Summer Solstice 2008

For the last decade, summer solstice (the longest day of the year) has always had a special meaning for me. This year, it happened on my birthday, June 20. The best part was it happened at precisely 4:59 p.m. PDT, meaning the end of the work week on Friday was also the beginning of summer. How cool was that? I headed to Hanger 24 Craft Brewery in Redlands, had my growler filled with orange wheat beer and took this photo from Pioneer Ave., looking west toward Mt. Baldy and the San Gabriel Mountains. Happy birthday to me, and best wishes to my pagan friends out there. Let's dance naked, do some cartwheels and celebrate the wonder -- and the gift -- of life!

Ride to Morton Peak

Here is a satellite view of today's ride to Morton Peak. I took some photos with my Kodak camera from the Forest Service's fire lookout tower. The three miles from the highway to the lookout tower are about the hardest three miles I've ever climbed. Enjoy the view!

Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jeff Healey: "Look at Little Sister"

Oh, man, where did this clip come from? Here's a look back at the greatness of two late guitar heroes. Watch as Healey gets up from his chair and Stevie stands on his toes during their solos. The quality of the video is poor and it breaks up in the middle, but plug your computer into your stereo's speakers, crank it up and re-live a bit of history.

Jimi Hendrix: "Voodoo Chile"

Here is the one-and-only doing one of the greatest songs for guitar ever written. Joe Satriani referred to this song as "the ultimate guitar statement." Stevie Ray Vaughan's version at El Mocambo is among the best guitar performances of all time, but this version is by the man who wrote it. Performing a great song really well is one thing -- having it flow from your head to your fingers for the first time is genius.

Jeff Healey: "See the Light"

Here is the late blind guitar genius Jeff Healey playing his signature song, "See the Light." An added bonus is Dr. John (Malcolm John "Mac" Rebennack, Jr.) on piano. What an amazing talent -- and technique. Watch the way Healey bends the strings and walks up and down the fretboard with his fingers. We miss you, Jeff!

Kal David and John Mayall

Here is an amazing video of Kal David playing alongside John Mayall and the Bluebreakers. I wrote about Kal in my earlier post The Soundtrack of My Life. Notice he's playing the same 1964 Gibson Firebird V he hangs around his neck on stage today. This is great stuff!

Redlands Native Earns Air Force Honors

May 5, 2008

To: Editor, Redlands Daily Facts

Good morning,

I sent a message in February about my son Christopher being named by the Air Force as Airman of the Quarter for the fourth quarter 2007 and was disappointed you didn't run it. I hope you'll consider sharing with the community his most recent award (below). I have attached a photo.

Christopher (Chris) Davidson was named Enlisted Airman Space Systems Operator of the Year for 2007 for the Air Force Space Command, it was announced Monday, May 5, by Colonel Clinton E. Crosier, commander, USAF 50th Operations Group.

Davidson is a senior airman working as a member of the 3rd Space Operations Group at Schriever AFB in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Previously, he was named Airman of the Quarter for the fourth quarter 2007 for the 3rd Space Operations Group, the 50th Operations Group, the 50th Space Wing and Team Schriever at Schriever Air Force Base. Davidson was also named to the High Frontier Honor Guard earlier this year, which represents the President of the U.S. at community events and Air Force ceremonies, including funeral services for women and men who served in the Air Force.

The son of Don and Deena Davidson of Redlands, he is a 1998 graduate of Redlands High School and studied astrophysics at U.C. Berkeley after graduation.

Regards,
Don

Don Davidson
Redlands

- - - - -

February 14, 2008

To: Editor, Redlands Daily Facts

I don't know if you intend to run this story, which I sent last week, but Christopher learned today he has been honored with yet another level of recognition: Airman of the Quarter for the fourth quarter 2007 for the 14th Air Force, which comprises the five bases that make up the Strategic Space Command.

Regards,
Don Davidson

- - - - -

February 6, 2008

To: Editor, Redlands Daily Facts

Good morning,

I'm pleased to share with you that my son, Christopher Davidson, recently earned the following honors:

He was named Airman of the Quarter for the fourth quarter 2007 for the 3rd Space Operations Group, the 50th Operations Group, the 50th Space Wing and Team Schriever at Schriever Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

He was also named to the High Frontier Honor Guard, which represents the President of the U.S. at community events and Air Force ceremonies, including funeral services for women and men who served in the Air Force.

Christopher is a 1998 graduate of Redlands High School and is an Airman First Class working in space (satellite) operations at Schriever AFB. He is the son of Don and Deena Davidson of Redlands.

I have attached a recent photo.

Regards,
Don

Don Davidson
Redlands

Farewell, Smokey

I said good-bye to our cat Smokey yesterday. About a week ago, we noticed he had gained a lot of weight and filled out around the middle. After a couple of days, he became lethargic and wasn't eating. X-rays showed his body was swollen with fluid and blood tests indicated he had feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), which was fatal. We could tell he was feeling worse with each passing day and decided that euthanasia was the humane thing to do -- before he was in pain and suffering.

While I knew it was the best thing for my good feline friend, it was nonetheless very hard to accept. Two days before we took him in to be put down, I felt terrible all day, both physically and emotionally. I awoke in the middle of the night and thought about him, knowing he was feeling poorly as he perched on the cushion on the lounge chair on our back porch.

He didn't move from the spot very much the last few days of his life. When he was well, whenever I would open the sliding glass door, he would jump down and run to the door. During those last few days, it took a lot of coaxing. I felt so bad for him. Despite the obvious discomfort of all that fluid pushing against his organs, he still purred when I would pet him.

Smokey wasn't a very affectionate cat. His mother was a feral cat from whom he was rescued as a kitten. He loved being outdoors and ruled our yard like a lion. He came in the house only to eat and sleep and never sat on anyone's lap. Only in the past year would he let me pick him up. It took a while, but he came to enjoy it and would purr loudly when I held him and stroked his head and scratched his cheeks and behind his ears.

We had a routine that was very special to me -- and to him, too, I hope. Every morning, the first thing I would do would be to open the vertical blinds that covered the sliding glass door to the back porch. He would be sitting at the door, waiting to come in for his breakfast. I felt guilty about making any noise and having him know I was in the house and making him wait, so I made letting him in my first priority every morning. I may be delusional, but I think he sensed that -- how much I wanted to see him and make him feel welcomed.

His first stop was at the scratching post inside the door. I would patiently wait for him to do his thing, then pet him as he made his way to the tray with his food and water in the kitchen. As he munched on Cat Chow, which was always available, I would prepare a can of Fancy Feast. After a few nibbles of kibble, he would rub against my leg and make noise that he was ready for the good stuff. After his meal, as I ate my cereal and soy milk and perused the Los Angeles Times, he found his place on the La-Z-Boy chair he called his own in the dining area.

I sure miss my cat. There are those who will think me crazy to get so attached to a pet like I did, but he was a great friend. I strived to make sure he knew that whenever he saw me, he knew that he was loved and would be cared for. It was not always that way, however. When he was young, he got in a fight and got very sick from an abscess under his scalp. The vet shaved his head and opened up his scalp and flushed it out. He sent him home with a hole in his scalp that we were expected to flush with an antibiotic solution twice a day. Needless to say, it was a struggle and I have the scars to prove it. But he survived, and we made up.

This morning, when I got up, I was sick knowing he wouldn't be at the door. But I opened the blinds and the sliding glass door and welcomed him in anyway. I looked at the empty lounge chair and cried. I imagined him scratching on his post and meowing for his breakfast. When I got home tonight, it was dark. As I went to the kitchen, I caught myself squinting and looking at the glass door to see if he was perched there, wanting to come in. Being gray, he was hard to see in the dark, but if he was there, I always went straight to the door and welcomed him in. I really missed seeing him there.

We asked the vet to have Smokey cremated and to provide us with his remains. We'll blend them into the soil at the base of a tree in the backyard where our Golden Retriever Sandy's remains are. These were our pets through most of our years here on Anthony Street when Chris and Dean were growing up. When we brought Smokey home as a kitten, Sandy took to him immediately. Smokey developed a habit of licking Sandy around the eyes, cleaning off any matter that accumulated there. Sandy, who outweighed Smokey by 50-60 pounds, would lie on the floor quite placidly, letting her feline friend take care of her.

I think I'll open the sliding glass door every morning and every evening and say hello to my feline friend for quite a while. Farewell, Smokey. Thanks for everything you gave us -- for everything you gave me.

Leaves of Change

This photo was taken by Sensei Susan Perry of Musubi Dojo and the Aiko Institute. The original was part of a wonderful exhibit of her work in 2007 at Some Crust bakery in Claremont. She is also the director of Budo Zen Art, which has a fantastic collection of brush stroke artwork. I am privileged to own one of her calligraphy works.

This photo contains a message about our times that I reflect on often. She took the photo at a temple in Japan, where the person was dutifully clearing the walkway of the brilliantly colored leaves of fall. About the time of sensei's exhibit, I heard a story on National Public Radio about a town in New England that was considering a ban on leaf blowers.

Many of the residents of the town shared their loathing of the noise of the machines, which shattered the peace and quiet of each morning as crews of gardeners used them to remove the trees' abundant fall offerings from the well-manicured properties they maintained. Others complained of the way the leaf-blowing devices' two-stroke engines filled the air with a pungent odor of scorched motor oil and unburned gasoline.

The owners of one of the gardening companies railed against a suggestion that his crews be prohibited from using the machines. He spoke of the prohibitive costs of moving so many leaves in any other manner. He laughed and said, incredulously, "What am I supposed to do, have my crews rake the leaves? Are we supposed to go back in time?"

His response spoke volumes about what the industrial revolution has done to us, and to our world. We have replaced any possible appreciation for the natural world with a need to overcome it with machines in the most expeditious and "cost-effective" way possible.

The person in this photo is obviously not in a hurry. At first glance, the project they have undertaken appears impossible: With every stroke of the broom, there will be more leaves. So, why bother? Why not fire up a leaf blower?

Could it be that the act of sweeping the leaves is reason enough? Could this person actually take pleasure -- or gain insight into themselves and the world around them -- by understanding how the rhythm of life around them is exemplified by the motion of the broom? Could the sound of the broom's bristles moving the leaves be soothing and peaceful? Could this person see in each leaf the perfection of nature through its symmetry and color, and feel a connection to the tree from which it came? Could it be that the amount of time it takes is less important than the experience one has during that time?

I would trade the peacefulness of this approach to that of a machine any day.

Overturning the Tables of the Money Changers

When I opened my local newspaper the week of Thanksgiving, I couldn't believe what I saw. Attached to the front page was this colorful JCPenney post-it note describing how I could be among the first to shop for Christmas and get all the great deals by being at the local store -- at freaking 4 a.m.!

At first, I was offended that they would think I was so stupid and so gullible to want to march with the rest of the lemmings to their store to buy a boatload of stuff for Christmas. "Come early, or all the really good stuff will be gone!" Some marketing genius probably won an award for this promotion, but I think its creator should be pilloried. After a while, I realized we are a nation of lemmings and there was probably a line forming at JCPenney at that very moment. And some idiot journalist was covering it.

The post-it piece was so thoughtfully planned in red and green -- the Christmas colors of holly, pine trees, Santa's suit and candy canes. And the ultimate Christmas symbol -- money, which has become the real "reason for the season." Every year, we hear the same report in the news: "Retail store owners fear the sluggish sales that economists are projecting for this holiday season will spell doom for their businesses. If that happens, your life will be ruined, too. So, get out there and buy some stuff! Lots of stuff. Take a year (or five) to pay for it if you must; but, damn it, get out there and buy lots of stuff! Our way of life depends on it!"

Jesus is rolling in his grave and dreaming of the days when it was much more simple: He only had to overturn the tables of a few money changers in the temple to make his point. Today, it's tens of thousands of retail outlets and a culture built on the principle of consume, then discard, then consume some more. A lot more.

Davidson Communications

Dean and I have launched a new consulting enterprise Davidson Communications. We're currently working on a project for the Bicycle Commuter Coalition of the Inland Empire. Check out our website and if you need the help of a couple of communications pros, fill out the online request form.

High Frontier Honor Guard

Chris has been chosen to serve on the High Frontier Honor Guard, which serves portions of Colorado and Kansas. It's an amazing honor for him to be chosen and represent the president of the United States as a member of this elite team. He'll perform Honor Guard duty one week per month for a year. Way to go, Chris!