Creek and Wood

“Have you also learned that secret from the river; that there is no such thing as time?" That the river is everywhere at the same time, at the source and at the mouth, at the waterfall, at the ferry, at the current, in the ocean and in the mountains, everywhere and that the present only exists for it, not the shadow of the past nor the shadow of the future.”
― Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha

Happy New Year!

2015 has seen a record number of bears being rescued, even into the winter months that is rather unusual. Appalachian Bear Rescue is there to nurture these bears and provide them with every opportunity to learn how to survive in the wild. We are so very fortunate to have this organization working to keep bears in the wild.

You can also support them through voting for them to receive a grant: http://woobox.com/mdrr9z
How:
1. Click 'Vote' under Appalachian Black Bear Rescue
2. Scroll down to the bottom of the page
3. 'Like' Sugarlands Distilling Company
4. Fill out the voter registration form
5. Click submit
After submitting the required information on the voting page, the entrant will receive one (1) vote per day. Any attempt to vote by using multiple/different accounts, e-mail addresses, identities, registrations and logins, or any other methods will disqualify all votes made by that person.
Who: open to USA citizens only , 21 years of age or older, with a valid email account.
Please help us win one of twelve $5,000 grants! A click of the mouse is all it will take. Please this share widely.

On this, the last day of 2015, we look back at all we’ve accomplished together. It’s been an exceptional year on many levels, with moments of joy and sorrow. To date, we’ve taken in thirty-six bears, nineteen of them still in residence. We present to you a photo of each cub in the order they came to us. Some of the pictures are when they were little, others when they were ready for release. We remember too, the three little bears who didn’t make it: Angelica, Millie and Pansy. Their passing was hard, but you were with us, just as you’ve been every day for every cub. We depend on you for support, regardless of the form it takes, and you’ve never let us down. We’re grateful for your friendship and compassion. Please enjoy looking at the photos of the cubs you helped save. We wish you a very Happy New Year!

http://appalachianbearrescue.org/

Today is now known as which is a nice redirection of consumer-based attention.

Let's think about how we can contribute! Please consider a money or time donation to any of the following organizations or find one near you that you love.

It's also a great gift giving idea--"buy" your family and friends donations to their favorite causes. You won't have to worry about the right size or color, if it needs batteries, or if they already have it. It'll warm your heart.

Appalachian Bear Rescue | A black bear care facility We hope you enjoy watching this short video featuring Marvin and Bonnie Blue, with a brief glimpse of Ridgeway (he’s in the underbrush behind the other cubs). Even the elusive Woody Bear makes a rare appearance!

! Gratitude is not a one day deal. After Thanksgiving this year, go enjoy our national treasures. Think about volunteering to support a national park or nature preserve near you.

Park Offers Black Friday Hiking Options - Friends of the Smokies Great Smoky Mountains National Park invites visitors to join them for ranger-led hikes across the park on Friday, November 27. Hikes will be offered in the Cataloochee, Elkmont, and Cades Cove areas of the park providing an outstanding opportunity for...

The birds are consulting about their migrations, the trees are putting on the hectic or the pallid hues of decay, and begin to strew the ground, that one's very footsteps may not disturb the repose of earth and air, while they give us a scent that is a perfect anodyne to the restless spirit. Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns. ~George Eliot

Summer is giving way to fall, and though it hasn't turned yet, the energy of autumn is charging the elements.

It brings to mind a part of Mary Oliver's poem, "Landscape":

Isn't it plain the sheets of moss, except that
they have no tongues, could lecture
all day if they wanted about

spiritual patience?