My NM wisdom is poorly defined, in other words it's been neglected for way too long. Everything I see here on NM tells me my wife/I need to take a trip from SoCal and explore its beauty in a rugged way. SWFeral uses her trial cameras to their fullest. Your 2 doves are wonderful!!! If it were me I would try removing the feeder on the right to make it more like nature, but it is still beautiful as shown. I think they are Eurasian Ring-Neck Collared Doves.

Keep showing your photos they are all great!

So! I didn’t make up that title just be cute or attract attention. If my terminology is correct, this is a set consisting of three posts, with the first one showing pictures of actual cremations. I made sure to omit any that I thought might bother anyone, but still ….. So if you are sensitive, or if the thought turns you off, please skip this post and go on to the next two. Those are perfectly benign, and I will repeat all the following information in them.


Pasbupotinoth Place, in the city of Kathmandu, Nepal

On April 25, 2015, a very powerful earthquake hit the Kathmandu Valley, right in the metaphorical heart of Nepal, destroying multiple lives along with much of its cultural treasures. My wife and I were lucky enough to have visited a few years earlier, thus were able to see some of those treasures before they literally crumbled to dust. Among them was Kathmandu’s Pasbupotinoth Place.

Located right in the middle of the sprawling city of Kathmandu, Pasbupotinoth Place stands as an awe-inspiring testament to the rich spiritual heritage of the country. This sacred site holds immense significance for Hindus worldwide, drawing pilgrims and tourists alike to witness its profound customs and rituals.

Central to the essence of Pasbupotinoth Place is the ancient Hindu practice of cremation. For generations, Hindus have revered the concept of death as a natural transition, and cremation is seen as a vital step in the soul's journey to liberation. Here, amidst the scent of incense and the echoing chants, the deceased are brought to the sacred cremation ghats (platforms) along the Bagmati River, where their bodies are set alight in the presence of mourners.

The cremation ceremonies at Pasbupotinoth Place are a deeply emotional yet spiritual affair. As in all religions' mourning traditions, families gather to perform last rites with solemnity and devotion, And specifically in the Hindu tradition, they are guided by the belief that a soul untethered from its earthly form can attain moksha (liberation) and eventually be reincarnated in a new life. But, as solemn as the tradition is, as you will see from my photographs, many of the mourners now take close up videos of the affair which, to this westerner, came off as a bit bizarre.

The Bagmati River flowing just nearby holds special significance, as the ashes are often scattered into its holy waters, symbolizing the circle of life and the interconnectedness of all living beings. Then as you will also see, those ashes are swept away as local Nepalese picnic along the opposite shores, right in full view of all these events.

And just to make sure you understand, I didn’t violate any laws or religious tenets by taking photos. When we arrived at Pasbupotinoth Place there were already many people who had their cameras out. I had mine in its case, and several policemen and a few holy men approached me and said something to the effect of “It’s okay!” “Picture taking okay.” And so I did. The only restriction I had was that, as a non Hindu, I could not cross any of the bridges to the side of the river where the cremations took place. Although I had some misgivings, I realized that it was not ethically wrong to take pictures as some of the family members of the deceased were doing the same. I always try my best to respect the laws and traditions of countries I visit, and from what I saw when we were there, photography was not just perfectly fine, it was, in fact, actually invited.

Beyond the profound cremation rituals, Pasbupotinoth Place is also renowned for its association with Sadhus. These revered ascetics, who have renounced worldly attachments, converge at this sacred site seeking spiritual enlightenment and unity with the divine. With colored ash and grease smeared on their bodies and in their hair, the Sadhus lead a life of austerity, dedicating themselves to meditation, contemplation, and the pursuit of self-realization.

Interacting with the Sadhus at Pasbupotinoth Place offers a rare insight into their way of life and their philosophical teachings. Their presence adds an ethereal dimension to the sacred ambiance of the place, attracting curious visitors, some of whom are actually seeking a deeper understanding of Hinduism and its diverse spiritual practices. This area of Kathmandu was a cultural treasure that too few westerners sought out when we were there, and we feel privileged to have been able to witness it in person, and subsequently be a very small part of it.

The Pasbupotinoth temple complex has since become a UNESCO World Heritage Site which gave it some precedence in getting the funds for its needed repairs. Although the earthquake did cause damage to various structures throughout the Kathmandu Valley, structures I will show you in later posts including some temples and buildings within the Pashupatinath Temple complex, extensive resoration efforts have since been undertaken to repair and preserve the country’s important cultural heritage.

With your RV you must travel. I say you should have trail cameras now. Not later. Set it out in the morning in a place where you are confident leave it in place 'til you're leaving. Then, pick it up and when you have time download them to see what you've got. We need more trail cam pics here. I have 9 cameras, never do I take photos of birds nor animals for the sake of clarity.

Now I take them and make videos. I just would like to understand the movie-making process better so I could show them. I have Final Cut Pro 10. I had it well under my belt then Apple dumped it and started a far better program which I now am trying to relearn. Also, DaVinci Resolve has a program that you can get for free forever. The other program costs $295 with only 2 features which are for Pros. I would like to get it when I learn the free one.

My wife and I would like to go to NM and see the animals that are abundant there.

I can't believe how long it's been either. We had such a prolonged and wet and cold winter that I guess the bears overslept, and I was kind of waiting on them to make their appearance so that I had something besides chipmunks and squirrels to share with you. Then the bears showed up, but the first one adjusted that particular camera, which was in a remote spot, so that it pointed up at the treetops, which then triggered two hundred videos with their blowing in the wind; the bear only appeared as a vague blur in a couple of videos.

Then about the time I started getting better results, I had another round of vein treatments which means lots of shorter walks but no longer hikes. I thought I could be patient through all that, but on the way home from the last treatment I stopped halfway for a walk through Deming's Walmart and injured my right knee GETTING OUT OF THE CAR. Injured like, I couldn't bear weight without agony.

So I've been taking very slow, careful, almost meditative walks, mostly near my car which I park out in the forest so that in between walking I can lie on the ground with my feet propped on my camp chair (another part of vein recovery). Only one camera is within reach at this point, and even that had to wait until a few days ago (and it took me a lot longer to get to it than usual). But it was worth the wait, as you shall see in the last photo.

This set features a big bear who marched up to the camera and checked it out but did not molest it, followed by a trio of young elk (one with barely budding antlers), followed by a trio of young bears who ran gleefully past a camera. Next there are those strangest of creatures, a group of coatimundis. They look like they should mess with trail cameras but so far have not.

Then, at one of my favorite camera spots, a momma bear with her tiny cub marches past the camera while the baby practices jumping over things, and mom cannot leave well enough alone. She moves the camera 90 degrees to the left and also aims it at the ground while including a branch in the frame. Very funny, but had she not done so I might have missed the impressively big-pawed and muscular mountain lion that pauses for a drink. Too bad the branch receives most of the illumination from the flash, but I'll take it.

Finally, and I only had the space for one still from the videos, a mother lion followed by her two youngsters. One follows immediately but the other must have dawdled, because it runs past the camera several minutes later squawking frantically. And whereas most of my cameras are at least a few miles' hike or in nearly inaccessible spots (especially for me right now), this family was walking directly towards a trail about fifty feet away, and actually a lesser known trail parallels this wash only fifteen feet away. And it's a popular area.

I did not encounter them, even though we were in the same spot at the same time three days apart.

I hope you enjoy these glimpses into what goes on out there when no one's looking! Except that someone's always looking.

I am starting to find my way around retirement after an unsettling trip to Florida (see post from May 10 if you prefer Florida photos) during which I was pathetically out of my element. Now I'm back on familiar turf, with more time to hike and check my trail cameras, so I'm happy. The cameras have started to get some interesting stuff on my cameras so stay tuned for that, and in the meantime here is a set from two of the places I've been exploring lately. The flowers pictured, in order, are the yellow monkeyflower, false Solomon's seal, and wild strawberry. I hope you enjoy them.