Sunset - June 16, 2014

The season of beautiful sunsets has begun.

June 16, 2014 - Bold Ents

I must say that the Ents around here are getting downright bold.  Now I told you of the other one who sometimes pelts me with acorns or pine cones, but this one -- this one! -- called me "yellow."  She said I was too much of a coward to reveal to the rest of the world just what's going on here in the deep woods of Maine.  She said no one would ever believe me.  She said fairies would capture me before I had a chance to reveal the truth.  It was then that I realized she was goading me.  You see, the fairies and the Ents are not always very friendly.  The Ents think the fairies are very rude young upstarts who never want to wait their turn in line.  The fairies think the Ents are boorish and stubborn.  Each has their own way of irking the other.  For example, the Ents will send out roots everywhere to destroy underground fairy strongholds when the fairies piss them off.  The fairies will cast spells on the Ents causing them to grow the wrong leaves, i.e., oak Ents will grow maple leaves, maple Ents will grow chestnut leaves, etc.  It's a mess, I tell you, and it's exasperating for any human who has to listen to the constant bickering.

Anyhow, I digress.  I turned to that Ent and, as serenely as possible, I asked her if she'd ever had the pleasure of sitting at a campfire at night that was perfumed with birch bark.  That shut her up right quick.  Imagine the nerve of trying to embroil me in a fight with the fairies!  I have enough problems with them as it is without unwittingly taking the side of the Ents.  So let this be a warning to the reader.  Stand firm when you are dealing with Ents, and never go out on a limb for them.

June 15, 2014 - Lazy Days

What a lazy day.  I couldn't muster up the gumption even to go fairy hunting, it was that lazy of a day.  And anyone who knows me knows that's saying something.  For once, it was okay to just be lazy.  It occurs to me that humans never allow themselves to do that.  Oh, they take "time off," but they never just do nothing.  They do "extra" work.  Or they force a busy schedule of "fun" onto themselves and everyone around them.  Or they become lazy but cringe with incredible guilt and "pay for it" later.  Or they become lazy and then hate themselves for it.  Animals are different from us.  They take every opportunity to be as lazy as possible, and they absolutely love it.  There's no guilt, no "I could or I should," no paying for it later.  When they have the opportunity to lie in the sun or lounge under a shade tree, they gratefully take it.  Yes, there are times when they have to hunt or run or search for food or water, and when they have to do these things, they do them uncomplainingly.  They also relax uncomplainingly.  We could take a lesson from them.  Enjoy this lazy view of Days Cove in Damariscotta, Maine, one of my favorite places.

June 14, 2014 - Beach Rose

The Maine beach rose, called "Rugosa," is an invasive species by which we are proud to be invaded.  They're not much to look at, but the fragrance is incomparable to any other rose, so intense and wonderful it is.  They are opening up now everywhere I look, and they don't mind the saltwater or salt air at all.  In fact, they thrive on it.  The air is completely and dramatically perfumed with rose, and it lulls the senses and plays tricks on the mind.  Once Rugosa has taken hold, it will not leave the premises.  And that is a good thing.

"Close your eyes!" the rose commanded me.  I did as I was told since I was in an adventurous mood anyhow.  That, and why take chances with magical creatures?  And then it hit me full force.  The scent of rose was so powerful, I was almost knocked backward, but I was able to keep my eyes closed.  I drifted into a delicate pink envelope and laid my head down on the softest of feather beds.  A blanket of the purest Maine alpaca fur draped lazily over me.  Such luxury!  I knew in that moment life was truly good.

"The eyes can lie," she said, "and they are easily fooled.  Do not fall victim to their prejudice.  It is the other senses that will lead you to the truth."  She was right.  The quest continues.

June 13, 2014 - The Sky Has Opened

Which tiny island off the coast of Maine is this?  Does it matter?  If it's not this one, it's that.  On a day like this, they all look the same anyhow.  The sky has opened up wide, and a torrential downpour is underway.  When I was young, I was told the angels were crying.  If there were thunder and lightning, I was told they were bowling.  But now I know the real truth.  The next time you cry, watch yourself in the mirror.  Watch your eyes well up with tears, and watch them as they splash down your face.  The sky of your mind has opened, and what was hiding within can no longer be contained.  It must come forth to release the pressure, and when the pressure is finally released, the mind plants invisible seeds on your cheeks.  Then your tears water the seeds, and the seeds grow into their own empires.  How careful we must be about the seeds we plant!  But plant them we must, whether good or bad.  And so, water them we must, whether we want to or not.

It is the same for the Earth.  The sky has opened, and millions of raindrops fall on an uncountable number of seeds that have exploded from the soul of the Earth.  Each seed will sprout and grow from the rain, and each will become its own being, some on the physical plane and some on the spiritual.  Unlike us, though, the Earth knows exactly what to plant and what is needed where and when.  It is fortunate for us, then, on these days of rain for we know that new beginnings are just around the bend.  Even so, the tracks of the Earth's tears can be difficult to follow.

June 12, 2014 - Sociable Tree

I was hiking up a small mountain and was feeling rather tired when I heard a deep yet soft voice say, "Hello."  I turned around and saw nothing at first, until I used my other vision and that's when I saw this tree.  Just at the moment when I was wishing for a seat, don't you know that this extremely large branch dipped low to the ground.  "You look tired," he said, "Why not have a seat?"  The branch part that was closest to the trunk was just at about hip level and made a perfect seat.  When I sat in it, the farther end of the branch popped up ever so slightly to slide me down and snuggle me in closer to the trunk.  I thought it rather forward behavior of the tree, but I didn't want to be rude in case this was normal interaction for trees in this neck of the woods.  Trees in my own woods are much more reserved.  And after all, I really was tired and needed to sit.

So I sat and drank some water from my canteen.  Rather belatedly, I poured a bit at the base of the tree.  "Mmmm, thank you," he said.  We sat in silence for a long time as I caught my breath and then lazily swung my legs back and forth.  I told him that I thought his part of the forest was very nice, and I do believe I felt a bit of a shiver in response.  He never spoke another word, but it was time for me to leave anyhow.  I murmured a goodbye, put one arm around the trunk as I slid down, patted him, and then walked away.  As I rounded the bend just past the tree, I saw two squirrels up on a large rock.  I got the distinct impression that they were pointing at me as I passed them, and I could have sworn I heard one call me a "tree hugger."  Squirrels are like that, though.  Quite odd little creatures, really.

June 11, 2014 - The Pink Lily Pond

The pink lilies are starting to appear on the pink lily pond.  Soon the whole surface will be covered with spectacular pink lilies, which will be so thick that you might not even see the pond itself.  Until you fell in, that is, and don't say I didn't warn you.  The pink lily pond always flowers before the white lily pond, and it's smaller in size than the white lily pond as well.  I will post a picture of the latter when it begins to bloom.  The two ponds are not far from one another, but they are distinctly different.  The pink lily pond lounges in the shade and is lush and green and female.  The while lily pond braves the brilliant sunshine and is distinctly tougher and male.  Yes, it's true, I believe the ponds have their own personalities, but then, I believe everything around me is a sentient being and I tend to personify the entire world.  It should come as no surprise, then, that the fairies at each pond are very different, and if I were you, I would avoid the white lily pond at night when the will-o'-the-wisp is always nearby.  Now that I think about it, it's not far from the haunted apple tree I wrote about last March.  Hmmm . . . I am seeing a connection here and am off to investigate.  Don't pick the lilies while I'm gone!

June 10, 2014 - Colorful Mallards

Did you ever wonder what it must have been like to live a few hundred years ago?  I always wonder.  One of the things I think about a lot is how different colors would have looked back then.  These days our eyes are bombarded with brilliant and fluorescent colors that practically scream at us.  There are colors with hues so vivid, it almost hurts the eye to look at them, and we get so used to seeing brilliant color everywhere we look:  magazines, television, computer, etc.  But what if your eyes had never beheld these modern colors?  What if the only colors your eyes had ever seen were the natural colors of the world around you?  How might this change what you see and the way in which you appreciate it?

Consider this humble mallard.  The brilliant and iridescent green on his neck is the natural color for this drake during breeding season.  It gleams and shines in the sunlight and is offset and made even more brilliant by the white stripe beneath it.  And what about the iridescent purple/blue speculum feathers, which appear even more brilliant in flight?  You can see just a bit of this color along his side as he floats on the pond.  Imagine laying your eyes upon these colors and wanting to surround yourself with them in beautiful clothing.  There would be no stores where you could get them, no latest trends, no market research on the hottest colors of the season.  There would be just the mallard and the different plants and insects in nature from which you would attempt to duplicate the color in a dye . . . in a dye you put into a handmade cloth.  Oh, how the world has changed, and perhaps not for the better.

Sunset - June 9, 2014

Sunset.  Makes me dreamy.