Dolphin and Dog: a friendship

http://www.flixxy.com/zeus-and-roxanne-dolphin-and-dog.htm#.TugJF3WLfRE.facebook

Very cool video about a special friendship.

Rememberance Day Flash Mob, Halifax Nova Scotia Canada

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v77coTchYgk

It's a bit late for Rememberance Day but I have just noticed this.  It brought tears to my eyes, really.  But it's very well done and you can see the reverence and respect in the faces of the kids.  God bless them all.

Sistene Chapel video

http://www.vatican.va/various/cappelle/sistina_vr/index.html

Go on a virtual tour of the Sistene Chapel, very wonderful.  so much detail, and an eternal treasure.

Bear tagging in Algonquin Park

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=vJRDpTUIrJI&vq=medium

from CBC TV, the Rick Mercer Report.  Rick goes bear tagging in Algonquin Park in northern Ontario, taking part in a government bear-survey when the bears are in their dens and are either hibernating or the mother bears are nursing their cubs.  Very nice video, funny as only Rick Mercer can make it and really sort of awe-inspiring. 

Inside the mind of an octupus

http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/6474/

As usual I am sending you a link with little to add except to ask that you read this.  It is wonderful and supremely interesting.

Special places around the world

https://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=a.10150217015767463.346934.108605392462&type=3

Here is a link to a facebook page I very much like.  It's of very, hugely amazing places around the globe that we can at least see, if not visit. 

Rescue of a baby lion by it's Mom

http://alphawebsoft.socialgo.com/members/profile/2/blog-view/blog_2694.htm

This is wonderful stuff, a baby lion on the side of a steep cliff is rescued by it's mother.  Very dramatic photographs.  Thanks to my friend Carys for sending me the link.

Tree, with animals.

I really would like to share with you this picture of an amazing tree--I saw it and I thought if Mother Nature was a tree, would it look like this?  I do not know where it is but I'm thinking perhaps in Africa.

I have been informed that this tree is at Walt Disney world.  Still do like it but now am dis-illusioned, a little bit.  Here though is a link to what is apparently the oldest tree in the world, an olive tree.  5000 years!  Wow.


http://tomdouglas.com/blog/2009/06/the-oldest-olive-tree-in-the-world-by-lois-berkihiser/

Tatiana and Krista, going to kindergarten

http://www2.macleans.ca/2011/10/03/tatiana-and-krista-go-to-school/

Twice before in my blog I have posted about these amazing twins, conjoined at the top of their heads.  They are approaching 5 years old now and going to kindergarten.  Here is an update.  But be warned, it might bring tears to your eyes!

Video: The Unseen Sea

http://player.vimeo.com/video/15069551

Very nice video, time-lapsed, a real light-show. 

"Breathe" by Marie Bennett

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjmym-PMVIM\

Beautiful video here, very spiritual. 

Earth from the Space-Station

http://news.discovery.com/space/around-the-world-space-station-110917.html#mkcpgn=rssnws1

Time-lapsed video.  Vancouver and Victoria can be seen first, as the station flies over from the north.  Very cool.

Wise Words

This says it all.

Georgie's Art

On Facebook I have the privledge to know a wonderful artist--actually a few wonderful artists, poets, writers, but this one image caught my eye and I really want to share it here.  This artist is Georgie Pendragon and I have her permission to do this.  She has a few others as well, I will add them here as well.

and one more.
Thank you Georgie.  You inspire me.  (Somehow I have one picture in twice and haven't figured out yet how to rectify that.  Sorry.)

Link to a valuable web-site

http://davidmoynahan.com/index.cfm

I think this is too important not to include here.  David Moynahan is a very talented photographer of nature and has extremely superior photographs in this web site.  There is also a link to his blog in the web-site.

1812 Overture (Choral Version)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjA0BwjP_xA&feature=related

This is such a beautiful piece of music.  Yes it's about war--specifically Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812 but Tchaikovsky had a gift.  Please give it a listen and watch.

The Ajanta Caves of India

http://www.shunya.net/Pictures/South%20India/Ajanta/Ajanta.htm

When a place is declared a World Heritage Site you expect something special.  To be honest I had not heard of these caves before but they really are special.  They date from about 200 B. C. and are carved into the rock by Bhuddists with a mission, apparently.  I heard about them from a friend through my e-mail and would like to share with you. 

(Be patient, sometimes it seems to take awhile to load up.)

Happy Birthday to Daniel!

http://www.vancouversun.com/opinion/op-ed/index.html

I like this story.  Two young parents are celebrating--in a big way--the first birthday of their son.  They e-mailed the premiers of all ten Canadian provinces and the Prime Minister of Canada asking for congratulatory messages for their son and actually recieved two, from the premiers of British Colombia and Prince Edward Island.  Absolutely marvellous.  Young Daniel is a very lucky little boy to have such loving parents.  This piece is written by Jason, his Dad.  Kudos.

beautiful views of Planet Earth

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJQoF-hamHg&feature=share

My last post was about the problems our Earth has, most of which is our own doing.  In fairness, I should point out that it's still a beautiful blue ball and it's our beautiful blue ball--the only one that we live on.  Let's do our best to look after it!

Something to think about!

Penguins

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkY03n0_sD8

A friend sent this beautiful video of penguins doing what they oughta.  There is a message at the end of it which we should pay particular attention to.

Sperm Whales Names

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/03/sperm-whale-names/

Interesting article about sperm whales and how they can identify each other.

Vertical Gardens

http://communities.canada.com/vancouversun/blogs/inthegarden/archive/2011/07/14/from-grey-to-green-the-beauty-of-vertical-gardens.aspx

Once in a while someone has a world-class idea and has the technology, the skill and the artistry to carry it off.  This is an example of that.  It is quite remarkable.  It at once beautifies ugly grey buildings, turning them into living green masterpieces.  There's another benefit too; all this plant-life creates much needed oxygen for people in the cities to breathe.

Five lessons on how we should treat people

http://leadershipinc.com/5-lessons-about-the-way-we-treat-people/644

I read this in my e-mail and thought that it was really worth sharing.  This is what my Christian faith is all about.  And I thought how much better our lives would be if we actually tried to look out for one another, as described in these lessons. 

She with one arm, he with one leg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnLVRQCjh8c

This is an incredible performance by two Chinese amputees, a beautiful dance of mutual love and devotion.

Supernovas

http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/space/Blasts+point+kind+supernova/4919461/story.html

Another amazing story from space. 

Anti-matter

http://www.npr.org/blogs/13.7/2011/06/08/137028191/binding-the-universe-s-other-half-anti-matter-trapped-for-15-minutes?sc=fb&cc=fp

The universe that is, and the universe that might-have-been. . .Very strange and weird concept.  Not sure I'm ready for this.

The Space Station and Shuttle together

http://www.theprovince.com/technology/Stunning+photos+from+outer+space/4910690/story.html

This is the first time the Shuttle and the International Space Station have been photographed together.  Amazing pic.

Shapes in Space

http://news.discovery.com/space/saturn-hexagon-mystifies-scientists.html#view-comments

Self-explanetory really, but interesting anyway.  How did those hexagons come to be on Saturn?

The Aurora

http://vimeo.com/21294655

time-lapse video of another natural wonder, the Northern Lights.

Arctic light, 24 hours in 3 minutes

http://www.cbc.ca/strombo/show-video/24-hours-of-light-in-3-minutes.html

beautiful time-lapse video.

Superstar in nearby galaxy

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110525084022.htm

I thought this was interesting.

Increasing acceptance among clerics of evolution.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn20522-american-muslim-clerics-sign-up-for-evolution.html?DCMP=OTC-rss

Very nice to see that more and more clerics--Christian, Jewish, Muslim--are openly accepting that evolution is a fact and creation is a myth.  There is no conflict between faith and science! 

Death: Be not afraid

Thanks to my sister Jean who sent me this.  Jean has had a lot of experience in dealing with grief, and has written a wonderful book on the subject, called "The Tiny Red Bathing Suit of Mr. July".  I will post a link. 

Here is what she sent.

A sick man turned to his doctor as he was preparing to leave the examination room and said,  "Doctor, I am afraid to die.  Tell me what's on the other side."  Very quietly the doctor said "I don't know."  "You don't know?  You're a Christian man and don't know what's on the other side?"  The doctor was holding the door handle.  On the other side came a sound of scratching and whining, and as he opened the door a dog leapt on him with an eager show of gladness.  Turning to the patient, the doctor said, "Did you notice my dog?   He's never been in this room before.  He knew nothing about what was inside.  He knew nothing except that his master was in here.  And when the door opened he sprang in without fear.   I know little about what's on the other side of death.  But I do know one thing.  I know my Master is there and that is enough."

May today there be peace within you.   May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.  I believe that friends are quiet angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.

http://www.mennonitechurch.ca/resourcecentre/ResourceView/2/3186

"Amazing Grace" in Cherokee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvYIjFtPQEk&feature=related

A very beautiful hymn sung by Cherokee singers; I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.  And the video is very much worth watching.  Peace with you all.

Rock-Paper-Scissors against the computer

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/science/rock-paper-scissors.html?ref=science

I was having a look at the New York Times web-site today and noticed this, and tried it just for fun.  I scored 10 wins, 7 losses and 3 ties against the novice-level of the computer, and will be trying the veteran level soon. 

Flowers in growth

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rv6oWhG76pQ&NR=1

Take 10 minutes out of your busy day and have a flower break.  This is a wonderful time-lapse video with peaceful music of flowers growing.  So nice.

an Easter letter from St. Peter

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/note.php?note_id=10150225047429515

Thanks to my brother David who wrote this.  It says more about God's love than I could ever do.

The Spirit Bear

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IRxdk6m17s

  The spirit bear is very rare--only about 400 left apparently--and are very important and mystical to natives along the coast of British Colombia.  It is illegal to hunt them, but not the black bear, which carry the recessive gene that creates the white spirit bear.  So the number of gene-carrying black bears are becoming less in number, they say.

Kandu, the dog

http://www.dogwork.com/kan6/

Kandu has his name because he can do whatever a normal dog can do, only in a different way.  He was born with only his back legs.  But he's never had his front legs and had been getting around anyway with his front end on the floor.  Some nice people adopted him and have given him new life with a set of wheels, a little sled-attachment for the snow and an old sweatshirt to reduce friction from the floor.  

The Apostles' Creed, This I believe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-JzRzsTT4c&feature=related

A friend posted this on Facebook and I really believe the words and the sentiment.  And I really believe, also, that it's something that needs to be said, and heard.  And I am therefore sharing it.  Happy Easter, everyone.

Birds

What can I say?  love birds, had to share.

The Mountain

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/18/time-lapse-milky-way-video_n_850607.html?utm_source=Triggermail&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Daily%20Brief&utm_campaign=daily_brief


This is a video taken from the top of the tallest mountain in Spain.  It's time-lapsed, showing the Milky Way, and a few other scenes in about 3 minutes of wondrous colour and serene music.  The mountain, incidentally, is called El Teide, and the footage was shot between April 4 and April 11, 2011.

Small Magellanic Cloud

A beautiful picture of our neighboring galaxy in space to the Milky Way.

Virtual Choir

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7o7BrlbaDs

This is so cool!  A friend introduced me to this.  A chap named Eric Whitacre brings people from all over the world, gets them to join in wonderful music, record themselves on video and upload them.  As one person said in a comment, this is what can happen when we can come together.
This music is called "Lux Aurumque".

Nature by Numbers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkGeOWYOFoA

This video is included in my sidebar but only appears sometimes, but it is such a wonderful piece of work and I hope it appeals to you as much as it does to me.  It.s all about the mathematics found in nature, as you might have figured out from the title!

What a Wonderful World--Louis Armstrong

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5TwT69i1lU

Always loved this song.  What a wonderful song.  What a wonderful artist, a true treasure, may his memory endure forever.

among sharks

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=WK2LpUoqX6A&vq=medium

Not something I would advise anyone doing if there is for instance blood in the water. . .but it is a very beautiful video in it's own right.  Check it out.

nails from the cross?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110412/film_nm/us_archaeology_jesus_nails

This may be true, maybe not true.  It isn't proven one way or the other as far as I know.  But it is interesting. 

death of a star

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/04/05/astronomers-may-have-witnessed-a-star-torn-apart-by-a-black-hole/

I can only imagine the drama of this cosmic event.  It scares me a little bit to think that apparently there's a black hole at the center of every galaxy, but not to worry overmuch.  Our world is a long way from our galaxy's center!

Jesus: his Resurrection

http://downloads.cbn.com/cbnplayer/cbnPlayer.swf?s=/vod/MW131v2_WS

My sister sent this to me, and I want to share it here.  It's a very large and intricate painting showing theResurrection of Jesus, what Easter is all about.  If this isn't what Easter is, then it's just a day for chocolate bunnies and completely meaningless.  I prefer the real meaning, what about you?

The Nature of Things, 50 years. David Suzuki, 75 years

http://www.cbc.ca/natureofthings/episode/50-years-of-the-nature-of-things.html

March 24, 2011 marks two very important anniversaries:  Dr. David Suzuki's 75 birthday and the 50th anniversary of the wonderful program on CBC TV which he hosts, the Nature of Things.  Both very amazing!

Tatiana and Krista, forever joined.

http://www2.macleans.ca/2011/03/17/%e2%80%98there-is-no-normal-in-this-family/
More about these remarkable twin girls, joined at the top of their heads.  They will always be joined, and life will always be a struggle for them and their family.  But love prevails!  God bless them all.

butterfly's lesson

http://www.doyoubelieve.org/Butterfly.htm 
a very beautiful lesson from a butterfly about the need to struggle, about how sometimes we should just let nature find it's way without our good-intentioned but ill-advised assistance.

Mad Padre: Is Sin a Myth? A Sermon for the First Sunday of L...

Mad Padre: Is Sin a Myth? A Sermon for the First Sunday of L...: "Is Sin A Myth? Is sin a myth? That may seem like an odd title for a sermon, and granted it is a bit provocative. I chose it because one ..."


My brother the Mad Padre wrote this.  I find it interesting because it talks about the Creation story, Adam and Eve, evolution and so on. 

Robins in their nest

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=9479342&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF&fullsBcreen=1

Beautiful video, time-lapsed over about a month, follows a family of robins, from brooding over the eggs, to feeding hungry mouths, to an empty nest. 

God as creator, and us as creators

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeffrey-small/embracing-your-creative-g_b_829338.html

This is a wonderful essay about God as creator, and about us as creators.  About all the frustration and pain of trying always to get it right.  And how creation is on-going. 

Zombie ants, created by fungi. . .

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/02/zombie-creating-fungi-cordyceps_n_830558.html

. . .not fun, I bet, for the ants who make one fatal mistake.  Watch the time-lapsed video, it's fascinating.

Reunion with Gorillas

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=FZ-bJFVJ2P0
This is just beautiful to watch.  It's a meeting of long-lost friends in the jungle.  Gorillas and humans.

starfish and owl, just because I like them.

Buddhist dance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgXM0IxQb7w

I have already posted this on my facebook profile but I would like to share it here also.  It's too special not to.

New jaw-bone grown from back-muscle in Germany

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002017103_jaw27.html

Medical research that can help doctors to better help patients I believe is a direct result of skill derived from their intelligence.  And that intelligence is a gift to them from God, whether or not they believe in a supreme being.  Be that as it may, this is an interesting article.  It is something that makes people like me very happy.  I know that if I was the chap in need of a new jaw-bone I would be extremely happy for the skill of the doctors.

The Dalai Lama's facebook page

http://www.facebook.com/DalaiLama?v=wall#!/note.php?note_id=481561867321

I have always admired the Dalai Lama, who is the head of the Buddhists and a very wise man, for sure one with nature.  He is on a par with Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa and others who live in peace. 

Re-imagining God

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeffrey-small/reimagining-god-in-the-21_b_822776.html

I'm not sure what I think about this but it is interesting.  God is the ocean, we are the waves.  God is the forest, we are the trees.  It is a good read.

Tycho, new planet?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/14/tyche-hidden-planet_n_823028.html?utm_source=Triggermail&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Daily+Brief&utm_campaign=daily_brief

I noticed this and thought it worthy of inclusion here.  It's huge, so they say, and dwarfs even Jupiter, and it's very far out, 15,000 astronomical units.  That compares impressively with 40 units, which is how far out Pluto is.  Our Earth is about 93 million miles from the Sun, which one astronomical unit is defined as being.  This is why astronomy fascinates me--the incredible distances involved. 

http://www.independent.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00555/tyche3_555342a.pdf

Happy Valentine's Day!

To all the ladies, and to the guys, do not forget!

Autism

http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/autism-syrmptoms
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Son-Rise:_A_Miracle_of_Love

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi771556121/

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/posted.php?id=585213495


I have read and heard a lot about autism and everything I have learned makes me want to learn more.  I first heard of it when I read "Son-Rise", about a boy named Raun Kaufman, severely autistic, but with absolute devotion and love from his parents was brought out of his lonely place to become the CEO of the Autism Treatment Center of America. (Second link above.)

I also watched "House of Cards", a wonderful movie about an autistic girl named Sally, played by Asha Menina, with Kathleen Turner as her Mom and Tommy Lee Jones as her psychiatrist.  The third link above is to a trailer for the movie.

Another video, this one is of a man named Stephen Wiltshire with a photographic memory.  He went in a helicopter over a good deal of the city of Rome and then sat down and drew in complete detail everything he took in.  Just amazing.  This is the last link above.

Hubble deep-space

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=hubble+images&qpvt=hubble+images&mid=B66BD2618C9ED0E8F8F9B66BD2618C9ED0E8F8F9&FORM=LKVR10#

When I was a kid I fell in love with astronomy.  I had no idea what a light-year was but when I found out--for the record it's the distance that light, which travels at 186,000 miles a second, moves in a year, and that the nearest star, other than the sun, is 4 light-years away, I became infatuated.  I became further awe-struck when I learned that our galaxy alone is made up of millions of stars, and that there are millions of galaxies. . .As a Christian who believes that God the Creator has created all things I am completely blown away.  This is my God, our God, who cares deeply for me, for all of us.  All-powerful, all-knowing and all-loving.

Evolution Weekend

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-zimmerman/evolution-weekend-an-oppo_b_819153.html

More about bridging the gap. 

The sun in stereo!

http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2011/02/07/science-sun-nasa-stereo.html
Now we can see both sides of the sun at the same time.  Two spacecraft on opposite sides.  Brillant photos and video.

Foxhole faith and foxhole prayers

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rick-hamlin/foxhole-faith_b_818907.html

We who believe in a loving God hold fast to our faith and believe that God is there when we need him.  This is what this piece is about.  Sometimes the burden of our duties or predicaments are just too heavy for us to deal with and that's when we must reach out, just as our children reach out to us when they need help.

I added the picture as an afterthought.  It's just to make the point that sometimes we need some help along the way.  The donkey is carrying the goat.

Picking up the pieces, or, struggling with our faith

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/frank-schaeffer/how-do-you-pick-up-the-pi_b_816781.html

This is a very good article about faith.  I read it and I thought about that scene in "Fiddler on the Roof" in which Tevye is asking his God why he has made so many poor people.  Why does his life have to be so hard?  Why this?  Why that?  Why, why, why?  This movie is about the struggles of the Jews in Czarist Russia about a  hundred years ago.  They were trying to hold on to their traditions, to look after their families, as they have done for thousands of years.  And it isn't easy.  They are also being persecuted by the soldiers who are under orders to evict them from their villages.

In Genesis 32: 22-32 Jacob apparently wrestles with God.  This is an important passage because it says, symbolically that it isn't an easy task for some to accept God in our lives.   We want to be in control of our own lives.   We think we don't need God to help, to guide or to bless us.

I'm a Christian and I can identify in small measure to the Jews.  Sometimes I wonder if there really is a loving God or even if there's a God at all.  I struggle too.  Even as I write this I wonder if I am doing the right thing.  I wonder sometimes if I am following the path that I should be following.  I forget to pray, or I decide that something else is more important in my life than my relationship with God. 

evolution-creation debate, chapter whatever. . .

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/30/jack-kingston-evolution_n_815909.html?ir=Religion

There will always be people on both sides of this issue.  And there's others, like me, who see a common ground.  I do believe though, that we have to make up our own minds and believe whatever makes sense to us.  Enough said (by me!)

There is a short video clip at the end of this article.

Divine Creation

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/01/pictures/110127-best-space-photos-jupiter-moon-129/


This adds to my belief that God creates all things.  There is a comment attatched to this which I am repeating here:

And there, in the firmament of all Heaven,
I planned you from stardust. 
My power made it possible for you to be formed;
In binary pairs; you and a companion;
To love each other as I have loved you.

Some pics I want to share

quote from the Qur'an

Unique life of Madagascar

http://tech.ca.msn.com/photogallery.aspx?cp-documentid=27285714

Very interesting pictures of life in Madagascar.

Finding God in nature, or being found by God

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-fletcher-harper/god-is-my-rock_b_806384.html

A good essay about God in nature.  All we need to do sometimes is to stop and listen!

The digital story of the nativity

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkHNNPM7pJA

This is very clever and made me smile.  Late for Christmas but early for next one! 

Thoughts from Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein was a very wise man with remarkable insights.  This bears thinking about.

Mad Padre: Hearing the Voice of the God who Speaks. A Sermon...

Mad Padre: Hearing the Voice of the God who Speaks. A Sermon...: "I had this sermon ready to go today for Christ the King Chapel at CFB Suffield, but a storm system came through SE Alberta yesterday and ser..."

Battling with Batten Disease

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batten_disease

Recently I attended a breakfast with a group of men from my church.  We do this once a month to socialize, enjoy each other's company with humour and good fellowship.  Every time one of us will share with the rest of us a testimony of his spiritual journey, what he feels is important to him, what important events led him to be where he is now in his life. 

  A friend of mine who has agreed to share with me his personal story but has asked me for reasons of privacy not to include his name so he will be "Frank" here.  Frank gave a wonderful witness.  He is a very spiritual man who understands that God is there to give us strength when we need it, grace when we feel we can go no further.  All we need to do is pray and ask for help.  Frank had a daughter who was afflicted with Batten Disease, which is a neurological degenerative disease which affects vision, learning, causes seizures and generally is a nightmare for the families of the victims to deal with, but more especially for the victims themselves.  There is no cure as of yet.  The disease is always fatal.  There is a support group, called the Batten Disease Support and Research Association which provides information about research but there is a lot of work to be done.  We do need to pray for the victims and families of this disease, and provide support.

I would like to thank my friend Frank for his assistance in providing information to me. 

Pics from the Space Station by an Astronaut.

http://triggerpit.com/2010/11/22/incredible-pics-nasa-astronaut-wheelock/

This came in my e-mail and I want to share it here.  Amazing and beautiful.  Thanks to my friend and thanks to astronaut Wheelock!