Day 183 of Year 2016

Today is exactly the middle day out of the 365 days of 2016. May we celebrate and review the part of the year past. Here at MuRefuge we have been so fortunate to host many avian families. Two broods of Western Bluebirds have been raised. Oh how I wish I could have gotten a picture to share: 4 youngsters and a parent sitting atop the trellis for Sasha and Tatiana's honeysuckle with the other parent sitting in the oak tree. 

Western Holly Grape (Mahonia pinnate) full of berries

Same bush denuded of berries by the hungry,
growing Western Bluebird offspring.

And there is also the family of Tree swallows being fed by Mom and Pop in the bird box Dwight situated in the dead curly willow just on the other side of our East most fence. There are lots of flying insects about for the parents to catch and quickly feed their babies.

And in the native clematis hiding the meters in the front of the house there is a California Towhee nest as well as one in the Roger Red grapes growing on a trellis on the patio.

Our resident cat has been living contentedly at MuRefuge for many years. He picked MuRefuge over the place across the gravel road where he was brought as a kitty for the then young female preschooler; she is now a teenager. She named her kitty John, then as he moved across the road he was first called Jack then Jax. None of those names really suited him nor did he respond to those names. 

So for some while I have been considering renaming him, yet again. Now that he has recovered nicely from a severe upper respiratory infection, the time seems right for a name change. The final nudge came recently when I read a blog post on the importance of naming animals to find a name for MuRefuge's cat. 

Not uncommonly when I use a reference book, the book falls open to the page of importance. Thus when I opened Flower Essence Repertory the page that appeared was the one for Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata [yellow]). The "Positive qualities" of this flower essence are "Essential or 'empty' consciousness, deep awareness of the inner Self, capable of transformation and change." These attributes seem to describe MuRefuge's cat. The following morning when this handsome male cat arrived at the garage door for his breakfast, I tried "Sage." He looked at me and I heard him say to me "You got it." Sage seems quite pleased with his name. Dwight and I are trying to break our habit of calling him Jax and honor his wishes to be called Sage.

Sage

There is a stunningly handsome buck in the neighborhood. He was trotting down our gravel road on a midday recently. His harem has produced a few offspring this season. A few days past a first year doe lost her baby deer who died just outside our South fence, reminding us all of the natural cycle of BEings on the planet and that not every baby survives.

As we review the half year past and contemplate the remainder of 2016 may we

Canary in the Coal Mine

When one is a "canary in the coal mine" one has difficulty understanding the knowledge being delivered, then determining "so what" while embracing humility in the process. During the ten years of experience healing the autoimmune dis-ease that allowed transformation from a workaholic to a more balanced life focusing on habitat restoration and interconnectedness, I discovered a sensitivity to the imbalances around me that other individuals around me did not seem to be aware of. Toxins in the environment, foods not easily digested (like soy, Brassica family especially raw, grain unless sprouted, and nuts) or foods indigestible by nature (like food prepared in a microwave), acid drinking water, fabric made from synthetic materials-- all these caused, early on in my healing, a violent reaction forcing me to bed and unable to keep anything in my stomach for days. This "canary in the coal mine" warning of what is askew in the web of life on our planet seems far fetched to many people and yet so real to others I encounter in my everyday life. In honoring this sensitivity/gift, the reminder that humility is "noble only when it highly values itself, which is not the same as low self esteem or lack of self worth" is ever so helpful.

Here in the Hessel Area of West Sonoma County there are many deer. Usually in the Fall we see a small herd of sometimes up to a dozen deer, usually with a buck present too. This late Winter past the congregation happened after the rains came and the grass greened and grew. A few days ago such a wonderful spectacle . . . just as dawn lightened the sky there was a deer standing, standing, standing for a very long time, perhaps an hour. And then a small creature was evident in the grass . . . "a baby deer running to mom for a snack" with the doe very attentive to her little one. As the little one finished nursing a second one showed up in the grass, also running to mom for a snack.

"If DEER has chosen to appear to you, it is asking you to encourage 

that part of yourself that is not afraid to be soft, gentle and humble.

     Deer spirit is the humility to not need to be seen or known, which of itself holds 

great value when it comes from a place of inner strength.  It watches from a hidden place 

and is quietly aware, not needing to speak what it knows. 

Deer is the inherent beauty of stillness and simplicity within, 

a gentle nobility that brings peace to its environment . . . "

"Deer Facts

Deer are the most common large wild animal in North America today.

A baby fawn is camouflaged by spots all over its back,

which looks to predators like splashes of sunlight on the forest floor.

Predators cannot smell fawns, for they are born without scent 

which develops after the first week of life.

A fawn can stand at birth and by the end of a week they are able to run.

If a doe has two or more fawns, she hides them in different locations

so that if a predator finds one, the others are safe.

Although generally deer run quickly from predators, 

doe protecting their fawns have been know to fight off

eagles, coyotes, bobcats and mountain lions with their sharp hooves."

Spirit Animals

by Victoria Covell

illustrations by Noah Buchanan

This glorious sight reminds this "canary in the coal mine" that no appreciation from others is necessary; rather resting centered and balanced is of high value at this time on our planet of shifting, chaotic change. 

Heart shaped leaved Hoya purchased in Phoenix from the Botanical Gardens many years ago.
The blossoms are sporadic but gorgeous and drip with nectar.
One can only image what BEing is nourished by this delectable nectar.

Continue to 

Peaches & new babies

Yesterday I was standing at the kitchen sink peeling Frost peaches to can. Rose began to make her hysterical noises so I looked up, out onto the field to the South of us. There was Mom Deer with a wee one. Mom came down right in Rose's face with only the wire fence between. She'd stomp her foot, Rose would back up speedily. This repeated until we brought Rose in. Mom crossed the field to the eucalyptus trees with baby bouncing after.

This morning during my early morning sitting practice, Rose began the hysterical barking again. Just Mom this time. But towards the end of my qi gong practice, Mom traversed the field with not one baby but TWO.

We have seen mom & babies in the Spring. Rose & Mom:

In addition to canning yesterday, I made Dwight a Peach Upsidedown Cake. Here's the recipe which I have modified from the 1974 Roberts Cookbook:

UPSIDEDOWN

3 medium fresh organic peaches

1/8 C. organic butter or ghee

6 T. organic maple sugar

1 T. fresh organic lemon juice

Pare & slice the peaches then pour the lemon juice over the peaches.

Melt butter or ghee in a 9x9x2 inch glass baking pan set into 350 degree oven. Once the butter is melted remove pan from oven and mix in sugar & salt, spreading evenly in pan. Place peach slices with lemon juice on top, set aside.

CAKE aka Cottage Pudding

1/4 C. organic butter or ghee

3/4 C. organic maple sugar

1 duck egg

1 tsp. organic vanilla extract

1 1/2 C. organic sprouted spelt flour

2 1/2 tsp. nonaluminum baking powder

1/2 tsp. unrefined sea salt

2/3 C. Nancy's low fat, organic kefir milk

Cream butter/ghee well then gradually add sugar beating until fluffy. Add egg beating well then vanilla beating well. Alternatively add dry ingredients

which have been well mix in another bowl with kefir milk beating well and

scraping the sides between each addition.

For fresh organic duck eggs

www.salmoncreekranch.com

And for more information about Essential Eating & sprouted flour

www.essentialeating.com