A Piece of History

CC ALIFORNIAALIFORNIA A A ISEKIISEKI K K AIAI Volume 34, Issue 9 September 2016

This viewing stone is not just a piece of history, it is also a piece of a stone. Let me tell you about it.

It was 1990 and John and Alice Naka were moving to Whittier from their home in Los Angeles. As we were leaving the old house I saw this stone leaning against a tree in the front yard. I asked John why he had left it behind and he said, “I don’t want it! It’s cut!” I stopped the car and went back for it. Although I do not cut stones, this “piece of stone” was just too good to leave behind and, of course, it was John’s stone so I took it home. We have enjoyed this “precious stone” for 26 years. Recently we gifted the AVSRC with this piece of history as we are so appreciate of the work Jim is doing to preserve our past and safeguard our future. For another piece of history, see page 10.

~Larry Ragle

September Program Kit Blaemire said: In June 2013 my Danish-American girlfriend and travel agent, Mette, called me - “Are you ready for the “Princess World Cruise" we have been talking about for a few years now? If - Yes - we’ll embark Friday, January 23, 2015, on the Pacific Princess from San Pedro, on a westerly course, with the first port of call, Honolulu, Hawaii. From there we’ll sail toward Samoa, Bay of Island, New Zealand, and on to Sydney, Australia.” And of course, my answer was, “YES!" I will not tell you more here, but I will show you much more as the Pacific Princess continued on a very interesting route, until we disembarked 94 days later, on April 28, in Ft. Lauderdale, Forida. The ship continued on its 110 days sailing back to San Pedro, but since we both had been through the Panama Canal on previous cruises, we skipped that leg, just to save a few bucks, and flew home from there in first class for just $400.00. Quite a savings! I hope you’ll enjoy the voyage! Come and take this armchair journey with Kit on September 28th!

Stone of the Month Fall is a great time for colorful stones! Reds, yellows…. We all love the changing colors of autumn. Colorful stones are appreciated for, you guessed it, their color! In this case, their shape is secondary although a landscape shape just adds to their desirability. This pleasantly shaped colorful Eel River stone is 7’w x 9.5”h x 4.25” d.

13”w x 4”h x 7”d

Jean Horton passed away on August 29th, the result of a tragic bike accident. Jean was always a great help during set up and take down at our annual show and he was one of the 14 Aiseki Kai members who went to China together in 2007. We will miss Jean, his easy smile and his wry sense of humor. Aiseki Kai extends their heart felt sympathy to Ann and her family.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: We welcomed long time New Jersey member, Ralph Bischof. So good to see you! We detailed the schedule for our annual exhibit at The Huntington (see page 12). Richard Aguirre presented the plans for our Tecopa stone hunt on November 5-6. For lodging options see page 11. Richard and Marty Hagbery will lead the hunt! No need for 4WD. The roads are good. The 1 inch w

ide inner margins are designed for use w

ith a 3 hole punch.

VOLUME 34, ISSUE 9 CALIFORNIA AISEKI KAI

See page 11 for information on an on-going AVSRC viewing stone exhibit in Santa Barbara. STONE of the MONTH: (“Foreign” stones, that is, stones from anywhere other than the U.S.A.)

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August Meeting Notes

Phil Chang: Indonesia - 9 x 3 x 2

Linda Gill: New Zealand - 5 x 4 x 3.5

Linda Gill: New Zealand - 4 x 7 x 4

Ralph Bischof: Italy, Liguria - 5 x 1 x 2

Peter Bloomer: Japan - 2.5 x 7/8 x 1

Paul Vasina: China - 7 x 7.5 x 5.5 Janet Shimizu: China - 3.5 x 11.5 x 2

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Larry Ragle: Japan - 5 x 4 x 4

Larry Ragle: Japan - 3 x 7.5 x 3

Jesse Krong: China - 5 x 1.5 x 5 Phil Hogan: China - 9 x 13 x 4

Nina Ragle: Japan - 4.5 x 3 x 3.5

Nina Ragle: Italy - 6 x 2.5 x 3.5

I think we expected this to be a very popular Stone of the Month…. Funny how that is. Although there were lots of lovely stones, quite a few were “off topic”, for example, stones from California! I know it seems like a grand opportunity for show and tell of whatever you feel like bringing in BUT, I suspect we learn more about viewing stones if we try to meet the challenge of sharing stones that are more or less “on topic”. We do not want to discourage anyone from sharing during this especially fun part on the evening -I know we all look forward to it- but maybe some of us could try a little harder to go with the theme for that month. If you prefer, we can always change “stone of the month” to just “show and tell”. Let me know…..

~Nina

Larry and Nina have examined these three Japanese stones very carefully and cannot find any evidence of any of them having been worked. The hut is consistent throughout, even the irregular bottom. The stone to the left was found in a “junk bin” at Kato’s nursery. It had no daiza. The stone to the right was found by Mr. Sudo under a downspout on the grounds of the Imperial Palace! He slipped it into his sleeve. Don’t tell anyone!! It too, is not worked! We have stones from Japan that are worked but we feel that these three are not. (Anyone think we have been fooled? It’s possible.)

As discussed last month, bonsai and accent plants can be used to create fine viewing stone displays, but complementary plants are often banned from certain venues such as an art museum or library where the introduction of moisture or crawling critters might be a concern. Live plants are all but impossible where displays must be installed in secure cases. Okimono cause no such problems and offer far greater potential for creative ways to complement your stone because one is not limited to the seasonal and environmental connections associated with bonsai and accent plants. Okimono may be loosely defined as ‘objects to be placed’ (originally within the context of a tokonoma setting). While those okimono we encounter are frequently made of bronze, in fact, they may be of varied materials, including other metals, ceramic, wood, (though for our purposes, not stone). These objects may be actual sculptured figurines or functional items such as koro (incense burners) whose shapes and decorations incorporate a broader range of subject matter, e.g., human, plants, animals, birds, fish, crustaceans, insects and the frequently seen hermit’s hut. One encounters esteemed items relating to tea, such as a fine ceramic or futaoki (lid rest), and for calligraphy with bunchin (paperweights) and suiteki (water droppers) being found in many natural forms. [Please refer to Accessory Figures (CAK Newsletter, Vol. 28:3; Page 7, 2010) for further discussion and examples of okimono (also tenkei) in an exhibit mounted for the 2010 GSBF Bonsai-a-thon at The Huntington.] What these items have in common is that they are all relatively small, of a size that compared to most bonsai and shitakusa (grass plantings) can more readily be used to complement your stone – and they need no watering! Throughout the remainder of this discussion, in an attempt at clarity, I intend to experiment by presenting the Japanese terms okimono and tenkei in italics when the actual items are in fact Japanese or represent a Japanese subject, but retain normal text when dealing with the Western equivalent and all such objects in general. Similarly, when discussing individual display tables/stands I will distinguish between Japanese versions as shoku (decorative stand) and distinctly American substitutes as shoku.

PAGE 4 CALIFORNIA AISEKI KAI VOLUME 34, ISSUE 9 SEPTEMBER 2016

PAGE 4 CALIFORNIA AISEKI KAI VOLUME 34, ISSUE 9

Ask GuyJim Dear Readers, Beyond the stone – considerations for presenting viewing stones within a thematic concept Part III: Single-stone tabletop displays with complementary okimono.

As is the case with suiseki (and okimono) that are placed next to bonsai as decorative ‘Japanese’ fillers, too often an okimono is plopped down next to a stone with minimal thought of a relationship, just a decoration establishing a vague Asian context. Does a bronze of Kuan Yin next to a mountain actually mean anything to the collector, let alone the viewer? More universal objects such as boats, shore birds, or hermit’s huts may safely add a touch of Japan, but even something as innocuous as a thatched hut, if perched on high legs, may be unknowingly mismatched if the accompanying stone provides no suggestion of a rushing mountain gorge or quiet shoreline where such a scholar’s retreat might be found. Unfortunately, the line between establishing a simple Asian connection/ambience and a more considered, complex relationship is not always bright – the degree of perceived connection being dependent on both the presenter and viewer’s frames of reference. Years ago I exhibited a large red jasper suggesting the form of a turtle accompanied by a bronze okimono of a popular god, Jurojin; it was frankly an inexplicable grouping to anyone without the foreknowledge that both Jurojin and the turtle are common symbols of longevity.

Feathered Turtle with Jurojin okimono Two Japanese symbols of longevity.

At the GSBF Convention in Riverside visitors first encountered a Japanese-style display consisting of a waterfall stone with an okimono of a scholar contemplating it, an arrangement comprehensible to anyone, but one much more meaningful to those viewers having familiarity with this classic subject of a scholar contemplating a waterfall, through the context of Chinese and Japanese paintings and poetry (fig. 2, top of page 5).

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In the context of truly ‘pure’ stone appreciation it has to be acknowledged that the use of okimono, no matter how carefully selected, has some drawbacks. While an un-complemented stone ‘alone’ is open to as many interpretations as there are viewers, the addition of a second display element, whether plant or object, and no matter how subtle, always begins to narrow the focus, reducing the window of spontaneous interpretations even as it invites the viewer to consider broader cultural associations. It is also unfortunate that while theoretically an okimono is secondary and one does not want it to attract more attention than the stone, experience shows that no matter how subtle, many visitors are drawn to the okimono before the stone – to big items because they are so obvious and to the smallest just to see what they are ... and one suspects because of a universal fascination with the miniature. There is consolation in the observation that a meaningful interaction with the stone and overall display does often follow.

In the next GuyJim we will use examples from the three AVSRC 2014 and 2015 exhibits to illustrate a few approaches to incorporating Western objects as okimono to establish ‘non-Japanese’ thematic presentations.

GuyJim

The views expressed in this column are personal, perhaps irreverent, irrelevant or just plain wrong and do not reflect the consensual view of California Aiseki Kai. Send your viewing stone questions (or comments) for GuyJim to jimgreaves@roadrunner.com or 1018 Pacific Street, Unit D, Santa Monica, CA 90405 or call (310) 452-3680

For those interested in more precise terminology for various types of okimono we return to our GuyJim’s Dictionary of Suibanics: Okimono – generally, a smaller ‘objects to be placed’ Botimono (var. Boatimono) – a popular complement to an island or coastal rock Cokimono (var. Cokemono) – One of the “Things (that would) go better with Coke!” Hokimono (var. hokeymono) – a contrived, even silly complementary object Tokimono (var. tokemono) – (1) a token space filler (2) an object that can be appreciated only after a ‘toke’ Lokimono – a figurine of the Norse god Loki, “a contriver of discord and mischief”; usage almost exclusively limited to Scandinavian suiseki seekers, Yah? Locomono – small scale, well-crafted model railroading structures and figures, the latter most often being more suitable for use as tenkei Nokomono – an object so bad that it must be carefully placed under the table. Caution: Not to be confused with No kimono which might result in an altogether different visitor reaction. Pokimono (var. Pokemon-o) – Do we really want to go here? ... in any case, even if present, they are not readily visible. Sokimono (var. soakimono) – totally unsuitable, gaudily painted figurines that should remain in tacky aquariums. Wokimono (derivation: Western okimono) a bronze figure, etc. having a Western, non-Asian subject matter that is used to complement a viewing stone in the manner of a Japanese okimono ... Hmmmm, Maybe?

Waterfall Watching ‘Rainy Morning, October’ (Eel River jasper) with a bronze okimono of Scholar holding a fan. This display opened the GSBF Exhibit in Riverside. Note that the framed tatami was set on the cloth covered table.

[ED Note: Because your editor just loves Guy Jim’s suibanics, let’s indulge in the lighter side of the serious suiseki world. For those of you who are new to these bits of delight, you can read more in the following Aiseki Kai newsletters: November 2007, pg 5, March 2008, pg 6, August 2008, pg 6, January 2009, pg 6, June 2010, pg 5 and September 2010, pg 5.]

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Fifty miles from Greenland’s southern coast, in the North Sea, off the northern-most tip of Scotland, lie the Orkney Islands. This area was populated by Norse travelers hundreds of years ago. If an iconic site has come to represent Orkney

Islands' ancient heritage, it is the Ring of Brodgar. In my research about this Neolithic site, I found that it dates back to 3100 BC. The stone ring was built in a true circle, with a diameter of 104m (340 feet), and is encircled by a rock-cut ditch, or henge. Of the original 60 stones, 27 survive, ranging between 2.1m (7 feet) to 4.7m (15ft 3in) tall. The Brodgar Ring was first recorded in the early 16th century, by Jo Ben, who resided in Orkney around 1529. In 1792, the ring contained 18 stones, with 8 lying prone. By 1815, an account shows that 2 more had been toppled, leaving only 16 erect. Then in 1854, in what was the first detailed account of the stone circle, there were only 13 erect stones. The Ring of Brodgar was taken into state care in 1906 and, two years later, most of the fallen stones were placed in what was thought to be their original sockets. Since then two stones have suffered lightning strikes, leaving 27 standing today. It is easy to see why Orkney's Neolithic inhabitants might have set up a ceremonial circle on this spot - surrounded by hills and lochs, the site has a truly

spectacular setting. Standing in the circle gives one a sense of being in a natural amphitheater. The ring may have been involved in healing or worship ceremonies celebrating the relationship between the living and past ancestors, or used as an astronomical observation of the sun, stars and the moon. It would have included the time and date of each equinox, and the Summer and Winter solstice. The Megalithic stones that make up the Ring of Brodgar and the Standing Stones of Stenness are Old Red Sandstone and Stromness Flagstone. Deposited by huge fresh water lakes from the Devonian period 416 to 359 million years ago. The area in which the stones came from is about 7.5 miles from where they stand today. Not much effort would have gone into shaping the stones, as the rock splits easily into slabs. Transporting the stones from the quarry to the ness would have required considerable manpower and effort. Orkney's landscape with its smooth contours, was made by the action of the retreating Scandinavian ice sheets, which finally disappeared some 10,000 years ago. This left the islands low and almost treeless. It is said that you can experience all four seasons in one day in Orkney because of its location and climate. Some say there are only two seasons, long bright days in the summer and short dark days in the winter. With the wind blowing different weather across the plains, change is constant in Orkney. Local legends about the stones say that they were a party of Giants who danced and stomped into

August Program Notes

"Standing Stone Giants & Magical Stone Circles" of Orkney Islands, Scotland & Avebury England. . .

by Wanda Matjas

the night and were turned to stone at morning's first light. Also, it is said that at various times of the year, especially around Yule, the stones walk in the night to the nearest body of water, and bend down to take a drink.

Looking across the water of the Stenness Loch, through the thick mist that often shrouds the area, another group of stones come into view. These are, The Standing Stones of Stenness ("stain - is") which is Old Norse for stone headland. The sheer scale of the megalith stones that make up this monument, make it visible for miles around, with the tallest stone at a height of 19 feet. There were originally 12 stones that made up this circle, only 5 remain today, and it is believed to have been built around the same time period of 3100 BC. With an approximate diameter of the circle at 44m (144 feet), this site is classed also as being a henge monument. The stone circle is surrounded by a rock-cut ditch, 4m across and 2.3m deep. This circle would have been used as a part of the similar ceremonies as mentioned above for the Ring of Brodgar. Inside of the ring are two large angular stones, standing side by side, with a large prone stone beside them. This at one time was thought to be a "dolmen" (an altar table), and in 1907 the "altar" was reconstructed to form a table-like dolmen structure in the center of the circle. Much controversy was raised over this

VOLUME 34, ISSUE 9 CALIFORNIA AISEKI KAI

reconstruction, and archaeologists were called in to excavate around the base of the stones to find out if there was any evidence of the "altar's" historical existence. Evidence was found that confirmed that some form of stone structure had indeed existed. The form of the stone construction was unclear so it was agreed that the altar's two upright stones be re-erected and the "tabletop" slab left lying beside them. Orkney has long been good to archaeologists, thanks to its deep human history and the fact that nearly everything was built out of stone. Stand at "the Ness" today, and several iconic structures are within easy view, forming the core of a World Heritage site called the "Heart of Neolithic Orkney". Every corner of the islands has its ancient history and heritage, like an intricate tapestry of events stitched into the very fabric of the islands themselves. Orcadians have a connection with these historical events that were witnessed by their ancestors many generations ago. The past is alive with these monuments, and remains part of everyday life for the people that live in the Orkney Islands. An Amazing Place called Avebury . . . Situated in southern England in the county of Wiltshire, is a remnant from a prehistoric landscape from 4,500 years ago. This is Avebury with its Circles of Stone. The name Avebury is Saxon suggesting a fortified place or strong hold.

Avebury was constructed over several hundred years in the 3rd millennium BC during the Neolithic or 'New Stone Age'. The monument comprises of a henge (a bank and ditch) with a large outer stone circle and two separate smaller stone circles situated inside the center of the monument. The henge is not perfectly circular and measures over 1,000 meters (1,090 yd) in circumference. The construction of the henge was an immense task; the ditch was cut through hard chalk with antler picks and stone mauls. The outer stone circle has a diameter of 331.6 meters (1,088 ft) making it the largest stone circle in Britain. It was originally thought that there were 98 sarsen standing stones, some weighing in excess of 40 tons. The stones varied in height from 3.6 to 4.2m. Only 27 stones are standing today. Nearer to the middle of the monument are two additional separate stone circles, both were made up of about 28 stones. The northern inner ring is 98 meters (322 ft) in diameter, and only 4 stones remain upright.

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The southern inner ring is 108 meters (354 ft) in diameter, and there are 5 stones that remain upright today. The sarsen stones of Avebury were formed not long after the extinction of the dinosaurs, during the Tertiary Period about 68 million years ago. These stones are formed when silica-rich water saturates into sand and gravel deposits, then evaporates, forming an incredibly hard sandstone rock called silcrete. . . Broken apart by years of shifting ice, the sarsens are eventually revealed by erosion, and can be found on the ground around the area of Avebury. It was John Aubrey who first found the stone circles at Avebury, in 1649. He recognized the earthworks and great stones placed about the landscape and through his detailed diagrams of the stones he made this Neolithic site known. He was a pioneer archaeologist who recorded numerous field monuments in Southern England. It would be 70 years later, when William Stukeley came to the site. He visited Avebury several different times writing chronicles of his visits and drawing what he saw. Much destruction of the stones had taken place in that 70 year period. A Puritan Revolution had come to Avebury, destroying the stones and using them to build an evangelist meeting house. Stukeley was particularly curious about the arrange-ment of the stone circles and by his own scholarly prediction, in 1743, claimed Avebury as a site of ancient faith in the cult of the Druids. The Druids first appeared in Britain in 600 BC. They knew much about the sun and the moon and celestial motions, and the natural things of the earth. Using this knowledge they used nature as their temple in the stone circles.

In 1932, a Scottish architect named Alexander Keiller used his wealth to acquire a total of 950 acres of land at Avebury for the preservation of the monument. He then cleared the site, which nature had reclaimed with overgrown foliage, and commenced a careful investigation of the henge. There he found several of the original large stones buried in the ground. He then excavated and rebuilt using these stones, placing them in their original sockets and bringing the site back to life. A concrete plinth marks the spot where stone-holes were found and the stones were missing. Another interesting thing that Keiller found as he was erecting the stones in 1938 was a skeleton of man with a pair of scissors and coins that was dated 1320 under rock #9. This stone is called the 'Barber' Stone, (right) and may have been the saving grace for Avebury. In the late mediaeval period, England had been entirely converted to Christianity, and Avebury, being a non-Christian monument, began to be associated with the Devil in the imagination of the locals. At some point in the early 14th century, villagers began to demolish the monument by pulling down the large standing stones and burying them in ready-dug pits at the side of the stone, presumably because they were seen as having been erected by the Devil and thereby being in opposition to the villager's Christian beliefs. During the toppling of one stone, (3 meters tall and weighing 13 tons) it collapsed on top of one of the men pulling it down, crushing him to death. His corpse was trapped in the hole that had been dug for the falling stone, and so

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the locals were unable to remove the body and offer him a Christian burial in the churchyard, as would have been customary at the time. It appears that the death of barber prevented the locals from pulling down further stones, perhaps fearing that it had in some way been retribution for toppling them in the first place. The event appears to have left a significant influence on the minds of the local villagers, for records show that in the 18th and 19th centuries there were still legends being told about a man being crushed by a falling stone. Hence the saving grace for Avebury. Not far from the churchyard grounds, Keiller created a museum to interpret the site, which also is home for the skeleton found under rock #9, and in 1943 he sold the land at Avebury to the National Trust for its agricultural value only.

The land-scape of Avebury brims with a sense of ancientness and magic. As you walk among the stones you may start to feel a sensitiveness to the energy that surrounds these stones. Your imagination may start to run wild as you conjure up ideas of what powers may be released by the

sacred geometry of these circles. There is a mystical aura that strangely surrounds these circles of stone. Even the shadows of the stones may cause you to wonder of the mystery of how stone age engineering took place to create this incredible site. The stones themselves have personalities, shapes, faces, erosion and portals, all humming with stories through ancient

frequencies that exert their own magnetic enchantment. You simply have to touch one to feel it. Indeed anyone who gazes upon the stones to find them rising, ghost like, from the swirling mist on a crisp morning will be moved by their magic. We can only speculate as to why the ancient people built Avebury and to why this site was chosen and why it eventually fell out of use in 1800 BC.

Obviously there has to be a very important reason why a society was motivated enough to undertake a project as big as this. Was Avebury a religious center, a focal point for celebrations, or a pilgrimage site for people to come to from far off lands? All or none of the above? And what caused people to stop using it? Invasion, migration, change in belief? We just don't know the answers to these questions. These prehistoric remains are safe now from overzealous farmers and puritanical reformers seeking to banish England's pagan past. The span of our lifetime is just a blip in time compared to the stones in Avebury's lifetime. Stones that were being made when the supercontinent of Pangea was still fragmenting and the earth was dominated by reptiles (68 million years ago), these stones have seen Ice Ages come and go, and gone through complete changes in time of climate, water and landscape, yet... The stones display The awe and respect they convey As our spirit will slip away The stones will stand for another day. . .

Wanda feeling the energy that surrounds the stones of Avebury

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‘Oki Shigure’ 沖しぐれ (19” x 5” x 12”) Passing Rain in the Distant Shore, is an island stone. It was collected and owned by John Yoshio Naka.

It Has Been 50 Years

Top view John’s haiku and his signature and date carved into the daiza bottom

Assuming that the daiza was made soon after John Naka found this stone, its history dates back 50 years. We would like to thank John’s granddaughter, Diane Naka Winter, for presenting this special stone to us so that we can continue to preserve John’s legacy in the suiseki world. John was one of the first primary collectors in Southern California along with Richard Ota. (We believe Keiseki Hirotsu may have been the earliest known primary collector in California.) ~Larry and Nina

‘Rain passing an unknown island, over it a plover sings.’

John wrote a haiku for his stone:

August Contributors: Wanda Matjas, Jim Greaves, Larry Ragle. Mailing: Flash Partch Editor: Nina Ragle

Contact People

PAGE 11 CALIFORNIA AISEKI KAI VOLUME 34, ISSUE 9

Newsletter Committee

We hope you will participate. Please send any submissions to ragle@cox.net no more than 10 days following our monthly meeting. Thank you!

California Aiseki Kai meets on the 4th Wednesday of each month at 7:30 pm at the Nakaoka Community Center located at 1670 W. 162nd St, Gardena, CA. Second floor. We do not meet in Nov-Dec.

Programs: Larry Ragle 949.497.5626 crimescene@cox.net Treasury/Membership: Nina Ragle 949.497.5626 ragle@cox.net Annual Exhibit: Jim Greaves 310.452.3680 jimgreaves@roadrunner.com Exhibit Set Up: Marge Blasingame 626.579.0420 margeblasingame@att.net Refreshments: Janet Shimizu 310.822.6012 janet.shimizu46@gmail.com Beverages: Phil Hogan 626.256.4609 pkhinkalif@gmail.com Historian: Ray Yeager 760.365.7897 ryeager890@aol.com Webmail: Chris Cochrane 804.918.4636 sashaichris@gmail.com

After we learned about Jack being shot from your email, I searched the hospitals in Medford and spoke with him. He was quite alert and feeling reasonably well. It happened in Yreka. He was loading his car at 5:00AM with the intent of going after butterflies, stones and photos. His motel door was open and he looked up and saw a man and a women entering. He thought they had the wrong room and he shouted. The man turned towards him and said, “I’m going to shoot you”, and he did . Jack was hit low in the stomach missing his spine by about an inch. Next thing he knew he had been airlifted to the hospital in Medford. He had just come from Medford, having gone initially to a reunion at Reed College in Portland and then a visit with a classmate who had a law practice in Medford. When I spoke with him he was feeling pretty good. His classmate had retrieved his car and stuff and was helping to take care of him. The guy who shot him was in custody. He was from Central Oregon. The woman with him was a hostage. He was on parole and married to a woman on the police force in Bend. Last week he called us. He was much better. He was able to skip the rehab facility and was recovering at the classmate’s house in Medford. He was walking outside every day and figured 3 weeks and he would be coming home. A friend will be flying up to drive him back.

Tecopa Hot Springs Resort - www.tecopahotsprings.org 860 Hot Springs Rd. Mineral spring baths and RV hookups - Where we will have our Sat. dinner party 1-760-852-4420 refer to Rock Club

Delights Hot Springs Resort – www.delightshotspringsresort.com Hotel and Motel. We get prices no tax included! - Look at prices in web link. 1-800-928-8808 refer to Rock Club package….. ask for Ryan 368 Hot Springs Rd.

Cynthia’s – www.discovercynthias.com Cynthia's is a collection of lodging options. Upscale desert retreat with lodging in vintage trailers, hostel beds & Native American-style tents. - 2001 Old Spanish Trail Highway 1-760-852-4580 – ask for Cynthia or Aaron

Tecopa Hot Springs Campgrounds - www.tecopahotspringscampground.com 400 Tecopa Hot Springs Rd. Campground ... Pirate Hot Spot Premium WiFi. Now Available at All Campsites! 1-760-852-4377 ask for Ryan

Jack Levy Update

Warren Haussler

(From Warren Haussler’s email dated 8-31-16)

Tecopa Stone Hunt Lodging

Any questions call Richard Aguirre 310-386-2559 or email him at raguirre@parks.lacounty.gov

(November 5-6)

Worlds in Stone: China, Japan, Korea, and North America ~ Selections from the American Viewing Stone Resource Center Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art 955 La Paz Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93108 ( 565) 616-2805 westmontmuseum.org Hours: Weekdays, 10am-4pm; and Saturdays, 11am-5pm (Closed Sundays and college holidays) This is a relatively small installation of stones (110 stones!) that you might bring to the attention of friends in the area; perhaps visit with them. It is not necessarily important enough for a special trip. ~ Jim Greaves

AVSRC exhibit

Make your reservations now so you won’t be disappointed! This promises to be a fun trip. Saturday night we will have a potluck under the stars! Bring something to share.

Ragle P.O. Box 4975 Laguna Beach CA 92652

SAN DIEGO BONSAI CLUB 51st Annual Fall Show, Sept 24-25, Balboa Park, Casa Del Prado, Rm 101, San Diego. 10-5. Workshop with Ted Matson on Saturday, 24th. Sales Area. Info: sandiegobonsaiclub.com

Coming Events

Leaves no stone unturned

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

aisekikai.com

Thank you to Ralph Bischof, Phil Chang, Jesse Krong, Marge Blasingame, and Emma Janza for the August snack break! Yen Lai, Linda Gill and the Ragles are up for September. Anyone else want to participate? We welcome you and thank you for your contribution.

CALIFORNIA AISEKI KAI Tanseki to Tecopa! November 5-6. If you have questions, please contact Richard Aguirre at 310-386-2559 or email him: raguirre@parks.lacounty.gov

Saturday night, Nov 5, we will have a pot luck!

GSBF CONVENTION 39 “Bonsai Convergence: Gather at the Rivers” Oct. 27–30, Double Tree Hotel, 2001 Point West Way, Sacramento. Demos, seminars, critiques, workshops, excursions, raffle, vendors and much more. More information available at: gsbfconvention.org

KOFU BONSAI KAI “The Bonsai Tradition: Cultural Arts of Japan” at the Bowers Museum, Sept 28 – Oct 2, 2002 N. Main St., Santa Ana. 10-4. More info: kofukai.org

CALIFORNIA AISEKI KAI 27th Annual Exhibition at The Huntington, December 26-30, 10:30-4:30. Set-up Dec 21-23. Save the dates. 5 days only. Preparation time is here!

Always check Golden Statements Magazine Calendar section for additional coming events

AVSRC VIEWING STONE EXHIBIT Westmont Museum, Santa Barbara. See page 11.

Refreshments