The Spiders’ Secret
A chill wind blows the yellowing leaves off the trees. They drift down to the ground like giant snowflakes. The air is pregnant with the feel of the coming holidays. Fall has truly come, with the sudden drop in temperatures, a full 10-20 degrees cooler than a few weeks ago. This is the real Fall, no faltering Fall, but a Fall that will guide us appropriately into winter. November appears as a mirror image of March with its vibrant color of decay, while March is the decaying color of about-to-burst-forth Spring.
The birds are at the bird feeder all the time now. They are not stopped by our presence when we come to fill the feeder or blow leaves under it. Nothing stops them. They swoop around the feeder and the surrounding trees like Kamikaze pilots, darting here and there recklessly. The squirrels are in a frenzy as well, stock piling acorns and walnuts which they will retrieve without fail in a month or so in a snow-covered land.
To me, the trees are most beautiful at this time of year, when many of them are bare and a scattering of leaves remain on dark brown branches. The leaves that remain quiver daintily in their precarious positions on the tree limbs. Yet these are the survivors. The other leaves have fallen and gone the way all living things eventually go. Most trees have lost all their leaves and they stand in stark contrast against the blue sky, the stormy sky, the grey sky. But I find them most beautiful against the night sky, with arms reaching up to the darkness, trying to touch the stars twinkling between the branches, as moonlight dances on their limbs.
November holds the last glimmer of color. A carpet of yellow lines the woods now– and one can see inside the woods that are so dark and impenetrable in summer. Some forests have carpets of oak leaves– dark brown tan in color. Others are paved with variegated colors– vibrant crimsons against yellows and faded greens and tawny tans. The un-mown lawns are now taken over by the spiders covering the fields. At precious moments, one can see a world of webs that only appears in a certain slant of sunlight and reveal a silent take-over by the spiders in webs that sparkle secretly, mirroring the infinite web of creation.
The yellow, brown, and crimson leaves are complemented by the ubiquitous yellow, brown and crimson mums that appear on the roadside near mail boxes, on porches or along driveways. These tough little flowers withstand frosty chills and stand tall throughout most of November– hearty, generous souls, so giving in their colorful, velvety splendor.
Halloween pumpkins begin to sag a bit or shine with wetness as if encased in glass. They will soon be tossed– pine combs, wreaths and fir swags to take their places, and the season of lights will begin. Anticipation hangs in the air. Autumn seems the fastest season to come and go. I try treasuring each moment, but the minute/hours/days just sift through my fingers like so many grains of sand. Then Christmas/Hanukkah comes and fades in a flash and we are into the Nor’Easter blizzards of January. Another year is gone and a new one has come. Would that we could be in forever in the season of love, but it is also a season of loneliness and loss and darkness. It is good we are defenseless against time.
Now, at Thanksgiving, it is our time to give thanks. Inspired by the Native Americans, let us thank the earth. Let us give thanks to the trees for their constantly changing beauty, to the stars for their piercing presence in the night sky, to the leaves for their inspiring colors, to the sun for its life-giving power. Let us thank the Spring for its awakening hope, the Summer for its warm, thriving growth, the Fall for its beauteous bounty, to the Winter for a time of renewal. Let us thank the soon-to-come snow for its hushed, white silence that transforms our world, to all the animals for their pure souls, to our families and friends for their precious love, and, lastly, but mostly, to the Higher Power of our belief for the macrocosm of creation.
Happy Thanksgiving and may you each be blessed with the all-embracing, pervasive, pulsating Love in Nature.
Poignant Pigs
An innocent Baby Pig
Picture credit: Balibagus
On our news this morning, came a story that I could not wait to share with all of you.
It could not wait until ” Good News” Sunday, so now, I must find, hopefully, another one for that day!
This story concerns a video of extreme animal abuse, that became a public video and exposed a company and their supplier for the horrific treatment of animals.
Tyson Foods really had no choice, once they had been exposed and the supplier caught in this heinous behavior, but to end their relationship with them.
Personally, I believe that if they had not been caught “on film,” they more than likely would still be doing business with them.
As the story explained, Tyson Foods has “dropped” an Oklahoma Supplier for extreme cruelty to the pigs it slaughters.
There is something so insane about that sentence.
Anyway……
The heroes in this story are a group called Mercy For…
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Snail, mother and son…
Do you use leather products?
Do you buy leather jacket, fur coat, leather shoes, leather bag, belt or any accessories made from animals?
Have you ever think about where is the leather come from?
Some of the people, will only focus on the beauty, the luxuries, the latest fashion, the fame, the famous, they are totally ignore the process of how to get the leather?
Some even not knowing that animals need to be killed in order to get their skin.
In the past, I bought leather products too as there was no awareness in my mind.
Once I found out and I read about how animals are going through the suffering in order to provide their skin to us and lost their life. I felt the pain, agony and suffering…
I stopped my purchasing habit and repent on all my past action.
Recently, I read a few articles on…
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Failure!
Such beautiful,giving loving animals–friends to man. But man kills his friends!! And let us not forget, many horses were veterans, too.
A BLM roundup in Nevada
Kindly permitted by: American Wild Horse Preservation
By now you may or may not be, tired of reading about this vile issue here, but it is here again, nonetheless.
Once again, the courts have ceased for the moment, the despicable practice of horse slaughter in this country.
So, is this a reprieve, hardly!
Those at the forefront of this ” murder for money “ business have fought too long and hard to give up.
Despite the total outrage and hostility from every corner of this country and many others, two facilities are on the
brink of opening up their shops for business and that business is the killing of horses.
Regardless of which side of the fence you may sit on in this issue, the problem is that we should not be eating wild
horses, or any horses, for that matter.
It’s not like our country is in immediate danger of running out of meat for sale, the stores are packed…
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Veterans Day Tribute
A humble tribute and thank you to all those of you who served or are serving now.
No words adequately THANK YOU for the ultimate sacrifice.
Can not convey my deep admiration for your courage.
(One of our finest, a serviceman, shared his poem about being in the service with me in commenting on this post and I want to share it with you. It is as beautiful as its author. Please read and have tissues in hand.)
http://www.jasonbladd.com/2013/11/07/while-hes-away-a-poem-about-being-gone
Euthanized and Harvested
This hurts…
A Florida Alligator sunning itself on shore.
Picture credit: John White
Recently someone asked me how I choose the subjects of the Blogs posted here.
My answer to him/her, made perfect sense, to me at least.
I said that if something makes me cry or very angry, it is going to be passed along to all of you.
What was on our news here this week is not a new story, which is part of the reason that it must be shared, it is an ever repeating tragedy.
There are two animals in Florida that are constantly making the news, black bears and alligators.
When either of these two animals wander out of the safety of their worlds, into the dangerous one that Humans occupy, the outcome is frequently not good.
If a black bear behaves well, meaning, it goes back where it came from without any human contact, the bear lives, when it does not, the result…
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Money For Murder
This is the life they are supposed to have~
To all of you dear devoted, caring readers, please help to stop this monster.
This will be very short, but most definitely, not sweet !
This was just received and it must be addressed immediately.
I do not even know where to start.
But I know that all of you will, so this is in your very capable hands now.
Adam and Eric are you listening?
Please, please, sign it, share it , reblog it, post this story anywhere and everywhere that you write.
Do whatever you can, get on the phone, call anyone that you think will listen, do not let this man continue this.
They have no one to speak for them, no one to fight for them, but you and me, we must answer their cries.
Despite Shutdown Horses Are Being Slaughtered
American Wild Horse Preservation News and Alerts
One Hundred Doors
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer; and by night, but find no rest.”
(Psalm 22:1-2 NRSV)
Don’t answer the phone,
don’t go to the door,
don’t draw back the blinds
don’t hoover the floor.
Don’t talk to the boss,
don’t go to find hope.
He’ll only get cross,
it’s the weak who can’t cope.
Don’t speak to your friends;
they’ve enough on their plate
without you complaining,
bemoaning your fate.
Don’t go to the doctor,
to get some support.
You know there’s no help,
she’ll make a report.
Don’t mix with those people;
they’re better than you.
Remember your status;
get back in the queue.
Don’t go to bed early;
you know you won’t sleep.
Your failures I’ll show you;
a…
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Animal friends…
During our daily conversation with others, we can do our part to share on meat free diet, not using leather products, no animal testing, no shark fin…..
Whenever, I’ve a chance and the audience is ready, I’ll share on how much suffering that animals need to go through due to our desire.
Normally, half way of my verbal sharing, people already saying, “Please stop it, it’s unbearable!”
Whenever, I want to borrow them the DVD on ” how suffering are animals?”
The chances people want to pick up the DVD is so slim.
Its mean that most of us understood the suffering from our animal friends but we just can’t control our desire…
Whenever, people talk about nice meat cuisine, they are just focus on their own desire, own happiness and to satisfy their senses. They called this as “Enjoyment in life”
People just can’t imagine what type of “Hell” that…
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An Overdue Thank You!
“Love cannot be had for the asking; it comes only as a gift from the heart of another”
~ Paramahansa Yogananda
And so I am sending my love to you whoever YOU are reading this right this moment. More than a year has gone by that I have had this blog and I am only just now thanking you all for reading my posts. If they have touched you I am grateful. And I am grateful for all the “likes” and comments– but mostly for just reading my thoughts. It is humbling. Indeed this whole process has been humbling. Not in the way one might expect, reading other people’s blogs and finding people far more talented in writing, photography and painting, though that is certainly the case. I was and am humbled by finding people who have a closer relationship to God, more faith than I probably ever will know. I am humbled by finding people who are more giving than I, despite often challenging circumstances. I am humbled by finding people who are seriously physically ill and yet full of more courage than I will ever feel- people who are handicapped and in pain yet vibrant and alive and more full of beauteous poetry, song, art. I have found poets, healers, shamans, photographers, writers, artists, philosophers, teachers, animal activists, homeless advocates, and preachers. I would list the people but I don’t want to cause embarrassment or an invasion of privacy. You know who you are. We have exchanged words.
I started this blog to showcase my book on how I found love despite being Bipolar and having Asperger’s— it was written to offer hope to those who are loveless and have given up on finding the right someone. But this blog took on a life of its own, viewed 9,031 times with 1,301 comments. It allowed me to showcase my photography and write about, yes, mental illness, but also animal rights and the nature and wildlife preservation, and it brought forth hundreds of poems as I prayed to God to use my fingers. But most of all, it brought YOU into my life and in so doing enriched me. And for that I thank you, all of you, for all of you have been great teachers in the lessons of life.
Great Tranquility Of Heart
He has great tranquility of heart who cares neither for the praises nor the fault-finding of men. He will easily be content and pacified, whose conscience is pure. You are not holier if you are praised, nor the more worthless if you are found fault with.
Thomas Kempis
Beautiful, Beneficial Bats
A beautiful Endangered Gray Bat
Photo credit: Dr. Renn Tumlison
This Issue is one that I wrote about some time ago, but recent news has reminded me once again, that the crisis for this animal has not only not gone away, but has gained momentum and appears to now be an out of control situation: Biological Diversity Public Action
The animals are beautiful, beneficial Bats and the disease that is wiping this mammal off of the face of the Earth, is white-nose syndrome.
Many people have a negative opinion of this ” most helpful friend “ and even those who don’t fear it, may have a difficult time feeling any great remorse for its current plight.
Right now, Bats in this country are facing nearly complete eradication from this rampant fungal disease and the prospects of the species surviving, do not look too good.
You should be very concerned about this situation, but…
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Plastic, You’re Outta Here!
A heartbreaking problem…
Plastic trash on the Beach in Hawaii
Picture credit: NOAA
I have been wanting to address this Issue for months and with this announcement today, it is now time.
The city of Los Angeles, my home for over 30 years, who is continually at the forefront and frequently a leader in cutting edge everything, has just passed the most exciting eco-friendly legislature in its history.
It has banned single-use plastic bags.
I can see Ed Begley Jr. smiling from here~
So now, how long will it take for the rest of us to get on board this Eco-train?
The damage done Globally by all kinds of plastics, cannot easily be assessed.
It injures, affects, hurts and kills so many types of animals everywhere, that it is difficult to accurately measure its complete harm.
Birds, turtles, dolphins, whales and many other sea animals are all being found with plastic pieces, some quite large, that they have…
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Love Surpasses All
A former New York Times columnist and bestselling New York Times author, Andrew Solomon, gives a very moving account of how parental love surpasses all manner of diversity in their children. The first few minutes are scary as he quotes an article from Time Magazine from the 60s. Don’t let that throw you off the beautiful message of acceptance of handicaps and the contribution of those children who are different from a man who is himself a minority and different.
The War on Consciousness
Definitely worth a listen…
A friend recently shared a list of three talks which the TED organisation banned from it’s YouTube channel. This one seemed to be pertinent for those interested in the Shamanic worldview, so I thought worth sharing.
The talk was written off by TED with the statement:
“Graham Hancock’s talk, again, shares a compelling and unorthodox worldview, but one that strays well beyond the realm of reasonable science. While attempting to critique the scientific worldview, he misrepresents what scientists actually think…” Chris Anderson, [TED].
That science has little to say regarding, and less interest in truly investigating the nature of, consciousness, it is certainly an intriguing reason to have given.
Connecting modern and ancient views, it is well worth 20 minutes over a coffee. Enjoy!
For You
One of the most beautiful love poems I have ever read!
if I could but dance
I’d lead you through waltzes round rays of the sun
and speed you through polkas, mazurkas on end
if I could but jump
I’d pluck the bright stars to adorn your fair hair
and tuck the moon tenderly into your lap
if I could but run
I’d race the fleet winds across mountains and glens
and chase down each songbird for your serenade
if I could but walk
I’d stroll with your hand in mine up country lanes
cajole the world’s blossoms to sweeten our way
if I could but stand
I’d fold you in close like I did when we met
and hold tight forever your heart against mine
(originally posted April 2013)
MOONSIDE 
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