Mary Oliver at her best

HOW I GO TO THE WOODS

Ordinarily I go to the woods alone, with not a single

friend for they are all smilers and talkers, and therefore

unsuitable.

I don't really want to be witnessed talking to the catbird,

or hugging the old black oak tree.  I have my way of praying

as you no doubt have yours.

Besides, when I am alone I can become invisible.  I can sit

on the top of a dune as motionless as an uprise of weeds,

until the foxes run by unconcerned.  I can hear the almost

unhearable sound of the roses singing.

If you have ever gone to the woods with me, I must love you

very much.

winter decor

a change of decor

winds and squalls in November?

wildlife in the yard this fall....

two season October

more of my daily 365 pictures....

 Taking pictures is not hard.  

Taking decent interesting shots each and very day to put up on a photo site

for others to see, judge

much harder.

back posting on 365

A picture a day is what I am trying to do 

and the idea behind 365.. 

Take a picture and post it on 365 thus making me go out, 

look and take pictures.  

Amazing what a challenge like this does. 

 I have tons of pictures, but often I am not thinking seriously

what would be good: good light, good subject, interesting .....

 365 makes this happen.

 

angles and curves.... today's offering...

my calling

I was big time lost most of my adult life trying to figure out what I should be, 

what I should do.  Nothing but nothing tickled my fancy .... nada. 

 It was, I feel now, because I already was that which I was to be

 a philosopher.  

In college that had been a subject we studied, 

but it was in me.  It never dawned on me that I could be that.

A Philosopher.

 I pondered all the time and had worked out my own thoughts 

actually it felt to me that they they came to me. 

In reality I feel they came from on high. They have come to me all my life when needed. Rightio. My blog, my thoughts. Crazy.  Perhaps.  Perhaps not.

Quite happy making to come to my senses a

and find my calling no matter how late in life.

I love love love working out my philosophy, 

my thoughts on life and the universe

It is a never ending, very fulfilling avocation.

One of my prayers to creature has been for wisdom

and

it gets answered.

So are we all wise? 

philosopher

n.

from Old English philosophe, from Latin philosophus "philosopher,

" from Greek philosophos 

"philosopher, sage, 

one who speculates on the nature of things and truth,

 literally "lover of wisdom," 

from philos "loving" (see -phile) + sophos "wise, a sage" (see sophist).

the gift of purr

RIP Wilde Girl

Only one cat in my life now. 

 She is Wooly Bear.  

Wooley is a tough broad and was Half of the team of Wilde and Wooly. 

She goes after vets and Danes.  

I do not mess with her.

Wooley walking with us in the bog. Isn't she tough looking?

Wilde and Wooly came together from Harvest Hills Shelter at the ripe age of 8 weeks.  There were not siblings, but two kittens I picked without looking or contemplating.  One Wooley was long haired while Wilde was a short haired tiger.  
They seemed to get along all right, but they did have some short battles with hisses and claws.  I always felt Wooly was top cat, but since losing Wilde to a coyote this summer I am rethinking this.  Wooly now is a lap cat, a bed cat, my cat.  She never was before and gave Wilde in bed or on a chair a wide berth. I feel like for the past 10-11 years Wooly has been short changed.  At any rate I am glad to have her as my cat. She purrs, she plays, she sleeps like a rock although she is one of those cats with one eye and ear always working.
She has fought with wild critters and cats and seems to realize that there are dangers out there.  That was Wilde's downfall.  She was sweet and clueless about the dangers lurking in the yard.

cookie cutter

Statistics and polls are made up of relatively small numbers. 

 Let us start with 

there are 7.9 Billion people on the earth right now. 

  So someone does a study or a poll where 10,000 or 1,000 people

 are followed or tell you what they are doing with health, or voting or whatever. 

No two of us are alike.  

My sisters older and younger are way different than I.

  We live differently, we eat differently, and so on.  

So if three people sharing genes and DNA are unlike 

how can newspapers, pollsters, statisticians etc even begin

 to think we should take their recommendations slightly seriously 

It is like comparing apples and oranges with skunks. 

 It does not compute and is relatively meaningless,

yet we buy into this as if it were the bible...

  Drink coffee, vote for this person, follow this diet, etc etc.

 you will live longer is you do this or don't do this. 

 Good lord, give me a break here.  

No wonder we don't trust or believe 

the powers that be 

for the powers that be are clueless. 

There is no = playing field and if it there was 

there are billions billions of other people who come from different climates, culture, etc. 

they come in different sexes, sizes just to start 

and their lifestyles and DNA vary wildly.

 It tires me.

winter round II

This morning after an all day light snow and a morning of freezing fog, 

the skies turned blue.

 It seems we are still having winter, 

but a bit more manageable.

Godmother

I don't remember my godmother Florence McDonald or my godfather Getto McDonald.  Perhaps when I was an infant before returning to MD from CO they visited often or we visited them.  Or perhaps they showed up for the Baptism and that was that. What I do remember is year after year after year receiving a Christmas present from them and after the death of Getto, just her.  The gift was always nice, but not extravagant. I still have some of them. When I was young I had to write a thank you.  It was checked and then sent.  As I got older I enjoyed writing the note or letter in thank you.  And as an adult, we corresponded and exchanged pictures.  How blessed I was to have these people in my life.  I cannot find the pictures I had.  My creative filing has taken them somewhere.  They will reappear in time.  They came to my mind because it is Christmas time and although it has been years since Florence died, I still think of her and the excitement of getting something from her.  What a beautiful legacy.

People pass though our lives when we are young, middle aged and old. 

 Some are family or friends or coworkers or neighbors.  

They all make an impression on us.  

They mold us.  Some shape us more than others.  

So many of these people have disappeared from my life and this earth.  

I do a little exercise every now and again.  

Who influenced me the most and how and why?  

Who else.  

Amazing the answers I come up with and it shifts and changes.

otters and eagles a mighty magical day

Walking today with Shunka I found really neat tracks. 
 I had an idea of what they were, but emailed Rick to get his idea. 
He agreed Otter tracks.  They are many in the woods between Seavey Field Road and the nest.  
Be nifty to see in person the otters making the tracks.

Went back later to roof rake and to walk along along the tracks to see where they went and while there an eagle flew over.

Wanted to be out. Needed to be out and walking.  Tomorrow will be stormy.  Today was a balmy warm 22.5 that is PLUS temps. The coast sounds like it will take the blunt of snows and winds, but one is never sure until it is over.

Storm before the deep freeze, again

 

Weather repeating itself...

 snow  winds  cold.... repeat snow  winds cold. 

It is just the beginning of January.  Lots more winter to go. 

snow winds cold.
repeat repeat repeat. 

Thoughts for the New Year tomorrow

 2017 put most of us on edge and it is hard to turn that off

 and believe things will improve.

They will.

  I lead an incredibly blessed life 

and yet I feel fear, anxiety at the negativity, nastiness, the unraveling of the country, the world. 

Yet and most importantly,  

 I do believe the universe is staying on course 

Of course it is 

 I just need to remember that 

and hold on tightly to that.

  God is there. Light and goodness are all around.

Things may seem like they are spinning out of control, 

but the bottom line, 

things are as they should be 

and we are the ones that have put these things in place. 

I shall remember this and accept this 

and let the negativity swirl around me, 

but not drown me.

Rather I will go with the flow. 

Here is to 2018 and all that it brings us.

2018 from Patricia Ryan Madson

What you needs comes to you. Had been searching for New Year's inspiration and lo and behold, Patricia posted this on FB.  Timely?  You bet.

2018 ahead. May it be the best of years.

New Year Poem by May Sarton

Let us step outside for a moment
As the sun breaks through clouds
And shines on wet new fallen snow,
And breathe the new air.
So much has died that had to die this year.

We are dying away from things.
It is a necessity—we have to do it
Or we shall be buried under the magazines,
The too many clothes, the too much food.
We have dragged it all around
Like dung beetles
Who drag piles of dung
Behind them on which to feed,
In which to lay their eggs.
Let us step outside for a moment
Among ocean, clouds, a white field,
Islands floating in the distance.
They have always been there.
But we have not been there.
We are going to drive slowly
And see the small poor farms,
The lovely shapes of leafless trees
Their shadows blue on the snow.
We are going to learn the sharp edge
Of perception after a day’s fast.
There is nothing to fear.
About this revolution…
Though it will change our minds.
Aggression, violence, machismo
Are fading from us
Like old photographs
Faintly ridiculous
(Did a man actually step like a goose
To instill fear?
Does a boy have to kill
To become a man?)
Already there are signs.
Young people plant gardens.
Fathers change their babies’ diapers
And are learning to cook.
Let us step outside for a moment.
It is all there
Only we have been slow to arrive
At a way of seeing it.
Unless the gentle inherit the earth
There will be no earth.