One week later

"​https://youtu.be/PAgtdFDGrYM"

    It's now been a week since the Winooski River swelled over due to endless torrential rain storms here in Vermont.
    One of the hardest hit cities was this one; Montpelier 
     One of the hardest hit streets was the street I live on as it lies on the banks of that river the North Branch. 
    Last week I shared a poem with you about that river. You can read it below.  As this week begins I like so many am just trying to pick up the pieces...
     The efforts of volunteers both residents and those who come after hearing of our plight on the news have been amazing! The level of destruction to our downtown though...this is no small task! From a personal perspective I would say that efforts are centered in downtown. The reality of daily life on this lonely ravaged street is not encouraging. There are piles of trash and debris all over, everywhere I look and it's all toxic. Having some health issues that make me a high risk I can not pitch in to the cleanup efforts. I know that some may look down on me for this but we all do what we can. I am doing my bit by checking on neighbors when I can and sharing safe resources on social media. This is my third natural disaster not including some tremors out on the West and North West Coast and a frack quake that all thankfully were pretty benign. At this time I have decided this signals a time for me to move on. This is all I can say for now until the next chapter begins.
    Where is all of this going? Well it's time to talk about a very important thing; community. We live in a time where rivers, lakes and seas are rising, where wildfires make our air unbreathable for days on end, where mud slides and earthquakes have become of far greater magnitude, where temperatures are rising so high in even colder regions. So how are we to survive in such times? Scientists have some ideas and it's time we started listening to them! Then there is the question...What can I do? In such terrible times as we are now facing the will to survive kicks in strong. People rush to repair buildings and ensure their livelihoods and see that their families are safe but what happens to our spirits and where does that leave those who are on the fringes? Community, that spirit that ties us together has been declining for quite some time. This is so sad. I remember a time where the first thing people would do in a catastrophic event would be to gather together sharing stories and hugs and home cooked food....Will these circumstances bring such ways back? I don't see that yet but I certainly hope it will.
   It's a new moon today in Cancer. As I have said many times astrology is not a subject I am that well versed in however I understand that Cancer is a sign very tied to traditions and home . Ok what have our traditions shown us over time and how does that effect our home?  Isn't it time we all took the time to listen to nature and realize that all around us is sentient and soulful?