Late January by gas

 Of course I shouldn't post if we got to these beautiful places on fossil fuel but here I am. My car is laid out with a broken motor mount (from a rock in the road) and the Veggie Voyager is in stasis. These photos were just a late afternoon after rain on Butte Creek on a day there wasn't much energy in us humans but the pussy willows were blooming at water's edge and the water was dancing.

 Yesterday we went up to Panther Meadows and wandered back through the beaver dammed rivulets in the meadow to the forestry road between Panther and Childs Meadows.  A long ice flow on the north side of the rocks flowed down in elegant curtains.

 On the way back Butt Mountain, where we have rested our own butts in summer for the view from this spot along the Pacific Crest Trail, was lit and sweetly familiar across the distance. My thoughts scattered like pine needles along the white expanse of our lives.

I also have a Dream

 It was really helpful to have our Complete Self Attunement (www.csaprocess.com) Winter Deepening this weekend. The pictures are kind of goofy but as I explained elsewhere, when you sit for most of 12 hours a day it feels good to stretch out your back, laugh, eat, chat...

 On the way home I heard Dr. King's I Have A Dream speech from 50 years ago. I know most of the focus went to the Inauguration today but my awakening is to the need for a spokesperson for the Earth and a kind of blueprint or manifesto to go out like the cries for freedom and justice.

 This speech would be harder to write because it would challenge capitalism to its core. It would share the deep honest truths of King's words but apply to that which sustains us all and what we need to do for our grandchildren to live here... I want to say for our grandchildren to live in harmony with the earth but isn't harmony already mostly destroyed by our species? Our task is to regain harmony by learning what it is and taking responsibility to living it from joy and wholeness, not lack.

 The wisdom of the earth, the beauty of the earth and of the human connection to the simple yet profound nature of aliveness can be expressed in a way that would be the anthem for us all. So 50 years from now we can look back and feel that same humble chill of recognition of the truth and foresight of Dr. King.

Still truckin

 Michael and I went up to Colby Meadows today to get a dose of snow and skiing. The valley has been quite cold too with nightly frost.

 Orien is home and she and I went to the Wild and Scenic Film Festival in Nevada City for the weekend. Our friends from Occupy Beale (anti-drone warfare protests) have been felting little activist figures who are almost as cute as real human sized activists.

 The weekend before the HooHoo group got together for lunch. We were supposed to have hats and gloves but being an unruly bunch we just brought our natural style and attitude.

 Michael's brother and sisters visited from Wisconsin and Arizona too. We had fun showing them around, playing games and hanging out. The visit was far too short. (p.s. Bigfoot is not a family member.)

Magical Snow Creatures

 This completed day was clearly the First Day of the New Year. We took the loop above McGowan Lake Trail and encountered graceful swan like creatures along our ski enjoying the sun.

 Michael was able to befriend them and feed them snow. See how they bend to him to experience him better? It is truly love-- that man and the mountain snows which feed his spirit.

 I'm grateful for the curve of the snow, the hoar frost of glistening crystals, the light that plays among the shadows as well as for Michael who always pulls us up into the mountains.

This reminds me to say, without forests and snow these creatures would become extinct. Happy New Year from the land of lore, legend and magic where spirits never die.