So long, Bruno

Our dog, Bruno, and was a great pal for Karen and I.

During the first 5 years of his active life, Bruno lived in Red Bluff, California. We lived on a five-acre parcel of land in the country.  Bruno ran everywhere on that property, dug holes, hunted gophers, ran through the fields, played with visitors, took walks with me, and lollygagged in our ponds on hot summer days. He was a well behaved dog, curious, and friendly with people. He was a muscular, strong, sturdy, and powerful dog.

We moved to the suburbs in Vancouver, Washington, in 2017. We live on a small lot with a nice back yard. Bruno mostly became an indoor house dog.  Bruno and I took walks together in our neighborhood. He was a good walker on a leash.

It gets cool and damp in
Vancouver, WA, from
October to April.
Walkers, man and dog,
need good clothes.

Bruno got along well with the Flinn dogs.

The aging Bruno

We hung out together on the back porch.
His bed had an insulated cushion, blanket,
and extra blankets to cover him up with.
We seldom had a fire.

Bruno liked to sleep in my study while
I used my computer and played music.

He played with Roxy.

Back porch sunbathing.

Playing with a dog-toy and Charlie dog.

Hanging out in the back yard.

Nap Time, Old Buddy.

In his final months, we nursed a ugly tumor
on the back of right paw, and gave him
medicine for the three other tumors on
his 12 year old body.

We played with his dog toys. We wrestled and hugged.  We sometimes slept together on the floor.

In the last three years, Bruno began to "talk" more with squeals, moans, grunts, puffs. He made us laugh.

He was trained to ring a bell by the back door when he need to go to the toilet outdoors. He always did so.

Our extended family all delighted in Bruno's company, and he was a polite guest at other's houses.

Bruno was steady, active, alert, intelligent, and a well behaved house dog in Vancouver.

We all age. We all get weaker. We all face poor health. We all die.

Bruno has been sick from cancer for the past four months. Bruno died today, October 18, 2024.  

Bruno lived a very good life for 12 years. I will be one to miss you at lot, old buddy.

The Colors of November

The autumn colors are very dramatic in Vancouver, Clark County, Washington.  The four maples in our back yard are quite colorful at present.

Autumn: Poetry, Sayings, Lore, Quotations

The Spirit of Gardening

"Then summer fades and passes and October comes. We'll smell smoke then, and feel an unexpected sharpness, a thrill of nervousness, swift elation, a sense of sadness and departure."
- Thomas Wolfe


"Lo! sweeten’d with the summer light,
The full-juiced apple, waxing over-mellow,
Drops in a silent autumn night.
All its allotted length of days
The flower ripens in its place,
Ripens and fades, and falls, and hath no toil,
Fast-rooted in the fruitful soil."
- Alfred Lord Tennyson, "The Lotus-Eaters"

I walk with my dog, Bruno, for 40 to 60 minutes in our neighborhood.  Here are a few photographs of our walking environment.  

Falling Down, Then Sitting

I was cheerfully and energetically walking with my dog, Bruno, on Sunday morning (9/10).  The weather was cool and overcast, almost foggy. We both had spirit and liveliness in our quick walking pace. The evergreen pines were impressive borders to our morning jaunt, and many deciduous shrubs and trees added a few autumn colors to delight our views.  

Suddenly, a large black cat jumped out from some shrubs and scrambled directly in front of our path.  Bruno, predictably, lunged in pursuit of his longstanding DNA enemy. I gathered my strength and balance and controlled his aggressiveness via the leash. We walked another ten feet.  Then Bruno suddenly turned in front of me and ran into my legs. I quickly lost my balance and fell forward on to the asphalt street.

I injured my left knee, right hand, right shoulder, and overall sense of well-being.  Blood dripped from my hand and bruised knee. I slowly assessed the damage, and gradually returned to standing, supported by my cane.  We slowly and carefully walked back home.

Karen helped me bandage and treat my wounds.  I applied ice to my bruised knee. I rested and hoped for the best.

I had a scheduled a yurt camping trip to Pacific Beach State Park on the Southwestern Washington Pacific coast, from 9/11-9/14. I was quite disappointed that I could not go camping because of my leg injuries from the Sunday fall.  I lost the $150.00 I had spent on the Yurt reservations.

Now, for three days, I have been sitting, resting, doing some gentle massage and rehab movements for my bruised knee, icing, and reading.

Multiple injuries to my right hand, and arthritis, have resulted in permanent impairment, pain, and weakness in my dominant right hand. 

Injuries to my legs have resulted in fewer problems and more rapid recovery.  

I've been reading many books on 20th Century history.  I particularly enjoyed "The Existentialist Café: Freedom, Being, and Apricot Cocktails" by Sarah Bakewell. The extreme challenges and choices of Europeans living from 1910-1960 are very disturbing to read about. Bakewell tells the story via the lives of many French and German intellectuals of that era. Eric Hobsbawn's "The Age of Extremes: A History of the World, 1914-1991" chronicles the influences of socialism, fascism, communism, capitalism, and the devastating Wars, and the Cold War, during that time period. 

I had anticipated adding reports, photographs, and poems about my yurt camping trip to Pacific Beach after I returned on Thursday (9/14). 

In the remaining three months ahead in 2023, I have scheduled Yurt camping beach trips to Nehalem Bay, Grayland, and Cape Lookout. Each month, I yurt camp four days and three nights at a State Park along the ocean shores. Hopefully, I will be physically able to enjoy these local adventures and retreats to the Pacific Coast in 2023 and 2024.

Lake Quinault

Ocean Shores State Park

Memories of Pacific Coast Places: Highway 101 and 1

Reports from Yurt Camping Retreats at the Ocean from 2021

Yurt Camping

Bill Asked "Did Freya's Puppy Have Buddha Nature?"

 The Fireplace Records, Chapter 14

Bill and Frank were talking about their family dogs.  

Bill said, "My big old farm dog, Rowdy, a male Rottweiler, was quite ill.  He could not walk anymore, and was in obvious pain.  He weighed over 110 pounds.  Heartworm disease and worn out joints led to his demise. I have buried four of our family dogs."

Frank said, "My own dog is quite ill right now.  As you know, Bill, my dog, Freya, she is a big old house dog, a Mastiff, 120 pounds. I feel so sorry for her. She has been such a good companion for April and I. Hard to care for Freya. She can't get up, she can't eat. She is having trouble breathing."

Bill said, "I hope Freya can recover somehow.  She is such a charming old big dog.  Love her Brendel colored coat.  She is a friendly drooling monster. Her bark is louder than the Yunmen's shout."

Bill asked, "I wonder if Joshu might have asked "Did Freya's puppy have Buddha Nature?"

Frank responded, "I surely missed her Buddha Nature after she was gone."

A Student's Considerations:

Will you miss them when their gone?
From one generation to the next---then gone.
A dog's barking, begging, whining, sniffing, walking, birthing, dying.
If Buddha is a dried shit stick, then dogs are ready to play.  
Dogmatists are less useful than dogs.
Can't stand or walk or eat---your finished.  
Observe carefully when you really miss something or someone.
Love and caring linger in out grief.

Freya's Puppy 2016

Old Tired Freya in 2023
Freya died on April 3, 2023

Related Links, Resources, References

BOS 18  Book of Serenity, Case 18 Zhaozhou's Dog

GB 01  Gateless Barrior, Case 1, Joshu's Dog
BOS 69  Nanquan's "Cows", Case 69

Refer to my Cloud Hands Blog Posts on the topic of Koans/Dialogues.

The Daodejing by Laozi    Best? 

Pulling Onions  Over 1,043 One-line Sayings by Mike Garofalo

Chinese Chan Buddhist and Taoist Stories and Koans

Taoism

Buddhism

Fireplaces, Stoves, Campfires, Kitchens, Pots, Firewood

Chinese Art

Tai Chi Chuan and Qigong

Meditation Methods

Zen Koan Books I Use

Koan Database Project

Koan Database Project: Subject Indexes to Koan Collections

Sparks: Brief Spiritual Stories, Dialogues, and Encounters
Matches to Start the Kindling of Insight
May the Light from Your Inner Fireplace Help All Beings
Taoist, Chan Buddhist, Zen Buddhist, Philosophers
Catching Phrases, Inspiring Verses, Koans, Meditations
Indexing, Bibliography, Quotations, Notes, Resources
Research by Michael P. Garofalo

The Fireplace Records
By Michael P. Garofalo

Home Again, Home Again ... Yes!!

I returned home on last Thursday afternoon from my solo yurt camping trip to Bullards Beach State Park near Bandon, Oregon.  A yurt is round and 16 feet in diameter.  No cooking or no bathroom in a yurt.  

Now, Saturday, I am back to the comforts and pleasures of the nice company of my wife, Karen.  She is an excellent cook, so no more hohum campground foods or eating out at a local cafe in Bandon.  At home, unlike the yurt, there is more space, my interesting books, large padded chairs, a large nice bed, full private bathroom, and a big screen television set (and prerecorded sports and documentaries).  I had not watched television for four days.  

We live in a 50 year old suburban house in a quiet neighborhood of many seniors in Vancouver, Washington.  We live in the northeast part of unincorporated Vancouver, called "The Orchards."  There are four large Douglas firs in our backyard and many around in our neighbor's houses.

Here are some photos of our main living room looking to the north .  Here I enjoy reading and studying, chatting with Karen, and watching TV.  I read in a big green chair.  Karen took these photos on a dark, windy, and rainy day.  Bruno, our dog, hangs around and likes the warm indoors like us.  I can easily do a compact Yang Style Taijiquan in this room by moving a few chairs.  

Each season provides new views looking north into the back yard.
The maple trees are all leafless in January.
Many branches and limbs fell during a 45 mile windstorm.
A great view from our reading chairs.

Looking to the west.  Our fireplace is quite nice and large.
Yes, the Northwest has lots of dark clouds, fog, mist and rain.  
Karen's big black chair.

I 

I converted one small bedroom into my computer room, office, library, meditation room, floor yoga and standing Qigong practice area, and reading room.  The window in this room faces south.  I have a small Taoist altar set up. 

Looking south.

Taoist altar

Taoism

Here is how my former Druid altar (ancient Roman themed) 

looked in our old home in rural Red Bluff.  This room was my
reading room with a huge green chair that I still use. 
We lived and worked in Red Bluff from 1989 to 2017.

One Old Daoist Druids Final Journey

Tao Te Ching, Chapter 5, By Lao Tzu

Daodejing, Laozi
Chapter 5

"Nature is non-benevolent.
It regards the masses as straw dogs.
The Holy Man is non-benevolent.
He regards the masses as straw dogs.
The space between the heaven and the earth is like a bellows;
though unsupported, it does not warp; when in motion the more it expels.
Though words could exhaust this theme, they would not be so profitable
As the preservation of its inner essence."
-  Translated by C. Spurgeon Medhurst, 1905, Chapter 5

"Nature is indifferent to life.
It realizes everything is as a straw dog
(a sacrificial animal-image).
The truly wise are also indifferent to life.
They realize humanity is as a straw dog.
The universe is like a bellows:
empty, yet quite full.
As it proceeds, it produces.
Much talk, much exhaustion.
Keep your thoughts within!"
-  Translated by C. Ganson, Chapter 5 

"Heaven and Earth do not claim to be kindhearted or pitiful.
To them all things and all creatures are as straw dogs brought to the sacrifice and afterwards discarded.
Nor is the Sage kindhearted or pitiful.
To him to the people are as straw dogs.
But the space between Heaven and Earth may be likened to a bellows:
It seems empty, and yet it gives all that is required of it.
The more it is worked, the more it yields.
Whereas the force puffed up by words is soon exhausted.
Better to hold fast to that which dwells within the heart."
-  Translated by Herman Ould, 1946, Chapter 5  


天地不仁, 以萬物為芻狗.
聖人不仁, 以百姓為芻狗.
天地之間, 其猶橐籥乎.
虛而不屈.
動而愈出.
多言數窮.
不如守中.  -  Chinese characters, Chapter 5, Tao Te Ching


t'ien ti pu jên, yi wan wu wei ch'u kou.
shêng jên pu jên, yi pai hsing wei ch'u kou.
t'ien ti chih chien, ch'i yu t'o yo hu.
hsü erh pu ch'u.
tung erh yü ch'u.
to yen shu ch'iung.
pu ju shou chung.
-  Wade-Giles Romanization, Chapter 5, Tao Te Ching


"Heaven and Earth have no humanity;
They regard all things as straw-dogs.
The sage has no humanity;
He regards the people as straw-dogs.
Between Heaven and Earth, it is like a bellows or a flute!
Empty, but not exhausted;
With movement, more comes out.
Too much talk always exhausts;
It is better to keep to the inside."
-  Translated by Yi Wu, Chapter 5


"Heaven and earth are not merciful,
They treat all things as straw dogs;
The sage is not merciful,
He treats the people as straw dogs.
Does not the space between heaven and earth form like a bellows?
It is empty but the air in it can never be exhausted;
The more air it expels, the more comes out.
That is why too many government decrees only result in more failures.
It is better, therefore, to hold fast to moderation and the void."
-  Translated by Gu Zhengkun, Chapter 5


"Heaven and Earth are not humane.
They regard all things a straw dogs.
The sage is not humane.
He regards all people as straw dogs.
How Heaven and Earth are like a bellows.
While vacuous, it is never exhausted.
When active, it produces even more.
Much talk will of course come to a dead end.
It is better to keep to the centre."
-  Translated by Chan Wing-Tsit, 1963, Chapter 5   


"El universo no tiene afecciones humanas:
todas las cosas del mundo son para él como un perro de paja.
El santo no tiene affeciones humanas;
el pueblo es para él como un perro de paja.
El universo es iqual que un fuelle de forja;
vacío, pero no aplanado.
Cuanto máa se le mueve, más exhala,
cuanto más se habla de él, menos se le comprende,
más vale insertarse en el."
-  Translated by Alba, 1998, Tao Te Ching, Capítulo 5 


"Himmel und Erde sind nicht gütig.
Ihnen sind die Menschen wie stroherne Opferhunde, Der Berufene ist nicht gütig.
Ihm sind die Menschen wie stroherne Opferhunde.
Der Zwischenraum zwischen Himmel und Erde ist wie eine Flöte,
leer und fällt doch nicht zusammen;
bewegt kommt immer mehr daraus hervor.
Aber viele Worte erschöpfen sich daran.
Besser ist es, das Innere zu bewahren."-  Translated by Richard Wilhelm, 1911, Chapter 5


"Heaven and Earth are impartial;
They see the ten thousand things as straw dogs.
The wise are impartial;
They see the people as straw dogs.
The space between heaven and Earth is like a bellows.
The shape changes but not the form;
The more it moves, the more it yields.
More words count less.
Hold fast to the center."
-  Translated by Gia-fu Feng and Jane English, 1989, Chapter 5  


"The Sage does not take sides,
He welcomes both saints and sinners.
The Tao works upon man as it works upon the grasses of the fields.
Sages act out of the need for rightness, not purely compassion.
The Tao is like a bellows, even though it appears empty, its workings are obvious,
Yet the more you use it the more it produces, it is inexhaustible.
Yet speaking of it will not increase the comprehension.
Hold to the center path."
-  Translated by John Dicus, 2002, Chapter 5 



Tao Te Ching 81 Website

A typical webpage created by Mike Garofalo for each one of the 81 Chapters (Verses, Sections) of the Tao Te Ching (Daodejing) by Lao Tzu (Laozi) includes 25 or more different English language translations or interpolations for that Chapter, 5 or more Spanish language translations for that Chapter, the Chinese characters for that Chapter, the Wade-Giles and Hanyu Pinyin transliterations (Romanization) of the Mandarin Chinese words for that Chapter, and 2 German and 1 French translation of that Chapter.

Each webpage for each one of the 81 Chapters of the Tao Te Ching includes extensive indexing by key words, phrases, and terms for that Chapter in English, Spanish, and the Wade-Giles Romanization. In 2020, I will be improving the indexing.

Each webpage on a Chapter of the Daodejing includes recommended reading in books and websites, a detailed bibliography, some commentary, research leads, translation sources, a Google Translate drop down menu, and other resources for that Chapter. 

An electronic Concordance for all 81 Chapters of the Tao Te Ching is provided.

Chapter 5, Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

Concordance for the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

English Language Daodejing Translators' Source Index

Spanish Language Daodejing Translators' Source Index

Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices

Taoism: A Selected Reading List

One Old Daoist Druid's Final Journey

How to Live a Good Life: Advice from Wise Persons

Wind and Sand and Surf

We drove down to Grayland Beach for clam digging, surf fishing, beachcombing, looking, and dog walking.  The cold wind was blowing very hard from the southwest.  

We enjoyed a wonderful salmon chowder that Mick made at night.  

Four Days in Grayland, Part I     Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay: A Traveler's Hypertext Notebook and Guide 

Four Days in Grayland, Part II    Grayland Beach: A Camper's Hypertext Notebook, Studies, and Comments  

Clam Digging Razor Clams   Washington State Fish and Wildlife 

Clam Digging  Razor Clam Rules and Best Beaches for Digging  

Clam Digging Seasonal Schedule [Sept-Dec 2021]

Clam Digging Tides Grays Harbor

Clam Digging and Crabbing in Washington.  By John A. Johnson.  Adventure North Publishing, 1997, 125 pages.  VSCL. 

Clam Digging and Crabbing in Oregon.  By John A. Johnson.  VSCL.

Clamming in the Pacific Northwest.  By Ken Axt.  Frank Amato, 2016, 88 pages.  VSCL. 

Clam Digging Westport 

Clam Digging Grayland and Twin Harbors   This stretch of beach is referred to in books as the 'Twin Harbors' Beaches. 

Preparing and Cooking Razor Clams

The Secret Life of Clams: The Mysteries and Magic of Our Favorite Shellfish.  By Anthony D. Dredericks.  Skyhorse, 2014, 286 pages.  FVRL

Clam Digging Tools:  Waist waders with attached boots.  Waterproof top as needed.  Waterproof and warm gloves, hat, and warm clothing.  Cylindrical clams digging tube (metal or plastic) and a clam shovel (11'x31").  Headlamps for night clamming.  Mesh basket for holding razor clams.  Snacks in your pocket.  Friends to have fun with at the seashore. Your fishing license in your jacket. 

If you work at shellfishing and have some luck then you will need: A clam opening knife and cutting pad.  Pot in camp big enough to clean and cook clams, oysters, or crabs. Surf fishing for redtail surf perch is supposed to be very good using clam baits on the high tide immediately after the razor clammers have dug at low tide. 

Walks with Bruno

 In Vancouver, Washington, where we have lived since April of 2017, I walk on my suburban neighborhood streets with our dog Bruno.  

I have one route that takes Bruno and I 30 minutes to walk, another route that takes 45 minutes to walk, and a one hour route.  We walk along the edge of wide quiet suburban streets.  The large trees in our neighborhood and the mostly well kept property and landscaping are lovely.  People nod, salute, or say "hello" ... acknowledgement, friendliness, safety, peace.  Some people like the look of my people friendly Bruno dog. 

My dog constantly wants to go on a walkabout.  

I walk on Clark County trails, at local parks, along the Columbia, and home indoors on a treadmill.  In the photo below, my dog, Bruno, and I are walking at the nearby Orchards Community Park.  Lots of trees mean lots of cooler, foggier, rainy days in Southwestern Washington, west of the Cascades peaks like Hood, Adams, St. Helens, Rainer.  Orchards Park is adjacent to the I 205 Freeway, so it is far nosier walking here than in Red Bluff because of the surrounding automobile, truck, suburban, and PDX airport jet sounds.  Vancouver is the largest suburb north of Portland.  A busy and noisy area!

Fun in Fall

 My daughter and her husband are celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.  

Karen and I are watching our grandchildren.  Both are smart, a 7th and 9th grade girl, and they worked all day Thursday and Friday at home attending online Zoom classes and doing homework.  We stayed at their house in Salmon Creek, and brought our dog, Bruno.  Saturday and Sunday we stayed at our house in the Orchards, and brought their dog, Roxi.  

Grandparents Spending Four Days with Our Grandchildren!  Aging Well     How to Live a Good Life

I have been busy expanding our vegetable garden on the west side of our home.  I've added 48 square feet to the vegetable garden already.  I plan to add 40 square feet more this coming week.  I border the new area with standard concrete two hole blocks (8x8x16').  Then I lay down a layer of cardboard over the existing grass.  Then I cover the cardboard with organic matter: small wood chips, grass cuttings, fine tree debris, composted steer manure, leaves from our sweet gum tree, kitchen garbage, bagged topsoil for raised beds, etc.  In a year or two, you can create some productive raised bed soil for growing vegetables in a sunny location.  

The Colors of October

 The autumn colors are very dramatic in Vancouver, Clark County, Washington.  The four maples in our back yard are quite colorful in October and November each year.

Autumn: Poetry, Sayings, Lore, Quotations

The Spirit of Gardening

"Then summer fades and passes and October comes. We'll smell smoke then, and feel an unexpected sharpness, a thrill of nervousness, swift elation, a sense of sadness and departure."
- Thomas Wolfe


"Lo! sweeten’d with the summer light,
The full-juiced apple, waxing over-mellow,
Drops in a silent autumn night.
All its allotted length of days
The flower ripens in its place,
Ripens and fades, and falls, and hath no toil,
Fast-rooted in the fruitful soil."
- Alfred Lord Tennyson, "The Lotus-Eaters"

I walk with my dog, Bruno, for 40 to 60 minutes in our neighborhood.  Here are a few photographs of our walking environment.