Cleaned sharp skeleton
Frog flesh devoured
Croak croaked
Hop stilled
Still dancing

FORD
2022
🐲🧡

The Old Lady visited the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge near Titusville, Florida, and found the entrance to an area of Florida Scrub Jay habitat which was closed for nesting season.
As she stood looking over the gate who should appear but one of the famously elusive Scrub Jays!
The bird was friendly and allowed itself to be photographed.
Then she flew right in front of The Old Lady, speaking in a soft squawky voice, and returned to the more pressing business of finding food.
The Old Lady felt blessed.

Being a teenager is never easy…
Especially if you are a juvenile Great Blue Heron.
Feathers ITCH as they grow in.
This teenager seemed out of sorts as it fussed and scratched at its new plumage.
An irritated full body shake just made things worse…
So the Heron flew off to find something to eat.
Typical.

June is Pride Month, and now more than ever it is time for all of us human beings to be proud of who we are and who we love.
The Old Lady turns seventy this month. She has spent her entire life on the run, flying under the radar.
She made it work; she lived her life as she damn pleased.
But she would like a better world for her children.
And you are ALL her children, LGBTQ+ or whatever.
She loves you, and she loves who you love.
BE PROUD!

The Old Lady enjoyed a spectacular total lunar eclipse Sunday night, and Monday morning was astounded at how many people never even knew it was happening.
How did The Old Lady know?
She Googles sky events, a lot. The algorithm on her device learned that sky events interest her, so it puts those stories in her news feed.
Every time you click you teach your own personal algorithm what interests you and therefore that is what it will show you, whether it’s vegetarian recipes or the latest poop on the Johnny Depp trial (sorry, I could not resist).
So is Al Go Rithm an angel, or a devil?
You click, you decide.
LISTEN to The Old Lady!

In my spiritual tradition the sacramental elements offered during the liturgy of Communion, the bread and wine, may be perceived as symbolic cannibalism;
But that perception could be extended to everything we humans consume.
Every product we put in our mouths represents another being that gives up its life to nourish our bodies… be it animal, plant, yogurt, whatever.
The very soil sustaining the plants which feed us and our livestock is composed of decomposed plant material, animals, and yes human bodies also.
You may be grossed out by that thought.
Or, you could perceive it as a miracle, and accept those gifts with gratitude.
Your choice.
LISTEN to The Old Lady!

The Old Lady took a walk down a rural lane squeezed between numerous ponds, watching out for snakes on the move; she carried a staff in case defensive action became necessary.
The phrase about walking through the valley of the shadow of death echoed in her mind, and as she walked she considered that her entire life’s journey has been a walk through that valley.
It wasn’t just the crisis points; it was every step of the way.
Fear not.
LISTEN to The Old Lady!

The Old Lady loves to go hiking with her friends, and today they showed her a walking trail not four miles from her Cottage and very near downtown Valdosta.
The Azalea City Trail starts on the corner of Drexel Park on East Brookwood Drive and ends at Gordon Street near Lankford Drive/Melody Lane (GoogleMaps: Azalea City Trail).
It wanders through the prettiest parts of the Valdosta State University campus then through a shady, wooded area beside a small stream.
The trail is a level concrete sidewalk, making it accessible to all ages and abilities.
To steal a slogan: Walking in the Woods is Very Valdosta!

Fresh Spring dawn
With mockingbird
Singing every birdsong I have ever heard
And quite a few I haven’t.
Once upon a time
I fed raisins to my mockingbird
Until I found my own wild food
And then I understood.

I read one time
Don’t ask me where
That the first person on record
With my family name
Was arrested in what is now Wales
Charged with
“Illicit dealing in quilted plaids”.
My family fought no wars
Nor seized the reins of power.
My family dealt in quilted plaids.

FORD

2022