......bird song

Yogis,
We are at a time in history where it’s more critical than ever that as a species we become closer to nature. Enjoying it, yes, but something much deeper. A relationship. With a two way friendship we are more willing to give back, be okay with being inconvenienced and at times, do with less so the other can flourish.  This week I discovered another fun way of connection, quite accidentally!

Last year when I had a set of bluebirds hoping to move into my yard it was my first experience with them. I knew nothing about bluebirds. I didn’t know their nesting habits, the timing of the eggs, or most importantly, their song. So I did what we all do…..I asked google.

I was directed to Youtube where there were plenty of options of videos that have recordings of the different calls they make. Most birds have several songs.  I listened to them many times until I was sure I would recognize them when they arrived. One of those times I happened to be sitting out in the backyard.

As soon as the video started, the bluebird couple flew up into the tree above me and listened. Was it coincidence? I soon forgot about the experience.

Fast forward to this year as I watch the mom selecting the perfect nest making materials from my garden and flying back and forth to the birdhouse. I remembered the videos. I turned one on, turned up the volume and waited. I didn’t have to wait long.

The two of them began flitting back and forth between the trees near me. Answering the calls. Swooping over me. Finally getting so excited they began mating. I believe babies were made to my innocent serenade.

So, if bluebirds respond this way, how about other birds?

Next, I tried cardinals. They loved it! So much that the next day when I was outside, I swear the mom was following me around. Even other species of birds seem to fly in for the show. Small woodpeckers and robins appear to appreciate everyone’s calls. Heads tilt to the side to listen.

I am also finding that the birds are more aware of me any time I am out in the garden now, and me of them. They sit closer and watch what I am doing. Sometimes I even feel like they are asking for an encore. And in the process, I am learning their language. A win-win. The beginnings of a lifelong conversation.

Give it a try! Select some birds that you know are probably nearby, turn up the volume and sit still. Be patient and try several times. 

Report back!

Interconnected,
SARAH

....a different perspective

Yogis,
Did you think you might make it through the month of April without a note from me about dandelions? I couldn’t possibly let that happen.

Easter brings with it visions of spring, sunshine, joy, yellow and all things rising. All qualities also shared by dandelion as they arrive together hand in hand.

I spent much of this past week with my sorely misunderstood friend. How could I not when each time I drive up to the house there she is in my gravel driveway welcoming me home. Many golden faces beaming at me from either side as I stroll up my walk. Hello, hello they yell. Even peeking out from a crack between my first and second brick steps.

As I rake the leaves and clean the garden, humble dandelion keeps me company. I fill a jar with her flowers and cover them in oil to be used in 6 weeks to make a healing skin balm. Her sunny disposition cheers me when I feel low and reminds me to always look on the bright side. Beautiful when you drop down to get close to her, leaving misconceptions behind and seeing her from a different perspective.

Let me share some fun facts about her that may shift your view…...

•          The dandelion symbolizes both the sun and moon and their everlasting connection. Her bright yellow flowers carry the energy and warmth of the sun and the puff ball she later becomes is a symbol of the moon. She opens her petals in the morning to greet the sun and closes them to sleep under the light of the moon.
•          Everyone has heard that dandelions are hard to remove. This is because of the incredible tap root they send down which at times can be several feet long. If any of it remains in the soil the dandelion will regrow. A reminder of our own potential for resilience and rebirth.
•         There are about 100 species of dandelion and all are beneficial! Every single part of her offers nutrition and healing and has been used in Chinese traditional medicine for centuries.
•          What appears to be a single flower head is actually made up of thousands of small ray flowers.
•          Dandelion is the most recognized flower in America. Everyone can point out a dandelion!
•          While we have been led to believe she is bad for our lawn, it is quite the opposite. Having dandelions keeps the soil aerated and the calcium she draws up with her long tap root fertilizes the grass.
•          And best of all, dandelions are fun! Who doesn’t remember blowing your wishes to the wind as a child?

We could learn a few things from dandelion. Strong, yet gentle. Never taking herself too seriously. Beautiful without being fussy. Dandelions are the ultimate masters of survival and they continue shining their light on us even when presented with the most hostile of environments.

Next time you see her……beam back!

Ode to dandelion,
SARAH

......the daily show

Yogis,
My eyes open and the sun is shining. A bright new day! Excited, I jump out of bed and head downstairs.  I can hear the birds so I know the show has begun and I don’t want to miss a moment.

Our house has a large great room comprised of an open kitchen, dining space and sitting area and the length is lined with a wall of windows looking out over the backyard. My gardens and the woods beyond create the view with nature as my everchanging artwork. There is always something to see out there, but this season is extra special.

A bird feeder sits in the middle of the grass and another hangs from a tree. A birdbath that was given to me by my neighbor Danny just before he passed away marks the middle of my medicine wheel. A couple of birdhouses adorn the deck posts and garage, and native plants are scattered about.  My attempt at creating a full-service resort for the wildlife that are kind enough to allow me to live here among them.

What is on the lineup for this morning?

The suspenseful drama this week is the return of the bluebirds. You may recall that last year they arrived as first-time guests.  Weeks were spent protecting their new home, building a nest and laying an egg before something (I believe a sparrow) went in and cracked the egg. Well, they are giving it another try…….selecting a different house this year. The sparrows, of course, think all the houses are theirs, even though they aren’t occupying them. Daily dive bombing, standing on top of a house all puffed up and squawking from both sides ensue. Each evening I am left hanging.

When I am in the mood for comedy I turn to the chipmunks. For years now they have lived inside the wall in our garage. To get out they chewed a small piece off the bottom of the garage door so they have easy access. They have begun venturing out this week. I see their small heads scoping the scene and then they dash across the yard to the wood pile and hide. There is nothing cuter than a chipmunk with its cheeks stuffed to capacity. Reminds me of when I was young and had round cheeks and my nickname at school was chipmunk (not quite as funny.)

Robins too can get me giggling. The way they hop, hop, hop…..stop……cock their head to listen and then boom. Down into the ground their beak goes. The worm never had a chance.

If chase scenes are your thing then you would love the squirrel show. The birds at the birdfeeder are messy. I watch as they push any seeds they personally don’t like out of the way and onto the ground much to the delight of the squirrels. If a squirrel who isn’t supposed to be there however swaggers in, watch out. Off they go. Zigzagging through the garden and up the tree with one in hot pursuit. Spirals up and down the tree. Out a limb. A giant leap into open air…….and barely grabbing the end of a branch with those small paws. Is it staged?

Finally there are those times when I need quiet. Peace. Tranquility. That would be the mourning dove episode. I think of them as the clean up crew. They never push. They wait their turn. And at day’s end they quietly and daintily eat whatever is left on the ground. Trusting there is enough for all. At dusk their song brings the world down a notch.

That’s just my backyard! I haven’t even touched on all the live streaming channels playing down at the river. Who needs tv?

Get still and watch nature for a half hour and notice what happens,
SARAH

......what do you see?

Yogis,
Spring is springing!

I love this time of year. Constant newness…… Each morning I stroll through the yard to see what appeared as I slept. Peonies pushing their heads through the dirt and leaves.  A dandelion bloom waving to me from a crack in the front walk. Leaves beginning to unfold on the hydrangea. I see them.

Only hours later I walk through again and already there is more. A spot of green here……purple flowers in the lawn. A bee has emerged and rests on the Lenten rose. As if the whole world is recreating itself moment by moment around me. Things aren’t there and suddenly they are……

Spring is a reminder that nothing stays the same. Nature lets go of the old and creates the new effortlessly. We have the same abilities but at times our skills get rusty. Spring is a great time to dust off those creative powers!

We are infinite creators, making our lives up as we go. Moment to moment, day to day. But sometimes it doesn’t feel like it. We get in a rut, as I have lately, and it seems that life is happening to us. But each of us is powerful beyond measure when we energetically shift into conscious creating.

For me, between a pandemic and a long cold winter, everything is seeming ‘same old same old’. Yet here we are emerging from winter and covid, with restaurants, gyms, movie theaters all open and expecting our return. As if we are supposed to jump back into what we were doing two years ago without skipping a beat. It all feels exhausting. I don’t necessarily want to do exactly what I was doing before.

It’s easy to see what we don’t want, but what is it that I do want? What is it that you want? The sky is the limit!

Uncovering our truest wants and desires is the first step in conscious creating and can often be the most challenging. Spring is here to help.

This spring season is governed by the element of water. Picture those spring rains which clear out the old and bring to life all that has patiently lay dormant beneath the earth for months. The water energy can help get us ‘unstuck’ too and into the flow.

What is it that you want to create?

I stand in front of my garden, with its old growth entwined with new sprouts. What do I want to create? Perhaps I will grow St Johns wort over there, move the bergamot to a new spot, clear space at the edge of woods, add a trellis, sow wildflowers out front. I can already imagine it!   

It seems easy in the garden. The trick is to remember that our life is like one enormous garden!

As you stroll your yard and see what nature is creating, ask yourself what it is you want to create and be quiet and listen. Take your time. The answers lie in your heart.

Once you know, see your life (like my garden) as if you have already created it. Visualize yourself having it, being it, doing it, living it……. Your thoughts become things so be clear. See your life blooming!

What you see in your mind, you can hold in your hand,
SARAH