Big Spring - Cold Creek

This morning we stopped briefly in Mount Shasta City, CA, again (we did so several days ago when we were headed the other direction) this time for Dave to show me what is considered the headwaters of the Sacramento River. In a small but charming park in Mount Shasta City water originating from snow deposited on nearby Mount Shasta emerges from Big Spring and feeds Cold Creek which ultimately becomes the Sacramento River.

Water emerges from a Mount Shasta lava tube right here.

This water has been dated as snowfall that was deposited upon Mt. Shasta 50 years ago.

Cold Creek leaving Big Spring.

Cold Creek sending Mount Shasta water on its long languid journey to the Pacific Ocean hundreds of miles away.

All photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Mount Shasta Dawn

This morning my day began at dawn in Yreka, CA. I had spent the night there following Dave and I electing to not stay the night in Eugene, OR, following Gem Faire. Rather we felt compelled to get down the road and back into California before resting our weary bones. With that feeling persisting this morning we hit the road at dawn feeling much like horses headed back to the barn. Just down the road from Yreka we were greeted by such a phenomenally transcendent appearance by Mount Shasta that we were compelled to stop briefly along the side of Interstate 5 so I could capture the first three of these images. The fourth was captured from downtown Weed, CA.

All photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Picture of the Day - Hilton Anachronism

This evening I found this charming vehicular anachronism parked in the valet area in front of the downtown Eugene, OR, Hilton Hotel. Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

McKenzie Pass Volcanics

This morning en route to Eugene, Oregon, from Bend where my buddy Dave and I lodged last night, we made passage over McKenzie Pass in the midst of the Cascade Volcanic Arc. I had never visited this region before other than a brief drive through Bend so this was a real eye-opener for me. I had no idea this volcanic wonderland even existed and feel strongly compelled to return one day. One of my favorite human-made structures is the Dee Wright Observatory located at the top of McKenzie Pass.

Geologically recent lava flow (since the most recent glaciation retreated) with Mount Washington in background.

Extinct Mount Washington

Belknap Crater at left with Little Belknap (the source of this lava) at center like a nipple and Mount Washington at right.

Mount Washington as a backdrop to lava flows as recent as 1,400 years ago.

McKenzie Summit with the Dee Wright Observatory to the right of Highway 242.

North Sister (left) and Middle Sister (right) from McKenzie Pass.

Lava tube adjacent to on the east-bound side of Highway 242 with North and Middle Sister in the background.

Mount Washington as backdrop to lava flows emanating from Little Belknap.

Belknap Crater (left) with lava flows covering Little Belknap and Mount Washington at right in the distance.

Two kipukas (islands) sit amidst this lava flow.

North and Middle Sister with lava flows emanating from vents on North Sister's northern flank.

Dee Wright Observatory

North and Middle Sister as viewed from the walkway up the side of Dee Wright Observatory.

North Sister and Middle Sister as viewed from atop Dee Wright Observatory.

Interior of the Dee Wright Observatory built in 1935 by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

Classic example of a kipuka or island in the midst of a lava flow.

Lava flow emanating from Little Belknap runs right up to the base of Dee Wright Observatory from whence this image was captured.

North Sister (left) and Middle Sister (right) loom over lava flows that emanated vents on the lower north flank of North Sister.

View east from atop Dee Wright Observatory overlooking McKenzie Summit.

Dee Wright Observatory trail wends its way through lava from Little Belknap above right.

All photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Black Butte & Mount Shasta

Today I rode along with my friend Dave Richter up to Bend, Oregon, en route to Eugene, Oregon, for Gem Faire this week and coming weekend. We kept a torrid pace all day after getting an early start. Consequently, we had time to detour off Interstate 5 and check out a bit of Mount Shasta City, California, looking for the house Dave used to live in there when he was young. We then got back on the interstate and headed a short distance up the highway to Weed, California. There, we stopped for gas before diverging from I-5 and heading up U.S. Route 97 to Bend. Below are some images I captured of Black Butte and Mount Shasta which are shown in the order they were taken. NOTE: please disregard a small optical artifact (actually a double-shadow) that appears in some of these images. This will soon no longer be an issue in bright photos once I get a new and better camera soon.

Black Butte at the northbound I-5 Abrams Lake Road offramp.

This volcano is not extinct but is merely dormant having last erupted around 9,000 years ago.

It is difficult to take an ugly photo of this mountain.

Mount Shasta is surrounded by beautiful forests and glades.

Hotlum cone constitutes the current summit at right and Shastina is the volcanic peak at left.

View out of the front windshield of Dave's pickup....

....as we drove east along Abrams Lake Road approaching I-5.

This volcanic mountain which last erupted in 1786 looms over the surrounding country as if exuding a presence.

Black Butte as viewed from northbound I-5 just north of Abrams Lake Road.

Black Butte from Vista Drive in Weed, CA.

Mount Shasta from Vista Drive in Weed, CA.

Mount Shasta from the intersection of Vista Drive & Black Butte Drive in Weed, CA.

Located in Weed, CA. Hardy-har-har!

Mount Shasta from northbound Highway 97.

Mount Shasta, while not the highest elevation Cascade Volcano it is certainly the tallest such mountain relative to the surrounding terrain.

All photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

No One On Earth - Above & Beyond

I have been haunted by this song from the first time I heard it on the Ultra Trance 4 compilation album. Zoe Johnston's voice gives me goosebumps in this track more than almost any other of her performances which is really saying something given how utterly, gorgeously, haunting her voice is which makes it perfect for trance tracks like this one. The version I heard on the album was the Gabriel & Dresden edit directly below. However, I equally enjoy the longer original version replete with trippy video clip from what appears to be some Japanese animated movie. Therefore I have included it below the shorter G&D edit I heard first. This longer version does a better job of bringing out Johnston's voice's magic and mystery while the other version is much more danceable. Be sure to crank up your speakers and if possible play this through your home entertainment system's speakers and not your computer's speakers in order to get the full richness of this music.





The lyrics to this song can hold multiple levels of different relationship meaning. The speaker can be speaking as a human to God or as a man to a woman or a woman to a man, etcetera. I have included them below.

Down through the dark trees
You came to save me
You're so ugly and you're so beautiful
You're like no one on Earth could be
Take me home
Let me be the one
All of my life I've been waiting for you
And I wanna be the one you take home
Let me be the one
Cause I'm so lonely
Take me home with you
No one on Earth else knows me like you do
Take me home
In time you will love me like one of your own
So come on
So come on

Take me home with you
No one on Earth else knows me like you do
Take me home
In time you will love me like one of your own
So come on
So come on
Take me home with you
No one on Earth else knows me like you do
Take me home
In time you will love me like one of your own
So come on
Take, take me home with you
No one on Earth knows me like you do
La la la la la la la I'm going home

Source: www.lyrics007.com

Picture of the Day - Sunset Swap Meet

A view of my booth shared with my friend Janet at the Sunset Drive-In in San Luis Obispo this morning. The fog was a nice break from our recent inland heat in the North County of San Luis Obispo County. Today I garnered about $125 which when combined with the two-day take from the yardsale of $74 puts me at about $200 for the entire endeavor. The primary point of the exercise was to downsize my life which I accomplished whereas the money was a secondary goal. Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Scripture of the Day - Paul (Ph.4:11-13)

"....for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be abased and I know how to abound . Everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer deprivation. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." 

~ Philippians 4:11-13 (Kimicus Ad Absurdum Translation)

Picture of the Day - Yard Sale/Day Two

Day Two of my multi-household yard sale out in the country west of Paso Robles. This day's effort garnered me $58 and when added to yesterday's total of $16 gave me a gross of $74 for two day's modest effort. I did manage to get rid of my weight set which was a huge relief plus a few other things. I need to get rid of stuff more than make money at present so I'm okay with this result. This allowed me to organize reconfigure for tomorrow morning's flea market in San Luis Obispo where I stand to do much better.  I suspect the nearby California Mid-State Fair going on in Paso Robles plus the heat and the rural location of this yard sale inhibited greater success and none of those are things I can do anything about. Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

The Place Where L. Ron Hubbard Died

Within the confines of this 160-acre estate near Creston, CA, still owned by the cult of Scientology, Dianetics author and Scientology inventor L. Ron Hubbard shed this mortal coil or as his "church" described it "discarded the body he had used in this lifetime" on January 24, 1986. Today I checked the place out from the nearby public right-of-way heading out to Camp Emmanuel (a Christian conference center) ironically enough. Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Picture of the Day - Yard Sale/Day One

Day One of my joint yard sale with my friend Janet and her landlord at the bottom of the hill upon which they both live. I only netted $16 but it was a Friday so I expect more out of tomorrow. Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Rock Photography Set IX

This past weekend I worked in the Rocks & Relics booth helping out my friend Dave do the San Raphael Gem Faire. Sunday morning was rather quiet and so I had the opportunity to explore the booth with my camera and below is what I captured for your enjoyment (I hope).

Madagascan ocean jasper Chinese-carved lizards.

Madagascan ocean jasper Chinese-carved frogs.

Australian chrysoprase Chinese-carved koalas.

Madagascan ocean jasper Chinese-carved lizards.

Brazilian and Madagascan polished quartz points.

Extinct palm frond leaf imprints from Green River Formation in Wyoming.

Fibrous Malachite from Katanga Province, Congo.

Druzy quartz atop botryoidal chalcedony in stalactitic formations within agatized coral from Florida.

Polished but naturally smokey quartz from Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Various Indian zeolite minerals including colorless and green apophyllites, stilbite, and druzy quartz.

Fish plate from Green River Formation, Wyoming.

Large phallic Shiva lingham stones from India.

Blue celestite from Madagascar.

Various forms of quartz from various localities around the world.

Moroccan selenite egg.

Green aphophyllite with stilbite from India.

Hiddenite form of spodumene.

Polished blue kyanite from India.

Green apatite from Mexico.

Fish plate from Green River Formation, Wyoming.

Blue dog-tooth celestite crystals from Madagascar.

Polished ammonite halves from Morocco.

Naturally smoky quartz skull from Minas Gerais, Brazil.

All photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).