good stuff

Otterly magical

/ Tracy Abell / 19 Comments

It was a magical interlude.

Emma and I were walking on the Olympic Discovery Trail
after I’d successfully run for the first time in months,
an entire half-mile!
take that, plantar fasciitis!
I was tearfully smiling at the prospect of running again
when I spotted two river otters,
wait, make that four river otters
swimming parallel to the trail,
moving in my direction.

As I spoke softly to them,
“Hello there, friends,”
they turned to look at me,
moving closer and closer to the shore
until they all four were stopped at the water’s edge,
about twenty feet away,
staring directly at me.
I’d also stopped and began to wonder
whether they’d gotten glimpses of Emma
from behind the berm.

My wondering then escalated to
Do they think she’s a fellow river otter
I’ve captured and am walking on a leash?
Are they here to liberate Emma from me?

Side note: I had no camera so have no photos
but look at this public domain image

and tell me that river otter bears no resemblance
to my long-bodied, short-legged Emma Jean-Jean.

In my desire to relieve the river otters’ worries,
I picked up Emma and set her on the berm,
believing that full view would prove she was a canine
rather than a member of the weasel family.

All four otters disappeared underwater!
They reappeared a few yards in the opposite direction
where they came out of the water and onto the beach,
moving toward the boulders.

Do they still believe Emma’s a fellow otter?
Are they coming to rescue her?
I watched the trail above the boulders,
expecting them to appear,
while also hoping they wouldn’t appear
because what would that even mean?

When time passed without a sighting,
I stood on the berm to see where they’d gone.
One otter was visible.
We saw each other at the same moment
and when it went completely still on the boulder,
I understood my presence was now making them nervous.

I softly said, “I promise you Emma isn’t an otter and
you don’t need to worry.”

My sweet, clueless dog and I then continued on our way,
Emma blissfully sniffing the ground
as I replayed what’d just happened
and wondered whether it was all a dream.

I’m documenting this here so I’ll never forget
today’s magical interlude
with the four North American River Otters.

Thank you universe, I receive these gifts.

Victory isn’t found in military power

/ Tracy Abell / 9 Comments

These difficult days have gotten more challenging in the face of this rogue administration bombing Caracas, Venezuela, followed by the tepid response from spineless Democrats who can’t seem to be bothered about the murder of 40 people along with the kidnapping of Maduro and his wife. The entire situation is both shocking and also not at all surprising, and I’m sure I’m not alone in my feelings of overwhelm.

So I want to share something that resonated with me, an excerpt from a newly published book edited by Kelly Hayes, an author, organizer, and movement educator in Chicago.  (Search “kelly hayes” on my site and you’ll find references to her Movement Memos podcast and her newsletter “Organizing My Thoughts,” both highly recommended.)

The book is called Read This When Things Fall Apart: Letters to Activists in Crisis and the chapter I want to highlight is Read This If You Are Heartbroken by activist Ashon Crawley. In light of the chest-thumping bravado on display after the imperialist assault on the people and resources of Venezuela, Crawley’s words hit extra hard [emphasis mine].

In the religious tradition in which I grew up, we often sang songs about our collective capacity to “have the victory.” Songs about overcoming difficulty and struggle and obstacles. It was not always easy to detect, how we would attain victory, but we had faith in something bigger and larger and more intense and vital than our individual selves. For me, it was (and still is) a model for how to demand justice. So I encourage you, too, to know that we will have the victory–because we already have it. Victory is not found in the capacity to wreak havoc on others, on the earth, on the water supply. Victory is not contained in the ability to coerce movement from north to south, displacement from east to west, or forced migration from communities of care and concern. Victory isn’t found in military power and nuclear weapons. That kind of power is evidence of a brokenness that does not cherish the earth and its creatures as worth tending to, as worthy of care.

I’m never interested in “victory” that holds a complete disregard for people and planet, the very type of victory the fascists are crowing about this weekend. Instead, I subscribe to Crawley’s sense of victory. He goes on to write:

We have the victory because we organize and fight for life until–and even beyond–the last breath. We have victory because we find one another in chaos. We have the victory because we give and share and care and love and create friendship against imperialism, colonization, and active attempts to erase our lives, our stories. We have the victory because we understand the only world worth living in is one in which all of us can thrive. There is a profound humility to organizing, knowing that what we do and how we act may not have any appreciable impact in our lifetimes. But like water that cuts rock, it takes steady and consistent practice. And I know we can make it because you are doing that steady and consistent practice; you are modeling for us what it means to engage in struggle with integrity, with heart, with love. 

I appreciate your bravery, and your courage. We need you, as the famous gospel song says, to survive.

With heart and hope and love,
Ashon

For anyone reading this and thinking “but I’m not an organizer,” think about the times you’ve checked in on your elderly neighbor or the new family down the street, the times you’ve given an unhoused person food or money. The times you’ve made calls and sent emails on behalf of vulnerable communities, or volunteered in your community at the food bank or creek clean-up, or maybe helped paint a mural. Those are all acts on behalf of your community, acts that required organizing your time and energy in concert with others. In doing so, you are working for the collective good.

Please know I appreciate you and thank you for your heart. Solidarity.

On gratitude, a new year, and hooping

/ Tracy Abell / 15 Comments

I’m pleased to say we had a three-day break in the rain and as of yesterday, we have a new roof! Today I’m exceedingly grateful for the thorough contractor who managed the project and gave us peace of mind. Let it rain!

Yesterday we joined friends Jo and Caleb at Finnriver Farm & Cidery in Chimicum for a beautiful send-off to the new year. Zippy and I’d never been there . It’s a gorgeous setting and the nearly-full moon and fog only heightened its allure. Finnriver has land and community partners that include the North Olympic Salmon Coalition which explains why there’s a gigantic salmon on the property.

Zippy, me, and Fin the Migrating Salmon

Despite that beautiful, community-oriented experience last night, the blues grabbed hold of me this afternoon.  I begrudgingly did my weight-lifting routine (gotta get strong enough to punch Nazis!) which eased some but not all of the sad. I needed my foolproof method for escaping the doldrums.

Hooping! I listened to loud music as I danced in my hoop for twenty minutes and now feel SO much better. My plan for 2026 is to hoop every single day for at least a couple minutes. What’s coming is gonna be tough and I need to be strong, both physically and mentally. So, if you happen upon me posting here about feeling sad and blue, PLEASE ask me “Have you hooped today, Tracy?”

I hope your first day of this new year has brought you some joy. Remember, there’s always a dance party over here and everyone’s welcome. Solidarity! ✊🏼

All you fascists bound to lose

/ Tracy Abell / 3 Comments

Popping in briefly to say yesterday brought so much good stuff. Dick Cheney finally died! (Twenty-five years too late to prevent death and destruction in Afghanistan and Iraq, not to mention his role in laying the groundwork for the current fascist regime with his expansion of the executive branch, but it’s still good knowing he’s no longer here.) Woot! Woot!

Also? Zohran Mamdani put the beatdown on Andrew Cuomo! Despite the millions and millions of dollars spent against him and the nonstop racist, fear-mongering media coverage, Mamdani prevailed. Woot! Woot!

All around the country, former GOP seats were flipped to Democrats in a national mandate against fascism, cruelty, violence, Epstein, and the all-around ICK of the current regime and Republican party. The voters said NO! Woot! Woot!

Woody Guthrie, March 1943

In honor of all that, last night right before going to bed I danced around to Woody Guthrie’s “All you fascists” as performed by Billy Bragg & Wilco on the Mermaid Avenue Vol II album. You can hear that recording here. Or, just read the lyrics:

Gonna tell all you fascists, you may be surprised
People all over this world are getting organized
You’re bound to lose, you fascists are bound to lose

People of every color marching side by side
Marching ‘cross the fields where the million fascists died
You’re bound to lose, you fascists are bound to lose

All you fascists bound to lose
You fascists bound to lose
All you fascists bound to lose
You fascists bound to lose

All you fascists bound to lose
You fascists bound to lose
All you fascists bound to lose
You fascists bound to lose

I’m goin’ into this battle, take my union gun
We’ll end this world of slavery before this war won
You’re bound to lose, you fascists are bound to lose

Race, hatred, cannot stop us, this one thing we know
Your poll tax and Jim Crow and greed have got to go
You’re bound to lose, you fascists are bound to lose

It feels good knowing people all around the country are refusing to bow down to the fascists. Solidarity!

Thankful Thursday: buffet of gifts

/ Tracy Abell / 13 Comments

Here’s a shout-out to this week’s highlight reel of awesomeness:

⭐  On Tuesday, Zohran Mamdani–33-year-old Muslim/democratic socialist/New York State Assemblyperson–won the Democratic primary for New York City mayor! Mamdani crushed the money-soaked and scandal-ridden Andrew Cuomo, and now has the Democratic establishment and pro-Israel money machine in an absolute panic. I’m still riding that high!

⭐  Zippy and I finally unpacked enough boxes and moved/donated enough furniture to be able to fit our car in the garage! The end of this moving process is in sight (if I squint and tilt my head just so).

⭐  Today there was a pretty substantial low tide (-3.4′) at Freshwater Bay so we put on our boots (hiking for Zippy, waders for me) and went exploring. The first thing we saw upon arrival was this:

When we got closer, I took another photo as I asked Zippy what he thought the story was with the boat. A voice came out of nowhere: “I fell asleep during high tide.” I hadn’t realized anyone was on the severely-tipped boat! The man went on to say he just had to wait for high tide and then could leave. A pretty relaxed outlook considering he was most definitely not able to wait/sit in an upright position.

Zippy and I continued our explorations where we saw all sorts of cool stuff (crab; very large sea anenome; sea slug known as “clown nudibranch”; vivid orange sea star [click to enlarge]:

 

                 

⭐  Two other generous explorers also shared their discoveries with us, sightings that made them absolutely giddy with excitement since those creatures are somewhat rare in that area: a California Sea Cucumber and a Sunflower Sea Star. Unfortunately, I wasn’t in position for good photos but very much appreciated the sightings!

⭐  After a couple hours, Zippy and I headed back across the slippery, kelp-strewn rocks toward the parking area. One last gift? The rising tide righted that man’s boat.

Happy day!

Thankful Thursday: holding onto my JOY

/ Tracy Abell / 24 Comments

These are incredibly hard days on the planet and today I want to give a shout-out to the JOY in my heart, something the fascists will never, ever take from me. They want us cowering in fear and apathy, quietly sinking into dark and joyless pits of despair, but it’s vital to stay connected to all the good stuff in this world. Here’s a list of some things bringing me joy today:

  • Running for the first time in months (not to mention at sea level!) and even though my joints were creaky and my pace pretty darned slow, it made me SO freaking happy. Joyous, even!
  • Singer/songwriter Valerie June‘s new release aptly titled “Joy, Joy!” which is catchy and uplifting (check it out here).
  • Watching the rain fall as the sun shines.
  • Putting on jeans still warm from the dryer.
  • Leaving on my walk to the library after posting this, knowing I’ll get answers to my questions because librarians rule! They take care of patrons and books alike!

I’d love to hear about what’s bringing you joy these days so please share in the comments!

Thankful Thursday: rehomed piano

/ Tracy Abell / 25 Comments

For the past several months, I’ve been trying to find a new home for my beautiful old piano.

I don’t play nearly enough to justify paying out of state moving costs and so offered it up for free on the local Buy Nothing and Craigslist forums. Various people expressed interest over the months and one woman even came to play it. She’s used to playing a baby grand but is also moving and needs a piano that takes up less space. She asked me to play so she could hear how it sounded. HAHAHAHA I knew better than to put my “big note” skills on display for someone who’d brought her own sheet music and instead went in the other room while she played. Oh my goodness, that piano never produced such beautiful music, at least not while in my possession. And although I never heard from the woman again, I was grateful because I now knew for sure the piano had life left in it. I was more determined than ever to keep it out of the landfill.

However, our departure date was drawing closer and I was getting nervous. So I posted the piano again, this time offering to split piano-mover costs. I got exactly one response from someone who lives in a small mountain community and said he’d pick it up himself. I was skeptical on multiple levels. But today, he showed up in a car pulling a trailer rigged out with a pulley system. Zippy helped him get it on the ramp and the guy did all the rest. A friend in his community has a music studio and has been wanting a piano, but if he doesn’t want it the man would turn the piano into beautiful furniture, same  as he’s done with a bunch of other pianos over the past few years. I’m hoping his friend want this one and that my beautiful old piano has new musical adventures.

While waiting for the man to arrive this morning, I’d played one last song: Melancholy Baby. But the sadness lifted as I watched the piano leave the driveway. In addition to happiness about its potential new life in a music studio, I got a boost from the man who told us he approved of our yard signs and has a license plate holder that says “FREE PALESTINE. END APARTHEID.”

Solidarity, Mr. Piano Man! Melancholy no more.

In which Garrett Bucks lists “Thirty lonely but beautiful actions you can take right now”

/ Tracy Abell / 12 Comments

Hello, friends. I’m just popping in to share this awesome list from Garrett Bucks, the founder of The Barnraisers Project which I attended two years ago. I can vouch that Garrett is ALL about our shared humanity, plus he’s funny and an incredible writer.

Garrett published his list on February 12th and the entire, very long title is actually:

Thirty lonely but beautiful actions you can take right now which probably won’t magically catalyze a mass movement against Trump but that are still wildly important
Why? Because others will see you do them, and it will make it easier for them to take their own (slightly less lonely but equally beautiful) action by your side

Sandhill Cranes, Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge. March 12, 2024

Garrett prefaces his list with this:

I wrote this for people who, like me, have spent much of the past few weeks hoping that somebody else would do something bolder in this political movement. We are downtrodden because we’re full of rage and heartbreak, but the polls tell us that our neighbors don’t share those feelings. We realize we’re seeing something that so many aren’t, but we’re not sure how to bridge the gap. We have wished (appropriately) for bravery from our media, from elected Democrats, from public officials in general. However fair those wishes are, they come with a risk: that we miss the opportunity to be the lonely voice for justice in our own community, the person who makes it a little easier for a second and third and fourth lonely voice to start perking up by our side.

I don’t pretend that all it takes for a social movement to succeed is a bunch of individuals throwing the activist equivalent of spaghetti at so many isolated walls. Nothing I offer here will be enough. And yet, so many of us are waiting for something we can join, which presents a true opportunity to be the first person in your circle welcoming fellow travelers into halting, shaky, earnest action.

Finally, I’m certain that not all of these ideas are applicable to your situation. You’re tired. You’re busy. You’re sick. You don’t have a robust social network. You have anxiety about putting yourself out there. Those are all real. And also, my hope isn’t that every one of these is for you, but that a few might be. And if none fit the bill, what an opportunity: I’d love to hear your idea for what you and others could do.

Enough scene-setting. Here are some ideas. In list form, but there’s a narrative if you’re looking for it. They’re all offered with love:

I’m confident if you read his full list, you’ll find something there that speaks to you. It’s very accessible and guaranteed to spark other ideas in your head. It’s a list worth bookmarking so you can return to it again.

Before I sign off, I want to share a promising development from my own neighborhood: one of the most pro-Trump households on my street had a small Trump sign in their front window (they took down their huge flag several weeks after the election), but today that window sign is gone. Each time we walked past, I’d check their window, wondering when the level of cruelty would exceed their tolerance levels. Well, apparently something in these past days of Trump and Musk’s smash-and-grab actions went too far for my neighbors. The sign is gone. While I wish they’d seen the light sooner, I welcome them to the revolution!

Remember to breathe. Find moments of joy in every single day. Stay hydrated.

Solidarity! ✊🏾

Happy Halloween

/ Tracy Abell / 8 Comments

With all the scary things happening in the world right now, I welcome this over-the-top display in a neighborhood yard.

Image not great due to glare and the dirty windshield, but you still get the idea. This display makes me smile every time I see it. Also? I can’t help but wonder where these tall beings spend the rest of the year.

Perhaps in a dark and dank dungeon filled with the sounds of rattling chains and anguished moans?

You are invited

/ Tracy Abell / 2 Comments

I discovered Norwegian artist Tiril Valeur through Mariame Kaba‘s newsletter and wanted to share because (1) I love this anti-genocide sentiment and want everyone to take it to heart and (2) the artist-activist has created additional powerful pieces you can access here. Beautiful art that refuses to keep quiet is needed more than ever as the U.S. enables genocide and regional war.

Free Palestine! Free Sudan! Free Congo! Free all oppressed people! ✊🏽

Hiking with Emma

/ Tracy Abell / 11 Comments

This is Emma after an enthusiast frolic in the snow next to the trail around Jefferson Lake last Monday.

We’re headed out now for another hike, this time in Golden Gate Canyon State Park, and I’m hoping for Emma’s sake that there’s more snow in her near future. 🙂

Wishing everyone a beautiful day!

Sunday Confessional: the mundane soothes me

/ Tracy Abell / 12 Comments

Zippy and I’ve lived in the same home for 28 years, the longest either of us has stayed in one place. We came here with two young children, two large dogs, and two cats. We needed/wanted space. Our sons now live their lives elsewhere and the household is just us plus one small dog and two cats. We no longer need all this house or the big yard.

I dream of living in a smaller dwelling. The problem is, I don’t know where I want to go. Should we stay in Colorado? Should we venture somewhere new? Can I find a location that doesn’t have extreme temperatures or mosquitoes? I’ve been pondering this a while, but those questions still bounce around my head unanswered. So, for the time being, we’re still here.

But! Last Sunday I set my eyes on the future and began taking steps. I started divesting of stuff, specifically Zippy’s stuff. Why his? Because I knew the keep-or-toss decisions would be easier. Our basement storage room contained about ten boxes he’d put down there when he lost his engineering job nearly nine years ago. The boxes were filled with technical books and files, things he’d used over the course of his career and planned to use again. Except he was never able to get another job and, as the years went by, the info contained in those boxes was no longer current. Keep-or-toss decisions would be a whiz!

As I shuttled boxes up to him, one at a time, Zippy decided what he wanted to keep and what could go. As he went through the minutiae, I took the discarded files and books to the garage where I began filling bins and then boxes with paper to be recycled. The files were easy to handle, the books a little harder. I experimented with an xacto knife and cut pages from book spines before realizing I preferred tearing out the pages. Zippy thought that approach was tedious and way too time-consuming, but I loved it. After I got into a rhythm, I felt my mind empty. My thoughts were no longer on Gaza or climate collapse or the pandemic or the peeling paint in the bathroom or the bindweed strangling my yarrow plants or the health issues facing various loved ones or the fact that I still hadn’t found anyone to deliver mulch for the backyard. All my focus was on reaching down with my right hand to gather a number of pages–not too many and not too few–and then tearing them along the spine in one smooth motion before dropping the pages into a neat pile in the box next to me and then reaching for more.

Photo by cottonbro studio at pexels.com (A Person Wearing White Long Sleeves Tearing the Pages of a Book while Soaking in the Lake)

I destroyed books and workbooks for most of the afternoon and not only felt a deep sense of peace, but also accomplishment. I was–FINALLY–kinda, sorta taking steps toward a move.

The next day, we drove our Subaru filled with all those bins and boxes of paper to the city recycling center where we unloaded my hours of labor. While I was dismayed to learn our paper had to go into the same roll-off that contained cereal boxes and egg cartons (degrading the paper quality), the sense of accomplishment rose up in me again. It wasn’t only the car that was lighter as we drove away.

We didn’t get through all the boxes last week and today we finished up. As Zippy sorted through his belongings, keeping some things and discarding others,  I returned to my post in the garage and began tearing pages from books. The same calm returned with each successful rrrriip.

I realize not everyone will resonate with this approach to mental health, but you might be surprised. Never in a million years thought these words would come from me but
I absolutely, with no reservations, recommend tearing pages from books!

Olive Odyssey: olive oil from Palestine

/ Tracy Abell / 3 Comments

Zippy is the chef of our household (while I fill the role of “grateful eater of all he prepares”), and when he decided his cooking was in need of some olive oil from Palestine, he placed an order with Olive Odyssey. Our olive oil arrived today!

But we didn’t only receive the bottle of olive oil. The package also contained an organic fabric bag and a post card with the above picture on the front and this message on the back:

It feels so good to hold that bottle in our hands and feel the connection with Palestinian farmers who lovingly care for their olive trees, land, and traditions. Shared humanity for the win!

eta: I just realized the bottle has other info, including that this olive oil is from farmer  Abed Al-salam Bargouti and that it was sourced from “Rumi olive trees nestled in the hills of Aboud village at the heart of Palestine’s Ramallah region.”

Climate Movement Monday: human composting

/ Tracy Abell / 7 Comments

Welcome back to Movement Mondays in which we discuss all things climate. Today also happens to be Earth Day which, to be honest, I’d like to ignore rather than get caught up in overly-optimistic and/or downright dishonest rhetoric (I’m looking at you, Biden, as you supply tens of thousands of tons of explosives so that Israel may continue blowing up Palestinians, their residences, infrastructure, and farmland). Those in power are not honoring the earth and its inhabitants, and they should all keep “Earth Day” out of their mouths. Okay, Tracy. *deep breaths*

Instead, let’s talk about human composting, otherwise known as Natural Organic Reduction! I’m interested in this topic for two reasons: (1) I plan to be composted upon my death and (2) because my work-in-progress is a middle grade novel about a girl and her family’s funeral home that pivots from conventional death care (embalming, burial in ornate coffins, flame cremation) to green burial and natural organic reduction. Fortunately for me, in March of 2023, I was able to (virtually) attend the very first human composting conference ever (organized by Seth Viddal of The Natural Funeral)! I learned so much and could talk your ear off about all this, but today will only provide a brief overview along with some resources.

Recompose vessel

In early 2021, Recompose became the first human-composting funeral home in the U.S. Katrina Spade is the founder of Recompose, and the person most responsible for spearheading the human composting  movement. Thanks to her efforts and those of advocates around the country, human composting is now legal not only in Washington, but also Colorado, Oregon, Vermont, California, New York, Nevada, and Arizona. Legislation has been introduced in another sixteen states (scroll down for list/links).

Why is human composting a climate matter? For every person who chooses Recompose over conventional burial or cremation, one metric ton of carbon dioxide is prevented from entering the atmosphere. In addition, our approach to human composting requires 1/8 the energy of conventional burial or cremation. Recompose allows you to choose an end-of-life option that strengthens the environment rather than depleting it. (This info came from Recompose, but the same applies for human composting via any funeral home’s process.)

From that same page: Current funerary practices are environmentally problematic. Each year, 2.7 million people die in the U.S., and most are buried in a conventional cemetery or cremated. Cremation burns fossil fuels and emits carbon dioxide and particulates into the atmosphere. Conventional burial consumes valuable urban land, pollutes the soil, and contributes to climate change through resource-intensive manufacture and transport of caskets, headstones, and grave liners. The overall environmental impact of conventional burial and cremation is about the same.

Not only does human composting avoid those environmental costs, the process produces soil! Why does that matter? Again, from Recompose: The breakdown of organic matter is an essential component in the cycle that allows the death of one organism to nurture the life of another. Soil is the foundation of a healthy ecosystem. It filters water, provides nutrients to plants, sequesters carbon, and helps regulate global temperature.

Human composting produces about a truck-bed full of soil. Families of the deceased are given the option of taking some or all of that soil OR donating it to land conservation and restoration sites. I’m not sure about other states, but know that here in Colorado the law prohibits the sale of the soil or using it on plants grown for food. The Colorado Burial Preserve in Florence, CO, accepts human composting soil for land restoration (in addition to being a green burial site).

I learned during the conference that many who choose human composting don’t make that choice based on climate concerns, but because it just feels right to be returned to the earth after death. One of the other human composting vendors said that people want more choice for their deaths and that natural organic reduction appeals to them on a “freedom” level. A while back, I wrote about death and how my decision to be composted has given me incredible peace of mind. Everyone should have the freedom to make a death-care choice that speaks to their values. There’s much more to be said about the grief process and how natural organic reduction allows for participation by family and friends, along with a timeline that supports gentle grieving as opposed to an abrupt “that’s-that” burial practice, but I’ll save that conversation for another post.

In the meanwhile, I’d like to offer resources:

  • Go here to learn more about pending legislation and how you can get involved in bringing human composting to your state
  • Visit “The Order of the Good Death” for lots of information about death care, including Calls to Action in support of a “good death” (Note: Founder Caitlin Doughty is an incredibly smart, funny, and compelling speaker/writer on this issue)

I’ll stop here, but PLEASE don’t hesitate to ask questions! As stated, I love talking about this issue and if I don’t have answers, I can point you in the right direction. It’s an exciting development in death care and I hope by sharing this information, some of you might experience a ping of recognition (as in, that’s what I want for me!)

Thank you for reading. Solidarity! ✊🏽

Past Solar Eclipses Inspired Peace

/ Tracy Abell / 9 Comments

I’m taking a break this week from my usual Climate Movement Monday post to instead focus on the solar eclipse. To be clear, I made exactly zero plans to see the eclipse and don’t have much to share on a personal level. In fact, Zippy, Emma, and I were out on the open space trails when I thought to ask Zippy if we’d get home in time to use our colander during the partial (65%) eclipse in our region of Colorado.

Nope.

Turns out, it was already 12:48 our time (peak eclipse was at 12:40) and while the light had a strange cast to it, we couldn’t really see much cool stuff in the shadows. I checked out a thistle to see if it made crescent shadows . . . nope.  Zippy pointed out that the shadows cast by our fingers had kinda fuzzy edges, but that was the extent of our eclipse experience.

But this morning I’d come across an article from Erin Fehr in Native News Online: Centuries of Indigenous Knowledge Found Along the Path of the Total Solar Eclipse that contains some very cool stories such as the Cherokees’ story of a giant frog that swallows the sun and the Choctaws’ story of a black squirrel that tries to eat the sun. I highly recommend reading the entire piece but want to highlight a couple excerpts:

Solar eclipses have also been central to historic events, like the birth of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. On August 22, 1142, a solar eclipse occurred near modern-day Victor, New York, where the Five Nations were meeting to form the Confederacy and end the strife among their Nations. Oral history suggests that the fifth nation, the Onondagas, were the last hold-outs, but the total solar eclipse convinced them to join in bringing peace to the region.

Reading that, I couldn’t help wishing that we still lived in a time in which celestial events could inspire collaboration and peace among humans. And then Fehr goes onto share this information:

Tenskwatawa Courtesy (Courtesy of National Portrait Gallery)

In 1806, Tenskwatawa, also known as The Shawnee Prophet, was in conflict with then-Governor of Territorial Indiana William Henry Harrison, who later became the 9th President of the United States. Harrison was upset by the call for tribal unity in the region, fearing that a united front would be harder to overcome [emphasis mine]. He challenged Tenskwatawa to prove himself.

“If he is really a prophet, ask him to cause the sun to stand still, the moon to alter its course, the rivers to cease to flow, or the dead to rise from their graves. If he does these things, you may believe that he has been sent from God.” 

In response, Tenskwatawa predicted an eclipse of the sun in 50 days. 50 days later on June 16, 1806, a total solar eclipse hid the sun across parts of Indiana, solidifying his position of authority. 

The article doesn’t say whether Harrison quit trying to foment dissension as a result of that prediction, but reading that excerpt made me wish–again– that this solar eclipse had the power to convince our so-called leaders to quit their violent, colonizing ways.

Anyway, I’m glad I found and read that interesting article. Did you have a solar eclipse experience today? 

Edited to add: stunning eclipse photo and plea from Climate Defiance to JUST LOOK UP and join the climate struggle.

Ending the year on a positive note

/ Tracy Abell / 8 Comments

I deliberately went in search of natural inspiration and rejuvenation this afternoon as I wanted to end the year on a positive note. And during that time watching and listening to the birds and other wildlife around my home, the grief and anxiety fell away. I was at peace. Here’s a sampling of what I witnessed:

Scrub Jay

American Robin

White-crowned Sparrow (immature)

House Finch

Disgruntled Bunny (and yes, that’s a great name for a band!)

Dark-eyed Junco (and no, that’s not their mess)

House Finch

Goldfinch

Squirrel!

And lastly, Emma Jean-Jean, keeping an eye on things as I photographed yard visitors

I also saw Northern Flickers, a woodpecker, a Red-breasted Nuthatch, Black-capped Chickadee, Mourning Doves, and magpies. It was a bird buffet!

But that’s not all I did to soothe my soul. I also hoop-danced for 10 minutes today which brought my hoop-dancing total for the year to exactly 28 hours! In 2021, I hooped for 24 hours and in 2022 I hooped for just over 27 hours. So, this year is my new record. Woot woot!

Happy New Year to all! May the coming year bring more justice and peace around the globe.

Tuesday triumphs

/ Tracy Abell / 1 Comment

I went to bed last night vowing to accomplish two things today:

  • go for a run and
  • give Emma a bath.

Well, I did indeed run around the neighborhood for 2.5 miles and a few minutes ago I finished bathing the very stinky, greasy little Emma (which comes from the constant petting she receives as a result of her constant snuggling).

Here’s a picture taken right after I caught her squirming-wiggling-rolling around on her back while kicking her feet in the air. Her tail is blurred because it was wagging vigorously.

Emma doesn’t particularly like baths, BUT she loves that first hour after a bath. Have to say, I also love her post-bath energy.

My accomplishments didn’t end with the run and doggie bath, though. I also made a sign for our front yard.

This is the same spot where we kept an Iraq death toll sign for years and years. You can still see the chain we used to prevent another theft after having two signs stolen. We’d put it out in the morning and take it in at dusk. And now here we are again. Sure would be nice if our government focused on supporting a just and equitable society in which our basic needs were met rather than investing billions in the military industrial complex and genocide.

The sign will remain until there’s a ceasefire in Gaza. And I’ll keep running to maintain my emotional, mental, and physical health AND continue snuggling with our sweet Emma Jean-Jean.

Thankful Thursday: second time’s the charm

/ Tracy Abell / 5 Comments

Almost exactly two years ago, Zippy and I attempted a hike to Eaglesmere Lake in the White River National Forest, but were thwarted in our efforts (in no small part because Zippy had forgotten shoes and was hiking in socks and Tevas + we’d forgotten to bring the trail info + we missed the turn due to a very faded trail sign). I wrote about that experience here. Today, I’m happy to report that yesterday we made it to Eaglesmere Lake!

Zippy took this wide-angle shot with his phone.

click to enlarge

It’s true that the last time we attempted the hike, the trail sign was old and faded. But what’s also true is that there was at least a mention of Eaglesmere Lake on the middle sign. Not so anymore. Here’s the new sign we encountered yesterday:

No mention of Eaglesmere Lake whatsoever. So, if we hadn’t been better prepared this time (as in knowing we’d started on Trail 61 and needed to turn right at Trail 60), we would’ve been hosed again. Fortunately, we had proper footwear AND trail info!

After hiking the 4.3 miles there, I asked Zippy to photograph me with the elusive lake in the background to show we’d prevailed. I wanted documentation, darn it!

And Zippy wanted a photo of me without the visor and hood:

Then we ate a late lunch. We were the only people there because, once again, we’d gotten a late start which meant that everyone else had already been and gone by the time we arrived. After eating, I clambered over the rocks to photograph the grasses (?) floating on the water.

click to enlarge

After a little more rest, we started back. Along the way, we spotted a Downy Woodpecker in the same area where we’d watched a woodpecker circle the trunk of an aspen tree two years ago. We grinned at the synchronicity. Then just a little farther down the trail, we were treated to a sighting of the larger Hairy Woodpecker! Hooray!

We arrived back at our campsite at 5:30, tired from our exertions but very grateful we’d accomplished what we’d set out to do.  All hail Eaglesmere Lake!

 

Thankful Thursday: assortment edition

/ Tracy Abell / 5 Comments

Hello, out there! I haven’t been around much because I’ve been hunkered down in the revision cave. However, today I am thankful because:

  • I finally, finally sent my revised manuscript to my agent earlier this week!
  • A family member made it through a surgery today!
  • Our new ebike was delivered this afternoon and Zippy just finished putting it all together (minus the front and back baskets)!

While Zippy is a bicyclist, I haven’t ridden a bike in years and have been content to keep running for my cardio exercise. So why the ebike? We’d like to avoid using our gas-powered vehicle as much as possible and because we live on a hill, running errands on a bike is very daunting. Zippy can ride up the hill but I’d have to get off and walk a bike for the approximate mile of incline. Oof.

But now  I’ll have pedal-assist when it comes to that big ol’ hill. I’ll be able to go to the library to return books and check out more! It’ll be a breeze going to the office supply store when I need another notebook or some pens! When Zippy is missing an ingredient for whatever delicious meal he’s preparing, I’ll be able to zip down to the supermarket and back! Yay yay yay!

In case anyone’s interested, the Heybike sale is going for another day. I realize it’s still LOTS of money (I’m also very thankful for our ability to invest in this bike), but wanted to put this info out there. Customer satisfaction seems to be very high for this bike. I’ll keep you posted on our experiences. In the meanwhile, I hope you and yours are having a good week!

All hail the monarch!

/ Tracy Abell / 4 Comments

I have many memories of milkweed plants and monarch butterflies from my childhood in Wisconsin, but haven’t seen a living monarch in quite some time. Years and years and years, to be (in)exact. There’ve been some sightings of no-longer-living monarchs, one in Florida and another here on a neighborhood street a looong time ago, along with increasingly frequent milkweed sightings that make me happy because the plant is crucial to monarchs’ survival, which is why I got upset when a patch of milkweed on the corner got hammered by hail last month. I was able to restore one plant to an upright and stable, position, but then a couple weeks later noticed someone had chopped it down. *sob*

Well, I’m thrilled to report an update. As we finished our neighborhood walk this morning, we stopped three houses up the street from our home to admire a patch of milkweed in bloom. Sharp-eyed Zippy whispered, “Look.”

My heart soared as we silently watched that delicate beauty move about the bloom. I reminded Zippy of his phone which he slowly and carefully took out to document the moment. I’m so grateful for this photo and will return to it again and again. It’s hard times on the planet these days, but the magnificent collaboration between this butterfly and plant gave me a much-needed boost. May it do the same for you.

Thankful Thursday: House Wrens

/ Tracy Abell / 5 Comments

I just spent a whole bunch of time at my laundry room window with my camera, watching the House Wren family. In mid-April, I sent a wish into the universe for wrens to nest in the box Zippy put up beneath the deck (a nest box he found while cleaning out his mother’s home) and then in early June I noted wrens had moved into the nesting box!

For the past week or so, there’s been a clamor coming from that box. A frenzied wall of sound that prompted me to tell Zippy “Sounds like 16 babies in there!” The noise level goes WAY up when a parent arrives with food, causing many spontaneous smiles on our faces. But it wasn’t until today that I went down with my camera and, oh my goodness, what fun! Not only fun, but educational.

First off, all those sounds appear to come from just two babies. (I never saw more than two beaks poking out.)

Second, those wren parents work their butts off.

Not only does a parent bring food every food minutes, but they also remove poop after each feeding. (That was my guess after watching for a while, but I had no idea how it was done.) Per Wikipedia, the nestling produces a fecal sac within seconds of being fed, which the parent removes. The below image isn’t great (click to enlarge), but it does show the sac in the parent’s beak.

 

However, the poop saga doesn’t end there! If the nestling doesn’t produce a fecal sac, the parent will prod around the little one’s hind end (no, that’s not the correct anatomical term) to stimulate excretion. Which explains the next image.

 

After the nestling(s) took the insect, the adult waited a bit and then dove into the nesting box. This only happened the one time, so I’m guessing the little ones were doing a pretty good job of pooping right after eating. Probably not fun having Mom up in their business.

 

At one point, I was baffled by all the sounds I was hearing because neither nestling was visible at the hole. Who was so agitated? And where was the sound coming from? I stared and stared at that hole in the box. Then movement caught my eye and I noticed an adult with a moth in its beak on a timber below the nesting box. It made no sense, but it was clearly the one singing the song because I could see their throat move. Weird, I thought, singing with its mouth full. What’s up with that? And the dancing?

When I described what I’d seen, Zippy suggested that maybe the adult was trying to entice the youngsters to leave the nest. That made perfect sense to me, but a quick online search didn’t turn up any info to support or deny that theory. Either way, it was so delightful watching that tiny bird dance around with an enormous moth in its beak, all the while singing a beautiful song.

That was the most enjoyable laundry room experience I’ve ever had! Thank you, universe, for granting my wish. This wren family is balm for my soul.

Thankful Thursday: these two

/ Tracy Abell / 2 Comments

I’m the last one up and about each morning. Zippy, the dog, and cats all get up earlier, leaving me alone in the closed bedroom. When I’m fully awake and ready to greet the day, I call to Zippy and he opens the door so that these two can jump up on the bed to greet me.

According to Zippy, Marcel the cat and Emma the pup pretty much ignore each other until it’s time to come see me. And then it’s a whole lot of head-butting and grooming on Marcel’s part. Not sure what motivates that loving behavior, but it’s a hella nice way to begin my day. And for that, I’m grateful.

Emma, however, might have other feelings.

Howlin’ for You

/ Tracy Abell / 6 Comments

My days often begin with hoop-dancing in my living room where I put on loud music and dance around for 20 minutes or so, snapping my fingers and singing off-key. In addition to the birds (and squirrels) at the feeders outside the window, I’m also frequently joined by Emma. Typically, she’s in whatever room Zippy is occupying but something about the music and my dancing gets her going, and she’ll suddenly appear in the entryway, wagging her tail and smiling at me. That’s my cue to begin howling.

Emma immediately joins in.

She usually stays out of the way, content to howl from the edge of the dance floor, but this morning she moved in close to the action.

You’ll have to trust that my hoop is spinning around me and my head is thrown back to howl with Emma. Zippy sprang into photographer action when I called to him, but the camera had the long lens on it which didn’t allow for a wide angle shot.

But baby, we were both howlin’ for you.

Sunday Confessional: my March madness

/ Tracy Abell

For someone who’d supposedly sworn off men’s college basketball, I’ve sure watched an awful lot of shooty-hoops over the past ten days. As in, nearly every single game played.  My bracket is an abomination due in large part to not having watched any games or read about any teams or players this season. I was one hundred percent clueless coming into the tournament.

For example, I picked Purdue to win it all. Instead, Purdue, which was one of the 1-seeds, got knocked out in their very first game by the 16-seeded team from Fairleigh Dickinson. Apparently, it was the worst upset in March Madness history. However, because San Diego State beat Creighton today, I actually have one correct pick in the final four! (Note: I’m aware there are few things more yawn-inducing than someone blathering about their bracket, but I wanted to document my experience here. 🙂 )

Despite my lack of skills in picking winners, I’ve had so much fun this year watching the games. I truly love college basketball and mostly stopped because the NCAA tournament exploited the athletes who were barely getting by (as in, not having enough to eat) while the NCAA literally made a billion dollars a year, most of it from the tournament. It’s still very bad, but as of 2022, athletes can now earn money from endorsements and sponsorships. (So there you have my justification for participating in March Madness, which isn’t solid, I know.) But I have to say, it’s given me a lot of joy.

And now that we’re down to four teams that I’ve watched play in multiple games, I’m going to make one more prediction: UConn* will prevail.

*Wildebeest predicted this from the start.

A little pretty because so much in the world feels really sh*tty

/ Tracy Abell / 5 Comments

Here’s my beautiful orchid that abruptly lost all blooms several weeks ago after blooming for months. And now look!

Not only do we have new orchid blooms (and more on the way), I survived my dental cleaning this morning. Not one tear! Also? I ran in the sunshine with my short-legged doggie and then ran some more after she bailed on me. Endolphins!

Yes, humans are creating much outrage and heartache in this world, but good stuff still happens. I’m calling today a WIN and hope the day also brought you some joy.