Month: June 2021

Confession – Day 941

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Closeup – Photo: L. Weikel

Confession

I have a confession to make. Last night when I got into bed and started reading my book (because no matter how tired I am when I go up, I always have to read for a few minutes), I quickly realized we had a visitor.

Now, at first, when the large dark figure caught my attention via my peripheral vision, I thought it was a young bat. Much as I love bats, I did not want a bat in my bedroom, especially at 2:00 a.m. It was moving around quickly in a herky-jerky manner, not alighting anywhere, and its dark brown color up against the white paint of our closed bedroom door prompted a deep, visceral assumption.

Laying my book aside, I carefully extricated my legs from under the covers and the extra entanglement that comes with Spartacus snuggled between my legs but sandwiched between the comforter and the blanket. Tigger was already ‘on mission.’ He saw that thing – whatever it was – and was actively conducting a risk assessment on whether or not to go after it. It was pretty big. Clearly, he was weighing his options.

As soon as I put one foot on the floor, this winged beast took off and careened toward my closet. Oh dear. Ah. Nope. No, it gravitated toward the window instead. Failing to find purchase anywhere near the window, it lurched its way toward me and the light on my bedside table. Great.

Moth Above & Frontal (check out that tail!) – Photo: L.Weikel

Not a Bat

The only good to come of that change of course was confirmation that it was not actually a bat, but rather a substantial-sized moth. Not as big as a luna moth or anything. But big enough to be mistaken for a small bat.

And somehow, at 2:15 a.m., the call of the pillow was louder than the call of the wild. I had no desire to chase this bug down. I was afraid I’d accidentally hurt it; I didn’t want to whack it with anything or kill it, but I did want to tactically immobilize it so I could release it outside. If possible. But not then.

I’ll admit it: since it wasn’t a bat, I opted to ignore it.

A Moth Instead

As you’ve so astutely observed from all the photos, you already know it was a moth. This afternoon I discovered it clinging to the window frame directly beside my side of the bed. Determined to do right by it, I used a tissue to cup it into my hands and immediately took it outside on our porch. I placed it on one of our green pillows and gave it the chance to fly away.

Of course, it didn’t – at least initially. In fact, it seemed to bask in the spotlight that surrounded it as I documented its beauty.

This was no moth that routinely frequents our home, much less our bedroom. Perhaps I’ll search for a website tomorrow that can help me identify it.

In the meantime, take a moment to appreciate its unique beauty. I think I’d like to call it a Cow Moth, by the looks of its face up close. But that up-curved tail is especially peculiar. Doesn’t it almost look like a small plane, possibly one of those that land on water.

Hmm. I just might have to write another post on this creature. Guess we’ll see.

Moth Side View – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-170)

Our Collective Feelings – Day 940

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9 of Cups – Tarot of the Crone by Ellen Lorenzi-Prince

Our Collective Feelings

If you’re feeling edgy or antsy, I want you to know you’re not alone. Not by a long shot. If you feel like you’re waiting for the other shoe to drop or perhaps sense some inchoate dread percolating just under the surface, you’ve got company. And the weather – I swear, it’s mirroring the reality of what so many of us are experiencing emotionally. The heat of summer is here too soon. It’s breaking records. And the humidity is oppressive, plain and simple. Our collective feelings are on display for all of us to enjoy.

Realizing we’re not in this alone can be helpful. There is comfort in shared concern.

I decided to ask the Crone to share some wisdom with us tonight. Of course, I’m referring to my Tarot of the Crone deck by Ellen Lorenzi-Prince.

As usual, my question was straightforward: What is our best strategy to navigate what we’re about to encounter?

I chose the 9 of Cups, with the IX Hermit underneath, giving the entire situation context.

The first thing I notice is that both cards are 9s, which generally represent completion and endings. And we’ve had this card appear to us before (last July).

Nine of Cups ~ Healing

“I am the Many and One

I am whole who has been broken

I am the power of redemption

I am the renewal of creation

Two unusual beings, with ribbons of red life spiraling through the serene lavender of their skin-like cloaks, touch and twist and merge in the creation of something wonderful, whole and new. The Nine of Cups represents healing of the heart and soul: when what has been separated comes together again, when feeling flows free and true, when you are aligned with your greatest good, when you become more than you believed you could. The authenticity of your self is not subsumed by bonds with others, but is enhanced through acting with integrity and love.”

Underneath this card that’s enticing us to embrace a state of healing is the Hermit card. I love the perspective on this card that the author/creator gives us:

IX – Hermit – Tarot of the Crone by Ellen Lorenzi-Prince

IX – Hermit

“I speak

No one listens

But I know what I know

The Hermit is a bag lady rejected by and rejecting comfortable society. She stands on the street of a faceless city, her own face exposed and eloquent. Her dress is a blue that recalls the depths of ocean and sky and the boundlessness that lies beyond their shallow edges. She carries her bags in both hands because she’s learned that balance gives her endurance. She is alone but her isolation is the result not the goal of her journey. Where she goes, others cannot follow. She seeks the mystery at the core of life, at the core of herself. She looks for the magic that exists even in the most artificial environment. She seeks answers to questions that have not yet been born.
The Hermit says look to yourself for the answers, look into the worlds inside you and the uncharted realms within, behind and beyond the ordinary. There are secrets only you are meant to discover and truths only you can divine.”

My Take

We’re all in this together, and if we recognize the power of our interdependence, we can heal the pain, discord, and chaos we’re creating. Yet we’re each responsible for our own perspective, as well as the decisions that flow from how we interpret all that’s occurring around us. This is a time for all of us to step up and take responsibility for ourselves and, yes, each other.

We can do this. It’s time to end the insanity. But in order to achieve a state of healing we need to sit alone with ourselves and take an honest look at what lies within our core – each one of us, individually. It’s time to discover the secrets we’ve been hiding from ourselves. Only then can we move forward together.

(T-171)

Eclipse Season Continues – Day 939

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Solar Eclipse in India 2020 – Image: Times of India (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)

Eclipse Season Continues

As I mentioned in this post, the first ‘eclipse season’ of 2021 began with the lunar eclipse on May 25th, 2021. During that eclipse, the full Moon was in Sagittarius while the Sun was at the opposite side of the zodiac, in Gemini. The eclipse occurred when the Earth moved exactly between the Sun and the Moon, causing the Moon to gradually become engulfed by the shadow of the Earth (and then gradually come out of that shadow). This coming Thursday, June 8th, eclipse season continues.

Eclipses always come in pairs (two weeks apart, the lunar taking place at the full Moon and the solar taking place at the new Moon) – and occasionally three in a row can occur. In fact, almost exactly a year ago we experienced three eclipses in a row: June 5, June 21, and July 5, 2020. (Go figure, right? And somehow it’s unsurprising, too, that there were six eclipses last year.)

The eclipse occurring this coming Thursday will peak at 6:53 a.m. EDT. It happens to be an ‘annular’ eclipse – meaning the Moon will come between the Sun and the Earth, but because of the varying distances of these celestial bodies from Earth (due to the elliptical orbits of both the Earth and the Moon), the Moon will not totally block out the sun, even though it will pass directly between the Earth and the Sun. Rather, because the Moon will be furthest away from the Earth, the Moon will appear smaller than the Sun (from our perspective here on Earth). Thus, at the height of the eclipse, those at the right place on Earth will see what’s known as the “Ring of Fire” as the Moon comes between Earth and the Sun.

The Astrological Perspective

Of course, all of the above is the astronomical explanation of what we’ll be experiencing on our planet this Thursday.

The potentially juicy impact upon human behavior and experience is the bailiwick of astrology. In order to help us understand how this could be influencing circumstances we encounter on either a personal or societal level (or both), here’s a link to Chani Nicholas’s assessment for the week (once again, it helps to know both your sun sign and your ascendant or ‘rising’ sign).

For a more comprehensive look at the entire month (which I actually recommend, given the assortment of major aspects occurring this month, the solar eclipse on Thursday being only one), I recommend Rick Levine’s perspective. It’s fascinating (to me, at least) to observe how the larger patterns playing out celestially are uncannily reflected in our experiences here on Earth.

As always, my purpose in providing this information is simply to offer food for thought. Listen. Look around. Make your own observations. Pay attention to what’s happening in your own life and the lives of those around you. Allow for the possibility that unseen forces may be influencing events or reactions. Take a breath before reacting.

Keep your options open. We’re in this thing together – and knowledge is power.

(T-172)

This Face – Day 938

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Cutie Pig (This Face!) – Photo: L. Weikel

This Face

A few days ago I made a discovery that literally made me yelp with joy. Our local farmer is raising pigs again. Seriously: just look at this face!

It seems like it’s been a very long time since our walks were last graced with these curious creatures. A search of my posts indicates it’s been a good two years since I wrote about them. So it’s no wonder my heart skipped a beat when I beheld their adorable faces again.

It’s been a very long time since any animals have resided within the fencing surrounding this gorgeous tract of land. With the absence of the four-leggeds that used to live there, the grasses have grown tall, thick, and lush. When I first detected movement on the far side of the small pen within the vast enclosure, I dismissed it as wishful thinking.

Definitely Sentient

I think what bowls me over the most about pigs is their friendliness. While I adore the sheep that have grown up within these confines, their personalities overall pale in comparison to the pigs’. It’s undeniable.

The first time I spotted them last week and realized Teddy-the-Farmer was raising pigs again, I called out in my customary sing-song voice that I reserve for babies and small animals. (OK, I’ll admit, I use the voice on toddlers and not-so-small animals, too.) I could see them reacting. The largest seemed to lift her head and grunted, “Huh? What’s that? You talkin’ to me?” She immediately headed over toward me, not caring one whit that Spartacus was with me.

I saw a second one peek at us from around the corner of the pen. A third rambled out of the pen as if awakened from a long winter’s nap.

The three of them chatted with us for a few minutes. I felt bad that I had nothing to give them in that moment and hoped they wouldn’t hold it against us.

Prancing Passel

They didn’t. The next time we saw them, which was a few days later, I couldn’t see any of them as we climbed the hill. I called out to them in my usual way and didn’t the three of them come tearing out of their pen?

Honestly, they appeared to prance as they made their way happily over to see us. The joy they bring is almost too much to bear.

I need to remember to bring carrots tomorrow.

Photo: L. Weikel

(T-173)

A Plethora of Pleasures – Day 937

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Sunset, Tree, and Wildflowers – Photo: L. Weikel

A Plethora of Pleasures

My walks the past two evenings have yielded a plethora of pleasures. From pigs to bunnies to a stunning sunset casting tangerine rays across a field of wildflowers, it’s hard to choose a favorite. Even lightning bugs made their appearance and demanded their share of oohs and aahs.

Lightning bugs are pretty tough to capture with my iPhone. But they were definitely showing off tonight, reveling in their newfound ability to light up the night. Karl and I sat in the dark on our porch and watched them rise from the grass, and slowly make their way up into the trees. A few were sassy and bold, lighting up brightly then dragging their fluorescent abdomens to create streaks across the yard with dramatic flair.

Wary but not afraid – Photo: L. Weikel

Not Much Movement

I don’t know if it was the heat of the day or just a lack of fear, but so many creatures we encountered seemed utterly unfazed by my attempts to take their photo. The bunny allowed me to nearly walk right up to it – and this with Spartacus (obliviously) trotting and sniffing along the way.

A barn swallow continued flirting with me as well. It allowed me to approach and take a slow motion video of it launching into flight that’s stunning.

I didn’t even bother to take photos of all the deer sitting in the fields, their heads the only parts of their bodies popping up out of the wavy grasses. There were at least three moments of unadulterated adorableness when a mommy doe walked onto the road in front of me, only to have the teeny tiniest of fawns stumble onto the road right behind her. I swear, the babies I’ve seen over the past five days or so had to have been born the same day as I saw them.

You Called? – Photo: L. Weikel

Captured My Heart

For now, I’m just going to leave you with a few photos. I’ve had a long day and spent much of it out in the sun. I feel sated by the plethora of pleasures strewn in my path.

(T-174)

Millipede – Day 936

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Apheloria virginiensis – Millipede – Photo: L. Weikel

Millipede

Yet again, Spartacus and I were ambling along one of our favorite routes (this time our full-on walkabout, our four mile trek) when we came upon a most fearsome creature. Holy cow. It was making its way along the berm of the road, when we both seemed to notice it at the same time. I felt a small wave of recognition lap at my feet, but couldn’t place it. My initial thought was, “What will this turn into? Surely something beautiful!?”

But something nagged at me. No, even though caterpillars that metamorphose into stunning butterflies generally have bazillions of little suction cup feet and often appear segmented and sometimes amazingly colorful, this was different. This didn’t have a caterpillar feel to it, even if at first glance it sort of resembles one.

Google Dating Myself

Sometimes, I swear, I date myself by revealing my utter amazement that you can basically type any question into Google and you’ll receive a response. It may not be the answer you’re looking for. You may have to sift through a bunch of whiffs as far as discovering the information or answer you’re looking for – but it’s likely you’ll find it.

I bring this up because I was internally lamenting that there’s nothing (to my knowledge) that resembles my touted PA Herp ID website for insects. How was I going to find out what this bug was?

Looking at this beast, I thought to myself, “Millipede.” But it’s soooo different from the little brown buttheads that play opossum by coiling up into a spiral when touched and are only about an inch long. Could this flamboyant gargantuan really be related to those crunchy little things? And even if I put ‘millipede’ into Google – how will I ever find the one that looks just like this one?

Yeah.

I shake my head at what a rube I am sometimes.

Not a Bug

Turns out when I Googled millipede, one of the top photos that appeared was of a millipede that was a dead ringer for the one I saw earlier in the day. Success! And I was fascinated to read that the millipede is not, in fact, a ‘bug’ or an insect! The very first thing I noticed about this creature, Apheloria virginiensis, was that it belongs to the Animalia Kingdom. And even more surprising was that it’s a member of the Arthropoda Phylum.

Huh.

The research squirrel in my head started scrambling. Arthropods, arhropods.  Wait. It belongs to the same phylum as lobsters?

Sure enough.

Two More Intriguing Facts

While I didn’t find an equivalent to PA Herp ID, I did find Wikipedia coming to the rescue. And now, given that this creature crossed my path, I had to wonder: was it bringing me a message?

Two intriguing facts might bring some clues. First of all, this giant millipede releases cyanide if touched. Wow  – that’s one heck of an antisocial creature. Cyanide?

Second of all – and this I found most peculiar and, well, not a little disturbing – this millipede is known to a host a creepy parasitic fungus Arthrophaga myriapodina. And the fungus’s claim to fame?  It causes those infected by the parasite to climb to an elevated spot before death.

Now…that’s odd. Must contemplate!

(T-175)

Treefrog – Day 935

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Eastern Gray Treefrog or Cope’s Gray Treefrog – Photo: L. Weikel

Treefrog

As Spartacus and I were walking the other day, I noticed him run up to something at the edge of the road and immediately jump back. I figured it was a cicada, since they’re appearing in greater and greater numbers. But Spart tends to gobble them up – so his surprised jump back and subsequent retreat from whatever it was made me curious.

The little guy looked from afar like something that could easily be mistaken for a small chunk of blue-gray lichen. But as soon as I got close enough, I could see s/he was a beautiful amphibian. My guess was a treefrog.

While it wasn’t too keen on being sniffed by Spartacus, it was not at all reticent about having me photograph it from a variety of angles. The design and color of its back were particularly fascinating.

Fantastic Resource

Spartacus and I were traveling along a portion of a road that is flanked by a vast field that tends to retain a shallow wetness in the spring and is one of the first places Karl and I hear peepers and treefrogs. And this little guy was headed across the road right toward the ol’ watering hole. As it was obviously not a common bullfrog, nor a toad, I was leaning toward identifying it as a treefrog.

Lucky for us here in PA, we have a fantastic resource available to help us identify all things herpetological, Pennsylvania Herp Identification.

I’ve written about this resource before, as it’s been essential to helping me identify a variety of snakes (here and here) I’ve encountered.

Treefrog’s Back – Photo: L. Weikel

Eastern Gray Treefrog or Cope’s Gray Treefrog

If it were up to me, I would say the one we encountered was a Cope’s Gray Treefrog. lt looks identical to the one on the Herp ID website. However, apparently the physical characteristics of the two different kinds (Cope’s Gray and Eastern Gray) are nearly identical and the only way to tell the difference is by their call.

Listening to the two calls at the bottom of the page for each description, I definitely recognize that of the Eastern Gray. The Cope’s not so much.

For what it’s worth, I submitted my photos to the site for confirmation. I’ve not yet heard back from them, but I’ll bet they’ll identify it as an Eastern Gray.

Either way – s/he was a beauty, and I’m grateful we had a chance to encounter each other.

Treefrog Ham – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-176)

Artistry – Day 934

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Sunset Parfait 1 – Photo: L. Weikel

Artistry

I spoke in my post yesterday about the awe-inspiring artistry that unfolded before my eyes yesterday as Spartacus and I walked off our adrenaline. It was as if Pachamama (the Creative Essence known as Mother Earth) was determined to reward me for maintaining my cool in the midst of a volatile situation. She wooed me with her ever-changing cloud formations, which was by the two Red-tailed Hawks that screeched at me along the way. The clouds, though…

It’s hard to convey how the clouds, mere pockets of water vapor shape-shifted and held aloft by unique atmospheric conditions could take my breath away. But they did.

Tonight I’m posting the photos of the last portion of yesterday’s walk because I need to share them with you. They are too beautiful for me to just shrug off and forget about.

Another factor, as you can see, is that they appear so drastically different than the earlier photos; it’s rather astonishing that they were all taken within minutes of each other.

Bursting Forth and Merging - Photo: L. Weikel

Merging – Photo: L. Weikel

Glad I Waited

I’m glad I waited to post them. Today’s weather mostly sported a blanket of overcast very high above, so I have to admit, the joy factor just wasn’t emanating from the sky as it had yesterday. And it was tangible.

There’s so much rancor and division everywhere we look. I feel like we all need to grab the wonder of being alive right now wherever we can find it.

For instance, today I took a walk with a dear friend. I drove to her home and when I stepped out of my car, I literally became mesmerized by the sound of the cicadas filling the trees surrounding her home. She only lives three miles from my house, but the abundance of the surrounding forest has apparently encouraged an immense horde of the creatures to burrow up and out of their 17 year homes. The ‘guys’ are just singing their hearts out to woo their girls.

I wonder why the forest around High Rocks isn’t whirring in this manner. We’re so close – and yet the aural proof of their emergence is drastically different. Regardless of ‘why,’ the fact remains that I was transfixed when their other-worldly hum engulfed my senses.

I recorded them, but it the recording didn’t do them justice. Maybe I’ll try my hand at recalling how to post things on my YouTube account and at least post what I have. But it pales in comparison.

I’m going to need to return to that forest setting soon just to sit with them. Their unique artistry calls to me.

Sunset Parfait 2 (No filter!) – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-177)

Déjà Vu – Day 933

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Setting Sun or Fried Egg? – Photo: L. Weikel

Déjà Vu

I had a shocking sense of déjà vu early this evening. I set out to take a walk and as I passed by our neighbor’s house, their newer dog, about a year old, nearly lost its mind barking at us. This is not uncommon, which is unfortunate, since we walk every day. (You’d think it would know us?)

The owner was outside and as we waved to each other I laughingly yelled (to be heard over the barking) how I sure hoped this dog wouldn’t find a hole in their fence. Of course, I was alluding to the incident I wrote about here, that occurred two years ago. This new dog is larger than the two that were involved in the prior incident, which makes its aggressive behavior a bit more worrisome – although those little dogs can be vicious!

No sooner had the words come out of my mouth than the dog rampaged along the perimeter and rammed its head against the fence, knocking a picket clean off the lateral supports. Luckily, Spartacus was on a short enough leash that I was able to scoop him into my arms before the larger dog got to us. Of course, the butterscotch colored pup (which piled on and added to the fracas last time) tried to join in again this time, but Spart was such a great boy – allowing me to hold him without struggling or taking his angst out on me.

I have to admit – it was a most unpleasant way to begin our walk.

Myriad of Shapes – Photo: L. Weikel

Nature’s Reward

It took us a good mile at least to settle down from the adrenaline rush we’d both experienced.

I rewarded Spartacus with an abundance of treats. He needed to know how much I appreciated what a good boy he’d been.

Meanwhile, I was treated to a spectacular display of artwork painted across the sky. And the artistry shifted and transformed before my eyes over and over. At one point, I stopped to take yet another photo – this time of the setting sun looking for the life of me like a fried egg, sunny side up –  and was startled by a Red-tailed Hawk shrieking at me and taking off from a tree only about 15 feet from me. It flew high into a tree in the field beside the road, raucously crying out again and again. Then what I gathered was its mate (which I hadn’t seen up until that point) took off toward the cliffs. She (the first one I saw – I’m guessing at its gender) yelled at me a couple more times and then also headed toward the cliffs.

I’m sharing just a few of the photos from tonight’s walk. I heeded the message of the Hawks and allowed the sheer abundance of beauty and magic surrounding me to ease my mind, chill me out, and bring me back to myself.

Heron in Repose – Photo: L.Weikel

(T-178)

Confession – Day 932

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Snail? Slug – Photo: L. Weikel

Confession

“Confession is good for the soul,” they say. I don’t know if that’s true, but I do know I’m not big on blowing smoke up people’s behinds, especially when it comes to my own actions. So I’m determined to make sure the record, such as it is, is right.

I wrote yesterday about fulfilling the task before me, which at least in that instance was about cleaning out and getting rid of filing cabinets’ worth of piles, records, and paperwork.

I mentioned that it was hard work. And I admitted that a lot of time had gone by since I last attempted to clear this stuff out. But this time – this time – I was ready to tackle it.

Well, I bailed. I know I need to do it, and I really thought for sure I was going to accomplish my mission today, but I didn’t.

I was lulled into a delicious sense of gratitude for the day when I sat outside just after noon and felt the warmth of the sun on my face. My bones were initially still chilled from the rawness of the past two days until I went outside to fill the birdfeeders and took a peek at the blue sky trying to return to prominence.

Not Up For It

As much as I was psyched to accomplish my goal yesterday I was not-so-psyched to do it today. I took one look at the files pertaining to an accident Karl had that by all rights probably should’ve killed him in 2008 (but only broke a couple of bones) and I felt my resolve stall. I particularly bristled at the memory of the disgusting doctor at a local rehabilitation hospital who prescribed Oxycontin to him over my objections. I literally had to get in her face to get her to back down on the seemingly cavalier – if not deliberate – over-medication of my son.

But I digress. Or maybe I don’t.

Do I just destroy these records? Why would I want to keep them? What purpose would that serve? Who would ever be interested in them and why?

My eyes moved half an inch to rest upon the information documenting his acceptance to New York University and all of the drama associated with that. (Literally – as he ended up auditioning and being accepted into the Tisch School of the Arts as a Drama major.) Such seemingly pivotal choices and decisions, all documented in black and white. So much excitement. So much promise.

Snail’s Pace

Nope.

I didn’t have it in me today. While I’m sure no one will care about any of these things in the future, I didn’t have it in me to send them through the shredder today.

Maybe tomorrow.

I know it’s stuff I don’t need to hang on to. I know I need to walk my talk and let go of the past.

But today my resolve to move forward slowed to the pace of the snail (or was it a slug?) I encountered as I took a walk later in the day.

Photo: L. Weikel

(T-179)