I woke up this morning in the process of doing lit-crit on Lord of the Rings. I was dreaming about doing lit-crit on Lord of the Rings. What is wrong with me? What was I dreaming about?!
We have a lot of different bird species around here lately, some of which I can't remember seeing in the area. Oh, I mean, they're in the right range, but in the past they seem to have preferred avoiding this particular area. We're a bit of a suburban microenvironment in the midst of a farmy forested sea, so it's not as if they don't have a choice of where to go.
I wonder if it's the raptors. We've got tons of raptors compared to even a couple of years ago, and the prey birds might've decided it's safer to live a bit closer to humans. Most of the hawks and things prefer to stay a bit further away from town. Or maybe there's a general population boom, and the smaller birds are making a comeback along with their larger predatory cousins? That'd be nice.
I notice because I always pay attention when I walk to work. It's just a pick-me-up at this time of year. Even when it's rainy, the weather is beautiful. That perfect, cool-but-not-cold temperature, with everything blooming and leafing and growing. Lovely flower smells in the air, and birds singing away. Very serene. Even when I'm having a lousy day, I can't help but feel a little happier.
A psychotically awesome website:
Ghost Town--a tour through Chernobyl's dead zone. This woman rides her motorcycle through the radioactive zones (surprisingly safe, so long as you keep your Geiger counter active and stay on the roadways), and gives a tour of her trips. One of the most fascinating things I've ever read.
Edit: Oh, apparently the motorcycle thing was a fraud: according to stuff found in Neil Gaiman's blog. This is apparently the tour she took. Ah, well, it's still an interesting read. Also, following up on that, I found National Geographic's virtual tour.
Trees. I love trees. They're so warming and serene. I feel so bad for the poor trees that get hacked down because people plant them in places where, if they'd just thought about it, they'd have known was going to cause trouble in about 20 years. They're living things! Sure, they're just plants, but they're...I dunno, they deserve respect, I think. They're strong, and pretty, and they add a little something to our lives. Just...give it a little thought, and save yourself some effort, you know? Such a waste.
Oh, trees! Right! I knew something was making me think about them. Check this out:
Heritage Trees at Penn State. Penn State is originally an agricultural college, so we've got some arboretums and groves on campus that over 100 years' worth of graduating classes have funded and helped to plant. It makes for some beautiful examples of foliage, including a couple of simply massive American Elms, which is something you don't see very often anymore. It's kind of neat to look at old, lovingly cared-for trees and consider their origins, history, and...just what a good example of a tree species looks like. I find it soothing. Aren't they pretty?
A friend of mine, Dave, keeps a blog: Italian Catholic and Altogether Strange. He talks a lot about the persecution of Christians around the world (and sometimes other peoples too), as well as just...stupid, unfair, and evil things that should be rectified. It's his way of trying to help--things can't be fixed when you don't know about them--but it can be depressing to read, sometimes. Really, I don't have a lot of stamina for that sort of thing. It's so painful and seems so far beyond me a lot of the time that all I can think to do is pray, and hope that someone stronger than me will be able to step forward and take the burden. You know?
But he posted this today: Thank you to all my readers, with a comment from one of his readers.
I Read this the other day and thought about you and your blog.
"There should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it."
It makes me smile. At the end of the day, I feel that denomination doesn't matter that much. We've all got our quirks, no one is perfect, but it doesn't matter so much how we worship as that we worship at all. Maybe even other religions, like Buddhism and Wicca, are just ways that people try to recognize God in their lives and in the world. And I don't think the fact that many of us identify with one group over another should ever come between people when it comes to loving each other and being there for each other.
I pray every night for terrorists and extremists of all stripes. I can only imagine how much pain they must be in to find that kind of hatred a viable alternative. I can only imagine how much pain they must be in because of their hatred, and how much damage they do to themselves along with everyone else. It's a trap, that kind of hatred, because once you act on it once, you start feeling like you're forced to stick with it. To acknowledge that you're wrong...imagine how hard it must be for these people, who've taken hundreds of lives and created so much suffering, to admit that they're wrong, and to accept that much guilt upon their own heads. I feel sorry for them, and I hope that some of them, at least, are able to find that kind of strength.
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