New Camera

This photo was taken with my old camera - on my phone which is the old style flip phone!



My new camera is a Panasonic Lumix DMC ZS40, 18.1 megapixels.
"The Panasonic ZS40 will also shoot movies at up to Full HD (1,920 x 1,080 pixel; 1080p) resolution. You can also opt for HD (1,280 x 720 pixel; 720p) capture or below, and have a choice of either 60 or 30 frames-per-second capture rates at both high-def resolutions. Movies include stereo audio from a built-in microphone, allow zooming during capture, and have a 2GB file size limit."
http://www.imaging-resource.com

A New Horse Adopted: Moon Dancer

Moon "Dancer", a recent adoptee, is from a nearby farm relocating to Florida.  As part of the move, they are unable to take their horses.  Two went to another farm.  Dancer came to us.  She is Arabian/Saddlebred mix.  Approx 18 years old.  Dancer is somewhere in the middle of our horses by age - the Mustangs being the youngest (12) and June Royal being the oldest (32).

Dancer and our pony, Starburst, became fast friends - within days they were grazing next to each other on pasture.  Now, Starburst does not like to be without her.  That is a problem since Dancer is skinny and Starburst is fat - requiring two separate feeding schedules.

Dancer seems to like grain/feed, a lot.  And she is easy to handle.  Her coloring is almost identical to the pony but it is easy to tell them apart...tall and skinny....short and fat!!!

As with any animal we adopt, we hope to do justice to previous owners for all the care they put into their animals, and for the animals - to give them all the freedom, space, food, and shelter we can provide for comfort and longevity.  As the previous owner stated, "Our horses seem to be very happy."  We feel their happiness - and believe Dancer will be very happy here too!

The Nina Prize: Seed Savers

 Every year when the Nobel Prize is awarded in many categories, I am reminded to give my own prize to people, organizations, and efforts that command my admiration.

This year, I decided to give a prize to all the seed houses, farmers, and gardeners that save seed from heritage/heirloom plants so that future generations share in the biodiversity that was Planet Earth.  I have been a grower of heirloom plants for over 25 years.  Most of my seeds are purchased from rareseeds.com, growitalian.com.  There are other organizations that promote and sell heirloom seeds. The prominent ones in this country are seedsaversexchange.com and  sustainableseedco.com. and d landreth seed company, and seedsofchange.com and the cooks garden and wild seeds farm.

The list goes on and on.  

Our diet is expanded to include thousands of varieties of vegetables.  The possible natural health medicines and remedies and protectors...are endless because of this work.

To all seed houses, and the many farmers, and household gardeners that preserve seed from their ancestry and the wild from one year to the next, Congratulations!!!  Hard work well done to make a difference in the World.

Also, those people that have help preserve heritage animals, many thanks to you as well.

The Jagged Edge: Part II

Happy for what I have gained...

my dreams
my health
my important relationships, few, but key
the animals in my care
the peace of my farm

...sad for what I've Lost

"The Jagged Edge"

The Jagged Edge: Part I

The Jagged Edge: Part I

Living on the jagged edge -  a catch 22 - a double edged sword.

Freedom is undervalued, a priceless commodity.  Freedom comes with a price - the jagged edge.   Sometimes - it costs everything - a life.

Martin Luther King, Gandhi, Dianne Fossey...the list goes on.  People that paid their life in exchange for freedom.  The freedom of African Americans, Indians of every Caste, The Mountain Gorilla.

Every person fights each day to preserve it.

The Jagged Edge is the story of how that fight often results in tragedy.

in memory of Auntie and the work she did and the gifts of love she gave.  She introduced us to theater.