It started raining in the middle of the night, so hard it woke me up.
Rain, wind, five inches of snow in our local mountains — is this May or is it December?
I was worried about my little hummingbird and her full nest.
How would they weather the storm?
First thing this morning, I looked out the kitchen window and there she is, swaying back and forth on the hummingbird wind chimes under the eaves, safe and dry.
See the rain coming down? What a smart mom to choose a home that’s protected from the elements and allows her to survey the entire back yard.
Humans can learn a lot about good parenting from other species.
There is no more important job than caring for her young.
Soon enough, they’ll hatch and grow and fly away, leaving her with that empty nest she worked so hard to build.
Maybe that’s what her tiny little hummingbird mind ponders as she sits there hour after hour.
When we first moved here in 1985, our street was a dead end (literally).
My son and I would walk our dogs to where the pavement ended and there we abruptly entered a wonderland of nature: along narrow paths with overhanging vegetation; sage, coyote bush, sumac — and wildlife; coyotes, bobcats, deer– even a mountain lion was spotted now and again.
In other words…heaven.
It was a sad day when the bulldozers appeared and in a matter of minutes completely raped the hills, scraping the native flora down to bare earth, uprooting mature trees, and displacing dozens, if not hundreds, of animals.
It’s unrecognizable now–if you hadn’t lived here as long as we have, you’d never know the rich beauty that once existed.
It’s regretful that the city leaders didn’t and don’t seem to care about respecting, protecting, and preserving native flora and fauna.
Instead of conserving and sustaining our unique beauty, they’ve allowed Carlsbad to become an Orange County clone — heavy on the ubiquitous business parks and subdivisions totally disconnected to the land.
They’ve mostly destroyed the unique personality and beauty of our little coastal town.
In my opinion.
Historically, Carlsbad/Agua Hedionda Lagoon was the former home to two Native American groups, the Luiseños and the Diegueños or Kumeyaay.
Did you know that Agua Hedionda means “stinking waters”?
(It does and it does.)
Although the Spaniards (and other settlers) decimated the Native American connection to this area, over the years I’ve heard about nearby sacred burial grounds that might still be intact, and that’s a good thing.
In spite of the destruction of habitat, there are still a few surviving animals attempting to coexist.
In the evening, we hear the song of the coyote, not as often as we used to, but it makes us happy. Check out this audio. So close!
I’ve seen fresh bobcat tracks, too, but no actual visual sighting.
On a recent walk, I stepped out of my front door, walked across the street, and was immediately greeted by this amazing sight, a Great Blue Heron nearly as tall as me. After I snapped a dozen photos, I continued walking, and spotted a White Egret.It was a day for wildlife; these are not good pics for some reason, but a couple of different rabbits made an appearance.
On a front lawn. Overlooking Agua Hedionda.
I believe this is a Cooper’s Hawk; don’t think it’s a Red Tailed Hawk.If I ruled the world (or at least my little part of it), I’d make sure that any planned development would respect all wildlife and make appropriate plans to not only preserve habitat, but encourage MORE animals to coexist with us.
Especially predators. We need predators. We need coyotes and bobcats and mountain lions and hawks and falcons for balance. Without them, we’re inundated with their food source; rabbits, rats, and squirrels.
Anyone participating in World Naked Gardening Day?
No?
Well, I’m not either, that’s for sure.
I’m moving furniture, shampooing carpets, channeling Cinderella, and obsessing over the only full nest at Casa de Enchanted Seashells.
My little yummy hummy mummy is doing what most animals do naturally — be an attentive and protective mother.
enchantedseashells.com
In the late afternoon sunlight, I removed the screen in the dining room window and leaned all the way out to capture the iridescence.
enchantedseashells.com
Have you ever seen a hummingbird stay almost perfectly still for more than two minutes?
I set up the tripod and took some video of her nest sitting, blinking her little eyes, and swaying in the breeze.
There’s a bit of shake (sorry) but the tripod was in a precarious position on top of a bench in order to get the best angle.
When she first started building the nest, I waited until she flew away in order to reinforce the chimes with twine to make sure they’d support the extra weight and not fall down,
YouTube video:
(And congrats to Princess Kate for giving birth to a royal little girl! )
Warning: This series won’t be your glossy Chamber of Commerce tourism fluff piece to encourage more visitors.
Instead, It’s the candid observations of someone who’s lived here for thirty years.
Join me step-by-step as I walk around neighborhoods old and new all the way to the beach and back.
I’m seeing my not-so-little town through fresh eyes.
Today’s topic is Signs and Rules.
Do this. Don’t do that.
Carlsbad is chock full of sings and rules.
Here’s a sign with bad grammar.
And excuse me for asking the obvious, but WHY plant blueberries in a front yard on a busy corner lot where dozens of kids walk back and forth to school and in a ‘hood where almost everyone has more than one dog — when you have a HUGE backyard?
Purchased or homemade… I couldn’t find the common area this sign referenced; I assume the dog owners who live in the complex have been made aware of the pet-acceptable locations.
Usually I take a small backpack or cross body bag to carry essentials but leave my hands free to take photos; this time, thanks to Flipbelt sending me a sample to try, I wasn’t weighted down — I hardly know it was there.
There’s room for my keys, phone, ID, lip balm, and a few dollars. Simply put the items in and flip the belt over. FlipBelt is designed to carry on-the-go essentials without tying up your hands. Made of a moisture-wicking, spandex-lycra blend, FlipBelt slides right on and sits snug on your hip. No bulk. No bounce. FlipBelt is also machine washable and machine dryable.
It’s an ideal accessory for outdoor summer workouts, and will be great for biking and traveling, too, Flipbelt retails for $28.99, and comes in nine cool colors including black. (I chose black so it would go with everything.)
And just in time for Mother’s Day, a hummingbird built her nest right outside our kitchen window on the deck, on HUMMINGBIRD WIND CHIMES.
Isn’t this the craziest thing?
Do you think my little hummingbird KNOWS where she is?
It’s magical, watching her build her nest out of spider webs and feathers. I touched it and it feels like a handwoven sweater, soft but strong.
Can’t stop taking pics; look at that beautiful color.
Mommy hummy in flight.
Isn’t this amazing?
Mom doesn’t mind when I walk back and forth or get up close and personal for pics, but she’s so protective of her nest when another bird flies into her personal space.An egg!! There are supposed to be two; waiting for the next one!
Hummingbird sitting on hummingbird nest on hummingbird chimes.
Over the last couple of years, I’ve seen a huge increase in the numbers of vegan blogs and vegan recipes (YAY!) but it seems that they’re getting more and more elaborate, as if it’s a sort of competition to create the most difficult-to-prepare meals.
I’m sending a more simple back-to-basics message.
If we agree that one of the reasons for not eating meat advocates for a cruelty-free life to protect animals from a hellish existence on earth, we need to also communicate that it doesn’t always have to be a herculean task to do the right thing.
I’ve been a veg since 1970 and in those 40+ years have seen a lot of people make a similar decision to go meat-free and then, for one reason or another, fall off the wagon.
One of the reasons I’ve heard time and time again is that it’s “too hard”.
I disagree.
Some of my most enjoyable and satisfying meals are the most simple.
Here’s an example of a basic, easy-to-prepare dinner.
Start with my can’t fail One Dish Brown Rice recipe.
It’s PERFECT every time.
1. Add one cup brown rice to a 9×9 glass baking dish.
2. Pour over the rice not quite two cups water plus one teaspoon olive oil.
3. Lay gently on top of the rice one-inch chunks of tofu.
4. Sprinkle pepper, chopped fresh herbs, freshly ground salt (if you must).
5. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes.
6. While the rice is baking, I picked a bunch of kale from the garden, cut into bite-size pieces, and steamed it.
7. To serve, sprinkle rice with low-sodium soy sauce, slice an organic tomato and garnish with cilantro or parsley (we grow cilantro year-round in the Casa de Enchanted Seashells garden.
A chilled chardonnay will dance a tango on your palate and complement the earthy rice, tofu, and kale combo.
I’m here to out myself. but I’m still hiding behind dark shades (Chanel, of course).
I’m an addict.
I’ve tried to change.
I really have.
Not a day goes by that I don’t wish and hope and pray that I could be strong enough to resist temptation, but I’m weak.
I NEED it to tame my mane.
I mean, LOOK at me, would ya? My hair has a mind of its own.
When I was growing up in pink toe shoes and tutus and my hair was properly braided and beribboned every morning, how could I possibly foresee what the future would bring?
There was no crystal ball to warn me of the impending appearance of those colorful fabric-wrapped elastic bands that would be my crack.
I lack strength; I’m powerless.
(This is tougher than I thought it would be.)
I won’t — I can’t– hide my addiction one more minute.
The truth is that I wear a SCRUNCHIE every. single. day.
I can’t get through the day without one. Or two.
AND YES, I WEAR IT ON MY WRIST LIKE A BRACELET.
Just to keep it close and handy.
In fact, I have one on my wrist right now, AS I’M TYPING THIS POST.
Don’t even THINK about trying to wrestle it away from me.
Red or blue or purple; I carry extras in my handbags JUST IN CASE I LOSE ONE.
Us girls with SUPER curly and thick hair need a big fattie scrunchie to tame our wild beasty locks.
You know what?
I’ve had friends who’ve staged spontaneous interventions to help me confront my love for the scrunchie.
I’ve had friends pull them out of my hand and toss them in the trash.
Friends have gifted me all sorts of other hair bands and a variety of products to secure my crazy hair.
I’ve been bribed with lunch and unlimited wine if I don’t show up wearing a scrunchie.
“It ruins your outfit” they say.
“You look like a reject from the nineties”, they say.
Apparently, it’s embarrassing to be seen with a scrunchie-wearer.
I. DON’T. CARE. WHAT. ANYONE. THINKS.
I LOVE my scrunchies.
HAHAHA…the dreaded SIDE SCRUNCHIE!
No other form of securing my tresses will satisfy me:
A scrunchie doesn’t pull my hair
A scrunchie doesn’t create unsightly lines
A scrunchie doesn’t hurt at night when I have to pull my hair back or braid it so I won’t look like Medusa in the morning
And Cosmo says it’s a “must have” for oral sex, so it must be true
I feel so much better having confessed my secret addiction.
It’s a huge load off my chest. I feel light and free.
So deal with it, world.
From this day forward, I’m out, I’m loud, and I’m a PROUD scrunchie-wearer!
It’s so sad that she puts all that work into building a nest and feeding her babies and they always fly away.
They always leave mommy. *sniff*
I guess that’s the way Mother Nature intended it to be, but it still sucks.
Facebook is full of moms who can’t wait until their children turn eighteen, almost pushing them out of the nest with a packed suitcase and a sigh of relief so they can resume their “lives”, but that’s not the way I feel about it.
As much as I’m bursting with pride at the independent and successful young professor he’s become, his bedroom is still quietly waiting — just as it always was, with fresh sheets on the bed, clean clothes in the closet, and his favorite books lined up on the shelf.
In the beginning, when he first left for college (years ago), the hardest thing to deal with was the silence — the QUIET was deafening. I have no idea how one child could fill up the space with his presence, but he did.
Now, nothing makes me happier than a call telling me he’s coming home for a visit (sigh) so I can load up on the ingredients for his favorite foods.
You know how mama birds feed their young, don’t you? They regurgitate partially digested insects and worms directly into the beaks of their babes.
I’m not THAT extreme, but you know what I mean.
It’s one of my greatest joys to watch my son eat.
I admit it. I do. I sit across from him at the table and soak it all in, every single mouthful.
(Don’t feel sorry for him, he’s used to it.)
And then he leaves again, and the quiet fills our house and our hearts.
Can you guess that I’m missing my Angel Boy right now?
A single drop of water in a lake radiates energy to become larger and larger circles.
Isn’t that what social media is all about?
Isn’t this the beauty of it?
We share a thought or a joke or a (cat) picture with our friends and followers who in turn share with their friends and followers — and the circle multiplies.
And if we share a compassionate mindset, an awareness of being more caring and kind, each of us has within us the potential to influence and change the world to make it a better place.
We took this video during a camping vacay to Northern California.
Mother Nature’s Perfect Concentric Circles of Energy
Sometimes it takes more than words to effect change.
Sometimes ACTION is the answer.
I need your help
Not for myself, but for Dearborn Wolf Sanctuary.
Simply stated, here’s his mission:
”We rescue wolves and wolf-hybrids that are unwanted, abused, etc. We give them a loving home with three acres to run and play, and all the food they can eat.”
I received an email this morning that touched my heart. (Tugboat man and I have kind of adopted Dearborn Wolf Sanctuary. His love and caring for the abused and neglected wolves and wolf-hybrids is an example of pure altruism.)
“I hate to bother u you have helped me so much and been so kind I really need help this month I had to pay $1000 for meds I’m flat broke I have no money for food for them so if u know anyone please send them to my page I use to 2 to 5 donations a month tell face book made me change my page I have about a week worth of food then they will be out they never been with out food since I started this sanctuary 15 years ago take care me.”
We can all relate to the fear of not having enough to eat, right?
Please extend a little compassion in action by donating some dollars to help him feed his wolves. Sacrifice your daily latte, any amount will help this worthy cause. If we all pitch in just a little — that’s all it takes to make a difference.
2. Please spread the word to your own circle of influence. Just a click or two will help his animals get the food they need to survive.
3. I’m also asking for help to create a GoFundMe for him. I’ve never done it before; if anybody would like to work on a more sustainable form of support, I’d love to join forces.
P.S. Join me in donating and I’ll send you a gift, a GENUINE Princess Rosebud seashell necklace! Email your address to urjentbiz@gmail.com and I’ll pop it in the mail.
What a great time to freshen up the yard with a totally 100% free project using items we already had. Don’t throw away those cracked cups with broken handles!
We all know I’m a collector of things, whether it’s empty boxes (‘cos you never know when you might need one) or bathrobes ( I have about fifty of them) or seashells (of course!) — and all the rest: shoes, jewelry, books…
I’m also a breaker of things — like coffee mugs and wine glasses.
At any given time, I have half dozen injured/wounded/disabled cups that’re in various stages of rehab.
Most of the repaired cups and mugs aren’t really usable for holding hot liquid, but I’ve held onto them because I love them and they’re special to me…Hello Kitty, Yale Mom, and the ones with seashell motifs — I mean, how can I just toss these guys in the trash?
One fine Sunday afternoon, I felt the itch to start another DIY project but nothing specific came to mind — just thought I’d wander around until something sparked interest — then I discovered an old boat ramp behind our greenhouse (not sure what boat it came from). I’d seen this ramp for YEARS and overlooked it a dozen times. This time, however, I had an epiphany.
It’d make an awesome shabby chic plant stand for the coffee cups!
Now I needed to find something to lean it up against, and chose a Brazilian Pepper Tree that we never really liked ‘cos it’s invasive, but it’s been here since the house was built, and the birds like it — because of that, so far it’s been spared. You can’t really grow anything under it (that’s only one of its problems) and the roots protrude and are gnarly.
Think Oklahoma dust bowl. Think Grapes of Wrath. That’s exactly what that neglected little area brings to mind. It was time to render a little aid and LOVE.
I filled the mugs with succulents that I already had growing in the garden.
View from the deck: A perfect location to turn into a bohemian hippie focal point.
I planted a square of Jupiter’s Beard from seedlings I propagated; it’s a drought tolerant plant with lush pink flowers — really easy to grow, and it’ll fill in an otherwise kind of ugly and barren spot.
I took a bird bath from the front yard and an assortment of other planters gathered from the garden and clustered them all together to create visual interest. The worn and broken tiles add to the shabby chic feel.
Bonus upcycle DIY: Turn an old hat into a planter by cutting off the frayed brim and attaching twine. So simple to set inside a pot of colorful flowers; hang and enjoy!
Humans can learn a lot about good parenting from other species.
Enchanted Seashells | Princess Rosebud 
