Handling the No

I think we've all had times when it seems every door I see cracked open gets firmly closed in my face as I approach it.  Very frustrating.  Some of us hardier souls just seem to thrive on a challenge and are determined to either go around that closed door or crash right on through it, but I find it off putting.

Lately I seem to be coming up against those closed doors too often and am finding it depressing, however yesterday the Universe offered me another way of looking at it.  I was walking in my favorite park appreciating a rare cool overcast day when the sun broke through the cloud and flooded the park with golden light.  I quickly returned to my car for my camera then made myself comfortable at a picnic table to enjoy this spectacular lighting.

My reverie was abruptly interrupted by a Red-tailed Hawk making a dive for a bird in the grass right in front of me!!  I was shocked and thrilled!  The bird made its escape leaving only a few feathers behind and the hawk retreated to a low branch of a nearby tree.  I was able to study this hawk for a minute or two and it clearly wasn't showing frustration or depression at its recent disappointment.  It simply regrouped and carried on with the task at hand - finding dinner for the family.

Here was my message of the day:  don't dwell in the past, all my energy must be directed towards moving forward in a calm and detached manner.   Thank you Hawk, the Messenger.

I'm linking this to Nature Notes and Wild Bird Wednesday.   Please follow the links to more nature activities from around the world.

Switching Trees

 "it's an ill wind that blows nobody good"

I've always prided myself on having loyalty and integrity.  It seems lately, though, I've really had to reconsider exactly what loyalty means to me. 

Being loyal to my family, my friends and my place of employment are codes of conduct I've embraced all my life.  Lately it has been dawning on my that perhaps I've been leaving out a very important part of the equation:  Loyalty to myself, my own inner promptings.

As I've been mulling over a situation in my life of late I have really made me aware of the contradictions in my belief system.  I was being challenged whether I was going to go with the conditioning of the tribe or the urgings of my heart - loyalty to the tribe or try something different.

Quite appropriately we've had a huge windstorm here a couple of days ago and it seemed my inner turmoil was matched only by the outer turmoil, and when the wind finally settled the answer came, as it usually does, from the World, through my Lens.

 Palm Springs Library taking a hit.

I drove around the neighbourhood, being re-routed on several occasions, noticing all those beautiful trees that had been blown down by the 70mph winds. Strong, robust, seemingly invincible eucalyptus, the aromatic pines and the luxurious English evergreens laying on their sides a-waiting the chainsaws.  The tall slender palms, however, had swayed their way through the worst of the winds and were still standing.

There was my answer.  I can stand strong and rigid in the face of adversity, like I've always done, and risk getting face planted like those trees, or try something different.  How about I stay grounded and be flexible to the breezes of life just like those palms?


Linking to:
ABC Wednesday - 'B' is for Blow, Breeze, Beautiful
 Nature Notes

Angel on the Mountain

On the west end of California's  Coachella Valley, gracing the steep slopes of Mount San Jacinto above Palm Springs, is the unique rock formation known as the Angel on the Mountain.  It is visible, when you know where to look, of course, from a great distance and adds credence to the belief of many that the Coachella Valley is a sacred and spiritual area.

Even the name, Coachella, has some spiritual history behind it.  Some believe the word is derived from the Spanish word, caracola, meaning conch shell.  After all, many years ago the valley was at the bottom of the Salton Sea and as the water receded conch shells were exposed.  Others believe the word predates the Spanish Explorers and is, in fact, an Indian word meaning hand of God.

No-one knows who first noticed the Angel, though I imagine the original inhabitants, the Cahuilla Indians, were aware of it, and the Spanish Explorers also.  At the turn of the twentieth century white settlers to the area were building their dwellings facing the Angel.  Perhaps for good reason as the Coachella Valley is also well known for have the infamous San Andreas Fault-line running the length of the valley.  Now that is a story for another day.

The stone formation of the angel with it's wings spread out it directly above the word 'Angel'.

I've added a closer up view.  Unfortunately the pictures aren't of the quality I'd like as the mountain is huge and my lens only moderate, so I've had to crop quite aggressively to be able to see the figure.

The figure is to the left of the word this time.

I'm linking this to ABC Wednesday.  Please click on the link to see more interesting ABC's.

And Nature Notes at Rambling Woods.  Happy blog birthday, Michelle!  Keep on blogging, I love what you have to say.

Gratitude in Little Ways

I recently saw this quote on a placard in a gift store and it has really stuck with me:


"What if you woke up in the morning and only had what you were grateful for yesterday"

That got me thinking in depth for a long time.  A lot of the most influential teachers of our time having been hammering the gratitude concept for a long time now.  Louise Hay and Oprah are two household names who really believe in being grateful for even the smallest things, and the quote above reminded me how deep gratitude can go. I have so much to be grateful for even when the World around seems to be dancing a different dance to what I am used to.

Most of my pondering happens when I'm out hiking with my dogs and camera.  It seems the World can speak to me through my Lens easier this way, the left brain steps back to let the right brain take over for a while. 

How ordinary and often overlooked is this little sparrow?  They are all over the world and they are survivors.  They don't have the pretty plumage of most other species and therefore really don't stand out in a crowd, unless they are in a crowd of their own dominating the bird feeders.  Then they are noticed with irritation for hogging all the feed and not allowing the 'prettier' birds a chance to eat.

White-crowned Sparrow

This little fellow posed for me in a Juniper bush and allowed to take two or three nice pictures before it departed.  What's more Sparrow was so close that I was almost too close to get a clear shot! After reading my quote and pondering it, I thought maybe my just-a-cute-little-sparrow may appreciate my giving it some importance:  officially this is White-crowned Sparrow (juvenile).
At least this is the title us humans have bestowed upon it.

So, little one, thank you for so graciously posing for me and making my day!

I'm linking this to ABC WEDNESDAY.  This week we're up to "W".  Follow the link to more ABC's.

I'm also linking this to Michelle's Nature Notes at the Rambling Woods blog.