P O T P O U R R IThe following show is a random collection of images chosen

from a wide range of subjects, a few of which may be known to some of you but, still are of perennial interest. An example of perennial interest would be this first slide

which has been named by astronomers as the PILLARS OF CREATION

This is an appropriate first slide because these pillars, found in the Eagle Nebula, consist of interstellar gas containing the remnants of previous stars. This interstellar gas can

condense to create suns and solar systems like our own. Our primordial origin is star dust. We have mindboggling history. Did some of the atoms in our body once belong to

another living creature a few billion years ago!The author of this show would also like to offer a couple of

glimpses of his own origin. As for the rest of the slides, may they be a source of

interest and diversion. AUDIO

Pillars of creation

CRAB NEBULAIn the likes of which were created the atoms that make us think.

MICROSCOPIC PLANKTONThis microscopic plankton was scanned by anelectron microscope and reveals how stardust can evolve into simple yet complex life. Theminute calcareous remains of a phytoplankton accumulated over eons created the great

chalk cliffs. Diatoms, another salt and fresh water phyto-pkankton with silica shells, created diatomite rock-like beds hundreds of feet

thick. These beds are mined today for multiple usesincluding the planting medium for growingorchids. One advantage is that diatomite isporous and retains some moisture without being wet. Most orchids are epiphytes and are watered by occasional rains; the roots will rot if they are constantly wet. Too, diatomite, asilica rock, never deteriorates as do organicplanting mediums. The next three slides are of orchids from mygreenhouse grown in diatomite.

C A T T L E Y A

V A R I O U S

PSYCHOPSISPAPILIO

MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE

TIBETAN 0RCHID

THE MIGRANT MOTHER The well known and iconic photo of the determined mother of the dust bowl years migrating west in search of a way

to stay alive. This could be in the early

1930s. This picture tugs at our hearts also

because we too, though not in such dire straights, were driven from our small Nebraskafarm by drought, dust, debt and desper-ation. Dad was quite apt at rough carpentry, and through a fortunate connection was almost assured of work when he left with Johanna and Marcella for southern California late 1936. When he was established he called for the rest of the family, and we followed in January of 1937, never to return again to farming.

S O L I T U D EThis picture was taken in 2006, and there is no reason tobelieve it is no longer there. I am told that the original wooden tower was destroyed in a storm in 1923. So thistower, in 2009, would be 86 years old. When the farm buildings were sold the windmill was left because of the cattle in the adjacent pasture. All of us children, except Marcella , were born in a house about fifty feet this side of the windmill. The milk house stood right next to the left side of the windmill. It was called the milk housebecause the fresh milk was taken there for separating the

cream from the milk using a hand-cranked machine forseparating. The cream was saved in the old type metal milk cans kept cool in a tank of water fed by the pump. The separated milk (today called skimmed milk) was fed to the pigs; the cream was sold to the town creamery. Mom did at times make cottage cheese for the table and for feeding the chickens. We churned our own butter byflip-flopping the cream in the old metal Karo syrup cans After all these years the vane still points the asps toface into the wind, and the turning fan creaks a forlorncall of memories to ears too distant to hear. But there arenostalgic hearts that still guard those far-off and fond memories of the old windmill.Today hemp grows wild around its base.

CONFIRMATION PICTUREThis picture dates from 1934 when I

was nine years old.It was taken in the afternoon in front ofthe milk house mentioned above. Notethe shadow of my father who was usinga Kodak camera with bellows. My father was very proud of this camera because

itwas one of the better ones of its time. A corner back room of the milk house,with its own door on the opposite side,was used for home curing hams andbacon, always in the cold of winter.

Firstthere was the soaking in oaken barrelsfilled with brine, and then the smokingIt was common to use Wright’s Liquid Smoke instead of the days-long process of natural smoke.

JIMMY - GERRY BILLY - NANNYThis picture was taken in 1936 in front of the barn. Goats were very rare in this area; these were given to us from someone living in town. Later the nanny was given to a couple who had a sickly

baby. It was believed that goat’s milk was more nutritious.

WEEPING FRENCHMANThis picture was taken June 14, 1940 as the German troops entered Paris.

DISBELIEF - SORROW – HATRED – APPREHENSION

SADDAM CAPTURED

SADDAM ON TRIAL SADDAM SENTENCED

INVERTED FOSSIL FOOTPRINTSThese are from rancho San Antonio de losÁlamos, and are found on a cliff of tuff composed of layers of volcanic ash varying

incolor and thickness. On one occasion aneruption deposited a layer of ash several inches thick, and shortly after there was a light rain that dampened the ash. Over this passed a herd of animals leaving deep prints.After this layer dried there was another asheruption, seen here in the picture, that filled the footprints. Millions of years later this cliffwas uplifted and began to weather. The ashrock below the prints is softer and fell away exposing the ‘bulging’ footprints. This picture was taken looking upward toward the overhanging rock containing the footprints. A paleontologist suggests the prints were

madeby an ancestor of the pig family. The following slide is a picture of this cliff.

THE CLIFF OF LAYERED VOLCANIC ASHThe arrow middle left at the top of the talus slope points to where the fossil footprints are

found. Actually the footprints can be traced intermittently along the entire cliff at the top of the talus slope. The lower left arrow points to the corrals – the ‘squares’. The middle bottom arrow points to the ranch house. The slanting arrow points to the entrance (hidden by the talus

slope) to the mile long box-canyon. Note that the top hundred or so feet of the cliff is of a single composition. This indicates the final massive eruption and death-blow of the volcano. A million or more years later another

volcano spewed flows of basalt on top of the tuff deposits.

INSCRIPTION – MARCH 6 1786

This is found at the entrance to one of the

few shallow caves at the entrance to the canyon.Captain don Joséf Ventura Moreno with the militia of Coahuila attacked a numerous band of Indians in the Rinconado killing three and wounding many. Their herd of mules was taken away , and so the pillaging has been stopped. Lt. Cortez and two soldiers werewounded. March 6, 1786This place, now San Antonio de losÁlamos, was called the Rinconado, and was inhabited by Indians who settledthere because of year-round little springsfound in the canyon. The inscription wasmade with cinnabar, and so is still vividtoday . There is an abandoned mercurymine about seventy miles away.

GYPSUMM CRYSTALSNAICA - CHIHUAHUA

LOCAL FASCIATIONThis grew on a colorín tree in the back yard of the rectory.

This is an unusual form of fasciation growths. It was about a foot across.

Fasciation – agave inaequidens

This is the form more com-monly found in fasciation,though this example is extra-ordinarily large. Note the twowomen on the right.It grew on a ranch called La Tinaja in the state of Michoacán, México

SCORPION FISH KESTRAL

Things children say It is the custom for all the priests of the parish, when the time comes around, to hear the first confessions of the children. On one occasion

the lady in charge of this class suggested to the children that they write a note of thanks to the priest who heard his/her confession.

RUINS AS SEEN FROM THE STEET IN DOWNTOWN LA ESMERALDA . In the instance below already some of the salvageable materials, such as roof beams, had been

removed. All the buildings in downtown were of adobe with mud roofs, and are a hundred and more years old. .Most have been maintained and now have sheet metal roofs, but some lost their

importance and were abandoned

GOPHERUS FLAVOMARGINATUSA rare turtle. This species was known to paleontologists for many years from numerous fossils in the southwest US and northern Mexico,but it was considered extinct until in

1959 a herpetologist recognized it living

in areduced area of about 300 square

miles starting about 25 miles from where I lived in Mexico. The one shown hereis 14” across; they can attain 30”.They are herbivores and live in burrows. The people living in the area hunted and ate them until theywere told how rare they are. Now they are rebounding. This one heardus and dashed for its burrow and didnot let me get a better picture of it.

chaitÉn - PatagoniaMassive electric storm generated within the ash plume ejected from

the volcano.

Erotic saguaro A few hundred feet north of the Arizona / Mexico border.

GRAVE MARKER FOR BITTER BIERCESIERRA MOJADA - COAHUILA - MEXICO

BY REV. JAMES LIENERT, MSF

Very trustworthy witnesses suppose that here lie the

remains of Ambrose GWINNETT BIERCE

a famous American author and journalist

who suspected of being a spy

was executed by a firing squad and buried at this spot.

LOCATION OF PREVIOUS SLIDEThe town of Sierra Mojada is in the background at the center of the picture.

Qomolangma – Mt. EverestThe sun had already set on this Rongbuk Buddhist guest-house compound.

Elevation: 16,728”. We spent a cold night here.

B o r r e g o d e s e r tThus is so much like it is around La Esmeralda that I use it as my

Desktop.

S T. J O S E P H R E C T O R YMy present residence

AU REVOIR MUSIC: ROSE OF ALLENDALE By: SIDNEY NELSON

P. JAIME August 2009