Blessing of the Animals

In recognition of St. Francis of Assisi and our animal companions I am happy to announce the annual Blessing Of The Animals on Saturday, October 15th, from 10:30am to 1pm at the Center for Spiritual Enlightenment in Falls Church, VA. This event is open to all animal lovers and their animal companions.

I am honored to have been invited to participate in the ceremony again this year. Last year was a special event in so many ways for me. I hope that many of the people that attended last year will return again this year and we are looking forward to meeting many more new friends this year.

Bring your beloved animal companions, or a photograph, for the blessing. CSE has requested that dogs, tigers and elephants be on leashes for the occasion, please. :-)

CSE is located next door to the State Theater in Falls Church. For more information and directions go to: http://www.thecse.org/Location.htm

Video of Sammy & Katy

I hope you are having a wonderful summer with your animal companions and friends. I have been enjoying some much needed time off which has allowed me to get back to the things that I love to do the most in my life. That includes spending time with my family, especially spending time with our 18 year old kitty, Katy, spending time outside and getting closer to nature and all that is, reading, meditating and going much deeper with my Reiki practice and also having fun playing around with old video that I have shot and edited over the years.

Below is on that took place in 1994, featuring Sammy and Katy, right after they came to live here on Paradise Lane. Like human children, our fur and feathered "kids" grow up so fast.

Please enjoy the antics of Katy and Sammy to the music from the movie, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.......

Spring is in the air!

I love spring for so many reasons that I would not know how to begin to explain the joy that I have as the season begins to peek out from under old man winter. The crocus are blooming in our yard now, usually a first sign of spring, but one of my favorite events that I look forward to every February is the songs of the frog people.

The snow was finally melting on the last day of February when we saw this couple on the edge of our driveway. I hated to disturb their private moment but I just had to take their photo. I knew the party was about to begin.

The next day the temperatures were even warmer, a cloudy day but that did not stop the party goers. It was their kind of weather. These two guys were looking for friends as the party was about to begin.

These two found each other among the loud chorus that they sing as the orgy begins! I love their songs. Hundreds gather in our pool/pond for the spring ritual. The joy in their songs, the come hither looks and calls.... well it is spring after all!

So what have you been doing all winter? The water has finally thawed and here we are looking for love!
The rain comes down as the frog people begin to sing louder and louder and louder. Joy fills the air as the vibrations of their songs move all that come near. How good is life to be able to awaken from a long winters nap to come to the pond to find a few hundred of your closest friends waiting for you to join in the fun.

Alas my love we have found each other....finally.
The singing continues as everyone pairs up. The result?

Here is the beginning of what will be found all over our pool/pond. These are frog eggs. There are a few at the surface of the water. They look like bubbles of jelly. If you look closely you will see tiny black dots. That is what is at the center of each jelly egg. The black dot will turn into a tadpole.

Yes! Spring is in the air here on Paradise Lane. Soon more flowers will bloom outside as these are blooming inside. Happy spring to you and yours.