Whilst visiting my favourite place to lose myself in some lovely poems, I was particularly touched by the visions which unfold when a fellow earthly spirit gives tales of her memories of an old pine tree. As I am similar of heart to this gifted Lady, her words seem to resonate within my spirit and I am compelled to share the magic her words bring into this moment. Thank you for bringing your lovely spirit into my world Babara…

Now I have a new goal for my traveling adventures! I have discovered a place to visit which intrigues me greatly, and looks as if it will give me much pleasure in satisfying my love of exploration. The Isle of Wight is a British Island, located south of the county of Hampshire. The island is known for its Outstanding Natural Beauty and for its world-famous sailing based at Cowes. Here is a place one can lose themselves in for a while, visiting the sites and seeking quiet places to enjoy the scenery.

Rich in history and lore, the Isle of Wight has been invaded many times. Due to it’s particular lack of a defensive landscape, it was not easy to hold when invaders attacked. It changed hands several times, throughout the last thousand years or so, being ravaged by the Vikings until the Danes were defeated by the Saxons. Eventually the isle came under the full control of the Crown, and Queen Victoria made Osborne House on the Isle of Wight her summer home for many years and, as a result, it became a major holiday resort for fashionable Victorians including Alfred Lord Tennyson, Julia Margaret Cameron, Charles Dickens (who wrote much of David Copperfield there) and members of European royalty.

Known as one of Europes most important areas for Dinosaur fossils, apparently the eroding cliffs often reveal previously hidden remains. From a wildlife point of view the island sports a flourishing and stable population of the Red Squirrel, which is rare in most parts of England. While there are no deer on the Island of Wight, rare and protected species such as the dormouse and many rare bats can be found, as well as the Glanville Fritillary butterfly whose distribution in the United Kingdom is largely restricted to the edges of the crumbling cliffs.

Well then, here is a place on Mother Earth which totally fascinates me, and begs for the attention of my exploratory and adventurous nature. Biking my way from one end of the island to the other, seeking out the best places to view island and sea, sounds simply lovely. I do believe I will be adding the Isle of Wight to my ever growing list of favourite places to visit!

To find more places of beauty and wonder, you may wish to take a look at Planet Earth – The Complete BBC Series [Blu-ray]

I was afraid to look at this horrifying news, as I did not really want to see the horrible impact on the environment and the community. It really makes me angry to see such destruction caused through ignorance and neglect, and the magnitude of this disaster is mind boggling. The breach of a pond dam full of toxic sludge at the Kingston Steam Plant, which brought destruction across the Roane County countryside and into East Tennessee waterways, will create such a huge magnitude of lasting and far reaching deadly consequences as to break ones heart. The families living in the area are in extreme danger, as this giant river of toxic sludge plowed through homes and into the rivers and lake, and the government needs to wake up NOW and clean this mess up!

Although it will take much just to get these families to a safe place and compensation for their losses, too much damage has been done. The first estimate from TVA claimed just over a million cubic yards had roared across the area following the collapse of a dike wall holding back the coal ash waste. They tripled that amount, again “estimating” the total was more like 5.4 million cubic yards, yet as they are not forthcoming with information or accountability I believe the true amount is much more.

The impact on nature and the environment is heartbreaking to contemplate. Looking on the horrifying devastation from images and videos makes me shudder, and I cannot even imagine what it looks and feels like in person. From personal accounts it is a nightmare; a nightmare people are not going to wake up from anytime soon. One would think people learn from their mistakes and we would have evolved enough by now, and know not to play with toxic waste. How are we going to clean this up? It hasn’t even stopped moving, and by the time it reaches the ocean it will have poisoned the land for many, many miles.

I simply cannot express the scope of this horrifying event without crying my heart out for the land and the people, so if you want more information and updates as this event unfolds please visit –> Knoxvillebiz to find a link roundup full of news and articles relating to Tennessee’s latest environmental disaster.

It appears our government officials are unsuprisingly absent on this one, and it’s up to the people to push this to the front of the table. We need to get the word out and stay on top of things, as we cannot allow this to happen again elsewhere. This is bigger than some people think, and we need to fight to get the attention and help that will be needed to contain this disaster as much as possible. I cannot believe they are not all over this, but that is just me. I tend to want to believe other people think like me, and it just isn’t so.

Some days I just wonder how we manage to live in a natural and healthy way. Unless we grow and produce all our own food, it is always uncertain exactly what is inside, even when claims are made as to the wholesome and natural aspect of a given product. I tend to stay away from prepared foods as often as possible, yet I am not the only member of my household who does the preparation and cooking, so I am always concerned with what my family is consuming. My shopping cart looks like a giant fruit and veggie mobile, and I love to go to markets when the season permits.

Organic foods are avidly sought after items and my cupboards are loaded with what I hope are truly natural food stores. It costs me more to eat this way, as I am very picky about what passes through my mouth, and I only use pure maple syrup on my delicious oat and grain pancakes and when we need a great natural sweetener in our recipes. We only cook with olive or grapeseed oil, and corn oil seems to last forever as we only use it upon the rarest of occasions.

Still, I always wonder at the quality and true source of the food grown. Is the soil safe and clean? Are we getting true nutrients from the food grown? Is it handled in a responsible manner so we are not given harmful germs or viruses? Why are we still getting deadly diseases such as cancer if we are following our instincts by living as naturally as possible?

I woke up today after a night full of disturbing dreams. My dreams tend to tell of things to come, as I have dreamed true dreams of events before they occur on many, many occasions, so I pay very close attention to them for this reason. I dreamt of a terrible accident involving a loved one, and it put me in a strange mood upon waking. Of course I was upset, so I performed a calming excercise to give myself a chance to consider the implications from a place less full of the panic of my waking moment. I decided to just keep my senses aware and my eyes and heart open to events, and possibly avoid a dangerous situation which may or may not occur. The world is a very unsettling place to live in, so this is how I walk forth anyhow, yet I vowed to keep extra vigilence of my surroundings and in watching out for my loved ones.

I have experienced so much loss in the past few years, and most of these losses occured through preventable causes. Cancer and health related issues have taken several family members and friends to the other side before their time, in my eyes and heart. I am very close to the age of these dear ones who have crossed, and I am blessed with excellent health. I have always striven to take good care of this body the creator has blessed me with, and try to set good examples for those I come into contact with, or those who enter my sphere of influence.

Yet what about those who cannot afford to do this? And those who are not aware of the dangers surrounding them… how can we truly know what is safe and what may be potentially toxic?

I do not wish to experience the devastating feeling of grief and loss of losing a loved one through either neglect, or blatant disregard of our fellow humans health after consuming what they think is a pure and natural product. Most people do not seem to realize that they are stocking their homes with a whole lot of poisons and cancer-causing products, from household cleaners to soaps, shampoos, lotions, scented sprays, and even make-up. The list is huge, and I am always grateful when someone points me in the right direction by informing me of dangers inherent in a certain product, either consumed or applied to my body. Cancer is so ugly and dark, and I have no wish to allow it entry into my life or that of my loving friends and family. I am not afraid to speak out in a firm, yet gentle way, when I see people walking forth in ignorance to the dangers surrounding them. That is what Love is.

I am also deeply concerned when it comes to our four-legged furry friends. We have four guinea pigs, five rats, a dog and two cats. They get the same treatment as other family members, as they are family too, and we feed them as naturally as possible as well. They get plenty of fresh fruit and veggies, and a diet which is appropriate for them. Dogs and cats have not survived through the centuries from food out of a bag, full of fillers and goddess knows what else, which may not be prepared with the care most loving animal friends may think. Our furry friends are given the best we can find and supply, and are healthy and happy for it. We do not mind the extra time it takes to ensure quality, and the efforts to prepare healthy snacks and meals are well worth it. The balance in our home brings such a good feeling, and at the end of the day I feel good about doing what I can to keep my family happy, safe and healthy.

Our fight to save the wild places, and those that inhabit the lands all around us, is still in full swing. We have much to do to turn around the devestation caused through neglect and natural disasters. Our future depends upon how well we Steward this planet, whether people are aware of this or not. Education is as important as bringing about awareness of our surroundings and the plights of the Animal Kingdom. Here is some news that I feel is vital to pass along…

As soon as tomorrow, President-elect Obama will give what is being billed as a major address on creating jobs and stimulating America’s economy.

Here’s a forward-looking, wildlife-friendly way that he and Congress can create tens of thousands of green jobs: Saving wolves, river otters and other imperiled wildlife and safeguarding our public lands.

Urge President-elect Obama and your U.S. Representative and Senators to support smart investment in wildlife conservation to create green jobs to protect endangered wildlife, habitat and public lands.

Investing in America’s conservation infrastructure could help…

• Keep local construction, electrical, landscape and other companies working throughout 2009;
• Provide the next generation of workers with the skills they need to lead a green revolution in our economy; and
• Support vital efforts to safeguard river otters, other imperiled wildlife, habitat and our national wildlife refuges, forests, monuments and other public lands.

In fact, America could put nearly 60,000 people to work within 90 to 180 days… all while protecting the wildlife, habitat and public lands that help make our country so special.

These projects are especially important in places like Louisiana’s Sabine National Wildlife Refuge, which was devastated by Hurricane Rita and is currently closed to the public.

The Refuge once hosted more than 280,000 visitors each year and is home to wildlife like river otters, American alligators, pelicans and egrets. But now Sabine is in dire need of repair. Clean-up and restoration efforts could create good local jobs that help Sabine’s wildlife.

And that’s just one example. Across the country, many national wildlife refuges and other public lands have been effectively shuttered as essential projects have been left unfunded and vital wildlife conservation staff positions left vacant.

Transportation projects can also provide great benefits to wildlife and local economies. Done properly, they can create jobs and reconnect wildlife habitat across highways to allow safe passage and help animals migrate in response to climate change and other pressures. 

For instance, building wildlife crossings like those proposed in Washington State’s Snoqualmie Pass would help animals like wolves, grizzly bears, cougar, elk and bobcats move safely through their habitat without endangering their lives — and those of motorists — by crossing the highway.

Take action to put Americans to work restoring essential wildlife habitat and our national wildlife refuges, forests, monuments and other public lands.

Projects to restore wetlands, reconnect habitat across highways, combat harmful invasive species, repair damaged watersheds, rehabilitate native forests and prairies, make facilities and buildings more energy efficient, and install alternative energy systems would have tangible benefits for imperiled wildlife and local communities. Many of these projects also would help wildlife adapt to climate change and reduce global warming pollution by making America more energy efficient.

Together, we can protect the natural legacy we’ll leave our children and grandchildren and put Americans to work. Please take action now to help put America on the right path forward.

For the Wild Ones,

Rodger Schlickeisen President Defenders of Wildlife

Well then, Happy New Year! It always gives me a sense of starting upon a new Journey when the Seasons change, and when the days start to become longer. Although we are having many real Winter moments of snow mixed with rain (we usually get mostly rain here in Oregon), I feel a freshness in my Spirit and am looking forward to each new moment with a spring in my step. I have a strong feeling that this year will bring many new changes around the Earth, and some will not be so good. Yet I am ready to walk forth with courage and am up to the sometimes overwhelming challenges we will need to face, and I shall keep my faith that we can save the wild places and creatures that the creator has placed beside and around us. I wish to explore this planet, and it is my goal to travel to new and beautiful places, enjoying many new adventures.

As I look back I am reminded of how far I have come in the past year, and this serves to encourage me to set new goals. Although I am still young, I am the Matron of my family and my actions serve to create a certain positive energy which flows to all of my family members. This is a great responsibility, yet there are so many teachings yet to evolve, and in these uncertain times we need to all be aware of what is at stake on this planet as a result from our actions. We cannot sit back and let fate just take its course… it is up to each of us to put forth our intentions in a good way and follow through. My warrior spirit guides me to honour and protect those around me, and I can do no less.

Human beings tend to fall into the trap of focusing inward, which is good at times to keep our bodies and spirits in balance, yet we need to focus on the world and happenings around us in order to help create the positive changes which will help us grow and develop as human beings. We all have choices to make as our path unfolds, and sometimes it is vital to take the harder path in order to encourage others to follow suit in honoring this planet and all her gifts. There is much peril and danger unfolding for humans as well as all the living beings that inhabit this world. Keeping our eyes open and our senses aware of the changes around us may spell the difference between life and death, or circumstances which are totally unacceptable to live with.

I will, as always, keep my thoughts and actions positive. In doing so I will be doing my own small part in creating a world in which Life on this planet is worth living. I will be aware of my surroundings and that which I am called forth to do in helping to restore the Balance. There will always be the good and the bad, the Ying and the Yang, as this is what the Balance means. Yet I am hopeful in bringing back the balance on this beautiful Mother Earth, as the balance has become distorted and there is more bad than good at this time. I do not wish to see this planet as only bad to help the Balance elsewhere in the Universe, as this is home to many billions of creatures who need to survive in a good way. We can all do our part if we set our minds and hearts to this task, as honourable stewards of this planet, before it is too late and the Earth decides to take matters fully into her own actions of cleansing.

So today I wish to set forth my intentions of staying alert to the changes around me, and stepping forth on my path with a good heart. I shall honour the true friends I meet as they help to Light my Path. May we each honour the Earth and walk softly on this wondrous and Sacred gift of a planet we have been placed upon to call home for such a short time. May each moment create a new feeling of Love for our fellow beings, and let us walk forth with excitement for just being alive!

Pilamaye,

Teri
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