Steal a sign, steal an election

“Those who say religion has nothing to do with politics do not know what religion is.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi Good thing I captured the original sign before it was stolen. Guess it’s all over now! OK, us Tea Partiers didn’t do so well here in CA, but we rocked the rest of the country.

Farmhouse in the Dublin hills

I believe that if we get out of people’s way, the sky’s the limit. The sky is the limit. ~ Glenn Beck When I take the scenic route to avoid traffic on the way to work, it takes me through the hills around Dublin, CA. Beautiful farmhouses and ranches up here, very peaceful.

Steer chillin

The beef industry has contributed to more American deaths than all the wars of this century, all natural disasters, and all automobile accidents combined. ~ Neal Barnard Just another part of my scenic commute. And despite the quote above, I do love beef.

Country breakfast 2

“Hope is a good breakfast, but it is a bad supper.” ~ Francis Bacon My version of the $4 breakfast special at the Farmer’s Den.

Country breakfast 1

“A simple enough pleasure, surely, to have breakfast alone with one’s husband, but how seldom married people in the midst of life achieve it.” ~ Anne Spencer (1882-1975) American Black poet My wife’s version of the $4 breakfast plate at our local cowboy diner, The Farmer’s Den. Yum. The only downside? It usually smells like…

Lego family

“People should learn how to play Lego with their minds. Concepts are building bricks” ~ Vitorino Ramos Some friends of ours like to really go for it on Halloween – here they are in their home made Lego outfits at our local Halloween fair. Of course, the teenager looks angry ;).

Cowgirl with lamb

“The nice part about living in a small town is that when you don’t know what you’re doing, someone else does” ~ Anonymous My little girl with lambie in one hand, tail in the other. Patterson Halloween parade – hundreds of kids from local schools walked down the center of town to parade in their…

Who says California doesn’t get fall colors?

The groves were God’s first temples.  ~ William Cullen Bryant, “A Forest Hymn” Took this photo outside my building at work. Not quite the same as Vermont, but at least we get a little color and a chance to wear our sweaters before it gets warm again in a couple months. Of course, I enhanced…

Old Truck Rear

Trucks are Americana – they speak of our dedication to the classic Puritan virtues of hard work, self-reliance, and practical utility.

Old Truck Head On

When you own a pickup, you own your own moving business. ~ Daniel G. Sinclair Lots of stories in this truck, I bet.

All my joy

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them Psalm 127:4-5 Missing out on raising children would have been missing out on life – nothing else compares – not fulfilling your potential, seeing the world, or accomplishing great…

Sermon prep whiteboard

“The test of a preacher is that his congregation goes away saying, not, ‘What a lovely sermon!’ but ‘I will do something.’” ~ Billy Graham I preach once a month at my evangelical church. First major step, after choosing a subject, is to white board out my message. Here’s a part of the board from…

Strange seed pods

A new word is like a fresh seed sown on the ground of the discussion. ~ Ludwig Wittgenstein These hard-shelled pods are along the walkway behind my workplace. I have no idea what they are. You?

Invisible bridge among the weeds

Bridges are perhaps the most invisible form of public architecture. ~ Bruce Jackson If you look closely, you can see a foot bridge in the shadows. Some variations:

Berries

“On the motionless branches of some trees, autumn berries hung like clusters of coral beads, as in those fabled orchards where the fruits were jewels . . .” ~ Charles Dickens So many pretty things on my walk to the gym.  Here’s some other versions.

Either way, they’ve got to go

Everywhere that freedom stirs, let tyrants fear. ~ George W. Bush This sign on my way in captures the age-old anti-incumbent feeling that rises up during times of bad economy or other crises. However, this time, I think it’s more popular than ever, in part due to the hubris, heavy-handedness, extremism, and far-leftism of the…

Clouds along the highway

Clouds symbolize the veils that shroud God. ~ Honore De Balzac I wish I had the photoshop skills (and the software!) to clear up the brightness differences from stitching this panorama together – the blues don’t change like that in real life. But the clouds were really fun this day.

Fall Sunset in Patterson

Know what you want to do, hold the thought firmly, and do every day what should be done, and every sunset will see you that much nearer to your goal. ~ Elbert Hubbard (1856 – 1915) American writer, perhaps most famous for his essay A Message to Garcia (worth reading). I’ve taken a couple other…

Home by the pond

Vermont’s a place where barns come painted Red as a strong man’s heart Where stout carts and stout boys in freckles Are highest forms of art.” ~ Robert Tristram Coffin Though hampered by the overcast sky, I was still able to capture a little of the beauty of this Vermont home.

Negative sky

A lot of times people look at the negative side of what they feel they can’t do. I always look on the positive side of what I can do. ~ Chuck Norris I typically don’t like putting these reverse images up, but the sky color on this one intrigued me.