The Crystal Eye

Marky Speaks

It is not often when you know someone who is as interesting to watch as to listen to in a conversation. My dear friend Mark is one of those.




During one intense interaction, I was struck by the animation occurring before my very eyes. I lifted my camera and took this series of photos. Helio continued to speak and make point after point with no regard for the camera. This IS what it looks like to speak with him. How much fun can one have in one conversation?

Fire, Smoke and Wind

We had spotted the smoke earlier in the day on the horizon.

From Marky's back yard we enjoyed the incredible sunset that only severe smoke could produce, a harbinger of a hell to come.

The decision was made. After a weekend sublime, it was time to go home. Hopefully the fires wouldn't interfere.
It was after Magic Mountain that the fire presented itself. To my right, in the East , I saw flames and sparks shooting into the air like a volcano.
A few miles farther North my way was barred by a wall of flame across the horizon. From a vantage point West I was able to take a few pictures.

I abandoned my travels north and attempted to find a way around by going west. This way proved to be more spectacular with lines of fire meandering up the hillsides. The winds in these canyons were approaching 100 miles an hour. Getting out of my car, I was immediately stung by debris blasting out of the east. My mouth filled with grit and ruined the gum that I had been chewing. Going into the town of Piru I found dozens of emergency vehicles waiting to called upon. The glow behind the hills was ominous and spoke of evil coming with destruction in mind.

The next day dawned with air that burned the eyes, attacked the throat, clogged the sinuses, and leadened the lungs.
There was very little light and not much visibility. Not until Santa Marguerita did the smoke finally reach an end.





The winds that had produced such a lovely pristine evening sky 2 nights before and a beautiful sunset the next had turned into a devil that ended up causing terrible loss of property and life.
Go figure.

Fat crescent moon shining in a crystalline LA night sky

Stars so bright it's difficult to tell where the horizon ends and the lights of the Hollywood Hills begin

A warm Santa Ana wind bends hundred foot tall palms earthward, their fronds plummeting down like samurai sword hail stones

The sounds that can only come from a church carnival in the air

Children laughing with glee and screaming in mock terror while riding the zipper or the flying bus

Mariachi music and amateur christian singers

Smiling faces

Everywhere smiling faces

Beautiful smiling faces

And those of my friends, my brothers, the most beautiful of all

My God is better

Your god doesn't exist

I guess you must DIE

HSB Saturday

Austin Lounge Lizards

Jimmy LaFave

James McMurtry

Butch Hancock, Jimmie Dale Gilmour,Bill Kirchen, and Joe Ely

T-Bone Burnett

Michelle Shocked

Jimmie Lauderdale

Neko Case

HSB Friday

My Home For The Weekend

Buddy Miller

T-Bone Burnett




T-Bone, Mellencamp & Neko Case

FMLA

The Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a federal law that requires organizations with 50 or more employees and public companies of all sizes to allow employees to take unpaid leave to care for ill family members – or to recover, if they themselves are ill. The law also requires that when such employees return from leave, they come back to the same or substantially similar positions.