Category Archives: HOUSE OF TREE

My Rescue Geese – Part 1

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I have pet geese. You’ll never know how wonderful, smart, funny and companionable a goose can be unless and until you get to know one for yourself. It’s important, for the full appreciation of the story I’m about to tell, to realize two things about domestic geese:

  1. They are very social. And I don’t mean just with other geese. They are social with people. If they’ve been raised in a fairly friendly relationship with a person, they will run to you when you step outside, they will chat amiably with you when you sit down and talk with them, or when you put them to bed.
  2. Domestic geese cannot fly. They have great and glorious wings, which they flap mightily when they run, but rarely will they leave the ground more than a few inches for more than three or four seconds.

So – on to my story:

One evening, during the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day, I went to my yoga class at my local fitness center. I came out into the night and looked up at a gorgeous full moon in a clear, cold sky. As I started to leave the parking lot, I noticed two birds near the front entrance of the fitness center, standing in the roadway. They were fairly large, and, from the distance, I decided they must be a couple of seagulls, glowing white under the moonlight.

But something about their body language took my attention. Their “shoulders” were sort of slumped, and one thing a sea gull never does is slump his shoulders. If it was just one seagull, I’d think it was not well, but two? No, that’s too strange.

I whipped my car around and drove up to the birds, who stood, forlorn and clearly confused, in the road.

Domestic Geese!
They were a pair of domestic African Grey geese – the very same sort of geese I have! Standing in the parking lot of the fitness center, at the edge of a shopping area, with no reasonable place for them to have come from for miles. I parked my car, got out and walked up to them.

Now, here’s the deal with domestic geese. If you sit quietly, they will come up to you to chat. But if you pursue them, they run. The two geese evaded me, but without conviction. When I stopped and just talked to them, they stopped. By bits and starts, I finally got ahold of one of them. Although she appeared fairly large and was fully fledged, when I picked her up she weighed about half what I expected, and I could tell then that she was quite young – barely a teenager in goose terms.

The challenge now – how to get the other goose with one under my arm?

End of Part One
Stay tuned for more goose adventures.

My Rescue Geese – Part 2

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As I leaned over, one goose under one arm, reaching out to the other goose, a couple of Asian men came out of the fitness center.

Imagine this picture, if you will. A few days after Christmas, in the full moon light, a woman is standing outside of your fitness center with a goose under her left arm, reaching for another.

The men chuckled, while I, naively, imagined one of them might help me. I said, “These are domestic geese. They cannot fly. They can’t take care of themselves. I’m trying to catch the other one.”

“Are you going to call animal control?” one of them asked.

“Sure,” I said, thinking, no. No, I don’t think so.

I reached out and, bingo! grabbed the neck of the other goose. There I hovered, one goose under arm, the other, neck in hand. The second goose stood patiently, as though this is what he did with strangers every day, while I held his neck.

Right then a young man came out of the fitness center. Taking in the scene, he said, “Are you catching the geese?”

Which made everyone – including me – laugh. Under the heading: “Making a Profoundly and Absurdly Obvious Statement.” I wanted to come up with and even funnier “no, I’m (fill-in-the-blank).” But with a goose under one arm and a neck in the other hand, I simply said, “Could you please help me?”

“Okay,” he came up to me.

“Could you pick up this other goose? Just put you hands around his wings and put him under your arm.”

“Okay,” he said. “I’m not afraid of geese,” he said, not moving.

“Good. There’s nothing to be afraid of. These are very young geese, and they’re clearly confused. I’m guessing they got too big or too noisy for whoever thought it’d be cute to have a pair of geese, and they put them in the pond by the road. The geese came over here where they saw people.”

He finally picked up to goose.

“Which was not very smart,” I continue, “as these are domestic geese. They can’t fly, and you don’t put them in with wild birds.” I had figured this all out as I pursued the geese, and my frustration and annoyance with people who are irresponsible with animals rose.

The Asian men, seeing that the geese were captured and the larger portion of the drama over, wandered off to their cars. I asked the young man to hold onto the goose for a minute while I went inside.

I stepped into the fitness center and – this is the part of the story where you, dear reader, get to play…. A woman steps into a fitness center with a goose under her arm and says…. _______________________________________________________.

Where’s the Hidden Camera?

Anyway, what I did say to the young man behind the counter was, “There are these two domestic geese in the parking lot. I’m going to take them home with me. If anyone comes in saying they’re missing their geese, you know who I am, let me know.”

He nodded at me, utterly bemused, like, “Where’s the hidden camera?”

I went back outside. The goose-holding young man had attracted a couple of girls, who thought it was too adorable that he was holding the pretty goose, and can we pet him?

I happened to have a couple of big totes in the back of my Subaru station wagon. The geese had a nice little spot to settle in behind them. Otherwise, they would have been flying all over the car. My goose-holding friend put the goose he held in the car, I put the goose I held in the car and he slowly closed down the hatch door as I held onto the geese.

I stood and shook his hand. “You’ve done a good deed tonight. You’ve earned positive karma for helping these poor little geese, who probably would have been run over before long if we hadn’t rescued them.”

He nodded, waved and headed for his car. I – or we, the geese and I – headed for home.

End of Part 2 (Stay tuned for: Rescue Geese – Part 3 – Their New Home)

Rescue Geese – Part 3

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Two Goose Heads

The two little goose heads bobbed up and down in the back window of my car as I drove home. I chuckled as one car and then another came up close behind me, trying to figure out what they were seeing.

It’s not hard to imagine the conversation:

“Look! It looks like goose heads!”

“Where?”

“In the back of the car in front of us.”

“Well… what are they?”

“I say it’s geese.”

“Are they real?”

“I don’t know. They look real.”

Before long, we, the geese and I, were home. I backed up the car to where they would spend the night, making a little stall in the garage and putting down straw, water and cracked corn.

The two little geese talked quietly with me as I sat with them for a while. They settled right in, and soon little Twiddle-dee and Twiddle-di
were sitting side by side, fast asleep.

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1 Goose, 2 Geese-first snow

Some of the snowflakes look like orbs, don’t they?

Encounter with a Mystic Owl – Owl Be Seeing You

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Dream Group

I go to a dream group twice a month, and thank goodness too, because that’s where I get my centering, my balance, my clarity about what’s going on in the so-called “real world” by the insights my guru dream partners share with me.

Interestingly, I frequently have luminous, numinous experiences on my drive back home after these often late-into-the-night meetings. The first meeting in January was one such occasion. As I drove down the little road that leads to my home, the moon bright in a cold, clear sky, myself deep in thought, I was startled by a gigantic bird flying directly in front of my headlights, at headlight level.

Mystic Owl

I realized it was a gorgeous, gigantic owl, with a wingspan that reached from edge to edge of my windshield. I stopped my car, having seen him land in a leafless Alder beside the road. I peered through the windshield up into the tree. The owl sat on a low branch, inside the umbra of my headlights, as if he knew he would come to no harm from me. I looked at him, awe-struck. Owl-struck. Having never seen an owl so “nonchalant” in my entire life, I dared to slowly get out of my car and approach the tree. The owl watched me, his head moving smoothly on it ball-bearings, around, around, keeping his eyes on me.

When I stood a mere five feet from him him I said, “Well… what?”

He studied me for a few moments longer, perhaps trying to give me the answer… the “WHAT” that I wondered. The “what” that he knew.

Then slowly, with a graceful bow of the the tree branch, he rose, lazily sweeping his gigantic, stunning wings through the crisp winter evening and into new year air, disappearing among the trees of the forest.

Dream-like, I watched him until I could not see the faintest edge of his wings …. 

Happy Memorial Day!

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Happy Memorial Day

– and Happy Birthday to my Father today!

I cat sat & dog sat for my friends while they took a day off to run up to Seattle.

Dog-Walk

The dog and I went on a delightful walk last night, watching the rushing white-water stream, all roiled up in the wake of two months of rain every day. Lovely companionship with the Mitra dog, who appears to find everything equally as enchanting as I do. She and I chatted with the naiads sitting on the big rocks while the water crashed around them.

Back up at the house, a couple of throws of the frisbee, and then a paw drying session (for Mitra. I didn’t need one, having worn shoes).

On our walk this morning, however, Mitra did not find my fascination of the giant red slug nearly as interesting as eating grass. She grazed like a little cow on the tall, wet grass while I studied the amazing grace of the slug trailing its hermaphrodite body across the winding driveway, moving on invisible ball bearings.

Quite intriguing ….

Back up at the house, a couple of frisbee throws, a drying of the paws and then, back inside to tell the cat of our adventures.

Cat & Moth

Who completely forbore listening to us, having discovered a moth to make soft muttery sounds to on the other side of the window.

An utterly sweet evening in the country ….

 

Ides of May & the First Swainsen’s Thrush

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It’s been a very busy time of late. But what inspires me to write now, finally! is that late yesterday evening, as the shades of dusk were pulled, I finally heard the First Swainsen’s Thrush of the season.

All through winter I wait for the return of this unassuming little brown bird with the magical call from another dimension. All previous beautiful sounds fall away as if they are nothing in the wake of this lilting, haunting call, echoing through the forest in the evening and, sometimes, in the early morning.

It makes me feel that all, perhaps, could be right with the world. Even if it’s not right now, I have faith!

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Maya – The Mystical Myst

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Washougal River

Last night, as I drove home, the three-quarters moon was as bright in a clear sky as if it were a full moon. As I came along the Washougal River, a mist rose from it like a pure white, mystical, fifty foot tall wall. This was the most beautiful, yet impenetrable, mist I’ve ever seen. It was lighted directly overhead by the moon, which gave it the stunning illusion of physical substance.

Not only was this such a magical sight that I nearly drove off the road, but it was uncannily serendipitous …..

In my reading yesterday of Michael Bernard Beckwith’s SPIRITUAL LIBERATION, he wrote that after the world was created, there arose a mist.

The Mist of Illusion

This mist was always explained to me as a physical parting of, in simplified terms, wet matter and dry matter, or (again, very simplistically) water and land. Which may be the case. Michael Beckwith added to my understanding. He pointed out that numerous holy books define The Mist as the mist of illusion that comes between us and “the real” in order to make this three dimensions appear to be reality.

Maya

This mist is called maya in Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism. Maya manifests and maintains the illusion, the dream of duality in what our senses perceive to be the phenomenal Universe. The goal of enlightenment is to understand maya, to see, sense, know, learn, intuit, and/or understand that a separation between the self and All That Is is a false duality.

But what a beautiful mist is maya! What a myst-ical myst! Wake up in the dream, live and love every moment of this illusion with curiosity, exploration, joy, and delight. You brought yourself here, to this dream, on purpose, don’t sleepwalk through it. Instead, discover all it has to offer. Knowing it’s an illusion opens up vast realms of beauty and enriching experience.

 

Grace and Awe

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Spiritual Liberation

It’s been a rocky road of late. Though I’m always filled with gratitude and love, I’ve been having my mettle tested. Every day, as I deal with the seemingly burgeoning challenges, I tell myself I’m up to it, or they would not occur.

Enter Michael Bernard Beckwith’s SPIRITUAL LIBERATION, which I’m reading for the second time every morning in my meditation. A few days ago when everything I’ve been dealing with was coming to a full crisis, I read:

“As a spiritual warrior, my courage to face all that is required for my transformation is embodied with grace and ease.

“This prayer is responded to by universal law.

“Beyond reasoning, intellect, and appearance, I make room for a great transformation to unfold and express through me.

“From this moment on, everything unfolds in a magnificent way. I release myself into the great excellence.”

My Mantra

I was so moved by this passage, but especially the first sentence, that I decided to memorize it and take it into my day – or my future – as a mantra. Interestingly, this is what I heard myself repeating:

“As a spiritual warrior, my courage to face all that is required for my transformation is embodied with grace and awe.”

I said it a few times before I realized that something was different, but I wasn’t sure what. I went back to the book and saw that I had spontaneously replaced the word “ease” with “awe.”

How interesting, I mused. My own intelligence is telling me to have a sense of awe about my challenges, my courage and my transformation.

Leading me on a path of considering what this meant … which I share, very briefly, here. I came to realize it told me to feel awe in being presented with such challenges as would manifest a profound transformation. Further, to acknowledge my challenges with reverence.

And so, with awe, as well as grace and ease, I accept my tempering and expanding challenges.

How might your life change if you encountered you challenges with grace and awe?

No Such Thing as Loneliness!

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Swirling Energies

I love this quiet time in the morning when I meditate, keeping companionship with myself, and hooking up to the energies swirling around ….

The energies of velvety night, softly fraying at the edges of the branches of the trees and the bowl of the horizon into a gentle, delicate, purple lace, the slow, soft “drip, drip” off a gutter outside my open window letting me know it rained a little in the night, my warm blankets and fluffy pillow that I have myself propped among, typing away, looking forward to this day, planning it out in my mind.

I engage in the flow of meditation, where I consciously breathe, letting thoughts float up and out until my mind is still as a placid lake. When I return from this whole/holy, connection, I once again engage my senses, and I now hear the morning birds, calling up the sun. Ah! … yes, thank you little birds, there will be another day!

Glorious Solitude

I revel in my glorious yet peaceful solitude. So much is happening! I am profoundly not alone among all these creative energies as they flow about me—the lacy trees, the refreshing rain, the companionable birds, along with the myriad of thrilling mental and physical engagements of the day. Writings to be written, walks to walked! I cannot imagine being lonely, and I wonder at people who say they are.

How can one ever be lonely if truly engaged in life? And why have life if not to fully engage in it? Your soul knew a purpose when coming to this life, and loneliness is nowhere in that contract.

Glorious solitude is central to the entire miraculous experience of life. Within solitude you discover who you are. You can make the choice to fall in love with yourself and with LIFE anew, every single day!

Wild iris on the forest floor

My Winter Forest

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Winter Light

Almost 7:30 a.m. The light steals very, very shyly about the forest … winter light begins to reclaim its dominion earlier and earlier.

The sky edges away from a color not found on any palate … a kind of black-purple-blue, tinged with green. It fades and fades, until the predawn light rolls in, and all becomes familiar as the keys to the Kingdom of Light are handed over to the day.

The rain that has steadily fallen all night has stopped, and the remaining drops play a slow syncopation off the gutters and deck, a patient metronome.

Rushing Waters

I hear the river rushing several hundred feet distant, I see in my mind’s eye the river rocks becoming polished… incomparable coins in the river bed, each unique. They lay at the bottom of the clear, rushing water, watching the sun and moon and stars, a clock face, above.

Song birds look for their reflection in the little pools that eddy along the side of the hurrying water, while the stealthy coyotes come to the water’s edge, looking over their shoulders. Always pursuers, always pursued. One by one they lean down to drink the cold, cheerful water while a sentry keeps watch.

This is my winter forest.

the road home in winter light

Oh, Happy Day!

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I’ve been going through some rough terrain of late … while affirming, always affirming, that all will turn out for the best.

Mr Goose

But I hit a new low when my one of my little goosies became very sick. Geese are pretty tough, (as well as very companionable) but I feared for this little guy’s life as he rapidly faded yesterday.

I scurried off to my local Feed store (LJC – thank you for being there) and got antibiotics to put into his water. When I got home I gave Mr. Goose a nice warm bath in the big laundry room sink. Even though distressed to be away from his “family,” he seemed to take to his bath, ducking his head into the water and trying to flap his wings (well, the sink is not that big).

Then I wrapped him up in a towel and held him and talked with him, and talked with his little goose angels, asking all for his recovery. Of course, Mr. Goose was not particularly interested in anything I had to say – he just wanted to be with his family.

I put the required amount of antibiotics in a pail of warm water, and, much to his dismay to be left alone, I left him in the warm laundry room for the night.

A Rough Night

Oh what a night! He cried and cried all night long. It was a sleepless night for geese, cat, and animal care giver alike. If you’ve never heard a goose cry, you’ve never heard just about the saddest sound there is. I wanted to go talk with him all night, but I knew that would only upset him more when I didn’t take him back to the other geese.

About 4:30 a.m. he finally became quite. I didn’t know if this was good or the worst, but I still forestalled going to check on him, as, if he was sleeping (which I hoped and hoped was the case) I would only awaken him.

And we all needed our sleep.

I slept a bit, and then at 6:30 I couldn’t wait any longer. I went to the laundry room, bracing myself for perhaps the worst … cautiously opening the laundry room door ….

“Good Morning!” in Goose

“Honk!” he said. “Honk, honk, honk-honk-honk!”

Even with all the stressful crying most of the night, he had, miraculously, almost completely recovered ….

Oh, Happy Day!

Yes, I still have all those other dreary concerns eating up my time and attention. But my companionable birdie is well, and life is good.

Health is a blessed commodity … and I wish it for all your creature companions, be they feathered, furred or finned!

Happy day, 2 Geese

The Promise of Spring

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Spring is Afoot

This morning I smelled spring in the air.

I know, it’s early – not even the Ides of January yet. But spring floated on the air, just the same. 6:45 a.m., 45 degrees F, the deck door slightly ajar. In stole the scent of spring on thin, delicate feet, tip-toeing through the forest high in the fir trees, pirouetting across the meadow, and slinking in through the narrow opening of my door.

Yes, winter could return. But the promise of the ages came into my room early this morning – the fresh, loamy aroma of LIFE waking up in the earth, of the long-dream hibernation coming to an end, of a hunger for new fruits.

Something new is afoot.

Wake Up!