance?
Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, won’t you join the
dance?
“You can really have no notion how delightful it will be
When they take us up and throw us, with the lobsters, out
to sea!”
But the snail replied, “Too far, too far!” and gave a look
askance—
Said he thanked the whiting kindly, but he would not join
the dance.
Would not, could not, would not, could not, would not join
the dance.
Would not, could not, would not, could not, could not join
the dance.
“What matters it how far we go?” his scaly friend replied.
“There is another shore, you know, upon the other side.
The further off from England the nearer is to France—
Then turn not pale, beloved snail, but come and join the
dance.
Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, will you join the
dance?
Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, won’t you join the
dance?”
YES! We will join the dance.
Going on Home
We stand and gaze at Mt. Robson in wonderment and awe. This great mountain is so rarely revealed in all it’s pristine splendor. Lofty sights pull us up, inspire. They point to that which we long to know and be.
Onwards to Edmonton!
Last Wednesday evening I was packed up and prepared to leave Edmonton. Then at about 9.00 pm I checked my email and discovered that a house sitting opportunity in south Edmonton had turned up. This was an option I’d long hoped would open up, and it did. Just in time!
In the last week five of us drove for two days to Lytton (where it was very hot) and then drove two days back again. We had just a two night stop in Lytton for a brief, yet rewarding, retreat over the week-end. And now I sit typing in a very pleasant home in the evening heat of Terwillegar Towne. This house provides a place and a time for me to rest as well as catch up on OBC work that’s been waiting in the wings for my attention. And hopefully in the next month or so I’ll see some familiar faces from time to time too.
High Level Bridge Great Divide Waterfall. Sourdough River Festival in July.
I have been waiting to post this photo ever since October when I took a walk over the High Level bridge which spans the North Saskatchewan River. I saw a strange sign which read something like “Take care! Sidewalk slippery when waterfall is on”. Please do read on, to be suitable impressed and ‘amazed’
The Great Divide Waterfall is 210 feet high (about 24 feet higher than Niagara Falls). Water for the facility is supplied from a nearby 42 inch water main on the north side of the river. A special valve was designed to connect the water main to a 20 inch pipe leading to the top of the bridge. Extra pumps are used when the waterfall is running to supply the extra demand needed to maintain pressure throughout the water work system. Water pressure alone forces water to the top of the bridge where it enters a horizontal pipe above the bridge at sidewalk level. This horizontal piping is filled with nozzles, one foot apart, for a distance of 300 feet along the expanse of the bridge. The waterfall effect is created when approximately 11,000 gallons of water per minute rushes out through the nozzles. For a two hour waterfall showing the water measures approximately 4,600 cubic meters. The cost for operating the waterfall is approximately $2,000 per hour.
Glad to be back.
Problem With the Site – Solved!
I’m on the road in BC on route for the week-end retreat at Lytton. The problem with the site is being looked into by our reader in Singapore.
…and at the advice of Iain in Japan I removed the photo in the previous posting and everything came right again. Who know what that was all about, I’m just glad everything looks like it normally does now.
On Tour, in China
I received this photo and account of being on a tour to China via email recently. Reproduced here with permission.
Dear Rev. Mugo,
It was a very good trip, but not what I expected. I was disappointed to learn upon arrival that we would not go to the Ling-Yin Monastery as indicated in the itinerary, apparently the company has had complaints from tourists about seeing “too many Buddhist temples” although I think our group would all have found it interesting. We did go to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda in Xian and I offered incense and lit 3 candles in the front, and climbed to the top of the pagoda. The scriptures (brought from India by and translated by Xuan Zhuang, 7th c. AD) were all hung on the walls, but written in Chinese, and so I wasn’t able to know what they said. In one of the side buildings, there was an amazing mural made of lacquer and jade in 3 full wall panels depicting the life of the Buddha, a wonderful teaching tool. I don’t know how old it was but it was very impressive. I didn’t have a chance to talk to or see any monks at that temple, but purchased some items in one of the shops on the grounds. We also went to a Taoist park in Hangzhou, which was interesting to see, with statues and other sculptures offering opportunities for good luck wishes.
My general impression of China is that it is experiencing major changes in their social and economic structure, and hopefully becoming more accessible to Westerners. I did see many Buddhist objects in all of the shops we encountered (way too many shops, in my opinion!) but because I was on a commercial tour, very little attention was paid to any of the religious practices of the Chinese people. I did notice how the three major religions of Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism seem to be blended a lot in the culture.
Our tour focused on historical sites and cultural experiences, primarily. We ate well, had very good hotels, excellent guides, and comfortable travel accommodations. I would have preferred less shopping opportunities and more sites, but I guess that is part of that kind of tour. (I’ve never been on a tour before…) I’m very glad I went, and if I were to go again, I would do it differently, focusing on Buddhist temples.
In gassho,
Thanks for this. It just shows how very different your tour in China was to my journey last year.