Amanda's Blog

Anniversay

2008-04-13T11:06:00.000-07:00

This landscape is so hopeful. In a desert everything blooms with optimism. Just like me!

It was one year ago yesterday that I got in my car in Pennsylvania and headed west to Arizona where I have made my new home. A couple of days ago I hiked Pinnacle Peak, one of the lovely desert mountains around here, which is where I took the above photo. I've been reflecting a lot recently on the changes in my life. It's been an incredible year.

All my postings from now on will be on my other blog: http://www.sandpaintingmylife.blogspot.com/. The one you are reading is the one I began when I left last year and wanted to write about my trip as I drove across the country. If you would like to see some of that trip, go to the left sidebar and start at the beginning -- the entry titled The First Step.

And here is the poem that has been with me for last several days. It is by one of my favorite poets.

In the Evening

The heads of the roses begin to droop.

The bee who has been hauling his gold

all day finds a hexagon in which to rest.

In the sky, traces of clouds,

the last few darting birds,

watercolors on the horizon.

The white cat sits facing a wall.

The horse in the field is asleep on its feet.

I light a candle on the wood table.

I take another sip of wine.

I pick up an onion and a knife.

And the past and the future?

Nothing but an only child with two different masks.

Billy Collins

Doors

2007-12-31T20:42:00.000-08:00

This photo is from Taos, New Mexico

A year closes and opens and what a year it's been! From the Philly area to sunny, wide open Arizona. My life has changed in so many ways. I started my trip in April driving across the country into the unknown to start a new life with the statement that when one door closes, another one opens. Below are some photos of doors and other metaphor doorways along the way. What a trip! Fabulous -- every bit of it ... ok, most of it :-)

My newest project is a website to support my new book and the Receive courses I teach. It's titled Receive and Manifest http://www.receiveandmanifest.com/. And I created a new daily blog to help me and anybody else that wants a daily touchstone to stay grounded, in the present and centered. (OK, this is sounding way too New Age!) I'm calling it Sand Painting My Life One Day at a Time http://www.sandpaintingmylife.blogspot.com/

I still have my astrology site http://www.amandaowen.com/ where you can get your weekly astro data and I'm keeping this blog where I'll continue to post photos. I have some trips coming up and will be posting photos of them.

Listen; there's a hell of a good universe next door: let's go. e. e. cummings

This door is from the Washington Cathedral in Washington, DC
I think there are influences that you open the door to, and influences that come under the door. Harrison Birtwistle

Taos, New Mexico
I am glad that so much movement happens in this stillness. Richard Land

This door is from Flagstaff, Arizona
Sometimes we stare so long at a door that is closing that we see too late the one that is open. Alexander Graham Bell

This photo is from outside of Toronto, Canada
Don't ever slam a door; you might want to go back. Don Herold

This door is from Taos, New Mexico
All that leaves a hole in your life is a door begging you to step through to feel yourself opening.
Dawna Markalova

This photo is from Santa Fe, New Mexico
You can do anything you think you can. This knowledge is literally the gift of the gods, for through it you can solve every human problem. It should make of you an incurable optimist. It is the open door. Robert Collier

This photo is from Maryland
Every life is a work in progress. AO

This door is from the tornado shelter where I stayed with my travel buddy Carol in Oklahoma
Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas. Dorthy

This door is from Charleston, South Carolina
All beginnings require that you unlock a new door. Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav

Taos, New Mexico

As often happens in the spiritual journey . . . each time a door closes, the rest of the world opens up. All we have to do is stop pounding on the door that just closed and turn around - which puts the door behind us - and welcome the largeness of life that now lies open to our souls. The door that closed kept us from entering a room, but what now lies before us is the rest of the reality. Parker Palmer

Sedona, Arizona
When you follow your bliss... doors will open where you would not have thought there would be doors, and where there wouldn't be a door for anyone else. Joseph Campbell

Cow Crazy

2007-11-30T22:46:00.000-08:00

In October on my trip out east I went up to Canada where I presented lectures for the SOTA conference. But before I did, I spent two days with my good friend Tricia just north of Toronto. On one of those days, we drove by a field with cows and spent the next 30 minutes photographing them. Since I had never spent any time with cows, I was surprised to discover how responsive they are. Here are some of the many photos I took that day.

Pennsylvania visit

2007-11-03T07:52:00.000-07:00

While visiting Pennsylvania I spent time at the Chanticleer Gardens. Although I lived no more than twenty minutes from this extraordinary place, I had never heard of it. Of course I am in love with nature now and back then I was in love with working. Here is the link and I have photos below.

http://www.chanticleergarden.org/

This is an amazing place that mixes nature and art. Look at this leaf made out of stone. On the right side is a frog -- a real one.

And here is a close up.

This face is also carved from stone.

The views are spectacular and chairs are placed everywhere so you can sit all day and enjoy the nature's beauty.

Look at this chair and couch carved from stone.

Fall is beautiful in Pennsylvania. After living in the Arizona desert, I had forgotten how vivid the colors are here.

This fish came up for a close-up. I think it's smiling.

Beauty.

Look at these amazing plants! (I am including them here although they are from a park close by).

Back to Chanticleer:

Color is everywhere and this is the end of the season. I'm coming back next spring!

What a beautiful way to display blossoms that have separated from their plants.

And this is me in one of the many chairs provided.

content

Spectacular Carmel California

2007-08-20T22:08:00.000-07:00

This is the view from Point Lobos, a national park with hiking trails that lead to the cliffs and ocean where there are a variety of birds, otters and sea lions. The water really is that blue.

Two pelicans. This is also from Point Lobos.

This is by the ocean at Carmel-by-the-Sea.

Everybody: if you have never been to Carmel, California you must treat yourself to the spectacular beauty of this coastal town. I have been fortunate enough to have family there. My Aunt Terre and her husband, Jimmy Lyons who was a jazz DJ in San Francisco and a cofounder and emcee of the Monterey Jazz Festival settled in Carmel in the 1950's moving from the, at that time, isolated area of Big Sur. My aunt designed the house they had built for them in Carmel Valley. They had three kids: my cousins Liz, Mark and Matt. All three stayed in Carmel to raise their own families. Lucky me!

The view from the dining patio of Mission Ranch, one of Clint Eastwood's restaurants. Whenever anyone in my family visits Carmel, we dine here. You can see why from looking at this spectacular view. Clint Eastwood was the mayor of Carmel a while back.
http://www.missionranchcarmel.com/

A church in Carmel Valley. When my grandmother died, this is where we held her memorial service. In this photo I took in the morning, the fog is in. Usually you can see the backdrop of the hills of Carmel Valley.

From the balcony of La Playa Hotel in Carmel. The view of the ocean is spectacular. So is the food! Here's the link where you can see more of this beautiful hotel. But first here is a photo I took in the lobby.
http://www.laplayahotel.com

This photo is from outside of Casanova, a restaurant like so many here that is artistic, interesting, beautiful and charming. Oh - and the food is great, too! http://www.casanovarestaurant.com/

Carmel dog sitting outside of the Carmel Art Association. A family friend, Peggy Olsen has been showing her work there for a long time. Here's the link: http://www.carmelart.org/artists_new.html

I spent seven days in Carmel where I stayed in the Valley. This is what I would see when I went out for a walk.

And finally...

Two more Carmel dogs!

And now, after eating all of that great food -- back to my yoga classes in Arizona at Crescent Moon Yoga! www.crescentmoonyogaaz.com

The Poetry of the Sky

2007-08-01T17:03:00.000-07:00

Visual poetry. This is what I see when I step outside my front door.

The rest of the sky photos are accompanied by poetry and quotes.

I myself have been tempted for a long time by the cloud-moving wind - filled with a strong desire to wander. Matsuo Basho

The sky is the daily bread of the eyes. Ralph Waldo Emerson

The night walked down the sky with the moon in her hand. Frederick L. Knowles

Nature was streaming into us, wooingly teaching her wonderful glowing lessons… every wild lesson a love lesson. John Muir

Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky. Rabindranath Tagore

Your world is as big as you make it. Georgia Douglas Johnson

Strong and content I travel the open road. Walt Whitman

This is Sky, my friend Mary's cat

I like to think that the moon is there even if I am not looking at it. Albert Einstein

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under the trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time. John Lubbock

There is a way that nature speaks, that land speaks. Most of the time we are simply not patient enough, quiet enough, to pay attention to the story. Linda Hogan

It is good to love the unknown. Charles Lamb

The moon, Venus, baby Quails, a butterfly and me!

2007-07-21T13:12:00.000-07:00

This butterfly was on my screen. I took this photo from inside looking out.

See the white dot on the right about half way down. That's Venus. The Moon is in Virgo here just past the conjunction with Venus.

Here is that Virgo Moon again. It looks like it's hanging from the branch of the tree!

The proud parents with their baby quails.

Me!

The baby quails again. Aren't they cute?

A beautiful sunset

The Arizona Desert at Sunset

2007-07-15T21:13:00.000-07:00

The quintessential desert photo

This cactus’ name is the Saguaro, pronounced "suh-wah-roh." It is native to the Sonoran Desert in Arizona. Its blossom is Arizona’s state flower. Saguaros are slow growing, taking up to 75 years to develop a side arm. The arms themselves are grown to store more water for the Saguaro. Some specimens may live for more than 100 years. In addition to being slow growing, they are also slow to propagate. These two factors argue for the placement of the saguaro on the endangered species list. Harming one in any manner is illegal by state law, and when houses or highways are built, special permits must be obtained to move or destroy any saguaro affected.
The night blooming flowers appear April-May and the juicy red fruit matures by late June. The major pollinators are bats feeding on the nectar from the night-blooming flowers, which often remain open in the morning. The characteristics of the flower are geared toward pollination by the bats: the nocturnal opening of the flowers, maturation of pollen, and the nectar. (from Wikipedia)

You can see the sky forever

These mountain rocks are everywhere

Look at the amazing plant in the middle

Here's a close up

They are so sweet. They look just like a couple looking at the sunset.

Two quails sitting on the rock

These two again

Happy 4th of July!

2007-07-05T10:51:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July!

This photo is from Cave Creek, Arizona where I had the opportunity to see the 4th of July celebration from a friend's outdoor deck.

The Capricorn full Moon on June 30th

This, too.

Here's what I wrote in my weekly forecast about this full Moon

June 30th brings a full moon in Capricorn. This time marks the culmination of the things you set into motion during the last new moon. The full moon is an emotional high tide time when you get to assess and see where you are emotionally. In the days following the full moon but before the next new moon, get a plan together to maximize what’s great or to make changes that will make you feel more comfortable. If you know your chart, apply the information to those areas of your life. In Capricorn, it's time to move up the ladder. This is an achievement-oriented moon, so see what mountain you want to climb and make a step-by-step plan to get there. Capricorn is the sign of responsibility and maturity. Decide what you want to be responsible for and what you don't. Take action to make your life secure through tangible, practical accomplishments.

Here's a couple of great quotes:

Maturity is the ability to do a job whether or not you are supervised, to carry money without spending it, and to bear an injustice without wanting to get even. Ann Landers

Determine that the thing can and shall be done, and then we shall find the way. Abraham Lincoln

I think most of you know that I post weekly forecasts on my website at www.amandaowen.com

Moving on ....

This is the kind of thing I see each day while I work on my book and look out at the patio.

A baby bird on my patio

Also from my patio

More soon ...

A Sanctuary

2007-06-12T15:09:00.000-07:00

Doves, hummingbirds, little quails, butterflies, rabbits and salamanders are in such abundance here that very little time passes without seeing them. I spend much of my time in the kitchen area where my laptop is set up on the kitchen table. From here I can see through the floor-to-ceiling glass doors and windows that look out on an enclosed patio. In it are flowers, an orange and grapefruit tree and a fountain. Each day I wake up to a blue sky and abundant sun.
This is a perfect place to finish my book and to wait for the next step. I have this place until November, so I have time to allow life to unfold.

Here are some photos from the patio.

This is from wikipedia: Kokopelli (the figure in the photo) has been worshipped since at least the time of the Ancient Pueblo Peoples. The first known images of him appear on Hohokam pottery dated to sometime between AD 750 and AD 850.
Kokopelli may have originally been a representation of ancient Aztec traders, known as pochtecas, who traveled to this region from northern Mesoamerica. These traders brought their goods in sacks slung across their backs, and this sack may have evolved into Kokopelli's familiar hump (in fact, many tribes make Kokopelli a trader in this way). These men also used flutes to announce themselves as friendly as they approached a settlement. This origin is still in doubt, however, since the first known images of Kokopelli predate the major era of Aztec-Anasazi trade by several hundred years.
Kokopelli is one of the most easily recognized figures found in the petroglyphs and pictographs of the Southwest. The earliest known petroglyph of the figure dates to about A.D. 1000.

Seattle

2007-06-03T10:00:00.000-07:00

Flowers from Pike Street Market in Seattle

More flowers from the Market

The Market is filled with sights and sounds

And interesting shapes

This is an olive oil with peppers

Here are some princess veils and

a natural and inevitable progression

Wild life in Redmond, Washington

These two turtles live in protected wetlands

mom duck

and one of her duckings

What a beautiful world

Seattle dog

Look carefully between the two bridges. That middle shape is Mount Rainier which continually appears and disappears due to clouds and haze.

This shop is on an adorable street with cafes and galleries. I had a delicious lunch sitting at an outdoor cafe with my friend astrologer Rick Levine. Color is everywhere.

Day Trip

2007-05-10T18:32:00.000-07:00

A bald eagle

It's not everyday you see one of these. I got a couple of quick pics with my telephoto lens.

Here's it is again

Payson, Arizona's elevation is just under 5,000 feet and is only a 90 minute drive from Phoenix. It is surrounded by the Tonto National Forest. First settled by prospectors and named after its benefactor Senator Payson from Chicago, eventually Payson became a sawmill town. It is small and picturesque and a place to escape the heat of Phoenix. There is a saloon on Main Street and a peek in revealed some cowboy-looking guys drinking beer and playing a hand of poker. The scene looked like a movie!
Here's the sign that was out front

My trip to Payson occurred several days ago. My traveling buddy, Carol, and I headed up to visit a friend of Carol's who was visiting her parents in Payson -- and their dog.

Payson dog

The sky at this elevation has a particular beauty and clarity

An interesting cloud formation

A beautiful park with a lake is where the residents congregate. The ducks and geese follow the people with bread.

Like this little girl

Here are some other scenes from Payson

Tierra Santa: Sedona photos

2007-05-07T17:05:00.000-07:00

The Red Rocks of Sedona

More red rocks

I hiked up Bell Rock where I could see for miles a sweeping panorama of beauty

Magnificent

Sunset in Sedona

Awesome!

Beauty is everywhere in Sedona

Like here! A Sedona dog

More red rocks

Arizona!

2007-05-05T14:54:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Arizona several days ago -- not sure when. I have totally lost track of time. Each day I woke up and decided at that time where to travel. Carol and I arrived in each town without hotel reservations because we were never quite sure where we were going to be at the end of each day. Talk about an adventure! Every minute has been just that. I am just starting to get settled in Scottsdale after which I will go into more detail about some of them in future blog posts. So, stay tuned.

First stop in Arizona was The Painted Desert. Here are some photos. I'll tell you more about it later.

The Painted Desert

The historic Inn in the Painted Desert

A pretty wall near the Inn

Lowell Observatory is in Flagstaff. This is where Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto. The grounds, the view, and the vibe of this place are pure magic. I spoke with the groundskeeper who has worked there for 25 years. What a great job!

The entrance to Lowell Observatory. Astrologers will recognize these symbols.

The gate

Lowell Observatory

View from the grounds of Lowell

View outside of a cute shop in Flag. Flagstaff is an adorable town with interesting shops, restaurants and a University.

Back to Lowell

This is Percival

I'll write more tomorrow.

Albuquerque

2007-05-02T10:25:00.000-07:00

Albuquerque sunset

In Albuquerque, Carol and I stayed with Caro's friends Kim, Greg and their child Bryce. Our visit there was relaxing. We visited with friends, I gave an intro to my Receive course for several people on Sunday afternoon. On Monday, Kim drove us into old town Albuquerque where we wandered around for the afternoon.

Photos from old town Albuquerque

Albuquerque door. Color is everywhere in the southwest and each door seems to be a different color, size, shape and design.

Kim and Greg's home

This is Bryce, Kim and Greg's child

Magic

2007-04-28T10:46:00.000-07:00

Taos magic

In the last several days I've spent time in Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico. Some writing assignments for astrology.com have kept me busy writing-wise, I gave a Receive intro workshop in Albuquerque, plus I've spent quite a bit of time in the car, so it's taken me a while to get back to my blog.

When Carol and I decided to spend time in Oklahoma City, we were lucky enough to happen upon an art fair and spent a lovely afternoon strolling around the gardens where the fair was held.

Oklahoma City was a surprise. It's an unusually beautiful city with an interesting history. In one afternoon between noon and sundown on April 22, 1889,10,000 land claims were made and the prairie lands of the Oklahoma Territory became a city overnight. On December 24, 1928 an oil well struck a gusher. It turned out the city was built on an oil field. Later in 1964, the well-known architect I.M. Pei was hired to redesign the city.

Here are a couple of photos from the fair.

Art fair in Oklahoma City

New Mexico artist in Oklahoma City who recommended a hotel in Taos, New Mexico called El Pueblo, where Carol and I stayed a day later.

This is the Texas I saw for a long time traveling on Interstate Route 40

Here are some photos from New Mexico

New Mexico landscape

Here are some of the colors of Santa Fe

The old Route 66 goes right through Santa Fe

Santa Fe shop

also Santa Fe

Taos, New Mexico. Now here is a town I fell in love with. It is a town of artists and everywhere you turn from landscape to restaurant to people is a full palette of colors, sights and sounds. Here are some of them.

Virgo moon in Taos

View from Taos, New Mexico

outside cafe in Taos

the Virgo moon again

Taos dog

I'm going to have to devote an entire post just to the incredible food I've eaten during this journey.

Taos bikers

this is from the lobby of the El Pueblo hotel

the window of a shop Taos Blue

Storm Chaser

2007-04-24T21:39:00.000-07:00

"Are you a storm chaser?"
I looked over to see a guy in a pickup watching me take photographs as I waited for a tornado to arrive. I laughed. That's really funny. I'm actually nervous about getting to the tornado shelter in time but can't resist taking some photos first of this town Checotah, a wide spot in the road about two hours east of Oklahoma City. It turns out this is where Carrie Underwood, a country singer who won one of the American Idol shows was born and raised.

This leg of my journey from Atlanta to Oklahoma began when I picked up my friend Carol Monday morning from her friends' home in Roswell Georgia where she had been visiting. Carol had heard about Hot Springs, Arkansas with it's healing baths, so we decided to make Bill Clinton's boyhood home our first stop, a drive that took ten hours through Georgia, Tennessee and finally into Arkansas.

I have a renewed appreciation of Bill Clinton's achievements after seeing this small impoverished town.

Since Hot Springs didn't turn out to be a place we wanted to stay, the next morning we got back in the car to drive through Arkansas and into Oklahoma. Here are some photos of the countryside in Arkansas.

Arkansas cows

In this picture you can see the beautiful Ouachita mountains

Arkansas landscape

Here are some photos of a charming coffee shop in Fort Smith Arkansas where we had lunch. A salad was $4.50 for mostly lettuce. For an additional 45 cents we could also have home-baked roasted chicken on top of the salad. That wasn't a hard choice to make!

We had planned to drive all the way into Oklahoma City, but when the skies looked ominous and the weather report said that the worst storm in three years was coming through with tornadoes, we waited it out in a tornado shelter for a couple of hours with two other travelers from the road, Anna and Julie. Julie is visiting from South Korea. No tornadoes came through our area -- only 60 mile an hour winds with plenty of lightening and rain.

Julie

After a couple of hours, we got back on the road. Here are a couple of photos from our stay in Checotah.

A coal train passing through

This is Carol, my storm-chaser buddy

and this is me

Southern Hospitality

2007-04-22T20:27:00.000-07:00

Everywhere I go with Toni and Jerry, my Atlanta friends, people know them. Toni is the ultimate 11th house (for those of you who know astrology) networker. I met her in 2001 at UAC, an international astrology conference, that was held in Orlando, Florida. We were checking into the hotel at the same time and by the time we got to the front of the line we were friends. That's pretty much the way it is for everyone who meets Toni.

Toni has a great spirit. She's like an energizer bunny: up early every morning and late to bed. "I'll sleep when I'm dead," she says.

When I arrived, my hosts took me out to a lovely restaurant where Toni, Jerry and I caught up while people interrupted our conversation here and there to shake hands, hug and chat. The following evening, a dinner party was held for people to meet me. One of the women, Bobbie, gave me a spontaneous amazing psychic reading. Sandra and Al are in the process of arranging to establish centers to help abused women and children. Al is a builder and Sandra runs a group for abused women. Helen is an accomplished dentist and endontist who runs her own practice. Each one of these people were delightful. Did I mention: Jerry is a steel executive and Toni is an astrologer. Truly an interesting, eclectic mix.

Today I repacked my car to make room for my friend Carol who is going to join me on the road. Carol is from the Baltimore area. When she heard I was going to drive across country she loved the idea. "Why don't you fly into a city I'm traveling through and travel with me for awhile?" So she flew into Atlanta last Friday to stay with friends who live, it turns out, only 1.7 miles from Toni and Jerry's home. I'm picking up Carol tomorrow morning and we will adventure together. We are not sure yet what our first stop will be.

Here are some photos of these wonderful people. And of course Chanel, Toni and Jerry's dog.

Toni and Chanel

Jerry and Bobbie

Al and Sandra

Helen

Chanel aka Princess Chanel Spice

Openess

2007-04-19T19:42:00.000-07:00

If you want to paint your house in Charleston, you have to submit a board to the city with three colors of paint on it for the color to be approved. The buildings here are either original or are rebuilt to look exactly the same, which brings a unique beauty to this city that doesn't feel like a city at all.

The pace of life here is slow and friendly. If you ask someone at the grocery store where something is, they lead you to it. Stop to ask directions at a corner store and you end up in a conversation with the person next to you in line.

Bob Rhame, the person in line, turns out to be a writer. His daughter lives in Chicago and is a medium who has written a book titled How to be a Happy Medium. Her name is Morian Rhame. It turns out it runs in the family. Bob comes from a family line of mediums. Before I am out of the store he's given me his daughters home phone number and tells me to call her! His book, I think the one he is working on, is titled Odd Obstreperous Bob. He says it's fiction.

Later, when I ordered a cup of soup from a small cafe, the elderly man behind the counter asks me, "Is that enough? Would you like some bread?" I said, "No," but he brought me a slice anyway for which I ended up feeling grateful. It was the right choice.

I am being tended to and looked after by both strangers and friends on this trip. It's wonderful to be reminded of the goodness and generosity in this world.

More photos from South Carolina

2007-04-19T17:45:00.000-07:00

Such a simple life lesson

(you can click on photos, like this one to read what's on the door, to make them larger)

Charleston

Charleston dog

Sea and sand and sky

Folly Beach pier

David

High Tide

2007-04-17T20:00:00.000-07:00

I've known David for 19 years but haven't seen him for maybe 10 years. Our paths crossed here and there in the Philadelphia area for while. And then he actually became part of my extended family when my father married his sister. A bit of strange karma since my father met David's sister independent of me knowing David. Odd, isn't it? My father and David's sister are no longer married.

So David and I are picking up on a friendship that began long ago and, to tell you the truth, it seems like no time has past. But that's the way it is with some people. It's like you just pick up where you left off as though there was simply a slight pause in the conversation.

David is smart, charismatic and highly gifted. He led a Course in Miracles group in the Philadelphia area back in the 90s and continues to counsel people and lead men's and women's groups. He's also involved in the New Warrior Training Adventure for men, which is part of the Mankind Project. He's made his home in South Carolina over these last years - and what a beautiful home it is with plants, Buddhas, and drums. Everywhere I turn, there is something beautiful to gaze upon. He says there is a story to each object. I'm looking forward to hearing them.

David's cat, Ben, lives here also and is one of those cats that is a cat - but really isn't.

I am happy to be here. The tide is high, the stars are out, and the sound of the water is relaxing.

Photos from South Carolina

2007-04-17T19:19:00.000-07:00

This is the view from the back porch

This, too.

This is Ben

Back to the view

Out on a Twig

2007-04-16T08:08:00.000-07:00

The fierce weather here on the east coast kept me in Washington DC at Mary's place an extra day. Not hard to take at all. The impossibly tall, narrow trees that surround this sun-lit apartment are filled with squirrel nests made from, it looks like, loosely put together leaves. They build them way out at the end of these small twigs. Amazingly they survived the storm and wind gusts. They are little engineering marvels.

Back in the 1930s when it looked like the local grey squirrels were going to vanish due to a disease that was killing many of them, the zoo released 8 pairs of black squirrels into the city. Although smaller and a bit delicate looking, it turned out they were extremely territorial and a squirrel war commenced. (It turned out there were plenty of grey squirrels left.)

The black and grey squirrels have their own city blocks. Where I am visiting is a black squirrel block and those are the ones whose nests are still perched on the end of the twigs.

The storm has passed and I am heading south.

Photos from DC visit

2007-04-16T04:57:00.000-07:00

Beautiful DC

Beautiful cat named Sky

Beautiful easter eggs in glass bowl

Beautiful Mary

Beautiful cherry blossoms

the cat again

Photos from Maryland and DC

2007-04-14T08:25:00.000-07:00

These photos are from Karen's place including her three wonderful dogs.

Tilt your head

Buck

Patz

Max

Me, centered in Maryland -- and in the photo.

Just outside outside of Lynn's front door

Mary's beautiful sun room

Beautiful Maryland and DC

2007-04-14T07:07:00.000-07:00

Three days later and I am three hours from my Pennsylvania home! My first stop: Maryland where I visited with Karen in her beautiful country home. Karen is a force of nature. She is one of the most creative people I know. Her home is so stunning that magazines ask to photograph it. And, if Karen thinks a wall needs a painting, she actually paints it herself! Amazing.

Karen took me out to a kind of hunt club bar/restaurant where the TVs around the bar were televising a horse race through the countryside. Some of the people in the bar were on the TV riding horses! That horse-set is a whole universe. Then, for a change of pace, we went to a karaoke bar where people were singing country songs.

This is such a wonderful start for my trip across country. I'm going to post some photos in a separate post. The portrait photos are showing up as a landscape orientation -- apparently a glitch in blogger -- so you'll have to tilt your head sideways for those until it is fixed. If anyone knows how to work around that let me know.

The next morning I stopped in to see astrologer Lynn Koiner on my way to Washington DC. We had a really interesting discussion about progressed Venus changing directions in natal charts. By the way, astrologer Sandra-Leigh Serio has a great lecture on this and lots of research data. Lynn is going to be teaching for the on-line astrology school and at some point may teach a class on progression or even start a study-group. It would be nice to see more research on progressions.

On to Washington DC to stay with Mary in her lovely DC apartment. Mary's decorating style is so much like my own, I feel like I am in a version of my previous home.

Yesterday, we walked over to the Washington National Cathedral. This is considered the nation's church where President Reagan's and Ford's funerals were held and where President Bush made his speech to the nation after 911. The photo on this post is of the front door to the cathedral.

The trees here are beginning to show their blossoms. Spring has arrived. What a hopeful season.

The First Step

2007-04-12T05:36:00.000-07:00

Every journey begins with one (a first step) -- for me through a doorway in Pennsylvania and into my car. What else? I'm a Gemini. I want this next year, my life,to be a living poem, a doorway into me, a journey of possibilities.

I leave in a few hours and I leave you with a few poems about doors. If you have any good poems or stories about doors, feel free to chime in. I'd love to hear them.

When you follow your bliss...doors will open where you would not have thought there would be doors, and where there wouldn't be a door for anyone else
Joseph Campbell

When the perfect wisdom is first seen, a new perception comes into being that does not depend on any structure. The great quest of the seeker now blossoms as various vast and mysterious doors swing open at the mere touch of the new perception. There is the door that opens to a vista of the essenceless essence, that which is the real nature of the manifested world. There is the door of liberation from a merely partial perception or muddled perspective of this real nature.
And there is the door that opens directly into the authentic realization of this true nature.
There is the wonderful door that opens into an intensity of sights and sounds, color and beauty.
And there is the door of balance and ease through which one looks in awe at all the limitless structures of the world as one looks at the star-studded night sky. And there is the door to the exquisite happiness that would never want to own any worldly treasures or to possess even that same happiness. Finally, there is the door of total awakening itself.
Prajnaparamita
From "The Pocket Buddha Reader," edited by Anne Bancroft, 2001

If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear ... as it is, infinite.William Blake

The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you. Don't go back to sleep.You must ask for what you really want. Don't go back to sleep.People are going back and forth across the doorsill where the two worlds touch.The door is round and open. Don't go back to sleep.
Rumi, translated by Coleman Barks