Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Artist’s palate

As winter wears on us
cold and white
(Not that it is cold in white in California)
but...
~
Is this not a delight
it makes me want to sing
seriously, it does
~
dabbles of delicate, soft colors
tiny brush strokes of whimsy
~
Mother Nature 
was working with her spring palate
when she created this beauty

Lilic Breasted Roller

And to watch him fly
through this field of tall grasses
the striking color against the golden stalks 
as they rustled in the wind

Photo credit for this shot: Lisa Caffery (my daughter) doesn't she have a great eye?!!!
Heaven
One of those moments when the meaning of life is held on the head of a pin
to breathe deeply and inhale the ecstasy of the present moment

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Unexpected Surprise...

I went to the tide pools today
only to be disappointed
~
they were completely submerged
~
I was bummed 
as I have become quite attached to the
little sea creatures down there


so...
I drove along the coast road and came across this guy
I'm callin him Jimmy Durante
do you remember him
BIG NOSE 
and quite the personality


Well this Jimmy has one too
He was a real ham
doin all sorts of funny stuff for the camera


He even posed so I could get 'catch light' in his eyes
this guys knows what to do for the camera
~
We must have spent thirty minutes together
Jimmy and I
I was so close I could have touch him if I wanted
~
 I wouldn't of course
~
but it made me wonder 
whats made him so fearless of humans
ya just never know what the real story is
~
not that I need to
I'm just sayin


Have you ever had a bird
give you 'that look'
you know the one I'm talkin about
Its the same look we give our mates or children 
when we've just about had it with their stupid antics
~
He had been so gracious and all
I should have just
thanked him and moved on
but 
I wanted to know how long he would just be sittin there
because it's not every day you can just hang with a pelican
~
then along came a single pelican
flyin low to the water
and it was as if he had been waiting for her
because when he saw her
he gave one last look 
and launched off to join her

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Similar...but...different...

Isn't this little guy awesome...
I ran across him along the delta in Botswana


Isn't nature the most extraordinary artist
she makes magic with similar palettes
and white stippling
~
brilliant!


I know this guy was on here just a couple of days ago...
but when I saw how he matched with the frog
I just had to bring him back for
another appearance
plus 
who would get tired of looking at him
he's just beautiful

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Soap box...


Every once in awhile I HAVE to have a good rant...
and I know the blog is supposed to by my happy place
but
sometimes I just need to speak my mind... 


What's the deal with seagulls
They're called flying rats
for a reason
Frickin flying white trash...
~
I mean 
have you ever watched them at the beach
or on a pier
They DO eat the most disgusting stuff
and then
leave the trash they've picked through
strung all over 
for others to clean up
~
 So it got me to thinking
they're not much different 
then the population of Americans that feed off
fast food
~
Fast food is my nemesis
Along with cigarettes and cheap beer
and WALMART 
because
it is all useless CRAP
~
and because
it generates and is generated by 
destructive "unconscious" behaviors
that only create messes 
that generally we as a society have to clean up
I mean
seriously
it is against the law to
not strap ourselves or our children in the car with seat belts
but
it is promoted as a
"Happy Meal" to take them to
McDonalds
and feed them TRASH
~
EVERYTHING about the fast food industry
is 
DISGUSTING
and yet it is a
$110,000 BILLION dollar industry 
that is growing by 41%
~
Talk about the axis of EVIL
Starting with how they influence meat production globally
to 
the packaging and false advertising they use to 
promote their "food"
and yet we buy it
we buy into the whole system
~
We who are supposed to be 
"world leaders" 
~
of what
stupidity
~
Maybe we should change our
National bird
to more reflect how we actually live
~
Change it to the Seagull


Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Back against the wall...



Have you ever tried to pry a star fish off a rock?
It is almost impossible without a knife
and
I don't recommend it
It will damage the star fish
and you don't want to do that do you?
~
It is best to let it alone 
some times it will move
ever so slowly into another position or place
but it takes a long time
~
The underside of the star fish has thousands of tiny tinnicles
that grab for a surface to cling to
they have to
to be able to withstand the beating of the surf 
and 
to keep from being tumbled amongst the rocks
or from being misplaced
~
I don't know about you
but I can see just how much I have been like the star fish
~
I have thosands of tiny
 but strong 
opinions, routines, habits, beliefs, memories, experiences
that keep me clinging and inmobile
awaiting the potential pounding from life
~
Movement for me is slow
deliberate
and 
sometimes hard to coordinate
because
~
Sometimes I have to let go of 
a lot
even if it is alot of little things
to make progress
~
Protection or progress
which do you choose? 

Monday, January 23, 2012

Tide Pools...


I LOVE tide pools
they are like a secret fairyland
full of hidden surprises
~
When I go there I feel like 
Horton 
in Horton hears a who



As I am almost sure I can hear the sea-life whisper
and 
One has to be careful to not step on the hundreds of sea anemones
dotting the sandy floor


Sometimes it takes awhile to find all the hidden treasures
and 
sometimes they are bold and bright


I love when you can get real close without having to worry
about
a big ole wave knocking you
ass over tea kettle into the rocks


 let me tell you
getting tumbled around in this minefield of rocks
HURTS
not to mention what would happen to your camera


So it pays to go online to find out
exactly
when it is going to be low tide 
and take advantage of 
all the beauty left uncovered


before the tide covers them
when
the sea reclaims what is hers

Sunday, January 22, 2012

In case you were wondering...


I've been missing from blog land for the last week
~
because
last weekend I was 'rearranging' my office
into an
artists studio
for this AMAZING class I am taking from 
Misty Mawn online
and
~
somehow I twisted my back just 'wrong'
and that was it
~
I was down
~
miserable
~
I tried everything
ice, heat, chiropractic, MD, massage
~
no pictures, no nature, no relief
~
Let me just say...it SUCKED!
~
I am better today
FINALLY!
~
Went down to the tide pools at Hobson beach
~
Will share with you tomorrow! 
~
Missed ya all! 


Thursday, January 12, 2012

Have you ever considered...


being somethings 
lunch...

Photo credit: Lisa Caffery

Seriously
~
Now I'm not advocating you
throw yourself over a barrier at the zoo or anything
but
~
as lifetime experiences go
this is a BIG one
~
Being out in the bush in Africa
and
coming face to face with this guy
was...well...shall we say...
a stain maker in in my Columbia all weather khaki pants
~
Granted
I was in a jeep
an OPEN jeep...with nothing to STOP this guy from
dragging one of us off if he wanted
~
Lucky for us
he had already had his lunch and had hoisted the remainder of the 140 lb carcuss up into a tree
~
I have NEVER in my life have something stare me down like this guy did
~
A million years of evolution in one look
and
a reminder of where EXACTLY I was in the food chain

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Searching...



I'm just wondering
~
where do we begin
~
at conception
~
birth
~
when do we discover the significance of
"other"
or
"self"
~
When we decide to question
is it from curiosity
or out of desperation
~
To whom do we entrust the molding of our minds
priorities
values
~
Do we ever really claim what is rightfully ours
do we even know
~
Do we really believe that difficult issues are black and white
even with evidence to the contrary
~
even when I our lives depend on it
~
Isn't it time to bury this ideas that someone has to be 
RIGHT
~
Because isn't this stubborn claim of 
RIGHT
~
killing our 
creativity, independence, originality
authenticity


Just for one day
for the WHOLE day
~
see what it is like to not be invested in being 
RIGHT
~
Just let it rest in peace



Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Unlikely couple...



I was watching this dove while I was walking on the pier the other morning
~
Looking carefully
 you can see the pipe has similar markings to the dove
gray undertone
rusty red ring around the neck
and at closer inspection
 the dove even has green highlights  on his neck and head
~
Now here's the kicker
the dove was flirting with the pipe!
~
I watched for awhile
stunned at his confusion
~
And then I got to thinking
how I too had experienced the same misguided attraction
~
Mistaking what I WANTED to see
rather than seeing what was actually there




Monday, January 9, 2012

Boys!

I was in Reno for the last few days
hanging out with the grandkids


Yesterday I decided I would tag along and watch while
they played a little touch football with their dad


Remember when you teamed up with your sibling
against the world
~
like a secret twin sibblings acompany you though childhood
sharing secrets, rooms, dreams and the day to day challenges 
of growing up together


Remember when it wasn't so much about winning
or compitition


but rather in how much fun you could have
and how silly you could get


Now THAT is what I am talking about!

Sunday, January 8, 2012

There is something magic about the Sierra's



the clouds...


the birds...


the sun breaking through the chill of the
early morning 
~
I grew up in the mountains
it is where I feel most at home
~
there is a vibration in the mountains
that resonates in my core
~
something wild
untamed
free

Friday, January 6, 2012

A Consideration....



 "We spend January 1 
walking through our lives, 
room by room, 


drawing up a list of work to be done, 
cracks to be patched. 


Maybe this year, 
to balance the list, 
we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives… 
not looking for flaws, 
but for potential."  
                                               - Ellen Goodman

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Little guys...

what is it about little kids at the beach
they are just so darn cute



this little guy didn't care that it was starting to get dark
or
that the water was freezing


he was just content 
to explore his own little world



and to wave good bye to the setting sun
~
it's not that I want my childhood back
God no
~
but to be so intensely invested in the moment
now that
would be heaven

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

It's the little things...



Sometimes
it feels like I am just a small drop
in a vast landscape
~
Sometimes
I think what I say and do
doesn't matter
~
Sometimes
it all seems so overwhelming
the environment, economy, politics, social and personal 
unrest
~
Sometimes
it is good to focus on 
the drop
~
take a closer look
and consider
No matter how small
We are all part of "the source"
~
of either the problem
or
the solution 




Monday, January 2, 2012

The Great Migration...


One of the great things about living in Ventura 
is 
 the beautiful Monarch butterflies come to winter here along the coast
~
There is a lovely grove nearby where you can go watch them
~
It is all roped off so you can't get to close...which is a shame
but today I learned why
~
Some lame  
I mean...unaware person was throwing rocks at the butterflies
to make them fly around for pictures
~
Seriously!
~
It was heart breaking

So
of course
with my New Year Promise in mind...
~
I just HAD to take a stand for the little creatures
~
The look I gave the woman would have melted steel
and she walked away with a rock in her hand
~
I half expected her to throw it at me for wrecking her fun


If you look closely 
you will see thousands of butterflies clinging to the eucalyptus leaves
~
this is where they rest
~
They hang like garland from the tree


It is hard to get good shots of them 
because they are so far away
~
 moving
~
and small


But...if you are patient
~
and wait
~
until the light is just right
~
You might get a couple of awesome shots


Their journey is really quiet remarkable
~
They don't live long enough to make the return trip
but
somehow their offspring know the way back
~
 it just reminds me
~
 our own inner guidance is
a miracle
if we will only listen
~
It stands to reason
IF
a butterfly with the brain the size of the head of a pin
can find its way back over 3,000 miles
to a place it has never been
~
then surely
we humans with a far more complex brain
~
and using our HEART as compass
~
can figure out how live more simply, sustainably, and with
a deeper consciousness
for our own well being and future...
~
Read more about their fascinating migration here:

http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/finder/monarchbutterflies/monarchbutterflies.html://

Sunday, January 1, 2012

The Promise and the Word...


 Santa Barbara Harbor ~ January 1, 2012
                                          
                              Hatsuhinode (はつひので or 初日の出) means the first sunrise [of the year] in Japanese.
                                             Ancient Japanese believed the Sun was one of a thousand gods.
 it was the most important God. 
It's very sacred to see and pray to the 1st sunrise of the year. 
~
There is a saying...
                  make a promise on this first sunrise                                          
and the sun will then remind you of that promise each morning for the rest of the year...
~
My promise...
 stay true to who I am



My word for 2012
Freedom


Freedom 
to set out on the sea of the unknown
trusting my inner compass
relying on spiritual balance
and striking out in a purposeful direction


Riding the wave of intuition
creative expression
meaningful dialog
and
generous compassion


Even when 
doubt, frustration, disappointment
and expectations
come crashing down around me
I promise to hold fast to what is important
~
my freedom
to become and then to live 
an authentic, passionate and simple life

Sunset Ventura

I seal this promise with the sunset near home
It's going to be a good year

I can feel it in my bones!
~
May you find your focus for 2012
and live it with passion