Nova pneumonia

Happy Thanksgiving! I have lots to be grateful for, including Nova’s pneumonia recovery! It’s slow, but steady, and she’s strong girl with a sweet soul. It was great to get her back home again and out of the hospital! Read more…

Nova

Nova –my recent rescue — was to be killed in San Bernardino, basically because she had mange, a non-contagious treatable stress related illness. All For Love Animal Rescue saved her, but as she had been exposed to pneumonia from a dog that died, I was asked to foster Nova (read more here). Once AFLAR volunteer Nick gave her a bath to remove the crusty mange, and treated her with hemp oil, she smelled sweet, and she was so much more comfortable. She is such a snuggler! Such a loving sweet soul and a great girl!

Nova

We went out for brief walks between rainstorms, and when the weather cleared up on Friday, we hiked at the Ventura Botanical Gardens. Saturday she had a big adventure, and she was full of life. 

Sadly, Sunday we woke to find a very sick dog.

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Nova

Nova is a rescue. She was listed to be killed a few days ago in San Bernardino, along with another dog Prince, but a Ventura County organization called All For Love Animal Rescue picked them up and brought them back to a shelter in Santa Paula where they were checked and treated by a vet. Nova has mange which is treatable and not contagious but makes her very itchy. Prince had an eye injury caused by another dog in San Bernardino.

Nova in her cozy crate

However, soon after the vet check, Prince came down with pneumonia and succumbed to it yesterday. Nova went to the vet to make sure was not also sick, was given meds just in case, but was not allowed back to the shelter in case she was contagious.

Nova recently had pups, and her ribs are showing too

That’s where I came in. I’ve rescued and helped with several emergencies with their dogs, so they called me and of course I said yes. So that is how Nova came into my life.

Nova exploring her new neighborhood

I was notified in the afternoons, and so had some time to prepare the house for our new guest: crate, pillows, food, toys. Nova arrived at dinner time, and we soon learned that while very smelly, she’s a sweet soul, gentle on the leash, no interest in chasing the cat, hungry for food and affection, only 50#. Her stress related skin condition will heal with care and attention. Amazing that she was going to be killed at the San Bernadino shelter just a few days ago which is so heartbreaking because she is such a dear dog, so young but recently had puppies. No idea what her backstory is but she’s said to be good with other dogs.

Here’s to Nova finding her forever family!  

CA map of indigenous peoples

“The land knows you, even when you are lost,” writes Robin Wall Kimmerer in Braiding Sweetgrass (36). “The land is the real teacher. All we need as students is mindfulness. Paying attention is a form of reciprocity with the living world,” advises Kimmerer (222).  These are two of my favorite quotes from Braiding Sweetgrass written by Kimmerer, an enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, and a university professor.

Do you know the land where you live? Do you know who lived where you do before you did? I do: I know many of the plants and animals that live here, and I know I live on Chumash land, a community called Shishilop. Thousands of Chumash lived on this sliver of earth between the hills and the Pacific Ocean, between the Ventura and the Santa Clara Rivers where so much water flowed it created mudflats, and the Chumash who lived here were known as “mud people.” Another 10,000 or so people lived near what’s now known as Port Hueneme, near Malibu.

Late September each year, around the time of the fall equinox, the Chumash held a harvest festival to honor Hutash, Earth Mother. On the hill above Shishilop, they gathered for five days in ceremony paying homage to ancestors, where they left shell money, pine nuts, and they would start the new year in the sycamores. Read more here.

Weshoyot Alvitre

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wishes waiting for the wind at Arroyo Verde Park, Ventura— photo credit Gwendolyn Alley

Wishes waiting for the wind… What are you wishing for? These local and native narrow leaf milkweed plants and seeds represent food and renewal for migrating monarch caterpillars. Migrating birds eat milkweed seeds too, and in spring use the fluffy fibers for nests and insulation. American goldfinches, American tree spenjoys, juncos, and chickadees enoy this energy-rich food source for their migrations and cold months. Do you have native milkweed growing in your garden? Maybe it’s time to plant some!

Here’s a little of what I’m wishing for…

Borderlands: Sending Loving Kindness To The Crossroads

Save Earth For Tomorrow Using Divergent Thinking and Saving Diversity

“Celebrating Indigenous Resilience at Ventura College” Monday, Oct 13, from 10-11:30am at Guthrie Hall.

One last thought — “I’d rather get a Zero than a C”… is this you? Are you a perfectionist? When it comes to taking action, a C is definitely better than a Zero whether it comes to writing or saving the planet or planting a smaller garden or… it’s almost always better to do something than nothing!

So what is the something you wish for that you will do today?

RIP Jane Goodall: “The greatest danger to our future is apathy.”

Jane Goodall by Guerin Black for New York Times

Today October 1, 2025, we lost someone who was truly wild for nature: Jane Goodall.

Today, Dr. Jane Goodall planned to join students and staff at EF Academy Pasadena Campus in Southern California “to share her passion for protecting and restoring nature with local students, who are kicking off an initiative to plant 5,000 trees to replant what was lost during the Eaton Fire.” They carried on without her, and we can too.

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coastal clean up Coming up: lots of exciting activities to play with and protect our planet! Saturday 9/20! Join a California Coastal Cleanup Day!

Sign up to participate in California Coastal Cleanup Day this Saturday, Sept. 20 below. New this year is the world’s largest scavenger hunt: Special items will be hidden at cleanup sites across the state. Volunteers finding one of these “trashure” items can redeem them for prizes! Read more here http://bit.ly/4pkYtVj with a link to an interactive map! Among state and nationwide locations are several closer to home here in Ventura County. In partnership with Coastal Keepers and Oxnard City Corps, come with friends and family to clean up the beach, learn about important legislation and give back to our public lands in the Ormond Lagoon area Saturday, September 20 8:45 a.m. – Noon at the end of Perkins Rd. (Heading south on Perkins Rd., past McWane Blvd.) Oxnard, CA. What to Bring: Closed-toe shoes Sun protection (hat + sunscreen) Reusable water bottle Gloves (recommended) If you have any questions, please contact Michelle Sevilla (805) 394-8842. If you can’t join us at Ormond Lagoon, consider volunteering at a site near you — click below to find all the cleanup locations!   Next Sunday the 21st, on the equinox, is Sun Day of Action! Look for demonstration! Check out the Sun Day art kit below. SUN DAY ART KIT: Sign design downloads, tips on painted parasol signs, street murals, banners and more. bit.ly/sundayartkit Together, we’ll make the sun rise on our clean energy future. Find events near you at sunday.earth Designs in this post by @joredline (top right design) and @davidsolnit (other three designs) and are downloadable in the Art Kit. #SunDayOfAction ART KIT: Sign design downloads, tips on painted parasol signs, street murals, banners and more. bit.ly/sundayartkit And next weekend 9/28 check out– Sea Ramble Join us for our monthly Sea Ramble bike ride and beach clean up, starting at Patagonia Ventura! Routes and locations may vary each month, but one thing stays the same—everyone’s welcome. All riding levels are encouraged to join, and no one gets left behind. Helmets are required, and riders under 18 will need a parent or guardian’s signature on the ride waiver. Clean up gear will be provided! RSVPs are encouraged but not required. Bring your bike, helmet, mug, and a friend. Be ready to roll by 9AM! Sunday, September 28 8:30AM – 11AM Learn More

PS Happy “Speak Like a Pirate Day” doesn’t mean we have to miss out on the fun! 

Between storms: Black Rock Desert Migratory Bird Refuge with water… and mosquitoes!

Well, honestly? This Burn was not like the others— check out this post and videos for why we keep going to such a challenging place. 2025 was a very hard burn— the most difficult and destructive in my 23 years of going to Burning Man. And I barely got out of camp to do anything— although I did get to see David Oliver’s Orbs which fortunately had just been secured when the first storm hit… and after the Man burned I made it to the Black Rock French Quarter where I had French toast with seared foie gras with a Stolpman gamay and I helped to prepare fresh sushi…

David Oliver’s Orbs at Burning Man 2025 with the Man peeking in the background

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farewell to ORBs 8/8 at 8p

You’ve invited to join us as we say “Farewell to Orbs” at Art City August 8, at 8pm!  Doors open at 7pm, with remarks at 8pm by artist David Oliver at 8pm plus live music and dance music by DJ DownNgoinG, DJ Kerm, and others at Art City, 197 Dubbers St. Ventura CA 93001. Sliding scale donation $10-50 suggested to help get the Orbs on their way! Read more…