"Bring Me Sunshine"

"Bring Me Sunshine"
Do you have spring fever? Not just the normal spring fever from dreary winter weather. How about spring fever from the gloomy news media and the gloomy economic forecast....yeah that kind! Well I do and I'm sick of it.....so I'm purposeful on finding some sunshine and happiness...I found this video today on Flixxy.com and I want to share with you.
P.S. The photo of the sunflower is my own personal touch to invoke some sunshine, after all, what better flower than this magnificent one that reaches up toward what it was named after.

Who Is John Muir?

This engraved rock with a quote by John Muir is at the Nature Center in Rocky River Reservation of The Cleveland Metroparks.
John Muir (1838-1914) was America's most famous and influential naturalist and conservationist. He is one of California's most important historical personalities. He has been called "The Father of our National Parks," "Wilderness Prophet," and "Citizen of the Universe." He once described himself more humorously, and perhaps most accurately, as, a "poetico-trampo-geologist-botanist and ornithologist-naturalist etc. etc. !!!!" Legendary librarian and author Lawrence Clark Powell (1906-2001), (anticipating an event that was not to occur until 2006), said of him: "If I were to choose a single Californian to occupy the Hall of Fame, it would be this tenacious Scot who became a Californian during the final forty-six years of his life." More recently, famed documentary film maker Ken Burns said, "As we got to know him... he [John Muir] ascended to the pantheon of the highest individuals in our country; I'm talking about the level of Abraham Lincoln, and Martin Luther King, and Thomas Jefferson, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Jackie Robinson -- people who have had a transformational effect on who we are."
To learn more visit the Sierra Club website.

Being a Good Steward of Mother Earth

I am of the belief that we should be good stewards of Mother Earth and all of her species, whether flora or fauna and all of the resources she provides for us. We can't keep taking and taking and ravaging her, she does a fine job of that herself. But that is her right. We on the other hand don't have that right. We need to respect her and all life. We are all connected and we our not only hurting ourselves but everyone and everything.
Yes, even pesky 'Rocky Racoon' is important in the Circle Of Life.
I took this picture in Rocky River Reservation, which is part of our beautiful Metroparks System in Cleveland, Ohio that is fondly known as The Emerald Necklace.
As I was browsing today doing research on some wildlife, I came across this interesting link of a Washington State Zoo.
The Cougar Mountain Zoo and Zoological Society of Washington are dedicated to increasing the understanding and appreciation of the earth’s wildlife and the role of humanity in nature through education, research, captive breeding, conservation, exhibition and recreation.
Visit the link below to learn more.
Cougar Mountain Zoo

Floral Abstract or Thinking of Spring

I'm thinking of spring and hoping it will be here soon. I'm sick of shoveling snow, cleaning off my car, wearing boots and still having cold and wet feet, wearing a million layers of clothing, ice, slush and high heat bills. Okay so I 'painted' a pretty picture to look at and it made me feel better. Here is my bluegreen floral abstract. It is a digital photomontage painting.