this moment a bright sliver of the moon hangs over the dark shadowy mountains of the valley of the moon i stand stone still watching the first glimmers of dawn the quarter moon so bright it almost looks full the valley below so silent like the beginning of time no busy minds…no cars… only the […]
Archive | December, 2015
Early Morning in Ojai at the Dawn of the New Year
I head out in the dark to catch the magic moment — the crack of dawn My dog runs ahead her exuberance, her ecstasy is contagious I look West and the full moon is hanging high in the sky by an etheric thread I look East and the dark sky begins to blaze from the […]
Morning Meditation Under the Great Oak
It’s no use trying to save the world When I myself am drowning I sit now under the Great Oak A tree so strong, so majestic So silent, so serene She is safe here far off the beaten path Far away from the relentless greed of man And I am safe here under her canopy […]
It’s Easy Being Bag-Free!
Years ago I went to a market in Saanen, Switzerland and, much to my chagrin, they did not provide a bag for me to carry my groceries back to the chalet. I purchased a string bag on the spot, and after that I never again forgot to take my own bag to the store in […]
Car Free in Carmageddon
About seven years ago I gradually changed my trip to work from a two-hour car commute to a refreshing ten-minute bicycle ride. After a decade of driving the freeway, my soul had grown weary of watching the sun rise and set from behind the steering wheel. Working closer to home meant a cut in my […]
Spiritual Politics
Suza for Ojai (political activism for a sustainable Ojai) Transforming politics – a new paradigm Editorial by former Ojai Mayor Suza Francina (written in 1999) Politics is really the art of governance, a science that synthesizes opposing views into a higher level of understanding. Spiritual politics responds not just to competing interests and demands for […]
Ahimsa and Animal Advocacy
August 16, 2009 – Ventura County Star Opinion: 4-H responsibility should include visit to slaughterhouse http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2009/aug/16/4-h-responsibility-should-include-visit-to/ September 02, 2009 – Fair No Fun for 4-H Pet Market Animals, but Happy Ending For One Lucky Pig http://www.ojaipost.com/2009/09/fair_no_fun_for_4h_animals_but.shtml August 14, 2009 – Today is Auction Day for the 4-H Animals. http://www.ojaipost.com/2009/08/today_is_auction_day_for_the_4.shtml August 11, 2009 – 4-H Kids […]
Ten Reasons Why Bicycles Are Good!
Listing the benefits of bicycling makes it sound like one of those old patent medicines: “guaranteed to cure all your ills.” But the simple truth is that bicycling is good for the air, the water, the earth, the quality of life in our community, helps to conserve energy, increases property value, increases business, and makes […]
Ojai is still a place that uplifts the spirit
January, 2000 On New Year’s Day I sat high up on a rock in the East End, overlooking the whole valley. Here I could immerse myself in the spectacular view of the majestic mountains, orange and avocado groves, and relax in the profound peace and stillness that still pervades this part of the valley. In […]