Thursday thoughts ...

 "The gentle spring rain permeates the soil of my soul.

A seed that has lain deeply in the earth for many years just smiles."

~ From Thich Nhat, "Cuckoo Telephone," in Call Me By My True Name ~

  I was up before sunrise and driving just as it was peeking over the top of the mountains behind me.  An early morning appointment 30ish miles away.

  Sometimes as I drive, I catch myself humming Daisy Bell, an old song written in 1892 [<link], and I wondered why.  I thought it was because I'd heard it in the late 1990s while commuting with a work friend who played Disney songs for her daughter (she rode part of the trip with us).  But after a Bing search, I couldn't find where it was in any Disney movie soundtracks.  So, I'm twice as perplexed on where I first heard it.  Perhaps in a previous life?

~*~*~

    When I got home from my appointment this morning, I was able to put up part of a temporary fence.  It is less to confine Charlie in the backyard, and more to keep him from plunging into the creek while chasing squirrels in the yard.

  It's hard to tell in this picture, but there is a significant and unexpected drop off just before the nearest trees.  The squirrels leap it with ease, but Charlie has yet to develop those skills or muscles (thankfully!).  On the far side where that blue plastic tarp is, if you look at the tree lying horizontally, the water yesterday was at the lower s the tree.  Between snow melt and the rain yesterday, it was more of a raging river than a quiet, trickling creek.  If he were to tumble down into the creek, he would be gone before I could even blink.

   The fence will not standup against the bear, but it may be difficult for Mr. Chonk the groundhog to climb, so I'm leaving the ends open for them.  Once all the fence pieces are in place, I want to get some rasp/blackberry bushes to plant at the open ends to further discourage Charlie, and but to feed the local wildlife and birds.  I might also research some groundhog friendly veggies and plant them at the far end of the property, and outside the fence line.

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  The quote above is from one of three books I'm reading right now.  The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching by Thich Nhat Hanh.  I'm also reading Native American Spiritualism by L.M. Arroyo; and The Natural Home Wheel of the Year by Raechel Henderson.  After getting a few chapters into L.M. Arroyo's book, I realized that two of the novels I wrote were harmful appropriations of Native American legends and spiritualism, and it made me uncomfortable.  So, they are no longer available for sale on Amazon.  My intent to write a third has been shelved unless I write a follow up to My Best Friends Have Hairy Legs, which is also no longer available for purchase.  I'm trying to decide if I want to even write another novel, or if I will be content with simply blogging.

  In the fall of 2023, when I had an Indian Sikh roommate, Bipan and I would have the most fascinating discussions about religions and faith.  One of the books on my shelf is The Buddha and His Dhamma by Dr. Bhimrao R. Ambedkar. [<link] According to Bipan, it is the equivalent of the Christian bible but to Indian Sikhs.  I also had several other culinary interns from the Philippines who were (very loud and vocal) practicing Catholics in the house at the time.  One night after dinner, when they had said grace, and some repetitive chanting by them all, I asked him if any of it made him uncomfortable.  He said no, because he felt that there were a lot of similarities in his faith... they just used different words.  After that conversation is when I ordered the book.

  Wishing you a weekend of enlightenment ... Hugs, Ci💚