All Sentient Beings

Two Grandmother friends and I were enjoying a crisp, almost Fall, day at the Lagoon today while feeling joy feels as their two small dark gray wiry haired dogs were making new friends with each other. We were on a mission. Grandmother L.B. was to take pictures of me for publication. Where else but out in Nature to capture my true Spirit!



A man called out from around the bend of the Lagoon pathway. At first we did not respond, then each of us became alert to his call, "Hey Ladies, Hey Ladies".

We stopped our conversation, turned our heads and looked towards a gentleman dressed in loose fitting kaki pants and a greenish/gray tee shirt holding up a large silver colored fish. The man was grinning from ear to ear. The two other Grandmothers and I looked at each other and telepathically agreed to walk over to him to see his 'prize'.

Like a 10 year old boy, the man was elated that we came to see his glorious catch of the morning. He proudly displayed the silver fish, that Grandmother S.J. described immediately as a "catfish, because of his long whiskers" and a smile on her face, happy that she was able to identify the fish. Consequently, she was reminded of a time when she was a little girl in Florida and "they fried the catfish and it tasted really good." The man had a strong hold with his right hand on the fish at the neck and tail end forcing the fish's mouth to be open. The fish's gills were flapping open and shut very quickly.

Grandmothers S.J. and L.B. engaged the gentleman with ravenous reviews of his morning success and even that he 'had the right tools to cut the hook out of the fishes mouth" as the man cut the wire off the hook and grabbed the sharp hook with a tool and slide it out of the fish's opened mouth.  "Are you going to eat him?" asked Grandmother S.J. The man answered, "Naw, not today, its a cat fish, they are stocking the Lagoon with trout tomorrow." I cringed as the hook slid through the jaw line of the silver fish's mouth; simultaneously thinking about the enormous pain I incurred as I received a shot in the roof of my mouth just before getting a tooth extracted.

I stood by, quietly observing. And; grinding my teeth. Empathizing with Fish and his fear and the lack of air. Fish was so desperately quietly screaming out to all of us. After about 3 to 4 minutes Grandmother L.B. gently stated, "It looks like he is needing some air." I was ready to scream! The man looked at the fish. He looked at us. He stood there. The man said, "How big do you think he is, 18 inches?" I couldn't control myself any longer, "Let's throw a hook into your mouth, pull it out, and keep you from breathing." They all looked over at me. The energy changed from joy feels to a mix of anger, sadness, and confusion from all. I back peddled and said, "Are you going to eat him? " The man looked at the fish, mumbled something, and then with his right arm pulled all the way back and, with the fish dangling by his neck from the grip of the man's right hand, the man took a long shot and threw the fish into the water.

Everyone... except me,  seemed relieved the fish was back in the water and swimming away. Each chimed in"Where is he? Aww, look at him swimming back in the water." I was stunned by the image of the fish flying through the air and plopping back in the water. I said, "Does a fish fly? Don't you think that was traumatic for him?" The other two Grandmothers now stopped to think. Are they sentient beings? Do they feel anything? Does this whole act really hurt the fish?"

I take a breath now. I felt anger then, and I feel anger and sadness now. They are not mean people, non of them. They, like many humans on the Earth now, are a product of the insensitivity to all life on Earth. At different levels, however,  even a simple thing as "fishing" has lost the continuity of the wisdom of the Elders, passed down from generation to generation.

With respect and dignity we can wait for our food to present its self. With respect and dignity we can return another part of life back to where it belongs, in a gentle way.

With respect and dignity we can become one with Mother Earth and all living, animate and inanimate beings.

EARLY MORNING DEW

     It's August in the high desert. As I glance outside at 6am and I notice the shimmering of light reflecting off of the blades of green in my back yard. This year I have decided to let Nature be in control of the 1/2 acre of land I dwell on. 

My neighbors weed whack, lay down rock and spray herbicides, and carefully choose (control)  the plants they want to see when they awake with the 

morning dew.

On the other hand, my little piece of heaven is home to, well, seriously, I have no clue to the names of most of what is growing there. There are Cottonwood tree saplings and a few  young Mesquite trees. 

There are green thin plants that are 5 feet tall that have fuzzy tops and sway in the wind. There are very short yellow flowered communities who appear to be a haven for bees and flying insects looking for a succulent place for nourishment. Small winged things, moths maybe, butterflies (not monarchs) flitting through other green standing plants of different heights and widths. There are green standings with many leaves and seed pods ready to burst.

I call this a garden of Love. 

Others call it a stand of ugly Weeds.

   

WEEDS- Kind of like using the "N" word for plants. Others call them invasive species and they don't want them around their houses.

What is a weed? A weed is a plant someone doesn't want there. 

The Dictionary describes weeds as:

1) A valueless plant growing wild, especially one that grows on cultivated ground to the exclusion or injury of the desired crop. (Who determines Value? Most Weeds are medicine or food.

 2) Any undesirable or troublesome plant.

 

Makes me stop and think. Aren't we the invasive species? These plants lived here before humans came through with big bull dozers and clear cut it all down, trees and plants, to put in houses and streets. I would call that 'invasive'. 

 My preference is to leave a Green Planet for my

 great-grandchildren. 

My preference is to Love whatever grows there! 

Meet the Culture of Nature

Rock says, "I beckon you to go out and stand alone, yet not alone.
Even if you feel like you might fall.
I will be here for you stronger than ever, to support you!
Let the World see you!"

When was the last time you went outside, with nothing in mind and  found a plant, a tree, or a blade of grass and asked the Being, who are you? What do you need to live? What is missing in your life? What is good in your life? How do you communicate? Are there others who depend on you? 

When was the last time you stayed around long enough to hear her answer? All of Nature whispers to us all the time. Are we paying attention? If you went to another country would you listen and observe the people to know more about their culture? Of course you would! That is why you went there in the first place! You were curious about how others live, about who they and are very  interested in building a relationship with your new friends and discovering how you are connected. 

Do the same with parts of Nature. It's easy to do with an animate part of Nature such as a winged one or a four legged. They respond with voice and movement. Now, do it with inanimate parts of Nature. You will be amazed at what you will learn about yourself and your connection to all things on and in Earth! 

Blessings on your journey to discovering the Culture of Nature!  Discover Your Self! 

Grace or Discord- Your choice

It's Spring! We smile, we rejoice, and Nature is dancing. New life is here again, the cycle began at the Winter Solstice and day by day the seed began it's journey of transformation. In Spring we see the first signs of the new cycle, transformation, and hope for the future.
Otter teaches us to play and be joyful! As we begin our walk around the wheel of life joy and playfulness helps us get through some of the rougher challenges of growth. Re-member the process. We can reach our goals in Grace or discord. It is all-ways our choice.
The time now is to bud and joyfully await the blossoming of the newness of this cycle. Grow, Learn and then BE the result of the process. This is our journey.

Winter Whispers

Winter is in full force, even here in the Desert! You folks who think the Desert is a place of sand and unbearable heat are in for a surprise when you come to the Northern Desert. She speaks to us with her winds, her snow, her gray skies and intermittent warm rays of sun. The nights and days can very by 30 degrees or more!

The smell of wood burning from our fireplaces in our homes speaks to our hearts and the taste of hot chocolate and warm winter soup enlivens our bodies.

Winter is whispering to us and to all living things. We can hear stories of the Ancestors, learn the wisdom of the freeze. Winter is whispering to us of how we are on the wheel of life and beckons us to align ourselves with the part of the cycle we are now in. In December we, in the Northern Hemisphere, reached the point in the circle that signaled an end to the cycle. We now, in February, are a few steps around the circle signifying a walk towards Spring time, a new beginning. Now is the time for the preparation for this, to begin cultivating of our foundation to seed. Within the seed is all possibilities.

Winter is whispering to us that we have access to all possibilities and now is the time to acknowledge that and actively participate in the cultivation of our foundations for future projects, loves, and creations!