My lovely Maya cuddling and playing with another puppy in the park. Daily dose of joy from this being.
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Reached for the mail this afternoon and discovered a cute little lizard soaking up some sun. After an abnormally warm start to autumn a breezy cold front finally arrived last night, and today we experienced the first uncomfortably cold day of the season. The lizard had sandwiched himself between the metal mailbox and the mail to doze in the delightful warmth.
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(I didn’t disturb the lizard but waited until after dark, when he was long gone, to retrieve the mail.)
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This detail put a big smile on my face and was a wonderful way to start the day. Thank you. 
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This creature sat beside me on a bench yesterday. It’s just over a centimetre long, including feelers! & so well camouflaged.
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It’s a wood bug! There are many varieties, all totally beautiful in colour.
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In case this one hasn’t been shared yet:
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A one year old, completely blind, Pitt Bull cross surrendered to my wife’s clinic. We had hopes of fostering this guy, but he needs more space than we can provide. Hard because i bonded with him immediately and his disability makes him all the more adorable. He’s just absolutely trusting and confident given that he can’t see. I’m happy just knowing and hoping that there’s a good home out there for him. “Bubbha”
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Perhaps you’ve discovered what Venerable @Akaliko was up to in a past life? Trying to convince Venerable @sujato even back then… 
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My daughter’s cat Ruby enjoyed a comfort and ease while I looked after their home, and their naughty dog Archie was not allowed in. Archie is spoiled, allowed in and out through the flap door anytime he likes (unless I come and close it), he sleeps in his special bed or his preferred option a family couch, and jumps on the poor Ruby. Occasionally she shows him who is the true boss by showing him her claws and giving him a smack. Recently I looked after their animals for over a week so Ruby got a special treatment, even allowed to share my bed during siesta. She sat on the table while I read and enjoyed my company. But as soon as the owners got back Archie was back in…
They also have an aviary full of birds - parrots, finches, quails - some hand-raised.
Although I find their animals all interesting and care for them, I feel so happy not to have any pets - oh bliss of freedom.
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This is Chewie, our 12 year old Lhasa Apso.
Chewie has just been diagnosed with cancer (lymphoma) and while we are doing everthing we can for him, nature will inevitably take its course.
In the meantime, please could I ask: if you have a karuna pratice whichbinvolves remembering those who are sick or dying, or a merit sharing practice, or similar, please consider remembering Chewie for his welfare and happiness.
Fun fact: in Tibet, Lhasa Apso dogs are considered by many to be incarnations of Lamas. If anyone is interested in these sorts of things and would like to hear a story about Chewie, feel free to DM me 
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My little girl has kidney failure and I have to inject her with subcutaneous fluids every day. I sit with her and meditate for a while so that I’m a source of metta and compassion before I give her the jab. She trusts me and often sleeps while it’s filling her up. It’s a big needle too!
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We’ve made friends with out local squirrels lately. They are definitely sentient beings. I really think they may have inspired myths about mischievous spirits like gremlins or leprechauns. They are amazingly agile, quick, and clever. And if you have food outside, they will figure out how to get into it. Quite the rascals.
But their role in nature is very Buddhist: Their greatest desire is to find tree nuts and bury them. That’s what they do with their free time. Modern people think it all a capitalist venture to enrich themselves. And they certainly do eat what they bury when they need to, but the nuts they don’t dig up sprout and grow into new trees. They are the shepherds of the forests which human today have decimated. Like so many other animals, they find themselves living in cities when they’d rather live in vast stretches of forest that don’t exist anymore. They are like refugee spirits of the forests to me. Here, where we live, they scrape by living in palm trees next to our house.
This is the mother squirrel that started our “make friends with the squirrels” experience when she started eating the bird food. We starting putting out food just for her, which attracted the other squirrels in the vicinity.
One of the younger squirrels pretending to be a bird perching on the edge of the bowl.
This squirrel is a special friend. Unlike the others, he has no fear of people and has taken up to living in our canary palm tree, when we became a source of nuts. He will even step inside our door while we fetch one for him.
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Pacific Black Ducks and Sacred Lotus and Bodhi Tree by and in the Lotus Pond . Nan Tien Temple, March 2024
Some of the ducks were moulting and shed some feathers by the lake. The lotus plants provide ample supply of seeds for ducks to eat.
The pond was sill in full bloom, although there were now more of mature flower capsules than buds and flowers with petals open, than in January.
I estimated there were more than 1000 lotus flowers present and at 4 different stages of development - bud, fully opened flower, green capsule and brown capsule bent downwards and probably already shedding seeds.
A beautiful place to stay and meditate by the lotus pond or on the hilltop with wide view.
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