Ducklings' Update

For those of you following the story of the 2 female Indian Runners who came to MuRefuge at just under 2 days old, here's an update on their 8 weeks birthday. They are getting use to BEing with their big sisters. 

Yet these two youngsters spend most of their day floating about in the small pond, aka old bathtub, with one or all four of the older ducks, BEing vigilant, sitting nearby.

I am reminded that not all of you know the history of "laugh" so perhaps I could elucidate this signature reminder at the end of each post. I learned from the late laughing coach, Annette Goodheart (yes, that is her real given last name), that to laugh at what is not really funny in one's life, a cathartic process, releases emotions in the body. She use to say, "you have survived the trauma but the emotions of that trauma remain. Laughing discharges thse emotional remains of the trauma." So please feel free to freely

A Message from Kwan Yin

I received the below forwarded email message from my friend, Louise Cochran, who lives in Vermont. The message seems to me to be an important one for each of us human BEings so I am posting it here for anyone interested to read.

A modern day Kwan Yin sculpted by Dwight.

KwanYin on the Earthquake in Nepal
Posted: 01 May 2015 05:51 PM PDT

I asked my Teacher,  Kwan Yin, to help us understand the terrible catastrophe and suffering in Nepal.  This is what she said:

At one level of understanding, the earthquake is simply an event in the ancient cycle of the massive tectonic plates scraping against each other and releasing enormous amounts of energy.  As you know, this is the geological source of the entire Himalayan range.  One must not ignore this level of understanding; it is foolish to grab some apocalyptic or punishment frame of analysis or interpretation.  It is absolutely not a judgment or a punishment.

All people suffer, regardless of their personal wealth or the level of development of their country.  It is deeply challenging to live in a human body.  Yet it seems such an event can be a stunningly powerful “tool” for awakening countless human beings to the deepest possibilities of compassion, inter-relatedness, and generosity.  It reveals instantly the ridiculousness of the claims of ego.  Perhaps counter-intuitively, it also reminds many of the stunning preciousness of human life.

Nepal has long been the seed-bed of profound spiritual understandings and practices, from the first generations of Hindu practitioners to the highly erudite Buddhist monasteries and wandering devotees.  The Himalayas have been extraordinarily fruitful.  And all this has emerged within the relative cycles of geologic compression and release.

May this great earthquake also serve to bring profound awakening both to the people of Nepal, as they struggle to rebuild their lives and figure out their relationship to modernity and self-governance, and to her friends and fellow citizens around the world.

Light candles and say prayers.  Send money, keep in touch, and encircle the country with your heart.  Encourage yourself and others to grow as deeply as possible, in response to the suffering of the region.

Thank you.  May I post this on my web site?

Yes, of course.  Now, keep your mind calm and open, and do what needs to be done.

Thank you very much.

As each of us ponders this message may each of us 

Disturbance and Findings while Weeding

This Saturday past Vickie and I spent the morning weeding; I did the Medicinal Bed and Vickie the Idaho fescue and Yarrow "driveway" into the duck yard from our giant asphalt driveway. I have not seen weeds so tall and thick as this year. While cleaning up Tansy this is what I found:

 Oh my gosh what a beautifully constructed nest from dried flower stalks, 
grasses and such, gathered right here at MuRefuge. The nest which fit 
comfortably in the palm of my hand was repositioned low into an 
adjacent Pacific Wax Myrtle (Myrica californica). 
Early the next morning I was checking from afar the nest and 
noticed two Sooty Fox Sparrow hovering. Perhaps this was their nest 
and they are annoyed at the human disturbing their home?
What was so amazing about the nest in the Tansy is that Shasta runs 
through this area whenever the adult Indian Runner ducks are in the garden. 
She loves to jump up, lurching towards them to
see them fly. This activity brings a broad happy smile to her face.
Unfortunately the ducks are NOT happy and run out of the 
garden into their duck yard far away from that big furry four legged.

And with continued weeding both Vickie and I noticed many, many, many ladybugs. With the cool damp nights and the recent rain of almost an inch here at MuRefuge the aphids, ladybug food, seem to be thick. 

Go ladybugs! FYI: ladybugs attract aphids.

And this Sunday morning past while performing qi gong I noticed motion in my left peripheral vision. Turning my head towards the oriole feeder there upon the feeder a male Hooded Oriole perched slurping up the nectar from the feeder. I did not get a picture but you can check the link for a gorgeous one as well as information about this stunningly beautiful bird and its habitat.

DUCKLINGS UPDATE

As you can see the 2 youngsters (inside their enclosure)
and their older sisters (outside roaming) are ready to BE all together.
The ducklings are 7 weeks old Monday, April 27.
To be on the safe side the youngsters will be kept enclosed 
until at least 8 weeks old so they will be less likely to be 
snatched for a snack by flying predators.

A native bee at the Hummingbird sage (Salvia spathacea).

‘Skylark’ (Ceanothus thysiflorus) in foreground and on right
Coastal Poppy (Eschscholzia californica var. californica) in background 
and on left. Both are teaming with native pollinators.

As you compose your comment(s) take time to 

Spring Flowing into Summer

The flowers of the Spring natives are fading and the strawberry plants are producing lush ripe berries for our enjoyment. The ducklings while visiting the veggie garden slurped the ripest ones eagerly too. The qi is flowing from its Spring form into Summer with a more predominately yang fecund form. 

I love the diminutive Fringe Cup (Tellima grandiflora)
whose tiny fringes flutter in the gentle Spring breeze.
This plant reseeds freely if planted in a location to its liking.
In this picture a plant community is demonstrated:
Yellow eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium californicum) and Fringe Cups.

Spring flowers on the California Flannel bush‘San Gabriel’ 

(Fremontodendron californicum) are gorgeous this year.

Ducklings 3 Weeks old

See what big girls we are now.

These two are a handful to transport from their veggie garden enclosure
back to their cardboard box in the garage.

Ducklings 4 Weeks old

Amidst the clover and between the basalt block veggie beds
a small enclosure was erected and covered with bird netting
to keep the hawks from snatching them up for a snack.
The ducklings, Shasta, Dwight and I enjoyed a family gathering
in the sunshine right after we had lunch each day. These forays were way
more entertaining then anything on TV, smart phone or tablet. 

And 5 Weeks old

These two at this age have gotten too big for the cardboard box in the garage
so the heat lamp, water bucket, food tray and gravel dish were moved to the duck house.
A wire enclosure, the front opening up to allow them to run out into a bigger
wire enclosure covered with bird netting, was put up since at night time
the 4 adults ducks go into the duck house, too.

Usually when the ducklings have been moved out into the duck house to share the space with the older ducks, there have been several days to a week before the big ducks go into their house easily. This time once the youngsters were allowed out of the duck house onto the native grass, all the big ducks came over quacking, quacking, quacking as though 
to welcome their new sisters. The youngsters, also quacking, would follow the big ducks as far as the enclosure would allow. These 6 BEings seem to be familiar with one another as though they have all been a flock before. The first night the big ducks went right into their
duck house . . . no problem.

Now 6 Weeks old on April 20, 2015

It is a tight fit but we both fit together in our tiny pond just fine
but we'd rather BE splashing around with our big sisters.
See below how much fun they are having .

The water in the bathtub was left running all morning so it overflowed
making a minipond where the big ducks are enjoying themselves.
So much for our water conservation efforts during California's megadrought.

Look how big my wings are.

Outing

Last week we had an outing to Pt. Reyes Station and visiting Shasta's Auntie T.  Shasta, Grace, and Gulley were congenially all together in the house. As we moved outside to enjoy the lovely garden, Shasta became very focused on the ivy hedge, walking up and down the hedge on her hind legs with her nose deeply embedded and at work in the dense ivy.

Eventually with her prodding, a wood rat vacated its nest, running off towards the wetlands below.

Once all this exciting activity was over I was able to pick a huge bag of Meyer's lemons from Tanis's tree loaded with lush, the most juice ever, lemons. Her lemon tree keeps us well supplied with lemons almost year around since her tree has one crop after another. I am ever so grateful that Tanis is willing to share with us her abundance of Meyer's lemons!

Meyer's lemon bar:
A gluten free and vegetarian (if one eats duck eggs)
tasty afternoon treat for an immediate pick up.

Recipe for Meyer's lemon bars:

Crust:
     2 C. soaked and dried walnuts
     2 large Mejool dates
     pinch sea salt
     2 T. unsalted  organic Clo's butter

Coarsely chop first 2 ingredients in food processor while butter melts in 9 inch
square glass baking dish set in warm to 350 degree oven. Add melted butter and salt to
food processor, mixing until a dough mass forms then place dough in baking dish
and pat to form a smooth layer. Bake 15" in 350 degree oven. Cool completely.

Topping
     1/3 C. fresh squeezed Meyer's lemon juice
     zest from 2 large Meyer's lemon
     1 C. organic maple syrup (room temperature)
     3 organic duck eggs (room temperature)
     3 T. organic tapioca flour
     3/4 tsp. baking powder
     pinch of sea salt
     
With hand mixer blend lemon juice, eggs and maple syrup until well blend and slightly
frothy. Wisk in tapioca flour, adding a bit at a time to prevent lumps from forming. Add remaining ingredients and whisk just until blended. Pour over nut crust and bake for 25 to 30" or until topping is just sets. Cool and cut into squares. Enjoy! And 

Latest Additions to MuRefuge, Part II

A few days after these ducklings took up residency at MuRefuge, Shasta gave us a scare: her story later. After Shasta was recovering, several days later, while outside sitting in the native bunch grasses with the babies I noticed the bit smaller of the two had severe sternal retraction with each breath. YIKES! was my first reaction then I shifted in to my nurse mode. I gathered them up. In we all speedily went to the garage and returned the babies to their box. I mixed up a Self Heal flower essence and misted their box. The realization hit me, "this is from the cold experienced less than 24 hours after BEing hatched."

For the next full day I observed them. It was clear that picking them up and taking them outside must be put on hold. In the early morning of March 19, I put in a call to Shasta's inner species communicator. This particular baby embodies a very old soul duck who is very strong; otherwise she would be dead from the shock of getting so cold. To survive she drew herself deep inside to her core; now she is "uncoiling" with the quiet and warmth. The new metal water vessel is providing higher vibration of water which is good. This BEing was very clear she "really wants to BE here" and she is "Working on it." She does not see herself as a victim; the action of the human took was always a part of her "life line." 
The uncoiling process is taking this wee one back to BEing newly hatched. The cold threatened this baby's BEingness. The outcome is remains unclear. 

The baby, I call her a little tootsie roll, has now had the contrast between experiencing a human operating from her ego aka personality whose concern is with self and presently experiencing humans operating from a higher state aka essence which allows interconnectedness, thus concern, for all BEings.

A week has passed. Both babies are not only still in the box in the garage but are growing, seammingly doubling their size each week.  With the warm weather happening in Northern California we have taken them out to their patch of native bunch grasses, which Shasta likes to revel in too, a couple of times.

The nearer one in the picture is the one who had
severe sternal retraction which is now much less noticeable.
The one further away has been shocked as well: she
has and still does breath with her bill open on inspiration.

These toughies are now over 2 weeks old. They have imprinted on me as no other ducklings brought to MuRefuge. The burrowing into my hair is endearing and lovely to experience. I feel my BEingness expand as though there is no boundary.

As each of us contrasts self and Self, may we 

Latest Addition to MuRefuge, Part I

On March 10 we, sans Shasta, her choice, drove to Salmon Creek Ranch to pick up our two
female Fawn and White Indian Runner (ducklings). They were hatched the day before at Metzer Farms and delivered by USPS. The owner put her ducklings into a brooder with heat lamps and left our two babies in the big box in which all the many ducklings were shipped. Upon our arrival to fetch our ducklings, she said, "I put them in the car to keep them warm." The out of doors temperature was in the high 50's and it was overcast. When our picked up our babies, they felt cold and immediately snuggled up to me before I put them in a very small cardboard box we brought to transport them to MuRefuge. Rudely we departed with the car heat turned up as high as possible and sped home. 

The transport cardboard box and babies sitting in our garage.

The two babies being transferred to their very warm new home.
The first week of a ducklings life the ideal temperature
for their surroundings is 95 degrees. 
The temperature can be decreased 5 degrees 
each week until they are fully feathered

The babies checking out their new home.
The reddish color is from the heat light which
gives red light which beneficial for their development.

The first few ensuing days we took the babies outside each midday briefly as we have
done in the past with our baby ducklings.

Standing in native bunch grass Red Fescue (Festuca rubra).
Do you notice the one on the left with her bill open?
Well, introspect, I am now aware that this is her
outward sign of her inner response to the cold trauma.

Just too cute . . . huh?

2015 Year of the Wood Goat

YEAR OF THE WOOD GOAT

As we have for many years, to celebrate the Chinese New Year, we enjoyed a Chinese lunch then spent the afternoon listening to Liu Ming, a learned Westerner who has studied and translated ancient Chinese texts.

One of Larry and Eszter's (our neighbors') goats

In Chinese writing the character is the same for goat, sheep and ram. Liu Ming, of the Da Yuan Circle located in Oakland, choses the young female goat (kid or lamb) since she most closely embodies the qi (life force energy which is of the subtle energy nature) this year. The Chinese Astrology system Liu Ming bases his annual talk on includes a 60 year cycle with 5 elements, yin/yang and 12 animals.

Liu Ming suggests, "to understand the 'qi profile' of the Goat year, it is useful to look at the image of the Goat in Chinese Astrology and ancient culture. Remember that the Goat is only a paradigmatic image for the qi available this year. . . .The Goat talked about in Chinese Astrology is the domesticated mountain goat. . . .The Goat's artistic character (aesthetic is the key word for the Goat) is the basic instinct to communicate beyond words - to make the world beautiful. This art is designed to remind us not only of a pleasant surface, but also of a common spirit. Happy in egalitarian small herds, 

These Kiko Goats at Salmon Creek Ranch, Bodega, California,
are protected by a Anatolian Shepherd.
The family in this picture is a wonderful example of
the Goat's ability to create "family."

the Goat is a very adaptable sign, sure-footed in steep and rough terrain and interested in cooperations on all levels. . . . Wood Goats are industrious, sincere and disciplined characters. They mature quickly, attract helpers, and work diligently towards great success." 

This Year of the "Respected" Wood Goat's qi, which is both soft and smart simultaneously, is a welcome energy for this time on Planet Earth so shrouded in darkness and chaos deeply affecting us all. This year is an opportunity rather like a visionary makeover since "the Wood Goat offers a fresh start . . . . Fresh and inspired must replace tired and oppressive" which can be polarizing, piting "we have always done it this way" or entrenched tradition against embracing an innovatively nontraditional way. This year offers up the qi for breaking down artificial boundaries and focusing on miniscle issues in the grand scheme of things, such as petty self interest/self entitlement. For each of us embued with Wood Goat qi compromise and harmony are operant. 

Considering the available qi this year one can see that this is a spectacular year for each of us to fully develop our individual humanity. BEing human filled with goodness in the highest sense, aka authentic, can be embraced by anyone irregardless of one's religious and/or spiritual beliefs. Rather than watching and/or participating in the demise of the human race as we know it on Planet Earth, each of us can BE visionary with forward thinking inclusiveness where we experience connection with all living creatures including Mother Earth with finite resouces.

If one's life is simple,

contentment has to come.

Simplicity is extremely important . . .

Having few desires, feeling satisfied with what you have,

is very vital: satisfaction with just enough

food, clothing, and shelter to protect yourself from the elements.

And finally, there is an intense delight in 

abandoning faulty states of mind

and in cultivating helpful ones . . ."

- Dali Lama

Kiko goats, including one youngster having a snack from mom,
atop a hillside at Salmon Creek Ranch living a simple life with "just enough".

Perhaps here is as good a place as any to insert a bit of well heeded advice I have repeatedly received, and experienced with self observation: taking care of oneself by self remembering is essential to BEing able to utilize the qi available this year. If one is rested and fully qi-charged, then one can BE "easy going, artistic both in the visual and musical realms, cooperative, persuasive, quiet, charming, kind, encouraging, generous, compromising and supportive. When one has pushed oneself to the max, so to speak, then one is qi-depleted: "fussy, worrisome, anxious, nervous, impatient, perfectionist, intolerant, cranky, incommunicative when flustered, fearful of confrontation, and stubborn." 

Further utilizing the qi now available to each and every one of us this Year of the Wood Goat, humans can spend some time and energy each day making our world more beautiful. Beautification this Springtime at MuRefuge is happening with planting many packages of Larner Seeds native annual wild flowers purchased with a last year's birthday gift certificate. Since I noted on one of the blogs that I regularly read the acronym NICE (Natives Instead of Common Exotics) . . . lovely, yes? . . . I am more committed than ever to filling MuRefuge with beautiful natives. A number of years ago I was shopping at the local coop in Port Townsend, Washington with a friend who was looking at the array of plants including a Butterfly Bush, available for purchase, when a woman approached us saying, "That plant is terribly invasive," and walked away. And I am ever so happy that I took in her message and removed awhile ago the some 2 dozen Butterfly Bushes (these bushes, too, told me in a variety of ways that they were not happy at MuRefuge, nor the truth be known, was I happy with these high maintenance bushes). Native bushes and perennials replaced this common exotic. I love the native bushes and perennials chosen! Also, the chosen species flower sequentially throughout the entire year providing food (nectar and berries) and shelter for others that also call MuRefuge home.

SIGHTINGS at MuRefuge
Each morning when I sit a pair of Spotted Towhees hop about beneath the tray bird feeder. This colorfully marked bird is the one that got me interested in birdwatching. When I lived in Cupertino, I saw this gorgeous bird and just had to know what it was.

Three, yes three, badgers crossed the field to the South of our property early one morning past.

A fox the following morning traveled Southwest to Northeast, almost the identical route of the badgers.

And three, yes three, Steller's Jays came visiting one morning. Every day there are Scrub Jays at MuRefuge but the gorgeous Stellar's Jays come erratically, usually living further South in the pine trees on the ridge.

One of the Steller's Jays perched atop the Goldfinches' nyger seed feeder.

Another one of the three Steller's Jays at the Datura (or Jimson Weed)
leaved birdbath, a Dwight creation.

As you embrace recovering  your humanity and beautify your surroundings, may you