fun and seriousness

We went up to the foothills to a potluck at Ellen and Lees'. The young hummingbirds here were easy to get near but lack the flashing purple of the adults.

This is Beth, Ellen, Mary and Shanti. Community folks I've known a long time with our lives interweaving.

Lee keeps bees in the living room as well as regular outside hives. You can watch these bees from either side, watch how they maintain the hive. They fly in and out of the house through a small hole through the wall to the outside.
We went on a wonderful walk to Shanti's house down the road. Some of the wildflowers are still blooming. I quickly forgot the name of this one...

Now switching gears, below is Reverend Pickett, up from Texas where he worked for many years as a prison chaplain, ministering in the last hours to the people in their last hours before being murdered by the state. He has become a very strong force for restorative justice, urging everyone to take a stand against the death penalty. Thanks to the Chico ACLU Branch for staying on task on what we need to be doing, besides wandering around in the wildflowers.

What will it be?

I was just recounting the wonderful contribution of the libraries here and in Canada to the populace. They and the wonderful resources they offer are the last indoor vestige of a commons we have. Our libraries are in trouble due to the county (and state) budget cuts. Look at the shining goodness in these faces before we have the next round of angry whipped up Republican anti-taxation tea parties. If we don’t have progressive fair taxes, without the excesses of war and corruption, we won’t retain or recreate what we value about the quality of life we refer to as American, much less achieve sustainability.

Comanche Creek is again under threat from the developers who want to put a road across it and run a road along it. We have to fight again to hold onto our hopes of a riparian corridor and neighborhood park and walk/bike loop. I caught this photo this morning on my way to work.

Susan Mason got one of the Mayor’s Volunteer awards tonight at the City Council meeting. She’s logged in thousands of hours, without financial support, in helping lower Bidwell Park and Big Chico Creek, which flows through it, to achieve some restoration of its health. Here she is with Michael, who is growing out his beard to protect his dear face from sun damage.

The fox tails are looking pretty in this photo with the light on them but they have a curse of productivity. Sending their seed into your socks or dog’s feet, springing up an inch high if they are mowed… ever so willing to adapt and survive.

Frontline about water pollution (“poisoned waters”) is just ending. I feel like my blood has drained away. My dear planet and the window of time.. everyone keeps warning and everything keeps getting worse.
Yesterday there were record high temperatures in the Sacramento Valley. I was glad I got out and rode my bike today to work though…got over a hump with the traffic… I can do it.

Easter Energizings

Today is Tax Day (and Michael’s birthday. He is skiing Mt. St. Helen’s today.) The Beyond War Coalition had wonderful characters, giant coins (to emphasize visually our skewed military budget) and a giant mailbox so people could vote their tax dollar preferences. All their creativity and effort was dwarfed by the Republican “tea party” noon extravaganza that brought out all the unstable, unreasonable and other-blaming element from far-out and farther. I surmise these folks have chemical or neurological disorders that fling them far a field of logic and fact but it doesn’t matter, they support the yahoos who run the state Republican party and the Republican agenda to get and keep money in the hands of the wealthy business class and the military industrial complex. It doesn’t matter that over 50% of every tax dollar goes to past or current military related spending…blame the “teenage immigrant welfare mothers on drugs.” (As the song goes.) I got a letter to the editor off this morning protesting the underbelly of their protest due to my own chemical uprisings. I worked, leafleted at the Post Office, turned in my Tax Day letters to our “representatives” in Congress…sent off my state taxes.

And, finally, got out to the asparagus to harvest dinner, as Michael wanted me to do. (Each night when he calls he asks if I’ve harvested the asparagus so this lovely eve my feast is in his honor. I wish him grand vistas, long sweeps of great powder and safe, fun, non grueling time in between.)

Pancakes for Peace is an Annual Peace and Justice Center fund raiser and community happening that is as energetic as any energizer bunny. Volunteers work from dawn to mid-day cutting fruit, flapping jacks, washing dishes, and a myriad of other tasks to make this fun and beneficial for all. This year Karen Goodwin came up with the cruelty free idea of easter rocks instead of hard boiled dyed poultry eggs… unfortunately the idea didn’t leave the coop but the ones that were done were an inspiration.

Holy Week Home

Evolving Earth time. Planet flags line the streets of Chico. Lots of money and non recyclable material to make this visible reminder. Do we remember it's finite and incredibly complex and also fragile when we drive by lamp posts festooned by the image?

Dogwood and Icelandic poppies herald me on the way into Augie's to meet with Steve Tchudi about making the VV into a book. Ah the trepidation and confusion that I'm now meeting in the eddies of my energy with this idea, that's really been forcing down on me. I've decided to move it forward. Quite the crazy time of year to decide to do an indoor project but... All honor to Steve Tchudi. I feel comfort that if I can provide the words and the photos a wonderful book will be birthed into the world through his expertise and time.

Earlier in the day, when it was still rainy, I went up past the Honey Run road covered bridge on Butte Creek to meditate with my dear friend, passing back this way a few hours later with such a better relationship with the stillness and sensing needed for this book birthing. Bridged my dualities between the expansive bliss of nature worship and the painfilled reality of human and planetary suffering that digs its way into my psyche. Holy home.

Meanwhile, me Mikey will be turning 62 out on the road with Sasha, his ski buddy Arthur, and the Veggie Voyager. My Love follows him to the summits and valleys of his Oregon trip.

A loop through

I'm back home after doing this huge loop up north to Dunsmuir, Mt. Shasta and McCloud. It's my first travel to do trainings for my work with the Cancer Detection Program: Every Woman Counts (in the 42 MPG Geo Metro super car.) Today I headed east to the great mountain valleys as far east as Bieber.

Before I did the loop I skied on Sunday at the Nordic Track on the flank of Mt. Shasta. First time I've skied alone since Michael and I have been married. I felt independent but missed sharing my experiences with him.

I had the sobering experience of helping with the rescue of an older skier who did a seat plant on some tree litter at the base of a hill. He broke his leg or his hip or his pelvis or just dislocated a past hip replacement. The main thing is that it was sudden and incredibly painful and disrupting to his life. One minute you're drinking in this beautiful afternoon of skiing then boom, off to the hospital with a serious problem.

Just as I was leaving home Sunday morning Ruby and Lev were leaving the land in Magnolia. They were with us through the winter and it seemed like the time just flew. It was really hard to have them go. I'm so tired of loss and we all fell in love with them. Mainly we just want them to stay safe and healthy as they motor off to wherever they go next but it would also be pretty great if they'd come back.... (www.homeonearth.blogspot.com)