Vernal Equinox – ND #103

Posted on March 20, 2022March 20, 2022 by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment

Magical Sunset at the Vernal Equinox – Photo: L. Weikel

Vernal Equinox

Given that today was the Vernal Equinox, I guess it only stands to reason that it was a quintessentially typical ‘Spring day.’ What I mean is that the energy of the day as reflected in the weather was warm, sunny, blustery, cool, bright, sunny, dark and weighed down by slate gray billowing clouds.

By the time I finally finished the spectacular distance retreat I’d attended all weekend and got dinner started, the dogs were dancing around the kitchen with their legs crossed. They desperately needed a walk. Yes, I’d let them out at the breaks and played with them sporadically throughout the afternoon, but they’d saved their business for their daily walk and it was time to go.

There was something to this that made my heart flutter – Photo: L. Weikel

Reluctance

I looked out our kitchen door and could see ominous billows of dark gray clouds piling up in the distance. A couple of times I was lucky enough to snag a sighting of some breakthrough rays of sunshine beaming onto the Earth like searchlights from Mars. But then those holes would quickly disappear behind some quick maneuvering of cloud cover.

Given the cloud situation and the pall of darkness they cast over the early evening, I was reluctant to even ‘do a stop sign.’ ‘Doing a stop sign’ is the shortest distance Karl and I will usually walk if we’re extra tired or if choppy weather threatens to ‘rain’ down on us at any moment. It was bleak. It was obvious that even the pups weren’t sure whether we’d make it out tonight.

Luckily, we persevered. We put dinner on hold, hooked up our harnesses, and set off. And when I say ‘luckily’ we persevered, I mean the artistry we encountered on our walk was such a blessing to my soul that I can only call it fantastic good fortune that we took our walk at precisely that moment.

Widen the perspective and soften your gaze and a Raccoon’s face is the Watcher – Photo: L. Weikel

A Work of Art

There’s no way I could’ve predicted we’d see any color in the sky when we left the house. As I mentioned, the clouds were dark and threatening, and approaching quickly. But when we rounded the corner and I turned to glance over my shoulder, my breath caught in my throat.

Those of you who’ve been reading my posts for any length of time know that I’m hardly a sunset newbie. Which is why the way tonight’s sunset pierced my heart and transported me to a place of numinous wonder took me by surprise. I don’t know if it was the unique hue or tone or the way the color seemed to emanate and at the same time reflect itself. It transported me. And somehow I felt a connection to something bigger.

And if the pups hadn’t needed a quick constitutional, I would’ve missed it completely.

Which does make me wonder what other wonders await a simple decision on my part to be seen and appreciated.

(T+103)

Puppies Extraordinaire – ND #35

Posted on January 12, 2022January 12, 2022 by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment

Staying Warm and Plotting Strategy – Photo: L. Weikel

Puppies Extraordinaire

Karl and I managed to take a brisk walk in this afternoon. Thank goodness we got it in before the sun set! I don’t think the temperature managed to reach 20 degrees today, but I know for sure it dropped as soon as it got dark – and I see it’s 14 degrees out right now. But the two I really want to give a shout out to are Pacha and Brutus. They are puppies extraordinaire.

We couldn’t ask for better companions. They jauntily trot along with us no matter how cold it is. While I do think they might balk if we asked them to walk in unplowed snowfall (umm, who wouldn’t?), they reliably overcome their inevitable initial misgivings each and every day.

Yes, they adopt hangdog expressions and their body language broadcasts long, plaintive, “Noooooooo!”s when we suit them up with their harnesses and coats. But who can blame them? Almost inevitably, we’re waking them from cozy cuddling and snuggly slumber. It’s a harsh transition, I’ll admit. It is for us, too, to be honest.

Frozen Ground

The freezing temperatures have a big impact on our ability to blow off steam. And let me tell you, five month old puppies build up a lot of steam. (And yes, the chewing – oh my – probably warrants a whole post on its own.) Before the ground froze, we were still able to take a break and get outside in the late morning to play with toys. (I’m a sucker for ‘fetch’ – I’m in it for the long haul as long as they keep bringing it back to me!) But that joyful activity lost some of its appeal when they realized just how much it hurts to skid across the grass when the ground underneath no longer ‘gives.’ It only took a few yelps to squash their enthusiasm.

Which brings me back to the necessity of our walks, even if they are on the chilly side.

I’m pretty sure Sheila and Spartacus charged these pups with the sacred responsibility of keeping us moving. Or maybe it’s Karl who encourages them to be such great walkers. They sometimes conspire with one of his emissaries…

Definitely Plotting – Photo: L. Weikel

One thing all four of us agree on: it’s utterly delicious (and absolutely indulgent) to come home from a walk in the crisp winter air and snuggle in front of a fire. We’re incredibly fortunate and I’m so grateful for our lives together.

(T+35)

He Shows Up – Day 1078

Posted on October 25, 2021October 25, 2021 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)

Wildlife – Day 1003

Posted on August 11, 2021August 11, 2021 by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment

Cutie – Photo: L. Weikel

Wildlife

I’ve had three surprisingly close encounters with wildlife in the past 24 hours – and that doesn’t even count the eight fawns (two of which popped out of the brush beside the road to scamper in front of my car – twice) and 5 does I passed.

I only managed to get photos of the first encounter. But as you can see, s/he was a cutie!

Hard to call this WILDlife – Photo: L. Weikel

First

This little raccoon was on the side of the road as I was driving home last night after taking my photos of Jupiter and Saturn. I may not have succeeded in seeing any Perseids, but – what was that? As I passed by several clusters of leaves littering the side of the road, I caught sight of what looked like a small cat-like creature scratching its ear with its hind leg. I was tired and realized it may have been just another clump of fallen leaves, but I turned the car around in a driveway and headed back for another look.

As my headlights washed a broad beam onto the side of the road, I could see that it was indeed a small animal. My window down, I pulled up slowly to see if I could snap a photo of it before it ran away. Well, didn’t this little creature come walking right up to me? It looked lost and a little like it just wanted to be held, to be honest. (Yes. Of course I was talking to it the whole time. And no, I had no intention of holding a wild animal.) But it bothered me that it had moved into the road as it responded to me.

I drove down the road a piece and turned around yet again. I hated having my headlights trained on it, but I needed to be able to see it and hoped it would want to retreat from the lights. In fact, that’s what happened. S/he crossed the road in front of me and descended into a culvert.

Next Encounter

I was sitting in my car following the tremendous thunderstorms that went through the area early this evening. Half in and half out of the car, my right leg was inside the car and my left on the ground. I was looking at something in my lap when all of a sudden a squirrel ran from behind my car and almost bumped into my left leg! It just stood there on its hind legs – sort of taken aback by the encounter as much as I was. I yelped involuntarily and it ran off.

It was an odd encounter.

Final for the Night

About an hour later, Spartacus and I were taking a walk on our usual ‘walk around’ route (our shorter, two mile excursion). He’s getting older and it shows: he’s developed cataracts and his hearing is not what it used to be either.

Thus he missed the coyote that loped across the road about 20’ away from us. What a gorgeous animal! At first I thought it was an adult fox, but the tail had more of a look of a dog than the fluffy, sticking straight out tail of a fox. And its coloring was more brown and dark gray as opposed to the usual rust-colored fur of a fox. Needless to say, it didn’t ‘say’ anything to us as it passed!

Spart may have missed it as it crossed, but as we approached where it disappeared into the bushes, his nose got him all sorts of excited. And historically, he has not had quite the same reaction to foxes. So, again, my sense is that the creature that padded across our path was definitely a coyote.

What a wonderful day, filled with close encounters with the wildlife that share our habitat. And just as I write this, a screech owl serenades me just outside my door. Wow.

Hopefully heading home – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-108)

An Abundance of Riches – Day 964

Posted on July 3, 2021July 3, 2021 by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment

Rainbow Bridge – Photo: L. Weikel

An Abundance of Riches

I chose Buffalo with Raccoon underneath today. Of course, I’m referring to my ‘pick’ of a card (and its foundation or context) on my day from the Medicine Cards* deck by Jamie Sams and David Carson. The keywords for Buffalo in the Medicine Cards are prayer and abundance. And I can attest that I engaged in a form of prayer for another Being today – and later realized an abundance of riches in quite an unexpected manner and setting.

Buffalo set the tone for the day when I found myself holding space for a dear friend’s cherished pet to make its transition. The experience gave me the opportunity to demonstrate how to energetically lessen the effort it takes to separate soul from body when the time comes. The process reverently makes it just a little easier for the soul to disengage when it is ready. It does not rush the process in any way.

A Storm Approaches – Photo: L. Weikel

Rainbow Bridge

One of the expressions used by my Teachers in Quechua is the ‘rainbow bridge’ when describing where a soul goes when it leaves its body here on Earth. The soul ‘crosses the Rainbow Bridge’ in order to get to the next realm. I’ve also been taught that we have allies that assist us in making that crossing.

Without going into a great deal of detail, suffice it to say that I have a number of specific allies who help me assist others in crossing the Rainbow Bridge. The number of them has increased over the years as I’ve been called upon to act as a psychopomp – a facilitator of the crossing from this world to the next. I’ve actually established deeply trusted relationships with a handful of allies upon whom I know I can rely in this work. Most requests for assistance come when a soul becomes lost or stuck in this realm after their body dies.

As might be expected, my mind was on the Rainbow Bridge a lot this afternoon. And as might be recalled from my recent posts, but especially what I wrote last night, I was especially eager to take a walk this evening. It was hard to contain my need to simply ‘be’ in the presence of Mother Earth and her children.

An Ally on the Bridge – Photo: L. Weikel

Astonishing Reflection

I don’t think I’d walked half a mile late this afternoon (or was it early evening?) before a most ominous storm amassed on the horizon. I decided to take my (our) chances, and Spartacus didn’t offer any objections.

It crossed my mind that perhaps I’d made a grievous mistake when thunder shook the ground underneath us and rain began cascading upon us. We managed, for the most part, to thread our way from one sparse patch of rain to another, mostly enjoying the protection of a number of trees along the way.

Of course, before we even got halfway around, the Rainbow Bridge appeared before our eyes. Yes, it had been on my mind and in my mind’s eye frequently this afternoon. But here it was, before my eyes in this reality as well.

YCMTSU – LtWD – Photo: L. Weikel

An Ally Appears

As we made our way home, we stopped now and again to capture the utter beauty unfolding before us. I managed to take a couple of photos that I didn’t fully appreciate until beginning to write this post.

For instance, the appearance of an ally precisely upon the Rainbow Bridge – without a doubt checking in to give comfort and a ‘high sign’ that a successful crossing had indeed occurred.

The close-up is even more astonishing.

My life is without a doubt filled with an abundance of riches.

*affiliate link

(T-147)

Karl’s Here – Day 274

Posted on August 13, 2019August 13, 2019 by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment

“Where’s Mom?” – Photo – L. Weikel

Karl’s Here!

Oh, how I wish I could hear those words again (pertaining to my Karl Daniel). You know – how we excitedly call out to alert the household when someone we’ve been waiting for finally pulls in the driveway or arrives at the door.

Given that it’s past midnight and thus technically August 13^th, it’s officially Karl’s birthday.

Consequently, he’s been on my mind maybe a smidge more than usual? I don’t know. That’s hard to gauge.

This weekend, though, his presence was obvious. Both full days of the Listening Retreat (Saturday and Sunday), my Medicine Card ‘picks’ for the day had Raccoon underneath. And Raccoon, in our household, is associated with Karl. So I took that to mean that Karl was holding space for me, holding and supporting me, as I supported my “Listeners.”

I also had some encounters with him in two different journeys, too. I should probably mention here that this is extremely uncommon. In fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever met with him in journeys ever before…

So imagine my delight, as my lovely hosts and I settled in for the evening, when we discovered these absolutely bold but adorable bandits raiding the birdfeeders?!? The three little ones busily munching the birdseed on the ground, suddenly realizing Mom is nowhere to be found…