WOW!!!

you know that riverbed i walk in every day?

it's bank-to-bank, after a long soft rain that started last night (down here that is) just before midnight. who knows how long it was raining in the mountains, to do THIS:
















kinda muddy in spots!






























and, tell me that angus isn't GRINNING in this shot!!! (left to right: nakita, angus, sun bear)














oh, this furry family brings me so much joy. i will miss them on my upcoming trip, but they'll be hanging with nakita & her humans, so i know they'll be fine.

and i'm a fire sign, living in the desert....hmmm

You Are Rain

You can be warm and sexy. Or cold and unwelcoming. Either way, you slowly bring out the beauty around you. You are best known for: your touch Your dominant state: changing

What Type of Weather Are You?

wet river morning

sometime in the night it started raining. i woke up to let the dogs out and HA! my car windows were down....thankfully the sun roof was closed!

we met a friend and his dog Omani at the river and all the dogs enjoyed getting muddy as can be. Omani is a young rescue dog that my friend ended up with. i think he's going to be huge!
















then as i was walking up the bank to the car--angus had already dashed up lightly ahead of me--i saw a sleeping rattlesnake!


my heavier movements woke it up (or was it my audible *GASP*?)--it stood on its coils for me and i heard the first sizzling rattle of the summer. my heart was racing as i jumped away!

needless to say, i took a different route to the parking area--and kept the dogs away--but couldn't resist going back to snap a shot of it from above (this is slightly zoomed, but not that much)!

and then there were three

we are dogsitting for a friend while she's on vacation. nakita is getting along quite well with both sun bear and angus. here are the 3 of them at the riverbed this morning.

p.h.o.t.o.s.u.n.d.a.y.!

ho ho ho i got my computer back on friday and installed camera software this morning. here's my heart rock window!
















and a couple of closeups:









one of these days i will repaint that yellow trim. for now it just is what it is.














and here's the front door of my be-it-ever-so-humble-there's-no-place-like HOME!

















have a sunderful wonday--ciao for now! :)

hot nights, incendiary films

the man who owns the sweat property shows political movies in the back yard on thursday nights. i usually don't make it, due to being pretty done in after work, but last night i only had 2 clients instead of the usual 3....so i went over there about 8:30 to watch the last bits of "Loose Change 9/11, 2nd Edition" (see the link HERE) and the first bits of Michael Franti's movie "I Know I'm Not Alone," about his journey to Baghdad and Israel and the West Bank to see for himself the effects of living in occupied/war torn areas. i had to leave about 40 minutes into the Michael Franti movie due to exhaustion, but turns out that it is available on Netflix, so i'll be able to see the rest.

and the Loose Change film is available to watch for free on the computer, in case you're interested. i think it certainly raises some important questions that i'd like our "elected" leaders to address!

today's Blogthing

Your Dosha is Pitta

You have a quick mind, a gift for persuasion, and a sharp sense of humor. You have both the drive and people skills to be a very successful leader. Argumentative and a bit stubborn, you have been known to be a little too set in your ways. But while you may be biased toward your own point of view, you are always honest, fair, and ethical. With friends: You are outgoing and open to anyone who might want to talk to you In love: You are picky but passionate To achieve more balance: Be less judgmental of those around you, and take cool walks in the moonlight.

What's Your Dosha?

sorry i am not more imaginative but it's really freaking hot here. lip gloss left in the car becomes a grease puddle--this is with the windows DOWN, not up! my house is 85 degrees inside with the cooler going full blast. i'm getting used to sweating, which is good since i am going to visit the "Land Of High Humidity" soon (honest, it says that on the license plate!)....

the pool is nice; i went again yesterday--AND it's outdoors--therefore the sun beats down on me while i'm swimming. plus the water isn't really all that refreshing since it barely gets cooler than 80 degrees at night these days.

my my my, i'm full of piss and vinegar, aren't i? maybe it's time for a nap....or a cool bath....my eyes are sweating!

on a happier note, i was listening to NPR today (Talk of the Nation) and Neal Conan was interviewing a young singer name of India Arie....i'd never heard of her, but liked her talk and LOVED her music (she & her band did a few live cuts on the air)....i was on my way to costco for dog treats and said to myself, 'well, i'll cruise by the cd aisle and see if i can find her new cd.'

and i found one--just ONE--in the front of a whole stack of Mary Blige cd's....like it'd been left there, just for me. now that's special!

happy summer daze, to all but michelle down unda. to her i say, trade you for a day!

what do the Dalai Lama, Angelina Jolie, and Taza all have in common?!?!?!

Your Aura is Blue

Spiritual and calm, you tend to live a quiet but enriching life. You are very giving of yourself. And it's hard for you to let go of relationships. The purpose of your life: showing love to other people Famous blues include: Angelina Jolie, the Dali Lama, Oprah Careers for you to try: Psychic, Peace Corps Volunteer, Counselor

What Color Is Your Aura?

i am addicted to Blogthings these days....mindless fun for the summertime blahs, i guess....enjoy!

sometimes just writing it down is enough to jump start the process

i.e., i went swimming today!

silly taza

hiding places

i am trying to systematically eradicate the hiding places i frequent. it's getting to be a bitch, and i'm crabby with the effort.

over the last several months i've pretty much quit all intoxicants, unless you count caffeine and tobacco. the taper happened pretty much without trying. not that i was using anything habitually, understand--but the urge has just kind of gone away.

oh, i still have a beer maybe once a week, actually less. i drink a couple cups of half-decaf coffee in the mornings, with soy/rice milk and honey in it. i also have one--sometimes 2--skinny, hand-rolled, filterless, organic tobacco cigarettes in the evening. (i so enjoy them that i'm thinking they should go too--KIDDING! i was just kidding!)

and FOOD! oh holy cripes. i can't even begin. food and exercise!

i bought a month-long yoga pass and have been using it 2-3 times a week--which is good. yay me! still, i could be biking to work, or biking to yoga, or going swimming--it's sure HOT enough--but somehow it seems that there's a big block in my head about actually applying myself to achieve the goals i say i want. that's the whole reason i'm even trying to do this, whatever name you could give it.

and the goals aren't necessarily "20 pounds thinner" or "double my income" but more along the lines of "optimal health and abundance in all areas of my life."

i am amazingly, abundantly healthy already, and could be even more so, but for some reason i stop short of realizing anything really fabulous.

same with income....i'm prosperous enough, JUST--and could be more so--but once again, don't apply myself to achieve anything beyond that self-dictated stopping point.

i want to find out why--break the barrier--get out of my own way, etc.--so 'hiding places' seemed to be a good place to start.

benjamin franklin said, "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." i decided to see if i can figure out what stops me from doing things differently.

no, not even that--i intend seeing that i CAN start doing things differently!

inward spelunking....

darn, i thought i was more exotic than this :(

You Are Apple Pie

You're the perfect combo of comforting and traditional Those who like you crave security

What Kind of Pie Are You?

blah, blah, and more blah

i wonder if it is predictable that i'd have an energy drop after each intender's circle? we had a great time last night--the final toning and meditation was SO HIGH, then today i feel a bit dragged out.

with practice, this will shift and i will resonate at a higher frequency ALL THE TIME without feeling the drag. at least that is my intention!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

there have been a lot of questions about my sweetie's blog. i have started to post about it a few times, but every time something stopped me. now i think i will tell a bit.

someone printed out parts of his blog and mailed them (anonymously, of course) to the "big bosses." the news filtered down and the gossip began. he deep-sixed it to avoid any other unauthorized use of his words.

supposedly he is being "watched" and it's likely that my blog is also being "watched"--by the someone, i suppose, and also by sweetie's superiors at work.

if you want to email him then feel free to do so. if you don't have his eddress, you can contact me; my eddress is on my profile.

please note, no names were used in this post, let's keep it that way. OK, 'nuf said!

but PLEASE, please refrain from making verbose and emotional comments about this subject here on my blog! i dislike the idea of anyone looking over my shoulder (why, hello, Big Brother!) but dislike even more the idea of giving satisfaction to someone's unhealthy need to get a reaction out of this ploy. so send nice energy, not verbiage!

simply repeat the statements below out loud while holding the subject in your mind:

"i intend that this issue is resolved quickly and painlessly. i intend the resolution reflects the highest good for all concerned. so be it and so it is!"

from the zen calendar (5 march 2006)

"Few people come to this mountaintop; cranes do not huddle in the pines. One Buddhist monk, eighty years old, has never heard of the world's affairs."
~Chia Tao

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
what a thought, to never have heard of the world's affairs. hmmm! next lifetime, i want to live like that, i think!

meanwhile, i'm going to include some inspiration from my inbox today:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If we all could get the remarkable and profound wisdom of this Elder, the world would be at peace, pollution would be a thing of the past and we would be reveling in the beauty of our Mother instead of squabbling about her.

ALL CREATION IN SACRED ORDER, A WORLD IN PEACE AND HARMONY. Let us speak and envision this together...Years ago...Grandfather Mischa from Siberia...was so angry and adamant concerning NOT speaking of the Earth being ill...or in trouble...He felt that was similar to telling a sick person how terrible they looked...It was not useful psychologically...So...he commanded that we tell Her that She is so beautiful...We sing to her those praises and images which remind Her of fully being who She IS...That we know She loves being told how magical and resourceful She IS...That She too can well use the encouragement of strong imagery in seeing her green...Wild flowers and fields abloom...fruit laden trees...All the wild creatures present and strong...The Rivers and Seas and all waterways, radiantly well...All Creation in SACRED ORDER...Tskusken...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
this came from the mailing list of Mary Elizabeth Thunder, Medicine Woman and Sun Dancer, http://www.marythunder.com/

holy moly

a lot of people i know are under the press of some twisty circumstances in their lives and i include myself in their number.

my landlord is having my bathroom re-tiled, and the road in front of my house is being milled and so there are fumes of diesel fuel and hot tar outside, and fumes of mastic inside.

i am also being challenged in other areas of a more personal nature and the sum result of all of this has been a 2-day headache, which i am happy to say i awoke without this morning.

two friends are having pretty severe low back issues. another is overwhelmed by her 3 small children and husband's demanding job. many of us are financially unstable at the moment (even though we are all 'rich' in that we have homes, friends, work, cars, etc.).

summertime is the down time in southeastern az; it's when the students leave, the snowbirds leave, the hippie gypsies leave, and the traffic thins (actually a big plus)--and when one's income depends on the presence of others, i.e. massage, the paychecks can get a little thin.

and yet, and yet, and yet: i am alive, i am breathing, i am not dodging sniper bullets, i have enough food in the fridge, i can go to the store and get more 1) because i have a few dollars and 2) because there IS a store and it HAS food. good, organic, yummy seasonal food too.

it doesn't take a lot of looking around, even in this country, to count myself among the extremely fortunate. if i check out the news and find out what's happening across the globe, my fortune soars!

but here's a little secret i've been told just recently: "THERE IS MORE THAN ENOUGH GOOD IN THIS WORLD FOR EVERYONE TO SHARE."

please, hold that thought inside your heart & mind for a few moments, and visualize the impact it can have on your worldview, no matter what is going on in your lives.

and so, i am holding my concerns and those of my friends in the light of all goodness and abundance, as i hold the earth and all her people, as often as i can.

blessed be.

ahhhh

sunday night, the town's empty, i'm sun-kissed and water-cooled. i remembered how to siphon the bottom dirt out of the stock tank this evening, then topped it off with cool fresh hose water and took a refreshing dip just moments ago.

the eastern horizon is flashing with nature's own fireworks and the air is still and a bit sultry (for us, 21% humidity is a LOT)....

peace to all
as we recall
the labor of
our nation's birth;
i pray we will
remember still
the goal we share
of peace on earth