Your Friday photo is in honor of Earth Month and the wildlife at Meher Mount…

One of the first things visitors to Meher Mount encounter in the area around the Visitor Center is a tiny pond. It’s small, shallow and can be overlooked amid the grand vistas and pathways Meher Mount offers. But it plays an essential role as part of Meher Mount’s ecosystem.

This photo of a California or Beecheys ground squirrel (Otospermophilus beecheyi) at the pond was taken by temporary caretaker Juan Mendez who also suggested the following Rumi poem rendered by Daniel Ladinsky.

Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī, also known as Rumi, was a 13th century poet and Islamic scholar. Avatar Meher Baba enjoyed listening to Rumi's poetry and praised him as one of the greatest minds of all mystical and spiritual literature.