beautiful lives

I went out just before dusk and snapped a few picture of the hibiscus. They are blooming everywhere. I could never get them growing this well in FL. I think they are a tropical or subtropic bush. But here it seems everything grows. It grows big. The farmer and his wife must have planted the hibiscus when they lived here. The bushes are huge, and this year, right now their blooms are plentiful. I am going to start taking care of them better.

With late day bees buzzing I took a few pictures.

I weeded my carrots and noticed I have a little bunny that must come snack at night. So I took a picture of a carrot, in the event that I may not have another chance.

After the photo, I ate that tasty root, dirt and all. It was sweet and crunchy with a little grit. I wandered over to the stone garage, where I have some volunteer pumpkins. Right in the spot where I tossed the soft jack-o-lantern last year. I love volunteers. These vines are way ahead of the ones I planted.

volunteer pumpkin

Big Pumpkin, said the witch! My favorite Halloween book. I had the accompanying tape long ago and sang it to my kids and nieces. :-)

"First they pulled hard and then they pulled harder, but the pumpkin just sat... DRAT! said the Witch."

Boompa

If you are the praying type, send a little light in the direction of Rusty's grandfather and his family.

After two strokes and two years, his kidneys have failed and he will be transitioning soon. I stayed home to take care of everything. Rusty is there with him, and with Granny, to give her support. I sent a smooth, round, dark gray river stone with Rusty. I had just unearthed it today, before I got the news. I held it in my hands, it was cool and it immediately brought me to the river...

It probably originated from The Great Smoky Mountain National Park. I have always brought home a stone or rock from places I have visited. For me, they bring back the energy on that place, and how I felt there. It is a sacred place.

To me, rivers are the most amazing bodies of water that exist. They come from a source, a single drop of water or smaller, where they are born. Rivers have a destination, a place to flow and go. They pass by the mountains and fields, and some polluted places too. Rivers have carved out their path here on earth. Sometimes the river bed is low, and sometimes it floods it's banks. Rivers always carry a life force that never ends... it just flows into the great sea, waiting to be born again..

So representative of our human journeys.

Boompa is a deeply religious man. Quiet, wise and kind. A salt of the earth kind of guy. I know Jesus will be there for him. Like an old friend waiting for his believer, a shining example of god's handiwork.

I hope he can feel the river in the rock I sent, as he makes his final journey to the Great Sea.

See you later Boompa.

~crow

wee, wee, wee

all the way home...

Guess what was for dinner.

I harvested until dark tonight, after the rain stopped. I only got to three bushes of beans before the night swallowed me up. I brought my harvest down to the green door (table) and thought I would show you all what we else we are eating...

Probably wont eat it all tonight though. The cucumbers came from Shirl. He also gave me a bunch of less than perfect apples, "for your critters" he said. It was very thoughtful. He told me the color of my bean bushes were perfect. (That sounds funny.) But he did say that, and I felt a little pride well up inside of me. He also was impressed with my squash plants. He told me to keep picking the squash young, and the plants will keep giving. I kept picking.

For so reason, today, reminds me of the book, The Giving Tree.

~crow

blood thirsty

"He who fights monsters should see to it that in the process, he does not become a monster. And when you look into the abyss, the abyss also looks into you." - Nietzche

I know I am full of quotes lately, but I guess I am more in a listening phase, more than a talking phase. However, I will reflect a little on this quote.

If you live in American, then you have heard about The Casey Anthony Trial. A Young mother jailed and then put on trial for the murder of her young child Caylee. The trial was televised and had many Americans glued to the tube. It has been the talk of facebook, the media and now has perpetuated on to rants on youtube.com because Casey was found not guilty by a jury of her peers. I have done my best to avoid the constant media coverage. It has proven to be difficult as the ongoing drama of Casey Anthony. It has been everywhere.

It makes me sick.

First, I never have enjoyed shows like 48 hours and the stories of murder and who-done-it. I dislike the crime TV series such as CSI or Law and Order that is broadcasted every night on prime time. I don't like violent or horror movies. I don't want that type of information fed into my brain and soul.

My youngest told me that all of her friends are talking about "that trial". She told me that kids shouldn't be watching that kind of stuff, they should be allowed to just be kids. Obviously, she is repeating my sentiments, as this is not the first time this has come up. But I sure am relieved she is not repeating hate.

I believe we, as human are relatively new to these real-time experiences of crime, violence and gore. I think whether people are conscious of it or not, it embeds itself into our being, and therefor  into our collective consciousness as a people. I am afraid that this overkill (no pun intended) of bad, scary, news is now becoming common place. Scientifically, our brains were not meant to take in this much trauma.If you think your immune, is that something you want immunity of?

America is turning into a blood thirsty society. The details of these stories have to be more sensational and morbid, for that rush. We loose a sense of inner peace when we expose our souls to the horrors of the world. We watch real time War on TV like it is a movie. Cheering for the bombs. We are drawn to the video feeds of watching a tsunami sweep away a village, or planes crashing into tall buildings, played over and over,... and over.

He who fights monsters should see to it that in the process, he does not become a monster.

Which brings me back to the latest drug of choice for America:. Hating Casey Anthony because she got away with killing her child. There are facebook posts, youtube videos with death threats and venomous language coming from a people who revel in their freedom and live in a land that was Blessed by God.We live in a Democracy. We have these laws in place so that the innocent do not go to death for something they did not do. I don't know if Casey killed her child. I wasn't there. I wasn't there when Casey grew up, or how she got to the place where she is at now. I do know, Casey Anthony is a product of this very culture. She, is a representation of us.

And when you look into the abyss, the abyss also looks into you

People, if you can splash some cold water on your face and come back to your soul-self. You would look around and be thankful, perhaps hug your children and tell them how proud of who they are. You would teach them not to hate and how to care. You would show them compassion and grace through your own actions. If you want to make a change on the earth, you have a short amount of time to imprint your positive energy. Give without expecting back. Reserve judgment on your fellow travelers, or at the very least reserve judgment until you have walk a mile in their shoes.Stop feeding off of hate, and dine of some love. Turn off the TV and see if you can do a little something to help out, in your own world. And if you cant help somebody, please try not to harm them.

crow

Hafiz

 

"Even after all this time, the sun never says to the earth,'You owe Me.'

Look what happens with a love like that: it lights the whole sky."

-Hafiz

 

 

 

~crow

 

how on earth?

"When people ask me, "How did you get interested in animals and nature?" I reply, "How on Earth did you lose your interest in animals and nature?"

Sir David Attenborough

first tomatoes

 

a different variety

stakes

no stakes

time to weed... again

one of the surviving cucumber plants

duck food (formally broccoli)

 crow

eight naked souls

This is what rabbits look like when they are born.

English Angora Rabbit Kits in the nest.

My super Mom Tahoe, the English Angora, kindled during the wee hours of the morning. There were no dead, no missing parts, no signs of birth. Just a neat and tidy nest fulled with her own wool that she plucked from her belly. All the kits were in the nest, nobody was on the wire, and everybody looks good. There are some runts, but I am sure Tahoe will get them fat and big in no time.

Rabbits are born blind, and deaf and have no hair. They are pretty defenseless. But they have an instinct to "pop" up when they sense that Mom might be near. It is really quite cute. I was checking her nest, and chopping up her wool that she pulled when the kits started to pop like popcorn. I cut the wool so it doesn't wrap around any necks. Rabbits, aren't affected by a human touching their kits. Tahoe and I have done this before.

Why breed rabbits? I know there are animal activist who think there are enough unwanted rabbits in the world. I have to agree. But these rabbits have a home. Here. They will produce wool, (angora) the warmest and softest wool there is, which I will harvest from them about 3 times a year. I will have to show you  one of my rabbits when they are at prime, and an after picture when they have had a hair cut. It is amazing. The grooming, I believe, is an art form.

My rabbits get a specialty diet, (that is not cheap) fresh water at all times, and premium hay to aid in digestion. They get exercise, and plenty of human contact.  I have to groom them once a week to keep their wool debris free and tangle free. This is done by blowing (with a shop vac) the wool and combing (lightly) any tangles. Their nails get trimmed regularly, and they are examined for any health concerns on a regular basis.

The English Angoras are part of my sustainable living plan here on our farm in WV. Even their poo pellets get used in the garden. They are perfect for cold climates, because of their wool.

I will sell some of rabbits to help support the rabbit program. But only to responsible breeders or owners. English Angoras are labor intensive. Many fiber artists keep them so they have a supply of the soft wool. All rabbits will have a place here if they ever need to be re-homed by their new owners. My rabbits are not cheap. I wont sell at Easter, when some folks like to buy a bunny, then later down the road lose interest in it. These are pedigreed, purebred and are responsibly bred. Meaning: if they have any unwanted features or attributes, they will be used as wool-ers or pets only. They are not in-bred, or over bred.

I think I made a good choice for a small farm operation. I know it sounds like quite a bit of work, but the rewards, are plentiful.

~crow