Wordless Wednesday - Weeping

A Tiny Sign of Spring

When the catkins come out on the alders, it's a sure sign that spring is on the way, even though we're supposed to get more snow this weekend.


I can't wrap my mind around all the disasters that have happened around the world in the past several months. I've sent money, care packages, lit candles and said prayers. None of that seems like enough.

If only some enormous miracle could restore all the lost lives, both human and animal, lost and damaged property and land, renewing all the way Spring renews the earth each year...that would be enough.

Sunday Sunsets

Taken at Lake Gregory, CA, November 4, 2010.

Wordless Wednesday - Leaving

Amazon's Kindle

I've had this Kindle for several weeks, but I didn't want to post about it until I was sure I liked it. Well...

It's very easy to use as it comes with a really simple,

easy to understand user's guide.

The one I got is not only Wi-Fi enabled, but also has 3G. I don't actually know what 3G does, beyond that I had to wait until the latest version of Kindle was equipped with it to be included in their coverage area.

You can see at a glance what books you have by going to the home page. I'm not sure yet how many titles it will store on the home pages; so far, I have two pages to access when I click the 'home' button.

Pressing the 'menu' button enables you to turn the Wi-Fi on (I've found the battery charge lasts for 10 to 12 days if I only have the Wi-Fi on when I'm shopping for new books).

You can get free samples of a book to read before you purchase it. There are also many, many books that cost only 99 cents or are totally free! Some books are 'text to speech' enabled, which means that the book will be read to you. That's very handy if I have a migraine, but the quality of the reading is very poor and almost sounds, at times, like it is an electronically generated voice. That's something Amazon could definitely improve.

One feature that I really like is the ability to change the size of the font. You can go from teeny-tiny to huge, with many sizes in between those two to choose from.

The cover has a cool little reading light that pulls up out of the upper right corner. It has two tabs on the inside that slide into two ports on the left side of the Kindle, thus enabling the light to be powered by the Kindle battery. However, I've found that the battery will need recharging much more quickly if I use the reading light.

The screen isn't back-lit and is really easy on the eyes. It's not anti-glare though, so you do have to adjust the way you're holding it if you're reading in a bright, direct light to avoid glare.

When you're not reading, you slide a button on the bottom of the Kindle to put it in 'sleep mode' and this helps extend the battery life also. There are a lot of different pictures of various authors and things that it cycles through each time you put it to sleep.

What I like best about the Kindle is the extremely light weight. I have some medical conditions that are starting to make it very painful for me to hold large, heavy books for more than a very brief time. Kindle solves that problem for me.

But will it ever replace 'real' books for me completely? NEVER. I just love books too much; the scent of them, the texture, the covers (on some), the feeling I get when I open a book that I'm actually stepping into another world. I have no doubt that I'll buy a book in hardcover after I've read it on Kindle just so I can have all those experiences if it's a book that I really love and is available in hardcover. (There are quite a few books that I love that were never released in hardcover. Stupid publishers!)

Of course, good writing will transport me into the world of the book I'm reading, whether it is a 'real' book or a book on Kindle...it's just that the transition is a little easier for me with a 'real' book.

Sunday Sunsets

Taken September 3, 2001, at Lake Arrowhead, California, with a pre-digital Minolta X-700. I miss that camera...

Light and Shadow

Light and shadow...endlessly fascinating to me. This is my favorite old oak tree, beautiful in all seasons.

And it will be endlessly annoying to me that I didn't notice that white thread on the lens.

Faeries Friday - Luna Selene

Well, she's not really a faerie. This is Luna Selene, the Goddess of the Moon. OK, an interpretation of the Goddess of the Moon. A friend who makes dolls made her for me.

Usually, dolls creep me out. Stuffed toy animals and statues don't affect me in the same way as cute, pretty dolls. Those dolls are the kind that will grow sharp teeth in the night and have you for a snack. The fact that there has never been a documented case of murder by doll means nothing to me; phobias are not rooted in rationality.

When Marissa gave Luna Selene to me she warned me that there was a doll inside the box. She also told me the doll's name was Luna Selene. Marissa knows about my phobia. I nearly dropped the box, but she asked if I would just trust her. I've known Marissa for ages, so I agreed to open the box. Honestly, my stomach was churning and I was afraid I was about to have my first-ever panic attack. How silly was that? But we are what we are.

So, I cautiously opened the box. I didn't say anything for a minute, just looked at Luna Selene. Marissa said, "Oh well...it's all right if you don't like her..." and I interrupted and said, "No, no...I think she's beautiful, exquisite. She doesn't scare me at all. She's a Crone, and her face is so wise and kind. How did you know?"

Marissa simply said, "I know you."

It's wonderful to have a friend who can see you so clearly and still love you, craziness and all.

Winter Haiku

sleeping trees dream deep
escaping winter's cold grip
into a green warmth

Wordless Wednesday - Blues

Little Visitors

These are the paw prints of a raccoon, one of the little wildings that come to eat the food we put out for them. There were some good, clear prints from skunks and feral cats, too, but Miss Bigfoot (that would be me) managed to obliterate them while getting this picture.

Scrub Jay Winter

We've gotten over two feet of snow in the past several days and have had numerous power outages because the snow is not the powder that we usually get, but heavy, wet stuff. I hate the smell of kerosene lanterns, but I hate the noise the generator makes even more. I won't use candles because candles and cats are a sure recipe for disaster. Of course, if the power stays off too long, DH wants to turn the generator on to keep the stuff in the freezer and fridge from going bad. My method is to fill a couple of large ice chests with snow and stick the stuff in there, lock the lid down tight so the raccoons can't get to it, and stick it back outside. In weather like this, it's colder outside than our refrigerator is even when the power is on! I have to admit, though, that if the power is off for more than four or five days, I'm willing to suffer the noise of the generator. Looking at the lack of 'mod cons' as a challenge to be overcome isn't quite as much fun as it was when I was younger.

This Scrub Jay is an unusual visitor to the feeders in winter. I see them more in the warm months than the cold ones. Like everyone else, he's probably confused by the off again, on again winter we've been having.

Wordless Wednesday - Winter

Looking Like Winter

Well, a little bit. There's not too much snow accumulated yet...maybe 6 inches or so. But it's still snowing heavily. Thankfully, the winds have calmed down. Last night they were horrendous; we lost power for about a half hour, and I found out my nifty new computer with super fast wi fi loses its Internet connection when the power goes out. That never happened when I had dial-up, of course, because it's a land line connection. But, oh my gosh, dial-up was sooo slow!

I talked to my friend, Kathleen and she said they lost power around the same time we did last night but, as of 3:30 p.m. today Edison still hadn't got it back on. Her house is all electric; thank goodness she has a generator.

Rushing in and out of the house trying to keep the water bowls free from snow and ice, filling the bird feeders and cat food bowls, brushing the dry, powdery snow from my shoulders and hood when I come back in the house gives me a profound sense of calm happiness. Winter is finally here...just as it should be.

Finally

We've been getting a mix of rain, sleet and snow all day. It started last night and is supposed to continue for seven days or longer. The mix is supposed to turn into just snow in a couple of days, so maybe it will finally start to look like winter around here!

The cats, both the inside ones and the feral ones outside, are curled up in their favorite places, snug and warm and dry. I can hear the creek roaring over the sound of the rain on the roof. Periodically, the wind rampages through the little valley making the rain fly sideways and the trees moan and sway in protest. It grabs my cottage and shakes it, then prowls around the eaves and windows keening like a Banshee. Once, a long time ago, I felt so sorry for the winter wind that I opened the door and invited it inside to sit by the fire. It was a terribly rude guest though, and I haven't repeated the invitation.

(The above picture was taken in November of last year).

Betsy is Home!

I took this yesterday afternoon after we brought her home, but I was just too tired to post. And you can see that little Betsy was exhausted from her ordeal, but very happy to be home!

The doctor doesn't know what the lump is on her pancreas, but she is hopeful that it will go away now that Betsy is on the right dose of Insulin for her Diabetes. She gets a shot at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. every day. If it doesn't go away...well, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. She sees the doctor again this Thursday, but (hopefully) won't have to stay overnight.

And, amazingly, Betsy seems to feel a whole lot better already! She's eating well, followed us upstairs to sleep with us at last night, and is back to bossing everybody around. She doesn't even feel the shot because the diabetic needle is so tiny, and that is a real blessing. If they hurt a lot and caused her to run from us once she figured out what was going on, I don't think it would be possible to catch her. As it is, I pet her and give her the shot at the same time and she just purrs!

I got the best Valentine's Day present ever.....just one day early! :) :) :)

Betsy

This is Betsy, and if anyone has any healing thoughts or good wishes to send her way she could certainly use them.

Today we found out she has Diabetes, plus some sort of lump on her pancreas. The vet doesn't know right now what might be the cause of the lump.

Betsy is staying overnight, possibly all weekend, at the hospital to have repeated tests to see what the appropriate amount of Insulin would be for her.

She's never had to stay at the vet overnight and I know she must be terrified. She is a little feral cat we adopted when she was a kitten; my husband literally snatched her from the jaws of a raccoon 10 years ago when she was only 5 weeks old.

I don't think I'll get much sleep tonight. I wish animal hospitals had the same options as hospitals for humans, then at least I could go sit in a chair beside her.

Anyway, even if you don't post them here, any and all healing, good thoughts and wishes for Betsy will greatly appreciated.

Ridiculously Early Spring

Well, I guess Spring must be on the way, even though it isn't officially due until March 20th here in the Northern Hemisphere. I've been seeing this little person for the past three days, and even the twigs on the trees are starting to green up.

I really miss the time when the weather and seasons behaved, for the most part, in a predictable manner.

Another Gift From the Forest

I found this piece of Nephrite Jade at the bottom of a creek. (It's the green rock on the right, leaning against a chunk of granite). The sun was striking the water just right, or I would have missed it. Even so, I at first thought it was moss. I thought I'd give it a closer look though, just to be sure. I'm glad I did!

Nephrite Jade is not gem quality; that is called Jadeite and does not occur in these mountains. Nephrite Jade isn't really jade at all, but the similarities between the two stones caused gemologists to eventually start adding 'jade' to the name 'Nephrite.'

Nephrite Jade can be found in mountain creeks and dry creek beds in California, Oregon, Washington, Western Canada and Alaska.

It is used for jewelry and, more commonly, carvings like the little owl (2" high) to the left of the stone. When carved and polished, the green intensifies and darkens. Carvings and jewelry made from Nephrite are not expensive at all; I only paid $45.00 for the owl, which I bought in Alaska several years ago.

I don't plan on having this stone polished or carved. I like it just the way it is, and I'm so excited to have found it!

Sunday Sunsets

I took this last week. I wish there would have been snow on the ground; this is the kind of sunset that turns the snow pink and lavender.

Gifts From the Forest

I found this feather from a Band Tailed Pigeon last autumn (or the autumn before that, I can't remember) while walking up to my studio. I always watch for 'gifts' from the forest when ever I'm walking...sometimes even when I'm driving.

I was driving really slow with the window down (I was stuck behind a very slow moving car) when I spotted this little guy on the side of the road. I'm pretty sure this acorn was given his smiley 'hedgehog' face (anyway, that's what it looks like to me) by a squirrel biting it lightly, but I'm not one hundred percent sure that's how it happened. However it got its cute little face, I'm really glad I found it.

I suppose most people would consider these things to be junk, but I really am grateful for my little gifts from the forest and its inhabitants!

Out of Sorts

This little Finch is right where he should be, but our weather isn't. The branch he's sitting on should be covered with snow, or at least wet with rain.

These ferns shouldn't be unfurled yet, they should still be sleeping with fronds tightly curled.

The creek should be frozen solid, not rushing along as free as though it were spring.

I detest it when the weather doesn't behave as it should. It makes me feel disconnected, out of sorts, and out of step with Nature. Oh sure, it's been cold at night, temperatures down in the single digits (F), but then the thermometer shoots back up to the 40's or 50's during the day.

And would you look at this...green grass in the middle of winter! Although it will soon be brown if we don't get some rain or snow. I desperately wanted to pick up this interesting, beautiful piece of wood, but I looked at it closely and, sure enough, the bug people were already setting up house in the various little apartments. Oh well, at least I can look at it when I walk to and from my studio.

I can't stand all this sunshine. It's bad enough that there is so much of it during the summer and fall. I feel cheated when we don't get enough cloudy/rainy/snowy days during the winter and spring.

I know that a lot of people move to Southern California for the good weather, but it irritates me intensely when I see these people being interviewed on the nightly news after we've had two or three days of rain and they're complaining about it! Idiots.

If I loved my little cottage less, or wouldn't miss my family so very, very much, I'd move to ... oh, who am I kidding. My roots go so deep here I'd probably wither and die if I were transplanted. But I certainly wasn't born with a typical Southern California attitude when it comes to the weather.

Wordless Wednesday - Contentment