On The Fly

In this episode, Beyond Happiness: How Beauty Unlocks True Joy . . . While pedaling through Southern California's beautiful, golden hills this past weekend, a question gently surfaced: "Why does this feel so good? And why settle for happiness when you can experience something far deeper?" Fifty-five years in the making, this ride was about to offer an answer. At 14, I first discovered the incredible freedom of riding a bicycle—the exhilarating thrill of the wind rushing past me, the soothing rhythm of my breathing, and the beautiful feeling of truly being in the world, not just passing through it. All these years later, I treasure my rides, waking up early on quiet weekends to embrace the morning on two wheels. But today's ride was different. The spring air was clean, calm, and textured with the scent of new blossoms. The mustard plants were in bloom — California’s golden fireworks — and the hills were lit with color, like a living Van Gogh. I could feel happiness bu...

In this episode, Where Beauty Lives . . .   Have you seen God in a shimmer of light? In a shadow that dances or stars in the night? Not tucked in a book or perched in the sky, But right in the dazzle that slips past your eye. In puddles and pinecones, in pebbles and air, In the whoosh of the wind or the curl of your hair — God isn’t hiding on some distant shelf, But laughing and leaping and being itself. Not grumpy or gloomy or watching you frown, But spinning the world in a marvelous gown! In bluebirds and brushstrokes, in fireflies' glow, In the hush of a moment that asks you to slow. So don’t wait for thunder or tablets or signs — Just follow the flicker that shivers the pines. Ask questions, see colors, be curious too, And beauty — beauty—will whisper to you: "I’m here in the quiet, I’m here in the gleam, I’m here in the in-between spaces you dream. So soften your eyes and open your heart — That’s where the seeing of seeing will start."

In this episode – Autumn Color . . . I'm sure you've noticed the leaves on the trees are changing. This science update from howstuffworks.com by Jennifer Horton gives us some insight as to why - join me. For most of the year, leaves are a tree's workhorses, constantly converting carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight into energy in a process called photosynthesis. The special ingredient for this process, the pigment chlorophyll, gives leaves their bright, green color. But while chlorophyll is the star of the show, it has some help in the pigment's carotene and xanthophyll. Xantho is Greek for "yellow," and carotene gives carrots and egg yolks their orangish color. These two pigments are always present in leaves and help absorb sunlight, which they transfer to chlorophyll for photosynthesis. As the days get shorter, the increased amount of darkness stimulates trees to prepare for hibernation. Leaves won't continue photosynthesizing during winter due to the dry...