Some Good News

(and not just that the Dodgers have new ownership...)



Winged Lion Temple # 17



http://jordantimes.com/us-grant-to-support-conservation-of-petra-temple 

US grant to support conservation of Petra temple

Petra | Mar 28, 2012 | 00:06

AMMAN — A US grant was awarded on Tuesday to the American Centre on Oriental Research and the Department of Antiquities to support a project to conserve, repair and increase accessibility to the Temple of the Winged Lions in Petra, according to a US embassy statement.
US Ambassador to Jordan Stuart Jones launched the $600,000 grant yesterday, awarded under the US Department of State’s Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation.
The ambassador also toured the Wadi Al Jarra Dam site and was briefed about the Nabataean flash flood protection system.
The project will also train conservation specialists and educate the local community about the site, the statement said.


Looking south from Winged Lion Temple sign area

 http://www.atlastours.net/jordan/petra_map.html 

For ALL us dancers...

Some of you may be veterans of my PowerPoint presentations or training sessions. If so, you know: “I am an example of Americana; my mother’s memory of ‘The Great Depression’ was they had to let the upstairs maid go, while my father experienced the family farm in La Porte, Colorado blow back to Oklahoma where my grandfather had migrated from via cattle drive to Wyoming many decades before. In fact, I’m the 1^st in that family not reared on a ranch or farm… I was raised in a kennel… and my friends tell me that explains a lot…”

The return, or Petra III, is well into planning stages now. We had looked to go 3/31, but have postponed to early June (like “D-Day” did). The logistics will be better. A major emphasis this time down-the-chute will be Search and Rescue (SAR). I know that we are looking forward to contributing as we can at this very special place…

This weekend (3/24) I’ll be teaching a group of potential site stewards about our statewide SiteWatch volunteer program that looks-over archaeological and historic sites. These are always filled with special people: this one will be too with representatives from Santa Fe, Taos and several nearby pueblos. Ever since going through a sun dance on the Crow Reservation in ’75 (I was sponsored by the Whistling Water Clan), I have tried to protect our patrimony and precious places anyway that I can. Many of you have helped me along that trail. I know that I say THANKS often, but I know no better way to repay than to say it and walk-the-walk… and “just do-it…”

Then on 3/25 I’ll be the referee for a US Tennis Association Juniors Tournament in Albuquerque; hopefully passing more along to “the next generation.”



Incident Management: Hurricane Andrew

We have ALL had those that have come into our lives and made a positive impact and difference. I’d have to start with Meme: she is incredible. Of course there are a myriad of others with lesser roles of magic wand waving. I hope you’ll reach-out, while you can, and let them know:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVG5k_sdvIw

This Saturday is the 1-year anniversary for the passing of Maureen Helene (Shapiro) Thompson, Burbank High School ’66 (and much more). Her life-partner, Peter, is planning something very special in her memory, so more about that when the time is right...

MH(S)T downunda '93ish

“Goodbye Vietnam” … Al Webster, great SiteWatch steward (and good friend) that had a counseling career (much of it in correctional and treatment facilities), pointed out that we should drop the  “D” in PTSD, as it is common & a normal part of the healing process. Al served with US & Canadian Armed Forces before his psychology studies, and actively volunteers in Operations and Incident Command with State Police SAR incidents = another hero…

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=ASETse4oNlI&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Remember when rock was young (and so were we)?

Continuing with travels of folks with a National Park Service nexus, this re: a cultural (& spiritual) journey received from Dick Sellars (NPS Historian and general all around good-guy):

http://www.cic.edu/Programs-and-Services/Progams/Woodrow-Wilson-Visiting-Fellows/Pages/Richard-Sellars.aspx

“Just finished a short trip to Clovis and Lubbock--a Buddy Holly pilgrimage.  See brief statement on influence of Buddy Holly:

Buddy Holly and the Crickets had the most influence on the Beatles."^[26] Lennon and McCartney later cited Holly as a primary influence.^[27] (Their bug-themed band's name, The Beatles, was chosen partly in homage to Holly's Crickets.)^[26] The Beatles did a cover version of "Words of Love" that was a close reproduction of Holly's version, released on late 1964's Beatles for Sale (in the U.S., in June 1965 on Beatles VI). During the January 1969 sessions for the Let It Be album, the Beatles played a slow impromptu version of "Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues" — although not written by Holly, it was popularized by him — with Lennon mimicking Holly's vocal style;^{[citation needed]} the recording was eventually released in the mid-1990s on Anthology 3. In addition, John Lennon recorded a cover version of "Peggy Sue" on his 1975 album Rock 'n' Roll. McCartney owns the publishing rights to Holly's song catalogue.^[28]

A 17-year-old Bob Dylan attended the January 31, 1959, show, two nights before Holly's death. Dylan referred to this in his 1998 Grammy acceptance speech for his Time out of Mind being named Album of the Year:

"And I just want to say that when I was sixteen or seventeen years old, I went to see Buddy Holly play at Duluth National Guard Armory and I was three feet away from him...and he LOOKED at me. And I just have some sort of feeling that he was — I don't know how or why — but I know he was with us all the time we were making this record in some kind of way."^[29]

Keith Richards attended one of Holly's performances, where he heard "Not Fade Away" for the first time.^{[citation needed]} The Rolling Stones had an early hit covering the song.
The launch of Bobby Vee's successful musical career resulted from Holly's death, when he was selected to replace Holly on the tour that continued after the plane crash. Holly's profound influence on Vee's singing style can be heard in such songs as "Rubber Ball" and "Run to Him."

Holly influenced many other singers during and after a career that lasted barely two years. Keith Richards once said Holly had "an influence on everybody."^[30] In an August 24, 1978, Rolling Stone interview, Bruce Springsteen told Dave Marsh, "I play Buddy Holly every night before I go on; that keeps me honest."
The Grateful Dead performed "Not Fade Away" 530 times over the course of their career, making it their seventh most-performed song.^{[citation needed]} The song also appears on eight of their official live recording releases."

Whiskey River… revisit

Jim Walters atop Kilimanjaro

Seems I’ve been posting about everything except travel recently… so, thought it’d be good to get “on the road again.” First & foremost, kudos to former National Park Service (NPS) colleague Jim Walters, as he was made it from his formative years in SoCal (Catalina Island) to being the NPS Wilderness Coordinator to being atop a large roadless track called Mt. Kilimanjaro: way-to-go Jim!

Hal's Series: Four Seasons (El Paso)

Meme & I took a much less adventurous excursion this past weekend to “the west Texas town of El Paso.” Had we ventured across the Rio Grande into J-town it might have been more harrowing. Instead we spent our time with Meme’s sister Pat and her husband Hal Marcus. It was a pre-Pat’s B-day sojourn that primarily included lots of art, food & music. Some of you may recall that Hal is an artist of some notoriety in EP and his 4 paintings “The Four Seasons” has been on temporary display at the art museum there; Sunday was its last day. His work is still viewable at the Chamizal National Memorial, the Children’s Hospital (El Mercado Juarez) and of course at his gallery: http://www.halmarcus.com/



El Mercado Juearez

As the fates dictated, Willie Nelson was also in town on 3/3; making his inaugural performance for a tour that is scheduled until mid-June. When we went to the art museum we saw his buses parked adjacent to the historic & refurbished Plaza Theatre where 2,100+ of us would sing and sway with him later that evening. The first song was his ol’ opening standard:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1J_CmSi6CVI 

It was a bit rough, but considering the time he’d had off, that this was his 1^st concert since the death of his long-time bass player, and that he turns 79 the end of next month the hour and a half of tunes came together OK. Most of the ballads were familiar ones, but he did three knew ones he’d written while recuperating from throat surgery and getting ready for this next jaunt. They were good ones, entitled: I’m Not Superman, You Don’t Think I’m Funny Anymore, and Roll Me Up & Smoke Me When I Die. Worth the admittance price (of course, I have to confess we got our front-row balcony seats for free [thanks Hal] and the following morning the El Paso Times has a photo of Hal watching from same).