Leaving it in the hands of The Powers that Be

The Powers that Be, that's my name for whatever you might choose to call a higher power, be that God, Allah, Yeweh, or whatever. Anyway, I'd pretty much convinced myself that staying here was the best thing for us to do. My breathing has been better, though not good, since the major fires got subdued, and I really do enjoy Three Rivers, the people we've come to know and our home. Then, the house was shown to a couple that seem like a serious prospect (though that's always meaningless until everyone has signed on the line) and my breathing has taken a downturn at the same time. This time there are no fires nearby, just heat and resulting bad air. More 100 degree plus days and more bad air.

So, I'm just saying "I have no idea what's best." We'll see what comes and just have confidence that whatever that is will be the very best.

Meanwhile, back in the studio, Scottie came upstairs to chat. That meant Cocoa came to get petted. Seeing that action, Ellie decided to join in. Fortunately Buck was outside and Lucy napping on the bed in the master or Scottie would have run out of hands and room.

When Scottie got tired of petting with both hands, Cocoa took the hint and elected to nap. Ellie decided to pester Cocoa for attention. When Ellie first came to us as a very young feral cat, she didn't purr and really didn't get the concept of petting. Now she's insatiable. Cocoa decided that Ellie was her kitty at the very beginning, possibly some innate mother thing since Ellie was very, very young to be on her own. They've remained really good buddies even as Ellie has learned to be a family cat.

Ellie has learned on her own to give kisses, too. She's turned into quite the house cat and shows no desire to live in the wild again. Earning a living out there must have been difficult.

I guess that whether we stay here or move on, home is where the critters are.

All the news that's fit to Blog

One day last week I had just the best day in terms of animal sightings! I was out watering early and a cute little racer snake slithered out from under a salvia when the water hit him/her, about 18-24 inches long and no bigger around than a pencil, with a pretty yellow stripe running down the side.

Then, while watering on the opposite side of the house that same morning, I heard the quail start a ruckus in the gully and looked up to see a bobcat frozen in place stalking them. The cat stood perfectly still for maybe 30 seconds, watching me watching it, then bounded on up the gully leaving the quail alone.

Then, as if that weren't enough, the red shouldered hawk that often circles above and tries to pick off the birds that come to our feeders landed in the oak tree outside our kitchen door. This time all the birds squawked!

Just a day or two later, I found these tracks on the back of our berm where there is often mud:


Those by Scottie's hand are the bobcat. The one above and to the front may be a coyote, not sure. . . . How cool is this? (Thanks, Dr. Hannan for the help on ID!)



And, very, very good reason for my cats to be just indoor girls. Both Mr. Coyote and Ms. Bobcat would love them for dinner!

We have just a ton of birds right now. Migration is obviously starting for some. The rufous hummingbird, one of my absolute favorites, doesn't spend the summer here; and just a very few of them come through here on migration. I got to know them when we lived in New Mexico and really get a kick out of them. They are really pretty with their rust coloration, and they are much more aggressive than the Ana's hummingbirds. They chatter a lot and drive the Ana's away from the feeders. In NM we'd have 20 rufous guys gathered 'round a feeder and full blown hummer wars.

We seem to have more birds that travel through here, but there are a few that I loved in NM that we don't get. The Stellar Jay can be seen higher up in the mountains, but not at this warm elevation. We don't get the pyrrhuloxia (Yes, I had to look up the spelling.) at all, and I really like that grayed-down relative of the cardinal. And, I haven't seen any green tailed towhees here. Darn.

Guess that's just me, always wanting "more" be that animals and birds or something else!

Scottie's is off to the Park for the week. Having sent off his letter to three in the upwards chain of command, he should be in for an interesting time! Leave it to my Sweet Babboo to take on the National Park Service.

Animal House

There are critters that crawl around on the house - like this little lizard.



















There are critters that live in this house.

Ellie Cat is one. She's learned to purr finally.










Lucy Cat rules. She's the oldest of our critters and has no doubt that she is fully in charge.












The dogs got flea meds and hated it. Buck chooses to role in the dirt to disperse his as much as he can.











Cocoa pouted for a while and then retired to the grass and her half of the big bone.








Some critters are wild!

Many of these were taken from a distance and blown up, so they aren't the most clear.


Papa Quail was leading the group for their evening visit to the seeds on the ground beneath our feeders.













The acorn woodpecker is on the oak at the moment, but on his way to the feeder. I've never observed woodpeckers to eat directly from a feeder as much as the ones here do!















Probably the worst photo is the grossbeak! This guy is very skittish, and every time I try for a photo any closer than this one he takes off. So, this is taken through a window from quite a distance and then blown up.















When the sun is hot, the little gold finches like to sit under the big leaves of a sunflower. They also eat the leaves, but they are too tiny to eat the sunflower seeds.


And doves, lots of doves, come around morning and evening to gather whatever seeds they can. They aren't my favorites, but I guess they are entitled to eat too.


And, of course, we have hummers and hummers and hummers. The electrical tape covers places the local bear ripped the little blossoms off to get at the sugar solution inside.


I have no photos of the bear, the deer, the bobcat or any of the other truly wild animals that run around here. But, I'm glad they're here!

Sleeping dogs curled up in hand-made beds,
with pretty scarves tied 'round their necks,
green scarves this time that look quite nice
against the green covers of their hand-made matresses.
The big one snores.
I've never trusted those who can't love dogs;
cats too, though that's more easily understood.
Cats, they do not live in packs with leaders.
They are, like me, much more solitary,
recognize no owner; in fact cannot be owned.
So I more easily understand those humans,
those two-legged animals, who,
because they cannot dominate a cat,
cannot love a cat, since, it seems,
so many two-legged animals
confuse dominance or ownership
with love.
A dog you see will allow that.
He will let you own him or dominate,
perhaps even accept abuse, and
still will follow you, come with tail wagging,
and greet you with delight
even when you've been gone
no more than just a moment.
Still, some human animals cannot return that love.
So, I don't trust them.
A heart so cold as to be unable to love one who
gives love so freely;
a mind that so needs to dominate;
a soul that so needs to hurt.
Are they the ones, I suppose they are,
who train dogs to fight or kill
and call it sport?
Are they the ones, they must be,
who wager which loyal dog
will win and live and which will die?
I don't trust them.
What is it in the heart of man that finds sport
in pain or death?
There is a darkness in such a heart,
an emptiness in such a soul.
I don't trust them.
How could it not be true that the same
dark heart, the same empty soul,
is always there?
There is a lack in such a one,
perhaps born there,
that can't be fixed.
I don't trust them.
I hear the snore, glance up again to see
that both dogs have moved from beds to floor.
They like the cool feel in summer.
In winter they much prefer a bed -
theirs or mine - and the warmth of their pack.
So do I.

Why Not?

Why not get an inhaler if I need it and fight to stay put?

Why not take a little part time job - there's one available at the candy store - for some pocket money and a bit of getting out of myself?

Why not get back to my writing and painting? Maybe that's even better for getting out of self.

I've been way too wrapped up in solving the problems of the world, loved ones' issues (individuals no longer have problems, only issues), the vicissitudes of life and not having any fun!

So, a bit of philosophy:

Desire, according to good ol' Miriam Webster, "stresses a strength of feeling" and "often implies a strong intention or aim." Want, on the other hand, "suggests a felt need or lack."
If one does a bit of research on the "I AM" religious movement of decades ago as well as the more current followers of The Secret, Tolle, etc., one begins to understand the subtle difference.
To project the feeling of "I want" emphasizes the lack and mentally or emotionally can leave an individual stuck in that place of "wanting."
To project "I desire", or better yet "I have/I am", is much more positive and holds within that "strong intention."
It's easy to slip into "I want," and for a while probably harmless. But too much time spent there is not healthy. Wanting becomes a way of life. I want more money; I want better health; I want to go to Europe. And in a quiet, almost sneaky manner wanting, that feeling of "lack," takes over. It's rather like "try." To quote Yoda, "Do or do not; there is no try." Between wanting and trying nothing happens.

But desire, strongly felt, combined with doing accomplishes much. The Chicago Marathon, decades ago, and my running it only happened as a result of that kind of desire coupled with the doing of all the prep work. So will finishing my book, selling more art, and who knows what else.

And finally, a view of the world:

I wake each morning to a tree-top view of life. Because we sit on an hillside we look out through glass doors, past our little Juliet-style balcony, to tree tops. In the distance is Moro Rock. But, up close and personal are trees. I love the feel. I never had a tree house as a kid, but I did love to climb trees, be up high, look out over the world and feel connected to it.

So that's it again. A higher view of life. Never hurts.