Pieces of sunlight drift by my window as I first open my eyes this morning. Goldfinches are back! Yet I cannot hear them sing. Even the bay is quiet—dead calm, flat waters, slack tide. Barely any bird sings. It’s as if the earth has inhaled and is holding her breath—all anticipation, receptive to the unfurling of spring and the reinvigorating of her body. It’s a pause in the flow of life, a moment to glance backward and forward. Now the trio of ancient firs on the bluff glitters in the morning glow all lit up with sparkly life—goldfinches bouncing along the boughs.
Continue reading...12. April 2009
Yesterday I wrote about Ostara eggs, so today I’ll introduce the Ostara Bunny. Rabbits are well known for their prolific ability to make more bunnies, and it’s that fecundity which inspired the ancients to celebrate rabbits as potent symbols of fertility and prosperity. It’s easy to imagine rituals that asked blessings for crops that they might prosper as fruitfully as the hares in the fields. Germanic spring festivals for Ostara featured rabbits in this way, as they were considered sacred to her. Hares were revered in many ancient traditions and were also attached to moon goddesses and those connected to the hunt. Yet many other cultures feared the hedonistic associations with hares, and so assigned to them all manner of evil stories.
Continue reading...4. April 2009
The sun had punched through dense clouds and my fair-weather friend was airing her wings in the relative warmth. Every year she returns to this spot—I’m glad I have ruby primroses out to greet her—and feed her. One of her favorite rest stops is a slender branch sticking out of the brush at the edge of the woods. From this vantage point she can survey the whole bluff down to the beach and the wide expanse of bay and Strait.
Continue reading...1. April 2009
On April Fools Day what better animal ally to conjure than the Supreme Trickster, coyote? They live in my area, but are fairly good at hiding in plain sight. They are just one of many predators here that make sure those of us with small dogs keep them close by at all times. Sometimes they’re less secretive. I once had to stop my car on a residential street in Port Townsend, so a slowpoke coyote could meander across the road. He seemed to have no fear of my car—or maybe that was just his bravado showing.
Continue reading...19. March 2009
I admit it. I discriminate against pigeons. I fled city life years ago to live as far away from all things urban as I could. Yet here in my wild paradise lives a flock of pigeons. Other common birds I do revere. I consider migrating geese old friends and welcome them back to the lagoon as they pass through each spring and fall. I’m devoted to the many crows who live here, and they’re certainly ubiquitous and not at all exotic. (Though a wise friend once reminded me that there are no ordinary crows.)
Continue reading...18. March 2009
It’s that time of year when marine mammals begin making their way farther north. It’s fun to watch from a cliff and see the large whales swimming offshore. When a group goes by it can look like an old-fashioned flat-hose lawn sprinkler shooting spray into the air at intervals. Dolphins are getting ready to move north from California, too. Here we have the Pacific White-sided Dolphin, a beautiful tri-colored animal. The chin, throat and belly are creamy white, while the beak, flippers and back are a dark gray. There are light gray patches on the sides and a further light gray stripe running from above the eye to below the dorsal fin where it thickens along the tail stock. A dark gray ring surrounds the eyes.
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16. April 2009
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