Deer Heart

October 29th
Yellowstone National Park

The suns warmth graces me
The air is colder than cool
The ground is frozen where water travels the surface
We are in the midst of seasonal transition
The lone buffalo in the meadow is wearing a thick coat, dressed for ice and snow

Leaving the park, the sun sinks towards the earth
Shadows grow longer
Striking in appearance
Light showing off all that it touches
Deer are out in hundreds
No exaggeration
Eating and hanging with the herd

I drive on
Wanting to enjoy the scenes
Wanting tomorrow’s drive to be shorter
I am now in Wyoming
This land takes a new feel and shape
Golden rolling hills
Pointed peaks
Endless grasslands
where are the trees?
I feel a sense of respect
If I were to walk day after day
What would this land teach me?

As darkness falls, I find my eyes sweeping the path I drive
Looking for animals, mostly deer
I feel anxious remembering my vision of two days ago:

I was driving the highway in Montana
In an instant a deer was in front of my van
I crashed into it
Pulling the van over
Running to the deer
Finding it breathing with difficulty, bleeding
I pull it off the road
We look into one another’s eyes, it’s life draining away
Without words it tells me
“Eat my heart, take my life into you, so that I may live on through you”
Knowing that honoring this request was the only possibility
I began eating it's heart, warm and beating with life
Blood running down my chin and hands

With it’s last breath
The deers spirit enters me
I am wild
I am deer
I know nothing else
Not my name
Not the world around me
We are immersed in one another
This deer's heart beating in my own

As the deer’s breath enters my body
It’s body lies limp in my arms
Something pulls me from it’s body
and it’s body from my arms
My eyes become accustomed to the life around me
People looking at me as though I am lost, crazed with blood on me
They think it is the shock of killing this deer with my van
They could never know that I am now deer
as well as woman

My eyes sweep the road my van flies down
Remembering the deer protectors glued onto the bumper
Plastic gadgets that whistle and warn animals of an approaching vehicle
Work, I pray
Not only do I not want to kill anyone
I feel anxious of the heart
The beating warm heart I may have to eat

My awareness drops to my chest
A deer now lives within it
Vision united us
We have become one


To read more inspired by the word "vision" visit: Sunday Scribblings

Twas Essential to Wander

Yesterday I had to be outside
my spirit needed the air and space of the wild open land
my eyes needed to take in the blue sky
the greens of trees
the dancing white clouds and the light of the day

I wandered up to the Brush Creek fire area that burned last summer.

I found a wonderful spot to pick morels.
Got piles of them and I must say it is a lot like an easter egg hunt.
So much fun.

Also I found arnica flowers
I am making an infused oil with these:

Drove home on roads new to me
they wound themselves through the forest
which was
sprinkled with wild flowers.
Lovely Larkspur:

Roundleaf Alumroot:

Beargrass:

Do you ever wonder where all the birds lay their eggs?
I do.
I pulled over to pick some arnica flowers
hopped over a log and a wee bird flew out from under it.
What was that bird doing under there, I wondered.
This is what I found:

Life Images Magazine

Once upon a time there was a woman (this would be me) who knew it was time to change her life. She traveled for two years wandering beautiful lands. Then she settled in the wilds of NW Montana. Twas time to make money and instead of starting up one of her previous businesses, such as the beaded jewelry she did for over twenty years while raising her son or Cranial Sacral therapy, she thought "I will try a new business honoring the beauty I find in our planet".

Imagine giving birth to a business that demands one spends time wandering in nature, perfect! As a passion this lady had been making greeting cards in honor of special occasions for at least ten years. In response she would hear "you must sell these". She hoped with all her heart that these folks knew what they were speaking of. And so the birth of 'Spirithelpers' was born. Named in hopes that the recipient of a beautiful image would experience their spirit to be uplifted.

Earlier this year she submitted photos and poetry to a wonderful art magazine called Life Images by Somerset. To tie this in with Sunday's Scribblings, the Happy Ending (or maybe beginning) is that yesterday the mail held the first issue that would contain two of her images and a poem as well. So with the full moon upon us and Solstice arriving it is time to celebrate.

The leading image (above) is not one of my photos, but the cover of the magazine that contains my photography.

The following is my photography as you will find it in Life Images:


Enchanted

Music on the roof sings
to an ancient rhythm in my heart
heavens release a cleansing rain
then brilliant rays of light
I am drawn to wander taking in the beauty
enlivened by the air
I spy liquid jewels
that adorn a silken home
mesmerized
I lay on the damp earth
feeling enchanted
with the elegance of
raindrops in a lacy web
pondering: is this the origin of jewelry


This bald eagle I came upon this winter, on a cold gray day:



Thank you for sharing in the celebration of my first magazine premiere!

Twas a Deer Day

Earlier today, Mikaelah called to say "bring your camera, I found a new born deer in the grass!".

The wee thing was so still, barely breathing, except for its nose, which was working overtime. "Where was the mother" was the thought we wondered over and over. We were charmed and grateful to be in this little one's presence.

I stopped by this evening to find the little deer gone. Wonderfully, this might mean the mother was still alive and caring for this little fawn (some where else).

Later:

After selling my photography at the wonderful Whitefish Farmer's market, where the music was live and hopping, folks were laughing and talking, children were playing and folks were shopping, I began my drive home. I spotted a mother deer with a little one nursing. Do take in mind they were fairly far off to take their portrait. Still the picture tells a story!

Extraordinary in the Ordinary

Endless beauty

Dandelion seeds


Under a log, I found these little beings


New Life

To see more art in the everyday, go to Inspire Me Thursday.

Listening to the Wind

She walked across the field of tall grass dressed in khaki colored pants, a tan t-shirt and hiking boots. Watching the sun rise across the meadow she notices a lone wolf and listens to birds chirping as though their day began hours ago. Hearing the wind before it arrives, she looks high in the tree tops to watch for it's appearance. She closes her eyes to feel the caress as the wind circles round the meadow wrapping it’s wings around her and she listens for the wind has a message:

Rest deeply dear one, release the doors you have formed round your heart. Take this beautiful day into every part of your being. Don’t just walk through the day, breath it in, then breath the beauty back out. Make today a breathing meditation. When you are aware of every breath, and feel the gratitude of breathing in beauty and breathing out beauty you will find the gift you have always known in your heart.


To read more about "guide" see Sunday Scribblings

June Snow

This morning I awoke with only hints of yesterdays snow fall, a few patches on the earth and my van window. June 10th and it snowed! This is a first for me. I awoke to the sound of rain or was it hail, it was sleet. Then the temperatures dropped and sleet became snow. The lush green earth that made me feel as though I was in a rain forest was suddenly dressed in white. I was sure to take a walk, day and night amongst the snow falling through the sky, it could be months before I can do that again. I noticed a metallic smell in the air, so different from a winter snow. What that smell was I may never know. Yet the stillness of the earth dressed in snow was mine as I walked a midst the pines in June.

My Nights

My nights
are sacred to me

I love the deep quiet
of most my nights

the change of the critters
as the day time ones get quiet
the night time ones
begin their shift

some nights are shared
with loved ones
over a meal
watching the play of birds
at the feeders

in winter
I love walking home through the trees
dressed in white
snow falling around me
again the deep quiet

clear summer nights
are stunning
for barefoot tai chi on the green green grass
stars sparkling up high
like raindrops frozen in the sky

some nights will find me
curled up at one end of the couch
drawing and painting
music dancing through the cabin
a glass of red wine
I am content

then there are the nights
full of
a heart felt sharing
on the phone
visiting with a distant friend

I love my nights


To see more from the prompt: "My Nights" go to Sunday Scribblings

Hummingbird

On my porch is a hummingbird feeder. Sitting out there is fascinating but not calm, as these little critters are so busy beating one another to the food! At night I bring the feeder in, due to bears in the area. In the morning a hummingbird flies by the window I sleep near to tell me it is time to put the food out.
So smart!
Find more Hummer art at: Inspire Me Thursday

Spring in Full Swing

Western Meadowrue
male flowers

The forest was full of busy bees
Their hum, music that filled the air
Trees color our world

The softenss of blooms ignite my heart

A view so many of us love

Purple and Orange

Nature's beauty is endless!
Inspire Me Thursday offered the prompt: purple and orange