Mr. Coyote, The Unexpected Guest

JM Perez By JM Perez2 min read6 views

Living in the desert is like taking a gamble. Most days are amazingly beautiful, and the stars are bright and visible at night. It’s less noisy and polluted as opposed to life in bigger cities. The mountain view is breathtaking, especially when covered in snow, and yes, it snows quite often here. Almost everything you can imagine is at close proximity: schools, groceries, malls, outlet stores, parks, movie theaters, museums, clinics, medical facilities, gas stations, car washes, restaurants, and hotels, just to name a few.

For the most part, living in the High Desert is wonderful; however, we also have our gloomy moments: the extreme heat, the high and gusty winds, the weeds (the obnoxious and undesirable plants), the surge of weird and toxic individuals moving here and disrupting the once established peace, and then the wild animals.

In the past, I was told by some neighbors about seeing coyotes around and a few who raise poultry said some jumped into their yards in an attempt to get a chicken or two. I personally thought they were all making up stories, given that for over seventeen years, I never saw one. Well, not until three weeks ago, when I spotted one in the front yard. I was horrified and petrified. After a while, it jumped over the fence and disappeared around the corner.

Coyote in the Garden.

Late in the Spring we purchased a Mexican Fencepost Cactus, and a couple of weeks ago I noticed new (weird) growths from the top of the mother plant. At first I thought the tiny buds were flowers developing from the areoles, but they quickly turned into strange pups, as though the new growth are a different species: perhaps grafts?  I will be keeping a close watch on this one.

Mexican Fencepost Cactus new growth.

We were gifted a small Sour Fig (Hottentot Fig Ice Plant) this summer, and I am impressed at how much it has grown and spread. Also known as Carpobrotus Edulis, it is a ground-creeping plant with succulent leaves native to South Africa. I have been told that it is an invasive plant, and I will be moving it into a large pot to limit its spread.

Sour Fig.

Last week we harvested the Pomegranates and there were so many. We ate some and they are so sweet. We gifted some to our daughter’s friend who loves them and we will use them in meals and smoothies.

Ripe Pomegranates.

Happy gardening!

Soulful Words: Les Mots

JM Perez By JM Perez2 min read12 views

“Kind words are a creative force, a power that concurs in the building up of all that is good, and energy that showers blessings upon the world.” — Lawrence G. Lovasik

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LES MOTS
– Mylène Farmer feat. Seal –

Fixement, le ciel se tord
Quand la bouche engendre un mort
Là je donnerai ma vie pour t’entendre
Te dire les mots les plus tendres

When all becomes all alone
I’ll break my life for a song
And two lives that stoop to notice mine
I know I will say goodbye
But a fraction of this life
I would give anything, anytime

L’univers a ses mystères
Les mots sont nos vies
You could kill a life with words
So, how would it feel
Si nos vies sont si fragiles
Words are mysteries
Les mots des sentiments
Les mots d’amour, un temple

If one swept the world away
One could touch the universe
I will tell you how the sun rose high
We could, with a word, become one

Et pour tous ces mots qui blessent
Il y a ceux qui nous caressent
Qui illuminent, qui touchent l’infini
Même si le néant existe
For a fraction of this life
I will give anything, anytime

L’univers a ses mystères
Les mots sont nos vies
We could kill a life with words
So, how would it feel
Si nos vies sont si fragiles
Words are mysteries
Les mots des sentiments
Les mots d’amour, un temple

L’univers a ses mystères
Les mots sont nos vies
We could kill a life with words
So, how would it feel
Si nos vies sont si fragiles
Words are mysteries
Les mots des sentiments
Les mots d’amour, un temple

L’univers a ses mystères
Les mots sont nos vies
We could kill a life with words
So, how would it feel
Si nos vies sont si fragiles
Words are mysteries
Les mots des sentiments
Les mots d’amour, un temple

Mylène Farmer feat. Seal – Les Mots.

The Joy Of a New Season

JM Perez By JM Perez1 min read21 views

“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” ― Lao Tzu

Fall Bouquet.

The joy of a new season is about new beginnings.
It is about continuous gratitude and welcoming the sacred into our life and space.

I hope you find joy, stay the course, or turn over a new leaf as you welcome the new season.