Paying attention is a form of reciprocity with the living world,
Robin Wall Kimmerer
receiving the gifts with open eyes and open heart.
Paying Attention
-
-
Clear Blue Skies
There is One Holy Book, the sacred manuscript of nature, the only scripture which can enlighten the reader… All scriptures before nature’s manuscript are as little pools of water before the ocean.
Hazrat Inayat KhanIt is about 3:26 pm and I have not seen a cloud all day, just clear blue skies. They also turned on the fountain in the holding pond so I am listening to the bubbling of water and birds singing. The weather app says we are at 87 degrees and may reach 90 degrees. I rode the red steed to coffee this morning and found it most enjoyable. I saw a Great Blue Heron fishing for breakfast and two does grazing along the creek. I also see that it’s hot in Concord, Sterling Heights and North Berwick. Please stay cool and enjoy your weekend.
-
What is needed for life.
An organism that is too greedy and takes too much without giving anything in return destroys what it needs for life.
Peter Wohlleben, The Hidden Life of TreesWhen I read this quote from Wohlleben I instantly thought of the organism as mankind. I doubt if this bee will take more nectar than is necessary. Which then lead to the question, “What would we learn if we were to read and study this book of nature?” It has been a warm sunny day. Spent some time in the park today and listened to the music made by wind and trees. I hope you had a good day!!
-
Morning Flowers
how I long to see
Basho
among the morning flowers
the face of GodMay you have a wonderful weekend!!!!
-
A quiet light…
The gift of a ladybug and yes, they do have a heart. There is a quiet light that shines in every heart. It draws no attention to itself though it is always secretly there. It is what illuminates our minds to see beauty, our desire to seek possibility and our hearts to love life. Without this subtle quickening our days would be empty and wearsome, and no horizon would ever awaken our longing. Our passion for life is quietly sustained from somewhere in us that is wedded to the energy and excitement of life. This shy inner light is what enables us to recognize and receive our very presence here as blessing. We enter the world as strangers who all at once become heirs of a harvesting of memory, spirit and dream that has long proceeded us and will now unfold nourish and sustain us. The gift of the world is our first blessing.
John O’Donohue, Benedictus -
Aren’t you glad you asked?
Some of you may ask, what’s a crane fly? Well, a crane fly is any member of the dipteran superfamily Tipuloidea, which contains the living families Cylindrotomidae, Limoniidae, Pediciidae and Tipulidae, as well as several extinct families. (If you are able to pronounce any of those names you win a bag of Dove’s Dark chocolates and a Mars bar!!) Aren’t you glad you asked? But wait I’ve got more information to share. An adult crane fly, resembles an oversized male mosquito, typically has a slender body and long, stilt-like legs (and no feet) that are deciduous, easily coming off the body. When they say oversized I mean this one was two inches across. Adults have a lifespan of 10–15 days (which leaves almost no time for any sort of life). The adult female usually contains mature eggs as she emerges from her pupa, and often mates immediately if a male is available. (Okay guys, time to show up! Ya ain’t got much time.) Some members of the tipulid genus Tipula, such as the European crane fly, Tipula paludosa and the marsh crane fly T. oleracea are agricultural pests in Europe. The larvae of these species live in the top layers of soil where they feed on the roots, root hairs, crown, and sometimes the leaves of crops, stunting their growth or killing the plants. They are pests on a wide variety of plants (And they can do this in a very short time.)
And yes there is more. There is an enduring urban legend that crane flies are the most venomous insects in the world; however, they have neither venom nor the ability to bite. The myth probably arose due to their being confused with the cellar spider as they are also informally called “daddy longlegs”. Despite widely held beliefs that adult crane flies (or “mosquito hawks”) prey on mosquito populations, the adult crane fly is anatomically incapable of killing or consuming other insects. Although the adults of some species may feed on nectar, the adults of many species have such short lifespans that they do not eat at all. Now, I know you’re glad you asked!!
All information was gathered from Wikipedia.
-
Pollinators
This image is of a Xerochrysum bracteatum, commonly known as the golden everlasting or strawflower Bees are known to be good pollinators and they have the distinction of having a spelling contest named after them. However, not many people are aware that wasps are also pollinators but they do not have a spelling contest named after them. Wasps look much like bees, but are generally not covered with fuzzy hairs. As a result, they are much less efficient in pollinating flowers, because pollen is less likely to stick to their bodies and to be moved from flower to flower. Wasps are omnivores and eat other insects, invertebrates, and nectar. Wasps prey on other insects to give to their larvae. Adult wasps only eat sugars, though. Wasps get hydration and sugar from drinking the nectar from flowers or fruits. As they drink the nectar from flowers, they passively transfer pollen between flowers. The parasitic forms of wasps lay their eggs on or in other insects or invertebrates, and they become the hosts. Enough about pollinators. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
-
…the world depends on it
Because
So I can’t save the world—
Because from The Unfolding by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer
can’t save even myself,
can’t wrap my arms around
every frightened child, can’t
foster peace among nations,
can’t bring love to all who
feel unlovable.
So I practice opening my heart
right here in this room and being gentle
with my insufficiency. I practice
walking down the street heart first.
And if it is insufficient to share love,
I will practice loving anyway.
I want to converse about truth,
about trust. I want to invite compassion
into every interaction.
One willing heart can’t stop a war.
One willing heart can’t feed all the hungry.
And sometimes, daunted by a task too big,
I tell myself what’s the use of trying?
But today, the invitation is clear:
to be ridiculously courageous in love.
To open the heart like a lilac in May,
knowing freeze is possible
and opening anyway.
To take love seriously.
To give love wildly.
To race up to the world
as if I were a puppy,
adoring and unjaded,
stumbling on my own exuberance.
To feel the shock of indifference,
of anger, of cruelty, of fear,
and stay open. To love as if it matters,
as if the world depends on it. -
Japanese Beetle
Japanese Beetle feasting on a tree leaf I’ve been noticing these bugs a lot this year. They are stunning in color and vibrancy. A Google search tells me this is a Japanese beetle. It is not considered a pest in its native Japan, but in North America and some regions of Europe, it is a noted pest to roughly 300 species of plants. Some of these plants include roses, grapes, hops, canna, crape myrtles, birch trees, linden trees, and others. The adult beetles damage plants by skeletonizing the foliage, as you can see in this image, as well as, at times, feeding on a plant’s fruit. When I took my camera for a walk this morning I took a few photos of them. Interesting that if you enlarge the photo you can see my reflection in its head.
-
Making History
I rode the red steed to Mugs for coffee this morning. Adrianna was my barista and an Old Town Mocha was my drink. Jeff, Curtis, Adrianna, Joan and myself each gave of our time to one another through our presence, conversation and laughter. I choose to believe we all made some difference in one another’s lives.
Pollen laden bee on a Black-eyed Susan One little person giving all of her time to peace makes news.
from Peace Pilgrim
Many people giving some of their time to peace can make history.Jeff and I rode by the CSU Flower Gardens on the way home. When I got home, I felt I did not stay long enough or walk around enough. I think I’ll return later this evening in an effort to make another small ripple. The bees were busy giving their time and making their small ripples in life, fulfilling their role in creation. I watched while they indulged in the process of pollination. And, later as I journaled on my porch, I shared the arm of my chair with a ladybug. We also gave of our time to one another. I wrote while they watched. Then, I watched two young squirrels chase one another around the tree. Again, we gave of our time to each other. I let them entertain me while they played. The bees, the ladybug and the squirrels live a life so much differently than our world of consumerism and scarcity. Their role in life is about making history. So, my prayer today is that more people give some of their time to peace, sending out small ripples, and making history rather than the news.
