#38:  I am at last (after a little bout with a bug) ready to report on the second and final part of my recent trip with SC ETV to Lake Tahoe, Yosemite and the Mariposa Grove.  The trip was absolutely fantastic, truly one to remember.  At Yosemite we rode on a topless tram around the valley and up to the observation area where we could look out over the valley.  Next we went to the Mariposa Grove where the giant Sequoias grow.  On our way out the last day we visited Tuolumne Meadows and one more lake before our final night in Reno.  On this night there was a gala dinner to end the trip.


“The religious challenge of this age is to those farseeing and forward-looking men and women of spiritual insight who will dare to construct a new and appealing philosophy of living out of the enlarged and exquisitely integrated modern concepts of cosmic truth, universe beauty, and divine goodness. Such a new and righteous vision of morality will attract all that is good in the mind of man and challenge that which is best in the human soul. Truth, beauty, and goodness are divine realities, and as man ascends the scale of spiritual living, these supreme qualities of the Eternal become increasingly coordinated and unified in God, who is love.”  The Urantia Book (43.3) (2:7.10)

                                                 Yosemite Valley

This is the view that is generally seen when Yosemite Valley is shown; it is almost iconic.  The area looks pristine from this vantage point, as if it were untouched by humanity.  Ha!  The overlook was crowded with tour busses, our tram, all sorts of SUVs and cars, as well as humanity from all over the earth.  The road through the valley certainly is well traveled; our tour guide said Yosemite is nearly being loved to death.  And it is certainly a space to be loved.  President Lincoln and Congress took time out from the Civil War in 1864 to set this land aside for protection; this is the first time any land had been so protected.

We had boarded our tram at the visitor center; the tram was basically a flatbed trailer with benches for seating that was pulled by a full sized tractor; they needed a really big diesel to pull all our weight up the mountain.  There was also a high seat for a local guide who gave a running commentary.  The views are truly breathtaking.  Even though the park covers 1,189 sq. mi. the vast majority of guests only see the seven square miles of Yosemite Valley.  The weather was perfect and the ride offered wondrous sights.  Soon we saw the granite monolith called El Capitan, which is on the left side of the above photo; someone with binoculars saw climbers halfway up the steep rock face and sure enough when I used the telephoto lens I obtained a good picture of them.  I understand it takes two days to make the climb.  I hope there are no sleepwalkers amongst the climbers!  Personally I prefer to keep my feet well grounded.  The tram then stopped at a meadow where we had a good view of Bridal Veil Falls.  We next chugged up the mountain to Tunnel Overlook where I took the above picture.  After we completed our tour of the valley I grabbed a quick sandwich and hiked to the base of Yosemite Falls and a bit beyond.

                 Mariposa Grove Meadow

We boarded our own bus for the drive to the Mariposa Grove; actually we had to take a shuttle for the final section.  At the grove we boarded another tram, similar to the first, for our tour of the grove.  This is the home of the giant Sequoia trees, which are some of the largest living things on earth; while the Redwoods in California may be taller the Sequoias are more massive.  This meadow was such a peaceful space I couldn’t resist taking several pictures.  It would be lovely to sit at the base of one of these giants for a while to soak in the sight, to fully appreciate this place.

                                                               Grizzly Giant

This is one of the largest trees in the park with a volume estimated to be 34,010 cubic feet and is thought to be about 1,800 years old.  The limb sticking out to the left near the top of the picture is about seven feet in diameter.  That is some tree!  Nearby is a tree that had a tunnel cut through it so you can walk through a living tree.  These trees have a shallow root system, one had fallen over and the roots were not at all impressive.  The cones of these trees are surprisingly small, about the size of a chicken egg.  Since I was with the tour there was little time for independent investigation, but it would be truly wonderful to arrive here in the early morning before all the tourists arrive, to walk and meditate amongst these mighty trees.

                                                   Butterfly at Tuolumne Meadows

Tuolumne Meadows is a sub-alpine meadow where we had an opportunity to explore a bit; the above butterfly was not much bigger than my thumbnail.  I also got a picture of a marmot, a prairie dog like animal as well as hikers who had climbed a nearby mound of rock.  The final stop along the way was at Mono Lake for lunch.  Near the lakeshore Sea Gulls were feeding on Brine Shrimp, which are about a third of an inch long.  Our naturalist caught some in a bag and I was able to get a decent picture of them.

“The philosophy of the universe cannot be predicated on the observations of so-called science. If such a metamorphosis could not be seen, a scientist would be inclined to deny the possibility of developing a butterfly out of a caterpillar.”  The Urantia Book (480.2) (42:9.4)

#37:  I have safely returned from a glorious journey to one of the most spectacular regions of our beautiful planet.  As mentioned in the last posting, the South Carolina Educational Television Endowment sponsored the trip, which was led by the naturalist Rudy Mancke; there were a total to 50 on the tour, a full busload.  In fact, after the first day’s outing our driver, Pete, had to get a more powerful bus for getting over the mountains.  At one point we were nearly at 10,000 feet.  From our base at Reno, Nevada we explored Lake Tahoe, Pyramid Lake and Donner Pass, which is about all there is space for in this posting.  Next time I will describe our excursion into Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove.


“When it is not possible to worship God in the tabernacles of nature, men should do their best to provide houses of beauty, sanctuaries of appealing simplicity and artistic embellishment, so that the highest of human emotions may be aroused in association with the intellectual approach to spiritual communion with God. Truth, beauty, and holiness are powerful and effective aids to true worship….  The child should be introduced to worship in nature’s outdoors and later accompany his parents to public houses of religious assembly which are at least as materially attractive and artistically beautiful as the home in which he is daily domiciled.”  The Urantia Book (1840.5) (167:6.6)

                                                            Lake Tahoe


Our naturalist, Rudy Mancke, previously did a nature program on Public TV called NatureScene and these tours are like being inside such a program as he gives commentary on the geology, wildlife and natural history of the regions through which we are passing.  On the first day we went to Lake Tahoe, which is a beautiful sight, the water is clear and deep blue with regions of green.  We boarded a boat for a ride across the lake to Emerald Cove, so called because of the color of the water.  The entire way over I stood in the bow of the boat taking in the sights and clicking pictures.  The problem with that was I got a dandy sunburn on my forehead and I neglected to go inside for lunch until it had been pretty much picked over.  That was fine with me, I can eat any day but sights such at these are once in a lifetime.  On the way back I put on the telephoto lens and got a picture of two Ospreys in flight together.  There is not enough space here for all the interesting pictures from the excursion.


This day we also visited Virginia City, famous for Boot Hill and because Mark Twain was a newspaper reporter there when he started to receive attention for his writing.  We did not stop at Boot Hill, but from a distance it looked as it did in the movies.  In the town there were the wooden sidewalks and tourist places but since it was a very hot day I headed for the ice cream parlor for a dish of Butter Pecan.  While I was finishing it I discovered an interesting old church one street away from the tourist shops, Saint Mary’s in the Mountains Catholic Church, inside the pews each had a numbered door.

                                                          Blazing Star

The next day we stopped at a Paiute Indian reservation near Pyramid Lake where an Indian guide gave an account of the history of the area and his people.  John C. Freemont had named the lake after he spotted a conical island in it.  By the way, Lake Tahoe drains into the Truckee River, which flowed past our Reno Hotel; I could even see it from my room there.  The Truckee then flows into Pyramid Lake, which has no outlet; the water just evaporates.  This lake has distinctive formations called Tufa that are formed by carbonate minerals precipitating from the water.  We then went closer to the lake where we had our box lunches and did some exploring.  There were swift lizards scurrying about in the sand and a Mule Deer on the other side of the lake.  The above flower was growing along the path.

                                                  Red Breasted Sapsucker

Our next stop was at Donner State Park, the site where the Donner Party got stranded by the snow in 1846.  As we began our nature walk, not far from the visitor’s center there was a Red Breasted Sapsucker feeding her young, we stood for some time watching and taking photos.  It is remarkable the precision with which the nest was formed.  I have one picture where the bird is just coming out of the hole and it looks to be a tight fit.  On our walk we saw a Mourning Cloak butterfly, a very large toad and other interesting sights.

                                                        Donner Pass

I will not go into the tragic details of the Donner Party; if you are interested Wikipedia has a full account of the story.  The gist of the tale is that the party arrived at this pass as the snow started falling.  They got up the pass and tried to build shelters, but the snow that year became 22 feet deep and food was scarce.  The question becomes: How could those people endure such hardships, how could they drag their wagons and all their possessions up slopes such as this?  How could they persevere?  The answer is simple, they persevered because they had to; they solved their problems because they had to.  It was truly persevere or perish. 

“All this must be according to the Father’s plan, which has predicated finite progress upon effort, creature achievement upon perseverance, and personality development upon faith. ”  The Urantia Book (1266.3) (115:7.2)

# 36:  Last time I was unable to complete the description of my journey northward so here I am again.  Since the last posting I met with a vibrant group in Asheville, North Carolina and with Scott and Lynn in Columbus, Ohio.  That leg of the journey northward was somewhat more “interesting” than I care for, but I arrived safe and sound.  On Memorial Day I had a fun flight in a small two-seat plane piloted by my cousin (who is 80).  During that flight I was able to take interesting pictures, including one of the campground where my “house on wheels” is parked.  My next trip will be on June 18 when I fly to Reno (not on the same plane!) for an excursion with Rudy Mancke and the South Carolina ETV Endowment tour; details will be in the next blog or two but the highlights include Lake Tahoe, Yosemite National Park and the Mariposa Grove.

“Mathematics asserts that, if one person stands for a certain unit of intellectual and moral value, ten persons would stand for ten times this value. But in dealing with human personality it would be nearer the truth to say that such a personality association is a sum equal to the square of the number of personalities concerned in the equation rather than the simple arithmetical sum. A social group of human beings in co-ordinated working harmony stands for a force far greater than the simple sum of its parts.”  The Urantia Book (1477.1) (133:5.6)

                               Asheville study group, unfortunately I did not get everyone’s name.

I parked my “house” in Marion, North Carolina, just a bit east of Asheville.  The study group in Asheville meets one Saturday each month in the library.  As shown in the photo, it was well attended and it was an excellent group.  Two members, Steve and Regina attended our group in Summerville, South Carolina in the mid 1990’s.  This meeting we read Paper 64, “The Evolutionary Races of Color” as well as part of the next paper, “The Overcontrol of Evolution.”  The discussions were interesting and related to the material we were reading.  These interactions are always invigorating; unfortunately they go so fast it is not possible to properly describe them and the energy experienced at the time.  After the meeting we all went to Asheville Pizza and Brewing on Merrimon Avenue, which is just down the road from the library.  A pizza and a plate of interesting dips appeared, along with corresponding beverages.  The talk was lively, bouncing around the table.  This was truly an unforgettable experience and it was 6 PM before I left, four hours after the meeting started in the library.  What a day!

The move from North Carolina to just west of Charleston, West Virginia was not one of the more pleasant moves I have made.  It was raining most of the way and the scariest moment came as I was travelling east on I-40.  I was approaching the I-77 interchange where I wanted to go north when all of a sudden the traffic came to a dead stop.  The only way I was able safely to stop in time was because the tractor-trailer in front of me got off on I-77 south.  The traffic moved just barely enough to allow me to go over the edge of the highway a bit and head north on I-77.  On that day I saw seven cars at various places that were off the road in the grass.  More than one was still running and had people in them.  I saw no accidents, but that was quite enough, thank you.

The next day’s move to Columbus, Ohio was thankfully less exciting.  The evening I arrived Scott and Lynn came to my “house” and we had a meeting with just the three of us.  We talked about my travels and read part of Paper 159, “The Decapolis Tour,” particularly section 4, “The Talk with Nathaniel.”  That is where he asked Jesus to tell him how to know the truth of the scriptures, how to tell which ones to accept and which ones not to accept.  I also showed them my presentation, “The Urantia Book looks at capitalism.”  They were polite but it needs a lot more work.  Since there were just the three of us I did not take a picture of the meeting.

I arrived at the Hidden Valley Camping Area without further incident and my “house” was parked by one of the campground owners.  No, I have not yet mastered the fine art of backing up.

                                                                                    Kinzua Dam

One highlight of the summer so far was a flight in a small two-seat airplane shown in the photo on the left side of my blog page.  We flew from Jamestown, New York to Bradford, Pennsylvania, a distance of about 40 miles.  Along the way we passed over the Kinzua Dam, which is one of the largest dams east of the Mississippi River; it has a maximum height of 179 feet.  When it was built in 1965 it flooded the small town of Kinzua where my mother lived as a girl.  In fact I remember as a teenager riding over the hills to visit the cemetery there where her parents were buried.  Before the dam was completed the cemetery was moved to Bradford.

                                                                    Bradford, Pennsylvania airport

The reason we flew to Bradford was because it was about the right distance and there were interesting sights along the way.  Just as we touched down on the runway at the Bradford Airport I looked out the window on the other side of the plane and there was a male turkey on the edge of the runway strutting and spreading his tail feathers.  I would have appreciated it if he would do his courting a bit farther away from our landing spot.  Nevertheless the landing was safely executed.  We had hoped to get lunch at the restaurant in the airport, but it was closed for the Memorial Day holiday.  So we stretched our legs a bit and headed back.  Just before we got back in our plane, a biplane with an open cockpit landed; it is used for sightseeing tours.

                                                                        Hidden Valley Camping Area

On the way back we flew over Warren, PA and followed the road to the campground where my “house” is parked.  While the plane flew a couple of circles around the area I was able to get good pictures.  In the one above, if you follow the road going upward that is a bit right of center my parking spot is behind the trees on the left side of the road near the top of the photograph.  Now that you all know where I am, come on up and see me sometime, just not all at once please.

“We all know the direct course to pursue to find the Universal Father. You are not able to comprehend much about the divine residence because of its remoteness from you and the immensity of the intervening space, but those who are able to comprehend the meaning of these enormous distances know God’s location and residence just as certainly and literally as you know the location of New York, London, Rome, or Singapore, cities definitely and geographically located on Urantia. If you were an intelligent navigator, equipped with ship, maps, and compass, you could readily find these cities…. Provided with all the necessities for the journey, it is just as possible to find the personal presence of God at the center of all things as to find distant cities on your own planet.”  The Urantia Book (118.5) (11:1.3)

#35:  I am once again parked in my summertime spot in Kiantone, New York.  For any newcomers this is in the Southwestern corner of the state not far from Chautauqua Lake.  To back up a bit, after the last posting I moved from Jacksonville, Florida to Ladson, South Carolina and parked a few weeks.  While there our study group met in my “house on wheels” nearly every week and I also got a tour of downtown Charleston.  From there I moved to upstate South Carolina and met with Marty in Camden.  That much will make for a full posting, so Asheville, North Carolina and Columbus, Ohio will have to wait until another posting, stay tuned.


“Under the soon-coming persecutions by those who hate this gospel of joy and liberty, you will thrive and the kingdom will prosper. But you will stand in grave danger in subsequent times when most men will speak well of kingdom believers and many in high places nominally accept the gospel of the heavenly kingdom. Learn to be faithful to the kingdom even in times of peace and prosperity. Tempt not the angels of your supervision to lead you in troublous ways as a loving discipline designed to save your ease-drifting souls.”  The Urantia Book (1931.1) (178:1.10)


On Thursday morning of his last free day on Urantia, Jesus spoke to a group of apostles and chosen disciples, this quote is from that discourse.  The “subsequent times” mentioned could well refer to our own times when many nominally accept the gospel but they have not been fully informed about its true nature.  The last sentence (emphasis added) particularly caught my attention.  How often are the “troublous ways” we find ourselves in the result of our being lazy and neglecting the Father’s business?  I suspect many of us have been so led, I know I have been.

Joan, Martha, Cynthia, Manning, Bev, in front Tommy, Don, Doug

The first meeting in Ladson was on Palm Sunday (by the way, don’t you love Tommy’s red socks in the above photo of our group?) so we read Paper 172, “Going into Jerusalem” describing the first Palm Sunday.  That year, A.D. 30, the original Palm Sunday was April 2, just one day different from the date of Palm Sunday this year.  Each Sunday thereafter, except Easter when we did not meet, we read the following paper.  It is always thrilling to read about those times and discuss them.  They were truly stirring times, if only our brothers and sisters of today knew the true Jesus.

St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church

Tommy offered to give me a tour of downtown Charleston.  I lived in the area for thirty-eight years, but I don’t believe I ever had a proper tour of the historic district.  Tommy is a history buff and seems to know the story of who lived in each house.  I parked the Monster (Ford F-350) on the Battery and as we walked about the old part of the city he kept up a lively banter about the historic places we passed.  Our first stop was the Nathaniel Russell house, completed in 1808 and it has been fully restored, giving an idea how the wealthy lived in those times.  Lunch was at the Blind Tiger Pub (no, I just had water and a sandwich thank you) and then to St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, shown above.  It is the oldest free Episcopal Church in Charleston, meaning the parishioners did not have to pay for their pews.  Another place of interest was a visit to the Aiken-Rhett house, built in the 1820’s and greatly expanded in the 1830’s.  This house has not been restored; one item of interest was in the slave quarters where more than one coat of paint was visible in places on the walls; apparently an effort was made to make these living quarters presentable.  Finally we walked back to the Monster, it was a long walk but a pleasant way to see that historic city.

National Steeple Chase Museum 

From Ladson I moved to Joanna, South Carolina where the first visit was to meet Martha Daniels in Camden, which is northeast of Columbia.  She invited me to visit and to show me the area; her book, “Mary Chesnut’s Illustrated Diary” is recently out, Web site.  Mary Chesnut wrote a well-known diary during the Civil War and its aftermath, Marty discovered photographs related to that time period and published them along with the diary as a two-volume set.

For a small city Camden has a significant amount of history, for example two Revolutionary War battles were fought there and many fine old homes can still be seen.  Camden is also well known for its horse races, the Colonial Cup in the fall and the Carolina Cup in the spring.  The above photo was taken in the National Steeple Chase Museum there.

Bethesda Presbyterian Church

This posting is already a bit long, but I want to share two more photographs from the Camden visit.  This one is of the Bethesda Presbyterian Church, designed by Robert Mills and built in 1822.  In the rear is a distinctive crisscrossing staircase.  After our tour of beautiful Camden we had dinner at the Indigo Jones Restaurant, they even gave us a room in the back to ourselves so I could show her pictures of my travels while we ate.

The next morning I went for a short walk in the woods.  As I started out I noticed a magnolia bud just starting to open, but when I returned an hour later it was fully open.  I had no idea they opened so fast.

“Do not allow the magnitude of the infinity, the immensity of the eternity, and the grandeur and glory of the matchless character of God to overawe, stagger, or discourage you; for the Father is not very far from any one of you; he dwells within you, and in him do we all literally move, actually live, and veritably have our being.”  The Urantia Book (139.1) (12:7.12)

#34:  This is the third and final episode describing our Urantian Odyssey from Dade City, Florida to Jacksonville, Florida that only took about six weeks, since we went by the way of Louisiana and Texas!  In this installment we revisit Vianne’s Tea House, move back to the Florida panhandle, stop by the Panama City group again, move to Jacksonville, visit the Zoo and attend a lively study group at Pam’s house.  Along the way Betty Lou drove the Monster and also pulled my house on wheels while driving.  This was a fabulous experience and we enjoyed every moment of it, well perhaps we did not so much appreciate the ferocious storm in Texas described in the last installment, but overall it was an invigorating, almost magical time.  At last our journey was over and Betty Lou had to fly back to Lake Worth and I turned northward.


“Jesus does not hesitate to assert that he and the Father are one; and on the basis of the fact and truth of that supreme and supernal experience, he admonishes every kingdom believer to become one with him even as he and his Father are one. The living experience in the religion of Jesus thus becomes the sure and certain technique whereby the spiritually isolated and cosmically lonely mortals of earth are enabled to escape personality isolation, with all its consequences of fear and associated feelings of helplessness.”  The Urantia Book (1985.1) (184:4.6)

Vianne’s Tea House

On the way to the next study group meeting we again had dinner at Mandina’s in Mandeville for authentic New Orleans cooking.  Good food, good company, what could be better?  This time I got a decent picture of Vianne’s Tea House.  My first trip to Louisiana a couple of years ago the study group met at Vainne’s house, but she has since passed on to the mansion worlds so her daughter now allows the group to use the Tea House for meetings.  One advantage of this is that we get to choose from a literal wall of teas.  We read from Paper 72, “Government on a Neighboring Planet,” sections 8 and 9, which deal with special colleges and the plan for universal suffrage; because of our discussions, that is as far as we got.

By now Betty Lou was comfortable with driving the Monster (Ford F350) and, after I pulled out of the campground and drove to a rest area, she drove the full rig, including the Wyoming, my house on wheels, a 36 foot fifth wheel, partway to the next stop in the Florida panhandle.  I must admit to a bit of nervousness, but after chewing my fingernails down to nothing… well, actually, she is an excellent driver and I soon quieted down and enjoyed the luxury of being able to see the countryside while moving my house along the highway.

Panama City Group

As shown in the photograph, the second Panama City group was even larger than the first.  After a lively discussion, we read from Paper 38, “Ministering Angels of the Local Universe,” through section 2, “Angelic Natures.”  Again Meda took pains to explain unfamiliar concepts, it was an uplifting experience.  I hope they continue their good work and I look forward to visiting them again next year.

For the move from the Florida Panhandle to Jacksonville, I drove from the campground to the first rest area, and from the last rest area to the Jacksonville campground, but Betty Lou drove the rest of the way, well over 200 miles, and I could again stretch my legs and enjoy the ride, what fun.  Backing into the campsite was a bit problematic, but it was an excellent spot once we got settled in since we had a view of Flamingo Lake out our back window.  There were no flamingos but several times we saw a flock of over twenty American Coots, and other birds as well.

For a side excursion we visited the Jacksonville Zoo, which was a few miles from the campground.  The last time I had been to a Zoo was well into the previous millennium, but the one at Jacksonville is one of the best.  Inside the bird pavilion a bird the size of a large vulture landed on a lady’s outstretched arm and she posed for pictures, she was a visitor but the bird apparently liked her.  The giraffe picture was not taken with a telephoto lens, the viewing area was an elevated platform and this lovely specimen wandered up close to where we were standing.  For a couple of dollars you could buy some leafy branches and feed them.  There was also a butterfly exhibition where you could walk amongst plants and get up close to the multicolored wonders flying about.  The weather was fine but we felt the air change and so we started to leave, there were a few raindrops before we got back to the Monster and just after we got back to the campground it rained harder.  A fun day at the Zoo.

Pam’s house is located on a cul-de-sac, which was totally filled by the time I got the Monster parked.  Frequently when I have been to her group in previous visits there has been only three of us, this was much better.  It is always interesting to meet other students of The Urantia Book and discuss the epochal revelation.  We read Paper 177, “Wednesday, the Rest Day.”  This paper contains one of my favorite stories in the entire book, the lad John Mark offered to carry the lunch basket when Jesus wanted to go off by himself to worship, he even hung on to the basket as the Master attempted to take it from him.  He was rewarded with day alone in the hills with the creator of a universe!

At last it was time for Betty Lou to fly back to south Florida and for me to head further north.  This was an excellent adventure, and we both enjoyed the experiences.  Don’t tell anybody, but I think she will want another journey, who knows!

“There is in the mind of God a plan which embraces every creature of all his vast domains, and this plan is an eternal purpose of boundless opportunity, unlimited progress, and endless life. And the infinite treasures of such a matchless career are yours for the striving!”  The Urantia Book (365.3) (32:5.7)

#33:  Our recent Urantian Odyssey has been successfully completed, Betty Lou has returned to South Florida and I am currently parked in a KOA outside Charleston South Carolina.  There were so many meetings and sights that I will not be able to finish telling the story of our travels in this posting so the next one, describing the final segment, will come along fairly soon, I trust.  In this installment we travel to Highlands Texas, just east of Houston, then to Livingston Texas and back to Livingston Louisiana.  There were joyous meetings, lively study groups and interesting sights, so let’s get started!

“Never forget there is only one adventure which is more satisfying and thrilling than the attempt to discover the will of the living God, and that is the supreme experience of honestly trying to do that divine will. And fail not to remember that the will of God can be done in any earthly occupation. Some callings are not holy and others secular. All things are sacred in the lives of those who are spirit led; that is, subordinated to truth, ennobled by love, dominated by mercy, and restrained by fairness — justice.” The Urantia Book (1732.4) (155:6.11)

As soon as we got into Texas we stopped at the welcome center (mile marker 880!), they had a delightful boardwalk over the marsh where we saw an alligator, an egret and a couple of snakes.  The campground in Highlands was large, with about 300 sites and was at that time completely full.  After we parked and settled in for the night we celebrated our arrival in Texas by watching “Phantom of the Opera” on DVD.  I fear we were a bit over the top with the volume because the next day the large motorhome parked next to us unhooked, moved one space further away from us and hooked up again.  Perhaps they were not music lovers.

David, Alfonso, Cheri, Betty Lou, Betty Lou, Anita, Wandering Urantian in front

We met David and Cheri for dinner at Pappadeaux Seafood, where the food was excellent.  Betty Lou and David had worked together at the Leadership Symposium in Chicago last summer and she was looking forward to meeting him again.  The next day we had dinner at their home followed by their study group where we read Paper 37 “Personalities of the Local Universe,” this is the third group out of the first five that was reading the same paper; are our unseen friends trying to tell us something?  This seems to be more than a coincidence.

What seemed to be the easiest way to move to Livingston was west on I-10 and north on I-45, the trouble with this is that would take us through downtown Houston on a Tuesday morning.  Since this would be a short drive, we waited until the morning rush hour was over and made the journey without incident.  The roads were not the best, but they were better than I-10 in Louisiana.  As soon as we were parked in the next campground we called Matthew Fox, a Urantia Book student who lives not far from the campground; we met him and his wife Sandra for dinner at Bubba’s Bar and Grill, which was located near our campsite.  Matthew has written a moving book about his experience being wrongfully accused and sent to prison; his book is “First in the Mind & Heart” subtitle “A True Story About the Resilience of the Human Spirit.”  His is a captivating story and he tells it in a straightforward heartfelt manner; he has experienced the worst and still feels love for his brothers and sisters.  The next day we enjoyed visiting them at their house in the woods that he calls New Eden.

Wandering Urantian, Betty Lou, Linda, Ralph, Skip, Carol

We drove to Conroe to the home of Ralph and Linda for a study group meeting; I had visited them last year and this time I got a picture of their table.  Also, this year I was on time, last year I got lost and was about forty-five minutes late, nearly missing lunch.  We read Paper 176, “Tuesday Evening on Mount Olivet.”  I was looking forward to seeing Skip and Carol’s land in the country but she didn’t feel well and had to cancel, perhaps next year.  Several members of the group were having health issues.

One night there was ferocious thunderstorm with both wind and rain; since we were parked at the top of a hill, we felt the full force of it and our house on wheels was really rocking; fortunately there was no rolling!  The next day the Monster (Ford F-350) got stuck in the mud and needed to be towed out.

Our move from Livingston Texas was a pleasant drive through gentle hills; when pulling I generally stick to interstates but this drive was enjoyable and there were no cities on the way.  We arrived in our other Livingston, this one located in Louisiana, safe and sound.

Baton Rouge group

We had the pleasure of visiting Virginia and Charles again for a meal, Charles had prepared a brisket and there were all the trimmings.  The conversation was lively, rapidly crisscrossing the table.  We read from Paper 111, “The Adjuster and the Soul.”  Some of the group had travelled a considerable distance and their presence and contributions were appreciated.  Anthony was there, we wanted to visit him on the Bayou but he was too busy; I met Jack for the first time, he has a considerable knowledge of the Urantia Book.

Fontainebleau State Park

This posting is getting a bit long, but I need to include an outing we had into the Louisiana lowlands.  Betty Lou drove the Monster for the first time and we visited Fontainebleau State Park near Mandeville.  This photograph shows part of the ruins of a sugar mill that was built in 1829 by Bernard de Marigny de Mandeville, founder of the nearby town.  It was a peaceful walk around the ruins, into the coastal woods and on a boardwalk over the marsh.  Later we explored portions of Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge that I had discovered last year.

The final quote is for this season, this posting was written on Palm Sunday.

“A warrior king always entered a city riding upon a horse; a king on a mission of peace and friendship always entered riding upon an ass. Jesus would not enter Jerusalem as a man on horseback, but he was willing to enter peacefully and with good will as the Son of Man on a donkey.” The Urantia Book (1881.3) (172:3.5)

#32 :  Our Urantian Odyssey is on the road!  Betty Lou Wallace, president of the Florida local of the Urantia Association, has graciously consented to accompany me as I travel from Dade City Florida to Jacksonville by way of Louisiana and Texas.  I picked her up at the Amtrak station in Orlando, and brought her to Dade City, which is northeast of Tampa.  A couple of days later we headed out in the Wyoming, my house on wheels, toward the first stop at Defuniak Springs in the Florida Panhandle.  While there we met with a dynamic study group in Panama City that would make an excellent model for other groups and with friend John at the Glendale Memorial Nature Preserve.  Next we moved to Livingston Louisiana, which is east of Baton Rouge.  While there we met a free spirit in southern Mississippi and joined an invigorating gathering of Urantia Book students in Baton Rogue.  There is so much going on that it may be difficult to squeeze in everything!

“Love of adventure, curiosity, and dread of monotony — these traits inherent in evolving human nature — were not put there just to aggravate and annoy you during your short sojourn on earth, but rather to suggest to you that death is only the beginning of an endless career of adventure, an everlasting life of anticipation, an eternal voyage of discovery.”  The Urantia Book (159.6) (14:5.10)

Betty Lou and Wandering Urantian

I drove to Orlando to pick up Betty Lou at the Amtrak station.  The parking lot was full and double parked as people were waiting for the arrival of two trains; it was a struggle to squeeze in the Monster (Ford F350 dually).  I am pleased that she has consented to join my westward swing meeting Urantian students; it is a joy to have her along, as she is a real buddy and companion to this gay guy.  On the way to Dade City we stopped at Panera Bread for lunch.  While eating we were unwilling spectators of a life and death struggle between two lizards (black with two rows of white dots along each side) fighting behind the shrubs outside the windows next to our table.

After we were parked in the campground in Defuniak Springs in the Florida Panhandle we noticed people setting up chairs along the streets; soon there was a Mardi Gras “parade” with decorated golf carts and wagons, a guy in drag, and ladies in fancy costumes throwing out beads, miniature Moon Pies and candy.  Turns out that was Fat Tuesday.  What fun!

Wandering Urantian, Jill, Susan, Pat, Debbie; front row Betty Lou, Tallie, Meda

That afternoon we drove to Panama City.  The study group met at Capstone House, a futuristic learning center that has studies in everything from Ecology, to Cosmology, Parapsychology, and the Urantia Book.  Meda Arbour delicately directed the discussion of the study group.  Most study groups have a specific goal such as “We will read all of Paper X no matter what happens!”  This study group read Paper 37, “Personalities of the Local Universe,” but only Section 9, “Permanent Citizens of the Local Universe.”  After each paragraph she paused and explained each unfamiliar concept since most members had only been exposed to The Urantia Book after learning about her study group that started last fall.  As she explained, hers is a study group, not a reading group.  Meda also explained that the group started reading at part 2, The Local Universe; this was based on her understanding of the attendees, some of whom had unfortunate experiences with organized Christian religions but were open to the enlarged concepts of The Urantia Book.  It was a joy to answer the honest seeking questions of the members.

This suggests a promising way to find candidates for the study of these teachings: locate a center that studies esoteric subjects, places where Seekers gather and start a study group there, introducing such open minded individuals to the epochal revelation.

There were two small meetings, one before we left Florida and the other after our arrival in Louisiana.  We met Urantia Book reader and friend John and his buddy Carl at a country restaurant and then we went to the Wyoming for an evening of interesting conversation.  Carl even gave me a bag of kumquats, bite sized bits of sunshine.  In Louisiana we drove to Mandeville to meet with a study group at Vianne’s Tea Shop.  In two stops there I have not been able to get a decent picture, perhaps next time.

Wandering Urantian, Virginia, Annette, Betty Lou

Before I run out of space there are two more stops to cover quickly.  The first was in Osyka MS to meet Annette.  Virginia drove us to just inside the MS state line where a sign beside the driveway proclaimed “Ashram Old Path.”  Annette is a delightful soul who is certainly in touch with “Pappa” (our Heavenly Father).  The pages of her copy of The Urantia Book are covered with tabs and notes to related passages.  The photograph hints at the way she positively glows.

Betty Lou, Wandering Urantian, Dolores, Cheri, Charles, Virginia, Brian

We drove to Baton Rogue to the lovely home of Virginia and Charles for a gathering of Urantia Book students.  We got there early enough to enjoy the grounds that Charles has landscaped so that they appear to be totally natural woods, in a subdivision no less.  Soon Brian and Cheri arrived, between dinner and conversation, it was about five hours before we left.  The spiritually uplifting discussion included the topic “How has The Urantia Book changed your life?”  It is truly invigorating to be part of these gatherings.

Since we are now in Texas, I guess there will be another blog soon to get caught up.  This has been a totally joyous experience; this morning two Blue Birds, a male and a female, were pecking at our windows as if they wanted in to have a chat, or possibly be inside before last night’s storm that really rocked my house on wheels.

“It is not so much what you learn in this first life; it is the experience of living this life that is important. Even the work of this world, paramount though it is, is not nearly so important as the way in which you do this work.”  The Urantia Book (435.6) (39:4.13)