Another photo from Evergreen Ponds in honor of the summer solstice and strawberry moon. The tadpoles, which used to be just dark shapes under the water, are starting to poke their noses out.
Tag Archives: Spirituality
Summer Solstice at the Pond 3
Another photo from Evergreen Ponds in honor of the summer solstice and strawberry moon. I saw this snowy egret flying over and landing in one pond, and then it moved to a smaller pond to do some fishing. 
Summer Solstice at the Pond 2
In honor of the summer solstice and strawberry moon, during the day today I am sharing photos of the abundant creatures of Evergreen Ponds. This turtle was scratching around in the grass–making dirt holes–maybe to lay some eggs?
Summer Solstice at the Pond 1
This morning, I walked to Evergreen Ponds, where life abounds. In honor of the summer solstice and strawberry moon, I want to share photos throughout today.
Frogs in Love
Ferns
Fern One
Today in my walk along Capisic Brook, I took photos of ferns, hoping to identify the different species I noticed. When I got home, and tried to compare these with fern guides online, I realized it was much more complicated than I realized. I don’t know the names of any of these yet. If you do, let me know! But here are three, four, or five different varieties I found. The differences between one and two and five are very clear to me, related to the shapes of the leaves, and how they are divided. But the differences between two, three and four seem more subtle, and three and four may well be the same. So much to learn about the plants of the natural world! Can anyone help me out by identifying any of these?
Fern Two
Fern Three
Fern Four
Fern Five
Trout Lilies
These lovely small flowers were near the trail on Capisic Brook. A couple days after I took this photo, I went on a Nature Walk at our Ferry Beach retreat and I asked the person who was leading us about this little yellow flower with the mottled green and brown leaves, and she suggested the identification. These are buds that haven’t fully opened yet. I am getting to know my new neighborhood.
Owl Life
Today I took a walk to the ponds at Evergreen and started looking at the pines where the mother owl and her babies have been living. Today I brought binoculars and our little camera. I watched for a long time. At first, I could see the mama owl from one spot on the opposite side of the pond, and I could see the vague outline of a baby at another spot across the pond. I went back and forth a few times. Then, while I was watching the mama, she moved around, and flew down to a spot lower than where she had been. I was able to get this photo of her, but through the binoculars I could really see her eyes looking back at me. Then, she flew back up to another spot behind the branches and I could no longer see her.
There were so many other magical signs of bird life today. There were five baby geese. There was a male cardinal bringing seeds to a female cardinal. There was some kind of yellow color warbler. And then I saw a movement lower down the owl pine, and saw that there was the baby owl on a lower branch, hopping about, gradually making its way further up. Amazing once again that I was able to take its photo. I think I am turning into a birder.
Solar Energy
Today, as I walked in the woods, I was suddenly seeing all the leaves budding open as if they were little solar energy panels for the plants and trees–only much more beautiful and efficient than the solar energy panels we humans are able to make. We are in those weeks when the plants are waking up and starting their solar production once more. And our own celebration is to make a decision about solar energy, so that panels can be put on our roof as soon as possible.
Last week, we had a roofing company come to replace all the worn shingles, so the roof would be ready. Then we read solar proposals and asked questions, and tried to decide between some great local companies who are installing solar panels in our area. That was the toughest part of the decision. We also took into consideration the total life cycle environmental impact of the panels themselves, and that helped us to choose SolarWorld panels which are made in the United States, and score high on all measures of environmental accountability and worker treatment. Who knew there were so many factors to consider?
Meanwhile, my time has been very busy with church work, and I am sorry to have neglected this blogging. Yesterday, I preached on a topic related to Faith Climate Action Week, and found this quote by Gus Speth, a U.S. advisor on climate change:
“I used to think that top environmental problems were biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and climate change. I thought that thirty years of good science could address these problems. I was wrong. The top environmental problems are selfishness, greed and apathy, and to deal with these we need a cultural and spiritual transformation. And we scientists don’t know how to do that.”
It is good to be serving a congregation that is interested in such a cultural and spiritual transformation! They support the changes Margy and I are making, and many other families are also asking how they can lower their carbon footprint. We give each other hope and strength.
Walking
I am feeling an paradox today. I began this search for greener housing out of a desire to live more in harmony with all beings of earth. It grew out of a deepening experience of our interconnection in an earth community. Yet, the disruption and labor of moving from one place to another has chipped away at that felt sense of connection and I have been out of balance and spiritually exhausted.
What helps me to start finding my way back into balance are the walks I take most mornings near our new home. I go out our back door, and then wander in our neighborhood, some days over to the Hall Trail near Capisic Brook, other days over to the trails at Evergreen Cemetery. I’ve found a huge old grandmother tree a few blocks away, the oldest one I’ve seen so far. Given the season and lack of leaves, I don’t even know what species it is, though I am wondering about Maple, since there are maple seeds on the ground nearby.
Along my walks, the cardinals have been singing their most beautiful dawn songs, naming their territories and wooing their loves. I am a tree person and a cardinal person and so I stop to put my hands on this tree, and I stop to listen to the cardinal songs, and try to catch a glimpse of them, usually bright and beautiful near the top branches. There are cardinals in our own yard too. So day by day, I hope to restore my strength, to reweave the threads that are torn and frayed from the move.
Water is Life
Today, Margy and I took a break from unpacking at our new house, to join with over one hundred other people who packed the Maine Supreme Judicial Court hearing of oral arguments in an appeal against a 45 year contract for water extraction between Fryeburg Water Company and Nestle (for their Poland Spring bottled water brand.) You can find out more about it at https://www.facebook.com/events/905328636212245/
After the hearing, we stood outside the courthouse with signs, which is when I took this photo. Water is utterly basic to life, and should be treated as sacred, not sold to a corporation that has a horrible track record in so many endeavors around the world. I remember most recently, Nestle was continuing to extract water in California, during the worst drought in its history. We can’t let these giants trample the common good of the earth, without raising our voices.
It was good to be with other human beings who get it.
Finding Our Way Home 