An Outdoor Day + "Risen"

Happy Late Night, Sweet Baby,

Today was picture perfect outside, the epitome of Spring weather, so it was a good day to Get Out There. First I took the Kobester to Northridge Park, which I have mentioned is a special place for us because it's always so peaceful there. As we know, sometimes a certain piece of land can have a magical vibe all it's own, and Northridge Park has it for sure. While we were there, we watched an LAPD helicopter do a series of "touch & go" takeoffs and landings at the Devonshire Division police station right across the street. Maybe they were training a new pilot. He would lift off from the station, then circle around about a mile or so out, and then come back - real low - and "almost" land......and then he would takeoff again and repeat the process. It was fun to watch, just because we were so close.

Later on at 2pm I drove up to the DeCampos Trail in Granada Hills, which is the main trail to the top of Mission Point. DeCampos Trail starts at a cul-de-sac on a residential street, about a half mile from O'Melveny Park, and winds for 2 1/4 miles up the mountainside to the top. Time constraints limited me to going only halfway, but I had a blast and climbed high enough to take that photo I posted, of the tall buildings way down in L.A., 25 miles distant. I did some Googling and looked at skyline images, and now I think the buildings are Downtown L.A. itself, instead of the much smaller Century City. It's pretty far out that you can see all the way to Downtown, but I guess when you are high up, 25 miles isn't very far. And, I was also using the 20X Optical Zoom on my camera for the very first time, which made the buildings look a lot closer than they were. On the floor of the Valley, you can't see them at all because they are hidden by the Santa Monica Mountains. On the floor of the Valley, all you can see is the Valley and the surrounding mountains.....

I will still get to the top of Mission Point by my birthday, and the DeCampos Trail is quite a bit easier than the trail from O'Melveny Park, which I climbed last week. That one is a heck of a lot steeper in places. DeCampos is steady-steep, but gradual so you don't feel it as much.

So that was the day, absolutely gorgeous outside, with lots of activity. This evening I watched a movie, "Risen", which I believe was released last year. It is the story of a Roman Centurion's search for the body of Christ, following the Crucifixion. He is directed to do so by Pontius Pilate, who fears that Jesus' following will grow if His prediction of His Resurrection is believed to be true. For Pilate, the discovery of a dead body will quash that belief. Not being a bible scholar, I don't know if this story, of the Roman's quest, is in the Bible or not. I only know the story of the two women reporting that Jesus' body was not in the tomb, but anyway, whether the film is historical or not, it is very well done, and goosebump inducing, to be honest.

Modern filmmaking techniques, i.e. stylised high-tech camera work and some CGI-filled out matte backgrounds prevent the film from attaining the artful realism of a film like Pasolini's "The Gospel According To St. Matthew", which I saw a couple weeks ago and which remains the best film I have ever seen on the life of Christ, but having said that, this movie - which is more about the Roman Soldier's quest - is very well done, especially as it is centered around Joseph Fiennes' leading role as the Roman, who makes an ultimate discovery and is converted.......

He is a great actor, and you undertake his journey alongside him, resulting in the aforementioned goosebumps near the end. All in all, despite the CGI "look" of some of the film, it really is very heartfelt, and a good mystery too, which is really the plot of the film. It's a mystery : "what happened to the body of Jesus? Was it stolen by His followers, to facilitate a false prophecy, or was He actually Risen, which is the culmination of the Easter Story?

For me, I of course believe. I have zero doubt, and do not believe the story would have lasted for 2000 years unless people could feel it's truth. That, to me, is the key. Not to be told a story, in childhood, and simply believe the words........but to feel inside, the truth of it.

I shall not proselytise any further, but it was an excellent movie.

I hope you had a great day. I only saw one post, about The Warped Tour, so I hope you are going to the local show, and I hope all else is going well. Post if you get a chance.  :)

I Love You.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)