NatureJunkie's Page

Hello Arkians,

In looking back over my Ark and LiveVideo history, I have to express gratitude that those sites gave me close friendships that I would have otherwise never had, friendships that carried over into my "real" life. Flophousepoodle, for one. Pypermarru1, for another. And of course, BlancheNoe, who has taught me a thing or two about gratitude, humility, and grace.

My dear friend Joell, Pypermarru1, has been diagnosed with cancer. A form I'd not heard…

It’s an odd thing to mourn the passing of a public figure. I’m not referring to the “saddened to learn of their passing” kind of sentiment, but the kicked-in-the-gut misery of grief that’s usually reserved for the loss of those we knew and loved. It seems somehow inappropriate to truly grieve for people we didn’t know—but knew of. There really isn’t a name for this variety of grief nor any social convention for comforting those experiencing it.

I’ve been deeply mourning the…

I live 70 miles south of where the fires are blazing in Sonoma County this week. Today I drove to a hillside a mile away from my house and took pictures of the air. The air quality is rated as dangerous. I will not take Buddy for a walk in it and he has cabin fever. I do too, now that I think of it.…