To end the first week of October let’s go back to the evening of September 16th down at Its Beach. It was a pleasant sunset that night and the formation of pelicans that flew overhead didn’t exactly hurt my feelings. I was down there the night before and had missed a couple of shots that I’m still kicking myself over because I left my camera in my car. In the words of the Jewish Defense League, “Never Again.” There was an interesting sunset down at Its two nights ago as the light thru the arch was just spectacular. It’s been orange delightful and lots of exotic arch shots coming in the future.

So let’s go back in history and take a look at some of the highlights of the first week of October. Back on October 1, 1908, Henry Ford’s T, a “universal car” designed for the masses, went on sale for the first time. It was generally regarded as the first affordable automobile, the car that “put America on wheels.” In the beginning the T sold for $850, not including cassette player, foam dice and air bags.

On October 1, 1949, the People’s Republic of China was founded with Mao Tse-Tung (or Mao Zedong) as Chairman. Mao was an unusual fellow who love to swim and in his youth advocated swimming as the way of strengthening the bodies of Chinese citizens. Mao was constantly swimming, whether in a large pool constructed for top party leaders, in the stormy ocean off of China’s north coast or the heavily polluted rivers of South China. His ruthless vision united a fractured people and inspired revolutions far beyond Chinese borders. And here’s a little known fact-Mao was also responsible for naming the sweet and sour chicken as China’s national bird.

On October 3, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation designating the last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day. He later added to that proclamation by designating the rest of the weekend as the Festival of Leftovers in accordance with National Cranberry Sauce week.

October 3, 1998, is the anniversary of one of the greatest travesties in American justice as O. J. Simpson’s double trial ended with an acquittal. Or as in the words of his now deceased lead attorney Johnnie Cochran, “If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit.” In this case Robert Shapiro, co-counsel for the Simpson defense, accused Cochran of dealing the “race card from the bottom of the deck.” Ah, brotherly love. Personally, I haven’t been impressed with any of O.J’s work since his appearance in the Zucker Brother’s comedy classic “The Gun.”

And finally, belated birthday wishes go out to Indian spiritual and political leader Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi, who was born on October 2, 1869 in Probandar, India. He achieved worldwide fame for his devout lifestyle (which I my own after) and nonviolent resistance which ended the British rule over India. Gandhi, who married at the ripe old age of 13 to an even younger bride, was assassinated by a religious fanatic in the garden of his home in New Delhi on January 30, 1948. As stains appeared in his white woolen shawl, his hands still folded in a greeting, Gandhi blessed his assassin. He Ram! He Ram! Myself, I don’t think I would have been quite as forgiving.

So that finishes out the week. Remember, tomorrow is the first day of the rest of your life but more importantly, the first Day of Open Studios. If you like a variety of local landscape and nature photography at affordable prices, my home/studio will be the place to be. Feel free to tell your friends, neighbors or any visiting dignitaries. So enjoy the baseball playoffs and the NFL this weekend and we’ll catch you at the same place, different time next week. Aloha.

As some of you know, I am all about dressing for success. That is, if you consider a Hawaiian shirt, shorts and sandals the clothing recipe for success. Anyway, for someone like myself who’s trying to live the tropical lifestyle by wearing shorts 365 days a year, thinking about what I’m wearing or where the clothes are from is not a big deal. New shirt, old shirt, red shirt, blue shirt, it doesn’t make a difference. But there are people who feel differently about this issue.

One of those people is Bolivian President Evo Morales, who considers it shameful that poor shoppers in his country rummage thru used clothing at outdoor markets. Back in April, his Andean nation become the 32nd country to ban or restrict used clothing imports to protect native clothing industries. Each year $1.2 billion in used clothing is sent from wealthy nations to developing countries. In landlocked Bolivia most of it smuggled across the border from Chile, who is the No.3 importer of U.S. clothing after Canada, Japan and West Hollywood.

Applauded and jeered for the striped Bolivian sweater he wore (which was acrylic, not alpaca) to meet presidents and kings after his 2005 election, Morales understands well that clothes make the man. Ramiro Uchani, his deputy minister of small business says, “It’s impossible to think that we can be dignified if, in the name of poverty, we wear clothing that has been thrown out of another country.”

“Bolivia Dignified” is an all-purpose motto Morales applies to everything from nationalizing the country’s railways to overturning a ban on high-altitude soccer games. Persuading Bolivians to shed their U.S. hand-me-down fits his vision perfectly. The problem is that as much as the people would like to dress their children in new clothes, the reality of paychecks is a different story.

Evo Morales has made news before. When the former Indian activist took power in 2005 as the country’s first indigenous president, he vowed to do three things. He nationalized Bolivia’s energy industry, which is expected to double the country’s annual revenues. He formed an assembly to rewrite the constitution, which will ensure greater rights to indigenous Bolivans. But it’s his third initiative that has the U.S. concerned. He wants to legalize the growing of coca, which many Bolivians consider an integral part of their culture. Coca has been a major crop since Incan times and its eradication back in the late 90′s plunged many farmers into abject poverty. Keith Richards is also a backer of this initiative.

Morales controversial coca program, his plan to limit foreign investments, his close ties to the leftists governments of Venezuela and Cuba have predictably anatagonized the U.S. Morales has referred to himself as “the United States’ biggest nightmare,” although many Americans know that person is sitting in the White House.

Let’s move on to the photos. Today’s shots were taken from three different locations along West Cliff Drive. The first two shots are of pelicans and cormorants at Bird Rock where there’s always lots of aviary action. The next two are from a sea stack at the end of Woodrow Avenue with the sun low in the sky and the final two come from early one morning at Natural Bridges State Beach. Lots of in-flight action that day and more shots to come.

So that’s it for a Monday. I hope you enjoyed our updated version of “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” My sympathy to New York Giant and Oakland Raider fans. Not the way we wanted to start the season but at least they gave us a few thrills. And speaking of thrills, New York Yankee Alex Rodriquez is tearing it up in the American League. Thank you, A-Rod and please don’t forget to do it in October. Enjoy the byrds.

I was on my way to an Eddie Money concert at the Boardwalk on a warm summer evening in July when I happened upon this pelican gathering. The anchovies (or was it mushrooms and black olives) must have been running at Cowell’s Beach because the pelicans were diving and the gulls were screaming – kind of like an opening act for Money fans. And he rocked the Boardwalk that night just like he did the Catalyst back in the 70′s.

We are gearing up for our first Open Studios coming up in October and I’ll have more news about that next month. So before we go today, congratulations go out to blast list player Jim Berry, whose lovely wedding I attended yesterday on top of Depot Hill in Capitola on just a perfect day to be overlooking Monterey Bay. Lucky we live Santa Cruz. Enjoy pelican Monday.