(Re)volution?

This morning, for the first time in  about 25 years, we saw a raccoon in the neighborhood. Actually, we saw 5 or 6 young raccoons at the road's edge near the pond North of the property. Sorry, no pictures, but it was a treat to see them. It will be even more so if they stay away from the bird feeders  and the trash and don't entice one of the  dogs into a chase. We know the bear has been tough on bird feeders, bluebird houses, and patio screens but we believe it's primarily been (unseen) raccoons who have, quite literally, "trashed" the yard a few times over the years.

a mature sandbur plant

Photo by J. Harrington

As more proof we've reached the epitome (or nadir) of Summer, sand bur grasses are putting out their "fruits." As soon as SiSi and I finished our post-lunch walk, I turned around and mowed the entire roadside stretch  where  we had  seen them, with the discharge chute directed toward the road. I'll keep watch  and mow again as many times as need be in an effort to minimize successful maturation of the fruit/burrs. SiSi, from time to time, still gets one of last year's burs in her paw.

Did any of last night's storms cause problems for you? I had thought we had dodged the proverbial bullet until I looked again into the back yard. Something, wind gust or lightning strike? [the tree came down against what are the usual Summer wind directions], took down one of the oaks at the edge of the  grassy / feral oregano area on the Northern edge of the back yard. It's too hot and humid today to go inspect it and, with more storms due tonight, there's the possibility of another unpleasant surprise by morning. Tomorrow looks like a good enough time to see what's what and begin to decide what restorative response may be appropriate. Since our  fireplace still isn't functional, turning the blowdown into fire wood hasn't much appeal. Perhaps dragging the branches into the woods to decompose and return their nutrients to the soil? See if I have any friends that want some free "pick your own!" fire wood?

Final observation for the day. I've been getting more and more frustrated about the deteriorating conditions in this country (and elsewhere in our  climate-broken, pandemic-stricken world) and upset that most of the suggestions about  what to do involve voting come November. I've already voted by mail for Minnesota's primary. It doesn't feel like enough. Today I read an essay that was even more disheartening, until I got to the last paragraph of The planetary climate clock, in human time. That heartened me. After reading that paragraph [see below], why not follow the preceding link and read the whole essay. (please do) It's both well written and important. Here's the paragraph:

So. Read Naomi Klein, Arundhati Roy, George Monbiot, Frantz Fanon, Rosa Luxemburg. Learn to become a revolutionary, get some courage and guts and analysis. Join Extinction Rebellion already (caveat: only the groups that put social & racial justice front & centre, obviously), and/or the Sunrise Movement, and/or Fridays for Future, and/or all of them. Let’s do this. GO.

Once the World Was Perfect

Joy Harjo - 1951-

Once the world was perfect, and we were happy in that world.
Then we took it for granted.
Discontent began a small rumble in the earthly mind.
Then Doubt pushed through with its spiked head.
And once Doubt ruptured the web,
All manner of demon thoughts
Jumped through—
We destroyed the world we had been given
For inspiration, for life—
Each stone of jealousy, each stone
Of fear, greed, envy, and hatred, put out the light.
No one was without a stone in his or her hand.
There we were,
Right back where we had started.
We were bumping into each other
In the dark.
And now we had no place to live, since we didn’t know
How to live with each other.
Then one of the stumbling ones took pity on another
And shared a blanket.
A spark of kindness made a light.
The light made an opening in the darkness.
Everyone worked together to make a ladder.
A Wind Clan person climbed out first into the next world,
And then the other clans, the children of those clans, their children,
And their children, all the way through time—

To now, into this morning light to you.

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Please be kind to each other while you can.