No theme today... just images I managed to capture on my ride back home from an early morning visit with friends at a Mission Valley coffee shop. I like reflections I found on the San Diego River from the bridge at Mission Center Road and under the 163 Interstate bridge. Before I rode to the river, my favorite San Diego math teacher, Clyde Yoshida, told me how he got his students to do critical thinking by introducing them to
Pascal's Triangle,
Fibonacci Numbers, and the
Golden Section, sometimes called the Golden Ratio and the Divine Proportion. Of course, I looked for examples of these mathematical phenomena as I rode back home. What I found were reflections, wind blown reeds dipping into water, and the remarkable spiral of a jimson weed blossom about to open. The jimson weed bud was the trysting place for a couple of mating beetles who apparently had been feasting on the bud before they got down to it. The jimson weed blossom is a dangerous hallucinogen for humans. I don't know what effect it has on beetles, but I'm guessing these little yellow and black creatures knew what they were doing.
No theme today... just images I managed to capture on my ride back home from an early morning visit with friends at a Mission Valley coffee shop. I like reflections I found on the San Diego River from the bridge at Mission Center Road and under the 163 Interstate bridge. Before I rode to the river, my favorite San Diego math teacher, Clyde Yoshida, told me how he got his students to do critical thinking by introducing them to Pascal's Triangle, Fibonacci Numbers, and the Golden Section, sometimes called the Golden Ratio and the Divine Proportion. Of course, I looked for examples of these mathematical phenomena as I rode back home. What I found were reflections, wind blown reeds dipping into water, and the remarkable spiral of a jimson weed blossom about to open. The jimson weed bud was the trysting place for a couple of mating beetles who apparently had been feasting on the bud before they got down to it. The jimson weed blossom is a dangerous hallucinogen for humans. I don't know what effect it has on beetles, but I'm guessing these little yellow and black creatures knew what they were doing.
4 comments:
Jerral,
I don't know if you'll remember me, but I worked with you at Gompers Secondary for a few years and even had the room next door to you when we were both teachers in the seminar program there. I was the young upstart of the duo, you the wise counselor.
In any case, it's been over 12 years since I last you, and in discovering your blog I have come to remember why I so enjoyed talking to and being around you.
Since I last saw you, I have had the great fortune of escorting three children into this world; of having gotten to travel to both Africa and Japan (and this summer, Hawaii) on educational exchange programs, and to so many more other places on my own; and of having taught at both Scripps Ranch and La Jolla High Schools. Two years ago, I returned to the Gompers neighborhood when I elected to leave Scripps to help open up Lincoln High School, and so I read with particular interest your musings on education in both the suburbs and in the inner city.
As with many of your other posts that I have had the pleasure of reading these last few months, you hit the nail right on the head. There's more that I could say, more that would help to flesh out my own views on education in these two very different settings, but this response has already gone on long enough for an introductory post, so let me just say how thankful I am to have found your blog, to have read many of your insightful posts, and to have enjoyed your many artfully composed photographs. It is quite clear in looking at your many beautiful photographs that you are so much more than a simple photographer, that you are, indeed, one whose eye for beauty is as sharp as his ability to dole out sage words.
It's funny the odd things we immediately remember about people. In your case, it is a trip to the Amazon, a spray-painted head, and a sticker in your classroom that read: "Mean People Suck".
Take care, and keep writing and taking your photographs.
...and I can tell by your note that you still agree that mean people suck... Congratulations on the travel and the children and your continued commitment to giving back to the community, especially to young people. Many thanks.
Jerral
Thanks for the cool pics along the SD River. Soon the trail along the river will stretch from OB to Julian. Our next focus in the project is to continue the path under the 163.When that is complete we will have a community mural project to help cover the graffiti and make the area more welcoming. The other component of the river trail project will include a park on the corner of Qualcomm way and Cam de la Reina.
with the trtail going to the stadium. Very exciting. Oh, the Jimson (Datura) is a wonderful native plant. The purple one you pictured is pretty rare. The flowers are usually cream colored. Great shot and thanks again!
Rio Ricardo
Rio,
Thanks very much for the information about the bike trail extension. If there is ever anything I can do to support and promote the project, please let me know. I often ride the bike ways on both side of the river... I especially like the new link of the south side of the river north of Old Town. Thanks for your note, and for the information about datura. I've always liked that plant since I saw the paintings of it by Georgia O'Keeffe. We are fortunate to have one of them at the San Diego Museum of Art.
Jerral
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