Day 2pics

Day 3

8/31/14

Got on the trail before the butt crack of dawn.  Started out in the rain again if full battle gear.  It made no matter I was just as wet from my gear being too hot that I was soon soaked.  In about an hour it stopped and we stowed our gear.  Peter has the habit of taking off his boots when he stops I never gave it much thought but then tried it.  He says it cools your feet down and avoids blisters he was right.  Now I do it all the time.  The trail was nothing to right home about going into Zubiri in fact if a biker went down he would not get up in a hurry.  It was like Moab poison spider times ten.

Breakfast only consisted of bread jam coffee and juice, so when we seen a little mom and pops we  stopped for a snack.  Suzanne from Kentucky came in limpIng.  She going solo and her knee looked rea bad.  Put an ice pack on it for her and left her there.  Had no idea if she could get into Zubiri but some how she did in that we saw her befor dinner.  The place was full so I left Tony and Peter and to a differ place.  Very nice, but very strick about you boots and washing your socks in the sink. Couldn't uses your ipad in the room and all that but did make friends with a good fellow from Itialy.  Seen him on the trail after.  I must look like hell in that every one keeps asking if I am ok.  In all honesty the trail got so steep going up that they cut stairs in the side.  Where were these guys when I was hunting deer.  Got a. chuckle out of the mountain bikers they had to push their bikes with snap in cleats.  But they beat me so to each his own.

Lesson for the day......water is your friend, with out it you will die.

To be continued..........

Day 2

Leaven st Jean started out to be some of the same except that it was raining very hard and did all day.the trail was wet muddy and slick and was at times very slow going.  At the top their was a warming shed at the top.  Not big about twice the size of a prison cell.  A French lady had taken her coat off and o bumped into her and got her wet.  She got all pissy and said something in French.  It must of been bad because some one else came to my defence.  So I asked her if she could speak English and she saud no. So I apologies in English and then she stormed out and I asked  what the deal was and was told, that a French speaking in my behalf asked her if I mader wet.

The rest of the day was about the the same heavy rain.

Lesson for the day bring water bottle up front where it's more easily accessed.

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Day one.....St Jean

K2 may have been steep but it had nothing on this morning.  It was all maximum V O 2 all the way.  Thank you L.L. ( best friend ever) for dragging my limping ass on the Saturday morning runs.

But oh my d hell the views, if I had atopped to take a picture of every thing that was off the scales in beauty I would of covered only about one mile.  At this writing I am in a dead zone so I won't be sending any thing until tomorrow the earliest.

At the time I was very happy to see this place, but I feel quite sure that with the nourishment that I took in I could of went up over the top. But still a lot of fine folks here that are just as determined as I am and they are all happy they booked a room.

The late bookers need to stay in regular ol camping tents.  I on the other hand booked several months ago so I was placed in a bunk bed room.  First come first serve for bottom bunk which I was happy for in that iam usually up during the night.  Dinner at 5:30 breakfast at 7:30 and a hiking lunch will be ready in the A.M.

Token for a 10 minute shower is included with dinner and breakfast in the price.  Hiking boots are not allowed in the room.....just as well.  One couple I met went on up over the top and just got down the other side and thought she left her phone here so they came back and then will go up over for a second time.....but they are young.  And she is definitely an "A". personality the worst I have seen.

However, they did say while a tad longer it is a little easer which we were all very glad to here.

Camino tidbits.  My pack is 25 pounds including the pack.  One lady I met is hiking on 12 pounds including her pack.  Her husband said, "hell that's nothing she walked in South America for 6 weeks with only a bum bag.

 Another tidbit.  For the last half mile I forced my self to take 20 steps before stoping to resting.  A lady and her husband are both 68.  After getting here they walked back and forth helping pilgrims up to the top by carring their packs.  Four times......

St Jean.......day one.

Thank God are time is now when lost

Comes up to face us everywhere.

Never to leaves us until we take

The longest stride of soul folk ever took.

Affairs are now soul size

The  exploration is into God

Where are you making for?

It takes so many thousand years to wake

But will you wake for pity's sake.

A sleep of prisoners........Christopher Fry

I am awake but it's still dark outside.  I need to pack again making sure my rain gear is on top.  Need to find breakfast and get some day food for the pack. I was trying to ask the waitress last night if they served breakfast.  I finly drew her a picture of the sun coming up over the mountain and a plate fork and spoon.  She still never got it.....but yes at 8:00 A.M.  

Also need to find the pilgrims office...very critical to get my pilgrims passport.  You get this paper stamped as you pass through the towns and villages.  

There is three ways you can do the WAY.  Religiously, Sprituly, or Athletically.  I have chosen Sprituly, and need to attest to it when I regester.  From what I seen in the village last night I won't be alone on the "path" in that the town is a live with pilgrims.  I fact I sat with John and his wife on the last train.  They were from New Zeeland, about my age and nice, nice people.  It's snowing where they just came from and they are worried about the tempiture change and are staying in town a couple of days before heading out.  John presented me with a cockle shall.......truly a good gesture.  I will explain later as to its significance.

8.7 on the pucker scale.....

Øi

So I am thinking that I will get some traveling money when I get to the airport.  Yep all is well until I get to the hole in the wall.  Then thinking that it's a stand alone my attempt to get money was from a box that wanted to change my train ticket.  When I fin illy find what I am looking for I find that the numbers have no letters on them.  I have given my four dilget code a four letter word so I could remember it better, but now I have no Idea what's going on and I need money.  Sandy just got back from over seas and brought some start out euros but not enough.  I cheap ass big ball point pen cost me 5 euro a mc Donald's fish sandwich was 7 euros which is about  $10.00.... I am going to be out of money fast.

Steve told me their wasn't many cash dispensers along the way and to take advantage when I saw one.  Finally out of desperation I went into a shop an asked the stor clerk if I could look at her phone.  Now you need to know at the airport they have groups of uniformed military officers in full battle gear with AR16 strapped to their chest that do nothing but walk around looking for old men prying on young girls to shoot. Very nervously she handed me her phone and I copied down the number/ letter sequence I needed.  Going back to the cash box I got so excited ( and it didn't help knowing that the Brittish army had me in their sights) the code got put in wrong and my card was rejected.  But finially success.....The train meets up with the airport so I only had short walk and a three hour wait for my train.....one of three to get to St Jean Pead A Port but I'm here and tomorrow is put up or shut up.

To be continued..........

Refresher course....

So now I remember why I dont do well flying......it's all a pecking order and I understand that most things in a capitalist country are but I mean come on even to get on a plane.  So we will have first class start boarding.  Now we will have gold madilon, next we will have silver madilon, now bronze madilon, now madilon, madilion.  Next we will have the great unwashed and then after the great unwashed we will have the Richard Smiths.  And then for an extra $80.00 you can have  an extra four inches.  You want food you pay for it, you want an extra bag yoU pay for it.  But what really gets me is the toilets.  Now I understand that one height fits all and they need them short so little boys can hit the water, but come on the thing hits me mid calf barely.  I am over six feet tall, there is no way I can control a four foot stream with any accuracy. To sit on a plane for any distance is like being in the devils chair.  Every thing hurts and I mean every thing.  And then after a while your pubes start getting in a bunch, so you need to fish in your pocket like your looking for your chap stick to lay them stright again.  The caution here is not to look a young lady in the eye while your doing it.....staring at the celling is a good safety net. 

Weight it again San

So it was determined on the way to the airport this morning that I left my cell phone at home.  Oh well one less thing for me to keep track of.  But earlier I am thinking that my cacoon of a back pack needs a handle.  So I am out in the garage in the dark dark of night sawing up the g-kids t-ball tee for a handle.  I thought it looked pretty good all hooked on with strapping tape.  "I don't know", Samdy said, "it looks a lot like dynamite.  Well yeah it kind of does but there no fuze looking thing I should be OK.

Checked the bag with no problem, the desk said she had seen worst.  But oh, oh what's this, I have a rock in my pocket.  Not a large rock, but still a rock.  Maybe that is why I thought I had my phone, the rock is about the same size.  OK I can explain, I will be walking past a monument where the pilgrims ate invited to "cast off" their burdens by bringing a rock from their home town and then by leaving it at the monument it's symbolic as to the burdens of your life. I really don't have a lot of burdens so the size should be about right.  I came about the rock when our Suzanne was running a 100 mile ultra out on the desert.  Me being her support team ( Sandy got to have the boys for two days) I was waiting a couple of miles down the road when this rock called my name.  Pick me, pick me, so I picked it up and put in my pocket, then it landed on my dresser where it has sat for one month lacking two years. I was going to put it in my back pack with the four survival knives but forgot. I stuck it in my bum bag ( the Britts don't cotton to the word "fanny") wondering how I would answere security's question as to the reason  I needed a rock.  Well hell you never know when you might need to smash something.

To be continued............

D-DAY

Well.......I'm off then.

Now I'm nervous.  My pack is wrapped up in plastic wrap and looks like a million silk worms has called it home for the last 30 days and sitting here in the kitchen it just dawn on me that I forgot to pack socks.  I need the plastic thing to keep the loose straps from getting caught in machenry and snoopy airport workers out if it.  Oh well I can stick the socks in my pockets.  Yeah and now I am wondering where my international credit card is.  Yeah I got a few jitters, but for me that's all a good omen.  When ever I go on a big trip I usually dream in reverse the night before.  You know those dreams, you lost your bag, missed your flight, can't find the airport.  It's always been a good thing for me in that it's always been a sign that I will have a good trip.......but last night nothing......humm. 

The party is over

......all that is left is to see if every thing will fit in the back pack.  I also have an abundance of e- equipment that needs to be sorted for capatabiliity.  I have a real concern as to the way I have packed my cables that the airline may have an security issue in that I have packed the same in plastic tubes to keep them from entanglement and even to me it looks subspecies.

I have been advised by experienced pilgrims that to have a true camino experience I am to leave home without my watch, camera, I-pad, maps, and half the money I think I need.  "Let the Camino provide for you", "let the sprit of the Caminoen envelope you".  Not on a bet! Hell the best I am hoping for is a bottom bunk.  If I don't correspond with "she who must be obayed" at least every two days my credit cards would be canceled and then I truly would be a pilgrim in the fullest extent. 

Just weighted every thing....all is well, however, it does not feel normal to have the pack on my back.  It feels like I m trying to mutant-ize  into a turtle.  I can't even remember when the last time I had pack on my back for any reason.....bum bag maybe but not a full pack.   Hummm going to interesting.

D-Day mines1

To be continued..........

The party

Swan song

My Dad had a swan song; he thought that it would be a great thing if his three sons got together with him in Colorado one last time to hunt big game.  It never happened, the three of us were strung out across several states and had employment responsibilities that neccessated us to stay on the job.

But then " a swan song" was a mythical thing anyway.  It was thought that a swan was mute its whole life and then when it was about to die it harped a low melody.  While not true it did make for good poetry.  But still to do one last great thing while I still could became synonymous  to a "swan song".

A while ago I was speaking with L.L. ( best friend ever) of how we used to bike Moab and how much I truly missed the gang being together and just the whole "enchilada"" of the biking, camping, laughing, music, and the fire.  We both agreed that it was "better to have loved and lost then to have never have loved at all".  After some deep thought I came to the conclusion that what I was really missing was when I wore a younger mans clothes.  The hard biking days are over, the marathon days are over, was all I had left, "I remember when"?   Several years ago I thought-my swan song would be hiking rim to rim in the Grand Canyon with Ed ( best friend ever) but alas trying to couple personal schedules around government permits negated it.

When Steve first turned me on to De El Camino de Santiago it hit me loud and clear, this could be my Swan Song.  This could be the last great adventure, or with luck and blessings another great adventure.  Even at my age I don't need to just sit in the back yard and stare at sunsets.  Not quite yet anyway.

D-Day mines 2

To be continued....... 

The secret is out......

My eight year old grandson is a triathlete and takes his sport very serious.  Knowing that my life is scheduled years in advance his mother was trying to mark my calendar for one of his bigger events.  Ough!! I don't think I will be in town I countered.  How do you know, where you going? Well I am thinking of going to Spain and walking the Camino......you are doing what?

The word was out, but still I had all summer to change my mind.....or not.

Now the word of the day became "when".  When are you going to the doctor for a check-up?  When are you going to get your equipment, when are you going to double your life insurance?

SteveI emailed daily with Spanish phrases that if memorized I could ask for fresh water, cooked food and a clean place to poop.  I  bought books, maps, plane tickets, train tickets, lodging, and a floppy hat. Yep! Camino de Santiago here I come......mentally I am ready, physically I am ready, and my Karrma feels right/ good.

Family and friends got on my band wagon with hiking poles, magic wands that when wiggled in a glass of water will kill 99.9% of all deadly bacteria ( ye gods how refreshing.....pun. Intended). My grandson in- law gave me a solar powered charger for my e- equipment.  A very good friend who is a military paramedicc asked if he could please set me up with a first aid kit. ." I can pack every thing you need to remove a tick, pop a blister, set a bone, or take out ruptured appendix in four square inches".  I agreed, he delivered.  My doctor set me up with pain killers, muscle relaxers, antibiotics, a tetanus booster and whooping cough shot.  Checked my heart, rechecked my heart, had his assistant check my heart, and rechecked it again.  Another daughter who has miles under her belt back-packing, hand-carried me to her favorite wilderness store.  Dragging me up and down isles with my arms extended as load supports.  You will need this, one of these, two of these, do you have one of these? like money was no object. The store manager got in the act, "you can't go without this," .....bed bug spray.

It's early. The house is dark, it's raining outside, I switched on the fire and am now staring into the flames.....I feel good.  D - Day minus 3 ......I can do this!

To be continued.........

 

Mice and men 2nd chapter

 So as I was saying.......and oh just as a note:  my ipad thinks faster then I do so sometimes it inserts the wrong word, you will just need to go with it.

I need to tell you I have a firm belief  in Karma, even more so then I do hard religion.  But for some reason as Steve and I were emailing back and forth as to me going to Spain and hooking up with him I ignored the vibrations that the " Force" was sending me.  It was April of 2013 ( not a good year for me) Steve and I decided to hook up in Aug. or Sept.  We no sooner penciled the date when things started to happen......bad things.  Boss Bob suffered an accident that needed serious surgery to correct with a six month recovery period.  Sandy had personal business that took her overseas for five weeks. We previously decided that we would sell our home while one of us was still working and relocate further north.  With Boss Bob being gone I had extra duties that needed constant attention.  The house went on the market and as soon as the sign went up a water leak necessitated that all the hardwood floors had to be restored.  We had to move out of the house and into a motel. We had to take all our meals out which caused our personal diets to go to hell. It got so bad that I felt like telling the waitress, " just surprise me".

We sold in nine days and had nowhere to go.  I hadn't even begun to pack, I had a garage full of tools and camping gear that needed to be dealt with.  Hell, between us we owned close to 500 cds that had to be cataloged and packed.

I knew what I had to do, I had to call Spain off and that was that.  With all that I had on my plate I had nothing left with which to even think about the Camino let alone the logistics of it.

The boots that I bought I would wear, ( they would need a good breaking in anyway) the rest of the equipment would go on the shelf, but where is the shelf?

I emailed Steve with the news,  " well bro it won't be this year"…...... this is no time for adventure.

If Steve was disappointed he didn't express it.  No one on the home front knew what we were up to in that from " get go" we agreed to keep it all quiet in that I didn't want to seem that I was shooting my mouth off as to " Richards big adventure" so there were no sad faces to be dealt with, and that in itself was a plus....small plus but still a plus.  Then a stroke of luck, Sandy desided to sell her bedroom set and was offered cash on the counter for all the furniture in the house.  We took the money, he took the furniture. The good luck as quick as it showed just as quick disappeared. 

It was Saturday we had to be out by Monday so the floors could be done.  The movers came took a look around and flat-footed doubled their fee.  My Mexican skills were not that good but the movers understood two things, I was pissed and they were fired.  Time was running out.  We started to call movers and found one that would work on Sunday.......for $152.00 an hour.....they were hired.

To be continued..........

The best laid plans of mice and men......

   My brother-in–law lives in Pamplona Spain where he teaches English as a foreign language.  I never really knew any thing at all about the CAMINO DE SANTAIGO until Steve started to walk segments of it in his spair time.  I was quite taken with the pictures of the country side, buildings, churches and people that he emailed home  from his travels.  Steve who is Brittish thinks all Americans have money in their pocket and time on their hands suggested that I drop what ever it was that I was doing, fly over and accompany him on two or three trails.  I wasn't sure what it was that he was doing or trying to accomplish so I did a little research as to " The Way" and found all kinds of people and Youtube threads that perked my interest.  From the time we could walk with out assistance my Dad drug my brothers and I up one mountain and down the outher looking for large game to fortify the family's pantry with.   I am sure it was these safaris and forced marches that palled my desire to hike in the wilderness for no reason, but there was something that Steve was doing that caught my interest.

Those that know me well know that for most of my life I have tried without much measure of success to do something physical to stay fit.  The gang/ tribe ( and you all know who you are) I chased with got me into several hair raising, death defying, orphan causing, widow making, serious shit.  So often did we laugh in the face of death that the spilling of first blood became a badge of honor. I need to tell you that many times at the end of the trail we stood leaning against our bikes to support wobbly legs agreeing to only one fact, " hell that was stupid".  We ran so many marathons that once it was suggested that we should be the very last to start just to to see how many people we had passed at the end of the day.  So the 500 plus miles that the Camino presented didn't concern me......but something did.

To be continued.

The 20th century....

From outside Spain the shrine at Compostela was slow to awaken and notably so.  Obviously times had changed  and with all that was going on in the world it probably had simply just fallen through the net.  I mean think about it, most people simply worked for a living and if there was anything left over for an extended vacation it wasn't going to be spent walking across Spain. Not unless there is something in it for me.......hummm but what could that be?

The first real response to the "trail" came from France, and why not in that France was actually the custodian of the four major routes that feed into  Spain.  In 1950 a small group of historians connected with the Societe Des Amis du Chemin de Saint Jacques pioneered a formal study and produced a modern text that was essential information for any would-be pilgrim.

But then something else is going on.....why the pathway to Saint James? Why now in this modern world?  There seems little doubt that there is a great thirst for a genuine spiritual experience.  In Spain alone, what was always a deeply spiritual society, now has less then 20% of its population practicing Catholicism.  Some will tell you that people around the world are becoming bored and disillusioned with the religion that was fed to them since childhood and that a slow collapsing of formalized religion is inevitable.  But personally I really don't think so and I can only attribute this line of thinking to what I saw as I watched with millions of others the inauguration of Pope Frances and the expressed feeling that my wife shared with me at the time. 

But is it the God in heaven that they are searching for? Or is it the god within that the pilgrims of Camino de Santiago are trying to become more attuned with.    ....hummmm!!

To be continued........

The first pilgrimage

Its hard to really determine when St James was canonized. I would think that reappearing a couple of times in the heat of battle to turn the tide towards the " good" should do it.  But it actually happened by popular acclaim after his death in the year 44. And not to jump back and forth but the name Santiago was shouted as a battle cry by  Spaniards going into battle from then on.  Obviously not to be confused with, "Rember the Maine and to Hell with Spain" that was shouted during the Spanish-American wars.   Further studies indicate that the first pilgrimage to Santiago and the tomb of St James was in 950 by a Bishop Gotescalco.  By 1072 Alfonso VI recognize the importance of this treck and abolished all tolls for pilgrims traveling into Galicia.  By the 12th and 14th century the Santiago de Compostela grew so much in importance that at times it even was more popular then the Pilgrim routes to Jerusalem and Rome.

So......obviously I have left out volumes of information and I do mean volumes but I am running out of time and in order for me to tell you how and why I got involved/enthused as to the same I need to jump ahead in time, way ahead.  Just know that pilgrimages to Santiago never stopped from the first time in the year 950 until present. Not even during WW1 and W11 was  the trail totally vacant with 180K pilgrims at least making some effort to complete the same in 2012.......to be continued.

Not to be fodder for wild dogs

So now this is where the story gets biblical.  James is beheaded and his remains are tossed out like so much trash.  James' followers gather up his body and put it in a stone ( yes stone) boat and without so much as a rudder it's pushed out to sea.  With the help of angels and the wind ( which I am sure the angels had some control of ) it was guided down through the Straits of Gibralter to land near Finisterre at Padron on the Alantic coast of Northern Spain.  The local queen, Lupa, provided a team of oxen to draw the boat to shore and also provided a marble tomb where James laid in rest for the next 800 years and was actually forgotten about.  Early in the 9th century a hermit by the name of Pelayo had a vision and was led by a star that "shone brightly" and the tomb was rediscovered.  This story to me as well as to other researchers........and please know for sure that I am not a researcher per say, I just like history.......runs parallel to the story of the Nativity. 

In any case the Bishop of Iri Flavia Theodomirus seized the moment and " confirmed" the tomb in question to be that of St James.  The story goes on with St James reappearing in the battle of Clavijo in 844 and again in 1212 at Las Navas de Tolosa each time on a white charger with sword in hand decapitating Moors and other enemies of Spain.  It is very understandable with all this "heavenly help" why St James became and still is the patron Saint of Spain.......to be continued.

Boanerges

Remember that name Boanerges, it means " sons of thunder".  It's a name that Christ gave to James and his brother John.  James and John were very aware of the capabilities Christ had in that by being with Christ as his followers they had witnessed several miracles first-hand.  Once in their travels they were refused lodging. Itwas suggested that Christ should call down lightening on the  village in question and destroy the same, but Christ refused and they moved on, but not without pinning the name, " Boanerges" on the two.  It was this Boanerges personality that got James in trouble with King Herod in 42 A..D. but before that a lot happened.  After the death of Christ the apostles devided the known world into missionary zones, James taking the Iberian peninsula. 7th and 8th century documents infer that James spent a number of years preaching in Spain before returning to Jerusalem.  Upon returning to Jerusalem, confusing information exists. It was believed that Herod "may" have been in an incestuous relationship although I personally feel that if you are not an astute student of subjective research the layman could never really figure out if he was and who with. So anyhow  James returns to Jerusalem and sees what is going on and this "son of thunder" personality takes over. There are words and Herod has James beheaded and his remains thrown outside the palace walls.....to be continued.

A little bible thumping.....

So what I am trying to do here in a nutshell  is hook you up with St.James because that is what the Camino is all about.  First of all to even be considered for sainthood a couple of things need to happen but I will get to that subject in a minute. So far very briefly I have explained how I personally feel that the earth was created and religion or the belief in a higher power first came about or kinda came about.  And I completely understand that there will be some who are reading this with a jaundiced eye and going......ooh I don't think so.  My only answer to this would be for them to get their own blog. 

So anyway you all know the Christmas story and that Christ was born to Mary.  There is not a lot of information as to Jesus between the ages of about eleven and until he started him ministry in his thirties except that he was a carpenter by trade ( I mean even Jesus new the beauty of employment)  this is where we pick up on St. James.  It seems he and his brother John ( not to be confused with John the Baptist) were helping their father with his nets.....his father Zebedee being a fisherman......you can fill in the gaps here by reading the book of Mathew in the Bible.  Now I am sure   there must have been some family discussion as to Jesus wanting James and John to follow him and be a " fisher of men" but then again Jesus was not a stranger. In fact ( or widely belived ) he was their first cousin.  But still even though one would think that the boys were needed at home they received their fathers blessing to go along with Jesus and preach Christianity.......to be continued. 

The very beginning....

"Let start in the begining a very good place to start"  Julie Andrews, The Sound of Music.

I need to tell you and I have been thinking on this for quite some time, the older I get and the more adult my mind is the more I dont understand.  When I have asked the wise men how did it all start I was given the same answere, "don't dwell on what we don't know".  Well hell that's a safe answer.

For example I get all confused about the Big Bang theory, you all have heard the theory "some 5bn years ago in our galaxy a star exploded throwing out masses of gas and dust.  The wreckage from the explosion then crashed into  a nearby cloud of gas, bringing together the ingredients for our solar system to form".  So obvious to this my question would be, so where did the star in question come from?

Now you are thinking that I being retired have way too much free time on my hands if that is all I have to think about especially when as of late I can't get straight who we (the US) are shooting at and why.  

But then with this I get thinking well hell cool, every thing we needed ended up right here on our planet all we needed to do was find it like the cure for polio, but then why polio...I know I am confusing you but bear with me. So just as I was about to feel satisfied with my personal feelings as Mother Earth having it all I am handed a book by Boss Bob, "The Day After Roswell" by Col. Philip J. Corso, and I come to a personal conclusion that "we are not alone" and if we are not alone then did "they" have a star blow up too.  OK so here we are trees are growing, streams are flowing, all sorts of animals are walking around, then somehow people get here.  "The earliest human remains ever discovered were in Europe on a small hill directly on the CAMINO FRANCES at Atapuerca" some 900,000 years ago, and I might add Camino Frances is the " path" I am taking, but alas I am getting ahead of my self, way ahead............. to be continued.

Moving on with religion

I onced asked my Grandad if he believed in God, his answer was that all farmers and fathers believed in God.  I never gave this statement much credence until I was a father then I totally understood what he was eluding to.  I came from a Christian God-fearing family with several simple rules that by following you were able to retain your membership in the same and be guaranteed to see your next birthday.

Rule number one;you never took the Lord's name in vain.  Rule number two; you never dropped the " F Bomb". Rule number three; you treated your mother and sister with respect. The very fact that my father was cognizant of deity gave me firm conviction that I came from a God-fearing family. Although to be honest I was always confused as to the " fear" part, especially if God is love, like " they say"   I never had much  time or patience  for organization when it came to religion although I feel personally that in my life I gave it a good shot. But then you need to understand that when it came to anything organized I usually gave it a miss.  And just for the record you need to know that without a doubt I firmly believe that the greatest philosopher of all time lived some 2000 years ago and he was Jesus the Christ.  Like it or not, believe it or not the world marked time after this man, volumes of word and verse have been written and recorded about this man so to my way of thinking he " must have been" .

Research tells me that actual religion started some 30,000 years before Christ walked the earth.  

In the Mesopotamia region the nomadic hunter gathers of the time began to settle in one area and learn the art of farming.  And it is strongly believed that farming in itself was a building block to religion.  Farming manipulates nature, we need the sun and the rain to produce a good harvest.  Because of which It's not difficult to see why ancient man "may"  in carrying out this practice formulated a relationship with nature and God or what he may have thought was God to him.

So dear readers I leave you here thinking on Jesus and his place on earth.........to be continued.