I never tire of Goats! Such Funny Animals!

Steve Perry is 64 years old - today - do you ever get too old for rock and roll?  I love his vocals - never saw Journey in concert - but love being able to see live performances through the internet.  It brings some nostalgia.  Such talented musicians are always inspirational.  I hope kids are encouraged to play instruments.  In our early years, my sisters took piano lessons and we got some of the greatest pleasure at family gatherings in their playing and my cousins talents too.  We played "records" of Journey, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Bachman Turner Overdrive, James Taylor, Neil Young et al and I still have many original albums.
In an interview Steve Perry states how difficult being on the road non stop was for them.  Thank-you music makers!  Here are some of Steve Perry's music recommendations - "Sam Cooke, Robert Plant, Marvin Gaye, Janis Joplin, Diana Washington, Kitty Lester and so many great singers I love,...I love Sarah McLachlan's voice and her writing very much. She's really something special. I also love Diana Krall, Joni Mitchell and many old R&B girls like Diana Washington, Aretha Franklin, and others. ...".  may their music live on forever.

My Time for Reflection

The snow falls in the early morning and I sit near the wood stove.  I am at liberty to read, write, and reflect on my life and surroundings.  Much of my life - as with many Americans - is fast forward - with little time to decompress.  But I am responsible for filling my schedule with one project after the next because I am interested in so many things.  Yet I take liberty in the months of January and February when our UpState NY environs are cold and frigid.  I still go outdoors - in fact at any given time - I 'm milking a goat, walking dogs, grooming horses, feeding chickens, looking after a herd of 20 bucks and does - plus working off the farm.

Oh but in the winters,  I love to write as I am doing right now and read - and take stock - try to place some order in my life.

There's no telling anyone that life is short - we all experience it one way or another be it a close friend, relative, pet, or our own mortality.  Yet, as I reflect on impermanence - I need to be careful, as this is not a positive reflection for me.  I'd rather ponder and strive for what I believe to be the brightness of my actions and legacy.  Planting trees, fruits, and vegetables without taxing the Earth, preserving land, caring for animals, working to care for the elderly and sick, being kind to neighbors, watching my own and my mate's physical fitness, and being a source of inspiration for young people.  What more can I do in a lifetime.

Last night I read about the 5 "human" poisons (distraction, aversion, ignorance, craving, conceit) and the antidote to them.  Meditation such as mindfulness, empathy, impermanence, awareness will lead to wisdom.  Since I am not an intellect on Buddhist teachings I will not go further here but rather continue to read and learn!

Staying Fit Inside & Out

Being healthy and fit inside and out means the physical plus the food we consume.  Health and fitness means the mind, body and spirit.  Working out - yoga, weight training - hiking, walking, biking.  

Something struck me early on that meat - being the flesh of an animal - was not a loving warm meal to nourish our bodies.  If one does choose meat - including poultry and fowl - it would benefit people to minimize their consumption.  Can you count how many animals your family eats in one year.  The carnage waged on the oceans is no better.  I love sushi but I also feel for the blue fin tuna that is caught and hacked, etc - whenever blood is involved - it makes me think - is the life we are taking really worth that one little meal? - and if so, how often should we indulge?  The world population is estimated to reach 7 billion in 2013!  Imagine how many animals and fish are killed - it is well into the trillions - right?

All this plus occasional cheese, coffee, wine,  pasta, pizza, and eggs which we harvest or purchase locally - what more do you need?  Maybe eating animals and fish semi annually - but always keeping a tally of the animals you consume.

I could not help but feel for these chickens which a nearby farmer raised humanely - they were readied for slaughter the next morning - about 20 of them.  Processed and put in the freezer, they would provide chicken for one year minus the amount they would sell.  Just how many chickens does a typical American family consume?  I am sure it is many many more than 20.  

Think about the number of animals one consumes.  To get some ideas non meat consumption - see my food blog where I post "plant based" recipes.  
http://natlnutrients.blogspot.com/

Kids of 2012

 

Photos of goat kids born in 2012 pictured recently at yearling stage.  From top left
Triton (Nubian Buck purchased off farm); Hebe (goddess of youth - born & unfortunately died 3 mths later), Aphrodite (atop of hay bales in loft),  Aphrodite ( again to the right of her Mom, Khaos born 2011, Muses & Meander, to the right of Hygenia, born 2011); Diana & Ceres (both doe - not pictured);Achilles & Cupid (both bucks), Mercury & Apollo (both withers).

Dogs and the Call of the Wild!

 - several times I have intervened to save one animal from a carnivorous animal.

Just yesterday is was a goose taken down by our Bloodhound - for some reason the goose never took flight.  It was tackled and stared up at me and the hound in shock and disbelief no doubt - or perhaps it's life passed before it.  I grabbed my dog's collar cautiously, not wanting to invoke the territorial instinct around food - Gullah came away easily.  As the goose ran for a new lease on life - the dog was very difficult to contain.  But once the goose wabbled to the river and swam - I knew this dog would not dive in this cold to try again.

I've seen dogs in pursuit at all costs - but not this bloodhound - he had limitations including more respect for our land, less quick to go in for the kill, and comfort seemed to  be favored over goose liver.

Goodbye Blue Skies

Gone for now pristine days of Spring Summer and Fall - I'll miss you clear skies - with your vivid lovely blue - unduplicated anywhere else.  Herein your skies will be cloudy stark icy cold and windy.  Far from the peaceful bliss we see pictured here.  One of our young does, Ceres, they are called yearlings in their first year of life - lifts her head up for the photo with grass hanging out of her mouth.  2012.

Here you see the wild mustangs - Blackfoot and Blossom - grooming one another on a clear day.