Looking out the studio window this morning with the snow softly falling. It’s a cold wet out there in a setting of shades of gray and forest green. Looking at it now, all I can think is that I wish I could send all of it out to California so that it might extinguish the fires that have devastated so much of the state.
My home and studio are nestled in the forest and, while we generally have wetter weather, in dryer periods I often find myself worrying about what might happen if the woods caught fire. It’s a scary thought so I can only imagine the mindset of those who have lost everything or those who are still looking for friends or family possibly lost in the fire’s fury. The horror and hopeless desperation they must be experiencing is far beyond the bounds of my limited imagination.
Unlike a certain person who serves as the titular leader of this country, I have a soft spot in my heart for the people of California, having met so many warm and caring people who call that place home. I have always been impressed by the friendly openness I have experienced there. The lack of empathy shown and the sheer buffoonery of this person’s comments about the cause of the fires or how they might be avoided with a little raking –as though the forests were no more than a patch of trees between the fairways on a golf course– is a distraction from the real world tragedy happening before our eyes, one that deserves our full attention and support.
For this Sunday morning, I thought I would share a couple of California themed paintings and play a couple of versions of California Dreaming, the classic song from The Mamas and the Papas. It’s a great song and has been covered, as most great songs are, by a huge variety of artists from all sorts of genres. Sia does a fine version. The first is my favorite from Jose Feliciano and the second gets the deep soul treatment from the late and little known Lee Moses who only recorded for a short time in the late 60’s and early 70’s.
Give a listen and think a bit about our fellow citizens in California. With Thanksgiving coming this week, be thankful for what you have and consider what you can do to help others who might be experiencing darker days.
Redtree Times 