Even Small Legacies Count

So I've been away for a few days but it was definitely not a holiday.  We've moved into our new house finally and it's everything that we hoped it would be.  I like to think of it as my legacy to the future, built to catch the sun, ultra insulated and screened from the prevailing north winds by a  40' deep screen of fir trees and minus excess windows on that side.  I would have liked to go all the way by adding solar, but in retirement sometimes you have to be financially pragmatic.  In years to come someone may decide to take it to the next level.  A small legacy perhaps, but even little steps are important.

As I've gotten older I've become ultra aware of our planet, its wonders and its pains.  I was reading the other day, that by 2030 over 40% of the Amazon rainforest will be gone!  Aside from the obvious problem of not having all that forest to absorb the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, those forests also regulate not only local weather but global as well.  They create the rainfall that waters the planet and if the earths surface reflectivity is changed by cutting down all those trees, than weather and wind patterns change as well.  Could the extreme weather that we've been 'enjoying' lately be the beginning of the visible symptoms of the destruction?  And if it is, what are we prepared to change in our own behavior to minimize and even reverse our course? 

Considering that most of that destruction is due to cattle ranching and animal feed production, a decision to cut back significantly on meat consumption would help considerably.  Now I must say that my decision four years ago to quit eating meat had nothing to do with the environment,but  I'm glad that as my 'awareness' has grown I've discovered that I'm also helping this beautiful planet to hang on just a little bit longer.  And it is such a beautiful world isn't it?  The natural wonders....the remarkable balance between species and between species and the environment....the incredible variety of plants and birds and animals....!  Sometimes I'm overwhelmed at it's magnificence.   And saddened by how much we've hurt it.  But one of my goals these days is to try and focus on the blessings and so to that end, I thought that I would link a video here of an amazing little 'installation artist' known as the bower bird.  This little fellow is so creative and so focused on his project that we could all learn from him.  So here my dear friends is an introduction to one of the worlds unique little gems for your viewing pleasure.  I hope you enjoy watching as much as I did.