“Life exists only at this very moment, and in this moment it is infinite and eternal, for the present moment is infinitely small; before we can measure it, it has gone, and yet it exists forever….”
Homeless; – Down by the muddy Mississippi Skinny as a rail, Sleeping under the old Eads bridge Feeling low, dirty, and frail – Homeless; – With less than two coins In both pockets, Empty eyes Look through sunken sockets – Homeless; – So many people walk right on by I wonder how many care, They all keep moving Even though they stare – Homeless; – Lost a job Lost a home, Lost a family Lost all hope – Homeless; – Where will I go from here What should I do, I’m so thankful when the weather’s fair And the skies are blue – Homeless; – Don’t know the day nor season And, yea, it sure gets cold at night, I’ve got an old sleeping bag I’ll be alright – Homeless; – There’s so many of us out here Without a home, Even so I feel so very alone – Homeless; – It’s a tough situation Not pretty, just true, And at any time It could happen to you – Homeless; – Hey buddy… Could you spare a dime, And say a prayer for us … sometime – – I’m just homeless, not less human…
“It is precisely because we resist the darkness in ourselves that we miss the depths of the loveliness, beauty, brilliance, creativity, and joy that lie at our core.”
Crested Caracaras are large birds with wingspans up to four feet. Males and females have the same plumage: a black-topped head, a bare, reddish-orange face, and a white neck. The back and wings are dark browns to black; the legs and talons are yellow. The underside of the wings has white tips. The underside of the blacktail has white at the rump. In-flight, caracaras could be mistaken for black vultures. (Arizona Daily Independent)
Recently, my friend and fellow Sabino CanyonVolunteer Naturalist Ned Harris shared some of his recent
images of crested caracaras. He is an amazing photographer!
Check out Ted’s Flickr account. https://www.flickr.com/photos/ned_harris/
Crested Caracara On A Saguaro — Image by Ned Harris
This praying mantis egg casing was probably created late last fall. Here in southern
Arizona, they are commonly found on mesquite tree branches. Each casing holds up
to 200 eggs, which hatch approximately eight weeks after the eggs are laid. Tiny
praying mantis nymphs will emerge through the narrow slits of the egg case. Unless
you can find the small nymphs (1/8 inch), it is impossible to tell if the egg cases have
actually hatched — the egg case will not change in appearance.
Have you slept in a tent alone—a tent Out under the desert sky—
Where a thousand thousand desert miles All silent round you lie?—
The dust of the eons of ages dead, And the peoples that trampled by?
Have you looked in the desert’s painted cup, Have you smelled at dawn the wild sage musk,
Have you seen the lightning flashing up From the ground in the desert dusk?
Have you heard the song in the desert rain (Like the undertone of a wordless rhyme?)
Have you watched the glory of colors flame In its marvel of blossom time?
Have you lain with your face in your hands, afraid, Facedown—flat down on your face—and prayed,
While the terrible sand storm whirled and swirled In its soundless fury, and hid the world
And quenched the sun in its yellow glare— Just you, and your soul, and nothing, there?
If you have, then you know, for you’ve felt its spell, The lure of the desert land,
And if you have not, then I could not tell— For you could not understand.
Our potted azalea plant has lost a lot of its leaves over the last couple of years,
but it’s still healthy enough to bloom this for us here in the desert.
Often it’s the little things that bring so much enjoyment
here reminding us of the years we spent in southeast Texas.
Like Cinderella’s
Glass slipper Only one shoe
Had the right fit.
In life’s early years It took time Searching For the right fit — Trying on Many different shoes Before the music Brought us together.
I
Slipped into you Tying you
To my body – Knowing
Only you Could get so close.
We
Have walked Many miles Not always in step But at the start of each day You were there.
You
Supported each step Through the good times When we danced together And the bad times When the music stopped.
Over the years I knew
Where we were going You knew
Where we had been
As our souls Have now worn thin — Broken
Held together by twin Only now expressing The secret face Of our enter selves.
Having been seduced By a lover’s
Darkest kiss No longer laced together — Merely to be left behind In the window
Of yesterdays Kissed only By tomorrow’s sun.
Cattle In The Dusty West — Photo-Artistry by kenne
Crested Caracara — Photo-Artistry by kenne
Crested Caracara On A Saguaro — Image by Ned Harris
Praying Mantis Egg Casing — Image by kenne
“The Desert Land” — Image by kenne
Japanese Azalea — Images by kenne
“Window of Yesterdays” — Photo-Artistry by kenne
