Yesterday, I happened upon a doe feeding her fawn.
Click. Here you see, she noticed me.
She thinks it’s better safe than sorry. Time to move along.
Are you coming?
Photos by Skip. All deer reserved.
Wild time at Wild Thyme
Sundial bridge time is correct once a year
Yesterday a group of folks gathered at the north end of Redding’s Sundial Bridge to observe the Solstice, and perhaps to verify that their cell phones report the same time as the planet. Noon. Yep.
There was a band, and some booths. At one of the booths you could look at the sun, but there were no sunspots or flares, so it pretty much looked like just a bright disk.
Redding lays claim to the tallest known sundial on the planet at 217 ft. We humans have a history of building large and relatively permanent structures to observe the planetary movements.
Hopeful message spotted on Redding sign
Happy Father’s Day to me, and to you and/or your father. I spotted this sign a few days ago and it made me smile. This is the Methodist Church on the corner of East and South Street in Redding. The church is a handsome and utilitarian building in a classic Redding style, and the thoughtful sign is appropriate today. I went looking for them on the web, and they are a very interesting church. Check it out HERE.
Saturday is Certified Organic Farmers Market Day
Iranians fight the power.
My heart goes out to the people of Iran today. Their struggle doesn’t seem to be in the news as much as it should be. It’s never easy to fight against tyranny, but it has to be done. When people fill the streets against the wishes of their rulers, it is a powerful thing to behold. I offer my best and most heartfelt wishes for peaceful change without bloodshed for the Iranian people.
Erin's charity fashion show debut
Erin appeared in her first ever fashion show last weekend, at a charity event for House of Hope. That organization helps local underprivileged women prepare for job interviews with business appropriate outfits and more.
I think Erin looked terrific. It was an all volunteer effort. Most of these photos were taken by Karry (her mom). Erin said she was very nervous on the catwalk. The show was very well attended. We heard that about 300 people showed up and ticket sales were very good. I understand the sponsors thought up this idea and pulled it all off in just 4 weeks. What a fun event, and all for a worthy cause.
Ruby's "We'll fetch your lunch!" startup brings on the flavor
I ran into foody entrepreneur Cheryl Gomes yesterday on her daily delivery run. Her lunch delivery business is named after her dog Ruby. She will bring you lunch if you call or e-mail her before 7:30 am that day. She takes special care in her preparation to make sure sandwiches don’t arrive soggy. Cheryl is a treat on her own, and her delivery is sure to brighten your day and satisfy your lunchtime needs. Call her at (530) 921 1587, or e-mail her at rubysdish@gmail.com. Highly recommended!
Check out the smiling dragonfly.
This winged orange critter took roost nearby to me yesterday. It appears to be smiling.
I searched Dragonfly Symbolism on Google, and got 377,000 hits.
This one’s appropriate:
Living fossils, dragonflies are part of the most ancient group of insects on this planet. They were soaring through the air and lived on earth for a staggering three hundred million years. Compared to humans, they are very old indeed. We have only been around for about 2 million years. Insects were the first creatures in the world to fly. Dragonflies were flying in steamy prehistoric forest long before the dinosaurs appeared. We know about these ancient dragonflies through fossils. Back then, dragonflies were much larger and had wingspans of 80 cm (31.5 inches) and were the largest insects known. Today, dragonflies are smaller, with wingspans up to 14 cm (5.5 in).
Over the centuries, people thought about dragonflies in many ways. In ancient times, Japanese farmers believed the dragonfly was the spirit of the rice plant. Dragonflies were a welcome sign of a good rice harvest. Dragonflies were also believed to bring good luck in battle. About 1600 years ago, the dragonfly was the symbol of a great Japanese warrior clan. The dragonfly later became one of the emblems of the emperor. An old name for Japan – Akitsu-shimu – means Dragonfly Island. The dragonfly is praised in many Japanese poems and songs.
The Mimbres people of the American southwest painted the dragonfly on ceremonial pottery as a symbol of life.
The Zuni tell an ancient story of a magic dragonfly made from corn and straw. It came to life in a time of drought and famine, became a messenger to the gods, and helped save the people. But not everyone has liked dragonflies.
In Great Britain, they were once considered evil and dangerous. Because people saw them darting at horses, the dragonflies were called “horse-stingers.” They didn’t realize the dragonflies were snatching horseflies, the real “horse-stingers.”
Written by Amanda D., Lindsay T., Chelsea E. and Ben R. & compiled by the Twin Groves Virtual Wetlands Preserve Team.
Best wishes for the future (smile)
A tale of two empires.
I’m not a doomer. Well, not exactly. But I occasionally read some of the doomer stuff, and one of the more interesting authors I have come across online is Dimitry Orlov. He was a citizen of both the US and the former Soviet Union during the period of the old USSR’s collapse, and traveled between the two. He has a really unique perspective. He sees parallels between our two empires that citizens of only the US might not have considered. In his opinion, we have much more in common with the old Soviet Union than we usually think. And because of our relative wealth, a greater distance to fall….
Anyway this video goes on for quite a while, but I found it worth a watch. Dimitry has that dry Russian style that can be so endearing and so disturbing all at once. His ideas are quite thought provoking. Whether or not you agree with his conclusions, you can learn from his experience. It’s hosted by Stewart Brand, who is a very interesting character himself. If you have the time, take a look: