Peace in a Dry Land

What does Peace look like in a drought? What is it in the midst of climate change?

The issues are far more complicated than i understand.

But when people are carefully saving their warm up water for the shower and you see field after field of fruits to be made into leisure drinking and tourism…

It’s good that we change how we use water in our households and a shower a day is a luxury that’s not necessarily good for our bodies or the land.

But shorter showers don’t offset a vineyard.

Shorter showers don’t mean there’s water to fight fires. There are 22 of them in CA now. They’re just trying to save the houses built in the middle of forests and brush and letting the forests burn. Now, Nature seems to like fires; some trees only spread their seeds through fire… And yet — Lives have been lost fighting the out of control fires.

And more wineries are going in. CA is going to become the medical marijuana center of the world: another high water crop.

And I know it’s easy to come in from the outside and have an opinion… even when it’s reflection upon coming back home…

But what I see is land in need. I’m not seeing how the drought is affecting poor communities, but i have people to see before i come home who are working in them — and some people who have a bigger economic view than i ever have.

I say this not because I’m going to make any difference in the drought in CA but because I want some balance and understanding so I can work effectively for change where I live. Knowledge is power. And balance is not always my strongest suit…

Peace has so many facets. and Mother Earth is both powerful and fragile. Both need our helping hands!

Porches of Peace

I’ve written about screen porches, and I’m just as delighted by deep shady porches where you and your book can linger out of the sunlight — even if you have to keep on the move! (they’re particularly nice in regions where there are no mosquitoes.)

This one is covered in wisteria and the sun just wiggles its way through the leaves to cast beautiful moving patterns on the ground. It’s owned by my friends Julie and Bill and is located out in the wine country. It’s beautiful with deep comfortable chairs and a table to gather around.

It was fun at the same time to be reading a book by a friend… on Holy Identity. Life. It’s rich…

And at the same time it was all lovely breezes for me, I’m in the middle of a sere and worn landscape. Climate change: we must do something. And the whole region is planted in one crop… wine. what will happen when the soil fails. What will happen when we keep failing our Mother the Earth?

Peace. It must be of our making, whether it’s the creation of sweet porches or the hard work to curb human excess… Peace — in our hearts and then our hands.

Viewshed Peace

Viewshed was a new word for me yesterday. I’d never seen it before. Here you go (Wikipedia)

“A viewshed is the geographical area that is visible from a location. It includes all surrounding points that are in line-of-sight with that location and excludes points that are beyond the horizon or obstructed by terrain and other features (e.g., buildings, trees).”

And there i was on a mountain, that claimed, the last time I was there, to have one of the best in the world, and now ‘fesses up to being simply a great one.

It was easy to see that this vast bowl beneath it had been an ancient sea. And in fact, it’s fairly common to find shell fossils toward the base. It was sacred to the the Native Americans in this area, who were sadly captured and forcibly Christianized. There is speculation that people ran away from the Christian settlement and they were never recovered. The friars agreed they’d absconded to the devil… hence the name Diablo… But there are other thoughts as well…

These days it’s filled with ritzy homes in some places and wind farms in another.

But the view also looks to the Sierra on one side and off to the coastal mountains on the other.

It’s a gorgeous view of a landscape I came to cherish and know a bit when I lived here. It was also a stark reminder of the drought conditions as you look around. Supposedly the ocean is warming which is a signal of an el nino year… which would mean a lot of rain and a little bit of hope for this drought-stricken state. May it be so. As it is, the mountain is filled with stark reminders of wildfires. One the one hand, the pines here only give up their seeds in a fire. On the other people have crowded around and there is not water to fight the fires that rage across the mountain. It’s dangerous.

May the Peace of rain fall on this austere beauty and bring it back to life. At the same time, may the people of this beautiful state understand how very fragile this landscape and their living on it is, and may they live more lightly on the Mother. May we all live more lightly on the Mother.

Ripe Gardens, The Moon & Peace

In this region, this Moon has been called the Sturgeon Moon, because in the Great Lakes, they are most easily caught during this Moon. It’s also called the Green Corn Moon or the Grain Moon.

But most of us are not Grain gatherers, although I’m sure some of us are. Many people are gardeners. Even if, like me, you aren’t, you can’t escape the wild bounty that’s happening (she says, munching on a French breakfast radish purloined from my landlady’s bounty. Yum.). So Ripe Garden Moon seemed like a great descriptor. I sure hope it stops clouding up long enough to see this Moon!

Let’s celebrate the sheer lunatic abundance of this time. Do it by eating something wonderful from gardens currently going crazy with good. Do it under the light of a slyly shining moon — Why not?

“One is nearer God’s heart in a garden, than anywhere else on Earth.” (Dorothy Frances Gurney). Sweet Summer Peace, Folks!

Real Peace with the Web of All Creation

“People are crying Peace! Peace! but there is no Peace.” These days we mistake the fun squee!!! for the hard work to be done for climate change. And we think we can have Peace with the Animal Kingdom if there is no Peace between humans. We must Peace in this Ripe Garden Moon. Creation depends on us… the Web is fragile.

Thunder Moon Rumbles Demand Peace

Gay Marriage and a continuation of horrific painful death penalties. Fair housing and denials of climate change. ACA and massacres. Life is unsettled.

The Thunder Moon rumbles.

The question is, what are we going to do about it?

How are you and I going to weigh in? What thread will we unravel? Racism, injustice, unequal access, automatic weapons, climate change, the death penalty, economic justice. Pick one, pick any one.

Peace is waiting for us to step up. Let us do so — by the light of the silvery Moon. Because it is time. Because it is our work to do.

Solstice Sweetness in the Thunder Moon

The clouds hung around all day. And just as I threw up my hands and said that’s all the preparation I’m going to do for the vigil tonight and I’m going to at least slip into the pool, it started to rain.

I listened carefully, it wasn’t rumbling, just raining. So off I trundled to the pool, and slipped in. It really is magical this swimming in the rain thing… It was still hot and the pool was still cool. The guard watched from under the overhang and i mostly floated. ahhhhhhhh.

Then back for the vigil with the two hundred. You’ve heard me on that.

And then out to the local ice-creamery to watch the end of the glorious sunset, a moon hanging in the sky with some planets to chat with and the rising of the fireflies.

I don’t know how much we accomplished on real Peace last night (although I have my suspicions…) but it was lovely to finish the evening in the company of a like-hearted friend rejoicing in the beauty of the earth and the blessings of the Solstice… claiming the sabbath for rejoicing in and being present to Mother Earth and her abundance.

Maybe we’ll do better on big P Peace today…

Peace of the Small Bears

We’ve been surprised in town by the young bears roaming the streets and neighborhoods. Mama bears have new cubs, so they’re kicking out the teenagers to find their own territory.

There’s less territory for the bears over the years, and as we’ve moved farther out of town, we get a better glimpse of what has always been true, humans and bears are not good neighbors. They don’t know our bird feeders are not for them.

They’re delighted to find stashes of wonderful seeds just for them if they can just figure out how to have access! (erm… knock them down!)

The joy of small town living means learning the rhythms of the world around us. And occasionally the denizens of the forest wander in, and the game wardens have to be called to rescue them (and us from them) and guide them along.

When it happens, it’s a big deal and front page news and a great opportunity for our wardens to remind us that bears are more than cute and fuzzy.

While all this was happening, I was obliviously kicking my way up and down the town pool, less than a mile from the uproar. The afternoon thunderstorms had threatened in the distance, but nothing happened to interrupt our swimming. Summer during the month of the Thunder Moon: it happens — and isn’t it grand! The bear has a new home and Peace is re-established in the neighborhoods. Hope it’s Peaceful by you, too!

Thunder Moon Peace!

It’s a new month… and there were choices to make about names. Thunder Moon seemed a fairly clear winner given the storms of the last couple days.

This could be a month of seeing what’s true. It’s soon the longest day with the brightest sun for a slow and steady reveal. And there will be slashes of light casting a different look at things… We’ll be waking up early, because the Sun’s insistent. Shall we use the time to step up?

And things can be, should we choose, be shaken up in the time of the Thunder Moon — or we could begin to see that in fact things are already different from what they’ve been, or we’ve thought they’ve been…

It’s time. Are we ready? People, the Earth, All God’s critters really shouldn’t have to wait any longer on us, should they? All in for Peace?

Sweet Reminders of Peace Possible!

The weekend was so incredibly tense so it was just lovely to have a sweet day of community!

No issues to work, no big thoughts to have. The hardest decisions to make were not even whether I should test everything but rather whether I should try something again! Big decisions about whether I should just stand in the splash from the Skloosh, or whether i should get on the silly ride (I did! I did!) Oh, we give thanks for the bounty of food and the abundance of beloved, laughing community!

Four different traditions. All under a yellow and white stripped tent making merry. Life at its summer sweetest. And lots of pictures to remind us we were making sweet memories

And today? I’m going to find some more strawberries on this last day of the Berry Moon. From the way the next moon’s getting off to a start, it sounds as if I should choose Thunder moon. Apparently there were big storms last night, i confess I didn’t hear them. My basement isn’t a swimming pool however, so how bad could they have been?

But today, my dears, I wish you the quiet Peace that comes of great gatherings with good friends — the last sweet remnants of Strawberry Peace and the startling beginnings of Thunder Peace. wow? do we think it’s time to make a stir?

Sacred Village

Building a World of Peace, Village by Sacred Village.

Tag Archives: Mother Earth