Impression Evergreen

Peacock A long time ago, the peacock was discovered in the remote rain forests of India. The dignified bird with such dazzling colors was declared to be sacred to the gods. For centuries they were allowed to roam undisturbed through the magnificent gardens of Indian royalty. The Phoenicians later exported them to complement the imposing architecture of the Egyptian pharoahs. The Bible informs us that King Solomon used to order his powerful navy every three years to go out and restock his supplies of gold, silver, ivory and peacocks. With such an exotic history, the last place one would expect to find peacocks is in the arid sandhills of Western Nebraska. In addition to riding horses and gardening flowers, my mom raises peafowl. Whenever I get back home, I'm awakened each morning by their haunting call. Every spring, I'm lucky to witness their extravagant, courtship display. The image of these birds sweeping majestically across my parent's green lawn is an abiding

King Cobra King cobras live mainly in the rain forests and plains of India and Southeast Asia. They are comfortable in the trees, on land and in water, feeding mostly on other snakes with the rat snake being their preference. King cobras can reach 18 feet in length, making them the longest of all venomous snakes. Fortunately for us, they are reclusive creatures that will make every attempt to avoid humans. When confronted, though, a king cobra transforms into a lethal adversary. It can raise a third of its body straight off the ground, looking the average person directly in the eyes, and still advance forward to attack. The intimidating snake will flare out its iconic hood and produce a frightening hiss that sounds a lot like a dog's growl. A single bite contains enough venom to bring down an elephant. Scientists are just now beginning to understand how intelligent these snakes really are. The king cobra is believed to possess exceptional memory. According to a myth, the p

Buddha reinterpreted the theory of karma The kids on my soccer team have asked me if I believe in karma. They always use the word as a synonym for luck. They think good karma means good luck. Sometimes after a loss they blame it on "bad karma" and resign themselves to the belief that karma is something beyond their control. They believe the outcome of their game had already been determined. A fatalistic point of view that couldn't be farther from the truth. The Buddhist states that the present is influenced by the past and the future will be based on choices you make now. Your choices are made of your own volition, so you control your own destiny. You have free will. The theory of karma originated in ancient India and is central to Hinduism. Buddha later reinterpreted and explained the doctrine. He taught that karma is a complex, non-linear, unseen natural law that flows freely through the universe. The Buddhist version was exported to the United States where its tr