The Crias of the World

This week I learned a new word; Cria, a baby llama. My esteemed and learned Mississippi friend (recently turned farmer) had to assist in the post birth caring of a cute cuddly cria. What a surprise to everyone! No one was sure that the mother was "that" pregnant. The cria lived for only a short while, but it was not for a lack of loving concern by everyone involved. David described the trip to University where a team of vets and students performed an heroic attempt to save the life of the cria.

Pull back from that scene a bit...withdraw from the surging emotions that existed in medias res.

We humans are touched by life, and by lives around us. The sheer wonder of it all! David described being awakened out of a sound sleep by a certainty that there was trouble in the farm yard. It was then that the discovery was made that the cria was in trouble.

What was that vibe that awakened him? What connection, that cannot be detected by any electronic instrumentation exists between living creatures inhabiting this planet? WOW!
Who knows?

I'm Grateful

I was listening to some music today and heard this
tune by The Grateful Dead; Ripple, one of my all time favorites.
A lovely lyric set to gentle music.






"Ripple"

Words by Robert Hunter; music by Jerry Garcia.
("Ripple" composed and written by Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter.
Reproduced by arrangement with Ice Nine Publishing Co., Inc. (ASCAP))

If my words did glow with the gold of sunshine
And my tunes were played on the harp unstrung
Would you hear my voice come through the music
Would you hold it near as it were your own?
It's a hand-me-down, the thoughts are broken
Perhaps they're better left unsung
I don't know, don't really care
Let there be songs to fill the air
(Chorus)
Ripple in still water
When there is no pebble tossed
Nor wind to blow
Reach out your hand if your cup be empty
If your cup is full may it be again
Let it be known there is a fountain
That was not made by the hands of men
There is a road, no simple highway
Between the dawn and the dark of night
And if you go no one may follow
That path is for your steps alone
(Chorus)
You who choose to lead must follow
But if you fall you fall alone
If you should stand then who's to guide you?
If I knew the way I would take you home


Copied from
http://arts.ucsc.edu/gdead/agdl/ripple.html

The newest member of our family - Arwen

Arwen was rescued by good friends from an uncertain and possibly terminal future. She appeared in our house hold as a gift and we willingly have submitted to her leadership :)

We think she may be part Maine Coon, or Norwegian Forest Cat. At any rate she is as intelligent and sweet as she is beautiful.

Thoughts on the title of this blog

Laughing Elf is a "trade mark" I've used for well over 15 years to signify a printer, a publisher, an editorial service, and web page design company.
The image must have some from somewhere in Tolkien's vast writings, but has been as close to me as an altar-ego (pun intended).

The weatherglass is an ancient barometric pressure measuring instrument who's usage goes back into time. As a lover of weather and all of its facets, this instrument is a key to unlocking another aspect of who I am.

The notion of Karma, a cause and effect relationship is almost universal in human religion. Galatians 6.7 says in part "...for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap." In both Hinduism and Buddhism the concept of Karma play their part . Generally they describe karma as actions of the will that create effects. Every intentional action that you make creates real effects. These are spiritual concepts, but they sound rather similiar to Newton's 3rd Law of Motion : "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." Hmmm... food for thought.

Was Mark Twain right?

Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime."--Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad (1869)