Ramblings Amidst Rainbows

Today is a date that will not be seen again for a century.  12-12-12.  What a nice roundness to the numbers, and so easy to remember if you got married today, as hundreds of couples did.

So, could someone then explain to me why these simple, innocuous little digits mean The End--the precursor, the imminent slide down the slippery slope, the demise of civilization as we know it?  Why?  Anyone out there who can tell me why doom-and-gloomers actually want to believe this?

It's just a series of numbers, people!!  Instead of looking for the sign of the Apocalypse, why aren't folks glad to be alive, thankful to be living on our beautiful planet, appreciating the uniqueness of a date that will not be seen by most of us ever again.

Every year since we hit the 21st century, I've loved the symmetry of 1-1-1, 2-2-2, etc., and now we've arrived at the last of them.  Maybe the babies born today will be celebrating their 100th birthdays on the next 12-12-12.  Imagine how things will have changed, what advances there surely will have been in medicine, science, technology.  Hopefully, war will be obsolete, and prejudice, and divisive political parties.

I would rather look positively ahead to the future, then wait with fear and grim anticipation for The End.  Wouldn't you?

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This morning when I opened the blinds, the sun was shining along one of the ridges, though the mist was thick in the hollows.  If you click on the photo, you can see a small part of the valley, to the right, in another little spot of sun...

The rains have stopped--for the moment, so the boys and I went to a different part of the park to walk along the river this morning.  I was startled to see how much damage the floods of last week did to the bank. 

Last month I was standing next to that large tree looking out at the river.  Now there's nothing to stand on, and look at the poor little tree.  Sadly, this is just December; the real floods don't happen until Spring.  At this rate, there won't be much of the bank left for the sapling to cling to...

With the threat of Armageddon (or is it the Apocalypse?  Who can keep up...), I happened to glance outside a moment ago...

Seriously.  I'm going for beauty over destruction.  Care to join me?