This is the Wheel of the Year. The Wheel of the Year is a Wiccan and Neopagan term for the annual cycle of the earth's seasons. It consists of eight festivals, spaced at approximately even intervals throughout the year.


The holiday of Autumn Equinox fell this year on September 22nd. It is a festival of thanksgiving for the fruits of the earth and a recognition of the need to share them to secure the blessings of the Goddess and God during the winter months.

Bet you can't guess where we had dinner tonight?? This Bob's Big Boy is in Corona on Hamner south of 6th St. I had a tasty Reuben sandwich.

This will bring back some memories for some of you. Today while out riding around Puddingstone, I saw the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department driving school running a skid pan.

Went for a bike ride today at Puddingstone Lake. It was a great day for a ride. Mid 70's, nice breeze. It's about 8 miles around the lake and airport, so I did two circles of the lake and one figure 8 of the lake and the airport for a total of 25.5 miles.

I found a really nice path that runs along the street on the north side of the park about 5' inside the park. The path runs the entire length of the north side of the lake. I like riding on dirt more than pavement.

As you can see, it was a really nice day at the lake. The lake itself was pretty empty with just a couple of sea doos and a few fishermen on the lake.

I went for a bike ride today (Sat). Left the house around noon and rode 26.5 miles. About 22 miles into the ride I passed Colony H.S. and their marquee said it was rather warm. Their temperature gauge is usually a little high, so I don't think it was much over 100 degrees.

I could have used a break here but, as you can see, there was no stopping the entire block!!!


Thursday I went on a ride with my friend Jack from Anaheim Stadium to the Huntington Beach Peir. 34 miles in all. It was a nice ride and enjoyed the time with Jack.

Friday evening Karen and I went to a Colony H.S. football game at their home field. It was a beautiful evening at the stadium after another day in the low 100's.

It was a close game until late in the 4th quarter when Colony scored twice to put it away and win going away 30-10.

It's always fun to go to their games, both for the game and to watch the crowd. We are also big boosters of the band since Corey was once a band member.

Happy Birthday wishes go out to a television star and role model of my formative years, and as it turns out, a local boy Kent McCord, who turns 67 years old today. Kent Franklin McWhirter was born in Los Angeles and grew up in Baldwin Park, California. Kent and his wife Cynthia have three children, two daughters, Kristen and Megan, and a son, Michael.

I learned a ton of stuff about Kent from his website, http://www.kentmccord.com/. One of Kent's first jobs was working at his father's Richfield gas station which was located near what is now the intersection of the 10 and 605 freeways.

At the age of 12, Kent got a job at Brackett Field Airport in La Verne where he worked weekends and summers for five years. Being too young to be paid, Kent received flying lessons in lieu of pay


Kent was a star on the Baldwin Park H.S. football team. After graduation he attended Citrus Jr. College before receiving a scholarship to the University of Utah to play football.


In 1961 he was asked to play in a touch football game. His team was captained by Ricky Nelson and the opposing team was captained by Elvis Presley. He became close friends with Ricky Nelson and started acting on "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet." He also had small parts in several Elvis Presley movies including, "Viva Las Vegas", "Girl Happy", and "Roustabout."

In 1965, Kent signed a contract with Universal and appeared in "McHale's Navy," "The Virginian," and "Dragnet." "Dragnet" led to his role as "Officer Jim Reed" in the television series "Adam-12" with Martin Millner as his partner, "Pete Malloy." The series ran from September 1968 through May of 1975.

As a side note, the "Adam-12" series is what started my interest in law enforcement. I was working in the print shop for the Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District and bored out of my mind running hundreds and hundreds of forms on a 1250 multilith printing press. Adam-12 made police work look so glamorous.

I tested for L.A.P.D. and was placed on the waiting list for the academy. At the time veterans were coming home from the Vietnam War and being placed higher on the waiting list than me because of their 10 points for being a veteran. I joined the U.S. Army in May of 1974 and became a Military Policeman. I got out in May of 1977 after serving 32 months at Ft. Hood, Tx. I was hired by Covina P.D. in December of 1977 and started the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Academy in January of 1978. Class 188!! The rest of my 27 year career is, as they say, history.

It was 40 years ago today... Yes sirree kiddies, it was 40 years ago today that "The Beatles" released the "Abbey Road" album. The album featured songs like, "Come Together", "Something", and "Maxwell's Silver Hammer."

The album cover photo was taken of the Beatles crossing Abbey Road in front of their studio. I remember there was speculation from the album's photo that Paul was dead because he wasn't wearing shoes and was out of step with the other three Beatles.

The VW Beetle parked on the left side of the street kept getting it's license plate stolen and is now on display at the Volkswagen Museum in Wolfsburg, Germany.

Happy Birthday wishes go out to Melissa Sue Anderson, aka "Mary Ingalls" who turns 47 years old today. Mellisa was born in Berkeley, California. She is married to television writer Michael Sloan and they have two children, an 8 year old daughter named Piper, and a 3 year old son named Griffin. Melissa and her family became Canadian citizens in 2007.

Melissa is best known for her role as "Mary Ingalls" on the television serial, "Little House on the Prairie." She was on the series for eight years leaving in 1982. She was also "Millicent" on "The Brady Bunch", a little girl who kissed "Bobby" and made him see fireworks.

Melissa was nominated for an Emmey Award for her work on "Little House on the Prairie" in 1978 and won an Emmey Award for her performance in "Which Mother is Mine?" in 1979.

Melissa has a star on the "Hollywood Walk of Fame" and in 1988 was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Ok.

Letter to the newspaper

I sent a new letter to the local newspaper. It's similar to the blog entry I made a couple of days ago on dominionism. Alma Tilley wrote a letter complaining about the Freedom From Religion Foundation and their billboards. So I just had to respond.

My letter reads as follows;

Freedom From Religion

On September 25th Alma R. Tilley wrote a letter entitled, "No Practical Effect." I applaud Alma's right to voice her opinion under the first amendment of the Constitution of the United States. I only wish the freedom from religion fight was as simple as her analogy to "Freedom From Bubblegum."

The fight for freedom from religion is a fight against the ultraconservative right wing religionists who want to abolish the U.S. Constitution and legal system, and Alma's ability to write her letter, and replace it with the Ten Commandments and Mosaic laws of the Judeo-Christian Bible. Many are referred to as dominionists. (google search?)

Dominionism is a doctrine which demands the total remaking of society to conform with the laws of the Old Testament of the Bible. It states that the second coming of Jesus Christ will never occur until "God’s kingdom" is established here on earth. The dominionists get their "authority" from the Judeo-Christian Bible and their interpretation of the book of Genesis, chapter 1 verse 26.

You know these folks. End times. Armageddon. Good vs. evil. They are advocating "reclaiming America for Jesus Christ" or bringing about "the rule and reign of the cross to America." People such as Alabama Supreme Court Justice Roy Moore who had a 5200 lb monument of the Ten Commandments erected in the State court building or 2008 presidential candidate Mike Huckabee who is quoted in last years primary as saying, "I believe it's a lot easier to change the Constitution than it would be to change the word of the living God."

They don't want a democracy. They want a theocracy; A government where a god or deity is recognized as the state's supreme civil ruler. Take a look at Iran if you want to see what a theocracy looks like. Read the first five books of the Judeo-Christian Bible if you want a look at Old Testament prohibitions. Can you say animal sacrifices or death by stoning?

"One Nation Under God". Be careful what you ask for.

Ken Ferguson
Ontario, Ca.

Today, Tuesday September 22, 2009 at 5:09 a.m. ET, is the autumnal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. The first day of fall came into Southern California with a roar with our first Santa Ana wind episode.

I'm proud to say that our new fences I built last spring are still standing. My bike ride today was pretty slow when going east and north (into the wind) and pretty quick going south and west.

Fear the Ultraconservative Right Wing Christian

People today are quick to advocate returning the United States to it's Judeo-Christian heritage. Pastors are talking about "reclaiming America for Jesus Christ" or bringing about "the rule and reign of the cross to America." When you hear these kinds of things, be afraid. Be very afraid.

What you may be hearing is the theology of the dominionist. Never heard of them? You are probably not alone. I hadn't heard of them either until I read the book, "Racing Toward Armageddon" by Michael Baigent.

Dominionism is a doctrine which demands the total remaking of society to conform with the laws of the Old Testament of the Bible, and it states that the second coming of Jesus Christ will never occur until "God’s kingdom" is established on earth and reigns for either a thousand years or an unknown time period. They contend that all of the laws of the Old Testament, unless specifically revoked later in the Bible, are still valid and they want to literally replace the U.S. Constitution and legal system with the Ten Commandments and the Mosaic laws of the Bible.

The dominionists gets their authority from the Bible and their interpretation of the book of Genesis, chapter 1:26 which reads, "Then God said, let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish in the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over the earth, and over all creeping thing that creeps on the earth."

Dominionists are calling for the death of all persons involved in abortions, homosexuals, anyone who practices witchcraft or astrology, children who disobey their parents, women who commit adultery, and rape victims who don't resist sufficiently. Read the first five chapters of the Bible to get a real taste of the Old Testament prohibitions.

So, these are just some wackos who don't have a lot of input in society today, right? Wrong!! Those who have put forth dominionist doctrine include former Alabama Supreme Court Judge Roy Moore, who had a 5200 lb. monument of the Ten Commandments erected in the judicial building, author Tim LaHaye of the "Left Behind" book series, televangelist Pat Roberts, and presidential hopeful, Mike Huckabee.

On January 15, 2008, during the presidential primaries, Mike Huckabee is quoted as saying, "I have opponents in this race who do not want to change the Constitution. But I believe it's a lot easier to change the Constitution than it would be to change the word of the living God, and that's what we need to do is to amend the Constitution so it's in God's standards rather than try to change God's standards so it lines up with some contemporary view of how we treat each other and how we treat the family."

D. James Kennedy, who hosts a yearly conference entitled, "Reclaiming America for Christ" is quoted in the Christian Science Monitor on March 16, 2005, "as the vice-regents of God, we are to bring His truth and His will to bear on every sphere of our world and our society. We are to exercise godly dominion and influence over our neighborhoods, our schools, our government..., our entertainment media, our news media, our scientific endeavors-- in short over every aspect and institution of human society."

Oh by the way, dominionists are of a protestant mind and have no room in their world for any other religion or belief system.

So be careful what you ask for. It may just come true!!

This billboard is currently on display in Moscow, Idaho.

Sadly, the Pentagon indicated that 14 United States serviceman were killed this last week in Iraq and Afghanistan. 13 of the 14 killed were in the Army, one in the Air Force.

According to iCasualities.com, the total number of U.S. Servicemen killed in Iraq now stands at 4,663 with 1,404 more in Afghanistan.

I'm disappointed in the fact that President Obama hasn't gotten us out of these conflicts. As my friend Jack is quick to point out to me, the troop levels have dropped in Iraq because they are being moved to Afghanistan.

Yum Yum!! Hot dogs and chili. A "man meal" no doubt about it!!

This was the evening view from my camp site as the sun set into the Pacific Ocean. Funny there's no steam afterwards!!!

I made it back from camping in one piece on Friday afternoon. The campground only had 43 camp sites and by Thursday evening it was full of senior citizen ukulele players. So Thursday evening I was serenaded by about 20 ukulele players who brutalized some of my favorite songs. But they were having a great time hootin' and holerin' and singing along while they played.

Had a great drive up to Big Sur. I took the "back roads" there utilizing the 15 to the 395 to the 58 to the 99 to the 46 to Hwy. 1. Total travel time was seven hours. Nothing major to report on the way other than the lady at the 7-11 store tried to charge me for three bags of ice instead of two, and some lady made a left turn in front of me on the 395 in Atalanto and tried to kill me.

Got into the camp ground at about 3:3o and set up camp. The campground is very clean and has mostly tents and some small Rv's. Each site has a fire ring, a picnic table, and cooking grill. There is a water spout about 10 yds. from me and a bathroom with flushing toilets about 50 yds. the other way. No Showers.

I must be out in the sticks because when I got into my car to go exploring, Gretchen couldn't find a Starbucks anywhere. I found one in an Albertson's in Moro Bay where I picked up some plastic spoons. It's hard to eat Cheerios with a fork!!! I had to drive 35 miles just to get cell phone service.

After setting up camp, I went for a walk to the nearby beach. Sand Dollar Beach is it's name. It's about a 20 minute walk which ends with about 100 steps down to the sand. I will spend some quality time here over the next couple of days.


My exploring led me to San Luis Obispo where Gretchen found me a Barnes & Noble where I was able to hook up to the Internet and get this post out. Below is the view from the window of Barnes & Noble,

Having a good time. The weather is in the high 60's to low 70's during the day and a bit chilly at night. Lucky I brought an extra blanket.

Last Sunday many of the locals at San Onofre State Park clothing only section held a small demonstration against the State starting to enforce nudity laws after Labor Day. The demonstration was covered by the Orange County Register newspaper who took this photo.

All of this to do is over a section of the beach which is only about 100 yards long and about a one half mile walk from the bottom of trail #6. I didn't attend the demonstration.

Last weekend Karen and I spent a wonderful day together in San Diego. We attended the San Diego Pagan Pride Day Festival in Balboa Park. The festival was rather small, with only about a dozen booths, but the people were spirited and into the season.

We arrived at the festival at noon and found this noon time ritual taking place in a rather large consecrated circle. We stayed at the festival for about two hours and checked out the booths and, of course, the people.

This was a really awesome tree we saw in the park.

After the festival we drove over to Coronado Island. We found a window seat in a Boar's Head Restaurant where we could enjoy the San Diego sky line, and of course, the people.

Of course, Karen was lookin' way awesome!!!