From this hill in Hampden, you can just barely see the tops of the Monarch Place and Baybank towers in Springfield.
Also, Mt. Tom's now defunct ski area is visible. Still devoid of big trees, a layer of snow marks the old ski trails.
This guy gets views like that every day.
Driving out of Hampden, this mailbox reminded me of another aspect of spring that's fast approaching...
This pair could be auditioning for a Doublemint Gum commercial.
I've been taking alot of pics of churches lately, like this on at the Wilbraham Monson Academy.
Not particularly for any religious reason, mostly just aesthetic. I love the stately, solid structure, the stone, shadows, ect. They give off a feeling of permanance and longevity that steel and glass just don't. I say a feeling, of course, as Christianity has been under the gun now for several years, and it's 'permanance' is being put to the test as never before...
Warning, Briefly Talking Religion Here:
I was brought up in a devoutly Catholic family. My mom was a CCD teacher back in the old country when she was younger. She certainly practiced what she preached raising us. Uncomfortable clothes, uncomfortable shoes, and an hour of Church every sunday that would never seem to end. A short stint as an altar boy, then CCD until confirmation, my mom even forced me and my sister to recite the Rosary at home almost every night at one point, when we were very young. Sometimes we would fume as we did this, we could hear our friends outside, wrapping up their game of tag or soccer baseball. Other times me and my sister would absolutely fly through it, going throught the motions at lightning speed, the words mere burbles. One eye on the clock, ticking close to 8 pm, Happy Days would be coming on tv in a couple minutes...
So I was definitely brought up Catholic. Still, despite my parents' and families' best efforts, I've never been particularly religious. Not with any kind of real fervancy anyway. Frankly, I always found it boring; I blame the antiquated rules still in place for that, as well as for other evils plaguing the church today. In my teenage years I did my bid as questioner and doubter of all things, and religion wasn't spared. By my late teens into early twenties, I had pretty much stopped going to church, but held on loosely to the two main Catholic days of observance; Christmas and Easter. A few more years went by, and even that eventually fell by the wayside. That's where I'm still at. A non-practicing Catholic. I try to live a good life, and follow the tenets of the religion, (Do unto others...). But I still shun the antiquated ceremonies put in place by a handful of Bishops during the Dark Ages. I believe the Catholic church needs to change and adapt if it is to survive and stay relevant, but I don't see that coming too soon. First and foremost, Priests need to be allowed to marry.
Even though I don't practice it, I still defend it, especially when arguing with my less than pious friends. I think they are all too quick to dismiss Christianity in general, and Catholicism in particular, as bygone relics, as they channel surf the tv and go to the fridge for a snack. It has survived for 2000 years. I'm not ready to write it off yet. Science-shmience, turn off the lights for a few weeks, and let's see where we all stand. Like the comedian Joe Rogan says in one of his skits, does anybody really know how to make a tv, or a phone, or even a lightbulb? We'll all be praying to the heavens in the dark...
I added that last sentence just to segue into another topic of the heavens....Smile, it's the beginning of a new Solar Cycle.
And, while your thinking space, be sure to check out the total eclipse of the full moon Wednesday night (the 20th). I highlighted that because it's supposed to be a very good one. There won't be another even close to being as good until 2010. Interestingly, the Moon will turn a deep dark red, from all of Earths sunsets and sunrises shining on it at the same time! Best time to see it is around 10pm...
Turn out the lights!
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