Circle of Life

The ancients were avid students of astrology. Many early civilizations followed the cycles of the sun, moon and earth with mathmatical accuracy. Druids, Mayans and American Indians - as well as inhabitants of ancient Ireland - constructed elaborate stone cairns to assist in pinpointing both the autumnal and vernal equinox, and the summer and winter solstices.

Yesterday was the vernal, or spring, equinox. Quite literally, this means there are twelve hours of darkness and twelve hours of light, an event that occurs only twice every year. Pagans and neo-pagans celebrated this day as holy.

Holy or not, the cycles of the universe, life and death, are of interest, like the ancients, to all of us. It's a pity that there is little or no written record of the secrets the ancients possibly knew. And isn't it interesting the seemingly worldwide knowledge of the nether-science of astrology that not one person in a thousand knows today?

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Diamonds and Lemon Drop Candy

Diamonds in Arkansas, you say? Real diamonds? Just ask a recent Wisconsin visitor to the Crater of Diamonds in Arkansas. Bob Wehle of Ripon, Wisconsin walked away from the park on October 14 with a 5.47 carat canary yellow diamond that looked a lot like “lemon-drop candy.” This gem, worth about $75,000, is not even the largest diamond found at the park this year. That record goes to a 6.35 carat brown diamond found in September.

Known by many as the richest 160 acres on the face of the earth, the Murfressboro diamond deposit also is the home of the hardest diamonds found on earth. This deposit of diamonds is extremely rare because it occurs at the earth’s surface.

Are there more diamond pipes in Arkansas as yet undiscovered? Read my new book A Gathering of Diamonds and learn the answer.

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Beating Dead Horses

I don’t like beating dead horses. Still, if you’re not quite gone and if you’ll stand up to at least a few more swats, I need to say a couple more words about Dusty Springfield’s gorgeous voice. I’m listening again to the songs that I downloaded from Yahoo a few days ago. Hey, I’m blown away! This woman has the voice of an angel and I’m not exaggerating. Please check her out, but forget her top ten hits and go for some of her covers. I’m telling you, you won’t be disappointed.

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The Afar Triangle

I found this poem on the net. It was written by Louis Flint Ceci. As a geologist, it touched my soul, and continues to do so each time I reread it. For those of you that don’t know, the Afar Triangle, in southern Africa, is a triple-juncture – a spot where three tectonic plates coincide. I know of no other triple juncture on the face of the earth. The three places I would like to visit before I die are 1) the Afar Triangle, 2) Iceland and 3) Jamaica. These three locations are geologically unique on the face of the earth. Here is the poem:

The Afar Triangle I do not know the way a planet thinks. I cannot plunge my hands deep in my own clay The way a mountain plunges through the crust, Nor run wild as a glacier through The temples of the gods, nor sing a single note That slides along the lips of the caldera. But here That wisdom thunders through my feet, And shows the dance is measured By dancers keeping beat, By those whose only measure is the dance

June 14, 1999 August 31, 2000

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Oklahoma Storm Clouds

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