Last night barrels and buckets full of rain fell in Glenwood, WA and in much of the northwest. In spite of flooded foundations and water over the roadway, it all looks beautiful when the sun pops out and a rainbow shines.
This last rainbow is one from Friday, October 20 along Highway 141 near White Salmon, Washington.
Who am I really? I AM loving kindness. I am no more than the leaves dancing on the trees and no less than the stars dancing overhead. I am the roots seeking moisture and nourishment as they stretch under the earth. I am the wind forming and dissolving dancing with moisture, creating clouds, making the trees dance. I am the mountain under your feet, the rocks that break apart with the heaving and thawing of frost. I am the sand in the river bottom as the water tumbles the rocks down steep rocky cliffs and through peaceful meadows. I am the water, the lifeblood, that falls from the heavens, from moisture laden clouds, runs down the mountain and dances to the sea. I am the sun, as it warms the water of the ocean and lifts the molecules of moisture and air high into the atmosphere to travel around the world in across the mountains where it drops once again.
I AM Love.
I am the tears of grief and joy, the warm hugs a mother gives her child. I am the hand of safety and comfort in emergencies. I am the gift of a coat or blanket on frozen dark Night. I am the sweat and racing heart of a fireman saving lives and animals and homes. I am the fire that consumes, purifies, cleans, destroys, and renews. I am at the Phoenix born from the ashes rising with new life. I am the empathetic heart of the world. There is no separation. What I do to others is done to ME.
I AM One Heart Beating in unison and strength, in fear and grief. In joy and acceptance.
I AM.
~Darlisa Black, 2017
Many of you have seen my GoFundMe campaign by now, and I will be picking up my car today I think. The generosity and kindness of friends, family and strangers has been overwhelmingly positive, and I am filled with gratitude.
the photo, taken this month in Glenwood, Washington, will take you to my campaign page on GoFundMe if you want to help out with licencing, winter tires, and insurance now! I have the costs of the vehicle covered. The link will open in a new window or tab in your browser.
Thank you again! Check out my photography on smugmug by going to Menu on this page, and clicking on Photo Galleries.
I feel so blessed to be able to stay with friends in Glenwood for this transition time between homes. The air is so fresh, conversations so lively and profound, in between long spells of mutual silence working on separate projects on our computers.
This is a land of broad expansiveness, Conboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge, people helping one another, and Mount Adams over it all.
I was blessed to take some of many photos yesterday of my great niece Hannah’s wedding to Brandon, and have been processing those today. Here are a few faves so far. Laughter was a strong component:
One last photo from 9/23/17 from sunset in Goldendale, WA.
Wishing you all a wonderful week, and much beauty around you.
Click here for My GoFundMe Campaign to raise money for a working vehicle
Thank you
Darlisa
My wonderful daughter is very artistic, and a lovely musician. Check out the lovely drawing of herself she did using an Apple Pen on her iPad!
Source: Blessed Mabon!
Life has been ever interesting as always, and I am running a GoFundMe account (or Paypal donations directly) to help me get a new vehicle after the second one in 3 months has bit the dust. You can find that information here on my Facebook Photo Page, which is public to anyone even if they don’t have facebook account.
or look in the right hand sidebar on this blog page and find a Paypal donate button.
Here is the link directly to the GoFundMe account if that is better for you.
Surprise Lakes Fall Reflections
Contemplations… rain seems to slide the thoughts into pathways made rusty by such a long dry hot spell. Perhaps it is the sudden release of breathe after tracking so many fires this year. Or perhaps the moisture lubricates the mind, allowing it to slip and slide here and there. Out the window from where I sit and type, the rain has stopped again, the plums are huge and purple on the trees near the deck, and brighter light seems to bring a glow to the wet leaves and grass.
Mount Adams still hides her face behind the soft gray veil, refusing to show her new covering of fresh snow. I can only assume the peak has this new white gown, based on the reports from Mount Rainer’s Paradise webcams found here.
for example, at this time I see this grouping around the Jackson Visitor Center at Paradise.
Also there were reports last night from Mount Hood’s Timberline of 8-9 inches of new snow, and a very happy St. Bernard that lives at the Lodge.
You can see webcams via Timberline here.
Meanwhile, the Snotel site at Surprise Lakes up in Gifford Pinchot National Forest claims no precipitation lately, which makes me wonder if it is actually working! Or maybe I am reading it incorrectly. This particular report on the Snotel site shows nearly a full years daily records, beginning 10-1-16. interesting!
Well, that was an interesting side track in my flowing rain thoughts! This has been the strangest of years. I am wondering if we will slide quickly through Autumn and into a harsh winter. Eternally hoping for the long beautiful Fall weather I love so much, but not so sure i will get it this year. Might have to content myself with fall colors from previous years such at this:
You can see many of my best images on my website by clicking here
OR BY choosing Photo Galleries from the page menu in the sidebar.
And now, as I finish up, the RAIN has continued. I learned some new words this week:
Petrichor: pet·ri·chor, ˈpeˌtrīkôr/ (noun) is the earthy scent produced when rain falls on dry soil. The word is constructed from Greek πέτρα petra, meaning “stone”, and ἰχώρ īchōr, the fluid that flows in the veins of the gods in Greek mythology.
also: a pleasant smell that frequently accompanies the first rain after a long period of warm, dry weather.
“other than the petrichor emanating from the rapidly drying grass, there was not a trace of evidence that it had rained at all”
Pluviophile. a lover of rain; someone who finds joy and peace of mind during rainy days.
Psithurism
Wishing you all a lovely Autumn, and hopefully no one goes straight from Heat Stroke to Hypothermia!
Darlisa (Starlisa)
There is a scam making the rounds again. Just another variation of an older scam. It starts out something like this: “Have you heard about the U.S Federal Government Assisted Grant Fund program (U.S FGAGFP?”
I just got this message after accepting the friendship request from someone I thought was an old friend, Lynne. This person told me a little more, and I started getting suspicious because it didn’t really sound like Lynne. When I looked at her profile there’s almost no information even though we were friends. I see she has a lot of friends although I suspect it’s a fake profile.
I googled that question above, the one “she” sent in messenger, and came up with several hits including this one partly quoted below.
http://www.dunncountyextra.com/police-chief-warns-citizens-new-facebook-scam/
“The current scam about “grants” actually first popped up last year according to facebook. It is just a variation on the theme of stealing your identity (see, www.facebook.com/scamdb). The message that Chief Braathen got is not unique. Your new “friend” simply went to a facebook page with public information including your name as their “friend” and warm, fuzzy personal photos which you have already “liked”. They then set up their own bogus facebook page including those photos, etc. So, after you “friend” your new friend when they contact you the first time, the message you get back will start off with a few lines about the weather, the new job, the kids and the warm fuzzy stuff. Then, something like this: “OK, have you heard about the good news yet? No? I was just wondering if you have heard about the 2014 empowerment program in conjunction with facebook and the federal government to help…” The thief will then claim that they got their “grant” and, saw your name on the list of eligible recipients too. That’s why they found you on facebook. They then provide contact information for an “agent of the federal government” or a “representative of facebook” to contact to sign up. A facebook contact link is then touted as the best way to make contact the agent with “a private message”.”
