I hope the tree cutting mess is clearing up for you.....wild may be good, it can bring gifts as well as other stuffffff lol

hugs Jenna

We are located midway between Dallas and Fort Worth just south of I-30 which connects the two. Just north of I-30 is a former Safari Park area with considerable undeveloped area.

Two weekends ago, I was cleaning up a tree cutting mess when all of the birds feeding along our eastern fence line took immediate flight. I glanced over to see a large hawk landing in the middle of the feeding area. It was unsuccessful in capturing any of the smaller birds. It sat for a few seconds before flying up to a limb overhanging the feed area. It scoped out the area for about a minute before taking flight. We live in a residential neighborhood and this is the first time an occurence such as this has taken place in the 18 years we have lived here. We have seen hawks circling to our north and have noticed they have gradually been moving southward in the more populated areas.

A few nights later, we were sitting out back and saw a porcupine walking the top of our neighbor's fence. In talking with a neighbor two houses over from us, he said he had a racoon in his front yard one morning the week before as he was leaving for work.

Things are changing and the wild is slowing moving amonst us as we keep moving out into their areas.

Since you posted the Ladybug post, I started looking for Ladybugs. The first day or so was futile, finding not a one. On the third day, I found several and tried doing what you did. It works! Now I can find them without trying! I had forgotten about attuning oneself to our entire surroundings and making oneself aware of the littliest beings.....

  This past Wednesday, I went outside our ramp door at first break. I saw a ladybug which appeared to be dead laying in the shade on the concrete. I carefully picked it up and moved it to a spot in the sun further down the ramp. A co-worker came out to see what I was doing. We both proceeded back inside the main door and were talking when out of nowhere a ladybug landed on my arm. We both looked back to where I had moved the ladybug and it was gone. I took the one which was still on my arm and walked over to some shrubs where I managed to place it on a leaf. I cannot say the one which landed on my arm was the same one which I had moved into the sun ealier but it seems too much of a coincidence!

   A similar occurence happened again yesterday with two ladybugs. They were not moving and I placed them in the sun. After a minute or so, both began walking around and later flew off. We have had overnight temps in the 40s and daytime temps in the 60s. Apparently the ladybugs go into a type of hibernation state with the cooler temps and reactivate with the heating.

  A cold front passed through early this morning and it is only 78 degrees at 9:30 AM. A band of rain is approaching us about 150 miles out. We can only hope it holds together long enough to reach us. We had 8 tenths of an inch of rain this past week but we are so far down it barely made a dent in our shortfall.

  Our poor plants took a beating from our drought. The Morning Glories are still blooming along with our Hibiscus. The Peace Lilly, Datura, and a few hardy Sunflowers are doing their best tosurvive and have small buds.

   A large black and blue Butterfly and a handful of Honey Bees were working overtime trying to find any flowers to pollinate. I watched the Butterfly nosediving into what few flowers it could find which are deep trumpet type flowers. There just may be a bit of hope yet for the 2006 season!

   I was on break several weeks ago and noticed a hawk fly out of a tree near the creek behind our building. It used its wings to clear the tree and began spiraling.With each rotation it rose higher and higher. The only movement was an occasional kick of a leg to keep it within the heat current. When it had reached a god fifty feet above the tree, it began to move toward the north and continued rising without moving it's wings. The grace and beauty of it was a gift to behold. I was witness to a pair of hawks today gliding effortlessly and appearing to be suspended at times much like a kite.

   Ivey, what are whistle pigs?

Peace, love, and beauty

Ross                   

Hi,

Anybody got any input on the symbolism of whistle pigs? It's not unusual to see thm on the side of the roads-or more often than not- dead in the road.........but lately I've seen an unusual number of them-alive- and in groups..... Interprtations anyone?

                                   Love&Light,Ivey 

The stories that have been posted here are so moving.

When I have more time I will post some of my own experiences here too.

Thank you for sharing yours,

Shannon

  The first time I went to the Bohemian Sanctuary, five large black dogs greeted me at the gate. The acted like they were going to tear me apart. Ross came out and got them settled down as best he could and invited me in with, "they won't hurt you!" I rather gingerly entered the gate and lo and behold, they fought each other over my attention. At first, Sheppy backed off but as I was introduced to each one. When Sheppy's turn came for an introduction. her whole rear end began wagging from side to side. I learned her nichname was Wiggle Butt!

  I later learned that visit that she is very sensitive to people's energies and if she stays put, it was a good sign. With me, she stayed put and would vie for my attention alogside the others. I noticed with others, she would run into the back room and Ross had to coax her into going outside around whoever she did not like. She is quite a four footer and a special friend! My energies go out to her in this troubled time!

Blessings

Bluestar            

   As we were packing up from our Earth Day ecent yesterday, a half dozen Robins landed in the grass area next to our vehicles. A very appropriate sign for the first day of spring along with Earth Day!

Peace, love, and beauty

Ross                        

   Our favorite ant deterent is powdered cinnamon. When we go camping, we sprinkle the cinnamon around the tent entrances. We have no problem with ants in our tent. To keep them away from our food areas, we give them a food offering away from where we want them to go. This keeps them more than busy working on it and we get to prepare and eat our food in peace.

Peace, love, and beauty

Ross                   

In years past I was involved in a continuing battle with fire ants.  It seemed that everytime I went outside they bit me.  I have many scars on my feet from those bites.  I kept Diazonon around and regularly poisoned ant hills with it.  Three years ago, I moved to my current home - 5 acres dotted liberally with ant hills!  The war was on - hundreds of bites, dozens of bags of Diazanon.  All this while I devoted myself to a practice of prayer, healing work and teaching!!!  My husband counselled me against my war, but I wouldn't listen.  As last Spring approached, I finally saw the folly and destruction of these ways.  I sat by a particularly large ant hill at the base of a tree and poured out my heart.  I apologized for my acts and my thoughts.  I asked to start over - asked if we could be in right relationship with each other.  I pledged to honor the ants and their homes and asked for the same.  I left an offering of tobacco and an obsidian stone.  Immediately, everything changed. This year there were no ants in the house, the ant hills were smaller and fewer in the yard, there were no ants in the rose garden or near my outdoor bathtub or other well used places.  Most obvious,  for the first time in my life, I did not get bit by fire ants when I went outside - one day, I tripped  and actually fell into an ant hill.  I received one bite - the rest of the ants I brushed off me with no incident!  I am now living with and in appreciation for the ants on the land.  We all have a right to live and flourish.

  The year before the deer story, three of us were camped in the same spot at Enchanted Rock. The first night was uneventful but on the second night, we had a visitor. It showed up as I was cooking supper and made several passes at our grill. We chased it off but it would return within a few minutes, bolder than before. The grill was too high for it to reach as it was a pole with the grill extended off the top.

  We managed to eat supper with several passes made at the table while we were sitting there. I threw a bun off into the brush and it left us alone finally. Well afterwards, our guest was sitting at the table reading and I was off on a nature walk. I came back to find our visitor had climbed onto the bench on the far side of the table and was rumaging around. This while our camping guest was absorbed with reading. Our visitor saw me and grabbed a box of straws and took off through the brush. I tracked down the remains of the box by following straws which had fallen out. We had to secure the entire campsite that night and the following night. Several times during the night, we heard our visitor outside the tent flap trying to get inside where the food was.

Peace, love, and beauty

Ross               

http://www.care2.com/c2c/group/animalplanetfanatics

   I agreed to a co-host position with Graywolf this morning for the above group! If any of you might be interested, come on down and check it out!

Walk in Peace, Love, and Beauty

Ross                   

Once I/We lived at 4000 elevation in north cal.We were living in a tee-pee on 10 acres and a Humming bird built a nest in the tree near by,it's was very spiecial to watch.

But this year where I live now I saw Humming birds 3 diffrent times and they come buzzing really fast and then zoom away and this is in Nev.in my back and the front yard too.

The most recent thing that happened is I was driving home from the store and a Dove flew across my path and carrying a bunch of green grapes in beak,This happened last wenesday or so.And of coarse I thought this to be a sign and a very spiecial sight.

These are memories I charish and never forget

It is nearly 10 P.M. here in Texas on 10 November. I just walked our dogs outside and came back to our porch to look around. Something caught my eye in the bush just off the side of our porch. It was a hummingbird going crazy trying to hit every flower which is in bloom. Trust me when I say it had its task cut out for it as there are many tiny white flowers bloomed out right now. We have a cold front due in tonight and the temperatures are expected to drop in the mid 30s overnight the next several nights. The flowers will soon be gone so this apparently is a last ditch effort to get as much done as the poor little thing can accomplish. I watched it for a good five minutes before it disappeared out of the lit area.

Walk in Peace, Love, and Beauty

Ross                     

One day 2 springs ago I saw a deer while I was in the car with a friend. We were parked on the side of the road where we knew the deer came near sometimes.  It stopped a few yards away and stared right at me, I felt so much love, had been down all day and felt such healing and calm, it was just what I needed!  There was a definate, uniistakeable connection between us.  We communicated on the deepest level, and of course I said thank you.  That day I didn't have my camera though and haven't seen any deer there since.

Ariel

   Greystar, we have seen how animals react to you and I would not be suprised to one day hear of birds landing on your shoulders! Is it you who is blessed by their encounters or the animals with their encounters with you? Or both? We have seen that peaceful stillness you have when you coax Sheppy into circle!

Bright Blessings

Rave & Spirit  

  There were six of us on our last camping trip to our favorite sacred site! We arrived Tuesday evening and chose our favorite spot as the campground was empty. As we proceeded to set up camp, we were surrounded by 30-40 deer. They kept well off in the distance except for one stag who ventured to within about 30 feet of us. I threw a piece of bread toward him and he ignored it, preferring to study us instead. After about 30 minutes or so, he turned and wandered off taking the herd with him as he left.

   I was the first one up the next morning and had the coffee going when I heard something behind me. The stag had returned and had three does with him. I threw some bread crusts to the does and they readily accepted the treats. When they got within ten feet of me, the stag would stomp his hoof and they would retreat! Meanwhile, one of the others in our party had gottten up and saw what I was doing. They wanted to feed the deer and came racing up. The deer backed off big time and would not get any closer than 20 feet or so to the others.

   That evening, one of the does brought her fawn back to us. The others tried feeding the fawn and it would get to within about 15 feet of them before its mother would stomp her hoof causing it to retreat. The others tired of this and went about cleaning up for the day. I got some bread and tried feeding the fawn. It made it to within about a foot of my outstretced hand. I think I could have actually touched it had it not been for one of the others in our party racing up to see if she could do the same. The fawn backed off and again would not get within 10 feet of her.

   I was able to get a picture of the fawn the next day but just could not get it quite as close as that first time. I will see if I can get it scanned so that I can get it posted. Looking into those large black/brown eyes was something else.

   Animal rights groups have gotten a law passed to make it illegal to feed wild animals as we did in the above story. I see their point especially during hunting season and having animals lured with food up to the hunters! And there are those who would take advantage of that! This experience was a special gift for me and one I will carry in my memory for the rest of this lifetime!

Walk in Peace, Love, and Beauty

Ross        

the fire edges the snow

adding more twigs

it responds, encouraged

the north wind moves

clouds cloak the sun

crackling in the air

deep sounds, guttural

powerful sounds

sounds of change, growth

she arrives on the wind

screeching to a halt

she lands in the pine

head glistening in the sun

she surveys the whole

searching

i am spellbound

i wrap my wishes

open them to the flame

they dance in the smoke

descending to transform

i pray for relief

i pray for completion

i pray for forgiveness

they watch from the pine

the solution is formed

a shadow is cast

from above, spiraling

the call goes out

ascension begins

in union, in time

wings sail

well that didn't work very well  missed the whole middle of the poem        know that he has been living a full life

reminders of a past

another visitor arrives

from the south

circling the scene

evaluating the story

cries of passion, pain

releasing from within'

she lands on the pine

head glistening in the sun

she surveys the whole

searching

the river sings

cleansing flow

carrying the nourishment

running into Mother's arms

bringing with it

a third set of wings

down the river

sailing, effortlessly

trusting the guidance

she lands on the pine

head glistening in the sun

she surveys the whole

searching

the pine lightened

as the tears of knowledge

the answer made clear

i snub out the embers

the river bids adieu

i bow to the directions

thanking them

humbled by the gift

eagles and insight

healing and transmutation

gifts from a few

gifts for us all

~~*so mote it be*~~

errolwolf 2002 march

the need to hear

far from the west

the ritual by the river

twigs gathered

from the snowline

the blaze slices

crackles expand

heavy, the wings approach

from the east

over undulating hills

covered with ermine

carrying the prayer

of change, opening

hope of new insights

depths of perception

she lands on the pine

head glistening in the sun

she surveys the whole

searching

across the river

against the virgin white

a swath of red

Animals are such great teachers because they're so connected with nature and aren't as distracted as we are, though we are connected too we don't feel that signal as strongly as they do.

By the way, I LOVE frogs!  I love all animals but frogs are one of my favorites!  "Ribbitt!"

Sincerely, Ariel

Hey Roni, Where I live we see skinks all the time in the summer! A couple of months ago my ex was cleaning out the gutters of my house with my kids and they found a nest of skink eggs! They did displace them, dropped one and it hatched. It was so cool! I have a picture of it, but am not totally sure how to post it.

If any one can tell me how to get an image out of my pictures folder and into here I'll do it.                    Love&Light,Ivey