Easter: McEaster Valley
Walter R. Hoge
BOOK SUMMARY
Writer and veterinarian Walter R. Hoge celebrates the value of a brave and generous heart in “Easter: McEaster Valley”. He encourages readers to ponder at the majesty of Mother Earth in this brief tale and imagine a perfect life well lived without compensation. This intriguing parable takes him and his dog along the way through an otherworldly valley into the mountains of the Sierra that brings them to a remote area where a stranger guides them deep into a mountain cavern and into another world. It is a spot of tranquility, serenity, and wonderful elegance. It’s a spot that Hoge doesn’t want to abandon until he gets back to the foothills at dawn and makes his way back home. In this, he essentially encourages readers to consider decisions based on the inherent order of events in their lives, rather than individual ones based on whims or desire. Dedicated to his children, Hoge ‘s universal message is that, yes, the richest life anyone should expect is to live is a life of commitment without any expect of benefits or monetary benefit.
Excerpts:
1. “Before we could reach the front porch, the door opened and there appeared a female version of my friend. The only way I can describe her is that she was very much like the perfect wife, the perfect mother, and the perfect grandmother all wrapped into one. As she greeted us you could see and feel the love that she had for her husband, and I knew that her concern over my well-being was heartfelt and sincere.”
2. “Our mission is to try to help those on planet earth direct their attention, at least one day a year, toward their creator and what he has done for us. We accomplish this task by doing caring and fun things in such a way that everyone can participate. Their attention may be toward nature and its gift of life, or towards the savior and his giving of his life for us so that we may have the gift of life. Or their attention may just be placed towards the family having a fun-filled day with hidden gifts, candy and toys.”
Excerpts:
3. “ Years later when my children were young, they used to lay on my bed with me and I would tell them stories. I would always start with the words “A long, long, long time ago in a land far, far, far away…” in hopes that they would fall asleep before I would have to make up a story. When my mind would not create new adventures, I would fall back on the experiences I had in the valley a long time before. My children seemed to like these stories the best. They expressed to me that they were more believable, and I never changed the stories.
Thoughts on My Thoughts
Walter R. Hoge
BOOK SUMMARY
In 1952 Stanley L. Miller carried out the Miller-Urey experiment which showed that complex organic molecules could be synthesized from inorganic compounds. This discovery gave a huge boost to the scientific investigation of the origin of life. Indeed, for some time it seemed like the creation of life in a test tube was within reach of experimental science. This “God-like” discovery had a strong influence on the atmosphere in science classes I attended in the 60’s. Over the centuries nature and man through natural and man’s selection have changed the appearance and productivity of plant and animal life. The life we observe today is much different than seen by earlier civilizations. The laws of natural selection, survival of the fittest and genetic material placed into plant and animal genomes from infections by viruses and bacteria over the eons of time have ensured that the evolution of living matter is a continuing dynamic force. Modern research is also changing life on our world by removing or splicing genetic material in living organisms. These efforts have made it possible to increase food production and nutritional value as well as help prevent or control inherited human diseases.
