Blog ~ Ruffled Feathers

Thoughts, ideas, perspectives, ruminations. If we make it through life without ruffling a few feathers, have we really lived?

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Stupendous – Day 1085

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Walk-Around – Photo: L. Weikel

Stupendous

I don’t think it’s hyperbolic for me to say that the fall foliage this year is utterly stupendous. With our rolling hills and twisty-turny back roads here in Pennsylvania, it’s not only possible but likely you’ll encounter one breathtaking scene after another.

It’s funny how our perceptions are relative. We have one field in particular that we pass on our walk-arounds (the two mile trek) that we often used to gauge the overall quality of the foliage any given year.  There used to be a magical tree in the midst of this field, and it was always more colorful, ethereal, and perfectly proportioned than any of the other trees. Sadly, I think it was about ten years ago now that that tree died.

But we still delight in the bank of trees lining the far edge of this field close to High Rocks.

With the abundance of spectacular color this year almost everywhere you look, I was a tad disappointed with the trees in ‘our spot.’ Nevertheless, while perhaps slightly muted in comparison, I still felt compelled to document their beauty. I’m glad I did – and I’m also glad I zoomed in on a few of the trees. It wasn’t until I actually paid attention to the details of the particular trees that I actually took in and appreciated the exquisite beauty right underneath my nose.

Stupendous – Photo: L. Weikel

Too Much of a Good Thing

Which makes me wonder if it really is possible to have too much of a good thing. When we lose perspective and think that every day is going to be blue skies, or when we start to take for granted the voice of the wind or the songs of crickets, the wild artistry of sunsets, or the protection of owls, we become dull. It starts to get harder for the magic to penetrate our preconceptions.

Is it possible that this might be true of our relationships, too? If we’re lucky enough to have one or two – or maybe even five or six – people in our lives with whom we can share our deepest, truest, most intimate selves and still be loved and cherished, is it possible to lose perspective? Because of our good fortune, is it possible to become dismissive? Is iwe may come to feel that that level of friendship and intimacy is far more easily obtainable than it really is?

And what if we look at those deepest friendships with more attention to the sweet and endearing details? Do they regain the vibrancy and life force that the closeup of the trees did, when I zoomed in on them?

Appreciating What We Have

I guess I’m feeling a pull to appreciate the loveliness (and love) that surrounds me. Perhaps I’ve lost sight of the utter charm of the details because I’m so profoundly fortunate in so many ways. There’s just sooooo  much goodness in the people around me I hold dear.

(T-26)

Halloween – Day 1084

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Spooky House! – Photo: L. Weikel

Halloween

My family was in a pumpkin carving mood this year and I’m the richer for it! I adore the look these translucent gourds bring to our old house. We look the part of the spooky haunted house for Halloween. Bwahahahah!

I’m simply going to offer the bounty of carvings that were created this year to entertain you in your morning perusal of my post.

My Contribution

My job was roasting the seeds that we extricated from the pumpkins. Yum. It’s a simple task, actually. First, of course, separating the seeds from the stringy orange innards, then rinsing them in cold water. I then line a cookie pan with foil and spray it with olive oil. I spread the seeds out onto the pan and sprinkle either sea salt or Spike on the glistening seeds. I’ve occasionally been known to sprinkle cayenne pepper on them as well. I put them in the oven at 350 degrees and roast them for about 10-15 minutes. I then stir them and flip them and swirl them all around, and then pop them back in the oven for another 10 minutes or so.

While I know they’re absolute calorie bombs, I’ve been sneaking them nonetheless. There’s something inherently powerful in the act of ingesting something that’s filled with the potential for growth and new life. It feels especially powerful to both eat the seeds in a sacred manner (i.e., when not sneaking them), consciously focusing your awareness on the creative energy latent in that tiny package, and engaging in this deliberate ingestion of energy at the time of the new moon.

How powerful (and delicious) it will be to infuse whatever projects, ideas, or intentions you set at this new moon (arriving this Thursday, November 4th) with the power of Mother Earth’s pumpkin seeds.

One Other Thing

Finally, please don’t forget to join me in our one small act to counteract the effects of climate change. Yes, believe it or not, November will be upon us in the blink of an eye. Don’t forget to engage in the Essence of Perelandra (EoP) Biodiversity Process sometime during Monday, November 1st. It’s only five minutes (at the most) out of your life and yet it promotes our unique relationship with and awareness of the forces of Nature and manifests an intention to keep it all together and functioning in balance by counteracting the effects of climate change.

Wishing you all a sacred Samhain.

T’s Cauldron – All photos: L. Weikel

(T-27)

Wild Weather – Day 1083

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Simply Stunning (Day Before Wild Weather) – Photo: L. Weikel

Wild Weather

Today’s wild weather reminds me a bit of the storm we had ten years ago right around now that dumped a whole lot of snow on us. Because it came so early in the season, the trees still retained an abundance of leaves, which made the heavy, wet snow especially damaging. Not only did we lose the stunning fall foliage too early that year, but massive branches and sometimes entire trees also succumbed to the weight of the snow and the sheer power of the wind.

I’m not even sure why I’m thinking about that vulnerability at the moment. Maybe it’s just sitting here listening to the wind rattle our shutters and cause the maples, ash, black walnut, and shagbark hickory trees surrounding us to groan and creak.

It makes me wonder whether the trees ever remember those other times – when as bad as this weather is, it was worse.

Ascension Sunset – Photo: L. Weikel

Slogging Through Rain and Memories

Karl and I went to a high school production tonight, the first one we’ve been to in probably ten years, maybe eleven. Not only did it bring back a cascade of memories from the nearly twenty years of school productions that included our sons, it was also one of our first forays out into a crowded public place in nearly two years.

It was a mixed bag, to be honest. A lot of people weren’t wearing masks. But even before we encountered people in an enclosed space, to get into the high school itself we had to race across a huge parking lot in wind-driven rain that instantly soaked us, in spite of our rain gear. The school’s parking lots were wall-to-wall cars. We were startled to see police on hand to direct traffic, but it all made much more sense when we asked someone which building to go into and heard there was a football game taking place as well.

Just the thought of attending a football game in that weather made me feel old. No thanks.

The production itself was fun and well done, and the cast clearly took great delight in finally getting back up on stage after the pandemic hiatus. There’s a palpable exhilaration that exudes from a cast that enjoys playing together. It’s been a long time since I basked in that feeling as a member of an audience.

So much going on in this… Photo: L. Weikel

Life is Different

I know it’s trite for me to say, “life is different.” I mean, seriously. Duh. But even just driving to and from the production, things felt shifted, somehow. Moved to one side. Perhaps it was the weather. Maybe it was the prospect of the impending reversion back to standard time lingering in the back of my mind. Just the thought of it getting ‘this dark’ an hour earlier had a chilling effect on my mood.

But then, once again, the whipping wind, pouring rain, and tree limbs littering the roadway somehow reconnected me with the primal reality that we so often forget when tucked inside our cocoons.

I have no photos of the wildness of tonight. But I’m happy to share some of the photos I took yesterday of a ravishingly captivating sunset.

Honestly, I don’t even know where to begin with these photos. I probably could’ve just as easily skipped all my words tonight and simply shared these images. They evoke something within me that verges on…I don’t even know what. Something else. A reality decidedly a few clicks away from ‘this’ one.

(T-28)

Zoomie Casualty – Day 1082

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Butter Wouldn’t Melt In Their Mouths – Photo: L. Weikel

Zoomie Casualty

That didn’t take long, did it? I wrote about the ‘zoomies’ but two short nights ago and have already sustained a zoomie casualty. What’s that oft-used phrase popular in the vernacular? “F*#% around and find out?” Yep. That’s it.

Well, the pups did – and we found out.

It happened so quickly it was akin to a lightning strike. Our eyes met. Karl and I, although on opposite sides of the room, both knew immediately what that thud meant. It meant that the pups, in the midst of their zoomies (which we were only just starting to realize might be a normal thing and not some dietary anomaly) had tangled with the charger cord to my laptop and whisked the machine from its esteemed perch on a tray table and crashed it to the floor.

“I’m not going to look,” I said to Karl as I picked the laptop up off the floor. “Broken or not, there’s nothing I can do about it tonight. So whatever its status, it’ll hold until tomorrow. Truth be told, though? I could see the charger cord light was still on, so I took that as a good sign. I told myself the laptop was unscathed and I’d be pleasantly surprised in the morning.

Sadly, that turned out to be wishful thinking.

Could’ve Been Worse

The next morning revealed a disappointing fact: while the charger obviously was still getting juice from the wall, it was no longer effectively transmitting it to the machine. The black screen remained unresponsive, even when I pressed the power button. A brief (oh-so-brief) flicker of life appeared in the form of a light underneath the power button, but it faded with but a whimper of effort.

I checked my warranty – the super duper extended version had expired in January of this year. My only recourse was to take it to a local repair shop.

Enter D’town Tech. It turned out that the zoomie casualty was indeed the charger. This was confirmed by Taylor, who kindly recharged my battery long enough to properly close everything down. After  that, I went on a hunt for a charger and discovered they are not as easy to find as one might think – yet another victim of the dreaded Covid shortages.

Just More Fun

After more running around than I would’ve liked, I ended up ordering it off Amazon. But that left me with the dilemma of giving a Wagon (a group journey as part of my ongoing Shamanic Caravan) with a totally different machine.

Those of you who’ve been reading my blog throughout this 1111 Devotion know that technological wizardry is not my forté. Initially I ran into the same problems I’d had in the beginning of this project, which was the machine deliberately ‘canceling’ the ‘noise’ of the rattle.

But I’m delighted to report that I figured it out. I didn’t panic. And the Wagon went off without a hitch.

Well, no. That’s not entirely true. I forgot – 7:00 p.m. (the Wagon’s start time), is also the ‘witching’ time for Pacha and Brutus to begin their crazy-antic running around ritual.

Let’s just say tonight’s journeyers received an extra layer of practice in conducting their work with – and without – distractions.

Tired Brutie – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-29)

Trouble – Day 1081

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Trouble – Photo: L. Weikel

Trouble

Look at the photo above. Brutus is flirting with disaster. And Cletus is providing an almost irresistible target. No matter which way you look at it, trouble seems to be the most probable outcome.

While the expression on Brutus’s face is kind of cute, the energy of this photo sort of captures how I’m feeling at the moment. I don’t know about you, but I’m finding it almost physically painful to even look at headlines.

With all the harbingers of a truly horrific downfall of our country beating us over the head, day after day, I am gobsmacked that a handful of people are essentially holding us back from taking a huge leap forward in reclaiming our status as an enlightened country. It literally hurts my heart to contemplate how selfish and bought these so-called representatives (Senators) are to be refusing to allow progressive ideals even the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives.

Honestly, I find myself without words and feeling despair in my heart.

Anyone Else?

It just feels like we’ve been through so much – and there’s no respite, no blue sky. We never get the chance to see our ideas and ideals implemented. We never get to see what exercising compassion at the root of our country’s actions would yield.

And all the while, the rich not only get richer – they get obscenely richer. And two people who profess to be part of the party that wants to implement change for the vast majority of our country – just two – have the power to derail what millions of people voted for last year.

There’s no point in me even writing about any of this. I know. And that simple fact takes my breath away.

That Light

I don’t know why I’m compelled to write from such a dismal place this evening. Thank goodness I’ve had puppies to focus upon lately, I guess. Because Spartacus’s sudden death knocked the wind out of me. And the utter intransigence we’re witnessing in Washington D.C. right now is having a similar effect. It’s sucking the hope right out of my sails.

The light I think so many of us felt last November is turning out to be, in all seriousness, the headlight of an oncoming bullet train that’s going to demolish the United States – at least the U.S. we were raised to believe we were.

I feel powerless to stop it and – damn, I have to say – I loathe feeling powerless.

Something needs to change. The system as it exists now has been so corrupted by dark money (and light money – and money of every shade in between) that the country we thought we had no longer exists. And if hope is extinguished in most of us?

Trouble will have found its home.

Beauty in spite of it all – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-30)

Zoomies – Day 1080

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Puppy Pile Post-Zoomies – Photo: L. Weikel

Zoomies

I think the first time I ever heard the term was when my friend Anita used it. Honestly, I can’t remember if she used it to describe the behavior of her own dog or of Spartacus, but I know I knew immediately what she meant. There’s a particularly unique and specific behavior that the term ‘zoomies’ references, and there’s no question: you know it when you see it.

For those of you who don’t have family members of the canine persuasion, ‘zoomies’ are when a dog gets especially riled up (or excited to see that you really, really did come home and didn’t abandon them to the horrible murderers they imagined would come and take them away while you were at the store) and runs around like a maniac. Indeed, the jubilant celebration that occurs often entails the dog in question taking off and zooming around the yard (or through the house), taking unbelievably sharp curves and tearing about so fast that their hindquarters are almost dragging on the floor behind them.

Zoomies are both hilarious and slightly disconcerting.

Tigger: “I’d Never Do Zoomies” (he’s lying) – Photo: L. Weikel

Feline Version

Before I get in trouble with my die-hard cat people (and I count myself a member of that group as well), I will admit that kittens and cats have their own form of zoomies as well, and they are quite amusing. But, in my experience, dog zoomies (and especially puppy zoomies) are particularly distinctive.

Seeing a Pattern

It’s only been within the past couple days or so that a pattern’s started emerging. In fact, the first couple of times the pups went on a tear we tried blaming it on their food. Was it the new kind of hard kibble I gave them, which was different than the plain old Purina puppy chow their original family fed them? Better change it. Nope. They seemed to react the same way to a second brand of kibble.

The first couple of instances were also at varying times of the day (hence my connecting the behavior to when I gave them their crunchy food). We also had a day or two interspersed in there when we didn’t notice it happening.

Brutus Zonked – Photo: L. Weikel

But over the past few days, the zoomies have become an evening ritual. In fact, it hasn’t even mattered that they’ve walked – all by themselves – a full-on walk around (the two miler)! We thought they’d be exhausted after those. But no. It was almost as if walking the usual circuit wound them up like mechanical toys. So instead of falling asleep when we got home, they went bonkers. It’s becoming a 7:00 p.m. ritual.

Capturing the Madness

I desperately wish I could post a video here in the blog for you to witness these bouncing-off-the-walls antics because I swear you’d think these video clips were running in fast forward.

The zoomies seem to last about half an hour. The behavior during these tears runs the gamut of streaking, tackling, tumbling, biting, pinning, and and their vocalizations can border on the terrifying. They sound like they’re going to rip each other to shreds. The cats, understandably, seek higher ground during the onslaught.

It’s been a long time since Spartacus got the zoomies, and he mostly seemed to get them outside, when he was glad to see one or the other of us pulling in the driveway. We’re growing accustomed to how these almost feel like necessary growing pains. Our babies are growing up before our eyes.

Alas, while I cannot share the clips of them mid-zoom (but promise I’ll try to snag some stills mid-stride), I can offer some photos of them once they’ve spent their energy. Yes, eventually they do stop. And it’s often so sudden, it almost feels as though someone removed their battery packs mid-streak.

They’re a total hoot.

Pacha Zonked – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-31)

Stuff I Forgot – Day 1079

Posted on by Lisa Weikel 2 Comments
Playful Pup – Photo: L. Weikel

Stuff I Forgot

You knew it would happen – or probably could’ve guessed. (Yes, yes; I know.) I knew it would be an effort. And there would be days fraught with challenges. But we did it 17 years ago! We were still a bustling household with two sons still living at home. Soccer games, musicals, all sorts of extra-curricular activities dominated our time. I was commuting to Philadelphia back then, for heaven’s sake; and traveling to The Netherlands for training. We even did it again four years later. Ooooh, but there was stuff I forgot.

I’d say mostly it’s the little stuff. But there are some bigger things too. The bigger things are all mostly associated with the adrenaline that floods my system when I see Pacha bolting after the ever elusive Cletus, ignoring every single, “Come!” I may shout.

Cletus likes to act like the Pied Piper and lead the puppies into the small patch of woods beside our garage. I swear he’s doing it on purpose, and sometimes I wonder if his intentions are even more nefarious than just getting them lost or yelled at.

Pacha tuckered out after our walk – Photo: L. Weikel

Big Stuff

I’d say most of the big stuff I sweat has to do with Pacha and Brutus’s safety, which of course is directly tied to their lack of discipline. We’ve been diligently working with them to at least get the basics down: Come; sit; stay.

Sadly, it seems some days I’m the one who needs to re-learn these commands, because it feels like we’re going backwards. For instance, when we first brought them home, the pups came to us all the time. They responded to, “Come!” like rock stars. Now? Not only don’t they come; they run in the other direction.

(And no, we don’t chase them. But sometimes we do feel like we’re the fools.)

Indeed, Pacha in particular has quite the sassy attitude. She literally talks back when I’m trying to train her to do something. I don’t know if she thinks I’m joking around or if she just thinks she looks cute getting into the classic yoga position of ‘down dog,’ her butt high in the air.

Their response to “Sit,” is fairly consistent. And I have to admit, on today’s walk they were pleasingly obedient when we told them to get “over” and “sit” when a car approached.

Little Stuff

And then there’s the ‘little stuff.’ Such as? Such as trying to figure out what to do when the puppies are encountering their first thunderstorm, with its attendant copious amounts of rain.

While they both sat up straight, roused from sleepy reverie when they heard their first crack of thunder (here at our house, anyway), they did not act fearful. OK, they may have burrowed a little deeper into their snuggles, but overall, they didn’t tremble or whine or act inordinately fearful.

But a good example of the small stuff to which I’m referring is getting them to do their business when it’s raining. Oh my goodness. Even without rain falling on their short, sensitive Boston Terrier coats, they often have to be coaxed to come down off the porch a minimum of six times (at least) before they’ll leave a deposit and make it ‘all clear’ for us to head to bed. But now that it’s raining?

Not. Happening.

It’s not like they’re so well trained about going to the bathroom outside to begin with. But adding the rain seems to be the death knell to progress on that score. They look at me and, quite literally, I feel like they’re both saying, “Why in the world would we do anything outside when we can do it in here, in this warm and dry indoor climate, and you just clean it up?” I suppose they have a point.

Growing All the Time

They’re still babies. And we’re still new parents (again), trying to remember how strict we were ‘back in the day’ to have caused Sheila to be as good a girl as she was, in spite of how busy we were.

Something tells me Sheila never talked back with anything near the intensity of Pacha. And I think she always jubilantly responded when we said, “Come.” Ultimately, though? I have faith in our process together.

And darn it if their cuteness doesn’t make up for a multitude of sins.

How do I get anything written? – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-32)

He Shows Up – Day 1078

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
He Shows Up – Photo: L. Weikel

He Shows Up

It’s hard to describe how much it means to me to have all my kids together at the same time. This weekend was one of those rare treats. Of course, no matter what, there’s always a hole in the fabric of any such gathering because Karl isn’t here. And while it’s not as if we act all maudlin and morose, there’s not a one among us who doesn’t think about him every day – but especially when we’re together. And then, miraculously – inevitably – he shows up.

The weather today lent itself especially to hanging out together and enjoying a fire. The creative juices were flowing and there was some serious pumpkin carving artistry taking place. Puppies reveled in the attention they were receiving from every direction.

Besides our conversations (which, to be honest, mostly centered on Pacha and Brutus), the crackling and popping voice of the fire was the primary sound track of our day.

Brutus & Pacha on a walk 24 Oct 2021 – Photo: L. Weikel

Did You Hear That?

Just as the afternoon was starting to grow some shadows, a couple of us perked up and shushed the others. “Did you hear that?” we asked together. It was the weirdest sound – a chirruping that did not sound familiar at all.

Movement down by the barn caught my eye and Sarah cried out, “It’s a raccoon! Look!”

Sure enough, a raccoon had just slipped into our barn. I barely made out the tip of its tail before it, too, disappeared into the dark innards of the deep red outbuilding. None of us were quick enough on the draw to snap a photo, but we all had to smile. “He had to make an appearance.”

The raccoon continued to make its plaintive cry, though. Only a minute or two later, it poked its head back out the barn door, then hopped out and scurried/waddled around the corner and past the compost pile. Oddly, it didn’t even hesitate at the pile. That usually has treats for all comers of one stripe or another.

Compelled to Follow

The appearance of this lovely, robust raccoon on a perfect fall day when ‘all of us’ are gathered together felt important. Significant.

Yes, we have raccoons that live around here. But it is rare to have them show up during daylight hours, calling a plaintive cry, and clearly on a mission. I felt compelled to follow it and see if I could see what it was doing and where it was headed.

Making sure the puppies were otherwise distracted, I headed out behind the barn. I meandered around the islands of wavy wild grass and the burial mounds of Sheila and Spartacus. I checked out the cherry tree Karl had nearly killed as a young kid.

And then I heard it. What a strange sound. Beyond the Weeping Willows and the eldest Sycamore tree, I heard a sound I can’t even write about phonetically. It was soft at first, and then I caught sight of the raccoon crossing the small creek at the back of our property. It was close – and it stopped and faced me as I realized we were going to encounter each other face-to-face.

It looked right at me and called out its plaintive cry. For the life of me, she sounded like a mommy, calling for her babies. Her coat was thick and beautiful, her eyes bright and her ears perky and aware. Her tail jerked expressively in time with her vocalizations.

Mommies and Babies

This raccoon spoke to me directly twice. It wasn’t afraid; it was demanding. On one level, I do believe it was looking for its babies. On another level it was serving as a messenger to tell me even my baby who’s no longer in a physical body is nevertheless here. Now. Reminding me – no, insisting that I acknowledge: when we need him most, he shows up.

And when I walked back up to the house, marveling at my mystical encounter? After looking at the video and live photos I’d taken (complete with audio), Tiffany gestured toward the pumpkin seed heart she’d found while I was behind the barn.

There are no coincidences. Messages surround us. As much as we miss Karl, I have no doubt he misses us as well and wants us to know: he’s with us in spirit.

Yeah, we love you too – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-33)

Tigger’s Protest – Day 1077

Posted on by Lisa Weikel 2 Comments
Chill Til – Photo: L. Weikel

 Tigger’s Protest

One unexpected consequence of the arrival of Pacha and Brutus has been Tigger’s protest and the manner in which it manifests. While Cletus has been brutally frank in his intolerance of these interlopers, there’s actually been a form of détente reached. It’s rather astonishing to see Cletus greet the pups with a playful, “Mrrrrow” when he sees them on the porch – and even deign to a dance of mutual nose-and-butt sniffing.

Of course, the sniffing is always fraught with the potential for escalation. The seemingly innocuous (and almost deceptively friendly) greeting can devolve into a fracas at the slightest whiff of the lack of proper deference being offered on the part of the puppies. Cletus demands deference.

The weird thing is, Cletus slashed at both of them the first couple of days, especially when they played or even just existed anywhere near his food. And when I say slashed, I mean it. He drew a few fine scratches on both of them. This makes his acceptance of them now all the more puzzling.

Dreaming Brutie – Photo: L. Weikel

Back to Tigger

Tigger, on the other hand, has been the epitome of patience. They tackle him and act all fierce, wriggling their butts in the air and barking little yips at their erstwhile big brother. They practice ferocity on Tigger. And as they grow bigger and bigger, and obviously feel more and more comfortable in their new home, their bullying only grows worse.

But beyond the bullying is the distraction they provide. Tigger has recently taken to slyly slipping out the kitchen door when we’re herding the puppies in or out. While he has always been permitted to come outside and sit around with us, especially taking up a watchful position beside me on the glider, he also knows he is not supposed to go off the porch.

While we’re obviously paying more attention to the little ones, Tigger is leaping off the back of the porch and stalking prey in the bamboo between us and the neighbor. Worse, however, is that just today I discovered two completely swollen ticks stuck to his neck. Ugh. I loathe them.

So for his trouble (or lack thereof), he’s getting eaten alive by blood sucking parasites and bullied by a pair of 12 week old puppies.

Hmm. That stinks.

Still Pretty Small – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-34)

Wise One – Day 1076

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Wise One – Photo: L. Weikel

Wise One

It’s hard to deny the existence of this Wise One. Of course, as always, arguments can be made that the distinctive attributes of this particular tree could be found anywhere, in anything. But I (characteristically) saw them coalesce into a distinctive Merlin-like face. I’d be willing to bet it jumped out at you, too.

At least one name for the ability to see faces in inanimate objects is pareidolia. But the fact that the definition specifically references inanimate objects makes me think it’s not the precise word I’m looking for.

I seem to remember a more specific term reserved for seeing Beings in animate objects, or at the very least, nature Beings. I can’t remember the term at the moment, and besides, I’m not particularly interested in the ‘scientific’ explanation for what I See.

Rather, I’m intrigued by what it might mean that some days these Beings are as clear and obvious to me as the nose on my face, while on other days, I simply do not see them.

Is it a simple reminder that the veil is thin and magic may be afoot? I suppose.

For Whatever Reason

For whatever reason, this old man made himself very obvious to me on our walk today. I can’t say that I achieved any particular insight on our walk, or managed to look at things from an especially unique perspective.

But he did stick with me.

I’m not sure, but I believe he wanted me to write about him tonight. All of which makes me wonder if it’s Nature’s effort to motivate people get out and commune with what’s real. I guess if that’s the only reason he appeared to me today, that should be more than enough. We need all the coping strategies we can get. And right now, I think it’s especially easy for us to forget how much we need our Nature connection.

Brutus & Lamb Chop – Photo: L. Weikel

In the Meantime

Not planning on giving up on my Puppy Streak anytime soon, I’m including these two shots. I don’t know why I feel compelled to include them in every post lately, but I’m just going to follow my intuition.

You have to admit, they bring a smile to your face – even if involuntarily.

You’re welcome. I’m delighted to share.

Tonight’s Puppy Snuggles – Pacha(kuti) facing us – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-35)