Lessons and Prayers of our Times

When I see images of fires in the western states, I find the pictures and stories of human loss and suffering mesmerizing.  Maybe it is an exercise in how small is the human and how very vulnerable we are to the great forces of this Mother Earth, our shared home.  Maybe it is an exercise which awakens our compassion.  When any of us hurts, we are all hurting.  Our love and prayers surely go out to those in our human family who are affected. 

I have 2 friends in Colorado Springs.  I have connected with both.  One said earlier they were OK.  The second's home was in yesterday's "pre-evacuation" zone in the Colorado Springs.  So far, they are safe, but admittedly I watch for news of her whenever I can. 

Gee, do we ever know what our version of that feels like from our flood experience in 1997.  I will never forget how upside down our lives were at that time.  I will never forget how very little we needed beyond our own safety, food and shelter.  "We're OK" was a sentence repeated over and over, and it was a sentence felt and heard with relief.  It took us years to recover as a family and as a community.  It did "get better" as we learned some very big lessons that continue to unfold in our lives.

I woke up this morning wondering about our non-human kin in those places.  When we experienced the flood and returned, we discovered a rabbit had made its home during that time period on top of our compost heap.  Before that, I never thought about the trees, birds, flowers, bees...  How could I have forgotten?  They were in the thick of it too.  One of my former students was a FEMA worker at Ground Zero in New York for 4 months after "9-11".  She talked about the trauma she witnessed in  the animals, especially the squirrels.

Climate change is real.  Our encroachment upon spaces which really belong to the Earth for her sustainability of Life itself can have potentially devastating effects which we Humans label as "natural disaster".  It's as if that little labeling system divorces us from any level of responsibility.

I believe we are being taught some significant lessons through these experiences.  I wonder how long it will take before we connect the dots between our human practices and alteration of the Earth's basic ecology, in other words, Her ability to sustain life as we know it. The intrusion upon Her will ultimately intrude upon us.  We are all related.

This paragraph may at first seem like a tangent that does not fit.  But stay with me, dear Reader, because it is at the core of the dilemma.  (Or choose not to.)  We are blessed with Female and Male; each has their gifts; balance is important.  For 1000s of years, our culture has come out of a patriarchal tradition which elevates "male" above all else.  "Male mind" is basically linear in thought and action.  The effects on the broader world are not even imagined.  They are "outside the frame".  Untold damage can happen by "accident", or rather "lack of seeing".  "Female mind" is more apt to see interconnections, the interrelationships between the parts, and the whole. 

I remember when we lived up north that worldwide disaster researchers who also studied us found that women were more apt to see the potential for natural disasters and to prepare for it. We surely do need a balance of thinking in our world today.  Many of the decisions that are made are not working any better than those grocery carts which have wheels stuck on one side.  We just seem to be going in circles and we are going faster and faster.

We surely do have lessons to learn.  We 3 C's are not perfect, but we are trying to cut down on our use of the Earth's resources.  We are trying to live a sustainable life style.  We are trying to live in better balance of the gifts of Female and Male.  Seeing those images and hearing those stories just keeps us focused on the work that we have to do.  Down deep, it is much more satisfying to know at the close of each day that we tried and we are open for lessons that just keep coming.

I shall add to my prayers: prayers for balance, prayers that the human may see the consequence of our actions and change in a way to support life. Who knows how this great drama will unfold?  But we all have front row seats.

Hot and Dry

WeatherUnderground reports it is going to be cooler today than yesterday.  That translates to a predicted high of "99".  We laughed.  Some of the old language comes up:  "Now that's a fine 'how do you do'."  "It's hotter'n' a biscuit out there."  "You could fry an egg on the sidewalk."  Modern translation: " Great day for the solar oven.  We'll use the sun's heat and that heat will stay out of the house."

Clemens is beginning staining the exterior of the house today.  He is using his sprayer and Richard is assisting in getting things ready, especially making sure things are safe when Clemens is at the higher levels.  Judging by their start, the wood on the house is really thirsty.  He is surely making progress.  It looks like we will need more stain. 

Melanie is out picking Blackberries.  Blackberries dry up pretty quickly in the heat.  I better head out to pick a few before breakfast.

We are getting smarter on the heat.  We work outside in the early morning and late evening.  We know the pattern of closing and opening the house.  We turned the air on in the main part of the house for the first time yesterday.  We'll use it when we need it, but we will try to keep our contribution to climate change on the lower side.  The fires in the western states are a sure reminder that we better do something.  And fast.

Prayers

Sending prayers for safety and healing nourishing rains to all of those (Human and otherwise) in the areas of the fires in Colorado and the western states of the U.S.  When one of us is affected, we are all affected.

Art

Art is everywhere on the Farm.

Observations While Blueberry Picking

1. When the Robins show up in the Blueberry Bushes, Berries are ripe and it is time to pick.  Moral of the Story: "Don't tarry if you want Berries."
2. I headed outside with my little bucket in which to put the Blueberries and my bigger bucket on which to sit.
3. I tried to remember to thank the Blueberry Bush with each treasured Berry that came into my hand.
4. I tried to remember to pick only those Blueberries which came off readily in my hand.  It is as if the Bush was offering them to me.  To tug on the Berries (as in a tug of war) is to yield a Berry which is not yet ripe.  It's worth the wait. The solid blue ones above are the best.  A little pink?  Please wait.
5. Meanwhile, Robins retreated nearby. I could hear their chatter.  Were they saying:  "When will she go?"
6. Unbeknownst to me, Mačka had found our spot and was hunting for Robins.  She didn't have any success.  But it was like she too was "farming". 

Keeping Our Cool

June 25:

Yesterday was HOT. We 3 C's are doing our best not to use air conditioning. 1st, with as much outside/inside work that we do, it isn't the best on our bodies to go through that kind of dramatic change. Second, we try to reduce our carbon footprint and this is one humble way that we try to do it. Third, I just don't like air conditioning. It just doesn't feel right. Never mind, the hum of the motor drones out bird sounds and just about everything else.

I remember that Mother had some tricks to keep the house cool. In the early years when I was growing up, the brick home of my childhood was like an oven. Trees helped shelter the house over the years and it became a lot more comfortable. As an adult, I took some trips to Egypt and was fascinated by how cool structures could be.

We don't have trees around the house here. Yet. Richard and I may not be the ones to fully enjoy them, but that's ok. People plant trees for the "future".

We have done a few things to tidy up the insulation. We will do more. We also have put in new windows. That has surely helped. And the window treatments (venetian blinds) have helped too. Hugely.

We close up any side of the house where heat is coming in. I just put my hand near the screen and do a little test. If the air coming through is warmer than the inside air, I'll quickly close windows. The Venetian Blinds know the routine. Down they come. For sure, the east side of the house is closed in the morning and the west side is closed in the evening. South side closes up by about mid day. North side can stay open unless it is too hot outside. As we move toward evening, the blinds go up and the windows open once welcoming the cooler air on the outside.

The little house gets a little darker inside. But it becomes a "sanctuary" from the heat. And that feels ever so good.
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A little note: That "string" hanging" down in shadow form is actually twine in front of the window to keep the birds from flying into the winds. It has greatly reduced the number of birds flying into the window. It may look unsightly for the tidy sort, but it's a great sacrifice for our friends the birds.

Details

We have a more clear understanding as to why Farm Families (Adults and Children) in traditional practice had a hard time participating in "in town" activities.  Need I say more?  Gotta go.