http://green.autoblog.com/2010/06/16/bp-buys-into-kevin-costners-oil-spill-clean-up-plan-orders-32/
 
In my youth I remember one of my grandfathers....Wallis Tractor Campbell, yep...that is what his parents named him, so I have been asked to confirm over the years...a true cowboy.  From the days of the 60's and then some at the Wagner Ranch just south of the Red River border between Oklahoma and Texas  100 head of horses and ten times as many cattle, he even journed into the Tetons, Jackson Wy country before I was born with his work.  He and my Grandmother lived just to the north in Oklahoma, on an old ranch house that generations before him lived, a soulful place for our family gatherings, the priceless memories of my childhood.  My grandmother Clarabell, was couragous and strong, living in a place somewhat like here...with pioneering spirit, a tough Woman and the heart of our family back in the day...it was there I continue to find many soulfulness memories of my youth with my cousins, aunts and uncles.  Wallis had a lot to say, but one thing he would bring up ...was.. the weather.  I just assumed that was what old folks do if they had nothing else to say when I was younger...must be aging myself, because I find the weather is a topic worth discussing...beyond numerous other potentials floating out there.  Always a good way to start out a conversation if you have nothing else to say "How's the weather"  it's amazing where that phrase can lead you.
This 4th of July weekend started with 97 in the shade to 77 within hours and winds unusual to say the least this time of year.  Waking to 60 degrees wearing jackets here in baja in July....nothing like most folks are accustomed to.  Just days ago the water was turning blue, then came the south winds and a Big southern swell turning the water a cool green.......Happy 4th to the USA....no fireworks here, just sending out to friends a family all our best and enjoy the celebrations.
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/black-tide-threatens-egyptian-resorts-20100621-ys7x.html
"Nature is a volume of which God is the Author"  Moses Harvey


I am so very thankful the oil is not hitting our coastline as BP continues to fill the gulf of Mexico just off the US and now we have another recent similar problem elsewhere, imagine that...... and my heart goes out to the folks that are directly affected...yet it is all connected ...like the web of life..

"A moment's insight is sometimes worh a life's experience"  Holmes


http://www.whitehouse.gov/deepwater-bp-oil-spill/



At times like these it is easier for most to talk about the weather......

"The truth was knocking at the door, I said go away I am looking for the truth and it did"  Pirsig  author of Zen and the Art of Motor Cycle Maintenance.


After all ....Life is what we make of it
 
 
"We are a part of Earth and it is part of us.  All things are connected this we know.  The Earth does not belong to man; man belongs to Earth"
"Man did not weave the web of life, he's merely a strand in it.  Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself"
Cheif Joseph's Testimony 1854

Get involved...see Protecting our Waters at the bottom of the more category on this website...it doesn't take much, information is knowledge..pass it on.

In seven generations we are the ancestors, what we do or don't do is an instrument to help create our future....doing nothing is also a choice.   Inspired by Voices of our Ancestors...a book of native american teachings.... 
 
 

"These Pics were taken at the Sand dune between Yuma and El Centro California, during and after the recent earthquake in Baja Ca.
1st one is of the sand dunes during earthquake" 
These shots were sent to my husband Gene, found on the internet by long time friend Johnny Warren  on the 8th of April, I received 12 April 2010. 
See http://rocknfish.com for just some of his incredible accomplishments.

So they say we will be an island some day...hmmm  According to these photos looks like we are on our way.  It is my understanding that the  Aztec calender predicts the end of the world as we know it is coming 2012....hmm, could be.  This year they say is the El Nino, hmm....everything is a little off kilter, imagine that.  Are we experiencing global warming?  Is the island of plastic in the Northern Pacific a direct result of the human race's actions as a whole on the planet?  As Pirsig quotes in so many words "The truth is knocking at the door, I said, go away I am looking for the truth...and so it did" I guess anything is possible.  Guess we better prepare for the worst and hope for the best.  We still have just shy of 2 years to wake up....and do some good.  My question is "What are we waiting for?"
 
 
Just last year we were so stoked to see the National Geographic boat parked just within meters of both the kinder and the primeria of the La Playita schools.  Fort and Ellie understood what an honor it was to get their photo taken next to the ship, you could see their pride in their eyes when the camera shutter clicked.  Beautiful.  Not only is it an honor for us, but also those from La Playita...hopeful of what the National Geographic could bring to our community.  Here it is a year later, a step closer to potentially boarding the children onto the respected ship.  Ojala! 

This video above is of the crew members offloading the recycling and boarding on fresh organic produce.  I asked one of the local personel assisting as to where the garbage went ..."Was it getting recycled"  ...he didn't know 

But later I spoke with one of the staff memebers of the National Geographic about assisting in the education of the children of La Playita To protect our Mother Earth.......she was very open and thought their would be a chance for a walk on....she would pass on the idea and get back  to me.  Wow what an honor that would be....and what a potential inspiration to the local youth. 

How could the National Geographic know of our predicament?  For how many countries do they explore and travel...this is only one port.  With a little luck, and then some....we will get the local children to get a walk on board to discuss the importance of protecting our Mother Earth. For the way I see it the children are our future. 

Please keep posted, and your fingers crossed.  By the way...if you or anyone you know has a slight input...please help us.  The recycling concept thru Yo Reciclo is just now getting well established, our community of Los Zacatitos is into it's 3rd year, with limited avenues to distribute the waste/goods...we have leaps and bounds together ahead of us...to achieve a simple but solid goal of recycling our wastes.   REDUCE /REUSE/ RECYCLE...a simple concept that has yet to take hold

Unfortunately,  I believe even though the National Geographic crew took time to seperate their cardboard, glass, compost, aluminimun, tins etc...the folks that met them at the dock...took it directly to the local landfill, or elsewhere.  I hope I stand corrected.

Imagine that, if all the boats, yaughts, hotels, tourists knew  ........what really happens with the garbage.  We hope, and I continue to pray the future of these beautiful courageous children have a better future.  It is so simple and obvious.....but somehow difficult to connect the dots.

Protect our Mother Earth...she is our common thread that binds us.
 
 
Our usual weekday morning goal is to be on the coast road by 7:30 am to make the journey to the the nearest village where our children go to school.  Today we had a few extra minutes so we pulled over to watch the whales breaching (jumping out of the water) just off the coast.  As we got out of our old trusty beat up toyota pickup, it was impossible to overlook what lay at our feet.  Fort and Ellie asked me to take a few photos of them, it turns out I shot a video....

These are my courageous chidren, they feed me with strength and wisdom on a daily basis, today was no different.  Although we missed the epic potential shots of the whales breaching, we caught a glimpse of our present situation at hand.

Once we arrived into La Playita, I couldn't help myself to take photos of the trash along the local stretts.  Although this problem persists daily, today somehow seemed to be magnified.  It was unbelievable in that all the children, teachers and parents pass by the poluted sidewalks/roads as if nothing were out of the ordinary...and do nothing to make a change...it's now a part of the culture, whether it's a problem with the dogs knocking over the barrels...at this point who knows....It's another culture all together...we have been down this road before.  

After school Ellie stood in the back of the red truck pointing out all the trash I have yet to pick up...As I continually fill up an old shirt with trash tossing it into the barrels labelled BASURA along the walkways, the folks continued to drive by and smile as a greeting no different than any other day. It's only today that I got off my butt, instead of looking at it, being overwhelmed  "What can we do"  and took a little action.

Coming back home on the rugged coast road, Fort and Ellie suggested we stop to pick up the garbage we saw in the am ....before it finds it's way into the Sea...and so we did .
 
"Mom, don't people know where to put their trash?"

Sadly my concern is where it goes even if it is disposed and/or recycled properly.  A challenge not only here, but all over the world.  The question remains for all of us..."What can we do?"
 
 
Picture
A few days ago I found myself passing this site, turning around in the car to take this picture...at the time I didn´t exactly know why but I was compelled to get this photo. 

What was that saying in the messiahs journal in the book ILLUSIONS from Richard Back  ¨¨WHAT THE CATERPILLAR CALLS THE END OF THE WORLD, THE MASTER CALLS A BUTTERFLY¨´¨

Classic, perfect it fits.  Mother Nature has a way of taking care of herself.  This dead horse is turning into soulfull food in the desert for these hawks and buzzards, most likely coyotes, mountain lions and then turns back into earth...the circle of life.

Early this morning I stopped to look at a dead torote, it too was turning into soil, nurturing the plants around it.  So if Mother Nature can do her thang, I figure we too can do our little part by utilizing our organic household waste, turning it into fertile soil by having a compost...this also reduces the amount of trash going to the already saturated landfill.

Above photos from archives 2007 and 2008 landfill burns, the last photo is of a local contractor burning jobsite trash here in Los Zacatitos today.

At times like these, I reflect on a TV commercial back in the early 70´s of an old Indian with his headress, on his horse on the side of the road....as a car drives by throwing out trash... I will never forget as the Indian turns and you can see a tear running down his face...

Funny how childhood memories stick with you...¨¨Give a Hoot Don't Polute¨¨
Makes me realize the importance of educating our children, for they are the future.
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Richard Bach goes on to quote in his simple readings ¨The best way to avoid responsibilities is to say I´ve got responsibilities¨.

Living here somehow has made me realize that We All Need To Be Responsible For Ourselves.  It´s such a simple thing, yet it takes a lot for us as individuals to figure out what needs to be done and do it.  It often doesn´t cost money, it´s just time and energy.

I believe that we need to be responsible for ourselves...our environment, our community, nation, planet...our Mother Earth.  IT ALL STARTS AT HOME, yet it´s all connected.  Together we can learn from one another, and find the best solutions for our problems.

In seven generations we will be the ancestors...what we do will either honor or discrace us.

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A little history............

Our community has experiences toxic smoke from the Palo Escopeta Landfill, this is the location where all of the San Jose del Cabo trash goes.  Los Zacatitos and surrounding communities have united together to take care of ourselves by being a part of one of the first recycling programs in all of Baja California Sur.  We have also gathered together meeting with the Municipality to strongly encourage the Mayor, Ecological department, Public Services and others to stop the landfill burns and incorporate a recycling program for all of Los Cabos. 

 It is sometimes a slow and painful process, but we are being heard...Our efforts are being united with other organizations throughout our communities.  Ojala!  See www.loscaboscontaminacion.com and www.loszacatitos.net click on news, and community issues and you will find a lot of history.

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A few ideas............

1. We can compost our organic wastes.

2.  Don´t burn dead tree, leaves etc instead let nature work her wonders creating a good rich soil for the desert land.

3.  Educate ourselves as to how we can Use Less Water....

4.  Avoid plastic bags.

5.  If we do buy plastic bottles, and can´t recycle, we have put them into every other cell of cinder block when building our walls, not only does it reduce burning plastic but it insulates walls....green building.  We have also utilized them for seedlings..best to avoid purchasing drinks in plastic bottles, but we are not perfect, we´re human.

6.  Always open for ideas, we are all different and have our own ways and I have so much to learn.

7.  Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

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In seven generations, we will be the ancestors.  Today we are the Courageous Children......of all ages.

I have no doubt, if we HUMANITY can´t figure it out that Mother Nature can put us in our place.  She has been extremely patient....ojala!  Thankfully..But I feel we need as a whole to educate ourselves and one another as to how we can mend our own doing making a lesser footprint...instead we have created overflowing landfills and a sea of trash (see PROTECTING OUR WATERS page on this site).  We have done so much damage in such a short period of time.

In seven generations we are the ancestors...what we choose to do is up to us...doing nothing is also a choice.