A Tale of Two Loves

  This is a Brown Headed Nuthatch.

They are tiny, very fast and Squeaky!

In fact, they sound like a baby's or a dog's
squeaky toy!

They have been around on and off for a few
years now.

One year they branch they were nesting in came down in a storm.  They have held a special place in my heart ever since!

  I was SO happy to see this the other day--->

Both the male and female were excavating
the cavity.

I can't tell them apart, but there were two of them
doing the work, taking turns.

Acrobatic and adorable. Squeaking while they worked.

  Doing what Nuthatches do, hanging upside down and excavating a nest cavity with their tiny little beaks.  Spitting sawdust chunks everywhere!














  And then along came THIS guy!--->

He saw a perfect place to build his nest cavity
by enlarging an already started hole!

He is a Red Bellied Woodpecker and is at least three times the size of my Nutty little friends.

  But HOW could you be mad at this sweet face?

He began calling for a mate to come and join him in his Tree Palace.

There has been a female hanging around all winter.

I hope they don't pass like two ships in the night.

And so he waits.  And calls to her, and waits some more.







 Nature is funny that way.

It's hard to know who to route for.

I just love them all.

~Naturegirl55

The Music of the Spheres

If you listen carefully, you may begin to hear,
The Universe vibrating out the music of the spheres.

The Hum, the Hush, the Rush of particles in space,
The ancient song of mermaids, the sound that stardust makes.

The vacuum of space allows for unrestricted flow.
Sound, vibration, notes and tone emitted long ago

Traverse the void of nothingness that's filled with mystery,
Delivered to our collective Soul, from tomes of history.

An angel's voice, a loved one passed, a message on the wind,
A whisper of eternity that roars above the din.

There is a buzz, a rhythm, that lies within as well.
It's beckoning and calling us to listen to It tell

The story of akashic scrolls, of annals hidden, cloaked.
Faint tidings of old memories, that only time bespoke.

This living, breathing earth we ride is part of All That Is.
Waters, winds, and lightening storms, insects and whales' spout fizz,

Sweet birdsong, chirp, beast's bleat or bark, is bliss to one who "hears".
Together all of us compose the music of the spheres.



   

There's a Lot Going On Out There!

 Ospreys and vultures are all part of the culture
in the peaceful confines of my yard.

 When I'm feeling low, I know just where to go,
to the quiet repose of the yard.

 There's a graceful Blue Heron, in my piece of Heaven
in the stream that defines the backyard.

 He fishes at will, using just his sharp bill
like a spear as he stabs at them hard.


I sit with the birds, not a harsh word is heard,
just whistles and peeps and the wind.

 They don't care if I cry or just sit and sigh
they've forgiven me all of my sins.

 My social network, each have a quirk,
be it feather, scale, fur, shell or fin.

 In the morning or eve, I can laugh, sing or grieve,
no matter, I'll still fit right in.


 Blue Jays have nested, time and care they've invested
fighting crows off,  protecting their eggs.

 Turtles are sunning, I can hear the geese coming,
like a rowdy teen party with kegs!

 Tiny Bullet the Bunny, shoots by -very funny
as he tries out his brand new fast legs.

 Like a step back in time, and the words that I rhyme
of a simpler life, this scene begs.


 I'll always advise... "just go outside",
when your feeling a touch of the blues.

 Some they will drink, in the depths they still sink,
and some buy a new pair of shoes.

 Still others deny, while their whole life goes by,
wasting time having a snooze.

 For me its the trees, flowers and bees,
bugs, frogs and snakes are my muse.


 If you're feeling forlorn, take the bull by the horns
and go visit the chattering throng.

 Investigate spaces; dark, cool, shady places
where humans don't seem to belong.

 Follow the sounds, put your phone down!
You'll discover the Chickadee's song.

 And whatever you do, be apart of the "crew".
Your Spirit will lift before long.







 .

Explosion of Life

     Can't you just feel it in the air?  The buzz, the excitement of a brand new season of growth, birth, multiplication and possibilities is a whisper no more.  A chance for birds and beetles to procreate and secure their survival!  Buds and pods, eggs and cocoons, nuts and seeds all waiting for just the right moment.
     Bunnies and baby squirrels, tiny oppossums and raccoons all wait in their respective nests, huddled against the still chilly nights with their brothers and sisters.  Some are hairless and with no warm blankies to draw up against the windy and sometimes rainy elements.
     Some are early bloomers and some are early risers, but all are programmed with Nature's perfect timing.  Little alarm clocks are going off all across the yard and field,  silent to us humans but loud and clear to those with places to go, mates to woo, and important things to do, pollinate, hatch and discover.
     The flowers are all a-buzz, birds are all a-twitter, trees are all a-pouffe of powdery pollen. When I see that the Purple Martins have returned and I hear the familiar sound of wearing car brakes (the tseet-tseet-tseet of my pair of Blackpoll Warblers) then I know it's on!  Cabbage White Butterflies are the first to begin their fluttering dance.  The final piece in the puzzle is the intoxicating fragrance of wild roses wafting along the stream bed out back.
     As the season proceeds, more and more of our familiar Summer residents arrive.  Marge the Muskrat waddles around with mouthfuls of grass for her underground burrows.  Berry bearing trees fill with comical and exotic looking Cedar Waxwings as new bird songs fill the sweet blossom-perfumed air.  The first baby duckling has officially made his or her appearance and the three Robin hatchlings are bursting out of the mud nest already.
     Twitters, tweets and trills are a cacaphony of Spring music to accompany the swaying whoosh of breezes in the tree-zes.  :)  Birds are in an animated state of nest building, territory defending and nestling feeding.  And... in the cool evening dusk, as the frenzy of activity begins to subside, the treefrog and cricket orchestra commences.
     Take it in.  Find the fragrance in the air and follow it to discover it's origin.  Listen to the peeps and croaks and see from whence they emanate.  Tis the season of awakening for them and delicious discovery for us! 
     The Chrysalis of Spring has burst spilling feathers and petals, berries and leaflets, gossamer wings and raindrops down blessing the desolate Winter ravaged earth.  Enjoy the rapture of newness and let your senses soar!

The Healing Power of Animals

     So many times I have been inspired by stories people have told me about how their pets have helped them heal or came into their lives at a particularly difficult time.
     There is no doubt that they have a certain "something" that we lack.  Dogs seem to know when you're coming home, even if its a different time every day.  I have tested this and silently crept in to my house only to find the little furry mind-readers waiting and wagging.  There were no car door slams or windows for them to spy on me through.  Just pure love on four paws.  I'm sure cats are even more aware but they don't want you to think they care so much!
     So, are they psychic?  Are they just more able to focus than we are?  Are they less distracted by the world around them?  Are they more closely connected the the Creator than we are, or all of the above?
     Pets know when you are sick and curl up on your lap or your bed in support.  Animals are sensitive in ways we do not yet understand.  Dogs are employed to find bombs, drugs and missing people.  Many different species are helping us as service animals.  I've even seen a pygmy horse assisting a wheelchair bound human!   Are they so full of pure energy that they just really want to help us?                                                                                                                                                  
     Now, how can we tap into this?  Perhaps all we need to do is love them back and that will open the pathway, the flow of healing.  We know that laughter is the best medicine; that smiling actually releases endorphins (those healing, stabilizing hormones).  I've heard that petting your cat can do the same thing!  All of this used to be "hocus-pocus" but is now backed by science.
     Anyone who has pets will tell you that they can be very funny!  They seem to do it on purpose.  They are very fast learners and it is possible that they just enjoy our laughter or feel the response as pleasant, but I think they know exactly what they're doing!  I had a pig once who would tug on my pantleg cuff and try to get me to chase her around the barnyard! (Which I, of course, did.)  She was a character!
     I would like to take this a step further.  I think it is no accident that animals come into your life at the perfect, divinely directed time.  Those of us who believe there is a grand scheme to the Universe, a Divine Design if you will, would not find this to be a stretch.  Maybe the critters are even in on it!  They seem to show up "by accident" or "needing a home".  Even if you go out seeking a pet, you never know who you'll find and at precisely the right time.  All of my dogs, cats, birds, turtles and barnyard adoptees have come to me unexpectedly.  Are they dependent upon us or are they here for us, in support of us?
     Animals not only help heal us individually with their comfort and companionship, but they might save the next generation as well.  I am very concerned about kids in this society not learning empathy.  They are bombarded with disturbing images in the form of bloody, violent games, music and movies that I believe callous their feelings and make the occasional horriffic crime seem commonplace and expected; sometimes even funny.  If the "bad guys" are heroes and cruelty to humans and animals is justified how will they learn compassion?
     Animals on the other hand cannot help but teach us patience, (when they have an accident on the rug), forgivness (when they come running right back to you after you trip over them or step on their tail).  Loyalty is demonstrated when your dog guards your children and the yard.  Responsibility is a huge lesson sometimes difficult to instill in the "young'ns" without the help of a hungry, doe-eyed furball anxiously waiting to be fed. 
     Horses don't take any guff from you, bees are amazing communicators, monkeys show us a sense of community, cats have mastered "the art of self ", ducks will eat anything you give them and not complain (unlike kids)!  Bears take their naps when they're supposed to, birds of a feather flock together!  (Just threw in that last one to see if you're still awake!)
     Animals can heal the world if we let them!  The world sure needs some healing, so let's listen to them!