Category Archives: Life

Lepakshi Temple, October 2014

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On a trip to India last fall, I had the opportunity to visit the Veerabhadra Temple in Lepakshi, a small village in southern Andra Pradesh. It is about a two hour drive north of Bangalore.

The temple is in good condition, with much of the stone artwork in good shape and some ceiling frescoes with good color and detail. One note: If you are to visit, I recommend an early morning arrival. You must go without shoes and I imagine it would get very hot on the feet in the afternoon.

It is hard to get an overall picture, but here is a view of some nice carvings behind the main temple area

Outside the Temple

Outside the Temple

Detail of these carvings:

Lepakshi Temple Detail

Lepakshi Temple Detail

More below the link….

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A Long Month

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This has been a long month. It started off with two weeks in India. Productive from a work perspective, but tiring nonetheless. We did have a nice side trip the first weekend in Mumbai, a trip to Elphanta Caves. The caves are on an island on the far side of the bay to the east of downtown Mumbai.

The caves are impressive, with many excellent carvings. This is of the Trimurti is quite famous.

Elephanta Caves Trimurti

Elephanta Caves Trimurti

On top of the island there are two cannon left behind by the Portuguese. Clearly they would command the entire harbor entrance.

Elephanta Cannon

Elephanta Cannon

The second weekend was spent in Bangalore. I was a bit tired at this point, so just had a short trip to the Art of Living Center south of the city. Sorry, no pictures.

We finally made it out to Lake Riverside this weekend, having been away for 5 weeks. This meant a lot of maintenance work:

  • Check the irrigation (yes, time to turn that on)
  • Fix animal chewed irrigation pipes
  • Push back many, many gopher infestations
  • Get the mower started (recharge battery, fill tires with air, etc.) and mow both the lawn and the area around the house
  • Use Roundup to kill the plants growing in the driveway
  • Fix the solenoid on the lawn sprinkler valve
  • Use the trimmer to neaten up the yard
  • Go after more gophers

There was more, but I am sure I have bored you already. We need some longer term time out there so I can catch up on astronomy and not just spend the whole time on maintenance. But it was a beautiful weekend.

Scripture, November 2014

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Somehow appropriate for this month.

Luke 21:34-36
“Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise
like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth.
Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Scripture, August 2014

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Here are some selected items of scripture taken from Magnificat. My last post of scripture was in May, 2013.

Deuteronomy 1:31
you saw how the LORD, your God, carried you, as one carries his own child, all along your journey until you arrived at this place.

John 16:33
I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.

2 Corinthians 3:17
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Luke 12:15
Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.

John 14:27-28
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
You heard me tell you, ‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I.

Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us

Sirach 4:11-19
Wisdom teaches her children
and admonishes all who can understand her.
Those who love her love life;
those who seek her out win the LORD’s favor.
Those who hold her fast will attain glory,
and they shall abide in the blessing of the LORD.
Those who serve her serve the Holy One;
those who love her the Lord loves.
“Whoever obeys me will judge nations;
whoever listens to me will dwell in my inmost chambers.
If they remain faithful, they will possess me;
their descendants too will inherit me.
“I will walk with them in disguise,
and at first I will test them with trials.
Fear and dread I will bring upon them
and I will discipline them with my constraints.
When their hearts are fully with me,
then I will set them again on the straight path
and reveal my secrets to them.
But if they turn away from me, I will abandon them
and deliver them over to robbers.”

Killdeer

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Out at the desert house, a pair of killdeer have moved in. These are ground nesting birds, and this pair have selected a spot on the east side of the property. This is much better that the first pair that showed up two years ago who put their nest in the driveway.

Killdeer #1

Killdeer #1

Killdeer 2

Killdeer 2

Killdeer 2 Wide Shot

Killdeer 2 Wide Shot

Heritage Winery Visit

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Back in March, I spent two weeks in India (that was the main reason I missed my monthly post last month). When I was in Bangalore, my host took me to the Heritage Winery. The Winery is located about half way from Bangalore to Mysore along the Bangalore-Mysore Road.

We had a pleasant drive down to the Winery, without bad traffic it being a Saturday morning. The turn off to the winery is well marked, but it is a dirt road. The facility is clean and well maintained. This is the main entry sign.

Heritage Winery

Before the tour, you can watch an informative video on the company, wine making in general, and Heritage’s products. Their primary product is fortified wine. They purchase most of their grapes, ferment the grapes in stainless steel containers, and then blend the wine with grain alcohol and sugar to get to the desired taste and 16% alcohol content. The also make a “fizzy wine” which is a carbonated wine. They are just beginning to produce varietals. I tasted a cabernet, a shiraz, and a chenin blanc while I was there. All three were decent.

Here is the video presentation area with a big picture of the founder.

Introductory video explaining wine making and Heritage's products

Introductory video explaining wine making and Heritage’s products

The tour takes about 20 minutes. You get to see the production facilities (they were doing a bottling run while I was there). No pictures were allowed inside of the facility. Here is a picture of our tour guide and the general manager.

Our tour guide and the manager of the facility

Our tour guide and the manager of the facility

After the tour, we visited the vineyard at the back of the facility. While they do purchase the grapes for their wines, it wouldn’t be much of a winery tour if you didn’t get to see grapes.

The vineyard at the Heritage Winery facility

The vineyard at the Heritage Winery facility

The grapes were nearly ripe and quite tasty.

Grapes in the Heritage Winery vineyard

Grapes in the Heritage Winery vineyard

The vineyard had a couple of dogs wandering around in it. One of the employees was also walking around banging a pan to keep away the birds.

The vineyard is guarded by some not-so-fierce dogs

The vineyard is guarded by some not-so-fierce dogs

After the tour and our walk about in the vineyard, we had a very nice lunch. They a planning on expanding the facility and to offer more food and entertainment. The new facility is under construction and looks like it will be very nice.

New facility under construction

New facility under construction

On our way back to the highway, we saw a group of goats and there was a very cute little goat. Who doesn’t like a cute little goat?

Who doesn't like a cute little baby goat?

Who doesn’t like a cute little baby goat?

Lohagad Fort Trek

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As my earlier posts from this summer indicated, I have been doing a fair amount of travelling for work. My most recent trip was to see our service provider Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in Mumbai. Wednesday of the first week I was there was a national holiday for Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday. Being the fine group they are, the team organized a trek (we Americans would call it a hike) to Lohagad Fort.

For purposes of personal privacy, I won’t name any individuals or post any personal photographs. But the team that came along were great sports, we had a fine trek leader, and it was extremely well organized. I cannot thank the team there enough.

Lohagad Fort is about 117 kilometers or roughly 70 miles from where I was staying in Mumbai. The drive was about three hours. It is located just off the Mumbai to Pune Expressway. Lohagad, meaning “iron fort,” and Visapur are a set of two forts build on large rock formations and separated by a saddle pass between the two. Lohagad is the easier hike, although it was plenty of work for me.

We parked a mile or so past the Malavali railway station on south side of the expressway. The trail is mostly a dirt road, not in good condition for driving, but fine for trekking. Once one gets a ways up the road, you get a good view of the destination.

Lohagad Fort seen from the trail

Lohagad Fort seen from the trail

Trekking shortly after the monsoon and in a season with some rain makes for a very pretty hike. There are many little waterfalls and everything is very green.

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Scripture May 2013

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My last post of scripture was back in December. Here is an update from this month’s Magnificat.

Isaiah 45:18
For thus says the Lord,
The creator of the heavens,
who is God,
The designer and maker of the earth
who established it,
Not as an empty waste* did he create it,
but designing it to be lived in:
I am the Lord, and there is no other.

2 Corinthians 3:17
Now the Lord is the Spirit,* and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

John 16:33
I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.

Zechariah 8:16-17
These then are the things you must do: Speak the truth to one another;h judge with honesty and complete justice in your gates.
Let none of you plot evil against another in your heart, nor love a false oath. For all these things I hate, says the Lord.

Sirach 4:11-19
Wisdom breathes life into her children
and admonishes all who seek her.

He who loves her loves life;
those who seek her will be embraced by the Lord.

He who holds her fast inherits glory;
wherever he dwells, the Lord bestows blessings.

Those who serve her serve the Holy One;
those who love her the Lord loves.

He who obeys her judges nations;
he who hearkens to her dwells in her inmost chambers.

If one trusts her, he will possess her;
his descendants too will inherit her.

She walks with him as a stranger
and at first she puts him to the test;
Fear and dread she brings upon him
and tries her with her discipline
until she try him by her laws and trust his soul.

Then she comes back to bring him happiness
and reveal her secrets to him
and she will heap upon him
treasures of knowledge and an understanding of justice

But if he fails her, she will abandon him
and deliver him into the hands of despoilers.

Sirach 6:5-17
Pleasant speech multiplies friends,
and gracious lips, friendly greetings.

Let those who are friendly to you be many,
but one in a thousand your confidant.

When you gain friends, gain them through testing,b
and do not be quick to trust them.

For there are friends when it suits them,
but they will not be around in time of trouble.

Another is a friend who turns into an enemy,
and tells of the quarrel to your disgrace.

Others are friends, table companions,
but they cannot be found in time of affliction.

When things go well, they are your other self,
and lord it over your servants.

If disaster comes upon you, they turn against you
and hide themselves.

Stay away from your enemies,
and be on guard with your friends.

Faithful friends are a sturdy shelter;
whoever finds one finds a treasure.

Faithful friends are beyond price,
no amount can balance their worth.

Faithful friends are life-saving medicine;
those who fear God will find them.

Those who fear the Lord enjoy stable friendship,
for as they are, so will their neighbors be.