Fly Away

(Artist credit:  Jim Warren)

Those of us who are fans of the late John Denver, continue to be inspired by his call to environmental action and awareness.  The soul of his songs is a message to all souls:  to take care of your Earth and all that inhabit it.

One song that comes to mind for me right now in the midst of not just the Gulf oil spill disaster, but all the various other events taking place around the globe such as clubbing harp seals in Canada, the killing of whales and dolphins without conscience or remorse from Japan, the dumping of garbage into our local parks, beaches, rivers, and anywhere anyone is too lazy to wait for a trash can to dump it into.  That song is Fly Away.

John Denver speaks of how losing ourselves in the high rises can make you hungry for things you can't see, or life in the city makes one miss the sounds, sights, and smells of the sea.

Without nature feeding our souls, we are a lonely people.  Life teems from every pore in every facet related to all the nature around us, everywhere.  People seem to either forget that or take it for granted.

Imagine if you had no access to hiking trails to see a meadow blooming with spring flowers.  Or a walk on a sandy seashore to hear sea gulls all around you or whales and dolphins off in the distance.  Or not being able to dive among the bright and varied colors of the coral reefs that are currently endangered.  Or never seeing a beautiful butterfly flitting around your head in joy.  Or ceasing to ever witness a laughing child romping in the waves or ever picking up an insect to bring you home a "gift."

These are just a few small examples of the great world of nature.  And without it, we would truly be a very sad and depressed world.  Nature gives us life.  It feeds our spirits.  It gives us food.  It allows our eyes to rest on such amazing beauty that unless your soul is truly deadened, it makes your heart soar and sometimes brings happy tears to your eyes.  It inspires you to dance, fall in love, sing a song, write a story, or simply to just be.

Springtime is a season of hope and of renewal.  We are always looking for the spring, the sounds of laughter from children and the signs of love from people.

Will we ever see a day when the majority of humanity on our planet Earth cease to take her and her gifts for granted?  Or will the time come when it's too late to save her, and therefore too late to save ourselves?

Take some time to stop and smell a flower.  Walk barefoot in the grass or on a sandy beach.  Romp with your children and/or dogs in a park and watch the simple yet profound joy they don't take for granted.  Hike a mountain trail to a favorite spot and take a few moments of silence and drink in all that is surrounding you.  Dive into the ocean and say hello to all the colorful, rich, and vibrant life that shares this world with you.  Wave to a whale, dolphin, seal, shark, manatee, etc that you see in the great blue.

We are all part of this global ecosystem.  We should be giving thanks for it instead of continuing to destroy it in the name of temporary greed and profit.  After all, once our beautiful and precious Earth is exhausted with all of her gifts, all the greed and money in the world will not matter one iota.

The only place to Fly Away is here.  This is your home.  Please treat it as such and inspire others to love and respect it too.  Trust me she will return that a million times over.

World Cetacean Day

Artist credit:  Labrynith's Eye by Polygame

In honor of today being World Cetacean Day, today's post will simply be a tribute to these amazing sentient beings.

"Man has always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much .. the wheel, New York, wars and so on ... while all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time.  But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man ... for precisely the same reason."  ~ Douglas Adams ~

"It is of interest to note that while some dolphins are reported to have learned English - up to fifty words used in correct context - no human being has been reported to have learned dolphinese." ~ Carl Sagan ~

"Listen to the voice of a dolphin and you shall learn the secret to mankind's survival:  Peace." ~ Mallory Watson ~

"Pushing through green waters ... symbol of joy ... you leap from the depths ... to touch the sky ... scattering spray ... like handfuls of jewels ... " ~ Horace Dobbs ~

"For as long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other. Indeed, he who sows the seed of murder and pain cannot reap joy and love."  ~ Pythagoras, Greek Mathematician and Philosopher ~

"To the dolphin alone, nature has given that which the best philosophers seek: Friendship for no advantage. Though it has no need of help from any man, it is a genial friend to all and has helped mankind."  ~ Plutarch ~

"No aquarium, no tank in any marine land, however spacious it may be, can begin to duplicate the conditions of the sea.  And no dolphin who inhabits one of those aquariums or one of those marine lands can be considered normal."  ~ Jacques Yves Cousteau ~

"The happiness of the bee and the dolphin is to exist.  For man it is to know that and to wonder at it." ~ Jacques Yves Cousteau ~

"The Cetecea hold an important lesson for us.  The lesson is not about whales and dolphins, but about ourselves.  There is at least moderately convincing evidence that there is another class of intelligent beings on Earth beside ourselves.  They have behaved benignly and in many cases affectionately towards us.  We have systematically slaughtered them.  Little reverence for life is evident in the whaling industry - underscoring a deep human failing...In warfare, man against man, it is common for each side to dehumanize the other so that there will be none of the natural misgivings that a human being has at slaughtering another ..."  ~ Carl Sagan ~


"When Earth is sick, the animals will begin to disappear.  When that happens the Warriors of the Rainbow will come to save them."  ~ Chief Seattle ~

"If you talk with the animals, they will talk with you.  And you will know each other.  If you do not talk to them, you will not know them.  And what you do not know, you will fear.  What one fears one destroys."  ~ Chief Dan George ~


Video:  John Denver's "Ancient Rhymes"



(Direct link to video:  Ancient Rhymes)

Lyrics to Ancient Rhymes:

Two days before the moon was round

You felt the urge of sun's light beams

The muffled world of dolphin sounds

Slipped down and back into your dreams

For nine full months that passed before

You learned of all of life's Ancient Rhymes

Then mother sensed a farther shore

And brought you forth into these times

So taste the air of your new world

And gently guide us to your mind

It knows the winds and sails unfurled

And holds to heart the dolphin kind

Welcome precious earth made child

We met you first in your father's songs

And mother's smile and waters wild

It's in this place you now belong

I know you know of all these things

And feel the faith of a dolphin's sigh

For you were born on silver wings

To taste the high blown crystal sky

So sing one day to all of us

The songs you learned in dolphin lair

Giving hope to life as all we must

And teach us how their grace to share

"So long and thanks for all the fish!" ~ Douglas Adams ~

A Denver Buffett

(Artist credit: Dan Mackin)

I've been having dreams lately of soft white sand beaches, turquoise waters as far as the eye can see, and gently swaying palm trees. In these dreams, I'm in a kayak on the water that looks, if you're standing on the shore looking my way, like I'm flying just above the water. You know how that looks in some pictures? The water is so clear and from a distance, a kayak or a boat can look like it's flying?

I also dream of whales, dolphins, manta rays, and manatees in this perfect little world I envision while sleeping. One of of these days, I hope it will not be a dream but actual real life moments I can experience and treasure.

Perhaps these dreams are being inspired by the fact that I've taken another round at reading Jimmy Buffett's books. Tales from Margaritaville, Where is Joe Merchant, A Pirate Looks at Fifty, and A Salty Piece of Land. That last book is my favorite.

I also have had John Denver on my mind. Grew up with his music and it always hit right into my soul. The thing that John Denver and Jimmy Buffett have in common is their love for nature, wildlife, the environment, conservation and a love for marine mammals .. among other things.

If you're a Jimmy Buffett fan, there's only one place to be .. and that's at Margaritaville.

Today's post is a short one, yet a tribute to these two men who have had a tremendous impact on my life and who continue to make me smile and to inspire me.

If you enjoy John Denver's music, I leave you with one of my favorites: Calypso.



And remember "If life gives you limes, make margaritas." (classic J. Buffett quote)

Dolphin

Ancient Rhymes

Hayden Panettiere is wanted by the Japanese police for her involvement approximately three weeks ago in her attempt to save a pod of dolphins from certain slaughter.

Read more here: Hayden Panettiere wanted ...

Personally, I applaud her bravery and courage for getting involved, taking action, and speaking out.

In related news, still on the subject of Japan slaughtering dolphins, the following is an interview posted several months ago on Ric O'Barry and his activism on this very matter:

The Samurai Dolphin Man and the Japan Connection

This is an older article, but I feel it's important to share it. Makes me sick that there are humans on this planet who so coldly kill and torture other living beings and then turn around and joke about it.

Brazillian fishermen kill 83 dolphins then joke about it

This is a wonderful story about a dog and his special relationship with with a family of dolphins:

Dogs and Dolphins

Last, but certainly not least, last month a dolphin gave birth. Not such a rare event, right? Well capturing it on film is what is so rare. Check out the amazing photographs of this event:

A Dolphin Joins the World

It reminds me of a beautiful song that was performed by John Denver before he died. It's called Ancient Rhymes.

Two days before the moon was round
You felt the urge of suns light beams
The muffled world of dolphin sound
Slipped down and back into your dreams

For nine full months that passed before
You learned of all of lifes ancient rhymes
Then mother sensed a farther shore
And brought you forth into these times

So taste the air of your new world
And gently guide us to your mind
It knows the winds and sails unfurled
And holds to heart the dolphin kind

Welcome precious earthmade child
We met you first in your fathers songs
And mothers smile and waters wild
Its in this place you now belong

I know you know of all these things
And feel the faith of a dolphins sigh
For you were born on silver wings
To taste the high blown crystal sky

To sing one day to all of us
The songs you learned in dolphin lair
Giving hope to life as all we must
And teach us how their grace to share

I attempted to find a video online of this song, but have not had any luck yet. If anyone knows where it can be found, let me know. I've searched You Tube, but this song wasn't on there.

Have a fabulous Thanksgiving holiday and be safe :-)

Mahalo,

Dolphin