A Prayer in Yellow

Democracy

It Takes Two To Tango Or Tangle.

In Black Bear Country

Up on the Tesuque trail an experienced camper told us how he got surprised this morning by a black bear. Above 8000 feet the air is so bright and clear, the temperatures still cool, Spring only just started. Unlike last year there was not one patch of snow or ice to be found to Isabella-girl's chagrin.

Happy Memorable Holidays!

Glory

Life this beautiful

must be good

one wants to believe.

om reflected

My likeness, taken off the kitchen mirror on my return home from being out and about, having walked my pups in my fabulous, wide brimmed, silvery, Kentucky-Derby style, summery hat.

Catty Business

One bold new cat on the block checks out me and my pups.

In only a moment our Pretty Kitty will chase this newcomer

around our neighbor's home in to a more defensive mode.

Locking eyes with this newcomer,

our Pretty Kitty will victoriously gloat

with ostentatious, leisurely rolls in the dirt.

The Real Miss Pearl

The real Miss Pearl, my neighbor's sweet Lab is no more. After a brain injury with obvious presence of pain it was decided that it was best for Miss Pearl to pass on. An exceptional vet came to the home to assure a smooth transition.

 

Only a few weeks ago in March, Miss Pearl came to the gate to greet us, despite her trouble in getting up. Now, I miss Miss Pearl's barking at passersby in hopes of garnering some attention.

When I got my very first dog, my Isabella-girl, despite all the many fears I had of sharing my home with a dog, another living, breathing and feeling being, despite my many anxieties of taking care of another creature, a creation of god-dess, nothing prepared me for the sadness of loosing so many sweet canine buddies of ours like Bashty, Heidi, Ray to name only a few.  I am comforted by the knowledge that Miss Pearl, the Real Miss Pearl, had a very good life, filled with love, long walks and plenty of attention.

Made For Each Other

They are such a cute couple and a class act, as they entertain on the plaza to fund their trip to Colorado and on to the West Coast. They travel with two dogs. Their car died along the way, after they had  just put all their money in to it. A to me all too familiar story.

George kinda grilled the girl about her life and her choices. She was very kind and forthcoming and we learned that not surprisingly she had felt like a misfit, got very depressed and had left home still a teen to travel cross country. Amazing to think that such a wild and wonderful girl with such bright lights in her eyes could have been seriously depressed!

 

This all led to their very upbeat, what they called their Post-Apocalyptic Heavy Metal Blues. I might suggest with a good measure of Zydeco thrown in, a rather class act performance, really rhythmic, fun and very entertaining. I wish them only the best with safe travels and happy trails!

Meanwhile the actor Willem Dafoe was hanging outside the Plaza Cafe where they were and will be shooting a movie for a few more days here in Santa Fe. Strange to experience such an exciting, balmy evening here while not so far away a tornado created unimaginable damage, with more then one hundred (116) lives lost tragically. Of course our hearts go out to those folks and to that whole huge area, across several states that has more severe weather in the forecast with more extreme tornadoes likely, especially for today.

Post-Apocalyptic Ponderings

False beliefs abound. The non-occurrence of the rapture makes me wonder about those convictions of mine, and yours, that proved to be wrong. 

Last Spring my skin would crawl repeatedly in the evenings after a few hours of sitting at my computer low to the ground. I was convinced my dog's Isabella's pests were jumping ship, or rather host, even though the vet had called them "host-specific" as they did not seem to bother my other two furry companions. When the exterminator told me it was, if not all, mostly all in my mind (after I had payed him the $300 for his service in despair) I was dumbfounded. He fumigated my home with Cedar after a 2 months struggle in fighting the pests daily, for hours. My skin still crawled for a while, but I gave it no longer my attention and my symptoms subsided.

There was also a time about 12 years ago, in transition in the bay area, living in my van that was breaking down repeatedly costing me money I did not make, when I experienced what turned out to be anxiety, but felt like a potential heart attack with symptoms strong enough to have kept me up all night and to have propelled me to the nearest emergency room for the first, and I hope last time ever. Now we know women are often misdiagnosed and heart disease may not get recognized. I did not fully believe the doctor, even after being monitored, but I did chose to change my life style, found a temporary home, started to cook my own meals again instead of eating out all the time and I abstained from stimulants, mainly chocolate and Chai. It worked.

Of course most of us hold limited beliefs that somehow got indoctrinated to us in our childhood. We believe we are no good, not good enough, can't do it. Even Lady Gaga the almost overnight super success admits to such.

So I wonder what outdated beliefs may shape us, you and me, but I really worry which ones operate in our politicians and make them act on totally wrong premises? I feel for those that lost their beliefs with the non-event of the supposed rapture. Our hunger for certainty seems rapacious, never ending, but we would better make it a habit to check on those assumptions of ours for the good of all.

Earthly Light

Earthly, rather then heavenly light

on the eve of the supposed rapture.

Rapture

A lot of folks expecting their transport to heaven may lose their belief, maybe their faith, not to speak of  their means of survival, for those that gave it their all. We all would do well to take this as an opportunity to check up on our own belief systems and see if they hold up to the light of day, to our experiences, or if they too need re-visioning. Rather then ridicule we can use each and every part of our existence as grist for the mill of consciousness.

The Devil is in the Details

 As in heavy duty road work equipment

 As in my Isabella girl's cute curled tail.

 As in a closer look at an ordinary Butterfly bush.

 As in the single drops that make up the wet.

Peace!

Happy Full Moon!

 

Waiting

for the rise of the almost full moon.

Why?

 

This girl joined us

up on the highest point

in the park's playground

She is a star.

Does she know?

 

I wonder.

Disconcerting

Strong winds blow allergens

I sneeze so hard

my one loose tooth rattles.

Terrible Terriers

Sumo Smiles

Last Ones Up

These are the very last pear blossoms up on our tree.

Spring (life) is so fleeting.

Strangers Kissing!

Guys!

Winners!

Vasco and Eric, two very athletic guys made 2. place 

at our annual Paws for a Cause
fund raising event for the shelter,
hooray!

Cochiti Trail with 8 Dogs

Eric on bike on Cochiti trail 

with 8, yes, eight dogs

 running 12 miles.

Our Sumo-boy way up front in the lead.

Vasco, the patriarch of Eric's pack, the father of 5 pups,

chose the role of protector of me and Isabella, on his own. 

While quiet the athlete, he took it on himself to stay behind.

He will do the same when Eric's wife comes along on outings.

But Vasco barely knows me, and I must say, 

I felt safer with him near.

Ecstatic reunion between Eric and Vasco

as the 7 of them catch up with us 3.

Interestingly once Sumo decided to hang back with us,

Vasco felt free to run off. They traded places. Amazing.

The sight of dogs off lead, 

able to follow their noses

with their tails up high

is such a happy sight.

Obama Bagged Osama

Osama bin Laden is dead. President Obama, our premature Nobel Peace price winning Commander-in  chief takes full credit. Some see that as justifiable cause for jubilation and patriotic bursts of pride. I can not see the killing of a man as a cause worthy of celebration.  The killing of any man, even the poster man for Al-Qaeda, even the world's foremost terrorist, is a somber occasion to my sensibility, maybe one to lead to a loud sigh of relief, maybe a long exhale, and most certainly to a  deep moment of silence.

Let's remember the victims of 9/11. Those that perished and those that suffered from that tragic loss, especially the children. Let's also remember those in the wars, on both sides,  and world wide, the victims of those that believe violence to be an answer to their ills. Let's even include those that turn to violence  as a solution and open our hearts to include them and pray (or hope) that they too will see the light and gain in understanding so as to abstain from such extreme and uncivilized measures in the future. Let's turn over a new leaf. Today is a new moon, a chance for a new beginning.

If only this would mean the US withdrawal from the wars. Unlikely, rather the military complex will now be strengthened and supported yet even with more funds while President Obama's chances for a second run look a whole lot more promising today. So the wheels keep on spinning. 

Will humanity evolve or devolve?

We just learned that Osama bin Laden was unarmed and that one son was killed as well. The first shot supposedly came to his heart, the second to his eye which must have blown out his brains. Meanwhile in the rest of the civilized world there are some that voice opposition to the killing rather then the bringing to justice, meaning to a court of law, a person accused of no matter how heinous a crime. To those the US looks less civilized and some have even questioned if the US should be allowed to participate in the UN! 5.3.11

Michael Moore spoke right out of my heart and as always from within his unique point of view. Here are some of his points that particularly resonate with me:

- ‎"Let's be clear: There is no "war with al Qaeda." Wars are between nations. Al Qaeda was an organization of fanatics who committed crimes. That we elevated them to nation status – they loved it!"

- ‎"Even though our own CIA tells us there are no more than a few dozen al Qaeda left in Afghanistan. We still have 100,000 troops there fighting a few dozen crazies? We say we're fighting the Taliban, too, but the Taliban are Afghan citizens..." 

- ‎"on the day it was announced that Hitler was dead, there was no rejoicing in the streets, just private relief and satisfaction. The real celebration came six days later at the announcement that the war in Europe was over. THAT'S what the people wanted to hear – not just the demise of one evil madman, but the end to all the killing." 

- "My own spiritual beliefs do not allow for capital punishment"

Kudos are due to Senator McCain who keeps speaking out against torture and does not need to see a photo of  another slain man. This is a very rare sign of approval from me as regards McCain. 

And finally my response to Olbermann's response to some of the left's responses to Michael Moore:

‎Michael Moore is not just questioning, but he is requesting, next he will be begging and pleading  and god-dess forbid praying for us, the US, to retreat back to the moral high ground and remember what a civil, enlightened, modern society really should stand for. And until the tone and the actions show an evolution reflected in actions nation and world - wide, neither Michael Moore, Keith Olbermann, or any soul with a conscience should stop pointing out the obvious. Friday, May the 13th.

The Gods Are Smiling

 Coffee & Cream

 Home Made Apple/Cranberry Pie

Freshly Picked Lilacs

The Gods Are Smiling

How I broke my fast today

The best Quesadilla ever! Made with greens from our community garden. Leeks and kale never tasted better, plucked fresh last night. I picked only a few of the largest leafs, so the plants keep on growing. Last year nothing was growing at this time, but last winter an experiment got under way that kept plants alive and growing all winter under a plastic cover. Bottles of black water kept enough heat for the one bed to thrive. Really thrilling. Seemingly an old traditional way of growing in our Land of Enchantment. Last year I remember our May 1. unexpected deep freeze. The little bit that was growing in the garden got killed and shriveled up. This year again, today, we have a forecast for another late freeze. This time I sure hope those plants will survive and thrive.

So, I took two sprouted whole wheat tortillas, melted a slice of Pepper Jack cheese on each and then added the kale, leeks and parsley from the garden, stir fried quickly in Sesame oil with half an onion,  2 medium hot green Hatch chili peppers, a bit of fresh ginger and a spritz of Braggs. A bit of extra stir fried greens on the side did not last long and the tomato salsa made a perfect compliment in color and taste. 

This is certainly a very pleasurable way to eat more greens, which is my intention. My motto of 'eat sweets instead of greens' no longer holds water.