Beautiful rainstorm washes away firecracker smoke

I made this video in my backyard at about 5:00 p.m. today when the rain returned and washed away all the toxic firecracker smoke. This is the time of day when I put the chickens to bed, feed the fish, and close everything up in the back for the night.

After I came in the house, this rain turned into a huge, thunderous storm with blinding lightening and earth shaking thunder. I felt thrilled and in awe of the power of nature to cleanse and recharge the earth. I take it as a good and auspicious omen at the start of 2009.

Happy New Year!

A shot of fresh air: A walk on Ilkley Moor

Here’s a pair of lovely blokes taking a walk on the moors. Enjoy the Breath of Fresh Air! (We need it after the last post!)

Breath of Fresh Air is a series of short films to appear on the Calendar News programme on ITV1. This is weatherman Jon Mitchell’s walk on Ilkely Moor.

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A walk through England’s Savernake Forest

C’mon, let’s take a walk and get some fresh air!

A Sunday afternoon stroll through the magical Savernake Forest in the amazing county of Wiltshire, in England.

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Nature Knows

“Nature Knows”

Here’s a simple slide show set to an original song composition I wrote and recorded back in 1999. Best viewed with headphones on, and when there’s time to relax. The song was inspired by a dream I had. The lyrics have been published by 3 different Poetic Societies! (My dear friend Marylynn La Gier assisted with some lyrics.)

Photos are mostly mine- taken over the years at various beaches up and down the Pacific coast from Mexico to Oregon; with a couple from Hawaii tossed in for good measure. The underwater photgraphs are not mine; but are in the public domain. Most are unattributed. The deep space images are from NASA.

“…Footprints side by side provide the proof,
With every stride they’re nearer to the Truth…
All things paired, for Life’s to be shared, and so it goes,
It’s right it’s real, it’s Love that you feel, Nature knows…”

All right now, Deep breath… heavy sigh… Okay, you’re good to go. Hit the play button. :oD

Paul

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A shot of fresh air: Holy Hill Steeples

Holy Hill Steeples

Holy Hill, Hubertus, Wisconsin

By Ruth Ruddock

Oct. 6, 2008

Here’s another beautiful photo of Ruth’s. “It was a gorgeous Fall day, gentle breezes, and I
found my way out there via winding roads, lots of hills and gullies,” says Ruth. “Worth the trip!”

This church is one of the most photographed in Wisconsin, she says, and pilgrims come by busloads to see this sacred place.

A shot of fresh air: Bench under tree

Bench Under Tree

October 2008

Ruth Ruddock

This is the second in the series of photos from Ruth, one of our flock and frequent commenter at The Canary Report.

“I’ve found that when one has MCS, it is good to have a passion for something that distracts you and that you can do without too much difficulty,” says Ruth.

This photo was taken at the Schoenstatt Retreat Center, Wisconcin.

A shot of fresh air: Tree and tire swing

This banyan limb and tire swing are at the far corner of the park where we take our evening walks. The photo I took this evening doesn’t do the weather justice because it was very windy and blustery as a storm from the south blew through the islands today. The tire was spinning round and round. The air was fresh and full of storm energy! I started out feeling lazy and dull, but after six laps around the park, I felt rejuvenated and happy!

Fall Reflections on the River

Fall Reflections on the River

October 2008

“Taken during my walk on the Fox River in my home town of Waukesha, Wisconsin.”

Ruth Ruddock

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You are all in for a very special treat! One our flock, Ruth Ruddock, who’s a major contributor to our discussions here on The Canary Report, has sent me a catalog of her beautiful photos that she’d like me to share with you. This is the first in the series. Isn’t it beautiful?

Hi, I’m Ruth Ruddock, and I live just outside of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

I have had MCS since October, 2002…at least that is when it first reared up enough to notice. After my husband died in Feb. 2005, I was at a loss for what to do with myself, not being able to go out and work regularly….my daughter gave me her old digital camera when she got a new one, and I started experimenting with it. I found that I really had an eye for photos and this is some of what I have been doing.

I started gluing the photos onto card stock and selling them to friends and family members….and branched out to shops in the area. It is very small scale, but has helped with food and gas costs over the past three years. I now attend a monthly photography club meeting and have met some really nice people through that.

If anyone would like to see more, or order some cards from me, drop me an email at ruthsansmcs(at)hotmail(dot)com and I will get back to you.

I’ve found that when one has MCS, it is good to have a passion for something that distracts you and that you can do without too much difficulty.

My best to you all,
Ruth

A shot of fresh air: Sunset, the start of the day

In Hawaiian tradition, the day begins at sunset. Think about that for a minute. At the moment shown here in the photo, as the sun drops below the horizon and the dark seeps into the landscape, this moment is the beginning of the day, not the end.

This view is due north, out over the rooftop of my home. Our village of Ookala sits at the top of a 300-foot ocean cliff, as do most of the hamlets along the Hamakua Coast, giving residents a unique perspective of the water not common throughout the islands.

Reflections of fresh air

From Autumn Set

By Meredith Farmer

October 16, 2008

Fort Klamath Junction, Oregon

Nikon D40

Relaxing in the garden

Occasionally, I remember to STOP, sit, and enjoy the garden. Usually, my concept of leisure in the garden is an “active leisure,” where puttering around is the relaxation. But this evening I took the time to sit in the rocker on the front porch and chill. It was cloudy and overcast, so the colors aren’t too vibrant, but still, you get the idea.

As you regular visitors to The Canary Report can see, last weekend we ripped out the groundcover that surrounded the pond. It did look beautiful, but it was always galloping out of control and took more maintenance than I was willing to give it. So for now, the cement tiles holding up the terrace are visible, but we will soon remedy that with more well behaved plantings.

Snow on Mauna Kea

Mountaintop briefly dusted in snow for first time this season

I woke to a fresh chill to the air this morning, brought on by the first snow fall on Mauna Kea yesterday. Yes, it snows in Hawaii! Isn’t it beautiful?

This photo is taken by my good friend William Ing, photog at our local paper the Hawaii Tribune-Herald.

Whenever it snows up Mauna Kea, the night wind brings fresh, crisp air down the slope all the way to the sea. Even though it’s already melted, the air is crisp and clean today. You can imagine how much I love that!

Waking up to clean air is such a blessing, made even more special today because it’s my birthday. So not only do I feel grateful for clean air today, but also for making it to 52 years of age!

Yep, it’s a beautiful day.

This evening’s walk

This is the park where I walk most evenings. We go at the very end of the day just as it gets dark. It’s a county park about a mile from my home–it’s an old baseball field chock full of history in our community from the days when sugar was king and every plantation community had a baseball team. The oldtimers tell some great stories!

My newest fascination is with the bats that join us in the evening just as it darkens too much to see well. How I wish I could catch them on film! They dart and flutter catching bugs way up high. They are my new favorite animal.

Anyway, here are three snaps: one of the park when we first arrived, then one toward the ocean (the direction we call makai), and one toward the mountain (mauka) as darkness fell. I should go get some photos in the full light one day so you can see how much prettier it is than these show!

A shot of fresh air: Queen Liliuokalani Park

This is my favorite park in Hilo: Queen Liliuokalani Park. It’s a Japanese garden, in fact the only truly authentic Japanese garden in the country because of its composition and location: it has views of both mountains (Mauna Kea) and ocean (Hilo Bay). When I took this shot, the tide was high (the bay is behind me, it feeds this shallow lagoon in the park), so the inner walkways of the park are covered with water. I watched this couple wade out to their island respite, sit and take in the view. They looked very peaceful and content.

A shot of fresh air: A safe place at the airport

I recently traveled from Hawaii to the mainland on about 12 hours notice to help my dad recover from an illness. Air travel is scary for people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity because we know there is no way we’ll escape the journey unscathed. While I do wear a mask on the plane, I tough it out through all the terminals and gates. But for the time between flights in Honolulu, I have a secret place that I visit: a beautiful garden tucked away between the breezeways.

The air in the garden can be a challenge with the jet exhaust, but I still find some respite when I have a long wait between planes. It’s become a familiar place even though I only visit once about every four or five years. For me, even if I am anxious about the travel and my body is reacting to the onslaught of chemicals encountered during the journey, this garden helps me stay grounded. As I sit peacefully on one of the benches, I’m reminded that even in the middle of jet fumes and the crush of humanity, a person can find a peaceful interlude, a Safe Place.

A shot of fresh air: City kids in the country

Take a look at this great program that sends low-income New York City kids to the country to experience some fresh air and rural life.

THE FRESH AIR FUND, an independent, not-for-profit agency, has provided free summer vacations to more than 1.7 million New York City children from low-income communities since 1877. Nearly 10,000 New York City children enjoy free Fresh Air Fund programs annually. […]

We are looking for families who want to extend an invitation to a 9-12 year old. We really need more families who want older children and boys.

Please email Angie, angie@freshair.org, immediately and she’ll speed you through the process! Or, you can call us at 1-800-367-0003 (212.897.8900) — ask for Angie.

If you want to help but don’t live in these areas - BLOG about this program, tell your friends, recommend someone, or DONATE.

Found at boingboing.

A shot of fresh air: Walking!

07/15/08

Doesn’t this look like fun? Walking tours in Tuscany. So much better than a bus! I love walking, it’s my exercise of choice. The beach is my favorite place to walk, but I’d do Tuscany if I could just wiggle my nose and skip the plane trip… If you hate exercise, try walking!

Ancient Footpaths North of Siena

Walk with us in Tuscany and experience the essence of Italy—vineyards and cypress-lined lanes, dramatically perched hill towns, valleys bathed in golden sunlight, celebrated wines, mouthwatering cuisine, unforgettable Renaissance art and architecture and a warm and welcoming people. Make your way along footpaths strung along wide-open hillsides and ramble through picturesque villages that color the landscape. At day’s end, settle into some of Tuscany’s most charming hotels and savor hearty local cuisine and wines. Benvenuti in Toscana!

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A shot of fresh air: Hawaiian moon at noon

A shot of fresh air: Lunch break

07/07/08  The last post about diesel exhaust was so depressing that I wanted to give you a shot of fresh air. I’m on my lunch break right now, and I went out to the front porch to sit and watch the fish in the entrance pond. The weather is beautiful– sunny, not a cloud in the sky, with gentle trades. So peaceful. So here I share my lunch break with you. Be well, everybody.

A shot of fresh air: Kites!

A safe alternative to toxic 4th of July fireworks. Red, white & blue, too!

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