creative thought

At this very moment there are four deer outside my window, A doe with three yearlings, two days ago , a buck appeared in the same place.

It makes me very happy.

I was reading Tony Parsons book, As it is.

Somewhere near the end of the book, he talks about creative thought and opposed to that abstract thought.
What  I like to try today is now watch the kind of thoughts appear in my mind. He explains before that how he thinks thought just appear, no free will nor choice.
Once we realize that we are not the thinker, but the watcher of our thoughts, Abstract thoughts will fall away and we will have creative thoughts.
Abstract thoughts he explains, are the kind that are like... a thought i watched in me: "why would people ever want to hunt deer, they are so beautiful." a creative thought... again one that appeared in my mind :  I am going to share about the deer on the Internet."  
Tony explains: "the dream of separation is maintained through abstract thought."
as abstract thought starts falling away Tony explains: "Natural thinking begins to take over, and what i call creative thought also emerges and is expressed in one way or another." He doesn't say it is the key to awakening (enlightenment), because his book is about that we are already enlightened,  AS IT IS.

I do get it :)

I am going back to the deer, watch them a little longer.

start where you are, do what you can

This the title of Angela Wheelock's post, at Deep Green. Accolading her post on the caring for a river.
I  am fortunate enough to live among rivers that are still basically unaffected by humans, my rivers don't seem to need clean-up or protection. And when  protecting is at hand here, I always fear that it will create more damage then when the area was left un-named, by the increase in people visiting the place. Yet, I am all for people enjoying these wild places i live among. My view here on keeper of wild places, when i share them with you they will continue to exist.

When I think about; do what you can, for me it is more about realizing the effects of everything i do on the environment. As what i wrote about in the previous post this month, when I use a little less electricity, that will make a big difference over  let's say ten years, less diesel has to be burned at the electricity plant in Whitehorse, where my electricity comes from. It is a hydro plant, but they use diesel when they need to.

To me every increase in power demand, means some of our wilderness has to step back.

Sometimes I too get caught in thinking that it would be hard to take a step back, but here i want to explore what and how much and what we gain by stepping back. Because somehow I keep feeling that, there is a fine line, it is a balance, and I as most people are way beyond that line, our lives to greedy, to be fully enjoyed. We are still very far away from starting to suffer when simplifying our lives.

I am turning the computer off, to go for a walk in freshly fallen snow.

Joie de vivre

well whatever makes one tick.
I was out on the ice again. Yes, that brings me joy,  but what exactly? For me it is very playful, I just like to be out in the elements for no particular reason. I am the forever explorer, I like new routes, never been on before lakes, what's on the ice? how thick is it today?, the patterns and lately what's underneath.

But hey I was happy already this morning before I went out on the ice. The electricity bill came in and it was 40 dollars total, it is a monthly bill. I take pride in it, for it to be so low.

I read on the bill,that the meter was read oct 3 . Before I started the fridge thing? yes, I started that on the eleventh. So will that mean the bill can even be lower? that seems almost impossible.
Oh I read now it was 9 cent more then last month. Oops and August was even less.

But reading it now more careful  to get it clear for you. The actually energy we used was, $23.31, 192 KWH.

I know I am a penny pincer, I take joy in that when it come to this. believing and standing for more joy. I will never suffer just to spend less. For me it is always about a better quality of life.

So are this few cents important?

I know they are.  But i like to put words to it one day. trying here.

To have the fridge have to work less hard, is working well. The fridge is one of the few electrical things we use all day long. A freezer in the cold room in the garage and the phone is plugged in and we have an electrical water heater.

a few flakes

Today a few flakes fell down from the sky. And when I say a few I mean a few, I maybe seen three, and now when I go look outside on cold flat surfaces I can't find any.

More will come.

And I do like to write about  more quality of life. I do love winter.

But today's post is about... a bladder infection I had, or still might have. First I was not too worried, I had had a few bladder infections some 30 years ago, and after once gone to the doctor, and probably been prescribed antibiotics, I  learned how to instantly recognize them and by drinking lots of water and cranberry juice have them go away. I also learned how to avoid them.
Over the years I might have sometimes had those first symptoms, of wanting to pee frequently and a a burning feeling while peeing, but none ever developed in a full blown infection.

So 12 days ago now, indeed I was not to worried, I drank lots of water, ate cranberries and made my own herbal teas, avoided sweets, and no sugar. After 3 days the symptoms were still there. Now I was worried, I phoned 811 ( the nurse)  All she could tell me, that I sounded confused a better go to the doctor right away.

No I did not, I phoned another nurse, my sister-in-law in Holland, and she said, drink water as much as you can drink or more. I liked that much better. And googled some Dutch sites on the matter and they confirmed what she said.

But now I was worried about drinking too much. ( it is a real thing)

oh dear

My symptoms would come and go. sometimes  a whole day with out symptoms for them to only be back the next day.

After 10 days I finally went to the doctor. As I don't have a doctor I went to the walk-in clinic, which is apparently cheaper on tax payers money then going to the hospital at emergency.  I did have to wait for two hours, which was maybe worse for me then the symptoms so far. Although I had called the burning sensation an 8 out of 10 on the pain level. Which maybe was the wrong answer, but it was a sharp pain for that 2 seconds of the last drop,  only a few times an intense short lived 8.

Finally at the doctor's, it was a short visit, I am sure she studied at medical school, and learned how to recognize a bladder infection through an urine sample and, as she said, to prescribe Ran-ciproflox twice for 7 days.

No exception for people that might think there are other ways.

Oh she also said, "now you are getting older your body might not be able to fight an infection on it's own".

What do you think should I take the whole cure, as we were taught to do with antibiotics, or keep up the good work, drinking and all, and quit a few days early?

And least but not last, I am proud to say, this might be only the second time in life I take antibiotics. Or any prescribed drug. As a child I have a vague recollection of being on prescribed drugs, which I hated. And I might have been prescribed things.. for minor things... a few times... lucky lucky lucky.

blessed.

Thriving

It's that time of year again, and it is looking good, clear smooth ice has formed this year.
It was a little early to be on, the ice sprung a few cracks as i skated, and i decided to turn around carefully sliding back.

The Joy to be on the ice, the joy of what can be seen on the bottom of the lake, and the Joy of musical sounds, clooks, pinggggs, whooos. ahhh any many more.

So back to the fridge at home, as Angela in mindful green living, suggest for next week; how to change.

Btw i was also inspired by the upcoming carbon tax, Finally! I 'ld say. It is about time we pay for what it costs.

Yet I do believe that changing our habits is essential.

Those changes FOR THE JOY, FOR MORE and not less.

And yes to continue my last post, my fridge is turning on less, the noise of it running disturbed us, as it is the only electrical sound in the house when the computer or/and the radio are turned off.
And yes we have been noticing the extra silence. The peacefulness during the day, with that beautiful sunshine flooding from October sunshine. ( no trees with leaves blocking it and at a right angle coming through the window)

For not going into the fridge so often, well that works well too.  less fuss, but as it turns out I do like to cook for two days, leftovers. I will try to cool them off on the porch, stepping outside in the evening is always a treat. with the clear days, the stars are amazing and last night I did spot a falling star. ( Northern lights where out last week for sure)

deep green

Inspired by Angela, you can check out her new blog;  Deep Green.

It seems we all try to live the best we can. 

And in celebrating that,

I will  work on changing certain habits that seem opposite to what i stand for.

What do I stand for?

At the moment, one thing is

Joy.  for me and All.

I feel  Joy when i look and see a sight that reflects peace and harmony and beauty.

lol this is funny trying to explain why should  I change anything, and yet i feel a need.

following Angela's top ten

I will today

focus on how i use the fridge. opening it less, minimize left overs, eat everything that is in there within the expiry date.

How do you use your fridge

Or better yet how do you have more Joy without a fridge?

I was thinking, maybe leave things on the steps before I put them in (as it is fridge temperature here in the Yukon now) but is that more work less simplistic? I will look at that and see if there is Joy in that.

haha simple crazy things, you think it will make a difference?

psychosomatic

Because someone asked,

I am of the believe that All our experiences are psychosomatic. If that is the right word? Another friend said , well yes, everything is interrelated. Maybe that is better said.

                                                                     Interrelated.

So first what it is NOT. What psychosomatic does not mean. Let say I have an occurrence that  I wish to change (or heal), that does not mean that I only have to change my mental attitude about it, or only work through certain emotions. It also means that I have to look after my body  (the physical aspect).

ten for a dime

the tiniest little primrose

blooming on the top of a big big mountain

icefloe

on solid ground

or barely floating

islands appear

in the midst of laughter

today I will pick up a long time no-see friend from the airport

so much to talk about

volumes of joy

Who did live here?

An old cabin in a most idyllic spot along the mendenhall river.

I do wonder who did live there and when. I imagine it was a young family with liberal ideals.

I read two books recently on people my age having growing up in a family with ideals of utopian living, sexual liberation and all. 'North of Normal' and The elementary particles'. 

In both  books, the  main characters (the ones my age) are quite messed up due to these well meant ideas their parents had.

I growing up in a conservative family. In my early teenage years I remember looking longingly to a group of people smoking pot to me meaning liberation. I was not part of them, and did not attempt to be. In the late teenage years again I came upon such group. Again I longed, again I was not part of them, and no real attempts were made.  My friends were hard working/studying, hard drinking and dancing on weekends. I did love it. Sex was only to be had with a boyfriend that you were to be deciding on if you would marry him or not.

Growing up, there were gardens and fields and plenty of wild nooks and crannies I explored. I did expand upon those.

loving layers lately

lately layers loving

it's a bird

Photo taken this morning.
I was wondering what is going on in those willow bushes at the pond.
The pond still frozen.
The bird a grey jay.
My best friend.

for Christopher

While looking for crocuses,
I found one, saw butterflies
and this

we spoke to each other in the form of poetry in 2009, I fell sincerely in love with you and carved your name in a tree:)

two years ago today

Today Mendenhall subdivision, mainly sunny and plus 10 Celsius

And plus ten this time of year is! and feels! Hot!

Two years ago on the same day, I hiked up Stony Creek, only a little snow around the krumholz, the east slope polished by  sun and wind, and  the trail lower  deteriorating pretty fast as you see.

And for today I ran up the hill/mountain, in the back here

to see

if  a crocus was blooming.

almost

if the kinnikinnick was blooming

not quite

What I saw

an exploded puffball

and

a peek into a little creek

and

no sight of the volcano spewing ash in Alaska

but still far enough views, some 100 km away, in the direction of Haines jct.

from left to right: Martha black, Archibald, 2 peaks belonging to Decoeli, Decoeli, and Paint mountain below Decoeli.

And what? could  that be the Alsek river 

FLOWING

you see it?

Ehhh It is even warmer in Haines jct, so could it be ....

nono say Don, that is white snow...and looking at maps it might be Thunderegg creek

last year's header

the pink flower, a douglasia,
was blooming April 17, 2015
Kusawa ridge with Mary Whitley
Here are some photos of that hike.

and last year I did post the pink glory that will soon bloom there again.

warm and cloudy

wayfaring

viburnum, picea glauca

treading on moss

forever on

Happy Easter

yesterday's feather

Happy Easter to everybody in the world.

Listening to the news while boiling eggs, 

why don't we hear news about

good stuff.

here all is peaceful :) but also, I have a friend in Jordan

and Jordan as I understand is quite a peaceful country.

hmmm maybe I can encourage you here to share peace for you there somewhere in the world.

My husband and I here cooking breakfast

peacefully

and with neighbours I am on facebook, we are stepping outside and sharing the weather.

how the temperature is sometimes here above zero

or just under

snowflakes where here

and now there

the colors in the sky

Sue closer to the sun then I am

by a fraction

cleaning is cleansing

The tension of friends coming over,

not in a bad way,

a slight zooming sensation in the body

Don says,

"Are they coming?"

"I suppose so."

soon enough all is happy chatter and peace returns to my body.

(photos: March31 2014)

2 years behind

I realized I am two years behind.

Otter playground

March 16 2014

Not wanting to give up

I do want to keep blogging...Maybe a new template will do it
And posting last years photos as I am organizing them, and being now a year behind, the pictures will still be in season. March 12, 2015