The spirit oak cut back

Here’s my giant spirit oak after the power company contractors cut it away from the power line — The Universe sends me tree cutters.  I’ve got a great open space now and sunshine for my turk’s cap and arbicola along the privacy fence beneath it to grow. It’s the only spot in the back of the property that has sunshine and it’s got lots now. There’s also a perfect cut branch for me to mount a platform for a tree house. It’ll look right down into the grouchy neighbor’s enclosed pool area and living room. Better than tv!   Continue reading →

The spirit oak cut back

Today Asplundh is cutting trees underneath the power lines for Florida Power and Light Co. My giant oak in the back hasn’t been cut for several years, so they need to bring in the machine to do it. My property is very overgrown and wooded but the property next to it has a clearing they can come in through.  My mulberry tree branches on the north side are all gone, as well as a few choice loquat branches from the largest tree out back. They actually made some good choices of where to make the cuts, and today is a good day for pruning according to the moon. They are now assessing the giant pines to the west. I asked if they managed to cut any of the smaller bamboo to the east, don’t put them in the chipper but leave for me to pick up so I can use them.  They left me a bunch!  I figured this was about a $400 job they saved me from.  Thank You Syncronicity of the Universe!  Bonus: I just noticed that the tree cutters left me a clear view of the north sky out the back sliders. It’s pretty cool being able to sit and see the sky from inside the house, I’ve never been able to do that before.

RELATED:  The universe gifts me with a brand new garden space I never had before!
The new garden area gets a blessing

We’re loving the cooler weather in Florida! 72 degree nights mean sitting out at the firepit and camping in my own woods.  I love having woods on three sides of me. I can feel completely isolated away from civilization yet the neighborhood is right on the other side of a few lots of oaks and pines. It becomes enchanted here at nightfall, so I enjoy the outdoors when the air turns cool.  I began cutting the trails through the woods last night and spent time watching the woodland creatures that I share the property with.  Their nightly parade up and down the trails is a never ending source of entertainment and contemplation.   Sometimes they get a whiff of the corn and potatoes roasting in the firepit and stop to see if they’ll get a handout.  I do not feed them, there are plenty of woods here for them to forage in and their fatness is evidence.  Continue reading →

It used to miff Sherrae when someone asked what her heritage was so they could figure out why she is the color she is and has the features she has. “We’re American” was never sufficient. Sometimes she’d say she was adopted and ask them to guess.  “Look at my eyes, ” she’d say, “and the shape of my nose, my cheekbones.  Look at my hair, my body.   What does the cover tell you about the book?”

My experience is that we’re all a mix.  I may not be able to tell by their features if a friend is Polynesian or Peruvian or African or English or Scottish.  I might guess if someone doesn’t “look like me” then perhaps they have a different cultural background and learning about different cultures is fascinating for me.  What they are really curious about is “why do you look so different than I do?”

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