Humans may think they're in control, but the forces of nature are unstoppable.

My thoughts and prayers go out to all those in Oklahoma who have lost loved ones after the terrible tornado swept away schools and houses and left devastation in its wake.

Here in the little village of Elstree, a 200 ft. high horse chestnut tree in full flower dropped onto the busy two lane road in the early evening. It avoided passing cars. The candle-like flower reaches higher than a hand and contains considerable moisture. In full leaf after the dormancy in winter, the weight must have toppled the giant. You could say it's over-production for future generations of trees caused its downfall.

The Highways Department rushed to the scene along with other services. Police closed off the road. After hours of cutting the trunk from the partly attached root, a giant work vehicle tugged the trunk off and lifted it onto its back to haul away.

Sometimes tree hugging isn't enough. Every year, surveyors assess the trees. Two trees were removed further uphill before the leaves formed. The Highways Department missed the tree that crashed ten feet away from our neighbor's house. He rushed out and cut away branches to allow busses and   vehicles to pass in single file.

I love trees. Every morning for the last ten years, I've offered a prayer during meditation for the trees to take up the goodness from the soil and spread it into the atmosphere to protect our Earth. Trees keep the planet alive. However, horse chestnuts are diseased like so many of England's other trees.

The Guardian UK, gives more information. Horse chestnuts have been hit by two potentially life-threatening diseases. The first is bleeding canker: bacteria infects the bark, cutting off the water supply to the crown. The other involves a relatively new pest to the UK: the leaf-mining moth, originally from the Balkans. It is indiscriminate, attacking workaday horse chestnuts and grander trees alike. Click here for the article to help save the trees.

Mother Nature constantly shows who is in charge of the planet. We must cope as best we can amongst the forces of wind, floods and earthquakes. My prayers join those around the world for the survivors in Oklahoma.

One of the best all time recording artists has reached Number 1 after 30 years. Rod Stewart's new album, Time, shows all the vigor of a man who grew up in London. By a strange twist of fete, I'm closely connected to this icon of a man.

Time is Stewart's first album of new material for two decades and was inspired by the process of writing his recent autobiography. He was last at the top of the UK album chart with his Greatest Hits Vol 1 in 1979.

During the late Sixties, the Small Faces, a band of mod rockers who embraced soul and psychedelia, changed when Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood joined the band renamed Faces. The group took the Seventies by storm.

They say that any two individuals could be connected through at most five acquaintances.

During this time, in a life lived separate from my own before I knew him, my husband drove a taxi in London. He picked up various members of the band. He told me Rod was a shy, very polite young man, seven years younger than himself.

Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and one of the best selling artists of all time, having sold over 100 million records worldwide. Born: January 10, 1945 (age 68), Highgate. Rod Stewart gained induction in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April 2012.

Here's a list of popular songs going way back in time:

Maggie May. 1971

I don't Wanna Talk About it. Sailing. 1975

The First Cut is the Deepest. 1976

Forever Young. 1988

Have I Told You Lately. 1991

I am bound to everyone on this planet by a trail of six people. In this case, my connection to Rod Stewart is closer through the link of my husband.

In 1971, I lived in a cottage in Australia with an attached craft shop. I used to sit and spin wool from one of our flock of colored sheep while I listened to his songs. Little did I know, my life was about to change. After the failure of my marriage, I moved to London as a nanny. The following year, I met a man who charmed me enough to let down my guard. We've been married for 25 years.

I love the joy of life, Rod shows—so similar to my husband. There's something about the men born in London during the time before and after WW2's hardship.

Fewer pirates prey on ships in the world's oceans this year. Naval officers monitoring piracy say nine months have elapsed since the last merchant ship was successfully hijacked. It's a far cry from the height of the piracy epidemic two years ago, when several ships might be taken in a single week to be traded for airdropped multi-million dollar ransoms.

At one point so many pirates were caught that they were dumped back on to the beaches of Somalia, the most easterly point on the African continent, adjoining Ethiopia. In 2011, at least 260,000 people died from famine, which may have driven the unscrupulous to seek other ways of keeping themselves alive.

A French oil tanker that went missing in February near the Ivory Coast was hijacked by pirates for its cargo. One of Somalia's most notorious pirate leaders nicknamed 'big mouth', who terrorized the Indian Ocean, has since announced his retirement. A British couple, kidnapped by pirates in 2012, was released after negotiation. In June last year, they announced their intention of completing their round-the-world sailing trip.

News sources report that Somali suspects are rarely found with guns although sometimes helicopters spot them throwing things overboard. They have been found with pirate paraphernalia like grappling hooks. Most of the prisoners claim to be either economic migrants or simple fishermen, although their captured boats rarely have refrigeration or even fishing nets.

The deputy secretary general of the UN said as many as 3,000 people have died while trying to bring peace and stability to Somalia.

In the Seychelles, 17 prisoners were recently flown to a UN-funded jail in the relatively secure region of Puntland in Somalia, to serve sentences that mostly range between 10 and 20 years. 59 have already been tried and sent back.

Nowadays, hired guns used on passing ships and liners may have finally scuppered piracy in Somalia. However, a pirate is a thief.

There will always be people who take advantage of circumstances. They range from pickpockets, store thieves and jewelry thieves. Some have been raised to the status of celebrity, like the fictional Captain Jack Sparrow, or UK's Great Train robber. To my mind, the disadvantaged people in Somalia have more incentive to prey on others than most. I have no panacea to offer. I pray for world equality.

BBC news announced that Ronny the UK raccoon has been recaptured. He'd escaped from a Perthshire wildlife park three months ago. Three raccoons went missing after a branch hit an Auchingarrich Wildlife Centre enclosure during a storm in January. The other two were found within a day, but the third eluded park workers.

Like his namesake Ronald Biggs, known for his role in the Great Train Robbery in 1963, Ronny had got away. But not for the 36 years Biggs escaped capture and without the publicity stunts. The raccoon, an original inhabitant of North America, was caught 30 miles away after a homeowner reported missing cat food.

The park reports that Ronnie is safe and well in his run, living amongst loads of females. That must beat having to fend for himself in a strange land for three months.

Here are some facts from A + Restorations.

1. Raccoons are capable of achieving body masses made up of 50% body fat, but it is mostly the animals in the cooler regions that achieve this.

2. Their tails can make up 52% of their length, up to 405 mm.

3. Raccoons do not hibernate.  During extremely cold periods raccoons have been known to sleep for long periods, but do not hibernate.

4. These critters climb with great ease and are not bothered by a drop of 35 to 40 feet!

5. As well as being agile climbers, these animals are also very strong swimmers, although they are often reluctant to enter the water because without waterproof fur, swimming forces them to take on extra weight.

6. Raccoons have a highly developed tactile sense. Their human-like forepaws (complete with 5 fingers) are used to pick up food with their front paws before putting it in their mouth.

7.  These animals can live up to 16 years in the wild, but most don't make it past their second birthday.  Did you know that a captive raccoon was recorded living for 21 years.

8. Raccoons generally have one litter per year that typically consists of 4 babies, although they can have 3 to 7.  Sexual maturity often occurs in females before they are one year old.

9. Raccoon pelts have been harvested since the colonial period.   Although demand has diminished greatly, the pelts may still be sold as imitation mink, otter, or even seal fur. Raccoons are also eaten by some cultures.

10. These critters carry many diseases, the worst of which is a microscopic parasite known as raccoon roundworm.  It has been known to cause death and blindness in humans.

There is no problem unless a little Ronny invades our homes. Most wildlife harbors something that is harmful to man. Let them live in their habitat and all will be well. People interfere enough with animals. I'm not sure I even agree with the concept of keeping animals in zoos. Many times, dangerous animals have escaped into a foreign environment and caused havoc or death. At least Ronny is secure.

A television program I watched last night spoke about discovering a new planet likely to be similar to earth. Of all the stars and planets in the galaxy and beyond, there are very few environments that would support life as we know it.

Newly found extrasolar planets, or exoplanets, are part of a vast menagerie of celestial bodies NASA has discovered 1,200 light-years away in recent years. Our Milky Way galaxy alone is now known to have hundreds of billions of planets circling its stars. Exoplanets that are Earth-size, are rocky or watery, or that exist in habitable zones in relation to their suns have all been found before. But two newly discovered planets appear to meet all three criteria. And because of their sizes and orbits, the newfound planets are likely either rocky—like Earth—or watery, NASA scientists said.

What would mankind do if they found another planet they could live on? Invade? Show the inhabitants a better way of life?

The Romans conquered and converted locals to their system during the time of Christ and beyond. When they invaded England to harvest precious metals, they changed the structure of the Ugly British way of life from small villages to well-structured towns.

Boudicca has been called the first British heroine because of the revolt she led.

By AD 61, the Romans were in control of southern Britain. Many of the inhabitants adopted Roman ways. Trouble started in East Anglia. Prasutagus, the king of the Iceni tribe, was a friend of the Romans. When he died, he left half his kingdom to the Roman emperor, and half to his wife, Queen Boudicca. The Romans wanted it all. They also wanted extra taxes and they wanted Boudicca to give up her throne. With reluctance, she tried to fit in, but when they raped and killed her daughters while she watched, she vowed revenge.

Boudicca destroyed the Roman town of St. Albans and her way to Londonium and laid waste to that as well. On her return journey home, she passed the spot I live on the old Roman road, now called Watling Street. The Romans wiped out her entire following of men, women and children in the fields before she reached St. Albans.

I'm not sure human nature has changed. Would man invade new worlds they found? Even if they considered the inhabitants ugly and uncivilized, would they rape the women?

Or are the scientists indulging in curiosity? Are they satisfying our wonder at being alone in the universe? We don't have the technology to travel hundreds of light years to visit the Earth-like planets anyway. Perhaps we just need to know there are other forms of life beyond our understanding. In the meantime, let's conquer the weakness in human nature.

The sun has broken through early mist with the promise of a beautiful day here in Elstree, Hertfordshire, England. See where I live at Elstree here. I live amongst a line of tiny cottages to the left of the cemetary.

Today is the ideal day to take a stroll in the local bluebell woods. Only I can't. My hips are too painful to shuffle over uneven ground even if my husband drove me there and hauled the rollator out of the boot. Never mind. let's take a mental trip.

Bluebells are a timeless example of the antiquity of English ancient woods.

    Some estimates suggest the UK has up to half of the world's total bluebell population.

    Despite their name, bluebells can be white. Pink ones are probably Spanish bluebells.

    71% of native bluebells are found in broadleaved woodland or scrub.

    Tennyson speaks of bluebell juice being used to cure snake-bite. The romantic poets of the 19th century, such as Keats and Tennyson, believed that the bluebell symbolized solitude and regret.

To me, the spread of blue underfoot represents heaven. Nature is wonderful. Perhaps this brings to mind wild patches of nature close to where you live.

 The shocking facts about world hunger overwhelm the European Union wrangle over fish quotas.

In one of the many wars between self-interest and Mother Nature, an agreement has been reached. This morning, the announcement came that the UK has secured new laws with the European Union over the controversial dumping of unwanted fish.

The existing system of fishing quotas, which often leads to tones of perfectly good fish being dumped at sea, will be reformed. 75% of stocks are still overfished and catches are only a fraction of what they were 15-20 years ago. Catches of cod for example have declined by 70% in the last 10 years. Up till now, crews that haul in more than the agreed quota often throw large quantities of dead fish back into the sea. Over time Europe's fishing fleets have grown too large for the dwindling fish stocks, but fisheries ministers are often reluctant to see their national total allowable catches reduced.

But what mechanisms are in place to deal with landed by-catch? There is a risk that the surplus fish landed, instead of being discarded at sea, will simply be sold. This won't help depleted ocean stocks.

And another consideration: In these times of hunger and famine, the waste seems shocking to me. Three-quarters of all hungry people live in rural villages of Asia and Africa. Overwhelmingly dependent on agriculture for their food, these populations have no alternative source of income or employment. As a result, they are vulnerable to crises. Many migrate to cities in their search for employment, swelling the ever-expanding populations of shanty towns in developing countries.

I took a moment to check on facts about the world hunger statistics.

Source: Facing the Future, Think Quest, Hunger Relief Organizations. Research Date: 5.7.2013

Total number of children that die every year from hunger                                            1.5 million
Percent of world population considered to be starving                                                   33%
Time between deaths of people who die from hunger                                                   3.6 seconds
Total number of people in the world who suffer from hunger and malnutrition           800 million
Total number of people who do not have enough to eat                                              936 million
Total percentage who do not have enough to eat in developing countries                  98%
Total percentage of world’s hungry that live in 7 countries                                           65%
Number of people who died of hunger today                                                         20,864
Total number of people who will die of hunger this year                                      7,615,360
Total percentage of U.S. households that are at risk of hunger                                   11%

They are distributed like this:

578 million in Asia and the Pacific
239 million in Sub-Saharan Africa
53 million in Latin America and the Caribbean
37 million in the Near East and North Africa
19 million in developed countries

Let sense prevail.

God bless us all.

I've always thought so—trees really are the stuff of life. A new study shows that rainforests are more critical than previously thought as they produce the rain that fills the streams that ultimately drives the rivers and the turbines. Deforestation in the Amazon region could significantly reduce the amount of electricity produced from hydropower. If trees continue to be felled, the energy produced by one of the world's biggest dams could be cut by a third. Read the full story here.

"Rainforests generate their own rainfall," Dr Claudia Stickler, from the Amazon Environmental Research Institute International Programme (IPAM-IP), told BBC News. "They pull water out of the soil on a daily basis, they stay green and dark. The main reason is they are always pumping moisture into the atmosphere which ultimately ends up being rainfall and that's what keeps these streams going too."

Until now the presumption has been that cutting down the trees near a dam actually increased the amount of water flowing into the dams. But the study shows rainfall is 6-7 percent lower than it would be with full forest cover. Brazil has taken significant steps to halt the clearing of trees in recent years, but deforestation could now be on the rise once again.

The report focuses on the loss of power production, rather than the trees themselves. However, I look at the sad, treeless Easter Island and wonder what the whole world would be like without trees.

With more reliance on technology for reading, the expanding world population doesn't increase the need for paper. Thank God for that.

Studies have proven that humans share the same DNA as trees. It doesn't matter what excuse we have for cutting them down. The end result will make the world a poorer place. I love trees. Have you ever stood close to a sturdy trunk and hugged a tree? You receive a feeling of calm and strength in return.

After near extinction, Britain's biggest bird of prey was reintroduced into Scotland half a century ago. Hailed as a success, the white-tailed eagle may be under threat again. The population remains small, vulnerable and limited to just one area of the country.

The eagle occupied Great Britain and Ireland since the dark ages. By the time of the Industrial revolution, an estimated 90% were lost. Destruction of habitat and human persecution drove the species to extinction in the early part of the 20th Century, when the last pair nested on Skye.

The bird's reintroduction to Scotland with an attempt to put the species back on Fair Isle seems to have been a huge success. In the face of their critics, the birds not only survived, but gradually grew in numbers until they started to spread around the Western Isles. A report from RSPB says that 'eagle tourism' has contributed to the island of Mull's economy.

Tip to talon, the white tailed eagle' length is 80 cm, with a wingspan of 2.2 metres. The bird's diet consists of fish, birds, mammals, eggs and carrion. It lives on seacoasts, rivers and large lakes.

The UK population of white-tailed eagles is still only about 60 pairs almost 40 years after the reintroduction began. Young, inexperienced eagles face the hazards of power lines or vehicles as well as bait used by some managers on the mainland, where many people object to the bird taking over their area.

I would love the white-tailed eagle to be on a par with the great American bald eagle pictured on the left, which has been taken off the endangered species list since 1977.

There will always be people for and against any new project. What do you think about man's constant meddling with nature?

With obesity rising in western society, studies have shown an increased risk of dementia. Piling on the pounds is not only bad for the body, but also for the mind.

Why are more and more people gaining weight?

1.       Abundance of food.

2.       Convenience food outlets.

3.       Ready cash.

4.       No necessity to work for survival.

5.       Food addiction.

Regular exercise and healthy weight are important for reducing the risk. But how can they change their eating habits? Boot camps give them an incentive to try, but they may sink back into old habits once they leave the protected environment.

Perhaps if slightly overweight people could work at something they care about, their mind would be otherwise occupied. Perhaps joining a charity, working with a local group of youngsters, community activity like keeping the parks clean or reading to children at the library would give another outlook on life.

Nobody can solve someone else's problem. Sometimes, an underlying problem exists—a need for love, low self-esteem, or an even deeper drive—like karma.

I read Edgar Cayce's books long ago and never forgot this little snippet of information the legendary seer dredged up from his deeper levels of consciousness. People who overeat may be reacting from a past life of starvation. This astounding fact makes you think.

"It's easy to say that the experiences in one's life are the result of past activities, but the forces of this law are greater than we may first imagine." 

Theoretically, a child who dies of starvation in Africa could be reborn in an affluent society. Unable to control the urge for the food denied to them in their last life; they eat and eat—well past the point of sustaining themselves.

Perhaps if everyone gave this some consideration, they would be well on their way to mastering their future destiny. I can't think of anything worse than being trapped in a fat body with a deteriorating mind controlled by dementia. The cycle would go on in future lives until the person took control of their actions.

We are all masters of our own destiny. How we live determines the future, not only for ourselves, but for the rest of humanity.

Don't reach for that little treat.