Falling leaves....

I guess I'm a few days late for making a celebratory Autumnal post. Just thought this was pretty and wanted to share. I absolutely love leaves, especially at this time of year. There's a big maple tree in Washington that should be growing quite spectacular about now...it's my most favorite tree anywhere, ever. :+)

Enjoy your autumn, everyone, everywhere....

Shawn

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photo courtesy of: http://www.asp-support.com/fluhrerdesigns/DemoFinishedProduct/AutumnLeavesII.JPG

You are getting very sleepy....

Mother Lily and daughter Hope, having a little snooze time in the woods. Evidently Little Miss Hope doesn't miss a thing, as her eyes are wide open, staring into Sue's camera, lol.

They've been busy working on a den, and it's yet to be determined if this particular project will prove satisfactory to them. We shall see...

And then, here's Jo.

If you look closely at this picture, you'll find that she's snoozing away on the carcass of an unfortunate deer (thought to have been possibly injured by a bow hunter). Reportedly, she hasn't left this spot for the last day or so.

It's obviously Autumn in the Big Woods.

We've finally had a couple of cooler days here in Texas, and it actually feels very much like September in the Pacific Northwest-- very pleasant to me (as well as anybody else who happens to notice it's not hotter than blazes, lol.) I love sleeping with the windows open at night and the breeze coming in the windows. Don't get me wrong--air conditioning is a very good thing, but the fresh, cool air is free, lol.

Shawn

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photos, as always, courtesy of: Lily The Black Bear, thanks to Sue M.

Elegant Lily....

....the black bear, yesterday. 

She and Hope have been getting their den ready to occupy, it seems.  I thought this was a particularly wonderful picture of her.   I've been fascinated and mystified about the process of hibernation and am going to be interested to see if/when there's a den cam to view.  We've all been keeping our fingers crossed, trusting that she and her daughter Hope would den together and everything would be safe and cozy. 

Goodnight, all!

Shawn

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Autumn's arrival....

From what I gather, most everyone is saying, "Finally!!"  Seems like summer just flew by, and here we are.  There will still be some pretty warm weather, but it is time for leaves to be falling and turning pretty colors.  We won't see much of that around these parts, but other places really put on a show.  One of these days, I'd love to get up the east coast to see the leaves turning-- it's on my bucket list ;+). 

I almost decided to find a picture of a roller-coaster.  That's the kind of ride it's been for me, the last week or so!  Whew.  You know, I never wanted to ride the rollercoaster at the fair, for good reason....and I still don't much care for it, in the metaphorical sense, lol.  Still leaves me queazy and with that sort of disturbed, somewhat cranky feeling, when things aren't altogether as they could be.  That's when it's time to stop, get off and take a breather.  I suspect I should have taken SGTex up on his offer of a fuzzy navel cooler yesterday, but maybe it will be more effective this afternoon, when I can appreciate it a little more, haha. 

Speaking of yesterday, it was just pretty much perfectly awful for the most part, just the whirling dervish emotional stuff that comes with trying to mix work and wedding planning and the day-to-day stuff.  Then came a knock on the door, and it was a neighbor lady asking about "a little tan dog with a black muzzle...."  This particular little dog moved into the neighborhood and has made himself a real nuisance.  A tiny dog with a gigantic attitude, terrorizing all the well-behaved dogs within miles (including our two pups).  Well, he'd been hit by a car and killed on our street, and she was wanting to make sure where it lived.  It was very sad, and I cried...I really, really hate it when that happens, and it could be avoided with more care given to keeping dogs at home where they belong.  Sigh.....

Anyway, today seems better, and there's miles and miles of work to be done, so I'm going to coffee up and do it.  I hope your Friday is the beginning of a great weekend for us all!!

By the way, welcome to the oodles of new blog readers from interesting places around the world.  We're at 55 countries, all of a sudden, and I don't know how that even happened!  But, hey!  I'm sure glad it has :+)

Shawn
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A really cute Texas birdbath (not in our back yard, lol) photo courtesy of:  http://americainshort.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/autumn-956.jpg

May dear Cal rest in peace....

Sad news:

Lily's brother Cal was radio-collared, unable to be given ribbons, killed by a hunter. 

Sue M, giving the late Cal bear his radio collar...

photo courtesy of:  Lily The Black Bear. 

Shawn & SGTex
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Sometimes I feel like a nut....

....on the other hand, no thanks.  I'll pass--on the things that I currently consider to be nuts.  I'm talkin' about things that can drive me craaaazy...as in *you-gotta-be-kidding* nuts.  Things that really make me go, "Whaaaa???"

Got nuts?  Here, for instance, is the latest story I just read on line, about an incident in a town called Trophy Club, Texas.  Their high school evidently suspended a 16-year-old male student for coming to school with bloodshot (red) eyes.  He was accused of using marijuana, so they suspended him.  But his eyes were red because....(are you ready for this???) his father had been murdered, and he had been crying. 

Can you imagine?!!  Appalling.  The story can be found on line via Google. 

More nuts?  Oh, let's see.  Today I was on Facebook and asked another FB friend about her post regarding the "See You At The Pole" event at a local school (where kids meet before school hours to pray--these would be kids who are most often conservative, born-again Christians, and you can also Google about that.  Interesting information at the Religious Tolerance website if you care to know more, for instance).  Well, I asked for the poster's thoughts about the aspect of constitutionality (as in US Constitution rights) and this poster's daughter jumped on and really lit into me, assuming I was anti-this and anti-that.  Nervy, hmm?  She was wrong....but one thing was made aBUNdantly clear--I'm really, really glad to be 99.9% free of having to deal with that type of person in my life these days.  Whew.  Unpleasant, to say the least. 

There is some interesting discussion to be had about Constitutional rights, about freedom of worship, freedom of speech, when the line gets crossed in the wrong way, separation of church and state, etc....I'm all for religious tolerance, and I'm all against religious intolerance, especially when it is practiced on the premises of city hall, public schools, etc....Some people seem to forget that the United States of America isn't ONLY a nation of one particular sort of faith or another.  There's room for all faiths, here....

Even more nuts?

I could probably come up with a few more things that I consider to be nutty, or things that make me nutty in particular.  Junk mail used to really bother me.  So do phone books, haha.  I'm not scared of them or anything-- I just find it weird and disturbing that they seem to accumulate so quickly and never seem to be thrown out.  Bacon grease makes me nuts.  (Sorry, Honey)... But more often these days, it's stuff I'm responsible for and haven't gotten resolved, like the boxes of wedding stuff sitting all over the house that need to be organized, reduced in number, stowed away neatly on shelves or in the shed.  And pictures that need to be hung...Or how about the half-finished wedding projects that need to be completed and crossed off the list?  Yeah.  What about _____ and _____?  Go ahead, fill in the blanks.  Chances are, there's a high likelihood what you put there at your desk would most likely apply here at my desk ;+).

OTOH, speaking of nuts, our pecan trees are absolutely laden with a bumper crop of beautiful nuts that will prove to be absolutely scrumptious.

Now, we're talkin' nuts!!

Shawn
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On behalf of gentle Jo, Lily and Hope and their forest friends....

poster courtesy of:  Lily The Black Bear

Shawn
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Between Thursday and Friday....

....I dreamed of the border regions of being.

When I awoke, I remembered only something between water and land, silence and speech, sleep and waking, and thought: "Here it is, the esthetics of indeterminacy. And here it is again..."



by: Lev Rubinstein, translated by Alex Halberstadt  (http://www.jewcy.com/ )
 
Well...
I did dream last night, and it was strange.  A lot of stairs leading to and from vast empty spaces in parking garages that overlooked empty streets.  Somehow, I ended up arriving at evening choir practice on a Sunday evening at the old church my family attended when I was a little girl.  And for some reason, I was supposed to go change clothes.  My aunt and cousin were sitting in the pew behind me and when I sat down they laughed.....Haha.  It was when I saw that the line into the dressing room was quite long that I became bored and woke myself up.  (Actually, I think SGTex awoke, got up to feed Sasha, and that is what woke me up, lol)
 

I don't know anything really profound to say today (not that I ever do, lol).  We're coming down the home stretch on the wedding plans....This morning I was wondering what will occupy our thoughts and time, once the wedding is past.  Hmmm.  I'm sure we'll come up with something!  I know!!  Paying for it!!! Hahaha.  We were delighted to know that M&R, two of our most special guests set out today on their trip from Washington state, planning to visit friends, camp and kayak all the way to Texas!  That was great news.

I guess I'd better get back to work.  SGTex is in the kitchen making some beef stew, and the fragrance is wonderful....

Hope your Thursday is leading up to a fantastic Friday!

Shawn

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pictures courtesy of:  Jeannine Coats Cooper, to be found on Facebook 

Beautiful bear....

~ Juliet ~

09.13.10

I couldn't resist posting this, for all the world to see and smile....
Shawn
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photo courtesy of :  Lily the Black Bear

OMG, Honey!!! Forty days.....

.....and so much to do!!!!

Can I tell you a secret?  Okay, sometimes I think about what it's going to be like--in *41* days, LOL!  When it's all said and done (and paid for-haha), everything we're wondering about, as in "How are we going to manage that?" will be--you know, like--completed. 

Also, I imagine what it will be like to get out of the car and hear our music playing downtown....seeing SGTex standing there....Look at the pompoms hanging in the tree, and the flower petals we've collected and dried to scatter, with our special songs playing...our near and dear folks who came...the wall-of-water fountain with the lotus floating in the pool....the ritual, the vows, more music, the readings, what Shawna will have to say, what I'll say, what SGTex will say...

Then, it makes me smile to imagine that last bit when the bubbles start to swirl around us and float up to the sky to Jackie Wilson's "Higher..."  :+)  

It's going to be wonderful.  The whole kit and kaboodle of it all.  Each task we have yet to complete is sweet and happy, really.....I'm sitting here at the desk which is pretty much obscured by polyurethane and ______s (that's supposed to still be a secret) sitting around waiting to be wrapped and beribboned and tucked in pretty gift bags, etc., etc....

I found this picture when looking for wedding bouquet examples.  I just finished--wait, no, it's not quite finished, come to think of it...But what I was saying was, this picture made me smile, as it's a great, nearly exaggerated depiction of the 1920-style bouquet.  I wanted some ivy trailing a bit, but this is like, woah....more than plenty, there....charming.  Wouldn't it be something to see these in color?!  Although, come to think of it, the flowers are likely pale shades of spring, but still it would be lovely to see. 

But this morning before we even actually got up, we watched "Bearwalker of the North Woods" on Animal Planet.  SGTex got up and called DishNetwork and made them give us Animal Planet (with only about 15 minutes to spare) so we could watch Dr. Lynn and Sue work their bear magic.  It's really a great documentary, and I can't wait to see what BBC is going to do next.  Who'd have thought people like us in Texas would get all wrapped up and be so involved with Ursus Americanus-types up in Minnesota?!  Well, we are....

SGTex has been busy wrangling the newish job into something that works for him, and after the wedding is over I'm hoping that he'll have more time to do his writing and get some free time with absolutely nothing that has to be done.  I bet when that happens we'll be seeing more of HIM on this here blog....Yay!!!!!

So, I guess I'd better see about getting this show on the road and get busy.  Or, I might just grab some more coffee and call a friend ;+).  If your phone rings in about 10 minutes, that'll be me......

Shawn
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photo courtesy of : petalina.files.wordpress.com (and I have no idea where they got it, lol!)

09.11....

New York City, USA

photo courtesy of:  stephenrahn.com

Shawn & SGTex
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Friday morning....

And here's Juliet nursing her 3 cubs yesterday.  She looks peaceful, doesn't she? 

Somebody on that thread mentioned they didn't like the big, clunky collar she's wearing, but she doesn't seem to mind.  Maybe it's not that heavy to a bear.  And she's got her ribbons, of course. 

I'll be so glad when hunting season is over.  Wish it was over forever....

If Momma Juliet wasn't so accommodating, her threesome wouldn't be able to do this:

Haha!! 

So, this morning SGTex got up and guess what?!  Brought me breakfast in bed!  That was a lovely surprise. 

He's terribly good to me.  ~Thank you, Dearling Man~

Shawn

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photos courtesy of:  Lily the Black Bear page

The Three Bears....

Mother Lily & Daughter Hope

Grandma June

I thought you all might like to see these sweet pictures of our 3 Bears of the Big Woods, safe and sound, so far...

Hey, we're awfully pleased to welcome oodles of new blog readers!  It seems that we've added about 8 new countries in the past couple of weeks.  That continues to amaze and delight us, and we sincerely hope you enjoy having a peek into our Texas life.

It's a very special anniversary day for us.  SGTex brought me some gorgeous, creamy white roses that are gracing the bouquet pedestal next to the altar, and the fabbest fancy coffee this morning.  The sun is shining, as we didn't participate in any tropical storm stuff (and that is a real blessing).

Have a splendid day in your part of the world.  See ya later!

Shawn
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photos courtesy of:  Lily the Black Bear page

The late Sarah, Ursus americanus, yearling daughter of Braveheart....

....was murdered by an unscrupulous coward.  Her bloodstained, colorfully ribboned collar was turned in anonymously to authorities. 
It clearly identifed her as a research bear.   That should never have happened.

Beautiful Sarah

Sadly,
Shawn & SGTex
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photos courtesy of:  Lily the Black Bear

When I was younger, I could remember anything....

....whether it happened or not.  Mark Twain

Today happens to be the birthday of my brother, and we decided to send him a little greeting, since we couldn't reach him by phone.  

I thought this was a cute picture.  Can you see the glitter?  What fun!



Well, no big news today.  It's clouding over out there and looks like we're going to get some rain, probably from the tropical storm pushing north from the gulf coast.  Speaking of rain, this cartoon showed up on Facebook today  (I borrowed it-- thanks, Yvonne...) and I thought it was pretty funny.  Haha.

Hope your day is filled with sunshine, or at least not enough rain to matter....

Happy Birthday, Greg!

Shawn & Noel
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photo courtesy of : wondercliparts.com and Regan, thanks to Yvonne...

A Call For Solidarity On 9/11.....

from the Board of Trustees Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions

As the anniversary of 9/11 approaches, there are competing views about the meaning of these tragic events.

Across the interreligious movement, there is deep distress about the intentions of some to identify the Muslim tradition, and the Muslim community, as the villains, rather than a few radical individuals. Unfortunately, too many in the United States know little about the true aims of Islam, nor do they know that Islam is fundamentally a religion of peace and human solidarity and that the majority of Muslims around the world are peace-loving citizens who unequivocally condemn terrorism in the name of religion.

Regrettably, recent opposition to the building of mosques and community centers in several cities has led to violence against Muslims and the desecration of their sacred texts. Burning that which others hold sacred is an act calculated to spark anger and fuel violence. We believe that such actions are unworthy of our nation and stand outside the shared values of our traditions which call for mutual respect and harmony.

Trustees of the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions call upon people of faith, spirit and goodwill from all traditions to use the solemn occasion of this 9/11 anniversary to reaffirm our commitment to building a better world for our children and grandchildren, and to affirm our solidarity with the Muslim community in this country and around the world. In this spirit, we offer this Call for Solidarity:

On this 9/11 weekend, we invite all persons and communities of faith, spirit and goodwill everywhere to lift up their prayers, voices and thoughts to spark a new attitude and sense of urgency, and to enkindle a different flame:

a spark that will ignite in us again the impetus to bring comfort to those who lost loved ones on that terror-filled day, and in the violent conflicts and wars that followed from it;

a spark that will ignite in us again to stand calmly and firmly against the forces of violence, distrust, hostility and cruelty;

a spark that will ignite in us again to stand with those who find themselves on the margins of our society – the homeless and those losing their homes, the documented and undocumented immigrant, the unemployed and financially insecure;

a spark that will ignite in us again the commitment to seek healing and reconciliation at home and abroad, in the cause of justice and peace.

In whatever ways that are in keeping with our individual and unique sacred traditions, we issue a call to stand together this weekend of September 10 – 12 in order to quench the fires of hatred and violence in our nation and our world, and to become aflame for the cause of a truly “beloved community.”


The Board of Trustees, Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions

Namaste,
Shawn & SGTex
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photo courtesy of:  learningfromlyrics.org