I took these snaps during a break at a 3-day Contemplative Outreach Circle of Service meeting in New Jersey. Snaps 1-3 are of the memorial given to the U.S. by Russia after 9/11 - it sits in Bayonne NJ; snap 4 is of several Circle members looking at the memorial - very sobering (l-r Carl Arico, Susan Rush, Marie Howard, Padre Jaime Carujo, Mark Nowak, Susan Komis, and Bonnie Schimizu, Mary Anne Best [guest] backrow); snap 5 captures a surprise moment for Carl Arico in celebration of his 50th year as a priest; snap 6 is a gift, long-held and cherished by Fr. Thomas Keating, that Fr. Thomas gave to Carl on his 50th year as a priest including relics (clockwise) from St. Bernard, St. Anthony and St. Benedict; and snaps 7-8 were taken at Carl's church in Bayonne NJ..
My morning bike ride on the white trail (click to enlarge) jumped a couple of deer and later a fox.
A 6.3 mile morning bike ride on the Schaeffer Trail led by this small but audible stream. The sun was just beginning to fill this small ravine.
Now that the weather is warmer I've been alternating biking and swimming each day. Today I rode the Schaeffer Trail, a favorite among off-road bikers in this area and near my home. The Trail runs through woodland like this mostly.
On a bike ride this a.m. I stopped to see what the message was on this birdhouse. Now I know.
My pre-ordered 64 GB iPad shipped directly from China and arrived this morning. The snaps below are of the "unboxing" and setup.
Only two items come with the iPad, a USB cord to connect to a Mac or PC and a USB-wall adapter to connect to an electrical outlet. The instructions are also simple - a small card showing the four external "controls" on the iPad and brief instructions on the back. When the iPad turned on by pushing the only button on its face, it nicely tells you to connect it to iTunes, synch and register. All were a breeze, and it came with a fully charged battery.
The design esthetics appear gorgeous and I look forward to exploring my Pad and comparing my experience of it with the many reviews and comments (pro and con) issued since the iPad went on sale two days ago.
Snaps: 1 the box; 2 contents of the box; 3 synching iPad; 4 back of iPad; 5 & 6 instruction card.
Today, Easter, was beautiful, sunny, warm and the trees have begun to show buds of new life. I took to the Hoyles Mill Trail by bike and much to my surprise, was greeted by this impressive hiker/biker bridge that had been constructed since last I was this way. Normally, depending on water depth, one would need to dismount, remove socks and shoes and wade across Little Seneca Creek. An informative educational/historical marker (see snaps) had also been added. Formally, a county road, now closed except to hikers/bikers ran on either side of the ford and vehicles, or buggies and wagons in earlier times, would cross the creek by driving through it.
A local fellow informed me the bridge cost $360K. I couldn't tell if he was making a comment or just being factual. A senior runner at the bridge informed me this was a good place to swim and cool off in the hot summer - I'll make a note. He also said migratory butterflies nearby caused the bridge's construction to be postponed so as to not imperil the lovelies. The last snap is of Little Seneca Lake from the Hoyles Mill Trail.
Today was held the second of three Saturday morning, mini Heartfulness retreats with centering prayer at St. John the Baptist Catholic Community in White Oak, MD. These snaps are from the morning.
These snaps were taken on a Sunday afternoon bike ride in Black Hill Regional Park near Germantown MD. While the bluebirds were out in the meadow, perching briefly on the birdhouses made for them, they were fairly 'flighty' so I was unable to snap one with an iPhone.
