EARTH PRAYER

from the book of same title:

EARTH PRAYER

"And God saw everything he had made, and found it very good.
And He said: This is a beautiful world that I have given you.
Take good care of it, do not ruin it.
It is said: Before the world was created, the Holy One kept creating worlds and destroying them.  Finally he created this one,
and was satisfied.  He said to Adam: This is the last world I shall make.  I place it in your hands: hold it in trust."

Year in Review:Pondering the Past

here are some photos from our farm that bring back memories of this past year:

the goats got a new pasture...

June Royal, our older horse at 33 years continues to thrive

as does the herd...we are grateful for that.  Their fencing was redone all the way around to make it completely escape proof...because the grass is always greener...

and Jim Dandy got his groove back...with the help of a daily pill to regulate his body temperature ...pineal gland...to combat Cushings...it worked!

WE WISH YOU LOVE,KINDNESS, AND FAITH

this beautiful wreath reminds me of the circle of life...

we follow the natural cycles...from the care and cozy comfort we give to animals...to the shelter, food, water, and freedom towards a long life, to their composted manure that provides nutrients, to the goat grazing that clears some of our land, to the cats and dogs that keep vermin at bay....and all they give to us...in beauty and spirit

...for the animals we rescue and care for ...from the wild mustangs to the owners who give up beloved pets due to circumstances ...we extend our heartfelt wishes for PEACE & KINDNESS!  May Love Be With You and Yours.  Always, Ambrosia Farms.

America The Beautiful

"O beautiful for spacious skies,

For amber waves of grain,

For purple mountain majesties

Above the fruited plain!

America! America!

God shed His grace on thee

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea!"

................................................Katharine Lee Bates

Nina Prize: Women That Saved Wild Animals

every year around the time of the Nobel Prizes being given - I select my own honorees for the Nina Prize.  it comes with no monies or fanfare...just my way of acknowledging those that have made a great leap for humankind toward something to be rewarded.

Previous winners include The New York Times for their historic works on investigative reporting, and Robert Redford for his work on conservation and nature.

The history of the world does not honor women often enough - and many women whose achievements have made this world a better place, go unrewarded.

For me, Conservation is the utmost in contributions to the world, because it leaves our world the way we found it - and there is nothing greater than planet Earth.

Madeleine Pickens, wife of billionaire T. Boone Pickens, dramatically stepped in to come to the aid of the animals. She offered to adopt not only the 2,000 mustangs and burros.  Even though these wild horses were not originally "wild", they have been on these lands long enough to protect them.  Now they need people to step up and give them alternative lands to graze.  There are 60,000 wild horses and burros on these lands covered by BLM.

http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/whbprogram.html

We have 2 wild mustangs that we adopted on our farm, Blackfoot and Blossom.

Dian Fossey lived and died to save wild mountain gorillas in Rwanda.

https://gorillafund.org/who-we-are/dian-fossey/

Jane Goodall has done much for the study of Chimpanzees.

"Jane Goodall's scores of honors include the Medal of Tanzania, the National Geographic Society's Hubbard Medal, Japan's prestigious Kyoto Prize, the French Legion of Honor, Prince of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research 2003, the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Life Science, UNESCO Gold Medal Award, and the Gandhi/King Award for Nonviolence.

Dr. Jane Goodall with United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan. © Jane Goodall Institute

In April 2002 Secretary-General Kofi Annan named Goodall a United Nations “Messenger of Peace.” Messengers help mobilize the public to become involved in work that makes the world a better place. "
fro the Washington State Univ website.





There are many other women than this list worth honoring and I will add them to this list with further research.  But I add this blanket honor to all those, including myself, that have worked to preserve lands and wildlife.

Biodynamic Farming

...this method of farming maintains ecosystems, plant and animal diversity, as true to the original nature of the place as possible.

We've maintained the original lands that were carved out for growing as well as  allowed portions to return to fallow and hence wild nature.

Our growing medium is enhanced by our horses and goat manure as well as other natural inputs or rock dust and minerals.

Many parts of this land is untouched by human manipulation and left to native plants and animals.

The View From Our farm

i heard this song on 2 films that i enjoyed - "a walk in the woods" - and "branded"

Morning Pasture

Family of Goats

This is Hygenia "Undie", and Venus - years later and still a family - mother and daughter - sleeping cozy together.

An Eagle in Our Mist

We saw this bald eagle - they were recently homed in our County.  NYS is doing a good job protecting Eagles.  Next, waterways need to be cleaned up to keep these and other birds of prey healthy.

Dream On

An Improable Great Musician: The Boss

To My Honey

Out to Pasture

We have a new pasture for the goats near the horses,  they plow through pasture so each year we fence a new one -

Pastures are managed better when you can keep animals off of it for a time to allow grazed pasture to replenish itself

in this photo, the goats are on the horse pasture.  Goats are excellent and clearing brush and other plants that horses do not eat.

However, buttercup - the yellow flower - needs to be brush hog because neither animal eats it.
we brush hog in sections so the horses still have uncut sections to graze.  This pasture here is 10 acres. Quite a lot for 6 horses and one pony.

The River and Swimming

the dogs like to cool off in the River on our runs - they drink from it too...Ugh, but dogs have a greater capacity to tolerate unsure water.  I still wish they would not drink it due to run off from farms and all the other pollutants thrown into it.  You would think from this photo it is pristine water - but very few, if any, waterways, lakes, oceans are unpolluted in our era.   Maybe future generations will place a higher level of importance on Mother Earth.  Happy Earth Day!

...all my sorrows

Our weekend was family filled - we had fun, love, and fulfilling times - we had interesting moments - and sadness.

we had good food - sushi, pizza, salads, antipasto, cheese, bagels, butter, and caviar, fresh eggs, coffee, wine.

Family/friends, no matter how little you see them - love is there - closeness.

If I were to reflect, I would say...nothing is taken for granted, everything stays the same, life is very, very short, yet time stands still.

The Human-ess of Mammals

http://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2016/jan/19/monkeys-of-guangzhou-in-pictures

the beauty and awe of mammals...

JUNE ROYAL

Art of Serendipity

An article in NYT discussing the art of invention.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/03/opinion/how-to-cultivate-the-art-of-serendipity.html?login=email&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=opinion-c-col-right-region&region=opinion-c-col-right-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-right-region&_r=0

Discovery in a library or book sale exists because of one's curiosity. This is just as true online/digitally - discovery of a new blog, essay, or article will enlighten and trigger innovation. In fact that is where most of the innovation is taking place in the younger generation. This still happens for many with a walk in nature, or study of animals, or observations on the city streets. Serendipity is constant FOR SOME. Those that are open to it. Where does someones invention or creation land and become known? I believe, this is random luck, in many cases. My father invented the shrimp deveiner but did not have resources to take that invention beyond a prototype. I was one of the first to model a "locally grown" frozen veggies farm to table product.  I think resources and timing are integral to this discussion of discovery/invention. Those that are renowned as the inventors may not be, the first - but the space where serendipity exists.

Cupid

Hercules