A Happy Accident

A Happy Accident

Many years ago, purely by accident, an elephant, a monkey, two owls and a frog found their way into my home. No children in my home, I asked them 

“Why me?”

The elephant said,

with a toss of its trunk:

“just because!”

The monkey said,

as it swung from a branch:

“ ‘cause you need some fun’

The two owls, perched on 

the elephant’s back, hooted as one: 

“wise words are what you need”

The little green frog croaked,

as it squatted in the mud:

“for children to come.”

So I welcomed the elephant,  

the monkey, two owls and the frog

~ and two great granddaughters (for real!)!

“Every single thing in the world has its own personality, and 

it is up to you to make friends with the little rascals.”

~ Bob Ross, Happy Little Accidents: The Wit and Wisdom of Bob Ross

Disclaimer: not a handmade quilt! Shh ~ Don’t tell.

Snow Clouds

Stray clouds caught 

in a small shrub

cloud animals clinging to 

spindles bare and wanting

an elephant at it’s base

a sleeping dog on a branch

imagination sparkles 

in frigid sunlight.

“The world of reality has its limits; 

the world of imagination is boundless.”

~ Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Cycle of Life

Extraordinary. 

Forests stand and fall

breathing with life ~

tiniest of microbes,

deer and their fawns shelter, 

furry creatures scurry about, 

chirping blackbirds, twittering juncos and grand eagles fly in from the blue to build nests and aeries high in the trees

Forests destroyed? ~ extraordinary.

“Forests should not be walked on, 

they should be walked under and through.”

~ Courtney M. Privett, Mayfly Requiem

Forever Stories....and Stories....and Stories...

There are always stories

Even across a frozen lake

Skating parties, skiers,

Waterfowl and rabbits

But tonight’s story is far more interesting. I was led through a hallway by pink plastic flashlight by a two year old adventurer after animals and a monster or two. Four stuffed animals were found, set side by side on her bed and promptly dispatched to the tune of ‘four stuffed animals jumping on a bed, one fell off and fell upon his head’ ……..over and over and over and over and.… You probably get the picture. ….and over. Fortunately for the animals, no heads were actually broken. No monsters were found - all banished from the bedroom - and not really scary anyway.

“A two year old is kind of like have a blender, but you don’t have a top for it.”

~ Jerry Seinfeld

Animal Talk

This morning I was provided with information about why animals sleep by two of my favourite animals:  Eva, my grand-dog and her favourite playmate Purdy, the Cat. Here are their lessons which may or may not be valuable for my readers. By the way, I have been instructed that there are to be no pictures of, especially Purdy, in sleep. Eva really doesn’t care, but just to respect their friendship………

Eva:  When a dog sleeps

it is solid and sudden

because there is

nothing better to do -

no human to accept 

my undying affection.

Purdy:  When a cat sleeps

it is a decision - not just

a decision but my decision.

There is no ‘because’. 

My well reasoned decision

relates to my comfort.

My choice of where to sleep

is in a darkened room

on a human’s large bed, 

centred at the bottom edge of
two, rather flat, pillows

which gives me 

sufficient room to curl up

for my well deserved nap.

“Some people talk to animals. Not many listen though. That’s the problem.”

~ A.A.Milne

Monday at the Farm

Monday morning at the Farm is a pleasure.
I do have a clarification from my blog last Monday ~
I said there were llamas ~ and I was in error!
Clarification:  Alpacas, sheared and sleek, long legs gracefully walking in their yard
Sadly one alpaca, Donny, passed away earlier this year.

In the neigbouring pen are deep voiced, insistent and wooly Jacob sheep








And in the corral across a narrow lane is Peanut Butter, the resident matriarch and miniature horse, who turned 24 years old in June!

Her companions are two donkeys (only one shown here).

Today, on my way having finished my work, there were a group of volunteers raking one of the other yards.  Volunteers with physical and mental challenges. Volunteers giving their all for the animals at the farm. 

Many of the children who come to the Farm are getiing a very first opportunity to see animals outside of a story book, getting down in the woodchips with the baby goats, or watching as a sow lays on her side to feed her babies. There is much wonderment in the Farm each day.

“What was wonderful about childhood is that anything in it was a wonder. 

It was not merely a world full of miracles, it was a miraculous world.”

~ G.K.Chesterton

Beacon Hill Children’s Farm AGM 2015

I had guests tonight. We met in my tiny living room one block from Beacon Hill Park.  I’ve posted many pictures of some of the wild life and the beauty of Beacon Hill Park over the years. But at this meeting, we talked about goats and potbellied pigs, fences and barns, parking and sawdust. A gathering of the Board of Beacon Hill Children’s Farm for the Annual General Meeting reviewed the successes and a few disappointments of the last year, all the hard work with farm structures and city regulations. Some of us see each other only once a year, others frequently meet at the Farm. 

Being a volunteer member at the Farm, when the Board isn’t meeting, means keeping the Farm clean and tidy for the goats, chickens, pigs, llamas and whatever other farm animal visits the Farm each summer. Making sure everyone, feathered or four legged - and human, are fed and watered. 

Open on Friday, March 06, 2015 the Goat Stampede is back at full speed at 10:10 am and at  4:10 pm every day of the week. The only thing to prevent the Stampede will be the weather - if it rains too steadily the animals need to be kept in the barns to keep dry.

Beacon Hill Children’s Farm continues each year from the hard work and dedication of Linda and Dennis Koenders. They love and care for their animals with steady dedication. They care equally for the staff and the many volunteers that keep the Farm humming every day. Beacon Hill Children’s Farm has a Facebook page where you can see all the goings on at the Farm. I’ve shared, on Facebook, a video that was made just yesterday so that you see all the fun! If you missed my share, go the Farm’s Facebook page as it has been posted on there.

The picture with this post is from late April of 2014 in the afternoon  - must have been hot that day! Goats all tucked away in the cool afternoon shade of the barn. Come see us at the Farm some time!  It’s time very well spent - but only if you like to smile! Any expectations to remain sad while at the Farm will not necessarily be met! 

“Perseverance is the hard work you do after 

you get tired of doing the hard work you already did.”

~ Newt Gingrich

www.beaconhillchildrensfarm.ca

Second Re-Post of Mr. Snappy’s Christmas Adventure

Re-Post of Mr. Snappy’s Christmas Adventure

Mr. Snappy, the old snapping turtle, slowly closed big dark glassy eyes. His big swaying head disappeared into the safety of his cozy shell. Just settling into his afternoon nap, he heard snuffling at the edges of his shell.  

Then he was violently rocked back and forth!  Snapping his head out from under his shell with powerful neck muscles, he growled:  “What’s going on out here!? Didn’t you see that my shell was closed for the afternoon!? That means I’m not home! Not available for your silly games. Remember!?”

It was Ellie. A very excited little grey elephant. Ellie cried out to the old turtle  “Mr. Snappy! Mr. Snappy! It’s Christmas time in the human’s village!”

“Christmas time!” Snappy snorted through his sharp, curved mouth. “Why did you wake me up for that? It’s Christmas time every year at this time. And every year some humans are happy and some humans are sad. And a lot of humans get things that they don’t even need or want. All I need and want is some peace and quiet so I can take a nap! So go away and leave me alone!”

Ellie, the little grey elephant pouted “But Mr. Snappy, the human children down at the oasis are having so much fun gathering all manner of things. They said they’re going to decorate their homes for Christmas. They’re having so much fun! What is Christmas anyway?” Sighing and tipping her little grey head, grey floppy ears to one side, her tiny, grey trunk drooped sadly.

“Didn’t your mother ever tell you about it? Why don’t you go ask her and let me sleep?” Ellie was kind of scared when Mr. Snappy sounded so grumpy. “She’s gone off with the herd. She told me to come and find you. So there!”

Ellie’s mother, Mattie, matriarch of a small herd of elephants, was an old friend of Mr. Snappy. About the same age, Mattie and Mr. Snappy had grown up together remaining fast friends for many years. So, when Mattie had matriarch duties to attend to, she sent Ellie to stay with Mr. Snappy.  

Ellie was always proud that she gone on her own. She didn’t know that her mother kept her in sight until Ellie was safely there. Ellie liked her visits with Mr. Snappy partly because she was taller than he was, but mostly she liked Mr. Snappy’s stories. At home with the herd all she saw was dumb old elephant legs. Everyone was taller than she was.

“Mr. Snappy, you can’t nap now. You have to tell me about Christmas.  Mother said that you knew all about it!” With that she plopped down on her soft grey bottom, threw her little trunk up in the air and started to cry. It was a funny braying sound making the stalks of grass quiver and Mr. Snappy shiver. Big tears rolled down her little elephant cheeks.  

“There, there.  Don’t cry.” The gruff old voice had softened, but only a bit. “I’ll tell you what I know. It happened a long time ago when I was a tiny turtle, smaller than the bottom of your foot. Then I was bright green with little dots of red. I was small, but quite handsome.”  

Mother Turtle always sheltered us very close to the oasis pond so we could slip in and out of the water easily. At night, she made sure our shells were closed up tight when it was time for us to sleep. One night, we tiny turtles had just gone to sleep when the ground started to shake so hard that it scared us wide awake! Peeking out from under my shell in the darkness, all I could see was what looked like big hairy trees with sharp rocks at the bottom. I learned later they were the long legs and hooves of camels. The very camels that would take me on an adventure." 

“Shh,” Mother Turtle whispered "The humans are talking about where they had come from and where they are going." One human in long beautiful robes said 'The star is still in the East. It hasn’t moved! It’s been the steadiest guide I have ever seen."

Mr. Snappy continued, “Mother Turtle told us the men, each from different lands, were following a bright star they had seen in the east. They had each been drawn from their different lands to follow the star's bright light that shone so steadily. Unknown to each other, the three men had finally come together at the very oasis that Mother Turtle had sheltered us in.”

“What did you do? Did your mother make you go back to sleep?” Ellie whispered.

“I only pretended to go back to sleep. As soon as I saw all the other turtle shells rocking gently in sleep, I scurried over to the closest camel. I crawled inside the sack that drooped down onto the desert sand at his side. I wanted to see where they were going. I wanted to go with them. I didn’t know that I would be going so far and would not to see my family again for many days.”

“Then what happened?” Ellie was still sitting where she had plopped when Mr. Snappy had been so grumpy with her, but now the little ears were opened like two soft grey pink lined fans. Her tears had dried up and her big brown eyes sparkled with excitement. Her little grey trunk poked the air impatiently with each pause of Snappy’s low and slow voice.   

“In the morning, three big camels, carrying their three humans on lumpy camel humps, rose slowly to their feet. The soft sack swayed, tossing me into a corner where all manner of things were jumbled together. One of the camels, Calvin, had seen me crawl aboard the following night. Hearing me sniffling in the sack at his side he groaned a deep camel groan “Don’t be afraid. I’ll take care of you.”

After two long days and two long nights through the dry desert plain, the camels finally stopped. With another groan, Calvin said “Looks like we’re here. Where ever that is.” He slowly knelt down to the ground, making sure the sack at his side was stretched out on the sand. I crawled up to the edge and listened to the camels' riders.

The first human muttered thoughtfully 'That star has led us here, but there does not look to be anything of value in this desolate looking little town!  How disappointing."

The second said "Don’t be so certain. We haven’t seen inside of any of these buildings yet." 

The third human said "Let’s take our camels to the barn for water and feed. We can stay here for the night and study where we are in the morning light."  

Mr. Snappy said  "I still couldn’t understand their words, but it sounded like one was disappointed, one was curious and the other was patient."

 “Well then, how do you know what any of them said?”  

“Calvin translated into turtle talk, of course!” Mr. Snappy snapped.

“You still haven’t told me about Christmas!”

“Slow down, little Ellie, open your ears up again and listen. We went to the barn that night, expecting it to be quiet and dark. Opening the barn doors into brightness, the three men were surprised. And there was, in the middle stall, a little human family gathered. The bright light was from the star we had followed and it shone over them. And in the manger was the tiniest human I have ever seen. He was clothed in blankets and lay on a bed of straw. That picture of Christmas has stayed with me ever since.”

“That’s Christmas?! I thought it would be something exciting like the presents that the human children are gathering”

“No little one, it’s not. Christmas is a birthday. The birthday of the human little one who carried a glowing spirit-light from that beautiful, bright star. As he grew and lived his life, he shared that spirit-light with all that needed or wanted it.”

“So humans think that presents are the just like a light?”

“Unfortunately many do. What many have not understood is that giving is the spirit-light of Christmas and is more important than all of the presents.”

“So if I give my mom a flower ~ or give you time to nap ~ am I being sort of like Christmas?”

“Yes, you certainly are.”

“But that happens any time, not on any special day.”

“I know, child. That also means that you can give Christmas presents all year long to anyone you feel like.” 

With that, Ellie set about gathering flowers in her tiny trunk to give to her mother who would soon be home. Curling her little trunk around Mr. Snappy's old brown shell she said softly “Mr. Snappy, you go for your nap now and I’ll make sure that my mom doesn’t wake you up when she comes to get me. Merry Christmas.”

“Every gift which is given, even though it be small,

is in reality great, if it is given with affection.”

~ Pindar

An Otter Day

Cool, still, crisping air. 

Leaves golden and crusty, drift into gutters and against tree trunks.

Warming sunshine dappled sidewalks and lawns.

Glittering bay reflected cloudless azure skies.

Energetic onlookers cheer, clap and encourage marathon runners as they doggedly moved towards the finish line.

Just a stairway up from the ocean on a barren cement landing just below street level, a river otter snoozed, thick brown coat gleamed in brilliant sunshine.

Bright warmth from above and below seemed the only concern.

Otter was alert to curious humans by the flick an eye and a twitch of the nose, curling then stretching with relaxed energy into the warmth of the afternoon sun.

“Just relax. Everyone around you is working too hard.”

~ Bauvard, Evergreens Are Prudish

Eva's Counting Lesson

Eva's Counting Lesson

The gathering would be at the oasis, on Mr. Snappy’s favorite flat rock under the wide spread acacia tree. Mr. Snappy, a very old snapping turtle, knew most of the animals in the area. He also knew that at least two of the invited guests liked visiting the acacia tree. Charlie Cheetah loved it’s long branches. Jerome Giraffe and his brother Calvin, enjoyed brief nibbling of the leaves at the very top. Also invited were Olivia Ostrich and Ms. Zelda Zebra. This same group had helped Ellie Elephant when she was learning to count. Ellie was four years old now, and her little sister Eva was two and learning to count. Ellie, never tired of helping her little sister, arranged with Mr. Snappy for the gathering. Eva was shy and easily frightened.

Mr. Snappy’s stern voice sounded “Okay all of you, please listen. Now, I know you don’t like Charlie, Ms. Zelda, but Jerome here will keep between the two of you. Olivia, there’s some nice grass seed over at the edge of the grassland. Charlie, if you want to stay on that branch you have to show all four of your legs without falling on top of us. Now girls, you can start with Ms. Zelda and Olivia so they can leave when you’re done counting."

Ellie gently nudged Eva with her trunk toward Ms. Zelda. “Come on - you can do this! Ms. Zelda has got such pretty legs. See how she's lifting them daintily to help you count?" (Eva knew that Ms. Zelda was just showing off.)

“Okay” Eva said in a tiny elephant voice. “One - two - three - four”

Stamping her front legs, and rearing up, Ms. Zelda flipped her glossy black mane and tail, and without a backward glance, was gone, hoping that Charlie wasn’t paying attention. 

“Can I count Mr. Giraffe’s legs next?  I like him.”

“Is that okay, Ms. Ostrich.”

"Of course, dear. I have much lovely ground to cover."

“Okay, Eva, come with me.”

Eva walked all around Jerome counting his tall knobbly kneed legs “Five - Six - Seven - Eight”

When Eva was finished, Jerome bent his long neck down to meet Eva’s tiny trunk so she could plant a baby elephant kiss on his soft brown snout.

“Do I have to count Mr. Cheetah? What if he pounces on me and eats me up?”

“I won’t let him hurt you, little one” Jerome’s rumbly, grumbly voice was really directed at Charlie who, chin on paws, turned his head away from the little gathering.

Mr. Snappy barked  “Charlie put your paws where we can see them and pull your tail up.”

Staying very close to Ellie and Jerome, and looking up at Charlie's velvety paws, Eva’s tiny voice counted again - “nine - ten - eleven - twelve”.

Charlie yawned, stretched and went back to sleep, his long golden tail drooping down almost to the ground once more.

Olivia Ostrich, keeping her distance from the acacia tree and Charlie, lifted her head from the ground where she had been pecking and picking up seeds. She strode regally to Eva on her long black legs and, speaking gently to Eva, said “Now dear, it’s my turn.” 

Eva looked at Ellie, a question in her eyes. “But she’s only got two legs.”  

“Yes, but remember how far you’re counting today - two numbers past twelve.”

“OK” Haltingly, Eva finished up her count. “Thirteen? - Fourteen?”

“Yay!” Ellie trumpeted, follow by cheers from the others - except Charlie who merely said - “You’re ok, kid.”