El Torote...

Scientific Name: Bursera microphylla
English Name: elephant tree
Spanish Name: torote blanco, copal, palo colorado, torote rojo, torote colorado, cuajiote blanco, torote

A few weeks ago clearing out an area of brush around our house we came upon a small "Torote tree", I couldn't believe it. I always loved them, but they are an endangered species and should not be pulled out of their desert home, in other words it's not something you find at the local nursery. They are a classic desert tree with a flaking bark and open arms full of green leaves when they bloom. But because of the lack of water they remain dormant, grey but sturdy. I was so delighted to find it, we cleared around it and started to give it water. Fifteen days later it surprised me with a tiny leaf out of each of it's tiny branches. It is in full bloom today. Once again nature is king.

9.11.2010...

As Leonard Cohen sings in one of his songs "...since the day someone hurt New York", 9.11.2001 was a day that changed many people's lives. It was a very painful day. Today has been an out of sorts day waiting several hours for a caterpillar to help us move some very big rocks. Can't help but think the many pieces of concrete that had to be moved in the World Trade Center nine years ago.

Roots...

We stand strong over the earth and try to feel rooted. And although our roots are real they are invisible to our eye, not like the ones of this beautiful fig tree. They visibly run deep into the ground and up above. They even grew over a rock. The tree extends itself many feet up above us and it is starting to bear fruit this time of the year. Small green figs are attached to its hundreds of branches.

Object of beauty...

Right at the base of part of the Sierra de la Laguna mountain range lies a small house with an outstanding potter named "Marcos". He and his sister Margarita collect red clay dirt from the base of the mountain, they work it, clean it, run it through a sieve to get the stones out, and add water to make it into the perfect consistency of clay. Then he hand builds all his functional pieces with extreme proficiency and love. The forms are rounded, minimal and clean. Simple and elegant. His pieces have integrity and purity. Less is more. Each piece is an object of beauty.

The Art of Racing in the Rain...

This is a novel written by Garth Stein. I read it in one day. It filled my heart with joy, my eyes with tears, and my heart with compassion. It is a beautiful book for us all, not just dog lovers, not just "gear heads", it is about life and death. Good read.
Thanks Doug. (this photograph was taken by Dennis Bradbury, a good friend, a professional photographer and the owner of the 22 Haviland Street Gallery in Norwalk, CT).

Que onda buey?

Que onda buey? is a very common phrase used by the young people in Mexico. It basically means "What's up, dude?" but the direct translation really means "What's up bull?". However it has become a colloquialism used everywhere. Today as I drove into town and encountered a herd of bulls in the huerta, I had an opportunity to use this colloquialism directly with the source. Still waiting for an answer, however...

The core...

Often in yoga we concentrate on our core strength, and the feeling of being centered. There are also so many things that are built around a center point. From the laws of rotation of the Earth around its axis to the simple core of an apple, or the center point of our belly button. But amongst one of the most interesting architectures is that of a sunflower. Have you ever studied the beautiful organization of each seed pod in its center. The way they fit into each other, the pattern they form and the strength they bring to the soft yellow petals that hang from its edge.