Lakeside Venture

It was a Gloriously sunny day which begged for an adventure. But, where to go? I’d already been to the local lake; perhaps it was time to venture into the neighbouring county, appropriately named ‘Lake County’. Nestled between Northern California’s famous wine areas of Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino County, Lake County is home to a number of Beautiful lakes, including Clear Lake, which is the largest natural freshwater lake in California. I chose, however, to head for Lakeport, as I had heard that it was a Lovely town in which to spend the day.

Winding through the curvy mountainside roads, climbing higher, past many vineyards, the journey into Lakeport affords one an opportunity to appreciate the Beauty for which Northern California is understandably known. Through the green forest surroundings, I spied the first of the various lakes for which the county is named. The very deep and aptly named “Blue Lakes”, which consists of two lakes, Upper Blue Lake and Lower Blue Lake, offers a Gorgeous escape. Resting at the base of a canyon, the majestic nature of this 125 acre body of water is breathtaking. There’s something very mysterious about these dark blue lakes which run so deep, they cannot even be measured.

The first four pictures in this post are of Blue Lakes, Dear Reader. Are you not mesmerized by the Amazing colours? Whether one chose to visit for lunch, fish from the pier, or take a boat along the exquisite water, I imagine the experience would stay with one for years to come. And, isn’t the gazebo charming? I envisioned a warm evening of live music and dancing! Can you see it, too?

Having eyes to look out there lets your consciousness out farther. Having ears extends your consciousness out farther. Learning something new extends your consciousness out farther. Learning of the existence of another town over the hill that you didn’t know about extends your consciousness out farther, expands your mind, expands your consciousness.

On the road again, past fields of wildflowers, green and golden mountains, and many orchards. I was particularly drawn to the orchard shown below, with its row after row of trees, light and dark intermingling between their branches. I could easily have sat beneath them for hours, absorbing the serene energy I felt emanating from the area. Isn’t it Wonderful?

At last, the roads revealed the quaint town of Lakeport, with it’s historic downtown and tree-lined streets. Incorporated in 1888, it is the oldest community in Lake County. Offering a museum I’m told is quite worthwhile to visit, a Beautiful library building, and lakeside park, it is very charming, indeed. The lake itself conjures images of a long ago Sausalito, yet to be built upon. It’s easy to understand why many pioneers returned to the area at the end of the gold rush to settle permanently into the area. With its temperate climate, it is also a great place for farming.

The lakeside park was thoughtfully planned to include play structures for the children, park benches for picnics and barbecues, all structured around a gazebo. There were many locales out appreciating the sunny day, the sounds of kids playing carried on the refreshing breezes. How Lovely! After some lakeside appreciation, a walk down main street and a yummy chilled mocha, it was time to journey back home.

On the return, I felt called to capture a picture of the alluring wildflowers, of which there are many, sharing their colourful blooms with the golden fields expansively stretched on each side of the road home. Oh, yes, I do so Love and appreciate my gorgeous Northern California home.

Love and Blessings,
Antonia

Welcome, BeLoved Summer!

Why has Summer always been my favourite Season? Could it be the warmer days, spent outdoors? The promise of friends gathering, barbecues, sweet, icy refreshments, lazy poolside fun and galavanting on the beach? Yes, yes, I believe so! And, the fact that my birthday lies smack dab in the middle of the fun certainly helps the cause as well. *giggle* So, my recent excitement at Solstice’s arrival should surprise none. But, it’s also pretty Amazing to me just how many of the ancients celebrated the special time as well.

Many great stones, megaliths, tunnels and monuments have been constructed to honour this specific astronomical moment in time. The celebration of light at its brightest has held great significance for our ancients, for as the Sun warms Mother Earth with His strength and power, Earth is nurtured, and thus able to bring forth Her gifts to us. Whether you call it Solstice (latin for Sun standing still), Litha, Alben Heruin, St. John’s Day, or something else, the joyous solar festival of many names falls upon 21 June and will be the longest day of the year here in the Northern Hemisphere, bringing the beginning of Summer with it.

Among the many monuments, the Solstice is commemorated in stone at Egypt’s Giza plateau. Can you imagine the ingenuity required to enable the Summer Solstice Sun to set precisely between the two Great Pyramids? The impressive Nazca Lines, a mysterious series of shallow trench designs dug in the Peruvian desert between 500 B.C. and A.D. 500, include features aligned with both the Summer and Winter Solstice sunsets. In the Toltec Mounds Archaeological State Park near Little Rock, Arkansas, the Solstice Sun sets directly behind a ceremonial mound constructed some thousand years ago by the North American Indians. Thousands of people will gather this year to celebrate the day at Stonehenge, where Sacred stones have been aligned with the Solstice for some 5,000 years.

For me, Midsummer, as its also known, doesn’t just mark the occasion when the Sun proudly reaches its peak strength, allowing Earth Her lush, Beautiful fertility; it is also a celebration of service, sharing and giving our due to the planet. We shall each do our part to prepare for the harvest season, for it is not just an agricultural reward we reap; we, too, shall be harvested. This involves sharing with our community, giving back to those who have helped us, through random acts of kindness, and assisting our fellow soul siblings however we can. It is a sharing of the harvest, and ourselves, in Gratitude for what we were Blessed to have been given.

Sunshine brings strength and inspiration, and Solstice is an excellent time to appreciate the day with some thoughtful solitude about what the next phase of the year will bring. Considered by ancient civilizations to be like our modern-day New Year’s Eve, it was viewed as a time of rebirth and renewal. I shall spend time outdoors, appreciating the new energy, and setting intentions for how I can best serve and bring the energy back around come harvest time. Should this not resonate with you, I hope that you shall at least be inspired to find a way to celebrate the long honoured time in a way which feels best for you. What do you feel inspired to do, Dear Reader?

Sharing the Love

At the end of last year, I wrote a post about The Ripple Effect in which I shared how my own reflections upon charity, and giving from the heart was being perfectly mirrored by my Beautiful mother’s latest philanthropic effort. She had been reading Greg Mortenson’s book, Three Cups of Tea, which features a remote, humble Pakistani village. As though the true story of Mortenson’s incredible humanitarian efforts to build schools, especially for girls, in the dangerous far reaches of Asia wasn’t motivation enough for an altruist effort of her own, mom’s heart was captured by the dear, sweet children. “It’s so cold there,” she explained to me, “Do you think people would help me make and send them scarves?” I knew that she desired more than providing protection from brutal Winter; she wanted to wrap them in Love. You know I’m right. The Scarf Initiative was born!

The initial response from ‘The Scarf Initiative’, a request mom made on her Gorgeous blog, plantwhateverbringsyoujoy.com was a Beautiful thing to witness. She called me and delightedly shared with me that fellow bloggers and BeLoved readers alike were all willing to knit scarves for the Dear Pakistani children. YAY! Shortly thereafter scarves from across the states, Canada, and the United Kingdom began arriving in mom’s postal box! It was very exciting, indeed. However, as I’m sure you can well imagine, there is also a bit of an uphill climb in the logistics behind getting things into remote villages half-way around the World. Yeah, who knew, right?

I listened with admiration as mom worked through just a bit of red tape involved in carrying out this impressive undertaking. For one thing, there is only one way into the village of Askole, which had been chosen as the lucky recipient of this thoughtful project. It’s called the Karakoram Highway and traversing this incredibly narrow road is quite treacherous, and completely impossible during the icy, snowy Winter months. So, even when mom managed to collect two very large boxes of Lovingly knitted and crocheted scarves into Pakistan, she still needed an expert trekker to assist with getting them into Askole and distributing them upon arrival. Ever resourceful, mom found a kind-hearted expedition expert up for the challenge in a man named Nazir Sabir.

Mom knew that she was in great hands with Nazir Sabir, and proceeded with confidence that the scarves would arrive safely at their destination. We sent heart-felt prayers as we waited for word that the scarves had safely arrived. We were so happy when a message was received alerting us that the boxes, which had been sitting in storage in Skardu through the rough, cold months, would finally be driven along Karakoram Highway. More prayers and hopes. Did I mention that it’s the last stop before K2, the second largest mountain in the World?

A couple of days ago, mom had tears rolling down her face as she gazed upon the pictures which arrived via email of the scarves she had collected and shipped being distributed to not one, but two villages so far very away, upon a high mountain top. Wow! Almost one hundred scarves and many gloves and hats, made with Loving intention, sent to the village children. Isn’t it remarkable? I thought once again about the ripple effect of such an undertaking. While it’s impossible to know the full effect of how our actions effect others, I have to imagine that this was an effort which shall continue to pay itself forward in Amazing ways. Just look at the excitement from the children.

As I remarked in a prior post, it’s hard to know of the positive effects one has by sending soft, warm articles of clothing Lovingly handmade with the greatest intentions to a remote village on the other side of the planet, but I’m venturing to guess that the ripples shall continue. Beautiful work, mom! Blessings to you and all who contributed. You’re an inspiration which will hopefully inspire others to think about how they, too, can contribute to our fellow soul siblings. For, even in a simple “hello”, a genuine smile, compliment, or compassionate glance, we can all have Beautiful effects of which we’ll never fully know. How can you help, BeLoveds?