The Greening of the Denver Zoo and their Toyota Elephant Passage

Sneak peak: Two Asian Elephants @ Toyota Elephant Passage

Picture this…It is somewhere in Southeast Asia, perhaps Thailand or Sri Lanka.  Lying among the grasses is an enormous gray mass. An Asian Elephant has been killed; an elderly woman stands near the animal sobbing into a handkerchief.  It is a sad day and there are conflicting emotions. The elephant was encroaching on a human settlement by crop-raiding, because the animal was a threat to human safety, she was shot.  Yet, who doesn’t love an elephant? Ever since indulging in the childhood stories of Babar, the Disney movie Dumbo, or more recently, the movie Water for Elephants, and loving Ganesh (the elephant-headed man and remover of obstacles) from Hindi philosophy, elephants trample deeply into our hearts.

Ganesh - remover of obstacles

 
Asian elephants were once highly revered in Southeast Asian cultures; they were often domesticated and used as workers in the logging industry and they had a close bond to their trainer/caretakers (called mahouts). But the ever-expanding human populations and their demands for resources throughout the world have continuously reduced the natural habitat areas for wild animals. And this is true for the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus).  Conflicts arise when a hungry elephant raids the croplands grown for human consumption.  Many countries of the Pacific Rim and Southeast Asia (and elsewhere around the globe) are trying to find solutions to preserving and protecting the indigenous animals that once roamed freely. Now many indigenous free-roaming animals are forced to go hungry. What is a solution that would protect and preserve animals that do not have enough natural habitat areas to forage for food and are thus forced into human-populated regions? Enter the wildlife preserves and committed zoos that work to keep endangered animals and humans safe from such conflicts.

Our own local Denver Zoo reaches out to other countries throughout the world to preserve and protect wild animals. The zoo has spent over $1 million to support animal conservation, and since 1996 has participated in 568 projects in 57 countries. With the new Asian Tropics exhibit, called the Toyota Elephant Passage, it is concentrating on the animals of Southeast Asia and the Pacific Rim. Not only is the new Toyota Elephant Passage the largest elephant facility in the country, able to house 8 bull elephants and several females within the 10-acre range, it also will provide a home for other Asian species such as Greater one-horned Rhinoceros, Malayan tapirs, Sarus cranes, Clouded leopards, White-cheeked gibbons, and Asian Small-clawed Otters. The new area will offer just what the title implies, “a passage” for the animals to wander safely throughout the area within cabled corridors. These fenced pathways will provide exercise and encourage more natural behaviors for the larger species.

Inside exhibit showing great use of natural light

Furthermore, The Denver Zoo accomplishes this feat of caretaking and conservation of endangered species by being extremely “green” – eat your heart out, Kermit. The state-of-the-art innovations implemented at the Toyota Elephant Passage have made the Denver Zoo the greenest zoo in the country.  The Denver Zoo is set to receive Gold (or Platinum) LEED’s Certification and the ISO 14001 certification for incorporating the highest environmental standards for their operation. These achievements have been accomplished by utilizing several resourceful methods:  incorporating a Biomass Gasification system which recycles 1.5 million pounds of animal and human waste created annually into energy, a water filtration system that will recycle the 1.1 million gallons of water used in the man-made ponds, sustainable architectural design and construction choices that use natural light (skylights, Solatubes, and reflection systems,) and ventilation systems that improve air quality.

A Gibbon playground

This 10-acre zoo addition is divided into three main sections: Chang Pa Wildlife Preserve, which mimics a wildlife reserve in an Asian country; Scholzel Family Village, complete with prayer flags blowing in the wind and Buddhist prayer wheels, and the Village Outpost, which exhibits some of the travails of wild animals having to deal with human settlements.

All this is made possible with a little help from their friends. The Denver  Zoo worked with the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) during the early phases of development to explore viable energy options.  Other financial supporters were Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc., The Boettcher Foundation, Anabel C. and Jerome P. McHugh, The Governor’s Energy Office (Colorado), Pioneer Resources, Mesa Energy Partners, LLC and Western Energy Alliance.  However, we must sing praises to the namesake of the elephant passage, the group that continues to support the exhibition—Denver Toyota Dealers Association.  Their funds and support are making this animal and Asian cultural adventure deliver. This is no small feat. When a highly-visible organization such as the Denver Zoo sets the bar as the best of all the rest in environmental practices, it paves the way for others to follow (such as our local Toyota dealers) and make being green a beautiful thing. Thank you all!

Thanks to:

Groove Toyota in Englewood, Mountain States Toyota

in Denver, Stapp Interstate Toyota in Frederick, Stevinson Toyota East in Aurora, Stevinson

Toyota West in Lakewood, Larry H. Miller Toyota in Boulder and Go Toyota in Centennial.

References
http://www.denverzoo.org/toyota_elephant_passage/about_the_project/animals/index.html#Elephant

May – mothers, moons and memorials

Supermoon - photo courtesy of Sky-watcher and Google Images

Gemstone: Emerald
Astrology: Gemini and Taurus
Flower: Lily of the Valley and Hawthorne

 








Selected Poem:
Song on May Morning (1632-33)
“Now the bright morning star, day's harbinger,
Comes dancing from the east, and leads with her
The flowery May, who from her green lap throws
The yellow cowslip and the pale primrose.
Hail, bounteous May, that doth inspire
Mirth, and youth, and warm desire;
Woods and groves are of thy dressing,
Hill and dale doth boast thy blessing,
Thus we salute thee with our early song,
And welcome thee, and wish thee long.” - John Milton

There is a rule of thumb in Denver, CO:  plant your tomatoes or any non-cold-hardy vegetables right around Mother’s Day. May is our month for planting safely without a frost (well, most years anyway). Alas, after gardening my fingers into dirty brown digits – preparing the yard for planting, building up the beds with more eco-compost, purchasing vegetable and marigold starts, and finding a moment to gently plant them in the ground, all the while weeding and watering – I have found a moment for a quick post.  

My Austrian Copper Rose (Rose foetida) - incredibly hardy yet ephemeral

Ah, May.  It is the fifth month of our calendar year which features the season of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere.  May derived its name from the Greek word Maia (the Goddess of Fertility) and in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere it is indeed a very fertile month. Flowers burst their buds, trees leaf out, grasses turn green, birds incubate their eggs, and the icy grip of winter is a mere memory.  It’s a month with many events.

During the month of May, the Blessed Virgin Mary is honored by Catholics throughout the world, as well as mothers and nurses who have been given their own special day to appreciate them for all they do for those they care for. Happy Mother's Day to Lee (my mom in heaven) who taught me that preparing good healthy food is a language of love. The Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Indy 500 are raced in the U.S., and soldiers who lost their lives serving in the U.S. military are remembered on Memorial Day, while those serving in the armed forces are recognized on Armed Forces Day.  Cinco de Mayo, which celebrates Mexico’s victory in 1862 over French forces in Puebla, is widely celebrated in Mexico and the U.S., as is Asian Pacific Heritage Month; and cycling enthusiasts celebrate the second week of May with National Bike Week.  This month we were blessed with a “Supermoon” – a full moon on May 6th appeared 14% bigger and 30% brighter due to a closer orbit around Earth during its perigee (221,802 miles).  Because of clouds and rain, the show was not to be had for me in Denver. However, later this month the moon will continue to draw attention to herself on May 20-21 with an annular eclipse; the moon will pass in front of the sun for about 5 minutes.  To finish off month we have the Monday, May 28th (Memorial Day) holiday to enjoy a 3-day weekend.  Memorial Day sets off opening day for many local swimming pools, so one can begin to practice and prepare for soon-to-be summer. Oh, busy and bounteous May.

References:
http://www.bartleby.com/4/204.html
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history
http://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar-eclipse-may-2012.html
http://ca.skywatcher.com/

The end of the affair

No other humans just the hill and I (view to the east)

The falling out of love happened just as quickly as the falling in love. The love affair lasted decades and I certainly had a good run of it. The setting of the affair was the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.  There is a romantic ambiance in our ski towns and communities – the athletes wearing their Scandinavian woolen sweaters or colorful fleece, rosy cheeks on the residents from the invigorating cold or unabashed sunshine, the perpetual gentle snowfalls, the tall green conifers framing dappled sunlight and a royal blue sky – and all this was exhilarating and thrilling to me. Being in this environment made me feel like I was waking up every morning to a white Christmas.

Mountains represent something so much greater than oneself:  Mother Nature displays a chilling force of power and special beauty in alpine regions. I wanted to be a part of it somehow and to express my passion -- like a good tumble in the bedroom. And indeed there were sports that could accomplish this meeting between the lover and object of her infatuation. Alpine skiing (and snowboarding) is the art of falling down a snow-capped mountain on boards strapped to your feet with a controlled grace – making turns that look like undulating silk ribbons. I fell in love with falling down. That this “falling down" a mountain sport required a monumental amount of special gear – heavy clunky boots, high tech skis, proper poles, protective goggles, sunscreen, hats, gloves, waterproof pants and jacket  (and a costly lift ticket) -  was just a hurdle I would have to jump over hoping to land gently on a blanket of snow. And jumping up and into the snowy bed was something I did for years.  Yes, I do feel one can have affairs with sports.

Entrance to the Rail Yard Superpipe

Last week, I went downhill skiing for an end of the season fling at the nearby Winter Park Ski Resort. Even though this was not a good year for winter snowfall, a spring storm had recently blanketed a few areas in the Rocky Mountains. The snow on the runs was decent easing into a bit of slush at the base; the temperatures were mild and the sun was playing peek-a-boo with some clouds.  A handful of runs were open and on a third of them I never saw another human. Talk about having a moment alone in nature. I laughed to myself that if I accidentally fell and became injured, no one would find my bones until next fall.

The log architecture at "The Lodge at Sunspot"

I definitely had a good run at it and wove together some graceful turns. Up at this high elevation, I became very thirsty and had to stop at The Lodge at Sunspot for some water and a snack. The lodge sits at 10,700 ft. and is a breathtakingly beautiful structure built of enormous logs with endless views of the Continental Divide. It feels like a natural part of the forest and the safest place you could be in a blizzard. The bottled water cost nearly $4.00 and I spent some time savoring it and watching the sky and clouds move around the mountains. Later in the day, when my burning thighs announced that the first day of skiing was over, I trudged in my clunky ski boots back to the parking lot carrying my skis and poles across my shoulder like a soldier carries his rifle. My feet were anxious to be free and unencumbered; I was looking forward to the hotel swimming pool and bare feet.

Something in me had shifted. My long love affair with downhill skiing seemed to have cooled somewhat – and the cause of this change could be many things. Was it perhaps the high cost of downhill skiing, the ton of equipment to schlep and wear, the heavy uncomfortable boots (even with custom orthotics), along with the added expenses of gas, food and hotel? The ski/snowboard industry has gotten too expensive for the average-income family to easily afford. My pocketbook says ouch every time I go.  And when I weighed the economic situation, like many folks do with a benefit/cost analysis, the costs seemed to outweigh the benefits. Watching a few people on the slopes execute perfect parallel turns, I could not help thinking how unimportant and silly it seemed to make these expensive wiggles.  Maybe, my time could be better spent planting my garden and reaping the rewards of a harvest of nutritious food. Couldn’t I enjoy the mountain equally as well hiking for free in my light-as-air snowshoes? Was I moving in a direction of more simplicity in my life with less reliance on an abnormal amount high-tech equipment for my fun?  A bathing suit and cap for swimming or a pair of sneakers and shorts for jogging seemed delightfully simple. There is a scene in the 1980 comedy, “Private Benjamin,” where Goldie Hawn is marching in the rain weighed down by a ton of army equipment (rifle, helmet, backpack, combat boots and rain gear) and she says, “I want to wear my sandals…I want to go out to lunch…I want to be normal again!”  I can relate.

Reference

Zieff, Howard, dir. Private Benjamin. Perf. Goldie Hawn, and Eileen Brennan. Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc., 1980. Film.

A little bit of Paris

Bonjour,

Some treats found at "Les Delices de Paris" on Holly St. in Denver

When Bumble and I were in Paris in 2004, we would delight in eating a freshly-made crepe from the corner crepe guy on our morning walks. My husband would say, “Bon Ger" to him and he would respond and say, “Don’t lose your accent!” This humorous food vendor would make us paper-thin delectable crepes and fill them with our choice of fresh ingredients and dust the folded over tops with powdered sugar. We often got the sliced banana and Nutella crepes (sometimes we added strawberries). It was a yummy nosh and a great memory.

Je suis un francophile et adore tous ce qui est français. Comme j'étais heureux de trouver une pâtisserie typiquement française dans mon quartier, hier. [I am à francophile and adore all things French. How happy I was to find an authentic French pastry shop in my neighborhood yesterday!]

Exterior Shot

The delightful French pastry shop is called “Les Delices de Paris” (The Delights of Paris) and is located in the Leetsdale Shopping Center (SW corner), which is at the intersection of Holly Street and Leetsdale Drive in Southeast Denver. Right next door is a knitting shop called “I Love Knitting” in case you get lost. The proprietors, Chrystel and Gerard, are from the suburbs of Paris and they wake up before dawn to start baking for us. Now, while there are no crepes, there are 10 different varieties of quiche to serve as breakfast or lunch. The quiches are a great way to partake in a pastry that is not all about sugar but with protein-packed eggs and a wide variety of savory ingredients. I enjoyed the Quiche Lorraine and Spinach Quiche while Bumble had the Mexican Quiche with cheese and jalapenos.

Latte with Quiche Lorraine and a Bichon (Lemon Turnover)

There are gobs of sweet goodies to choose from: Napoleons and Chocolate Eclairs to Apple Flan Tartlets and Almond Croissants. The Bichon, or lemon turnover, was divine and creamy but not too sweet. Next next time I am going to try the various biscottis.  If you need a French fix, perhaps after enjoying a movie set in Paris like “Hugo” or "Midnight in Paris," then give Les Delices de Paris a visit.

Located at:
600 S. Holly St. Suite 101
Denver, CO 80246
303.320.7596
www.lesdelicesdenver.com

More sweets to feast your eyes upon!

References:
http://lesdelicesdenver.com/
http://www.denvershopping.org/
http://directory.cityvoter.com/leetsdale-shopping-center/biz/87197

April's History Springs Forth

Peach blossoms in April

April Birthstone: Diamond     

Flower: Daisy or Sweet Pea
Famous Quotes: 

"Sweet April showers do spring May flowers." - Thomas Tusser

"And Spring arose on the garden fair,
Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;
And each flower and herb on Earth's dark breast, Rose from the dreams of its wintry rest." -  Percy Bysshe Shelley

April, the name of the fourth month in our calendar, evolved from the Roman month Aprilis which most probably derived from the Latin verb Aperire, “to open” - as the opening, or blossoming, of trees and flowers.  In the Northern Hemisphere this 30 day month brings us bees, butterflies, flowers, the planting season, household spring cleaning, romantic notions of love, and the opening season of professional baseball. What could be better?

Explore a few more historic facts for each day of April which I have listed below; some dates have more than one entry.

April's Historic Events

April 1 - April Fool’s Day. This celebration has many possible origins, one of which is associated with the change from the old Julian calendar to the newer Gregorian calendar ordered in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII. This new calendar shifted the New Year to January 1 instead of April 1. The change did not take hold right away. Many folks continued to celebrate the new year on April 1 and perhaps were seen as fools.

April 2, 1513 – Ponce de Leon is credited with the discovery of Florida for Spain. However, some historians argue that John Cabot and his son Sebastian my have discovered the pennisula first in the years 1497 to 1498.

April 3, 1860 – The Pony Express debuts with a goal to hasten mail delivery across the continental U.S.. The service lasted only 19 months when the completion of the Pacific Telegraph line ended the need for its existence (Pony Express National Museum).

April 3, 2012 – Not beautiful weather today in Denver, Colorado.  The day brings a wet snow after a warm March and makes inhabitants feel a bit under the weather.

April 4, 1968 – Martin Luther King was assassinated on his hotel balcony in Memphis, TN – the man was killed but his dream lived on.

April 5, 1614 – Pocahontas marries John Rolfe, a Virginian tobacco farmer.

April 6, 1896 - The tradition of the Olympic Games is reborn again in Athens after 1,500 years of being banned.

April 7, 1994 – Civil war breaks out in Rwanda after President Habyarimana was killed when his plane was shot down.  Hutu extremists brutally murdered an estimated 500,000 to 1 million innocent civilian Tutsis and moderate Hutus. It is considered the worst episode of ethnic genocide since World War II.

April 7, 2012 – First day of Passover (Pesach) will be celebrated. God commanded the Death Angel to “pass over” the Israelites and save them from experiencing 10th plague that would befall the Egyptians, if they would paint the blood of a Lamb onto their side posts and lintels of their front door.

April 8 – Hanamatsuri or Buddha’s Birthday (born Prince Siddhartha Gautama) is often celebrated on the 8th day of the 4th Lunar month (which can be May in some Asian calendars).

April 8, 1974 - Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves hits his 715th career home run.

April 8, 2012 – Easter Sunday, the day that celebrates Jesus' rising from the dead after three days. This speaks to the promise of life after death.

April 9, 1865 – General Robert E. Lee surrenders his troops to Ulysses S. Grant, ending the American Civil War.

April 10, 1866 – ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) is founded by Henry Bergh in New York City.

April 10, 1925 – F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, “The Great Gatsby,” was published.

April 11, 1814 – Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of France, abdicates his throne and is banished to Elba, an island in the Mediterranean Sea.

April 12, 1861 – Civil War in America begins at Fort Sumter in South Carolina.

April 12, 1945 – Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the longest serving President of the United States, dies in Warm Springs, GA.

April 13 – Thai, Laotian, Burmese, Cambodian New Year.

April 14, 1865 – President Lincoln is shot at the Ford Theater and dies the next day.

April 15 – Tax day (IRS filing of income taxes due) in the U.S.

April 15, 1912 – The "unsinkable ship," the RMS Titanic, goes down in the Atlantic Ocean after colliding with an iceberg. Only 705 people were rescued from over 2,200 passengers on board.

April 15, 1947 – Jackie Robinson becomes the first African-American major league baseball player.

April 16, 1943 – A Swiss chemist discovers LSD-25, a synthetic drug he created to help fight severe alcoholism but that produces hallucinations of its own.

April 17, 1970 – Apollo 13 returns safely to Earth after experiencing a problem two days into the mission. One of the oxygen tanks in the spacecraft blew up and many maneuvers were incorporated by the crew to offset the tragedy.

April 18, 1775 – Paul Revere’s famous ride commenced to warn the community that the British were coming.

April 19, 1775 – The American Revolution begins with a shot heard round the world.

April 19, 1897- First Boston Marathon was held.

April 20, 1999 – Columbine High School Massacre in Colorado. 

April 20 or 420 - Cannabis Culture Day - a counterculture celebration of the decriminalization of non-medical cannabis in the U.S.

April 21, 1838 – John Muir, father of the naturalist movement, is born. 

John Muir photo  - courtesy pbs.org

April 22 – Earth day began in the U.S. in 1970 with young Americans wanting to give the environment a voice; it eventually inspired the Clean Air Act and the Environmental Protection Agency. Today it is celebrated throughout the world by honoring nature and giving back to the environment.

April 23, 1581 – William Shakespeare is born in Stratford-on-Avon. He dies on the same day in 1613.

April 24, 1800 – Library of Congress is established in Washington DC. It is the largest library in the world today.

April 25 – ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) Day, and marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War.

April 25, 1953 – DNA is discovered by James Watson and Frances Crick, who would go on to win the Nobel Peace Prize in Physiology in 1962.

April 26, 1954 – Polio vaccine trials begin in an elementary school in Virginia and after almost a year the vaccine was announced to be safe and effective immunization against the dreaded crippling virus.

April 27, 2012 – Arbor Day is traditionally celebrated by planting trees in the U.S. to improve communities.

April 28, 1945 – Benito Mussolini is executed by his countrymen.

April 29, 1945 – Prisoners of the Dachau concentration camp are liberated by U.S. soldiers. 

Dachau Liberation by U.S. soldiers April 1945 - photo courtesy Google Images

April 30, 1945 – Adolf Hitler commits suicide.

April 30, 1975 – South Vietnam surrenders to North Vietnam after the fall of its capitol, Saigon, ending the long war. 

References

http://thinkexist.com/quotes/with/keyword/april/2.html

http://wordinfo.info/unit/3191/ip:1/il:C

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/april-fools-tradition-popularized

http://projectbritain.com/year/april.htm

http://www.entourages.com/barbs/april.htm

http://apva.org/rediscovery/page.php?page_id=26

http://www.april-fools.us/history-april-fools.htm

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/aprilfools1.html

http://www.broward.org/library/bienes/lii14004.htm

http://www.ponyexpress.org/history

http://www.nembutsu.info/jphanamatsuri.htm

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/lesson33.htm

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/booknews/8016751/The-truth-about-the-sinking-of-the-Titanic.html

http://wilderness.org/content/fighting-our-earth-make-every-day-earth-day?gclid=CMOc3piDma8CFehgTAodwjU0ww

http://www.earthday.org/

http://www.arborday.org/arborday/

http://www.awm.gov.au/commemoration/anzac/anzac_tradition.asp

http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/vietnamwar/p/Vietnam-War-Fall-Of-Saigon.htm

A Fire in the Forest

Goddess Kali (from exoticindiaart.com)

Scotland's burning,
Scotland's burning,
Look out,
Look out,
Fire! Fire!
Fire! Fire!
Pour on water,
Pour on water!  Anonymous

She is beautiful and powerful like the Goddess Kali. Yet Mother Nature does not always play fair - sometimes she really lets go and reminds us of her natural processes in no uncertain terms. The last three days a fire has played havoc in the pine forests around Conifer, Colorado, and the wind has been an active character, keeping the fire hot and blazing, and grounding the planes that drop fire-retardant.

Fire has been a part of the Earth’s ecosystem forever; it plays a role in improving soil nutrients, increasing diversity and adjusting habitat structure. Fire and the West go hand in hand; droughts do occur and lightning does strike.  Smokey the Bear was a bit misinformed when he spread the word that fire should be suppressed at all costs. It is akin to the idea that humans could control a tsunami – a bit impossible to hold back an ocean wave of that force. Even with the best intentions, humans cannot always control  Mother Nature.

Many plants in the North American prairie and Western coniferous forests actually require fire to germinate their seeds; it is part of their life cycle. The seeds of the Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) need fire to melt the resin that envelopes them in order to be able to germinate. Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa) has adapted to fire in the ecosystem by naturally shedding its lower branches, thereby keeping its green canopy of live needles higher up the trunk – this adaptation enables the Ponderosa pine to survive a low intensity or ground fire. Fire will clean up a forest floor. It eliminates the buildup of litter (dead wood and brush) and opens up patches in the forest to additional sunlight, thereby enabling more herbaceous plants to take hold. Over time this increases the biodiversity. In a perfect world without human intervention this was the case:

Most ponderosa pine and mixed-conifer forests of the Intermountain West were open and park-like, with large, majestic trees underlain by dense grass swards. These low- and mid-elevation forests were shaped by millennia of recurrent forest fire, which helped maintain the forests' ecological integrity by reducing tree densities, controlling forest pests, and releasing a steady supply of nutrients into the soil (ONRC)

Photo from the news of the fire in Conifer fanned by winds

Suppression of fire in the ecosystem allows the forest to become too thick and dense – too many trees take hold in very close proximity to one another - - in addition,  there is unchecked accumulation of highly inflammable woody debris. When a fire does occur in this situation of thick understory fuel and densely packed trees - a hot raging fire is the result. Add in windy conditions, the recent warm dry spell, and human settlement and you have a terrible situation.

To control the event of high fuel, hot raging fire, forest management organizations such as Colorado State Forest Service, the USDA Forest Service, and Department of Interior organizations (BLM, BIA, NPS and Department F&W) perform “controlled or prescribed burns” to keep the fuel load in a forested region in check. In addition to the thinning of the tree stands.  This is wise ecological management but difficult to monitor to perfection. In the Conifer fire, many homes have been destroyed (900 people have been evacuated) and several people have died, possibly due to a prescribed burn mixed with the extremely warm dry weather. As a result, blame and shame will result and fire suppression will again be the local policy. The result of fire suppression will be a buildup of fuel and wood debris in the forest. And what happens when the next fire starts due to no human fault or management – but by lightning perhaps?  What do we do when Mother Nature just doesn’t play fair? How can we keep humans and their homes safe in an ecosystem that has a high rate of fire occurrence?

In closing, I want to applaud and bless the fire fighters who put their lives on the line to help the community combat the blaze. Thank you so much!

Smoke along the foothills - photo from the news.

References
http://www.umac.org/ocp/videos/fireDependentEcosystems.html
http://www.esa.org/education_diversity/pdfDocs/fireecology.pdf
http://www.conservationgateway.org/topic/fire-landscapes
http://www.oregonwild.org/oregon_forests/fire-and-forest-recovery/oregon-wild-s-fire-policy-statement/
http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Crews-focus-on-containment-lines-around-Colo-fire-3436197.php#photo-2745314
http://www.9news.com/dontmiss/259326/630/Firefighters-flock-to-help-fight-blaze
http://kwgn.com/2012/03/27/official-prescribed-burn-likely-to-blame-investigation-under-way/

Spring Solstice and Some Haiku

Balance between light and dark and eco-compost to aid the garden beds

It is official – yesterday in the cycles of the stars and planets, the orbit of our earth dancing around the sun - we have experienced the Spring Equinox. The sun is now turning back from its stay at the Southern Hemisphere and is moving north –  incrementally each day. At the equinox there is a balance point between the hours of sunlight and darkness.  It is a special time of year to reflect on balance in our own lives, our relationships, and the good old gray area we need to embrace. There are gobs of gray area between the extremes of light and dark.

Spring in the Northern Hemisphere puts one on notice that plants will be coming to life again.  Gardens will soon be planted with vegetables and flowers, blossoms on fruiting trees will open, whimsical narcissus and tulips will sprout for our attention, and the dormancy of winter will soon be a mere memory.  The other news is there is much work to be done to bring the garden to fruition; thank goodness the days are becoming longer. Creating a garden has taught me a little patience; it just doesn't happen quickly. There are various steps involved - building the soil, planting seeds and starts, watering, weeding, fertilizing, and much watching and waiting. Watching for growth and waiting for harvest. Months will pass.

A large load of eco-compost has been deposited in my driveway (thank you, Pioneer Sand Company, Inc.) to embellish and built the garden beds. The soil will create a strong foundation in our tiny urban homestead. Soil is the root chakra of the garden; it is the base and the beginning. The soil must be luscious – full of organic matter, chocolate brown, light and airy.  Wheelbarrow loads of this mixture are making their way to the back yard awaiting the next stages of this gardening process.

Working to improve the garden beds

To honor the day a little Haiku (say Hi Koo), a Japanese form of poetry for you. Written in the common method of 17 “on” (sound beats) in three lines of  5, 7, 5 on. Written by Bumble and me!

to be a garden
soil must deeply nurture
to bring green alive

we produce produce
to enjoy only after
tedious toil

tomatoes come
to those of us who in spring
bust sod and tote dirt

beautiful yard
begins to emerge in front
of our sore souls