Day #140 – Mountains
Mountains . . . their duty lies long — millions of years. Nay, tens of millions of years. They stand, watch and keep guard over the earth. Civilizations have come and gone. Nations rise and fall and still they watch. If only they could speak. What lessons would they teach? What would they say to man? I hear them whisper, “Slow down. Don’t move so fast. There may not be a tomorrow. Give your child a hug, make your life have meaning for in the blink of my eye, it will be gone.” And when you and I are gone, my friend, they will stand, watch and keep guard over the earth. ~J.K....
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Day #138 – Avocados
There wasn’t much time . . . I stood in the store, in front of the bin of dark, green spheres which held the rich, smooth goodness I desired. The stack of fruit trailed upward and held the mark of many hands picking through the mass for the perfect specimen. I reached into the pile. I let my fingers linger gently, caressing the skin, barely touching the delicate texture as I tried to decide. Which would serve the ultimate purpose, sacrificing itself to the delights of the bowl, to be mashed and blended into the guacamole of gods? No, this was not going to be difficult. It had to be quick. I...
Read MoreDay #137 – Gourds
In my office, in a place of honor on the top of my bookshelf, sits what was once a simple gourd. You’ve probably seen gourds in their traditional fall colors as decorations during the autumn season and in Thanksgiving displays. These very thick-skinned fruits are found in the same family as the squash and cucumber. My very special gourd was once disguised as a non-descript fruit which people often mistakenly call a vegetable. But now, it fulfills a more important role. When dried and hollowed out, gourds carry precious water or, in some societies, the special tea, called yerba matte....
Read MoreDay #136 – Great Smoky Mountains
To be surrounded by the beauty of nature in the Great Smoky Mountains takes me to a place deep within where I commune with the Creator of all I behold. My quiet thoughts travel to the Cherokee peoples who walked the same paths as I now tread, making gentle, crunching sounds upon the fallen leaves and twigs. What must they have felt here in the towering grandeur of this place? I breathe deeply the aroma of this sacred sanctuary. The earthy scents of late blooming flowers mingled with decay must have been the same for those early inhabitants. When I stand quietly, alert to what is...
Read MoreDay #135 – Roadrunners
A small creature, but one believed to hold great power, roadrunners were revered as sacred by many Native American cultures. Once considered to be able to protect against evil spirits . . . in real life, roadrunners are known for their bravery, speed and endurance. They kill rattlesnakes, run faster than people, and have great endurance, moving quickly across large expanses of land for their relatively small size. Regarded as good luck symbols, many Mexican Indian tribes believed they were a medicine bird and ate the meat of the road runner to aid in healing of the sick and to boost...
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