Two bikes -- same day?

Photo by Pattie Boyd 

Photo by Terry Doran

 

Hide and seek

Photo from Pattie Boyd collection 

 

My Last Hunt

Black and white photos taken by Pattie Boyd 

 My last hunt

 by Richard Ricky Cook III,

50 years ago, after graduating from college, I traveled to India and had a great adventure Tiger hunting. I grew up hunting deer on  MoloK'ai. And had taken my gun all over the world. I loved hunting. My mother and I were in Northern India to learn transcendental meditation with the Maharishi. The Beatles were there. At the same time, a friend from India who was an adventure guide was able to get me on a tiger hunt, during which we rode elephants. It was a thrilling experience, and I shot a tiger.

The following day, my mother related the venture to the Maharishi as John Lennon was listening. I was proud of my accomplishment, and my mother was proud of me. The Maharishi, however, was not impressed. After listening to the story, he replied in a very cold tone, "Life destruction is life destruction." I simply had never thought of hunting in those terms before.

Some months later, my sister pointed out a new song by John Lennon. The lyrics were as follows: "Hey, Bungalow Bill, what did you kill? Bungalow Bill.  He went out Tiger hunting with this elephant and gun. In case of accidents, he always took his mom. He is the All American bullet-headed Saxon mother's son."

 I decided to exchange my gun for a camera. Photographing wild animals in Africa was much more challenging and thrilling and, in the end, much more rewarding. I became a National Geographic photographer for 22 years, covering many stories and books for them.

 Now, I'm an advocate for the natural world and beauty that I so love to photograph today. I would ask Bungalow Bill, what did you honor instead of what did you kill? My father's company, Pole House of Hawaii, built George Harrison's house in Hannah, Maui. And when I sent him my book, Moloka'i, an island in time, I signed it. Bungalow Bill. I thanked him for witnessing and honoring this special passage in my life.

Pattie's Polaroids

photos of George and Eric taken by Pattie Boyd 

 

The Beatles All Too Much: A book Review

 

Photo by Pattie Boyd 

Because I am flying somewhere different across the United States each week for my job, I have been reading on the plane a lot.   Last week I read a Beatles book The Beatles All Too Much: The Untold Story of A Hollywood Actor's Two Months with The Beatles in India written by Judd Klinger.   

The actor in question is Tom Simcox, a frequent Western television actor in the United States in the 1950s and 60s.   Tom gave the author an interview, telling his complete story of his time in Rishikesh and with the Maharishi for the first time.   If you have read other books about the Beatles time in India, you will have heard about Tom being there.   Tom befriended Cynthia Lennon during this time and was a friend as Cynthia was confused by her husband's lack of interest in her.    I have a feeling that if Cynthia was not there with her husband, a romance might have happened between them because they quickly became friendly with each other.   

I found this book to be very interesting because it mostly goes into the reason why John and George were upset with the Maharishi, what the rumors were about the guru and women and how Magic Alex manipulated the entire ordeal.    One thing I did not realize was that Mia Farrow did accuse the Maharishi of making a pass at her --  but this occurred BEFORE the Beatles arrived.   Mia was upset and left the ashram for a bit and then returned after The Beatles had arrived.    I also learned how The Beatles were treated royally at the ashram while others who were there for the same reason such as Tom, were not allowed the same "luxuries."

I liked this book because I was able to read it on a flight from St. Louis to Houston and it was interesting with enough new bits of information to keep me interested.   

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