JOY IN THE MORNING

Ripple Reflections

Enjoy the UTube

It is my 'joy in the morning'.

RIPPLE REFLECTIONS 1

http://youtu.be/mDpNuzo8jqY

AND

Ripple Reflections # 2 TRAILER

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NQpbtbFAeI&feature=plcp

RIPPLE REFLECTIONS #2 With Joy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFSnnHC2_7M&feature=context-cha

- Joy Krauthammer

http://youtu.be/mDpNuzo8jqY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDpNuzo8jqY

Although a whole hand, fingers first, plunging into water makes a splash, even the slightest sense of a simple single finger tip touching water, radiates out RIPPLES and delights me. We never know what ripples effect are really created by our own thoughts, words and deeds. May we be blessed to create and share only good ripples in our universe.

Ripple reflections for me are a joyous meditation: connection, silence, harmony, vibration, breath, peace, prayer, playfulness, expansiveness, endlessness... I love being in the water and exploring and discovering.

I invite you to enter the water and connect to yourself and the flow of life. Enjoy the rhythm, ripples, reflections, shadows, suprises, movement, mandalas, chirping, howling, and sounds of the Crystal and Tibetan singing bowls (that I carried home from Tibet).

"Ripple Reflections" is my very first video, and I'm thrilled it is also with my original music. For me, this video is a Shehecheyanu moment, and just in time for Rosh HaShanah. I dedicate this 'finger art' meditation to my new granddaughter who is having her Hebrew naming at Torah this Shabbat. (She is named for water.) Together, may we be blessed to 'finger paint' in awe, magic, and wonder of G*d's universe. In addition, I dedicate this spiritual water meditation to my rebbe, Yosef Ben Shlomo Hakohen, z'l, on his first yahrzeit, 27 Elul. HIs Torah ripples radiate.

I'm very grateful to my 'life guard' Edith who allows me to swim and play each morning in her beautiful pool. For my new computer creative opportunities, I'm grateful to my caring, smiling, skilled and patient Apple teachers (especially Catherine and Casey who guided me in the editing of this video and sound clips compilation, Ripple Reflections 1). THANK YOU.

Love and BlesSings,

JOY Krauthammer

26 Elul

These ripples resemble the Hebrew letter SAMECH.

Harav Yitzchak Ginsburgh states, "The circular form of the samech symbolizes the fundamental truth reflected at all levels of Torah and reality: "their end is enwedged in their beginning and their beginning in their end."

http://www.inner.org/hebleter/samech.htm

HUMMERS in Edith's Garden

HUMMERS in Edith's Garden

Regularly, Edith cooks and strains Hummingbird food and refills her Hummingbird feeders.

Frequently following my early morning summer swims in Edith's pool, to be helpful, I take four feeders down from porch high hooks and

later replace them high up with the once again, newly cleaned and filled feeders.

About 20 Hummingbirds were present when I shot these photos. It amazes me that they sit at length, leisurely eating/drinking because I had learned that Hummers don't stop flying!

The orange tailed Hummer is the bully; chases all others away from eating.

These Hummers trust Edith, and stay longer when the cat and dog are not around.

The Hummers even go to feeding locations when feeders have been moved elsewhere, looking for the feeders.

I wish I could see Hummingbird tongues sucking up the sugary water.

With Joy In The Morning, I could sit here all day with Edith watching the Hummers.

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Palm HeART

Palm HeART

Edith's Garden

Each morning after swimming in Edith's pool, I get to pick juicy red fruit of the vine.

This is JOY IN THE MORNING.

SHIN TREE by Edith's Pool

SHIN * TREE by Edith's Pool

This morning at 7:30 am, as most mornings for the last 3 weeks, I've been blessed to swim again in Edith's pool this summer, and 89 year old Edith continues to serve as my excellent Life Guard. With her sitting at the edge of the pool, I never experience anything but absolute joy. With high Valley temperatures, I'm grateful for the warm water once my body gets immediately acclimated following the few moments of body entry chill.

What I call the Shin* Tree gives me much pleasure. Many shots I've taken of the mature three palms only five feet from where I enter the pool, but this morning I focused on the little fig tree growing in the middle of the bottom of the very tall three palms where they join in joy. There's a couple of other plants also in the center; a baby palm and another plant, maybe another tree. Usually I photograph looking up to the top of the tree with big bunches of dates hanging and large fronds, and with beautiful blue sky behind.

The fig probably caught my attention because only this last week has my fig tree offered me luscious ripe dark purple figs. Because I pruned so severely this last January for Tu B'Shvat (birthday of the trees holiday), it has taken longer for the fig tree to regrow new branches and to manifest its bounty. (I gave away all the small branches for people to grow their own fig trees, hundreds.) The figs are now also higher and harder to reach because of the powerful pruning I needed to do to save the heavily laden branches from totally toppling the trunk. In sadness, I feared that I might have lost my 31 year-old magnificent mother tree but she survived the surgery.

I share this "joy in the morning" with you. Since Tisha B'Av (a day and three weeks period of mourning Jewish tragedies that befell us at this time of Av over the centuries) is now over, I can again feel great pleasure in the pool. Sometimes I consciously limit my swimming to only exercise and health. Yesterday I prayed so long and deeply on the steps before entering the pool, that I forgot my intention to swim and when Edith came outside to greet me, I was still praying and dry, and alloted swim time was disappearing. Yesterday was tomato juice ** making morning for Edith, so I could not stay too long.

Last week I experienced a new vision in the pool. I was a set of oars; kayak oars. My arms became oars and I was happy when I realized this. Sadly, I have not kayaked since over a year ago. Even in Costa Rica this year, I didn't get to kayak. As you may know from my other posts, other years, in the pool I've been cymbals, a seahorse, a turtle and a cello, but last week I was oars! I shape-shift. Many times I imagine that I'm in a lake, especially when there are leaves and palm seeds floating on the pool surface. Edith's pool is a great place of visualization and holy meditation for me.

Today like many mornings, from inside the pool I look up at Edith sitting in the old grey plastic chair and see the morning sun shining from the East through her beautiful wavy white hair. I sometimes wish that I had my camera in the pool, at the deep end where she sits near by, because there is more shade. With another new good camera, I don't think I'll risk it. Did you see my fun water ripple shots from last summer? I love standing on the pool steps and jiggling my hands or knees in the water so that waves form and make wavy water reflections and I meditate on them and become mesmerized.

Lola, Edith's large black lab continues to doggie paddle swim with me, chasing after her green tennis ball that Edith pitches far out to the pool or garden for Lola's exercise.

The hummingbirds continue to visit. Edith saw ten today. They are too fast for me to count as they fly over to suck in through their long thin beaks, her specially made sugar food mixture in the four hummingbird hanging feeds. The dragon fly visits in the pool as I swim, as does an occasional wasp flying by or floating on the water. And of course, Edith's garden grows and feeds her family and guests, and I luck out this week with ripe red large yummy tomatoes. I used to eat them on the spot standing in the dirt, but now I carry them home to eat each bite with basil leaves on the plant that sits on my kitchen counter. It's my third basil plant from Trader Joes; For my birthday, Edith gifted me with the second basil. Most amazing about this plant is that every time I add water to the pot, the leaves exude a strong basil aroma, so I keep watering it for that pleasure.

I save some of the tomato loot to share with my sister, Faye. Yesterday I shared fresh lichee nuts with Edith. It's a rare treat to find them in the grocery. I also love to share my figs with Edith because her fig tree is still young. (I love sharing my figs with everyone!) I'm greatly grateful to have dear Edith in my life. I love her.

PS
A week after posting the above, Raul the tree climber ("a monkey"), came by with his spiky climbing shoes, ropes and electric saw, and cut off most of the palm fronds from 5 tall trees, leaving the trees looking very different, naked. Edith's trees and Edith's huge furry cat have all been shaved this week.

* Shin is a letter in the Hebrew alphabet which appears to visibly have 3 legs joined together. Shin is also a letter that represents a name of G*d, Shadai, thus I love what I call "Shin trees"; trees that look like Shins. Shad is also the Hebrew word for breast. G*d can be compared to a loving breast filled with mother's milk flowing to us when we yearn and there is a 'let down' of the milk.
August 6, 2012

Excerpt from Chabad's Tanya Iggeret HaKodesh, beginning of Epistle 8

Now, the descent of this illumination downwards to this world, is called “G‑d’s kindness,”

For though this illumination is drawn down as a response to the divine service of the Jew, it outshines it out of all proportion. Its bestowal upon the lower worlds is thus truly an act of “G‑d’s kindness,”

המכונה בשם מים, היורדים ממקום גבוה למקום נמוך כו׳

which is referred to as water(10 Zohar II, 175b) for it descends from a high place to a low place....(11Cf. Tikkunei Zohar 69:105a)

“G‑d’s kindness” is drawn down through man’s “arousal initiated from below.” It is thus the coin that one gives a pauper that grants the giver the gift of “beholding G‑d’s face” — the internal aspect of G‑dliness — during prayer. In this way, man’s kindness and tzedakah elicit G‑d’s kindness and tzedakah. - Chabad

To read more about Edith, my dear friend and life guard:

http://joys-inthemorning.blogspot.com/2011/07/edith-my-life-guard.html

http://joys-inthemorning.blogspot.com/2011/07/joy-in-morning-swim-time.html

I shot photos of the tall palm trees reflecting in the pool, and also baby tomatoes, and I include them in collage in "Swim Time".

http://joys-inthemorning.blogspot.com/2012/08/shin-tree-by-pool.html

http://joys-joyousjoy.blogspot.com/2011/03/where-i-swim.html

and

http://myfriendedith.blogspot.com/

*More SHIN TREES

Shin Tree, Brandeis Bardin

from a fire, giant magnificent tree adjacent to House of the Book

burnt down leaving Shin tree trunk.

Joy Krauthammer ©

Shin Tree, Brandeis Bardin

along a path during an early morning walk

Joy Krauthammer ©

Edith's Tomato Juice, as she calls it, or Andaluz Gazpacho, as I call it.

Either way, it tastes heavenly

Bon Bon Cat

by Joy Krauthammer ©

Bon Bon, Annie's cat, has been living with Edith for a few months. Today was the first time I had interacted with Bon Bon. She doesn't like new people, is what I'd been told because she'd been abused in her earlier years. It was morning swimming time for me at Edith's and I was surprised that Bon Bon came outdoors to the garden by Edith's pool. I decided to jump right in and greet Bon Bon, or rather allow Bon Bon to meet me. I carefully walked slowly over to the standing huge grey cat with very long thick hair and I said, HI. Cat looked at me, and meowed and I also meowed and we continued the conversation. She came closer and closer. Did NOT run away. I extended my right arm and put out my open hand. Bon Bon came over and smelled my fingers as I expected. I had passed the Bon Bon test. I felt good because an animal liked me and maybe trusted me. I tried patting Bon Bon's head between her ears but that didn't go over as well, and we both retreated. Since we were sort of friends, I took photos of Bon Bon. Here's one of sitting Bon Bon a moment before I stroked her head and she walked away back into the house.

PS
Bon Bon, one week after the above post, received a new furdo, and if she were a dog, would look like a poodle. I need a photo of her tail. She still likes me, and especially likes when I stroke under her chin. Bon Bon loves to roll around on ground in front of me. Babies should roll this easily.

FACES OF BON BON

are taken within a couple minutes of each other as she quickly moves with many more faces.

Send this cat down the catwalk; She's beautiful with many moods.

Why didn't I use a video?

Joy Krauthammer ©

Joy Krauthammer ©

Bon Bon AKA Sparkles or Caty, one year later 2013
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Joy Krauthammer ©

Joy Krauthammer ©

Joy Krauthammer ©
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Hummingbirds

HUMMINGBIRDS

Hummingbirds love to feed in Edith's garden. Every morning I see them by the crowd ("a host of golden daffodils"?) when I arrive for my morning swim. Lately, Edith has been counting about ten at a time. There had been dozens before. Edith continually makes them a sweet drink. Frequently, I take down the four hanging feeders, Edith fills them, and the birds return in all their tiny glory. I hear their shrill sounds. I watch the orange-tailed bully and watch in awe at their fast flights.

During summer 2013, there are fewer hummers than previous seasons, and the feeders don't empty quickly as they did before. I only see a few hummers at a time, including one with a bright red neck.

Here's one photo of one hummingbird in flight while eating, one sitting while drinking, and the tail of another.

Lola the dog and Bon Bon the cat play beneath the birds.

Hummingbirds

PS
In my own garden, there is one hummingbird very morning, and throughout the day that sits on top of the tallest branch of my fig tree. She leaves to feed and returns. Sitting nearby on the top branch of the pyracantha, is a Mockingbird singing her beautiful symphony. This lasts all spring. As the leaves fill the early summer fig tree, the hummer is no longer visible to me, if it is present.

Hummingbird in fig tree

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JOY IN THE MORNING ~ Swim Time

http://youtu.be/iNIybGJ2XsE

JOY IN THE MORNING ~ Swim Time

- Joy Krauthammer ©

So, nu, what is the connecting theme between these diverse photos in collage, “Joy In The Morning”?

My summer mornings are filled with joy as I unlock and push open Edith’s sky blue, high, heavy wooden gate, and enter her garden where she invites me to come and play each new day. Visiting is always an adventure, even before I enter the pool’s cool blue water.

Walking around and greeting the immense garden reminds me of when as a social worker, I used to be go on ‘medical rounds’ and greet patients. I see the new pretty pear blossom buds on the newly planted tree, about five feet tall. (See the sweet closed buds in the photo collage.) I must be careful walking to the new fruit trees at the far end of garden, because Lola, the large lab, uses the lawn for her daily elimination needs. Lola and I are good pals, and I greet her first thing in the morning when she greets me with her loud barking and wagging tail.

At the end of my swim, my friend Edith invites me to pick some of her ripe, firm, teensy “mini pearl” bright red tomatoes, shaped like tear drops, and smaller than cherry tomatoes. I go home and wrap my growing basil leaves around each 'pearl' that survived the trip. (See them in the photo collage.) This is the first time in her 88-year young life that Edith purchased and planted growing plants, not seeds. She says the taste is not the same. I taste the big difference. Her vast tomato fields used to look like a forest while these few plants, no longer abundant, are manageable and controlled as Edith needs gardening assistance.

After my ‘rounds’, it is time to swim. At the edge of the pool, I begin my personal prayers to the Source of All BlesSings.

Yesterday I discovered for the first time, if I stand on the lowest step in the pool (where I hesitate because the pool water is not warm, even if the day before was hot), and I jiggle my left knee-- that ripples of water happen, and happen and happen. They grow further into the depth of the pool, and my eyes follow this as I am in total delight. Today on the step, I played again. It was pure joy in the morning.

I noticed that I can jiggle my knee for a moment or at length, and I giggle as I see new worlds. The more I jiggle, the more vibrations form wavy lines and swirls and travel in varied distances. The shapes formed appear to me like amethyst geodes, my favorite stones. If I jiggle long enough, colorful rainbows appear on the reverberations, probably from the sun changing position. It’s as if crystals were catching the light. The water ripples are like dancing gemstones.

When I stop in silence, spaces/rests occur in the distance between ripples. I feel that I am composing a musical score in color and space. In addition, I add my right knee (“put your right knee in“) with a jiggle, although it does not jiggle as easily or quickly as the left knee. Now, the music becomes really exciting and lively, as the notes intersect and flow over each other forming other new organic shapes.

Like a rhythmic drum practice paradiddle in 8 strokes, I give a left jiggle, and a right jiggle, and a double left, and a right and left and double right, and repeat that opposite and with a chorus, and I got a whole score happening. LRLLRLRR and RLRRLRLL. You should see those reverberations in the water. If I don’t stop jiggling; they keep going and going. (By this time, the water is warming up, as is the air, and Edith, the life guard, is wondering why I’m not yet swimming in the water as half an hour has passed.) I don’t tell her I just finished practicing for my week’s drum gig.

Jiggling is as if I am drumming on my knees. On knees is no longer a good idea because my knees are not well, and maybe that is why they jiggle so good, especially since I had a bad fall recently, and my knees loosened up even further than the former ruined state they have been in. (That’s why swimming is so good for me and my knees.) I wish I could do a belly dance shimmy as well as I jiggle my knees.

So, to demonstrate to you my jiggles, I photographed the scenario, and made a collage. (Hmm, maybe I should take a video.) I have to get out of the pool to get my camera, each time I think of shooting the shots that are magically appearing.

Another ripples surprise I discovered today, is that my bathing suit material pattern is the same shape and color as the water reverberations. Wow. (Take a look at the collage.) Amazing. Yup, I photographed myself looking like ripples. Now I’m a human paradiddle ripple riddle.

I think the reverberations are similar to the echo sounds emitted from my Tibetan singing bowls when I play them with my wand, and my breath. If I play sounds more closely together, they reverberate in patterns similar to when I play my knees faster, while I wear my ripple suit. This is Oneness personified. The ripples remind me also of my cymbal sounds, when I perform as percussonist.

I love purple amethyst geodes, and the forms of the water ripples remind me of quartz crystal amethyst clusters. (A month ago, I spent a couple hours savoring the beauty of massive majestic geodes in the Washington, DC Natural History Museum, as I've done also in NY and Boston. I have a small amethyst cluster, which I treasure, that I inherited from my mother, z'l.)

In the collage you’ll see my morning’s joyous favorites from today, the ripples, me photographing, and also the palm trees. You can see in the swimming pool, the reflection of the group of Edith’s three giant palm trees.

The palm tree’s most amazing unopened two feet long and narrow seed pod fell to the ground from a zillion feet high. Edith knew what it was, and I did not. I carefully peeled away the palm frond’s tightly closed leaves to reveal not yet birthed into the atmosphere, not yet frothy, palm tree seed pod flowers. Wow. I had never before seen this. If you look high in the sky, you can see the fluffy clusters of seed pods resembling cotton in the blue sky and sparkling in the sunlight.

Palm tree seed pods release tiny round black seeds, the size of papaya seeds. Those seeds each contain life for a new palm tree. Lo and behold, there are a zillion baby palm trees growing in the cracks of the cement and bricks by the pool-- and everywhere else in the garden. With Edith’s permission, today I pulled out many of the baby trees because they can damage the property. For your viewing pleasure, in one photo in the collage, in the palm of my hand, you can see two baby palm trees, each with the seed attached to the roots. It is awesome. With each plant and creature I greet in the garden, I receive great ‘joy in the morning’, and also unexpected pleasures, treasures from The Source of All BlesSings. I am grateful.

Enjoy "Joy In The Morning" photo collage above, and "Water Ripples, Amethyst & Joy" below,

along with a single shot of "Water Reverberations".

Water Reverberations
Joy Krauthammer ©

Water Ripples, Amethyst & Joy

photos and collage Joy Krauthammer ©

Water Ripples, Amethyst & Joy

photos and collage Joy Krauthammer ©

Edith's Blooming Garden

photos and collage Joy Krauthammer ©

My "morning rounds" include opening the Blue Gate, seeing the growth of the Red Bartlett Pear buds into blossoms, and watching little yellow birds fly out from the yellow flowers in the cactus garden, and pulling baby palm trees from the brick crevices-- as the Aztec sun shines on us.

To read more about Edith, my dear friend and life guard:
http://joys-inthemorning.blogspot.com/2011/07/edith-my-life-guard.html
http://joys-inthemorning.blogspot.com/2011/07/joy-in-morning-swim-time.html
http://joys-joyousjoy.blogspot.com/2011/03/where-i-swim.html
and
http://myfriendedith.blogspot.com/
with a link included to You Tube and Edith's Persimmons

EDITH, MY LIFE GUARD

Blogger Joy's note:
Edith, and Lola in the Pool
Prior photo, Edith the Life Guard, was replaced for this one.
You can see tomatoes and kale growing behind Edith.

EDITH, MY LIFE GUARD

I had not thought of "life guard", the profession, in terms of much else besides the paid person high on their viewing stand at the pool or beach, but in writing these two words, I think of how Edith, my 88 year old mentor, must think of herself as my 'life guard'. Edith is a welcome shamash / protector of body and soul. She is a blesSing to me, and a "joy in the morning".

Here is a photo I shot yesterday of Edith as she perches high above me in the deep end (that is where the shade is) as I swim early mornings in her pool since a week ago. Do you see the sun glistening in her wavy white hair? (The photo would have been easier and smarter I realize if I had shot it from the shallow end. Balancing and protecting my non-water proof camera in deep end was not easy.)

Although slightly warmer than the cool morning air, the water is not warm after sitting 12 hours overnight, although San Fernando Valley days are 100*, maybe higher. I had waited eight months to get back into Edith's pool, since I stopped swimming at the end of the High Holidays, the end of September. The water must have been much less than 70* at that time. Polar bears would have shivered, but I love so much to swim, that I was not ready to give it up, and imagined I was an ice cube. Edith was shocked that I kept entering the unheated pool. Even Lola, her trusty big black labrador shivered from the pool water. Yes, we share the waters, though my hair is not floating all over the water and forming hair balls that go into the filter, I am sure. I also don't bark loudly trying to play ball with Edith, waking the neighbors early in the morning. I don't repeatedly drop slimy sloppy green tennis balls in Edith's lap as does Lola. (See the apron.) Lola is probably more loyal but only because she is a dog. And I heard her snore, and whine. Edith does not get those traits from me although I may kvetch / compain at times, and even yelp as I enter the freezing water at end of season.

Remaining to swim too late after season, I also didn't want to give up noshing in Edith's garden. Each morning Edith allowed me to pick some little cherry tomatoes or big tomatoes from her garden. I would bring them home and wrap sweet basil leaves (from Trader Joes and my kitchen sink pot) into the red moist flesh of the large home-grown real tasting tomatoes. Sometimes they get over cooked in our heat. Yesterday with the first tiny specimens of the season, I wrapped a small basil leaf around each finger nail-sized cherry tomato which Edith had generously shared with me. Once plucked easily, they fit in the palm of my hand, single layer. Driving, I carried them home in the cheap thin plastic elasticized shower cap that I now wear in Edith's pool (I look stunning). Since I was at a Maryland hotel for a simcha last month, I kept the hotel throw-away cap for this occasion. I think it protects my hair from chlorine. Last summer season with my hair longer then, I put it up in a ponytail and kept my hair out of the water. I had also bought fancier, thicker, colorful caps at 99 cents store. Hmm, where are they?

I'm not even late yet but I guess Edith thinks she is also my alarm clock shamash since she just called to make sure I am coming over. She takes seriously her life guard job and gets paid in love from me. The call interrupted my train of writing, so I guess I'll go now and prepare myself to swim. I better also shut off the sprinklers because I am watering my property's big slope on this hill, and also my giant fig tree filled with ripening figs, but that's another story. There are already lots of pictures and stories about Edith, and also my figs, on my sixty different web sites.

Edith and I were also together 12 hours ago, because I brought over a delicious salmon dinner to share. We sat outside and ate in Edith's garden with the hummingbirds and butterflies flitting about. Lola slept nearby. Edith listens to and hears my life stories, some outrageous, and I can tell she must believe she is now my 'life guard'. True, Edith, I would never have allowed my daughter to do what I did growing up, but then it was the 'sixties'. Today my great life adventure is to go to your pool and swim with 'joy in the morning.'

Bye for now.
Love, JOY

PS
EDITH LINKS

To read more about Edith, my dear friend and life guard:

http://joys-inthemorning.blogspot.com/2011/07/edith-my-life-guard.html

http://joys-inthemorning.blogspot.com/2011/07/joy-in-morning-swim-time.html

I shot photos of the tall palm trees reflecting in the pool, and also baby tomatoes, and I include them in collage in "Swim Time".

http://joys-joyousjoy.blogspot.com/2011/03/where-i-swim.html

and

http://myfriendedith.blogspot.com/

with a link included to You Tube about Edith's persimmons.
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Greater Vision

GREATER VISION

The very morning

I discovered Elderwomen Musings,

inspired, my vision extended

to the mountain beyond the mountain,

a scene I had never before seen.

Edith, dear friend in her 89th year,

at 7 am called to tell me

her home’s interior

was infused in pink from the sky.

I went outside to see.

I saw another world,

mountain behind mountain revealed.

I am grateful.

I'm so pleased to let you know that Greater Vision is published in "Elderwomen Musings."
I'm excited to discover Elder Women who love life and so sweetly express their wisdom, truth, and artistry. It feels good to be in their circle as guest artist of life.
Please see site and enjoy. You are invited to comment.

reprinted from:

http://www.elderwomenmusings.com/?p=1754

http://www.elderwomenmusings.com/

(Special guest Joy Krauthammer has gifted us with today’s post. Thank you, Joy. - Kathleen)

FEEL THE LOVE

TIFERET Haiku

Doves nesting on eggs

in my LA porch planter

always feel the LOVE

- Joy Krauthammer

Can I?

FEEL THE LOVE

Ms. Dove (or is it Mr. Dove?) Nesting
- Joy Krauthammer

While I went to Maryland for a cousin's Bat Mitzvah the day after the doves began to build their nest in my hanging succulent planter, the doves in my absence continued to nest; building and laying their two eggs in Northridge, CA. I was some what happy that they would have peace without my comings and goings which may disturb them.

Late at night during a long lasting lightening storm, following the east coast day-long simcha festivities, and driving back with family to my hotel-- at a gas station I saw the long gasoline truck with statement, FEEL THE LOVE. (see photo) I emerged from the car and walked over alone to the truck at furthest end of gas station, and with camera, shot, FEEL THE LOVE. This was clearly the day's expression with mishpucha/family I had not seen for a long time.

I felt compassion and love for the female dove who tenderly nested in night time, and for the male who nested during day time. I didn't realize that there were both partners separately nesting, until I read Wikipedia! They had grown accustomed to me, and I felt protective of them.

I was concerned when I returned from the east coast trip because I was leaving again in a few days, as I did, for my Jewish spiritual international gathering-- the Aleph Renewal Kallah. The doves were nesting and I told the young man (not yet a teen) caring for my garden, not to water in that hanging planter. (I had left water nearby for birds' drinking and bathing.) I was so looking forward to the future feeding little babies. With my calculating the days, I was sad that I'd be missing their breaking through the shells and their birth. I learned that incubation to hatching is two weeks, and feeding, maturing is also two weeks. I didn't know what day the eggs were laid.

While at Kallah in a movement class with Rabbi Diane Elliot, we participants were invited to become animals. This was easy for me. I became a nesting mom bird over two eggs, and I also became the eggs. We were then asked to paint our shape-shifting being. With Crayolas, I painted Ms. Dove; the me I had become. I also became a baby birdie being fed by mom bird. I liked my painting done from memory (even if not purely accurate) which you can see here, and joyfully shared it with classmates. The red splashes in background are the rose bushes* in my garden. During incubation time, I watched Ms. Dove and Mr. Dove together sit on the ground for a few hours by the rose bushes in their shade, in the hot 100* heat of the day.

Upon my return, my 88 year old wise mentor, Edith, has advised me to share in the story, my reality of sadness, because I had not. The message I did not want to share is that-- I returned home to an 'empty nest'.

Nest was not completely empty because there was one empty egg shell in halves. I have heard more of the sad story from a neighbor. I found the other empty egg half shell further out in the garden. With love and care and sadness, I buried the empty shells in my garden.

May we be blessed (as my Jerusalem rebbe Yosef Ben Shlomo HaKohen reminds me) that creatures in the messianic age: "Live together, the wolf with the sheep, and the leopard will lie down with the kid; and a calf, a lion whelp and a fatling together, and a young child will lead them." (Isaiah 11:6)

I so much wanted to share a happy ending with you, too.
I have since heard each day, one dove cooing on my roof, on the top of the antenna.
Another neighbor sent me a sweet photo of two current doves in her eaves, nesting. Their corner location looks identical to the one in the lower left hand corner of my photo collage below where the doves had been scouting for their home. Eaves look much safer, and not visible to the outside predatory world. May the family of doves be protected.

Sadness

Photos and collage by Joy Krauthammer ©

*I planted the rose bushes for my husband's, z'l, pleasure
when he was paralyzed at home, and could spend a short time in the garden.
.

Big Bunny

May 13, Mother's Day

OK, I figured it out.
There is Baby Bunny and Big Bunny. In my garden there are more than one!

Look at the photos below and see Baby Bunny and also Big Bunny.

I just remembered that Marcel, z'l, used to call me Big Bunny and called Aviva, Little Bunny. That's why I still call her "Buns". Let's see what Aviva call her upcoming baby.
- Joy Krauthammer

Back Yard baby Bunny

BACK YARD Baby BUNNY

May 3, 2012

another Little Bunny

I'm dating this post because I am placing it above the other older BUNNY posts, and with about a year distance in between the two love stories.

A BUNNY IS BACK

Here's today's collage of Back Yard Bunny. I think this bunny is not last year's Little Bunny. The coloring is similar but different. This bunny sprints faster and is more afraid. I think he's smaller and with less elongated ears and less white color detail. His tail is not so much of a cotton ball. Of course, last year there were actually two bunnies that I would see together.

The photos here I shot through my kitchen window glass and also through the torn hole in my screen door. The slightest sound, especially opening the porch screen door, gets this little guy running, gone! So far Bunny likes the grassy area by the roses, and also across the yard near the porch corner. Photos through the porch glass didn't come clear, although Bunny was closer.

I discovered Bunny about a week ago while talking on the phone to friend, Ruth, at about 7:30 in the morning. I was elated. Ruth could probably hear me squeal with joy all the way to Malibu without a phone. Each time Ruth called in early morning, there was Bunny. Now I'm seeing Bunny daily. Last night I was thrilled to see Bunny at 7:30, but in the evening.

The funny thing is that it is about a year ago when Little Bunny first appeared. Around the same time, the wild doves were beginning in my porch planter, to build their nest from the remains of Bunny meals, denuded twigs. Sure enough, last couple days, a pair of doves are back, and also eating from my lawn. Hmm, I hope they don't remake the nest in the succulent plant. The stress waiting for danger to pass during nesting was too hard for me. Those stories are below.

It's the Season of Bunny and Doves.

I don't know if this dove from yesterday is the same dove as day before with his pal,

or same as from last year,

but doves have not been here lately and now they are.

Dove in front garden.

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