You know you have friends when

they send you photographs

which just make you smile, and smile.
And friends walk in with a jar of marmalade as the current jar is being emptied onto breakfast toast. Great timing and thank you. My other marmalade making donor take note, I've enough to keep me going for a few months.

I don't think I really appreciated pretzels while I was living in America in the 1980's. We had them but rarely in the monastery. Although at this time of year Rev. Master Jiyu would come up to the monastery kitchen to supervise the cooking of holiday treats. Pretzels were on the menu but I can't remember eating them....

These photographs were taken in the Black Forest, Germany. Thank you kind photographer.

Rewilding. Yep, a new word for me but not for the world. It was first used back in 1990 apparently.

I've not been much involved with conservation issues however the word rewilding, mentioned on Country File this evening, has certainly captured my interest and imagination. And stimulated my memory too, of seeing bears in Alaska fishing salmon in boiling red abundance and off shore at Santa Cruz gazing at sea otters at dusk cracking open sea shells while floating on their backs. Both are keystone species and exceedingly cute too! That is the extent of my learning for this evening.

I really only meant to mention the baby hedgehog I saw abroad the other evening at twilight. A rare sight. One thought can lead to another can't they....

(this post has been lightly edited having looked at it again in the clearer light of day!)

Now for a bit of fun - with food. Or about food. Specifically about factory farming pigs. Too good to miss animation

The video features the story of a farmer seduced by profits into large-scale unsustainable and unhealthy farming practices who decides to go “back to the start”, ridding the farm of its factory machinery resulting in happier and healthier animals.

And there is more fun as you scroll down the page to see other creative takes on grub. I particularly like the Embroidered Toast....

Clearly I am, as my mother would say when I'd scream into the night, you are over tired dear! (Which made me scream louder!) Enjoying these wacky takes on food this evening is my adult equivalent of letting off some steam - with laughter. Always good to remember how humour can be a saving grace.

Yes, I am tired and the plan is to rest. Hopefully this will include hiking, if the weather holds.

Cat Hat on my bed
My heart missed a beat this afternoon. For the world I thought for a moment a cat had found its way up to my bed. But no, this furry object is actually a civilian style Russian rabbit fur Ushanka (lit. ear hat). Inherited today.

I though it should go to a caring home, not so sure I'll be wearing it in public though! In the mean time it can pretend to be a cat. Happy about that.

Dear Friends and Readers,
Jade Mountains is having problems. As you will see a couple of recent posts are missing, and yesterday for a good few hours the site wasn't loading at all. The hosting company seems to be going through a problem time with their servers which is why Jade's presence is a currently unreliable.

When Jade is having problems, not loading and the like, I will post a notice on Moving Mountains letting you know what the problem is.

I've used the present web hosting company since 2008 and this is the first time, within the last few weeks, their service has been problematic. So I'm sticking with them. Just to assure you, and me, they make a back-up of Jade automatically every night.

The last post made on Moving Mountains back in April 2008 has this quote in it.

Surrender the need for the world to be ordered
according to a conception of justice,
logic, rational motives and the 'truth'.
Develop the stamina to live in accordance
with ones highest aspiration.

To walk your talk.

Anon.

In the present circumstances this is a timely reminder. Surrender the need for the world to be ordered....indeed.

Just wanted to draw your attention to this amazing project that sprang up through the use of Twitter and has resulted in a book which will raise funds for the Red Cross in Japan.

What started as a tweet has turned into an eBook project to benefit survivors of the earthquake and tsunami that have claimed the lives of more than 11,500 people and left more than 16,500 missing in Japan.

The project, "2:46" -- or #Quakebook, as it is known on Twitter -- has drawn dozens of international writers, artists, translators and contributors, the project's organizers say. According to the Quakebook blog, sci-fi novelist William Gibson and musician and artist Yoko Ono also have contributed to the eBook, which will be available for purchase on Amazon.com.

Proceeds will go to the Red Cross in Japan, organizers say.

From Twitter to 'Quakebook' CNN Website.