New Day 54 – Birds Through the Window

There’s lots of activity at the feeder these days. I do have to get outside to fill the feeder, but viewing the birds is done as I wash dishes at the kitchen window.

A whole extended family of mourning doves showed up for breakfast a few days ago. Then a bluejay or two arrived…

to be shooed off by a visiting squirrel.

Then it was the cardinal’s turn.

All the while at the suet feeder, the woodpeckers dined…

until this fellow arrived for his dinner.

And that was the end of the woodpecker.

With no enemies, this little Cooper’s hawk took his time over his supper, and all that was left was a scattering of feathers.

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New Day 53 – Winter Is Here

Look what I saw outside my window this morning.

Not that it’s all that unexpected. But I’m not ready. The garden has not been cleared out, the tomato cages are still outside, leaves abound, and I’m just not in the mood for winter.

This blog cannot be called Heading Outside today. My photos are all taken from indoors. Lazy me. I did manage to find my boots at the back of the closet so I could feed the chickens, but the rest of my morning will be here inside where it’s warm.

Here’s a very wintry view looking past the old well to the pond below.

The poor birds have to endure. I have a good view of the suet feeder from my kitchen window. The feeder has had many visitors this morning.

Before heading to work I will do a little rearranging of my houseplants. These, which are mostly ones I inherited from my daughter when she moved to Seattle, will be moved to the kitchen for the winter, where it’s warm.

I don’t head outside as much as I used to do. I lost my little dog Bo a month or so ago, and I find it sad to walk the trails without my companion. Besides that, I have been spending so much time painting that I can barely tear myself away to get outside.

I am reviving my other wordpress blog which has been dormant for almost four years. Today I made another entry (see bellartwork.com). I find I must get busy with the business of trying to sell art work. I will soon have a website and a link to the blog.

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New Day 52 -Edible Weed Purslane

Early spring before I’d started my garden I came across an article about Purslane, a common “weed” which is extremely nutritious, and grows just about everywhere. I was astonished. I’d been pulling it up and tossing it for years. [Edible and Delicious Weed]

Yesterday I headed out to the garden to make a stab at the weeds that were growing abundantly in my vegetable garden.

It’s hard to tell the weeds from the sprouting veggies.

While weeding, what should I come upon but Purslane – in abundance!

One little patch of Purslane among many in the garden.

So…I picked and washed the Purslane and then removed the root portion. Quite an easy job.

The roots are easily pinched off. I had several meals worth just in that one little patch.

You eat the Purslane raw in salads.

I will have the same meal tonight! (Well, not the same meal .)  Remove the egg and you have a perfect vegan supper.

I waited to post this today so you would know that I survived without any ill effects.

Enjoy!

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New Day – 45

I haven’t made an entry here for months – years even. But today I had a visitor to the suet feeder, and I feel inspired to share, and to perhaps resume my blogging.

Look who showed up. I’ve never seen a crow at the feeder before. I love crows, and know they are very spiritual beings, bringing magic into ones life.

Who doesn’t like magic?

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New Day 23 – Bo and the Chicks Day Out

Loving those dandelion greens

This is a posting I started a week ago. The arrival of two little grandsons for a week put it on the back burner.

The A-frame is now devoid of greens. I toss in corn and grains for the chicks to forage, but today Audrey seemed to be clucking at me to let her and the chicks out into the yard again, so I did. I got my camera as settled into my chair. Audrey brought the chicks out in no time. Bo was delighted to have some new entertainment. For an hour or so, he followed along as Audrey led the chicks all around the yard. I kept expecting her to chase him away, but she didn’t. She seemed to know he meant no harm. The chicks ran from Bo initially, but eventually they too, ignored him. I ended up taking over 200 photos. The best are here. 

Curious Bo

At first the chicks ran from Bo

Creeping closer

Bo follows along everywhere

Audrey seems to know he means no harm

Heading for the Jerusalem Artichoke

 

Under the Jerusalem Artichoke

 

Searching for bugs

Got one

How exactly do I eat this?

Off to the side gardens we all go

Under the redwood tree

Lots to investigate under here

At Buddy’s grave

Under the oregano

In the oregano

Heading up the slope for home

Chessie and Mimi watching from afar

Abbey luxuriating on the driveway

The end

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New Day 3 – It’s All A Lie

It’s all a lie.

Step out of your fear.

Listen to your own heart.

Awaken!

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New Day 2 – A Bit of This and That

 

April 23rd surprise

The warm weather does wonders for the spirit. One can’t be absolutely certain that we’ve seen the last of winter yet, but it certainly felt like it today. The air was tropical – heavenly, especially after waking to a white landscape only four days ago.

We’ve had warm days here and there over the past week or so – enough to begin preparing the gardens, and to repair all the cat tunnels. The weight of the snow snaps the poles that hold up the tunnel netting, so many of them need to be replaced. There are also holes that rodents have chewed that need to be repaired. I have two escape artists among my six cats who find all the holes. They are still getting out, so I know there’s at least one hole still to be repaired. I have to spy on these two escapees to see where they are getting out. They know better than to escape with me watching, else the hole disappears. 

Abbey the escape artist in the tunnel

Cat tunnel repaired

 

Once the snows receded, Max began his routine of showing up for breakfast every other day or so. A few days ago I looked out the window and there was Max with a friend. My first reaction was, “Good grief – not another cat!”

 

 

I snapped a few photos of her from the upstairs window, but when I went down to let him/them in, she ran off. I suspect she’s feral. Two of my cats were feral from this neighborhood, and this visitor looks very much like both of my two, so I suspect she’s a cousin. She was very pretty. Of course, she could be a he for all I know. 

It's no good telling him to get down

Max's friend

 

Ready to go

 

Today with the fabulous weather, I finished preparing the vegetable garden. Normally I buy seedlings as I have no sun indoors sufficient to start seeds, but this year I purchased a lamp and full spectrum bulbs so that I could be certain to have heirloom seed producing vegetables. Over the winter I purchased a fabulous lot of heirloom seeds, and on Monday, I planted the seeds – those that are agreeable to early starting. 

These are up over the garage - perfect for the hanging light

 

Last year I grew no root vegetables, but this year I will. I’m thinking of digging a cold cellar during the summer, but if I don’t I can use a fall back arrangement by storing them under the bulkhead in wooden boxes. The parsnips will stay in the ground over the winter to sweeten up. I’ve mapped out the garden and planned my rotation. I am so happy to be gardening again.

 I took the advice given in one of my books of placing newspaper covered with straw in the in between rows to keep the weeds down. I’m not certain this will work in my garden as the weeds had plenty of root-growing time last summer. But maybe I’ll be lucky.

Spring run off (no sitting down here yet)

Pond a few days ago before summer growth

 

Another reason I’m happy to be back outside is for the exercise. Like many, I have pounds to lose. My daughter recently sent me a link to a NY Times Magazine article on sugar – http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/magazine/mag-17Sugar-t.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1&smid=fb-nytimes. If you go to the article, there’s a video of a lecture by Robert Lustig called “Sugar: The Bitter Truth.” If you take a look at it, you might just manage to get on top of your cravings – at least for a day.

Young dandelion plant - perfect for consumption

I watched the video, went outside and worked in the garden, cleared some of the debris around the yard, and then noticed that the dandelions were coming up.

I had already set myself the goal of eating off the earth as much as is possible this summer here in the woods, so…I picked my lunch. (While picking my lunch, by the way, I noticed the fiddleheads are getting ready for consumption as well. That will be tomorrow’s lunch.)  You can see I made a lovely salad from the dandelions. I added a handful of organic spinach, one hardboiled egg (still hot in the photo so the yolk looks vibrant), tomato, feta cheese, and a bit of oil and vinegar. I have to say that it was really delicious. And to think people spray poison on their dandelions instead of eating them. 

Nice pickings

Lunch

 

 

 

I found myself outside in the dark the other day, camera in hand. I was unable to not ask the Spirits (or whatever) for a photo. Of the six or seven I took. Here’s the one I got when I asked them out loud to please show themselves.  It’s the only photo with orbs. I’m glad they are still around. 

Spirit orbs

 

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New Day 1 – A Robin’s Song

I was awakened this morning by a robin’s song just outside my window. Instantly I was filled with joy. I kept my eyes closed and listened. Winter has seemed long in coming – it snowed just yesterday and the ground is still mainly white. But here I was in an instant, transported from winter to spring. It was a now moment – pure heart. “Oh yes, I remember that song.”

When his song was done, I arose and went to the window to see if I could catch a glimpse of this first returning robin. He was gone, but across the way the day was dawning and the whole eastern sky was blazing red. I grabbed my camera and ran out in my pajamas and boots to capture a bit of the beauty. The photos were poor – not well focused due to the dark, but I’ll post the best one.

 

This was taken just a few days ago. Now that the snow has melted these lovely birds found a good breakfast below the bird feeder. Here they are, just hanging out.

I’ve been quiet for months. Obviously the intention of the blog came to a grinding halt. But much to my surprise I continue to get visitors, so perhaps I will start again.  My focus may take a new turn. We’ll see.

For now – thank you for visiting.

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Day 66 – The Heart – A Gift From Spirit

This is such a profound happening that I am shaking as I write this.

If you have been following the orb phenomena of the last few days, you will know that I have been attempting to get proof from Spirit that the orbs are indeed Spirit and not some camera anomaly or light refraction. Two days ago, I requested that Sprit give me a triangle in an orb – this was the first test. Indeed I did get a triangle – quite a humorous one (see Day 65). In that write-up, I set another test. I requested a heart within an orb.

During the day yesterday, the weather was lovely, and Max had appeared, so I decided to get out into the woods. We four wandered around and just enjoyed ourselves. I took photos as I usually do.

On our return, I loaded up the shots, and though I did not have any orbs, I planned out a blog for Day 66 about our walk.

Around 3:00 a.m. this morning, I awoke, and the first thing in my head was to go out and take photos. However, I was warm and cozy and had difficulty stirring myself. As I lay there I battled with the two voices – one said go outside, the other said, but it’s so warm in here. Buddy then got up and headed to the door. So I got up and went out and took the usual string of unfocussed shots around the yard.

I didn’t think I’d gotten anything, so instead of loading the photos up right away, I waited until breakfast time.

A heart within a triangle - clear as day

When I started going through what I had, this is what I found.

Sketch of what I see

 

There against the Hemlock tree was a large orb. In it is not only a heart, but a heart within a triangle. And both appear to be created within the orb substance itself. Here I have not only the confirmation of communication that I was seeking, but an answer that conveys a high level of intelligence and humor. Coincidentally (or not coincidentally) this gift comes to me on the anniversary of my adoption, December 3, 1942.

Hemlock Orb Image - lightened

Here's the untouched photo with the orb

 

The very next photograph - lightened - no orb

The next photograph - untouched

 

I recently calculated the numerological vibration of that day, and it reduces to 22 – a highly spiritual number. I reflected on what I already knew – that the adoption experience was a pivotal part of my Spiritual journey here. And now I receive this gift of a heart from Spirit on this non-ordinary day.

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Day 65 – Spirit Replies

If you read yesterday’s blog, Day 64, you will recall that I was questioning whether my orbs were from Spirit, or fog reflections. To test this in a very simplified way, I put out a request that Spirit give me an orb with a triangle in it. This I would take as indicating there was Spirit and intelligence behind what is showing up in my photographs.

Well…I had a delightful response. Let me set the scene.

Taken with flash during daytime drizzzle and fog

Yesterday continued to be foggy and rainy the entire day. Already suspect about fog photos, I decided to search for the triangle orb with interior photos (now that I seemed able to get them indoors). I limited myself to the living room, and at about 3 times throughout the day I took photos and retreated upstairs to the computer to see what I had. I did get many orbs, but being in a skeptical mood, I examined the living room décor for anything that might cause orb reflections, and slowly I removed all reflective objects. I continued to get orbs here and there, but not the triangle I was looking for.

Hemlock with a bunch of tiny orbs

Around 3 in the afternoon, it did occur to me to take a few outside shots in the fog with the flash just to see if I got all those orbs in the daytime mist, as well. With the exception of the one facing the hemlock tree, I captured no orbs. The hemlock view has many tiny ones, but again, this doesn’t tell me much.  

Final attempt for a triangle orb

At 7:15, pretty much loosing hope, I made one last beg of the Spirit realm for the triangle orb. I pointed the camera, and requested loudly that they show me a nice, large, orb with a triangle in it. And I got one. It is not the triangle I had envisioned consisting of the orb material itself, but it is most definitely a triangle.  As I set no requirements for what type of triangle I was expecting, they solved the problem quite well I think, and with much humor. The triangle is one eye of a face made up of the creases in the drapes, and it makes me laugh.

There's a triangle here - no doubt about that (there's another orb down on the curtain)

Taken immediately after shot with the orb

 

Looks like a face to me - even the triangular pie piece in the painting looks like a face

During that same session, I also received an orb that looks like a wide eyed Spirit peering out from the side of a painting on a triangular object in the painting. I had noticed the glass jar on the table and wanted to remove the possibility that the jar was reflecting the orbs, so I removed the jar and then got the face orb.

Photo with orb at corner of the painting

 

Now…is this just my searching until I found something that met the criteria, or does it represent true communication?

To satisfy most scientific minds, this will require some more testing, which I will do. However, for me, this rings as communication, and here’s why.

It has to do with a reading I had over a year ago. During that reading I had been given the name of my Spirit guide. It was a male, and I was told he had a sense of humor – quirky. This did not warm my heart. It was not what I expected to hear. I already knew my guide’s name. I’d been given this information over 35 years earlier. I had developed a wonderful relationship with this guide, and she was a woman. I loved her, and talked to her all the time. I was shocked to hear during this recent reading, that she was no longer my guide. I did not want a male guide. In fact at the time I had been told about my female guide, I’d also been told I had a Zulu male guide as well, but I’d never connected with him.

I did not fully realize just how much this upset me at the time, but over succeeding months I was not able to connect with this other guide. It was during a conversation with a friend about this that the full impact of this event hit me. I am an adopted person, and this was an abandonment that went into a deep place that I had never explored before, even with respect to my birth mother. How could this Spirit with whom I communicated all the time, just leave me? And how could I have not known, and continued to live an illusion – this was a self betrayal of the worst kind. It took me months of just living quietly to forgive myself for my lack of awareness, and to understand and forgive my Guide passing the torch to someone else.

Taken this morning at 5 a.m. - there's my guide

This Monday night, after the funny event at the camera shop, over which I’d been laughing for hours, I lay in bed, and suddenly I ‘knew’ that my new guide had given me that little joke. I just knew it, and as the knowing came to me, the love from this guide swept over me. I connected at last. It was okay that he was a male, I knew he loved me, and I knew I loved him. Even now as I write this, the tears of gratitude well.

And again, outside this morning at 5 - A few orbs at the hemlock - I think the bright one at the left is my Spirit guide, bright and present now because he knows I've embraced him

So, when I saw this large orb with the triangle, I knew that my guide had responded with humor – he did solve what might have been quite a problem for him in Spirit, and he did it in a way that completely delights me. We speak the same language. I love this.

But, for the sake of reinforcing that there is communication going on, I will set a new task for today. I ask that I be given an orb with a heart in it.

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