Welcome to the 1st of May, 2011, from Culebra

May Day has lots of meaning, from pagan to political and many are celebrating around the world. From May poles to leaning on lamp poles (Hello, Finland and friends!), you have many alternatives - including ignoring May Day altogether and doing nothing to note it beyond flipping your calendar page.

"Hurry dear! There's a mango right over there!"

Over on the big island, they are having a big event that has to do with protesting the natural gas line being built, among other things. Huh? you ask. It's online, if you want to find it! A number of people from Culebra have gone over to participate, but with a more local issue in mind. If you are at all interested in the situation ongoing here concerning the Terruno project, which would wipe out a whole hillside, front to back as one heads out toward Punta Soldado, this is a petition that will be presented to parties that have the power to stop the project due to environmental violations that have been proven as factual by numerous investigations. The moral issues are just as large. If you have any interest in Culebra not becoming a place of 'resorts', this is an important petition to sign. We can only try.

If you don't read Spanish, you can do one of two things, ok, three things. You can find a Spanish speaker to translate it. You can copy it and paste it into Google translate to get a rough idea of what it says. Or you can just trust me, that I won't have you signing a petition that you'd later on want to have my head on a plate for signing. My own personal slogan is becoming No more Costa Bonitas on Culebra!

These are terribly fuzzy, but I can't find a better way to post them, sorry!

 If I can get a more clear version, I will replace these

Waaaaaaaaaaay back in the early 70's, when life was good and strange and pretty crazy - oh, I mean mine, sorry - I fell in love with a woman's voice and the messages of her music. That love only increased through the years, though her presence on the stage decreased. At her height of fame, she gave birth to her daughter Valerie, who had many physical challenges to stay in the world. The woman, Phoebe Snow, laid down her career and took up her daughter, who was only expected to live a few years. Phoebe still did the occasional concert, with many still popular artists, and did commercial jingles as well, to allow her to stay home with Valerie. Valerie lived to the age of 31, dying in 2007. Phoebe Snow suffered a brain hemorrhage in 2010 and died last week, at the age of 60. A songbird, with a heart so huge, silenced. I love this amateur video of her - as I think it shows everything her fans loved about her...at least this fan. You can go to youtube.com to hear a lot of her music.

This video is from the program Sunday Morning, made in 2009

Rest in peace, Phoebe Snow.

Have a sweet May Sunday. Do something soul full.