September 21, 1937..

A date, yes, a full date. I often, as you know, do a blog post on a birthday or anniversary. Well, this post is kinda like that. Yet it could almost be considered a sort of book-report, to use a term I find rather lowly. (Forgive me, Thomas.)

Nay, it is more rather a post made to honor one of the greatest literary achievements of our time. A work that wonderfully portrays lightheartedness and epic graveness.

It is not my most favorite book (Second, favorite, for the record.), but it is perhaps, in my mind, the most perfect book, in that is it the most brilliantly written.


Yes, The Hobbit, or, There and Back Again, by J.J.R Tolkien. And it was on this day, 73 years ago, that it was first published.

It was on the early months of 2008 (I believe, but am not sure.) that I first started reading The Hobbit. At that time, I knew absolutely nothing about Tolkien's World, I didn't know what I was getting into, I didn't even know the plot of the book! But that book, it was the doorway into that glorious world in which I have found so many wonderful, wonderful thinks.

""""" I n a hole in the ground, there lived a Hobbit." I still remember reading those words for the first time. They make me smile ever time I think of them. The whole book, as I have said, is just brilliantly written. I don't like using the same adjective more than once in a single writing, but 'brilliant' is just the best way to describe it. Every time I pick it up and flip through it, every page I see, there is something wonderful. The glorious conversation between Bilbo and Gandalf', the dwarves' splendid songs, and the all time epic brief history of golf, in 'An Unexpected Party. And how Bilbo gets forced off into adventure, and has his first bit of excitement when he meets the Trolls in 'Roast Mutton.' And in 'A Short Rest,' we see the awesome Rivendell for the first time. That chapter also has one of my all time favorite quotes: "Now it is a strange thing, but things that are good to have and days that are good to spend are soon told about, and not much to listen to; while things that are uncomfortable, palpitating, and even gruesome, may make a good tale, and take a great deal of telling anyway." And oh I could go on and on, longer than any one would want me to, 'Over hill, Under Hill,' Riddles in the Dark,' 'Out of the Frying Pan into the Fire,' (The Eagles are the EPICEST!!!) 'Flies and Spiders,' (Like, one of my very favorite chapters.) 'Barrels out of Bond,' And like I said, I could go on forever.

But, out of compassion for my reader, I end now.

"Farewell! Wherever you fare, till your eyrie receives you at the journey's end!"

Courage...

Have courage for the great sorrows in life and patience for the small ones; and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily tasks, go to sleep in peace. God is awake.

~Victor Hugo.

September 11...

It was early in the morning, I was a little kid, asleep in a little room, with my sister, in Altadena, CA, (If you haven't lived there, you don't know where it is.) My mother came and woke us up to see something, something horrible.

It was probably the worst thing I had ever seen, hundreds of people, terrified, wounded, dying. These giant buildings, buildings that I had never even heard of before (My world was, after all, limited to Altadena, Pasadena, L.A, and the mountains.) burning, falling.



We were watching it live. I will always remember the way the screen shook, as the cameraman was running from the mayhem with everyone else there.

I don't really remember what I thought. I wish I did though. But I know what I think now. On that day thousands of my brothers and sisters were brutally murdered. And what of their families? And of their friends? Not just for the fallen do we grieve, but for the millions more who have suffered countless sorrows because of what happened on that wretched day.



I hope that you remember that morning. Or at least the people. Remember them. Weep for them.

Pyrenees Mountains-II

As I promised, more pictures of the Pyrenees Mountains. I still can't spell that without looking to see how.



I love the way the water in the stream/s flows almost level with the ground. Around here, all of the streams and rivers have high (O.K, relatively high.) banks. And are in mud, not beautiful rocks and grass.



And again here. Isn't it wonderful?



These next two pictures I think are absolutely the coolest. The water in the lake is so still and clear, and it reflects the mountains around it so wonderfully, that the little islands appear like they are floating in mid-air. If you lean back and squint your eyes.



Pretty awesome, huh?

The amazing pictures are from Bruno Monginoux /

www.Landscape-Photo.net
(cc-by-nc-nd)

God Daeg.

Pyrenees Mountians

For a very long time now, I've wanted to do a post on the Pyrenees Mountains. And for about that long, I've wanted to go there.

In case anyone doesn't know exactly where that is, the mountains are in France and Spain.


Well, today, one of those dreams comes true.



You know, this picture here, below, actually makes me think of a lake in the mountains of California. Just take away the grass in the foreground, make the mountains a bit taller, and you've got it.


But trust me, it's the only picture in the lot that makes me think of California.






Look at this wonderful picture, below. It is hard to see the water, almost, because it reflects it surroundings so well.


These awesome pictures are from
Bruno Monginoux /
www.Landscape-Photo.net
(cc-by-nc-nd)



I hope you enjoyed our trip to the Pyrenees. I'll be doing another post on them soon.



God Daeg.

Note

Hello, dear reader!

I really haven't been posting much lately, and, well, I'm not happy about that. Mostly because of a dear aunt of mine, known as ~A.K.~, she looks every day to see if I have posted anything. And since she just moved way, far away, up North in the Wide World, I want do do more blog posts for her.

So from now on, I'll be posting stuff more often weekly, at the least. :)

Here's to you ~.A.K.~

Photo : Bruno Monginoux /
www.Landscape-Photo.net
(cc-by-nc-nd)

(Note: Some pictures that I took were recently featured on my mother's blog.

God Daeg.