Message from the Mountain
Short reflections on the connection between Nature and Spirituality that can be used positively in the listener's daily life.
Episodes
1553 episodes
RE-APPROPRIATING
Most of my life I have been setting aside parts and pieces to use in other projects. Some get used, and some don’t. Recently we hauled a couple small truckloads of sand and small rock left over at the house to repair the road to the orchard....
FLAPPING ITS WINGS
The tall stem growing out of the hens and chickens brought a smile to my face as I thought it was flapping its wings hoping to take flight. There are many people like this plant who never give themselves the opportunity to flap their wings a...
CHIPPING AWAY
We now have a very large pile of wood chips at the Center that we plan to use in covering landscape fabric to keep the weeds down through the Ormond Gardens as well in other places on the property. It will take a process to get them all dist...
HER SPIRIT LIVES ON
A memory popped up on my computer from 2014 of our friend Lisa sitting on the old mill stone working with a client outside our house. After she passed almost two years ago, I decided to create a space at the Center where her sprit could live...
GIANT MULLEINS
Several giant mulleins grow on the edge of the Lupine Field. Their stalks, flowers gone, are filled with seeds and standing tall above the other plants. They are considered very medicinal by those who know how to use them. I do not, so I jus...
PHOTOGRAPHING ORBS
When I see orbs in photos, I often wonder if there is a mystical explanation for them. Some people believe it is energy from the place where it was taken; a spirit manifesting; or just dust on the camera lens. Each person has their own expla...
GRAY AFTERNOON WITH CLEAR SKIES
We went up the mountain to get a better view of the 20% eclipse of the early afternoon, which we watched through our special glasses. The light didn’t actually change much; just a little darkness on a clear afternoon. I was reminded that we ...
A WORK IN PROGRESS
Lori has made a lot of improvements to the Ormond Gardens at the center this year. It is still a work in progress with the next step to lay down some black paper and cover it with wood chips. Life is a daily work in progress as we learn more...
DRAMA IN THE SKY
This year has seen a lot of sky dramas in this country as well as a good part of the world. We have experienced hurricanes and blizzards and tornados, as well as smoke from out-of-control forest fires in the west and Canada. Our connection t...
ONE OF MY FAVORITE LILIES
One of my favorite lilies and one of the last to flower in August is the “resurrection lily”. I love its color, and when it comes into bloom, my heart overflows with gratitude for the beauty that nature provides. My goal is to channel that f...
THE SEASON OF THE PHLOX
The tall common phlox is now in bloom, welcomed by those that are looking towards fall; a reminder to get prepared. I choose to see the beauty of the moment, the flower. Each moment does have beauty in it for those who focus on the positive....
WHEN A COMMUNITY COMES TOGETHER
Many small towns in New Hampshire have a tradition called “Old Home Week “, established over a hundred years ago to encourage citizens who may have moved away to reconnect. Community connection is a positive way to maintain an old relationsh...
LONG STALK PURPLE FLOWERS
There are a couple of clumps of long stalk purple flowers, which I believe are called Anise Hyssop, making their presence known in the gardens at the Center. I love how all the varieties come together to create an inviting landscape for peop...
TIME FOR ANNUALS TO SHINE
Lori planted three containers of annuals recently at the Center. As the perennial lilies begin to fade, these annuals should flower all the way through the fall and add bright spots of color to the landscape. Some people have a perennial vie...
YANKEE INGENUITY
There is a term here in New England called “Yankee Ingenuity” that describes a person’s ability to come up with alternative ways to make things useful. This ability is true all over the world, and we are using it to repurpose old books to fi...
THOUGHTS ON ACTS OF KINDNESS
We both give and receive acts of kindness from others. The other day my wife received a bouquet of flowers from a former student of mine. It brought a huge smile to her face. A gift of kindness can be a simple smile or a kind word that makes...
WHY WE COLLECT
Our local historical society’s exhibit this year features collections that its residents have amassed over the years. I have a collection of antique brass instruments there which I have been collecting since I was a teenager. I do have a pur...
GOLDEN DAYS OF AUGUST
August is the favorite month for many people. The days are still warm and the shorting daylight helps provide cool nights The goldenrod is in full bloom, and each day provides a wonderful opportunity to pause for a moment, take in the beauty...
NOT THE SIZE THAT COUNTS
The Hosta plants with their big leaves are an important component to our flower gardens. They have small blue flowers that can easily be overlooked when close to other plants with large flowers. In life one does not have to have a big showy ...
VARIETIES SPICE UP THE GARDEN OF LIFE
The red daisy-type flowers growing in the garden at the center add spice to the other varieties flowering there. The more variety of experiences we have in life, the more spice is added to our Soul’s experience.
CHERISHED FINDS
I have many cherished finds in my life that fill my heart with gratitude every day, like the single pink bee balm growing in the Orchard from a seed that was transplanted there by birds or the wind. Its seeds now may grow and spread. I cheri...
INVESTING IN THE FUTURE
Many of the lupine in the field have now gone to seed. Nature’s investment in the future has begun. The seeds will scatter over the next month, seeking fertile soil to grow new plants next year. Some of the seeds will travel way beyond the f...
MID-SUMMER TRIM
I got very little done on the property during the month of July, leaving the grass growing on the drive and around the cabin looking like a hayfield. Thankfully, my son trailered the riding lawn mower to the Cabin and gave the grass a much n...
A STEP ON THE JOURNEY
I have learned that if one believes in doing something for the greater good of others, the process may take several steps. That is the case with many things at the Center including the Peace Garden where our sister nonprofit recently hosted ...
