Circle is
infinite set of points on a plane at equal distance from one point that is
called center.
Cycle is set of events that repeat in some order and could be represented by a circle where points represent those events. Like clock, it starts at 0h 0m and 1s you have many seconds that are passing and after 12 hours you get to 12h 0m and 0s. Second after that it's again 0h 0m and 1s.
-Pavla Mandic
When one lives on a hobby farm with animals, one
experiences fully the circular (cyclical) patterns of life. From the first tweets of the birds, to the
evening departure of bats from the barn, the daily circles spin forth. Months are defined by the cycles of the moon,
and the seasons pass, each with their own splendor.
 |
| Walt |
On July 30, 2020, Walt, the patriarch of the
goat herd, died; but two days later, two kids (one buck and one doe) were born
to Dr. Annie, our friend and family veterinarian. Walt sired them.
 |
| Two of Walt's offspring 2020 |
We remember the day we brought Walt to Merry
Mount, and from that day to his last, Walt was sweet and affectionate unlike
most bucks. Yes, during rutting season,
he stunk, but that didn’t mean that he didn’t want his ears scratched and he
still looked up at you with loving eyes.
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| Rett holding Walt in 2014 |
We miss Walt and will continue to hold fond
memories of him, but let’s spin out for a broader perspective.
For a well-written essay on our subject, I offer
“The Death of a Pig” by E. B. White, referred to me by Robert Bode.
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1948/01/death-pig/309203/
If you chose not to read E. B. White (shame on
you), then let’s move to the “heart of the matter”. As we stand and gaze at a clear star-filled
sky, we perhaps ask ourselves, “What is the significance of my life in this
vast circle we call the universe?”. My
answer: to observe perpetually, be creative (recreating counts), and “to live and let live”.
In my circle, I stand at the fixed point. How widely can I expand the outer rim of the circle? Or, shall I shrink the circle to fit the palm of my hand?
 |
| To See the World in a Spotted Moth |
To close the circle,
I offer you the following words sent to me by Lee Thompson, who received the words
from our friend Joa, who lives in Santa Fe, NM.
THE
SACRED CIRCLE - Black
Elk
“You have noticed that everything an Indian does is in a circle, and that is because the power of the world always works in circles, and everything tries to be round. In the old days, all our power came to us from the sacred hoop of the nation and so long as the hoop was unbroken the people flourished. The flowering tree was the living center of the hoop, and the circle of the four quarters nourished it. The east gave peace and light, the south gave warmth, the west gave rain, and the north with its cold and mighty wind gave strength and endurance. This knowledge came to us from the outer world with our religion. Everything the power of the world does is done in a circle. The sky is round and I have heard that the earth is round like a ball and so are all the stars. The wind, in its greatest power, whirls. Birds make their nests in circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours. The sun comes forth and goes down again in a circle. The moon does the same and both are round. Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing and always come back again to where they were."
Stay open and be well!
CPW
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