sunsets Archives - Owl Medicine: Shamanic Healing

November Sunsets

For all the wild and wooly wind and rain that thrashed through our area earlier today, Karl, Pacha, Brutus, and I still managed to get a walk in. And oh my – there’s just something so exquisitely Maxfield Parrish about November sunsets.

The colors and cloud configurations we witnessed made it seem as if we were walking inside a kaleidoscope, they shifted and changed so fluidly before our eyes. When we first set out, I was smitten with what appeared to be a massive cloud raptor rising in the east, reflecting the pinky-peach rays of the sun that was just barely sinking below the horizon in the opposite direction. When I looked at the photo, I was shocked to see the pointy chin and just-a-little-creepy expression of a devilish looking man on the right.

Cloud Raptor and “Onlooker” – Photo: L.Weikel

Hawks Abounded

Our walk was littered by several substantial chunks of dead tree branches. Swirling gusts of wind were still with us, mostly high up in the treetops, rushing and whooshing and occasionally making us wonder if we should take cover.

Hawk 1 – Photo: L. Weikel

But the best part of this walk, in concert with the colors and clouds, were the three hawks that were swooping and diving, soaring and skimming the field beside us. We think they may have been Sharp-shinned Hawks. Whatever type they were, they put on a joyful aerial display, riding the gusts and quite obviously playing with (or showing off for) the others.

Hawk 2 – Photo: L. Weikel

Watching them play, I was reminded of the Red-shouldered Hawks that were so raucous in the springtime, doing their mating dance right in front of me for the first time in my memory. Well – they are back, literally waking us up every morning for the past week or so. Shrieking from the treetops literally outside of our bedroom windows.

Needless to say, our bird feeders have been a bit like a ghost town recently!

Hawk 3 – Photo: L. Weikel

What’s the Message?

I have to wonder. Honestly, I’ve been inundated with Hawk medicine lately! What a gift – and what a challenge to discern what we’re being asked to pay attention to.

How am I supposed to write with this on my arm? Photo: L. Weikel

(T-13)

Hummingbird at our porch feeder – Photo: L. Weikel

Porch-Vacating Heat

Even though they called for it, I’m still trying to wrap my head around just how hot and muggy it was today. By the late afternoon and early evening, the atmosphere was unbearable and I had to go inside. Reluctantly. Dripping with sweat, but nevertheless dragging my feet.

I’m probably a bit weird. (As if you hadn’t figured that out yet; amiright? My façade is so well-maintained.) As I was saying, I’m probably a bit weird, but I adore sitting, writing, talking, reading, working, musing, Medicine Card picking, bird-watching, and all around being on our porch.

It’s a bit odd, too, since the porch isn’t exactly roomy. And our house is sort of close to the road. I guess I’m saying it’s not a perfect porch. Not even close.

Our Porch

But it’s our porch. And so many good times have been had on that porch, so many beautiful sunsets have been viewed, so many games of hearts played, so many hummingbirds, crows, chickadees, downy woodpeckers, cardinals, fish crows, indigo buntings, mourning doves, pileated woodpeckers, wrens, blue jays, catbirds, house finches, red breasted woodpeckers, goldfinches, red winged blackbirds, sparrows, and both red tailed and sharp-shinned hawks (keeping the populations of the aforementioned in check) have been celebrated and excitedly welcomed from our porch.

We’ve also enjoyed squirrels (OK, maybe ‘enjoy’ is overstating it a bit when it comes to squirrels), chipmunks, deer, foxes, turkeys, opossums, raccoons, groundhogs, garter snakes, bunnies, bullfrogs, skunks, tree frogs, snapper turtles, and box turtles from the vantage point of our porch. I’m sure I’m leaving some critters out. I’d include weasels but the weasel that ran up to me so many years ago was actually out back behind our barn. Since I didn’t view it technically from our porch, I’m not including it in that list.

So Much Life – Just Off the Porch

Now do you get a sense of why our porch is simply the best? It’s better than a zoo. (Doesn’t even compare. I really don’t like zoos. But that’s another conversation.)

And beyond all those creatures mentioned above, we’re also surrounded by grass, trees, moss, hostas (also known as deer food), wild flowers, and bushes. All viewable from our porch.

I tend to gravitate to the porch, and spend a considerable amount of my time at home on it, from roughly mid-March through early December. So for me to abdicate my domain – you know it was hot, humid, and unequivocally miserable.

The Reprieve Arrives

And now, as I sit here on the couch writing this post, the close and exceedingly bright flashes of lightning and deep rumbles of thunder that began about half an hour ago have paved the way for a downpour, the promised reprieve. Ah – great. All the electricity just went out and I’m sitting here in the pitch black of the night. Except for the lightning.

Which of course, it now dawns on me…means no internet connection. Great.

I’m thinking it may be time for me to go to bed. I will post this as soon as I am able.

Here’s hoping this storm marks the end of this heat wave.

(T-859)