Grief

 Condor perched atop of the bluff of the

Colorado River running through the Grand Canyon.

I for one am experiencing enormous grief about the human caused climate catastrophe. The wildfires in California has disrupted the condors habitat leaving 9 adults missing. These magnificent birds are now fewer.

The California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) 

is a New world vulture, 

the largest North American land bird. 

This condor became extinct in the wild in 1987 

(all remaining wild individuals were captured), 

but the species has since been reintroduced to 

northern Arizona and southern Utah 

(including the Grand Canyon area and Zion National Park), 

the coastal mountains of central and southern California, 

and northern Baja California. 

Although other fossil members are known, 

it is the only surviving member of the genus Gymnogyps. 

The species is listed by the IUCN* as critically endangered.

May 2, 2019 by Dr. Roger Lederer

in Ornithology: The Science of Birds

*International Union for Conservation of Nature 

 

Millions of birds, and a disproportional number of swallows, have been found dead. Bird experts are puzzled and working on figuring out what happened. The most recent explanation is that the migratory birds in California were forced to leave before they readied their bodies for the lengthy flight South. Then the cold snap happened in the Southwest as they were flying through so no insects were available hence birds were literally dropping from starvation. Their carcasses were mere skeletons.

 

                                                              Tree Swallow sitting on a barbwire fence

                                                               near the Point Reyes National Seashore, California.

Earth mother, star mother,

you who are called by 

a thousand names,

May all remember

we are cells in your body

and dance together.

You are the grain

and the loaf

That sustains us each day, 

And as you are patient

with our struggles to learn

So shall we be patient

with our struggles to learn

So shall we be patient

with ourselves and each other.

We are radiant light

and sacred dark

- the balance -

You are the embrace that heartens

And the freedom beyond fear.

Within you we are born

we grow, live, and die -

You bring us around the circle 

to rebirth,

Within us you dance

Forever.

STARHAWK

Focusing on balance as we deal with all the emotions swirling around and in each of us, may we breathe deeply and have a wonderfully releasing

Summer Solstice

"The summer solstice is the time of greatest light.  

It is a day of enormous power.

The whole planet is turned to the brilliance of the sun.

This great culmination is not static or permanent.

Indeed, solstice as a time of culmination is 

only a barely perceptible point.

The sun appears to stand still. Its diurnal motion seems to nearly cease.

Yesterday, it was still reaching this point;

tomorrow it will begin a new phase of its cycle.

Those who follow Tao celebrate this day to

remind themselves of the cycles of existence.

. . . 

All of life is cycles. 

All of life is balance."

"Solstice" from 365 Tao: Daily Meditations. Deng Ming-Dao. 1992.

For any of you who have grown mint,
you know it will spread, spread, and
spread some more. Recycling  this antique
wheelbarrow is good for the planet
and having mint readily available just
outside of our kitchen is just right.

At this zenith of Summer the Oxheart carrots (an heirloom carrot) are ready for harvest.

Here is one of my favorite way to eat them.

Carrot Salad with Parsley/Lovage and Mint 

(recipe adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone.Deborah Madison. 1997.)

3/4 pound carrots

3 T. Nana Mae's Organic Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar 

with herbs from MuRefuge's herb spiral previously steeped for addition complex flavor

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

2 T. Flora 7 Sources 100% plant origin Omega 3-6-9 with EPA & DHA

(of course, you can substitute organic olive oil)

1 T. fresh and chopped parsley or lovage, the latter adds a delish and unusual flavor

2 tsp. fresh and finely chopped mint leaves

Wash carrots and scrub with a brush then grate. Mix the vinegar with salt and pepper

then wisk in the oil. Toss with carrots, lovage and mint. 

This may be served immediately or refrigerated for later.

Western Hazelnut (Corylus cornuta californica) flourishing near the duckpond.
This planting is the third go round on this Certified Wildlife Habitat, MuRefuge,
where the appearance of these nuts is a first time occurrence.

So as we each celebrate this Summer Solstice with balance may we