Today has been lovely and quiet. While the tomatoes wait to be planted, everyone rests from a busy week. The spotted kitty is handicapped. She is an early generation Savannah and has a birth defect that affects her back legs. She still manages to get around, though.
“Some years ago, I read an article about two people in the arts (alas, I can’t remember who they were) who’d been married for many, many years. Asked for the secret of their long partnership, they said: “We fell straight into conversation when we met, and we haven’t come to the end of that conversation yet.”
I can’t think of a better model for marriage than that. Or of a narrative more romantic . . . .”
~ Terri Windling Monday, October 5, 2015 – On day 5 of OcPoWriMo and funny enough one of the harder aspects of loving was up on my plate today, choosing to say goodbye. While romantic love between humans is often thought of when we are asked about “LOVE”, there is also the love between family members, friends (including pets), and some of us have love affairs with certain creatures not usually considered sentient (though science is beginning to prove otherwise). Someone I know truly loves a grove of aspen trees. Today I had a super difficult day when I had to choose to have a long-time family member and friend, our Sokoke cat, Zomo, helped over the Rainbow Bridge by our vet. This was traumatic because Zomo didn’t like people, was bonded to me, and freaked out when put in the cat carrier for his final journey as a living soul in this incarnation. Though my act was one of love and compassion, in his eyes it was a betrayal. Even though he was suffering, he didn’t want this to happen to him. The vet assured us that we made the correct choice to end his suffering, though it was one of the hardest compassionate types of choice to make. She couldn’t tell us exactly what was wrong, but assured us that even if we spent thousands of dollars he was unlikely to make it as he was having fluid come up from his deep in his throat with a good chance that it was cancer. He was drowning. I haven’t included a most current photo of Zomo, because the pictures I took today showed him looking rough and not like his beautiful self, though here are a few photos of Zomo and Asad as kittens and adults (Zomo is in back in the cat tree, and that is him in the single kitten photo). Asad was Zomo’s litter-mate and passed from cancer a few years ago. Zomo would have been 10 years old in the spring. Rest in peace my dear friend! Is the Rainbow Bridge made of flowers? “hard to say goodbye
to my faithful furry friends
rest in peace dear ones”
~ Raven Ariana Simons
My photos taken for today include geese and flowers and I chose these because geese mate for life and flowers are often given as tokens of love. Flowers and pollinators make love that allow a great diversity of life to flourish so beautifully on earth. “high in the sky geese
migration is happening
goose pairs mate for life”
~ Raven Ariana Simons “bees share flower love
people love to share flowers
are flowers Earth’s love?”
~ Raven Ariana Simons
“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”
~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Flashback Wednesday, November 7, 2012 – This is my pick photo for today and it stars a garden spider in its web on some really pretty vine leaves growing on my neighbor’s garage that faces into my back yard. I really like the colors and all of the detail in this photo. Flashback Thursday, November 7, 2013 – This is my pick photo for today and it stars a mourning dove, one of a pair that flew up into this aspen tree as I was out and about taking my pictures today. Friday, November 7, 2014 – Today I have my kitty and an ornamental fruit tree with fall color that lives in my neighbor’s yard. I have photos of the leaves and you can see the tree in the background of the cat photos. One of the photos (color at the top of the post) I have done in black in white as part of a 5 day black and white photo challenge from some of my friends on Facebook. Today is the first day of the challenge. The world is in color, you have to work at black and white.”
~ Andrew Maclean
“sitting in window
picture perfect fall colors
cat meditation”
~ Raven Ariana Simons
“It is good to love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is well done.”
~ Vincent van Gogh “golden afternoon
sunlight is still finding leaves
on the autumn trees”
~ Raven Ariana Simons Our hearts give thanks for the Grace in the Universe!
Namaste ~ Raven
“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and will be lost.”
~ Martha Graham Flashback Tuesday, October 23, 2012 – This is my pick photo for today and stars bright red Virginia creeper all dressed up for fall 🙂 Flashback Wednesday, October 23, 2013 – This is my pick photo for today and it stars my black cat, Velvet 🙂 Doesn’t she look perfect for the season? (Update: RIP Velvet crossed the rainbow bridge a couple of weeks ago.) Thursday, October 23, 2014 – Today was very sad because one of my kitties crossed the Rainbow Bridge. He was one of my special needs cats and his seizure condition was getting worse and starting to cause him pain. After having my old black cat put down a few weeks ago, it has been a sad October. It is the 23rd day of the month long poetry challenge and I have photos of a hoverfly and a honeybee. RIP Dorzie (this very next photo was taken at the end of 2012). I was very blessed to have him in my life and he was a super sweet and kind soul. He was the friend of everyone he met and despite having grand mal seizures when he slept and feline cerebellar hyperplasia (like the cat in the video at the top of this post) was a happy fellow and an ambassador cat (F3 Savannah). “you were my best friend…
another chapter begins
for your dear soul now”
~ Raven Ariana Simons “it’s hard to lose friends
remember the love and joy
precious memories”
~ Raven Ariana Simons “when winter is here
remember the bright colors
when waiting for spring”
~ Raven Ariana Simons The following video features both of my special needs Savannahs. Stella is still with us.
Our hearts give thanks for the Grace in the Universe!
Blessings and Namaste ~ Raven
Flashback Tuesday, March 13, 2012 – These are hazel catkins and you can also see tiny leaf buds silhouetted against the late afternoon sky. This picture reminds me of the sumi e tradition of Oriental ink painting. It appears to have washes of blues and greys behind the dark black catkins.
Flashback Wednesday, March 13, 2013 – This is my pick photo for today and it stars a shield bug.
Thursday, March 13, 2014 – Today I was able to get some nice photos of our elderly black cat. When she first came to live with us she was solid black with now brown or other colours. Even her nose is black and did not have a single white hair. Much later she got a single white whisker followed a few months later by a matching white whisker. For quite a while that’s all she had. Gradually all of her whiskers turned white followed by white sprinkled through her fur.
It’s always hard for me to get any good photos of her or the other cats. Being contrary creatures they like to move or the other cats get in between a good photo opportunity and the camera. I was happy to get a few of her today. She’s often my computer buddy.
I call this photo, “She Who Watches Birds.”
All the cats enjoy watching the birds out the window and the sparrows hang out in the yard. Right now they are eating catkins and flower buds on the Oregon grape, amongst other things.
This photo reminds me of Totoro.
I love my dear companion and her name is Velvet!
Our hearts give thanks for the Grace in the Universe!
Namaste ~ Raven
I thought I’d start out with showing you a couple of photos from yesterday’s sunset that illustrate just how heavy the air pollution has been here.
The sun is setting behind the Oquirrh Mountains but the pollution is so thick that you cannot see them. I had thought to include these in yesterday’s post but wanted to end the day with sharing about the Sunday night 11th Step Mediation/Prayer meeting at 6:00 P.M. at the Krishna Center in Salt Lake City (free – donations gratefully accepted). As it turns out on today’s walk I met some dogs who’s mistress talked about the poor air quality and how people here are suffering from it. Meet George and Grace:
George a yellow Labrador retriever on February 8, 2013.
Grace (with George behind) a yellow Labrador retriever on February 8, 2013.
These beautiful friends are named after George Burns and Gracie Allen. Their mistress also said that she was surprised how many young people know who these celebrities were. We had a very nice chat about how wonderful the neighborhood is and how nice the people and pets are. I told her about a cat I thought might be ancient that I had photographed earlier and this cat turned out to be hers.
Kwai (probably spelled wrong) on February 7, 2013.
My neighbor did tell me how to spell the kitty’s name, but I didn’t remember by the time I got home because I was trying to remember some other stuff. From now on I need to carry something to write on. Kwai is 18 years old and I was correct when I thought he was elderly. While I’m able to get permission from dog owners as they walk their friends, cats are a different story. It is pretty amazing that I actually ran into Kwai’s owner like I did. I’ll still include cats on my walks even if I don’t meet their owners. Cats may actually think that they are the owners and their people the pets, or perhaps I should say “the staff”.
Kwai heading home on February 7, 2013.
Remember Molly from yesterday? I met her again today with her mistress and another black Labrador. Meet Lily:
Lily, elderly black Labrador retriever on February 7, 2013.
I spoke with Molly and Lily’s mistress for a little bit and got to pet the girls. I found out that Molly’s shyness is just her way. I was happy to hear that she had always been treated well and found out that Lily is very friendly. I also talked to the girls’ mistress about adopting pure bred animals and how people can find them through breed rescues and reputable breeders.
I walked down to where I found the fallen lichen yesterday thinking I might pick it up and bring it home, but the area had been cleaned up of fallen and dead material. This made me very happy I had gotten a good photo yesterday and made me think that it is super important to savor the moment and take pictures when I can, not counting on tomorrow for another chance. I was happy to see that the dandelion is still there and said a prayer for it in hopes it will be allowed to stay.
These interesting pods (I think possibly from a type of succulent) are there and while most of them were cleared out there were a few left.
Seed pods, possibly some kind of succulent, on 2/7/13.
I also saw that the feather I had photographed and shared a couple of days ago is still stuck to the sumac. Here are some sumac pictures sans feather.
This is the same sumac that has the feather stuck out of view – 2/7/13
This is my favorite sumac photo and a good illustration of impermanence because the berry will not last long in this position.
I was also happy to see some of my other friends today, the birds.
Cute little chickadee on February 7, 2013.
Starlings on February 7, 2013.
Downey woodpecker on February 7, 2013.
This photo of the Downey woodpecker is my very favorite picture for today.
Downey woodpecker on February 7, 2013.
On my way home I went by my neighbor’s Buddha. I kind of felt like rubbing his belly for good luck but it was still covered in snow.
Neighbor’s Buddha still laughing in the snow on 2/7/13.
Maybe I will get him with a little hat if the projected storm shows up and dumps a bunch of snow this weekend. Speaking of Buddha and impermanence, mediation is helpful when dealing with stresses such as not finding the fallen lichen you want to bring home to be your pet 😉 Here is a very short, but helpful, meditation video that I found. It is only five minutes long and has some natural sounds with it. If you have time check it out now or go to Youtube and bookmark the link.
Our hearts give thanks for the Grace in the Universe!
Today has been lovely and quiet. While the tomatoes wait to be planted, everyone rests from a busy week. The spotted kitty is handicapped. She is an early generation Savannah and has a birth defect that affects her back legs. She still manages to get around, though.
on a quiet day
such deep kind friendship
Bright Blessings, Namaste, Namu Amida Butsu
Grace and Mystery 