Will's World 04 24 2010

View from Mount Wilson

High above the freeways and traffic, the frantic people and troubled minds in downtown Los Angeles, the Mount Wilson Observatory has been perched atop a mountain peak since 1904. Known for its large telescopes and astronomic discoveries, the observatory sits majestically among the tall pines and rugged rocks in the Angeles Forest.


“In the twenty-first century, the observatory hosts several of the most technologically advanced facilities in the world for studying astronomical objects with unprecedented resolution and clarity,” states the observatory’s website. “The 100-inch Hooker telescope remains in active scientific service, and the solar towers are daily collecting data representing the world’s longest continuous record of the sun.”

In search of a meditative hike, Jacky L. and I parked at the observatories entrance and trekked along a nearby truck route that led to nearby Harvard Mountain. Sharing the mountains with high-technological instruments, we were able to enjoy a serene environment and moments of reflection.

“Where has humanity gone? Life must be an illusion,” said my Buddhist friend as we laughed and watched the slowly churning clouds that hid from our sight the millions of Angelenos below.

Spirituality can be found anywhere, not just in places constructed specifically to house worshippers.


TO VIEW JACKY’S BLOG, go to:
http://user.qzone.qq.com/983639542?ptlang=2052

Clouds lapping at the Angeles Forest mountains.

Millions of Angelenos are hidden below the clouds.

Jacky takes a photo near satellite dish on Mount Harvard.

The 2009 "Station Fire" scorched many acres in the mountains.

Despite the fire, flowers still bloom in the Angeles Forest.

Natural beauty can still be found.

A few patches of snow remain on the mountain.