September

Reminiscing about a cat I once had called September. She was a playful kitten and a very moody adult cat. Never could figure out why her personality changed like that. Here are a few pics from her kittenhood.



Cute pics

Just sharing a couple of cute pics I came across last week...

(Okay, it's a slow news day, but still, they're cute...really!

Can you stand it?

Stress

This lovely bird was part of a wildlife educational event I attended a couple of years ago. A parrot rescue group brought some of the birds that had been surrendered to them because the owners could no longer care for them for whatever reason to help educate the public on their care.

Birds are extremely sensitive to their environments, and some will pull their own feathers out as a coping mechanism if something is wrong in their environment. In this fella's case, I believe he came from a broken home where there was a lot of arguing and it stressed him out very badly and he pulled out his feathers. The parrot rescue folks said he was much better than when he was first surrendered to them. When I saw him, he was hard at work trying to open a walnut.



Birthday Cakes

Just sharing some birthday cake... ;-)

Enjoy!





For a New Beginning

The poetry fest continues! This is a poem by another of my favorite poets, John O'Donohue. Enjoy!

For a New Beginning

by John O’Donohue

In out-of-the-way places of the heart,

Where your thoughts never think to wander,

This beginning has been quietly forming,

Waiting until you were ready to emerge.

For a long time it has watched your desire,

Feeling the emptiness growing inside you,

Noticing how you willed yourself on,

Still unable to leave what you had outgrown.

It watched you play with the seduction of safety

And the gray promises that sameness whispered,

Heard the waves of turmoil rise and relent,

Wondered would you always live like this.

Then the delight, when your courage kindled,

And out you stepped onto new ground,

Your eyes young again with energy and dream,

A path of plenitude opening before you.

Though your destination is not yet clear

You can trust the promise of this opening;

Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning

That is at one with your life's desire.

Awaken your spirit to adventure;

Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk;

Soon you will be home in a new rhythm,

For your soul senses the world that awaits you.

From the book, To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings

The Journey

Next up, a fabulous poem by Mary Oliver about finding yourself, your own voice, your own song, in spite of all of the well-meaning advice from those around you, who might wish to keep you small "for your own good" and for their comfort, (even if they don't even realize it.) It's a journey you choose to embark upon because you simply have to. Because you'll never know who you really are and what you can do until you make this journey.

The Journey

by Mary Oliver

One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice—
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
"Mend my life!"
each voice cried.

But you didn't stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.

But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do—
determined to save
the only life you could save.

The Cookie Thief

Today I thought I'd share one of my favorite poems. I first heard it on a Wayne Dyer recording and thought it was brilliant. It speaks to certainty, and how maybe we don't really have all the facts or see things as they really are and act anyway. I've certainly done it in the past, and this poem is a good reminder for me to stop and try to consider other possibilities before acting. Hope you enjoy it!

The Cookie Thief

By Valerie Cox

A woman was waiting at an airport one night
With several long hours before her flight
She hunted for a book in the airport shop
Bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop

She was engrossed in her book but happened to see
That the man beside her as bold as could be
Grabbed a cookie or two from the bag between
Which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene

She munched cookies and watched the clock
As this gutsy cookie thief diminished her stock
She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by
Thinking, "If I wasn't so nice I'd blacken his eye!"

With each cookie she took he took one, too
And when only one was left she wondered what he'd do
With a smile on his face and a nervous laugh
He took the last cookie and broke it in half

He offered her half as he ate the other
She snatched it from him and thought, "Oh brother!
This guy has some nerve and he's also rude
Why, he didn't even show any gratitude!"

She had never known when she had been so galled
And sighed with relief when her flight was called
She gathered her belongings and headed for the gate
Refusing to look back at the thieving ingrate

She boarded the plane and sank in her seat
Then sought her book which was almost complete
As she reached in her baggage she gasped with surprise
There was her bag of cookies in front of her eyes

"If mine are here" she moaned with despair,
"Then the others were his and he tried to share"
Too late to apologize she realized with grief
That she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief.

 



The Zoo - Part 4

Can you spot the Mountain Lion?

Two Red Ruffed lemurs at play on the rope.

A family of monkeys groom each other after their naps.

A Black Howler Monkey conserves his energy for a cooler part of the day. I didn't hear a sound out of him while I was there.

Amur Leopard

A cougar sunning himself on some rocks.

Green Parrot

The elusive Hoffman's Two-toed Sloth

I hope you enjoyed this series. I'm not really a fan of wild animals in captivity, but I do think it's important for people to know whom they share the planet with. Hopefully zoos benefit the animal kingdom in the long run by educating people on the existence of the animals and their needs. Peace for your day.

The Zoo - Part 3

Siamang

Kangaroos

Tortoises

Cheetah

Camel

The Zoo - Part 2

Cottontop Tamarin

Zebu

The Zoo - Part 1

It has been awhile since I've been to a zoo, but finally had the chance to check out the one in my area. It was extremely hot that day, so the animals mostly only had energy to sleep. The humans were the only dummies walking around. Here are a few pics for you.

Macaw

Porcupines

Prehensile-tailed Porcupine

Clouded Leopard

...and you thought they were extinct!

Stay tuned for Part 2!

Hibiscus Flowes

Just a few pics of some hibiscus flowers I took recently. They make me happy. :-) Please click the pictures for a larger image.



Pelican Food

We were down on the Pier this past weekend and spotted this pelican standing hopefully by this sign:

Then we spotted his buddies around the corner to the left of this sign...



...and then when we were leaving, we spotted this gentleman, who had the thankless task of cleaning up after the pelicans after the Pelican Food shop closed. Ick!

Mother's Day Dessert

Our dessert options on Mother's Day...

...and our selection: Godiva Chocolate Cake!

Delish!