Spring Beauty and Unexpected Gifts

Comfrey beginning to bloom beneath the peach and apple trees
on MuRefuge's septic mound.

Teach your children

what we have taught our children-

that the earth is our mother.

Whatever befalls the earth

befalls the sons and daughters of the earth.

If men spit upon the ground,

they spit upon themselves.

This we know.

The earth does not belong to us,

we belong to the earth.

This we know.

All things are connected

like the blood which unites one family.

All things are connected.

Whatever befalls the earth

befalls the sons and daughters of the earth.

We did not weave the web of life,

We are merely a strand in it.

Whatever we do to the web,

we do to ourselves . . .

Chief Seattle

Blooming Service Berry or June Berry (Amelanchier alnifolia)

This Tuesday past the BE BEs were 6 weeks old. The natural tendency to flock has replace the earlier imprinting of human. Within their enclosure that protects them from predation, they follow their "big sisters" along the chicken wire AND if the adult ducks forage too widely, they raise a noisy ruckus until the rest of their flock returns. 

The Tootsie Rolls are in the background
and the BE BEs are the foreground
as they move in tandem along opposite
side of the chickenwire.

It has been interesting to watch the strong bond of connection develop. The older ducks now forage closer to the BE BEs and when they are at rest they choose to do so near the youngsters.

In the background near the duckhouse
you can see the BE BEs standing erect
against their  chickenwire enclosure.
 Ms. Blue (far left), Coco, Ms Crone stands in front
of the Tootsie Rolls.

This Spring with the record breaking rain that has fallen the native plants here at MuRefuge have burst forth in Spring beauty as not previously seen. The Serviceberries are just lush with flowers. Perhaps an abundance of berries will indeed be forthcoming.

The native Douglas Iris (Iris douglasiana) with their gorgeous purple flowers are absolutely stunning against the bright green leaves. As I let the Spring beauty seep into my pores, soothing occurs for the despondency that has surfaced since our neighbors have brought to their 3/4 acre a humungous motorhome which can barely negotiate the curve in our gravel road. While I focus on soil regeneration to decrease the impact of greenhouse gases, I am hit with the realization that this motorhome's negative impact on Mother Earth far outweighs the meager, positive effects of my hard labor and the carbon sequestering happening here at MuRefuge.

An incredibly unexpected gift, however, has been bestowed upon MuRefuge,, in the form of an energetic, bright, hard working, homeschooled older teenager who has agreed to assist with the care of MuRefuge working every Monday afternoon for four hours. He came to work here through an unlikely connection: an employee of the Hessel Church which heretofore has been "a thorn in my side" so to speak with their huge asphalt parking lot, use of Roundup, and general practices of harming Mother Earth. The employee "befriended" me a very kind and heartful way one day when Shasta and I were walking past the church. A hard learned lesson which is so essential for the times: we all need to communicate with one another and listen to one another to heal the contentiousness that is so prevalent right now from the politicians in Washington, D.C. to our neighbors.

As we not only recognize but express gratitude for the Spring beauty and unexpected gifts in our lives, may we