Sunday, September 18, 2011

Bird Talk

I've been experiencing and enjoying some odd events over the past few weeks. I have no explanation for any of them; strangely, the urge to find a reason for them has gone. Acceptance is the order of the day. It makes my life so much easier.

I must confess I wake up each morning with a certain wariness...What will occur this day to make me feel unbalanced and anxious? So much is happening in the World...even a 6.7 Earthquake, along with many minor ones, on the West Coast of Vancouver Island hardly makes the News, when there are hugely terrifying events occurring elsewhere.


I feel Mother Earth is re-balancing herself, ridding herself of eons of negativity and pollution the human race has placed upon her. I am not making light of the terrible Floods, Fires and Quakes which keep happening...I send Oceans of Light and Love each time I hear about another Flood, another Fire, another Earthquake. It is about all I can do, at this time.

I find safety here, surrounded by the Forest and its creatures.With tall Trees ringing the entire property, the World and its problems so easily disappear from mind.


Lucky, my dog, and I, go for long walks around the property each morning. I check out the garden and Lucky checks out who visited overnight. It is not uncommon for me to go out in my pyjamas and slippers...this is a reward for living on acreage in the country. There is no one to see and judge and shake their heads.

It is peaceful and calm in that early morning hour. Last year, throughout the Forest Fires and the Smoke, many Animals and Birds converged here in this Forest, seeking safety. This year, there are not so many.  The extremely wet Spring took care of any Fires which might have caused chaos and even though we experienced  a heat wave recently, the nighttime temperatures are becoming frosty. The likelihood of any big Fires this year is decreasing daily.


And so, I have not had occasion to visit with as many Birds as I did last year. But there are a few...

Chickadees. Oh my, there are Chickadees. Let me tell you a story about those Chickadees and Lucky and I.


I was standing beneath the only Birch Tree inside the fence-line, beside a garden bed filled with flowering Plants, all seeded directly into the ground in late Spring. I was marvelling at how lovely it looked, after all the Rain we experienced over the last Spring. The Plants were still lush and wildly flowering; my attention was focused completely on the pinks and blues, reds and oranges of the different kinds of Poppies, Bachelor's Buttons, Daisies, Digitalis, Coreopsis, Cosmos...

By this time, Lucky was waiting for me to open the gate and continue on our walk. But I heard a Chickadee in the Birch Tree just above me. I looked up, and without a thought, I mimicked his voice...Chick-a-dee, dee, dee...over and over. 


It seemed as if he answered me and then his head tilted from side to side, as he watched this two-legged creature try to speak with him.


I noticed another Chickadee settle on a branch...then another and another...until the whole Tree was covered with the small, fluttering and hopping Birds! Each one's attention was entirely focused on me and my continuing bird speech...Chick-a-dee-dee-dee, Chick-a-dee-dee-dee...


Lucky was becoming aware something odd was happening. Whining, he looked up at me, as if to say...Stop this! Who knows which kind of Bird will appear next!...


I stood there in awe, still calling. More and more Chickadees flew in...the Tree was alive with them. I stood there for a good half-hour, sometimes speaking bird speech and sometimes human. I have no idea whether any understanding was reached...I certainly had no idea what the twitterings and chirpings, chips and calls meant.


But the energy surrounding us...the Birds, the Tree, me and the Dog...was warm and loving. I wanted to stay all day in what seemed like a comfort spot. But Lucky became restless, wanting to continue his walk and wanting to go as far as possible from the Birch-Bird Tree, which was just too odd in his mind.


I didn't know how to say good-bye to all the little Chickadees who had graced my morning. I didn't want to leave them, either. But I raised my hand, said a final Chick-a-dee-dee-dee, and walked away.


And the Chickadees flew off, as well, to do their daily foraging, I imagine.

I felt like a child on Christmas morning...what a gift Creator had seen fit to bless me with!


Lucky cannot forget what happened that day. When an Eagle flies overhead, most times they will call...and now, I try and copy the eerie sound they make. Lucky goes ballistic. I'm sure, in his mind, all he can see is Birch Tree filled with Eagles.


He has problems with the Raven who lives in this Forest, as well. Raven and I have had many conversations, his usual call being quite simple to emulate, although it can hurt my throat. The other day, though, Lucky had occasion to go outside, just as Raven was filching some of Lucky's marrow bone. Lucky rescued it, of course, and Raven flew up onto the Birch Tree. When I came outside, after watching the kerfuffle from a window, Raven began the most awesome speech.


He made glottal sounds, burrs and purrs, sounds like a motor running...Raven had quite a repertoire. His head bobbed, around and up and down. His long, black wings were spread at times, to give him balance, as he danced along the branches.

I wanted to answer him, in Raven speech, but could not mimic his sounds. So I spoke to him in Human speech...and it seemed as if he listened. He would stop his movements when I spoke. He would tilt his head towards me, and when I had finished what I had to say, Raven would continue his awesome talking.


At first, I wondered what he was saying. But then, I noticed that warm, loving energy again...and I found it really didn't matter...


But our Lucky is not so cavalier. He has taken to watching the Skies as well as the immediate surrounding areas, just in case I might decide to call another Avian. And when I tease him, by imitating Bird song emanating from the Forest, he becomes super excited, searching the Sky and the Trees.


It was interesting to hear from an acquaintance of mine, just after the Bird episode I experienced, how she was convinced that a Deer who visits her home every day seems to hold a conversation with her. She shook her head, as she spoke with me, telling me it was not a good idea to be that friendly with a wild Deer, but that she could not seem to help herself. She tells her Deer friend about her day, what she is having for dinner, etc. She tells me she swears she can tune in to what the Deer tells her, in return. And she says she only feels a little strange about the whole thing, although she also concurs that she rarely tells anyone about her Deer episodes.


I smiled. Welcome to my World, I say...


I find more and more people tell me about odd occurrences involving Animals. I believe it is because I don't judge, I only accept. If they say a thing is so, I know it is.


After all, it happens to me, more and more.


I feel the times are such that waking up wary is acceptable...it keeps me aware...the World and her re-balancing will go on for awhile.


There is nothing I can do other than accept this is the way it is, right now. 

Acceptance and learning Bird speech or Animal talk, even if Lucky disapproves, will see me through.


The Animal species knows a lot more about Mother Earth than I do...

Google