The Past is Our Future

As the end of the year approaches, you see everywhere the lists of the best and the worst of the year in retrospective. It is, we think, an interesting commentary on our lives as humans that we spend more time, often, looking back than looking forward. And, as the warning etched in the mirror warns, what we see in the rear-view mirrors of our lives, are closer than they appear. Some of the greatest discoveries of the past year never really made big news, but as we look back, these discoveries may have an incredible impact on our future.

Skull 5

So, the tale begins, as we look back on some of the most intriguing scientific discoveries of the year, and ponder their impact of our lives.

Let's start with the discovery of an incredibly well-preserved skull found in Dmanisi, Georgia. This 1.8 million year old skull  may be a missing link suggesting we, the members of the Homo genus, may not have been a distinct species coexisting with the likes of Mr. Neanderthal, but instead, branches from the same tree which has brought us to us. This skull, referred to as Skull 5, was found with others of variable characteristics demonstrate that hominids flourished outside of Africa at a significantly earlier date than previously believed. This could be the turning point in rewriting the theories of how we became to be as we are.



And now, from evolution to faith, we have the completion of a ten year investigation and criminal trial involving an Israeli antiquities collector who acquired an ossuary, a limestone burial box inscribed with the earliest known references to Jesus. The conclusion: it's the real thing. On the side of the ossuary, the words "James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus," is chiseled in an Aramaic script, and the investigators have concluded it is legitimate.

Ossuary of James, brother of Jesus

This would be an unbelievably rare find scientifically, historically and spiritually -- physical evidence of Jesus and his family.






Now, from the awe-inspiring to the curious. The linguist in me was utterly mesmerized by this next little tidbit. Those who study such things, have known since the 19th century that all modern Indo-Eurpoean languages have descended from one root. This single tongue, aptly named Proto-Indo-European, (or PIE for short -- mmmmm, pie) was spoken by our ancestors from roughly 4500BC to 2500 BC. They left no written texts, yet academics working together all over the world have managed to recreate what they believe the spoken word may have sounded like. Click below to listen.

6,000 years ago    

And now to the truly fantastic: the US Government finally released classified documents confirming the existence of Area 51 as a real government testing site. The report is a snoringly long 400 page (the pdf is available on the link below. Although significantly redacted before release this year despite having been written more than twenty years ago, the most interesting fact about this document, is that it makes no reference to the status of Area 51 after 1974.

CIA files on Area 51   

From science fiction fantasies to science fact: 2013 also witnessed the confirmation of the existence of a new element, never before discovered. This 115th element, Ununpentium, is a super-heavy element discovered in Germany, and confirmed by Russian chemists. Now, not to get too excited, this element has an incredibly brief life-span (measured in milliseconds) and is in the company of five more elements awaiting confirmation. But it is exciting to think that since the Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev published that first periodic table with fifty-nine elements in 1869, how much we have learned about our the make-up of our own planet. 

And now, for science fiction meets fact :  Voyager I has left the solar system. After a thirty five year journey, which began one year before this image made famous in the first Star Trek movie, Voyager has reached interstellar space. This is a milestone -- travelling almost 19 billion km from the sun, this is the first human creation to reach out beyond our own solar system neighborhood. 

 And so we end our trip looking back on 2013 with an eye to what lies ahead. Discovering the truth about ourselves, our past, and the world in which we live, is, we believe, a noble goal for the future of J and L.

Forty Shades of Green

Why is this difficult to understand?
Thanks to Howard Wolowitz of the Big Bang Theory -- it's so clear now, even for us Americans!

Why visit Ireland?

Most Southwestern Native American tribes do not have a word which distinguishes the color green from the color blue. It is an unnecessary differentiation that never required the creation of a term. The weather here in the High Desert experiences little rain, giving rise to very little "green." In Ireland, it rains. It rains in the winter. It rains in the summer. And for good measure, it rains in the spring. Did I mention the autumn rains? It is a joke, well, maybe not a funny one, that you can tell the season by the temperature of the rain in Ireland. Cold rain:  winter. Warm rain:  summer. But, it's raining and that is why the Emerald Isle is green. So green in fact that those who care about such things have categorized forty different shades of green on this tiny island. We're leaving the desert to see something green.

But are there any other reasons to go?

1. Because the Irish have always been industrious builders:  When Newgrange, perhaps the oldest prehistoric monument in Ireland was in its planning stages, most of the rest of the planet was peopled with humans trying to figure out why their mud-hut wouldn't stand. These monuments are a few hundred years older than the pyramids at Giza, and their precision alignment to the cosmos is just as remarkable. No where else in the world will you find so many prehistoric monuments in such a small territory: an island roughly three hundred miles in length and a hundred fifty in breadth.
2. The history, and the future of Dublin, Belfast, Kerry, Cork. Names of cities which resonate in ancient and more modern history. From the time of the Vikings through the current "Troubles," these places have endured.
3. Natural wonders such as few will ever see. The Giant's Causeway, the Slieve League (the tallest cliffs in Europe) and the views from the cliff-faces.
4. Preservation of historic heritage: in both Heritage towns and the preservation and restoration of early Christian churches, monasteries, and medieval monuments.
5. Writers are drawn toward the arts. Ireland is famous for its unique Celtic song, inimitable dance, and for its literature. English was a language thrust upon the Irish. so they took perfect revenge. They mastered the word, crafted the phrase and produced several Nobel Laureates in Literature. You cannot deny there is simply something about that accent, nor can you forget the way so many Irish have turned an English phrase:  Bram Stoker, James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, Liam O'Flaherty, Geroge Bernard Shaw, William Butler Yeats, and Morgan Llewellen. And, I could be mistaken, but I'm fairly certain the name Reagan, is Irish. Now, if politics is an art, that man was an artist!
6. Witness the birth of peace as two countries merge not so seamlessly into one. From North Ireland's six Ulster counties and British currency and all the many large and small differences between the north and her southern sister, Ireland, there are indications, reflections of Ireland's troubled history as well as signs of hope and restoration as the partition closes.
7. Irish pubs. Do I have to explain?
8. It is indeed the old country for so many of us who have the privilege to claim Irish roots.Nearly thirty five million Americans are Irish or partially Irish, a number which is seven times the current population of the island itself at approximately four and a half million.
9. The Gathering.  This year, 2013, seventy million Irish from around the world are invited to return home. There is a nationwide welcome home party. How do you pass up that invitation?
10. Loyalty. If I've discovered anything about the Irish people, and my own roots, it is that the Irish are nothing if not loyal.  Oh, they can joke, cast sarcastic barbs, and have refined self-deprecating humor to an art. Story-telling? Pretty sure, this was where it was invented; and each time the story is relayed, it becomes more fantastical. But while you are jesting, feel free to make light of your own foibles, because though they may joke about their own country, family, religion, etc., it is not your place to cast aspersions. As my sister once said, "My husband may be a jerk, but he's my jerk."  And my daughters? Irish to the core. They would sometimes fight like cats and dogs growing up, but if someone came against the other from outside the family -- they would have hell to pay. Fierce loyalty. How else could a people so besieged and oft conquered, never bowed, never gave up being Irish. 

Erin go Bragh -- Ireland forever!

Father's Day

Our girls, one Christmas!

You know it seems that fathers are often forgotten in the shuffle of everyday living. We all make a big deal of Mother's Day (and you better, I've talked to her!), but Father's day in this nation is celebrated in June:  school is out, Dad acts like it's no big deal but, in his heart, it means so much to be remembered.

Putting it in perspective, if it weren't for that random dude named Dad, none of us would be here! Now don't laugh and stop reading -- think about it for a moment. After all, if that guy had not cared enough about your future existence to marry your mother and then stick around for all those years, you wouldn't be who you are today. He stuck through it:  from pregnancy to toddler to full-fledged brat (the teen-age years still sting), to watch you grow into an adult -- and that is one incredible commitment! The time, money, effort and heartache is unimaginable -- unless you are a Dad yourself.

So Dads get a special day set aside to be celebrated for all of this. You send a card, or give a little gift that says, "Yes, I know I was a pain sometimes, but thanks for being there! Thanks for everything you do and for just being you!"

In today's society with divorce, parental abandonment, or those fathers who never commit to being "Dad," it seems more appropriate than ever to give Dad his due. There are fewer such noble warriors than we might wish to contemplate.

We will write this piece from multiple perspectives, and try not to give you headache -- but I think on one level or another, you will all find something to which you can relate.

L, of the J and L team, remembers her own father as her hero. He taught her about the ways of the world and instilled that good old Puritan work ethic which has helped her become who she is. He was there when his grand-children came, to help teach them about riding a bike and other skills that Dad just seem to do better than Mom. As time went on, distance and the choices made in life took their toll, but there are memories which are still fond and fresh.

Our daughters, and I can say this before I turn the keyboard over to J, of J and L, had the best father I've ever known. A good man -- not always a nice guy (who can be when you must play the role of "Dad") but a very good man who to this day, loves and protects his little ladies fiercely. He knows when to encourage, when to chastise, when to play, and when to listen. And, he had a comment about anyone or anything they would ask. You may not always like the answer, but you got an honest, well-informed opinion when you sought one. Even as adults, the girls call home, sometimes filtered through Mom, to seek his wisdom. They don't always take the advice, but they still ask. Ah, such is the life of a Dad!

J, of team J and L, remembers his father with bittersweet joy. He lost his father nearly thirty years ago. The man who fought valiantly through three wars, lost his last war with cancer, but not before sharing his wisdom and love with his two sons.

Writing comes so easily for a wordsmith but when I discuss my father, George, my throat constricts and my eyes fill with tears of love. My father passed away from cancer when I was in my twenties. The years when the youth believe they know everything and know nothing about life. Those years when we generally are so self-absorbed that we forget or never realize life is just a blink in time. I was one of those twenty-somethings and to this day I regret it.

My father was a wonderful man - quiet and never spoke much about himself but when he did you were meant to listen. My brother and I often disagreed with dad but realized he had been right and we had been wrong.

I recall a special moment in my senior year in high school while playing football and it was father's night - the night when the dads would come out to the field with their sons and place their hand on our shoulder pads in recognition of our accomplishments but now eons into the future it was we, the players, who should have realized we had dads to place those very hands upon our shoulders. I was one very fortunate child.

When cancer took my father from our lives a great hole opened in my life. Though I did not yet have children, I wondered who I could look to for guidance. My mother was great but she was a mother and not a dad. I needed the strong hand and will only, sometimes, a father can muster when a question arose. Not all a dad's answers are welcomed but they come from the heart and the years upon this earth. We do the best we can with the knowledge we have and hope they are the right calls.

I miss my father more than I can state since he never met any of my four gorgeous and talented daughters but my hope is he is looking down from heaven and saying; "You did a fine job, son."

The Beauty in Your Own Backyard

We often believe that traveling is the way to view the beauty and mystery of the world but that is the furthest from the truth. One need only to look in the backyard to realize that much we love to look at and appreciate is within walking distance from the back door.

Living in the High Desert of Southern California, we do not have the same plant and tree species as other parts of the country where the elevation is lower and rainfall more frequent. No, in the Mojave Desert there are freezing winters, blistering summers, and less than 10 inches of rain per year. Not a great place for greenery without the use of drip systems and other landscaping aides. But even with this somewhat hostile environment for plants there are, as nature provides, opportunities for the most hardy of plants to flourish and prosper.

One such plant is the Yucca brevifolia - or commonly known as the Joshua Tree. This plant, it is not considered a real tree since the root system is different, grows in abundance in the Mojave Desert. In fact, it only grows wild in the southwestern portion of the United States and nowhere else on earth. It is found in California, Arizona, Utah, and Nevada (southern sections of each state). It grows at an elevation of between 1,300 to 5,900 feet, can reach nearly 50 feet in height and can live hundreds of years given the right conditions. There was one tree which was recorded at 80 feet and almost 1,000 years in age. Getting the age correctly is difficult since unlike an actual tree there are no tree rings in which to deduce the age. The way to tell the age of a Joshua Tree is to measure it's height and calculate the average growth cycle which is usually around one half to one inch per year.

The plant received its name from the early mid-nineteenth century Mormon setters who made their way through the area on the way to the "promised land." The settlers believed the strange looking 'trees' reminded them of Joshua from the old testament standing in the open with his hands stretching to the skies in prayer to God. The name stuck.

Being fortunate to have two acres as our main base, we have Joshua Trees on our property and the vacant acres to the west, north, and south of us. With spring just a couple of days away, we decided to photograph some of these marvels of nature while they are blooming.



The photographs are breathtaking - but don't take the word of this writer - you be the judge and  enjoy.





For further information concerning the Joshua Tree -

www.flowersociety.org/JT_Botanical.htm

 

A Peruvian Tale of Friendship (Part One)

When traveling we occasionally come across interesting fellow adventurers who are not content with sitting at home but want to hit the high road and see what is on the other side of the mountain. That is how, we at J and L, feel people should spend their lives. Exploration is what makes humans so successful among their fellow creatures in an often challenging earthly environment.

With this in mind I would like to take the reader back with me to the sprawling mountain village of Cusco in the beautiful South American country of Peru. That famous capital of the mighty Incan empire before the Spanish arrived and chased the remaining native souls to the hinterlands and one of final hideaways in Machu Picchu (a topic we have covered previously).

It is in that very city, Cusco, that Laureen and I met a wonderfully interesting and educated man. But a man of great mystery as we learned some time later.

His name was Carlos and he was an officer in the Peruvian military. We will, at this time, not mention what he did in the military except to say he was in charge of an anti-terrorism special operations team which worked in the Amazon and other locales in this vast and varied countryside.

We were in Peru for the first time, to visit the ruins of Machu Picchu and then move on to Lake Titicaca (the highest navigable lake in the world) to visit the floating reed islands. Here we were going to tour Sun Island (which was actually in Bolivia), and take a drink from the fabled  fountain of youth and receiving a blessing from a local shaman. That meant we had to get from Cusco to Puno.

Of course, to get to Puno, the tiny Peruvian town on the coast of Lake Titicaca, we had to take a six hour bus ride from Cusco. Now, to put the trip into perspective, a six hour drive for a Southern Californian is nothing more than a long trip for a good meal.

That idea was short lived. The bus, 'First Class Transportation', from Cusco turned out to be a voyage from hell.

It was great fun!

We started early on a cool winter morning (it was summer were we lived in North America) leaving the magnificent city of the Incans for the semi-short drive to Puno when suddenly the route was blocked by construction. Large earth moving machines munched dirt like a starving person eats whatever is in their reach. Knowing no one on board the large transport bus, we sat and chatted between the two of us knowing we would probably fall asleep while the driver bore down the long dark asphalt vein that would end at our destination.

Sleep never came.

Our bus driver, a rather tall and skinny older fellow, decided that he had had enough at one of the detours on the highway and jumped out of the still running bus and began chasing two construction truck drivers swinging his fists and knocking one poor worker to the ground nearly unconscious. The people on our bus were in shock to witness such a show of animal brutality but Laureen and I sat and watched and made a financial bet to see who would finally win.

We were from the United States. Betting on violent spectator sports was in our blood.

Laureen won the bet as the driver, now sweaty, dirty and swearing climbed into the driver seat and lurched the bus backwards and then forwards toward a narrow but high cement curve. He was taking this bus full of passengers up and over this slight obstacle to the flat and even dirt road which the innocent construction workers he had just beat up were trying to pave.

This is where I would get my money back.

"He's going to high center this bus." I smiled at Laureen.

"No, he knows what he's doing."

The bus climbed a couple of feet, dropped less and was stuck teeter-tottering on that cement divider. I smiled knowing we were even with our bets - so far.

With what I believe was an attempt at a chagrined countenance the bus driver had us exit the bus so he might be able to un-wedge the vehicle from its perch.

"He won't be able to do it," I said.

Laureen did not take the bet.

He couldn't and we knew there would be at least forty-five minutes of head scratching, more swearing, and finally a solution in removing a five ton bus from a short concrete wall. Our fellow travelers stood around the bus for the next several minutes while the genius behind the wheel and nearly a dozen other men pondered the situation. Being the explorers we were, the idea of standing around watching the ruckus with the bus didn't sound like our cup of tea, so we walked off and found a small roadside shop for a cold beer and a Pepsi. After refreshing ourselves, we slowly made our way back to where the bus was still lodged off the ground. Trucks and men pulled and tugged on the bus until finally it was free. Our Ark had bested the wall  and we were finally on our way to Puno but without the benefit of an exhaust pipe. We were less than two miles from the bus station but it was just the beginning of a wonderfully funny and pathetic story.

Only 386 kilometers to go.

And we had not even met Carlos yet.

To be continued.

Lincoln Speaks

On President's Day weekend, where else should a patriotic American be but listening to Mr. Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States? Of course, President Lincoln has been dead and gone nearly  150 years so we relied on President Abraham Lincoln re-enactor, Don Ancell, to deliver the day's message.

The tall, thin, bearded and remarkably recognizable Lincoln greeted the noonday crowd around the water well at the north end of Calico and regaled them with tales of the past.

His past and our nation's.

Lincoln described his early years, being born in Kentucky and then moving to Illinois with his family when he was eight years old. His father hated slavery and thus the reason to move the Lincoln farm from Kentucky.

The President livened the day with stories of him growing up in a poor, strict but otherwise close family where the ideals of hard work, taking responsibility for one's actions, and to always tell the truth were utmost.

"Honest to a fault, my folks taught me well," Lincoln (Ancell) stated proudly showing a large smile while patting his backside. Lincoln only admitted that  he 'lied' to his parents once and that was all his rear end could take. We guess that is where he received the nickname, 'Honest Abe'.

He spoke of his time being an attorney and traveling the judicial circuit admitting that he helped many a 'folk' poor and rich but always demanded his clients be truthful with him. He actually walked out of more than one law case when he learned his client was less than honest. Lincoln said he was away from Mary Todd and the family three or four months at a time but he did become a wealthy man (he onced earned $5,000 for one case involving a railroad - a princely sum in those days).

He told the story of being the first president to offer a full pardon for a turkey. It seems his son Tad had a pet turkey by the name of 'Jack' which the family had received late in 1863. The young boy and bird became inseparable. The Christmas of 1864 found the bird suddenly missing from his outside pen and Tad looked everywhere, finally finding the large fowl in the cook house. The White House head chef had poor old Jack's neck streched out and was about to deliver the 'getting ready for dinner' blow when Tad screamed: "You can't do that!"

The chef asked why and the youngster stated: "My father is the President and you have to do as I tell you."

At that point the young boy marched off to see his father and interrupted a Presidential cabinet meeting (all his children had secret knocks so Lincoln would know which one of the children it was and at no time were they barred from seeing their father no matter the situation). Tad came into the meeting and begged his father to save Jack from having his neck chopped. The president nodded and wrote out on a simple piece of paper that he was ordering Jack to be pardoned from the executioner. And there we have the pardoning of a turkey (or two) each year by the President of the United States.

Ancell (Lincoln) then went into a more serious tone for the crowd discussing the great sadness which had befallen the country in the guise of the war between the states. He was saddened by the loss of life on both sides, the Union and the Confedercy (roughly 620,000 soldiers died during those four years) but knew the war had to be fought and won to save the nation.

For a few more somber moments he discussed the reason for his Emancipation Proclamation:

 First, he hated slavery and believed it was immoral, secondly, by outlawing slavery neither France nor Britain would come to the aide of the south (as they were rumored to be thinking about) since those two empires had already made slavery illegal, and thirdly once the slaves in the south knew he had freed all northern slaves, they would escape the plantations where they had worked and lived to move north which would be a benefit two-fold: allow them to enter the Union Army and help cripple the south's agriculture and industrial base without the slave labor.

 With a strong round of applause Mr. Lincoln finished his 'story telling' and bowed slightly to the crowd. We were all impressed and grateful for a history lesson we already knew but realized it never hurts to be reminded of again.


It is moments like this that remind the partners at J & L how fortunate we are to live in such a glorious country as the United States and to have in our legacy such great men as President Abraham Lincoln.

J and L would also like to thank our first guest contributor, Mrs. Jessica Barr, for her contributions to this article (the quick facts below).

1. Lincoln was the only president to hold a patent - no. 6649 - for a device to lift boats over shoals.

2. The President stood at six feet four inches and weighed in at a light 180 pounds. His shoe size was fourteen and his hat size was seven and one-eighth.

3. He did not like the names Abraham, Abe, or Old Abe and preferred to be simply called 'Lincoln'.

4. Lincoln is known to under-use his pockets and instead, put important papers in his stovepipe hat.

5. The first town named after him was the capital of Logan County in Illinois in 1853. He warned the townspeople that, "Nothing named Lincoln ever amounted to much."

6. Lawyer Lincoln made 300 appearances before the Illinois Supreme Court.

7. He was once challenged to a duel but the challenger accepted his apology when the much taller and smarter Lincoln chose broad swords as the weapons for the duel.

8. Lincoln first spoke out against slavery in a speech to the Illinois State Legislature in Vandalia in 1837.

9. Lincoln was born in 1809 and Mary Todd in 1818, they were married November 4, 1842 - inside her wedding band were the words, 'Love is eternal'.

Follow this link to take the quiz on how well you know this president!

http://constitutioncenter.org/lincoln/

Read more from Jessica Barr on her Educational Blog

http://drcsgrade6.blogspot.com/

Contact President Lincoln

http://home.tbbs.net/alp/Profiles/Ancell.htm

http://cms.sbcounty.gov/parks/Parks/CalicoGhostTown.aspx

The Call of the Wild

The only sounds to be heard during this early morning five mile trek through the San Bernardino National Forest were those of our snowshoes breaking the half inch icy crust which hid the newly fallen two and a half feet of fresh powder. The day was picture perfect, proven by the photographs in this blog, with the sun stretched out in the clear blue sky shimmering on a winter wonderland before us. This is not another tale of snow shoeing but one of enjoying the outdoors where no other human had tramped through in days. Enjoying nature, no matter the season, is an extremely important aspect to living. It is easy to sit in a chair watching television but when one ventures outdoors and sees nature at its finest that is what makes life worth living.

Ah, but I pontificate on the wonders of this earth and there is no need when one only needs to turn their head once in a while and view it for themselves.

 Of course, as with all our blogs this one is special and odd. Friday the 8^th of February we had no intention to going to our cabin in Big Bear but simply enjoy a long weekend at our other home until we heard the local and national news.

There seemed to be a large snow storm coming to the San Bernardino Mountains with expectations of six to eight inches of snow (they missed that call by over a foot) and a killer (his name will not be mentioned since that would only give him credit he does not deserve) who was on the loose in the vicinity of Big Bear.

Hmmm, a blinding snow storm and a murderer on the loose in our neck of the woods (literally). What other enticement did we need to make the hour drive up the mountains from our desert home?

By eight-thirty in the morning of the 8^th we were in the cabin planning on snowshoeing as soon as the weather allowed. It was snowing so hard that we could not keep up with the shoveling of the porch and stairs leading into the cabin. We allowed the dogs, all four of them, to run wild in the street since no vehicles were going up or down our street in this snow storm and they had a ball. But as the sun set with the temperature dipping to the low teens while the snow continued to fall it was time to call it and inside we went.

Saturday the 9^th we were up and out early to clamber over the snow drifts through the national forest. The only other sound besides the breaking of the icy crust of the snow were the regular and suddenly routine sounds of police helicopters above us sweeping for signs of the elusive cowardly killer of a lovely young couple from Irvine and a brave police officer from Riverside.

With this in mind our attention was drawn to fresh animal tracks in the snow near a large Western Juniper. There were little ones seeming to be running for their lives, rabbits probably by the looks of the tracks, instantly followed by larger ones, coyotes to be sure. There were scuffle marks by bushes, escape routes by the looks, and final chases. This is the cruel nature of things but it is nature. Animals need to live and living means finding food sources. May sound cruel but it is the way nature works and in some bizarre way it does. A single female rabbit can give birth to hundreds of little ones (some estimates as many as 800 during breeding season) where coyotes usually produce an average of six pups and only fifty or seventy percent ever see adulthood. So, there are a lot more rabbits to feed the coyote population. It was the way nature was meant to work.

Not some self-proclaimed human bent of destroying those far more valuable than him. As an ex-cop, J of J&L believes this low life killer is the worst of the worst. Cop or ex-cop the term ‘protect and serve’ are not simply decorations on the side of a police unit but a soul-based belief that police officers live by.

We, of course, would not recommend this activity or constant search for adventure to our readers. Indeed, our daughters and friends warned us against this and other intrepid adventures. But being who we tend to be, J&L happens to do such things as a way to explore, understand and to share. These stories need to be written. It is who we are.

And, being an ex-cop, J of J&L would never venture into these situations without the means to defend those who are with him on these adventures.

He packs heat.

Being a non-political blog we will not venture into the hot gun control topic but only state the following – an old cop saying: “I’d rather be tried by twelve than carried by six.”



Nothing will stop the continuing adventures of J and L. In the words of Herodotus, “It is said that as many days as there are in the whole journey, so many are the men and horses that stand along the road, each horse and man at the interval of a day’s journey; and these are stayed neither by snow nor rain nor heat nor darkness from accomplishing their appointed course with all speed.  Our journey is an adventure through life and no storm, nor darkness of the threat of man will keep us from our day’s journey. 

The World's Most Interesting Man (Blog)

Bristlecone Pines

There is a hidden gem for adventurers approximately 280 miles north-east of Los Angeles along Highway 395 in the White Mountains where the oldest living trees on earth exist in abundance. Within the Inyo National Forest is a tree, among a great many others, named 'Methuselah' thought to be 4,700 years old located in the Schulman Grove.

The grove, named after Edmund Schulman who was the assistant to Astronomer A.E. Douglass, the 'father' of  (study of tree rings), is located at over 10,000 feet elevation in the arid mountains towering above the Owens Valley. Both Schulman and Douglass spent the better part of the first half of the 20th Century studying this phenomenon and thus linking the past by counting the rings of trees. Between both of these scientists, they concluded that by utilizing tree ring research they could also date other objects around the globe. An example of this would be the Oxford Tree-Ring Laboratory in Great Britain which used dendrochronolgy to factually date specific beams in the Tower of London and the Salisbury Cathedral. The research indicated beams used to frame these structures could actually be dated from different years showing a difference of 2 to 10 years in some places when the wood had been cut and utilized for the construction.

A simple process is used, not to denigrate the work these dendrochronologists do, by coring out a thin section of a tree trunk or beam and then counting the rings. Of course, I have made this sound too simplistic in our reporting and the actual process is much more scientifically rigorous. But, as always, we wanted to give our readers a general feel of what goes on behind the scene in this world of tree ring counting. For more information the reader can look up both the Oxford Tree-Ring Laboratory or the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research at the the University of Arizona where both Schulman and Douglass were the founding force in establishing this research facility.

Oxford Tree-Ring Laboratory

University of Arizona Laboratory of Tree Ring Research

Our J & L partner and contributing photographer, Paul Bakas, joined in this expedition to the White Mountains where we camped among the scraggly Pinon-Juniper Forest at the Grandview Campground located a dozen or so miles east of the quaint and beautiful town of Big Pine located on Hwy 395. A quick mention of the Westgard Pass should be made as the pass is itself quite an adventure as one drives up the narrow winding SR 168 out of Big Pine into the White Mountains. Westgard Pass shrinks down at one point to a single lane path for approximately a mile between staggering tall cliffs on both sides of the road before emerging back to a two lane roadway. At that one point the road is so narrow and crooked that we would suggest extremely low speeds and a 'spotter' walking ahead to ensure there is no oncoming traffic which can not be seen easily while driving.

It is well worth the few moments of 'white knuckling' as you traverse into the heights of the White Mountains. Isn't adventure supposed to have some of those moments?

Not for the faint of heart, is the seventeen mile road trip through the mountains to reach the Patriarch Grove at over 11,000 feet which resembles a moonscape with a sparse population of Pines. This road is not four wheel required but after driving on the dirt stretches which take over an hour we were glad to be traveling in the FJ. The last few miles are very narrow, rutty, and again visibility is at a minimum due to the twisting tree lined lane which ends up at a parking lot which is walking distance to some of the most ancient living things on this globe. To visit this site takes the adventurer through some of the most beautiful country in California or perhaps any place in the world. Visions of European backdrops comes to the mind of the traveler. At one point we envisioned the Trapp Family skipping down the Alps.

As we drove down, up, around, and through these seventeen miles of valley and mountains one could not stop but question how so much beauty can be with so few visitors enjoying it. We did not complain but simply drove and took in the wonderment before us.

We spent the next few days in the White Mountains camping and hiking. We chose Grandview Campground which was rather primitive with only 26 single sites for tenting or really small RV's, pit toilets, no water, and you must carry out your own trash. A five dollar fee for up-keep is charged on a honor system at the entrance to the campground. One must remember that weather changes rapidly at 8600 feet so it is suggested that a trip here would be most advisable during the summer months since the roads often close starting in October when the snow arrives. In other words, bring plenty of warm clothes since the nights can drop into the twenties or thirties during the night even in August.

Grandview is well known with amateur astronomers since the nights are so dark as they are almost spooky. There is no light pollution which gives those with telescopes nothing but sky to gaze up at in the evening hours. The visit we had coincided with about a dozen or more astronomy enthusiasts who invited us over to take a gander at the universe using a multitude of various sized and powered scopes. It was the first time I had ever seen the rings of Saturn up close and personal. Be sure to have a flashlight with a red lens since this doesn't interfere with night vision. Otherwise you may find yourself suddenly being chased off the mountain by telescope swinging thugs when you've inadvertently ruined their night sky while stumbling through the darkness of the campground over uneven dirt paths using a flashlight with a beam of white light which could be seen from Alpha Centauri.

The Bristle Cone Pine and Foxtail Pine are cousins which can only found in the western United States and are the oldest living trees in the world with the Great Basin Bristle Cone Pine (Pinus longaeva) being the oldest of the three species. These ancients, the Great Basin Bristle Cones, have a range that includes parts of California, Nevada, and Utah high in dry mountain ranges. These trees are amazing as they need very little water, survive bitterly cold winters, and can stand up to continual high winds with some gusts at the highest elevations exceeding one hundred miles per hour. Their make-up is unique versus other pines or trees usually found in mountainous areas. Instead of the root system going straight down, they are meandering a bit to locate water and nourishment. The Great Basin Bristle Cones have a root system that is near the surface of the ground but extends for 50 feet in all directions thus being able to pick up any moisture and nutrients while at the same time holding the tree fast to the ground. With this sort of trunk and root system, the Great Basin Bristle Cone Pines can survive in extremely dry and windy conditions. The trees in the White Mountains have lived for thousands of years in a limestone soil at over 10,000 feet in elevation.

These trees are the epitome of survivors!

As we hiked through the Shulman Grove, we were awed at the sight of so many of these marvelously twisted trees and honored to be among living things that were so old. These trees in California which we were studying, were around when Stonehenge was built, were ancient at the time of the great Pyramids in Giza, and were old at the time of Jesus Christ's birth. It was truly a humbling experience.

Of course, due to human nature the visitor to this grove of the ancients will never be able to pick out the oldest of the trees, Methuselah, because it is a well-guarded secret with the Rangers who work there. When asked they will only smile and tell you that they are not allowed to give out the location of the oldest living tree in the world in fear people will take souvenirs or otherwise 'kill' the tree. We were saddened but not surprised by this news.

Overall, if one gets a chance to visit these natural wonders that opportunity should be taken. Though, it's not as if these treasures will disappear anytime soon and perhaps that is a comforting thought. Generations of humans from now, countless generations it seems, can come and go with little impact on the longevity of these trees. They will, by their very own stubbornness to survive will be on this planet for thousands of years to come. That is very comforting indeed.

A New Year of Adventure!

Snow-shoe Bunny?

This is insane! Another year has sped by and a new one is waiting for us to encounter and enjoy. Say goodbye to 2012 and embrace 2013 since it is here and waiting. We, at J & L don't usually agree with new year resolutions since it seems the majority fail to make it two months into the new year, ninety percent if the research is to be believed, but simply think we should try and do the best we can.

What a view!

So as this new year is upon us just take a moment to take in the view of the world before you and take a step forward to meet it with a smile.

Heading Out!

Santa brought the partners of J & L snowshoes on Christmas Day and since neither of us have ever used such snow walking devices we were anxious to try out these new treats.

Trekin'

The trail taken the first day was a 4 mile trek through the San Bernardino Mountains, in the National Forest just south of the small town of Sugarloaf where the partners own a weekend home. The snowfall was not especially deep, a few inches, but gave a good work out in the 18 degree morning and good exposure to wearing snow shoes.

Boldly going where we've never gone before!

This is what a new year is about. To try things you have not before. To experience what you have not experienced before. This is the dividing line between adventurers and coach potatoes. And remember to smile in the sunlight.

Rabbit Tracks in the Snow

There are always new things to find on the pathways of life. Little footprints can lead to new beginnings and isn't that what a new year is about?

Gimme Shelter!

Some may have bigger homes than others but if yours is tiny and warm then don't complain. A house isn't a home and a home isn't a house if love is not there.

Great Exercise!

If you want to make a promise you will exercise everyday then go ahead and do it but don't knock yourself out if you don't. When time arises go out for a walk, smile, laugh, and be with loved ones. This exercise will get you a lot more mileage then giving up on a treadmill with a curse and a frown.

Taking it all in

Again, take in the beauty of the earth and all that you have. That alone will make any new year facing you that much easier to deal with. Open your eyes - look about you- and count your blessings.

Looking over my shoulder

We can not change the past but only the future. Mistakes are over our shoulders but when we look forward with common sense, love, and understanding then that future is ours to make. Have a positive tomorrow or dwell in the past - that is our choice. As always, we at J& L hope you will all make the most of the each day and leave behind that which did not work. Being explorers and researchers we must learn from our pasts - let that be the lesson learned in this new year.

From all of us at J & L we wish all of our friends the greatest New Year you have ever had. We believe that and we know you can too.