One World

Listening to catastrophic events, both natural and man made, I can feel the Earth bleeding.  From the fires in California, to the floods in Colorado and from the killings in Anywhere, U.S.A. to the Monsanto massacre of our foods, this world we call home is dying.  Such events are happening all over this little blue dot and it is up to everyone to do something to salvage what we have left of this world.
I  watch a lot of nature shows and spend a good bit of time observing nature all around me.  One thing that I thought was amazing was the murmuration that starlings do.  If anyone does not know about murmuration, check out this video:

The fact that these small birds are able to fly in such formation as this is absolutely amazing.  If they sense a danger, such as a predator, a few birds will make the decision to fly in a different direction, then the 6 or 7 neighboring birds will follow suit, and then their neighbors will follow as well, causing this wondrous aerial display.  In a way, it is the bird's version of paying it forward.  In the end, the actions of a few directing the group to work in unison, saves the flock. 
It only takes one person to get the ball rolling... could it be you?


 The other day I took some donated supplies to the local humane society.  I was overwhelmed with the amount of kittens that were there.  Litters and litters waiting to find a place in someone's home and heart.  What I don't get is why they are even in the shelters to begin with?  In this day and age of convenient spay and neutering options, why do we still have this overpopulation of kittens?  Are people too ignorant to realize that wanting their kids to witness a birthing, only to dump the unwanted after the cuteness of it all wears off, is not only selfish, but inhumane?  What are they really teaching their kids?  That animals are just for show and are disposable once the novelty is over?  Don't get me started on pet store animals and puppy mills...
The sight of all these kittens and adult cats, without homes, makes me want to become a crazy cat lady, but thankfully, I am too sane and rational for that.   On the other hand, with the recent loss of our kitty, Orion, from a possible pulmonary embolism, the house seems so much emptier.  He was the clown, the mischievous elf, the trouble maker, the leader, the bread stealer, the dairy king.  I keep expecting him to climb on the dining room table to beg for food.  I wake up to look for stolen loaves of bread that get nabbed in the night, so I can snatch it up before our dog, Sagan, eats it all.  I look over at the little fig tree he used to torment to get our attention, and long to see his impish face again, smugly saying, "see, made you look!"

The quiet emptiness is begging to have some kitten energy back in the home.  Maybe we will have TWO new balls of energy to help distract from our grief, to keep the other pets and ourselves entertained, and to give them forever homes.   This is my moment of murmuration. So if anyone is considering buying a pet, check out the shelters first - and save a life.