It's Earth Day— Google celebrates
greenery with a seasonal doodle
as grocers ban plastic bags.

Google Doodle (4-22-2013) Interactive Earth Day Doodle

Use Paper Sign on Street with Logo Banning Plastic

Mountain View Grocer's Sign Banning Plastic Bags (4-22-2013)

The Google Doodle celebrating Earth Day 2013 is interactive. When clicked on the doodle button, the sun moves and sets in the west. The moon rises and can be seen in different phases moving across the sky. The doodle also features the four seasons. There is a checklist to find animals (ants, badger, bear, birds, fireflies, fish), experience weather (rain, snow, wind), with extra activities (blow dandelions, grow tree, freeze lake). The City of Mountain View's plastic bag ban goes into effect on Earth Day, April 22, 2013 and it will affect every store in the city except restaurants. Paper bags will be available at a cost of 10¢. However, there's no charge to use reusable bags. The ordinance was approved by the City Council on Dec. 4, 2012. Photo Sources: Google Doodle Earth Day 2013 (eminentyouth11.blogspot.com); Use Paper Sign (seathos.org); Plastic Bags Ban Sign (mountainview.patch.com)

My friend Bill emails me a link
to Ed Mackerrow's nature photos
of beautiful birds— amazing!

Bill Morrison at 89 (photo sent 4-6-2013)

Bill's watercolor "Bird on a Tree" (photo sent 4-6-2013)

Bill's "Morning Dove in Camellia Bush" from backyard (photo sent 3-30-2013)

Bill Morrison is a colleague who taught Java programming at Foothill College, where I taught Adobe Illustrator, Using the Internet, and HTML. We also worked as Lab Consultants at Foothill Middlefield Computer Lab in Palo Alto. I introduced Bill to Poetry Readings and Colloquiums at Stanford when he attended Robert Pinsky's Reading & Colloquium (Feb. 28 & March 6, 2007). On March 30, Bill sent me a photo taken from his backyard— "Baby Morning Dove in Camellia Bush". On April 6, Bill sent a photo of himself, three days after his 89th birthday. He's swimming 60 laps daily at Foothill College swimming pool where he taught for 22 years. Bill is also starting watercolor painting and sent me his recent "Bird on a Tree". Bill also plays the piano and does Sudoko puzzles to keep his mind active. On Earth Day, April 22, Bill sent me an email "Beautiful Birds" saying his brother's friend Ed MacKerrow from New Mexico takes photos of birds in his spare time. Clicking on the link to Ed's nature photos, I was amazed at the detailed shots of birds in flight and rest. The beauty overwhelmed me and I spent an hour seeing them over and over. Photo Sources: Bill Morrison (wisdomportal.com); Bill's watercolor "Bird on a Tree" (wisdomportal.com); Bill's "Morning Dove in Camellia Bush" (wisdomportal.com)

This Boreal owl's eyes are so
big and focused— attentive to
the wild turkey in her regal dress

Ed MacKerrow Mountain Horizon Photography

Boreal Owl by Ed MacKerrow

Wild Turkey by Ed MacKerrow

Boreal Owl, Aegolius funereus, is a small owl. It is also known as the Tengmalm's Owl after Swedish naturalist Peter Gustaf Tengmalm. Other names include Richardson's Owl, Funeral Owl, Sparrow Owl and Pearl Owl. The Boreal Owl is 8.7-11 inches long with a 20-24 inches wingspan. It is brown above, with white flecking on the shoulders. Below it is whitish streaked rust color. The head is large, with yellow eyes and a white facial disc, and a "surprised" appearance. The beak is light yellow colored. MacKerrow's "Boreal Owl" photo is one of my favorite owl images. This owl is so alert and attentive with those big focused eyes. It's much better than the Great Horned Owl in the Display Case at Portola Redwoods State Park (6-10-2012). The Wild Turkey photo taken from Rancho San Antonio hike (8-27-2011) looks so drab compared to MacKerrow's "Wild Turkey" in all its regal splendor. That's why I'm imagining the Boreal Owl being mesmerized by it. Photo Source: Ed MacKerrow (plus.google.com); Boreal Owl (mackerrow.zenfolio.com); Wild Turkey (mackerrow.zenfolio.com)

or perhaps to the sandhill crane
soaring skyward? Ah! I recall
those words Beatrice told Dante—

Sandhill Crane in Flight by Ed MacKerrow

Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510) Dante's Paradiso I: Ascent to Heaven

The Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis) is a species of large crane of North America and extreme northeastern Siberia. The Sandhill Crane's large wingspan, (5.4 to 6.9 feet), makes this a very skilled soaring bird similar in style to hawks and eagles. Utilizing thermals to obtain lift, they can stay aloft for many hours, requiring only occasional flapping of their wings and consequently expending little energy. Sandhill Cranes fly south for the winter. In their wintering areas they form flocks of over 10,000 birds. One place to observe this is at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, 100 miles south of Albuquerque, New Mexico. There is an annual Sandhill Crane Festival in November. Photo Sources: Sandhill Crane in Flight (mackerrow.zenfolio.com); Dante's Ascent to Heaven (wisdomportal.com)

"Your home is not here on earth
but the stars, so lift yourself up
and fly"— that's why Plato says

Illuminated Medieval Manuscript (14th century) Dante & Beatrice Flying to the Sun

Giovanni di Paolo (1403-1482) Dante & Beatrice Ascend to the Moon

Dante's Paradiso I.91-99 with Allen Mandelbaum's translation below:

Tu non se' in terra, sì come tu credi; ma folgore, fuggendo il proprio sito, non corse come tu ch'ad esso riedi". S'io fui del primo dubbio disvestito per le sorrise parolette brevi, dentro ad un nuovo più fu' inretito, e dissi: "Già contento requievi di grande ammirazion; ma ora ammiro com'io trascenda questi corpi levi". You are not on the earth as you believe; but lightning, flying from its own abode, is less swift than you are, returning home." While I was freed from my first doubt by these brief words she smiled to me, I was yet caught in new perplexity. I said: "I was content already; after such great wonder, I rested. But again I wonder how my body rises past these lighter bodies." Photo Sources: Dante & Beatrice Flying to the Sun (paulnugent.tumblr.com); Dante & Beatrice Ascend to the Moon (worldofdante.org) we stand upright with our heads aligned to heaven that's our home— so I lift myself and fly up, up, up... Plato by Raphael (1511) from School of Athens Osvaldo Tofani (1849-1915) Dante & Beatrice in Flight Plato believed that humans stand upright because our soul is aligned to a star (Timaeus 41e). When we die, the just soul returns to its native star, and live a blessed and congenial afterlife. But an unjust soul is reincarnated again on earth (Timaeus 42b). Dante cites Plato 18 times in his works— three times in his Commedia and 15 times in his Convivio. The word "Platone" at Paradiso 4.24 occurs on line 444 of Paradiso: "Plato taught that the souls return to the stars" (Paradiso 4.22-24). Seeing Ed MacKerrow's photo of the sandhill crane soaring skyward, and thinking of Dante's ascent to Paradise, I felt like flying up, up, up... Photo Sources: Plato by Rapheael (wisdomportal.com); Dante & Beatrice in Flight (shop.alinari.it) But today is Earth Day and I should feel more humble, honor this home— bend down low and kiss the Earth. Earth from Apollo 17 Spacecraft 28,000 miles above (December 7, 1972) If our soul is linked to a star as proposed by Plato, there are many splendid stars I would like to call my home— The Horsehead Nebula in Orion is one of my favorites which was used in Leaping into the Great Dark (1995). I also like the V838 Monocerotis galaxy looking like the Ouroborus, since the dragon biting its tail symbolizes union of Alpha & Omega "My end is my beginning" (2004). I wrote a poem "Cavern Garden: NGC 6357 Nebula" as another galaxy I'd love to dwell (2011). But my favorite space photo is still the "Blue Marble Earth" taken by the Apollo 17 Spacecraft on its way to the Moon. Does not our Earth look like a Star when seen from afar? When Zen Master Mang Gong said to Chung Gang: "Buddha became enlightened upon seeing the morning star in the eastern sky. But there are many stars. What Is Your Star?" Chung Gang dropped to his hands and knees and began feeling around the floor. Mang Gong said, "Ah, you have truly become a Buddha," and gave him Transmission. I've included this tale in my Wisdom Stories. Every time when I feel soaring to the stars, I'm reminded of this story. So may I be humble today on Earth Day, bend down low and kiss the Earth. Photo Sources: Earth from Apollo 17 Spacecraft (wikipedia.org) — Peter Y. Chou     Mountain View, 4-24-2013 | Top of Page | Earth Day | Poems 2013 | Poems 2012 | Poems 2011 | Poems 2010 | | Haikus 2013 | Haikus 2012 | Haikus 2011 | Platonic Lambda | CPITS | Books | A-Z Portals | Home | © Peter Y. Chou, Wisdom Portal P.O. Box 390707, Mountain View, CA 94039 email: (4-24-2013)