Myke Johnson

No Kings In the midst of cruelty and oppression, where does hope emerge? For me, it was seeing the protesters in Portland, Oregon dress in inflatable frog costumes, exposing the lie that Portland was a war zone, or that protesters were violent. In the face of armed and masked ICE agents, people responded with this creative and playful spontaneity. First there was one frog, and then it expanded to many frogs, and other silly costumed beings.

No Kings

In the midst of cruelty and oppression, where does hope emerge? For me, it was seeing the protesters in Portland, Oregon dress in inflatable frog costumes, exposing the lie that Portland was a war zone, or that protesters were violent. In the face of armed and masked ICE agents, people…

"It really is cruelty for cruelty’s sake."

September Musings The summer garden had some successes and some fails. And it is sometimes hard to tell which is which. This turkey family visited the yard many days, and walked through the garden beds in the back. They mostly left the veggies alone, except they liked to eat the tops off the bean plants. We still got a few beans even so.

September Musings

The summer garden had some successes and some fails. And it is sometimes hard to tell which is which. This turkey family visited the yard many days, and walked through the garden beds in the back. They mostly left the veggies alone, except they liked to eat the tops off the bean…

Tell Costco: Don't Cave to Extremists—Dispense Mifepristone Now! Costco has announced that its pharmacies will NOT dispense mifepristone—a safe, FDA-approved abortion pill used in the majority of abortions nationwide. This dangerous decision is a concession to anti...

This cause is close to my heart - please sign: sign.moveon.org/petitions/co...

Ahmad al-Batniji, 17, has died from severe malnutrition.
Ahmad lived with Celiac disease, a condition that requires strict access to gluten-free food and proper medical care. Israel has been blocking the entry of essential food & medicine.

Feeding Each Other This summer, we've been blessed to feed hummingbirds in our yard, both through flowers like bee balm, and also through our little red hummingbird feeder that we fill with a sugar solution. Earth creatures feed each other. Everyone needs to eat. This happens through the incredible natural chain of life, some animals eating plants, other animals eating animals. But the deepest natural order is that all animals must eat.

Feeding Each Other

This summer, we've been blessed to feed hummingbirds in our yard, both through flowers like bee balm, and also through our little red hummingbird feeder that we fill with a sugar solution. Earth creatures feed each other. Everyone needs to eat. This happens through the…

Fighting with Squirrels (and Chipmunks) The intent of our permaculture gardening is to create a mutually beneficial relationship with the earth and all her creatures. But lately, it feels like a little backyard battle. The squirrels have literally eaten all of the green peaches off our peach tree. (Last year there seemed to be enough for all of us.) They have been also eating raspberries, hazelnuts (still green) and mulberries, but I sort of gave up on all of those.

Fighting with Squirrels (and Chipmunks)

The intent of our permaculture gardening is to create a mutually beneficial relationship with the earth and all her creatures. But lately, it feels like a little backyard battle. The squirrels have literally eaten all of the green peaches off our peach tree.…

Living lying down I've been trying to figure out what it all means. I mean my life these days. What does it mean to be ill, to be mostly fatigued, to be compelled to rest most of the hours of my days? I wasn't sure what photo could go with this question, and then I happened to see this photo of Billie from five years ago, her body hidden under a sheet on the bed, just her little paws sticking out.

Living lying down

I've been trying to figure out what it all means. I mean my life these days. What does it mean to be ill, to be mostly fatigued, to be compelled to rest most of the hours of my days? I wasn't sure what photo could go with this question, and then I happened to see this photo of…

Monarch and milkweed Today a monarch butterfly finally found our little milkweed patch in our roadside garden bed. Last year, three plants appeared there on their own, and in late July we saw a caterpillar. In the spring we scattered some fluffy seedpods in the soil hoping to expand the numbers. This year we have a patch of about a dozen. As they grew and then bloomed, I'd look out the front windows, hoping to see a monarch.

Monarch and milkweed

Today a monarch butterfly finally found our little milkweed patch in our roadside garden bed. Last year, three plants appeared there on their own, and in late July we saw a caterpillar. In the spring we scattered some fluffy seedpods in the soil hoping to expand the numbers.…

A Little Gift I don't have a new photo to share, but this afternoon, I saw a young robin pecking the ground in the orchard. It had the slightly mottled chest coloring of a juvenile. It didn't stay long, it quickly flew away, but it brought me a moment of hope. I can't prove it, but I think it might be the young robin that I tried to help last week…

A Little Gift

I don't have a new photo to share, but this afternoon, I saw a young robin pecking the ground in the orchard. It had the slightly mottled chest coloring of a juvenile. It didn't stay long, it quickly flew away, but it brought me a moment of hope. I can't prove it, but I think it…

Kindness or cruelty? The other day, Margy and I went to Maquoit Bay to see horseshoe crabs that had come to shore to mate. Margy especially loves horseshoe crabs and has learned a great deal about them. It was shortly after high tide, and we noticed that a few of the crabs had wandered behind and between big boulders placed on the site, in a way that they were trapped.

Kindness or cruelty?

The other day, Margy and I went to Maquoit Bay to see horseshoe crabs that had come to shore to mate. Margy especially loves horseshoe crabs and has learned a great deal about them. It was shortly after high tide, and we noticed that a few of the crabs had wandered behind and…

Robin survivor? This morning there was more excitement concerning the sole surviving baby robin. It had walked out from the nest onto the nearby beam, even into the next section of beam. So it was alive! But the parents went back and forth calling several times. I was watching through the glass of the back door, hoping that they would find it and feed it.

Robin survivor?

This morning there was more excitement concerning the sole surviving baby robin. It had walked out from the nest onto the nearby beam, even into the next section of beam. So it was alive! But the parents went back and forth calling several times. I was watching through the glass of…

Heartbreak among the robins Something got at our baby robins... of the four in the nest, we just found three on the deck floor, two were dead, and one still alive--I gently put that one back in the nest, but not sure if it is really okay or how it might survive, we hope the parents will come back for it. They were calling loudly, but not around now.

Heartbreak among the robins

Something got at our baby robins... of the four in the nest, we just found three on the deck floor, two were dead, and one still alive--I gently put that one back in the nest, but not sure if it is really okay or how it might survive, we hope the parents will come back…

Garden Blue My favorite color in the garden is this blue/purple of the Siberian iris. They've multiplied in the roadside garden bed, and blossomed all along the way. And now they are gone. So we had maybe a week to enjoy their beauty. I feel the time rushing by with all these spring and early summer flowers. Nothing goes on and on. With photos we try to capture the moment and make it last a little longer, but nothing really lasts in that way.

Garden Blue

My favorite color in the garden is this blue/purple of the Siberian iris. They've multiplied in the roadside garden bed, and blossomed all along the way. And now they are gone. So we had maybe a week to enjoy their beauty. I feel the time rushing by with all these spring and early…

Balance in the Garden This earth love is a balancing act. We love critters in the yard, after all, they live here too, and have the right to be here. They bring so much joy to us. But we want to grow food too. The last time we bought organic broccoli at Hannafords, it was $8 for one crown. These twelve broccoli plants in this raised bed will be very valuable food for us.

Balance in the Garden

This earth love is a balancing act. We love critters in the yard, after all, they live here too, and have the right to be here. They bring so much joy to us. But we want to grow food too. The last time we bought organic broccoli at Hannafords, it was $8 for one crown. These…

Families Parent feeding the babies on May 18 The robins raise their young so quickly, just a few weeks and they are already fledging from the nest. But they treasure their little family, and take utmost care to give the babies everything they need. We feel privileged to watch from our windows. So I will take my theme from this little family, to speak about the human rights of families.

Families

Parent feeding the babies on May 18 The robins raise their young so quickly, just a few weeks and they are already fledging from the nest. But they treasure their little family, and take utmost care to give the babies everything they need. We feel privileged to watch from our windows. So…

Even the Humblest of Beings

The trout lilies bloomed last week before several days of rain. This photo was from May 5th. Today the blooms are already fading or gone. The trout lilies live near a path by the Capisic Brook that I visit most mornings, though I don't always make it as far as that…

Robins building nests We have robins nesting again in the beams of our deck! Two years ago, a pair of robins raised three broods of chicks over the course of the season. The year before that, in 2022, they had tried, but failed, and it seemed the clear ceiling raised the heat too much for the babies. So I created a shade from cloth…

Robins building nests

We have robins nesting again in the beams of our deck! Two years ago, a pair of robins raised three broods of chicks over the course of the season. The year before that, in 2022, they had tried, but failed, and it seemed the clear ceiling raised the heat too much for the…

Microsoft: Stop Providing Support to the Israeli Military Israeli forces are ramping up the genocide in Gaza, killing more than 322 children since Israel broke the ceasefire. And they’re committing these atrocities with the help of Microsoft. Leaked document

Microsoft: Stop Providing Support to the Israeli Military action.eko.org/page/microso... Please sign!

The BDN's newest Wabanaki Voices column is out:

“Strengthening Tribal Sovereignty Can Improve Well Being of All Mainers”, from the Wabanaki Alliance Board, speaks to long-term and short-term legislative priorities of the organization.

Read it here:
www.wabanakialliance.com/bdn-column-a...

Where is Mosab Abu Toha? Photo By Ishmaeldaro - Own work, CC BY 4.0, Mosab Abu Toha is a Palestinian poet and writer living in the United States with his wife and three children. I have been following him on Facebook because every day he posts so eloquently about what is happening in Gaza, he shares the details of people killed and the horrors of the genocide there.

Where is Mosab Abu Toha?

Photo By Ishmaeldaro - Own work, CC BY 4.0, Mosab Abu Toha is a Palestinian poet and writer living in the United States with his wife and three children. I have been following him on Facebook because every day he posts so eloquently about what is happening in Gaza, he…

First Harvest & Human Rights Today I harvested chives! The first harvest of the 2025 season. I cut them up in small pieces with a scissors and then freezed to use anytime. Today I also want to speak up for human rights! Continuing from the first seven articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in my last post, I want to write out the next articles here.

First Harvest & Human Rights

Today I harvested chives! The first harvest of the 2025 season. I cut them up in small pieces with a scissors and then freezed to use anytime. Today I also want to speak up for human rights! Continuing from the first seven articles of the Universal Declaration of Human…

Can confirm: Just spoke to him, and Barber and two others were, in fact, arrested.

Story coming.

Declaration of Human Rights 1948 As I was cleaning out files in the basement, I came across a copy of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted December 10, 1948 by the United Nations General Assembly. It feels timely to post sections of this declaration here. There are 30 articles in the Declaration, along with its preamble. (I'll post more in future days.) We've got to speak up for what we believe!

Declaration of Human Rights 1948

As I was cleaning out files in the basement, I came across a copy of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted December 10, 1948 by the United Nations General Assembly. It feels timely to post sections of this declaration here. There are 30 articles in the…

Your silence will not protect you I am living in the strangest of paradoxes. A hateful dictator has taken over our country, but today my life looks about the same as yesterday. I wake up in the morning, the sun is shining through my windows, and the birds are singing. I see these bright spring flowers on my walk. And yet, US-made bombs are being targeted on children in Gaza, they are dying in flames or slowly starving because food aid has been locked out by the Israeli government.

Your silence will not protect you

I am living in the strangest of paradoxes. A hateful dictator has taken over our country, but today my life looks about the same as yesterday. I wake up in the morning, the sun is shining through my windows, and the birds are singing. I see these bright spring…

Letting Go Today, S--- came to pick up these nine boxes, to take to the LGBTQ archives at our local university. It feels like a pretty big deal. It involved six winters of going through old boxes that I had carried around for years--some for 50 years. I had to sort them paper by paper, and it became a look back into all the years of my life until now.

Letting Go

Today, S--- came to pick up these nine boxes, to take to the LGBTQ archives at our local university. It feels like a pretty big deal. It involved six winters of going through old boxes that I had carried around for years--some for 50 years. I had to sort them paper by paper, and it…

Free Mahmoud Khalil and protect students exercising their First Amendment rights! Sign the petition to demand Mahmoud Khalil be immediately released and threats against his legal status be dropped! And call on members of Congress and university leaders to protect and defend the rig...

Sign the petition to demand Mahmoud Khalil be immediately released and threats against his legal status be dropped! And call on members of Congress and university leaders to protect and defend the right for students to organize and protest. sign.moveon.org/petitions/fr...

Despair Almost every day I walk down to Capisic Brook, and most days, all through the winter, I saw a pair of ducks who lived in the water there. I saw them today too. My whole body felt heavy as I walked this morning, and I almost turned back before I reached the brook. I feel such a crushing sense of sadness and despair.

Despair

Almost every day I walk down to Capisic Brook, and most days, all through the winter, I saw a pair of ducks who lived in the water there. I saw them today too. My whole body felt heavy as I walked this morning, and I almost turned back before I reached the brook. I feel such a crushing…

Hossam Shabat’s Last Article Filed hours before his killing in an Israeli airstrike, journalist Hossam Shabat describes the resumption of Israel's scorched earth campaign in his hometown of Beit Hanoun.

Hossam Shabat’s Last Article
open.substack.com/pub/dropsite...

SIGN: Tell Bishop Barron to listen to Pope Francis Bishop Barron recently compared Trump's congressional address to "sacred liturgy." We call on him to repent of his idolatry, and listen to the wisdom of Pope Francis.

SIGN: Tell Bishop Barron to listen to Pope Francis: Bishop Barron recently compared Trump's congressional address to "sacred liturgy." We call on him to repent of his idolatry, and listen to the wisdom of Pope Francis. act.faithfulamerica.org/sign/bishop-...