nature

A PLEDGE FOR EARTH DAY

/ The Coastal Crone / 28 Comments

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“Wintering in Port Aransas” by Steve Russell

 I Pledge Allegiance to the Earth
And to the Universal Spirit
Which gives us Life;
One Planet, Indivisible
Peace and Justice for Us All.

I Pledge to do my Best
To uphold the Trust bestowed
In the Gift of my Life;
To care for Our Planet
And our Atmosphere,
To Respect and Honor
All her Inhabitants,
All People, Animals,
Plants and Resources,
To Create a Legacy
For Our Children
And Our Children’s Children
In a World of Harmony and Love.

I Pledge Allegiance
To the Universal Spirit,
By whatever Name it may be called.
I align my Life
With the ongoing Process
of Creation;
To grow Myself with Care,
To Act from My Own Integrity,
To Be for Others
How I would want them
To Be for Me.

Together
May We carry this Vision
Into our Hearts,
Into our Daily Choices,
And through Our
Expanding Consciousness
Within and Beyond Our Planet.

Edna Reitz, 1988

 NOTE: Several months ago I found this pledge from a 2011 post on the blog, The Native HeartLight, and saved it for an Earth Day post.  Since then I have not been able to find out anything more about Edna Reitz ,who was given credit for it on a poster, or the pledge itself.  Perhaps she got it from someone else.  I attempted to contact the author of the blog but never received an answer. If anyone knows anything about it, please share.  I still liked it and wanted to share it.

Texas Hummingbird – Baby Huey

/ The Coastal Crone / 16 Comments

Texas Hummingbird

For the past three weeks we have been feeding four hummingbirds that stopped by our back yard to refuel.  They have fought over the sugar-water in the two feeders we put up and enjoyed the natural nectar of the flowers and  herbs that are blooming.  They provide great entertainment as they zoom around like tiny Star Wars Jedi starfighters and occasionally buzz the cat, Wiccan. 

A woodpecker has been hanging around for some time also and we hear it making its churr-churr and kek-kek-kek calls.  Once we heard it pecking rapidly on our metal chimney.

Then Saturday morning we looked out to the veranda to discover that he was helping himself to the hummers’ sugar-water.  He flew away as soon husband grabbed his camera, but then he kept coming back and husband was able to get this shot.

I  named him Baby Huey, but he is actually a male golden-fronted woodpecker.  They are described this way in John L. Tveten’s book, “The Birds of Texas.”

“Ten inches long, and with a black-and-white barred back, the golden-fronted woodpecker has light under parts, a white rump and an all-black tail.  A large golden orange patch ornaments the nape, and there is a smaller yellow patch above the bill, the “golden front.”  In addition, the male sports a small, round red cap that is lacking on the female.”

Baby Huey was back Sunday morning for a little Sunday brunch.  He has not kept the hummers away, but they do not challenge him when he is feeding!  The hummers will soon be gone and won’t be back until around September.  We will enjoy them and share our space with them for now.