180. little crab exploring out of its hole
venturing out into the unknown
can be scary
it can be very fun as well
the choice is made inside your self
enjoy the present
it is all there is
and it is all yours
139. trees
head in the heavens, feet firmly rooted, deep below the earth
dancing, swaying, celebrating with the wind
sequestering what is superfluous
turning it into what we need
giving out all that is good
being a habitat for life to thrive
striving, reaching out for the sun
let us learn from these patient, noble, loving beings
136. el caricaco
the beach nomads
hermit crabs protect their vulnerable tails out of found objects in the sand
when they outgrow their mobile home, they get together and make a line by size
then, in an act of cooperation, they let go of their shell and take the bigger vacant one
dancing a conga line together to survive
we call them caricacos in costa rica
they love coconut and, like kids, will swarm to anything sweet
i saw a giant one the size of a bowling ball when i was a kid
i was so amazed by its size
i then understood that anything in this life is possible
just one of the beautiful inhabitants of our beaches
a mentor for all who are willing to learn
observe nature, endless answers will then unfold
119. playa sombrero
dawn yielding to sun rising over península de osa
at its emptiest, the low tide reveals the rock lines at the bottom of the ocean
waking with the sunrise, the slombering waves begin to swell
109. life
young and old, birth and death.
the beautiful circle of life continues.
it seems, at times, as if these were our wisest moments, at the beginning and at the end.
but are beginnings and endings just illusions? is not life always in a state of perpetual continuity?
does anything ever really begin? or end?
of course it does, does it?
regardless, it is this ‘during’ in which we live most of our lives.
that space between birth and death is our life.
as the old saying goes,
“yesterday is history, tomorrow is mystery, today is a gift. that is why they call it the present.”
so take this gift. use it, be it, live it, in gratitude and happiness of receiving it.
do it.
104. the little things
kneeling at the edge where earth meets water, a child plays with sand and sea.
it is the simplest of things that can bring the greatest pleasures in life.
these times of quiet contemplation unconsciously bring you in communion with nature.
a silent dialogue ensues with the environment, the elements, the senses.
81
my toes reveling in the smooth sand, i walk for miles along a beautiful, remote beach on my way through corcovado national park.
tide high, a narrow strip of sand is my lifeline between two majestic walls, one of wild forest and the other of raging oceans.
like perfect pieces of sculpture, the rocks come out of the sea.
they look up to the skies, to the resembling clouds, in reverence to their ancestors.
some parts of the world remain full of raw life still. others are not this fortunate.
obama called the oil spill that just occurred on the gulf of mexico “a massive and potentially unprecedented environmental disaster”.
people and wildlife have already died and the extent of the damage is unknown.
let us place our efforts and prayers that we may replace the use of oil for a clean source entirely and that we may clean this abused planet and care for the life it still miraculously holds.
44
barely biking on a beaten, borrowed bicycle on the dirt roads of puerto jiménez, my pedaling feet led me to some fascinating places. after a day in a remote beach where some people gave me some watermelon and pineapple out of their own good heart, i met these great local people along the dusty road. in this wood and tin metal melange, fabiola, karina, jefferson, maikol, miguel, mariela, and matilda make the place a real and beautiful home. clothes of all colors hanging out to dry under the ocean sunny breeze give the place a fun and vibrant setting against the greenery, while the kids out playing make it come alive. once they saw me and i said hello, we were all playing and loving a fun improv photo shoot, they even called out the whole family to join in the fun. good love was all around.
42
i arrived today at puerto jiménez at península de osa. walking around the mangroves, we saw a huge vulture sitting in a branch very close to us. after stopping to marvel at the gigantic, somber bird, a family of ‘carablanca’ cappuccino monkeys were slowly making their way through the jungle canopy, swiftly jumping from branch to branch. for a second, one of them gazed straight at me, and then kept going about. that quick glance deeply resonated, just like the kitty (see post 25) a while ago. those huge, deep black eyes, the intelligence and severity of its demeanor, the intricate knowledge of its own surroundings, not in nature but of nature, divinity seemed to course through its veins.
photothought 