Sherry Chandler » 2006 » February » 26
The tracing of the game trails that cross and re-cross our fields is one of our winter-time amusements. You can just see one to my right in this photograph of our alfalfa field. They’re there in every season, of course, but they’re easier to trace when the grass has died down. We like to speculate what the trails lead to and from and just which of our tenants may have made them. (Sometimes that’s easy – water, for example – but sometimes the tracks seem to just sort of meander along, sometimes they bifurcate and come back together as if two raccoons may have a different idea of the easiest way to get from A to B.)
I’ve never quite understood creationists’ anger at the thought of being part of the family of animals. I’ve always been comforted by the notion that I have such a fascinating variety of cousins and sisters on this Earth, and I am somewhat comforted by this evidence that we share our place with others who do not recognize our ownership — or even our stewardship. Goodness knows, we could use some help taking care of things.
Speaking of raccoons, Ursula is still around, though her kits thank goodness seem to have departed for greener pastures (though I fear at least one may have fallen victim to the highway). I did have some visions last year of being eye-brow deep in raccoons. Mostly, though, Ursula seems content with living in the outbuildings this year and she accepts my husband’s protection payments of odds of cat food and table scraps and for the most part stays away from the bird feeder and the trash bags. Just the occasional forays to let us know we can’t take her good will for granted.
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–a little late perhaps, from Lance Mannion:
Does anybody remember, back when George W. Bush was asked who is favorite philosopher was and he replied, Jesus, did the reporter follow up?
Did the reporter ask Bush, “Why?”
“Which of Jesus’ teachings do you live by, Mr Bush? Judge not lest ye be judged? Blessed are the meek? Sell everything and follow me? Do not store up treasures on Earth?”
From Davis Sweet, Bush Fails to Stop War:
In what some are calling “the whine heard ’round the world,” George W-is-not-for-”whiner”-so-stop-saying-that Bush stamped his little feet this weekend and lectured the Iraqi people about the badness of their violence.
“You can’t just go around doing violence,” he said, wiping his nose on one of the many nearby flags. “It’s… violent!”
[Update: From Baghdad Burning:
I remember visiting the mosque several years ago- before the war. We visited Samarra to have a look at the famous “Malwiya” tower and someone suggested we also visit the Askari mosque. I was reluctant as I wasn’t dressed properly at the time- jeans and a t-shirt are not considered mosque garb. We stopped by a small shop in the city and purchased a few inexpensive black abbayas for us women and drove to the mosque.
We got there just as the sun was setting and I remember pausing outside the mosque to admire the golden dome and the intricate minarets. It was shimmering in the sunset and there seemed to be a million colors- orange, gold, white- it was almost glowing. The view was incredible and the environment was so peaceful and calm. There was none of the bustle and noise usually surrounding religious sites- we had come at a perfect time. The inside of the mosque didn’t disappoint either- elaborate Arabic script and more gold and this feeling of utter peace… I’m grateful we decided to visit it.
We woke up this morning to news that men wearing Iraqi security uniforms walked in and detonated explosives, damaging the mosque almost beyond repair. It’s heart-breaking and terrifying. There has been gunfire all over Baghdad since morning. The streets near our neighborhood were eerily empty and calm but there was a tension that had us all sitting on edge. We heard about problems in areas like Baladiyat where there was some rioting and vandalism, etc. and several mosques in Baghdad were attacked. I think what has everyone most disturbed is the fact that the reaction was so swift, like it was just waiting to happen.
Update 2: Get your "George Dubai-ya Bush" bumper stickers here.]
This post was written by sherry
