Happy Birthday, Edward Abbey ~ Resist Victor Gonzalez to Celebrate!

photo credit unknown

In light of our muellecito being stolen by Victor Gonzalez, with complicity from our former Mayor, it seems a good time to remember Edward Abbey, who spent the majority of his life trying to save a part of America that he felt passionately about. His passion spawned a movement, books, actions and, up to a point, made a difference, not only in the land he loved but in those in whom his beliefs and actions resonated. 

If you aren't aware of what I'm talking about (re: the muellecito), check out this page from Coralations, from back in 2006. It is now 2013 and the progress that came before has gone far, far backwards - laws, rights, humanity and Culebra be damned, by Victor Gonzalez.

We could do worse, far worse than to remember and be inspired by Edward Abbey, a man that I wish was alive to celebrate his 86th birthday (which was yesterday, but he's dead and I doubt he'd mind much). Here is an essay, written in 1999, that is worth the time it will take to read it, and a video essay of the man himself that I really enjoyed and hope you will as well. And if this gets your fighting juices flowing, head out to the muellecito and let El Diablo Victor Gonzalez know how you feel.

Thanks, Doug Brown, for the links and reminder!

Yesterday I only rebelled against being anywhere on land where I should have been by being on water, where I needed to be. It was so much where I needed to be that crashing on the spare bed to see the morning was the only option available. Thanks, lady in the purple houseboat. Thanks, mi amiga, for feeding the chickens!

I didn't take a lot of afternoon photos because we were busy rearranging furniture and perfecting the art of making space and making do. Along with a few cocktails to celebrate.

Waking up at dawn made up for the earlier lack. I tried for a few middle of the night photos but unless you are deeply drawn to blackness with a green buoy light tiny in the midst of it, they weren't a success.

Good morning sun and clouds!

Low tide at the reef

Full soul

Just as we were ready to head in (I could almost hear the chickens and CWIM calling the Bad Human Caretaker hotline), it started to rain. One of those air clearing rains that only lasted a few minutes and left this rainbow wide over Culebra. I hope the people in the plane were seeing it too.

Life is good. And, as Edward Abbey said, "Life is too short for...regret. Or bullshit."

Have a take-action Thursday. Do something.

The Goat and a Tomato Plant

Because I saw a goat and she saw me.

~ The Goat And I ~

Each sunny day upon my way
A goat I pass;
He has a beard of silver grey,
A bell of brass.
And all the while I am in sight
He seems to muse,
And stares at me with all his might
And chews and chews.

Upon the hill so thymy sweet
With joy of Spring,
He hails me with a tiny bleat
Of welcoming.
Though half the globe is drenched with blood
And cities flare,
Contentedly he chews the cud
And does not care.

Oh gentle friend, I know not what
Your age may be,
But of my years I'd give the lot
Yet left to me,
To chew a thistle and not choke,
But bright of eye
Gaze at the old world-weary bloke
Who hobbles by.

Alas! though bards make verse sublime,
And lines to quote,
It takes a fool like me to rhyme
About a goat.

~ Robert William Service

And because my tomato plants are beautiful, the essence of green and red to follow.

Have a what's out there? Wednesday. Do something Waldensian.

Holy Bird Day, Goosey Lucy!

I'm looking out my window right now and seeing a tern (I think it's a tern) swirling in pink sunrise clouds and I'm not going to take a picture of it. As happy as I am with my new camera, unless everything is just right, they turn into streaks of blinding white and I'm not quite ready to stop drinking my tea while waiting for everything to be just right.

Instead, you will get yesterday's birds, when I was quite happy to spend a fair amount of time being entertained. Except the falling down for geese part - more on that in a minute.

I spied this one across the street. By the time I got my camera, he was in my yard. Thank you, Mr. Strangely Beautiful!

Hearing splashes from inside, in the late afternoon, I knew the pelicans were fishing back in my part of the bay. What is better than a magic light time peli ballet with a front row seat?

Oh, just float there and look regal.

But not for long. There are sardines to catch, sky to fly in!

Delish!

You have something...um...right there...on the end of your beak. Never mind.

Aerial maneuvers

Take off

Definition of soaring

These two fished together for quite a while. I missed the shot of them, in perfect synchronicity, hitting the water, but you can tell by the splashes I ain't lyin'.

Peli ballet

Splashdown!

Under there getting the goods

Up peliscope

Ready to do it again

 I could have stayed out there another hour, just watching, but I didn't. Later, when it got to darkness, a friend from Virgin Gorda (on facebook) mentioned how beautiful the moonrise was and that she hoped people with cameras were catching it. I went outside and she was right, even though I'd missed the initial mellow yellowness, it was still really gorgeous.

With flash

Without flash. I like them both

 I had very cautiously made my way through the yard and down to the little dock. It was, even with the moon, pretty dark out there. Not dark enough to have brought my trusty lantern, but dark enough to be very careful. Having slipped on that downward path before, I try to take care. All was well.

And then I heard the geese. At night, there are only a few birds who make sounds and it is usually NOT geese. You might remember the photos I took of a few of them awhile back, who have apparently migrated over here from Birdland on the way to Zoni. Well, now there are more and they were making a serious racket. I could tell they were at the other end of the yard and maybe I could see them. I walk that path half a dozen times a day, there's nothing in the way. Except...a hand sized rock that was in exactly the right place to skid slip and fall over, taking it on the arm NOT holding the camera and the bun cheek of the same side. Nothing was broken, the geese were still going crazy. Carry on.

I really couldn't see them at all, so I just clicked into the darkness. There they were!

 With the first flash, they went totally silent. I could almost hear them paddling away.

Thus endeth bird day. I don't even want to see the bruise on my butt, the knot on my arm is enough to a) make me whimper b) convince myself I should be a professional photographer on safari in an African country because I'm so stalwart in carrying on with the task at hand when injured. Mostly, I'm just carrying on.

Have a take to the task totally Tuesday! Do something tremblingly triumphant.

A Day Late, A Memory Forever ~ Cashews and Coconuts Too

Yesterday was one of a few dates for observing International Holocaust Remembrance Day. A few dates because there has been disagreement and confusion about the best time to mark one day specifically. Maybe that is a good thing, if it means more awareness. Maybe not such a good thing if it means division.

There are so many words that have been written and spoken about this horrific time in our international history, I don't think I can add any more to them that would bear much significance. What I know from years of reading about the Holocaust is that the overwhelming hugeness of its impact can, for myself, only be truly known by hearing individual stories; there is the reality that cannot be understood in such huge numbers, like any horror involving mass numbers of humans.

German Civilizans Viewing Holocaust Victims : By order of the Supreme Allied Commander local Germans were rounded up by Allied troops and made to tour Hitler's "death camps." The citizens file past a long line of corpses at a camp in Wobbelin, Germany. 1945. (Photo Credit: Corbis)

This is one story out of thousands of a survivor. Clara wrote a book, based on her diaries from the time, called Clara's War. 

The history of Jews in Puerto Rico is rich and varied and goes back to the 15th century. Surprised? So was I. There is a lot written about it; this is really just an overview.

Yesterday was also Sunday Funday (no segue here, part of any survival is the huge awareness of embracing, celebrating and enjoying life). While we meant to head out to Dakity, a stubborn engine changed that plan. Instead, we tied up to a dock and enjoyed being out on the water anyway.

If you are looking for a fresh source for coconut water and can't find/husk your own, you can find Julian; he's already done the hard work. Now he's innovated his style, creating a flat bottomed, half husked coconut that can be set down in between sips. The top is opened easily with any sharp object (which should be used before mixing only)

More sun than rain. Thank you, whoever owns this dock!

I was checking out the cashew tree later in the day. It is exploding with cashews in every stage of growth. I'm mesmerized.

 Clouds got in my way.

Have a multiple memory Monday. Do something mind/soul/body motivated.

Simple Sunday ~ Culebra

the full moon
seven story-songs of a woman
turning towards the sea  

~Basho

Semi-Silent Saturday

Sometimes, even while the world whirls, there just isn't much to say and it's better just to see. YaknowwhatImean?

I'd rather be sailing

The closest I've seen to a roll cloud

Still life in the bay that isn't still at all

There's something about this boat that came into my bay. Something.

The last chick standing.

I love my road

And it's not full until tomorrow!

Have a sky-filled Saturday. Do something stellar.