Category Archives: accessibility

Has ANYTHING Changed?

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21Dec2022

The first day of winter.

Four days til Christmas.

And CJ posted four tales.

4.1–The Oval Garden experiences inspired me to address the things that were at the very heart of landscape architecture. In this tale, I talk about the sun and sunlight.

4.2–After my Oval Garden visits, I went over and over my portal experiences, trying to understand logically what happened. I, in this short tale, share my own conclusions.

4.3–I used my own forest experience to construct a short tale in which I talked about forests in the landscape, their life beyond the senses and salubrious exchanges.

4.4–I described what I was missing in Tangier. But I did have a rooftop garden terrace with a view over the Strait of Gibraltar.

Who is CJ and why is he writing these tales?

In June 2000, Christopher Janus, a senior studying landscape architecture at a mid-west America university, finds himself in Tangier on a term abroad design study. The strange culture, the North African landscape and Mediterranean gardens are not what he expected. CJ, as his friends called him, could not wait to be home for Christmas.

To complete his term abroad design study, CJ documented his strange culture, landscape and garden experiences in Morocco in a series of 43 short stories that are being released on Amazon Kindle Vella everyday between now and Christmas Eve. The first 3 are FREE! You can find them here: Tales til Christmas Vella link ASIN: B0BNZDYKKC

Dragons’ Blood Trees

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Dracena cinnabari and Dracena draco, found on the islands of the Socotra and Cabo Verde archipelagos.

These dragons’ blood trees are found naturally in only two places, both in the Tropic of Cancer. These two places are separated by a continent and 8,000 kilometers.

The mature dragon’s blood trees regularly have four meters or more clear trunk before the branching and leaves. They are rare and unusual–magnificent trees to behold.

More surprisingly, different cultures, separated by oceans and thousands of kilometers, agree on the paranormal curative properties of the dragons’ blood trees.

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In the La Montagne region of Tangier, CJ was on his way to visit the old residence of the Portuguese ambassador, now a private villa, named, “Loins du Monde Real”, (far from the real world), when he encountered not one but a forest of dragons’ blood trees. He was reaching his first plant portal—it was real but there was nothing normal about it.

CJ had no idea what was a plant portal until he visited with the Russian and British horticulturists now living in the “Loins du Monde Real” villa. The strange culture, the North African landscape and Mediterranean gardens were not what he expected.

CJ tells about his adventures in his short stories, his tales. Those tales are, for the first time, being released on Vella everyday between now and Christmas Eve: find them here=http://bit.ly/3B9rJXE

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The first three episodes are FREE and they include SIX tales. Find them here=http://bit.ly/3B9rJXE

ENJOY!!

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All 43 tales will be found under one ebook cover titled Curious Tales and via KDPselect will be offered for FREE on the day of launch likely in the first half of 2023. Sign up here to be notified of the launch date to get all 43 tales for free=https://bit.ly/3q5lcaq

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If you wonder what actually happened during CJ’s six months in Tangier, pick up the eBook, Tangier Gardens–out of the classroom into the real world–via plant portals, here: https://amzn.to/3HLrtyv

What do you have to lose?

CJ’s Journey

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Tales til Christmas–CJ’sJourney

What???

Majoun, jajouka, gnawa…CJ wasn’t sure where to turn. He just wanted to finish his term-abroad design study. But all around him…culture, landscape, gardens; they were all different. They were all strange. He thought he knew what he was getting into…but did he? He did know one thing for certain—he wanted to be home for Christmas. Read his short stories.

Those short stories are, for the first time, being released on Vella everyday between now and Christmas Eve: find them here=http://bit.ly/3B9rJXE

ENJOY!!

***

If you wonder what actually happened during CJ’s six months in Tangier, pick up the eBook, Tangier Gardens–out of the classroom into the real world–via plant portals, here: https://amzn.to/3HLrtyv

The Firstest Snowfall

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It is about waking up to a joyful surprise.

Went to sleep hearing the rainfall on the roof. It wasn’t cold, but late autumn coolness everywhere. The falling rain eased me into sleep.

Oh, that first snowfall of the winter…oh, that first snowfall of the year.

There’s nothing quite like it. Waking up to the first–clean, bright, yet not glossy–the best white.

Yesterday’s Autumn.

Yesterday like that.

Today…

Joy on high–the first snowfall!

In life, natural things have always attracted me, so I look for them and write about them

I am a nature lover and a landscape aficionado.

I am curious about all things green—the environment, plants, gardening, horticulture.

And because I am intrigued about the multi-cultural, mystical history of people and plants, I have lived in North Africa, Europe and the Arabian Peninsula.

If you are into these same things, then please visit my Smashwords page or join my email list.

Trapped?

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Trapped in the dark? You do have options.

There is light, sunlight, transcendental light… look for it.

It’s always darkest before the dawn–the dawn does come…wait for it, go to it, change will come.

You can see through the dark times.

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In Tangier Gardens, CJ was submerged in dark times; but with the help of his girl friend, Sachy, he found the light.

If you’re into these kinds of stories, please join my mailing list, more are on the way–stories from Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.

Mountain Stream

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The flow.

Mountain stream above the tree line, clear and white–straight flow to the pineal.

The stream takes advantage of the eyes and ears as paths to the pineal.

Words and talking get in the way–the stream continues; but the pineal flow stops.

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In Tangier Gardens, CJ discovered this flow.

He didn’t know what to call his experiences, paranormal, gnostic portals, or the answers to existential unknowns–but he knew the inputs were from nature, its landscapes and plants.

Want to learn more about these experiences in nature, in the landscape? Please join my email list.

Explorer?

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Ever been at the foot of a valley? Facing a challenge?

Are you an explorer?

What do you think you might find up this valley?

Death?

Inspiration?

You’ll never know till you start walking up the valley. 

Do it–that’s what life is for.

Against all odds, CJ did it. Find out how he did it in Tangier Gardens.

Almonds and wild flowers

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The landscape of Tangier Gardens

This almond orchard grows in Morocco. Soils are rich and because of hydroelectric dams, water for agriculture is plentiful north of the Middle Atlas.

This landscape attracted CJ; but the landscape gave root to elements that undid CJ.

Read about how he reacted to these landscape challenges in Tangier Gardens. 

Tangier Gardens ebook is FREE TODAY.

Get it now!!!

Les Arômes du Maroc

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Mimosa and narcissus.

Balancing, cleansing, energising, relaxing, uplifting…we can all do with some of that.

Acacia dealbata–it grows like a native in the northern third of Morocco; and, in spring, you can always find its cut flowers, fresh from the bled (countryside), being sold by Rif ladies in Tangier.

But CJ had another take on mimosa when he got this close to it.

CJ reckoned when you get this close to a flower, it is because the flower has invited you. That invitation is the key that unlocks a portal–a paranormal portal.

Don’t believe me? Read his story, his take on plants in Tangier Gardens.

Tangier Gardens ebook is FREE TODAY.

Get it!!!

Find out about the magic of plants and their flowers at the Hibiscus House.