Dear Citizen,

(Prior post, worth pondering again...)
It is entirely up to you how you interpret this photo. The nature lover in me notes it as a message from Mother...

Dear Citizen,

   You seem to have become preoccupied since my last message...are you paying attention?! You of all people, camera in hand, eyes like a near sighted hawk- I've left little notes for you everywhere. Remember the Garter Snake you stepped on just last week? A surprise to you I'm sure, but a note from me none the less.  Take heed! The beauty all around is a gift from me to you and yours, but have you done enough to promote it's significance? 

   The fields are aplenty, but the soil/soul of nature has been neglected and abused. The tiniest of hosts have been starved...the plants, the roots that I have created are in dire need of compassion. The forests, if allowed- will heal themselves, the air and waters too. I have created an ecological model that sustains itself, will right itself in time. However- the good stewards of the land are most appreciated and are indeed needed for their necessary work in feeding their fellow man's heart,spirit and very existence. (The protests though at times seem a bit off the mark. Solutions are needed here...not more fighting.)

   With a higher sense of purpose and above all praise- show the politician, the people, the masses through prose, poetry and pictures like the old masters did; a beauty they may not comprehend.

   It is the heart of the poet that must convey the absolute essential worth of nature. The words must move one from an insincere security to a beautiful truth.

   All one has to do when confronted with beauty is acknowledge with gratitude how restorative to one's soul a mighty oak, a sunset, a Monarch, a tiny frog, a Preying Mantis, a deep lake, a rushing river, a Grizzly Bear, a welcoming wind...truly is.

   Enjoy this day. It is yours as it always has been, to freely do and make of it what you will. I do request with an earnest plea-

Deeply consider the beauty and begin again and again and again...to preserve it.

Thank you,

Mother




(T.L Starks 09/01/2008)

A little quaint

Reggie's Way Restaurant-Back woods Maine

(Their philosophy-Why not?!)

Black Magic Johnson- Always, a happy little song.

Terra Brockman- Crusader for common good, The Land Connection
Nicolas Vergeon- Paris France Agricultural Engineer-intern, student and teacher
Lubec, Maine

A little quaint drinking village with a fishing problem.

Most easterly point in the USA-Happy Hot Dog Philosophers

My Big Fish-A keeper.

Blake man...Wise beyond his little years

He says "all anybody needs is love." He's quite right.

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens

can change the world.

Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

Margaret Mead

Red Rover, Red Rover send...

Good Sunday morning,

Not a day that I would typically write, but...a casting of ballots is on my mind, my very simple mind...so, I will take the time to convey my thoughts on the presidential ballot.
I could say many things about the all too much brothers and sister in arms, fully locked tight, their family tree the same Bush. But, I would only then persuade an argument, and though it could be extremely interesting to stir the pot up a bit and watch it boil- the time has come to lay down a vote. The arguments, the logic-if any, has all been talked to death and any negative I might add would certainly just be shoveling another scoop of dirt on the already piled too high hill.

Do you remember, as a child-playing the game Red Rover? Let's see if I can help-"Red Rover, Red Rover send Terry right over..." The other side of kids, big and little-would hold hands tightly, trying to barricade your thrust through their line as you ran at it full speed. If you busted through, you took (if you were smart, and playing the game to the hilt) the strongest of their members back to your own line of defense-thereby your own line- strengthened. Now I see the policy makers like that, only-they don't play so fair, instead of locking hands and holding tight-they lock arms, making it almost impossible for even the strongest, most idealistic, most change promoting guy or gal to get through. Sometimes...perhaps one doesn't get through after all and joins their rank- my point here, what if one who has a gift for uniting joins up? And he in turn, now in their game, in their line-gets to call another from the other weaker line, (still talking about Red Rover here)...but in that game, if you recall-there is the option to call the whole of the other team across. The thinking there is you already have their strongest, only the weak links are left, they cannot bust through-in arrogance, they that are left are called. And what if, and this is the biggest if in this whole story, the uniter calls "Red Rover, red rover, send everyone over!" And every one starts to become united in one big line-all for one and one for all. Imagine the change such a line of strength and weakness, all aligned-might evoke?

My vote: Red Rover, Red Rover send Obama right over.

(I don't know if folks really bother to look at all the older posts when deciding if it's worthy reading in the long run...I'm going to do a bit of back pedalling here...my intial reasoning here was based upon my kid's reaction, awakening to the freedom of their vote...I have Mr. Obama to thank for that. But, this day finds me revisiting this post. The kids have awakened...but Obama, McCain seem more like zombies these days, followers. The signs they hold say Yield, I personally encourage Approach With Caution- don't know how I'll vote. I'm even contemplating letting the dog decide for me...at least he's loyal, and seems to hold a great deal of empathy for me and mine- that's more than I can say for our presidential choices today.)

I don't know if I'm right, I don't know if he's right, but concerning all the rest-I'd rather spend my one little voice of a vote on a uniter, not on the united state of the same old gamers-power,prestige- poverty of spirit. To my eyes and my own research, observations- Mr. Obama illuminates, and hopefully will reunite the masses like no other candidate thus far. I do not like this mess we're all in- I'll do my best to clean it up- one soul, one word, one action, one vote-at a time. Imagination and inspiration aside- I will give this guy a chance to walk the talk. I hope he gets that chance, or at the very least-enough votes to make the world wake up and take notice that many more than had ever been expected-have voiced the vote for a much needed change in direction.
Thanks for listening, and thinking, and remembering a game...
Take care-