Expect the Unexpected.

Paraphrasing a line from one of my all-time favorite movies, Diner, "If you don't have daydreams, you have nightmares."

And so I drove home after a full day out dreaming about an early evening of completed chores, dinner, reading, maybe indulging in one of the last two recorded episodes of Scandal, and early to bed.  Aaahhh, the luxury of a daydream!

As I was coming up alongside my property, I could see Pippin under the aspen trees.  It sounds storybook like, doesn't it?  But you see, there are no aspen trees in his fenced area.  Quick calculation: will he stay where he is long enough for me to open the gate, back the car in and close the gate again?  I must admit, he was a like deer, frozen in the trees just staring at me.  If it weren't Pippin, I'd half think he felt like a bad boy for getting out.

Success!  I got in the garage.  I realized the other part of my daydream, taking a quick catnap for 10 minutes before heading out for chores, had been dashed and now getting into ranch gear and heading out was priority #1.  The dogs felt otherwise.  Feed the dogs, then go change.

I looked out the window to see Shadow's wiggling tail as he jogged down to the hen house in his spirited caprine style.  With no time to change, I ran down to the hen house to shoo him away from the grain.  There were two eggs under the nesting boxes, so I grabbed those.  Poor calculation:  Carrying two eggs while wearing nice trousers and a pricey jacket made for a very dicey return to the house as the goodles were in "let's play!" mode.  I grabbed the nearest stick and started snapping them on the nose each time they tried one of their tricks until I got in behind the gate.  Whew.

My mom had called as I was first getting home and I told her I'd ring her right back.  Well, it was a good 25 minutes before I got to do that.  We chatted for a few minutes while I changed and checked on the three day old chicklets and once again headed outdoors.  It's always a pleasure to chat with my mother if only for a few minutes.

As I made my way out, the goats were at the gate to the yard.  Thinking it still a treat to make that daydream a reality, I put them in the dog yard to browse on the grass and stay out of my short hair for a spell.  I went on to feed the horses, empty the manure carts and give a snack to the hens who had been following me around literally asking for a snack.  I had been suspicious of Miss Honey Pot and looking at her this evening, I guessed we might be back to being egg bound.

Another quick calculation: Do I pick up Honey and a handful of hay and head straight to the kennel sitting in the dog yard?  Was I nuts!  The saner approach required going back to the dog yard, picking up the kennel and a towel, and pushing back Pippin who then wanted to play with the kennel and block my ability to move quickly.  Escaping the goodle antics, I swept out the kennel and stuffed some hay in it and headed back to set it up in the garage.

Where's Pippin?  He was nowhere to be found in the dog yard.  The gate at the top of the stairs where he got his head stuck last week was latched closed.  I know he didn't jump the fence.  He didn't? Did he?

Sure enough, I open the garage door and who is standing inside? "Ma'aaa."  There was the little one.  He got himself through the dog door and into the garage!  He weighs about 150 pounds.  And what on earth ever possessed him to go through a door he didn't even know existed and certainly had no idea of what was on the other side?!

Tick tick tick, I was feeling my daydream float further away.  Opening the door to get Pippin out and the kennel in required letting Shadow in.  If there is one thing that is an absolute must on this ranch, it is to have peanuts in my pocket at all times.  It's the only way to coax them for anything.  Except Pippin.  He found it cozy to be half in, half out and stretching his neck as far as he could to get that peanut without actually coming out the door.

Finally, I got them out and lured them back into the dry lot where I knew they could not go anywhere (at least they haven't figured anything out yet.)  Honey had gone to the hen house, so I went down to scoop her up and bring her to the garage and sit her in a warm bath.  You wouldn't think chickens like to sit in water, but they find it very relaxing.  I put the plastic cover on the dog door so Bodie and Pinkie couldn't come in and Honey and I enjoyed a quiet 15 minutes together.

The hope is the warm water relaxes her enough that she can pass the egg.  To encourage movement a bit more, I suited up with a latex glove and "personal lubricant" on my fingers and massaged her vent.  Another thing you couldn't imagine a hen sitting still for, but it's quite fascinating to observe what they will tolerate when they sense it is to help them.

So, Honey will spend the night in the garage under a blanket in her kennel with a personal serving of yogurt and banana.  Tomorrow we will do another soak and see if anything has shifted.  I do hope it does.

Still hoping for a cloud of that daydream, I cut my chores a tad short, kissed the four-legged angels goodnight and came inside.  Again, there was another plan in play for me.  It seems that the energy of the feisty goats and the insufferable curiosity of a hen in the garage had the dogs much too keyed up to be inside.

Calculation in moderation: Do I write out my electric bill and take the poodles for a walk to the mailbox so they can burn off that pent up canine juice?  Yes.  It would be in my best interest to do so.  Back on with my coat and shoes, another salutation to Honey as we passed by, and slam go the breaks!  One of my neighbors who walks her four dogs every evening was just passing by.  It's bad enough that Bodie barks and chases the dogs along the fence, I didn't think opening the gate to go walking at that moment was going to help me in attaining my quiet evening plan.

So, we waited for about 10 minutes for them to get to the end of the street and back again past our house, then we set out for a brisk jaunt of peeing, pooping, sniffing and circling.  I am fortunate that they are so good off leash on a walk.  I like to walk fast and it definitely keeps them moving.  Making our way back into the gate, I could hear the pages of my newspaper turning.

While this won't be the early evening I had envisioned, the events of the evening went along rather smoothly, all things considered.  That's the best I can hope for everyday.

Something told me this morning when I was pulling out of the garage and got out to lock the dogs in the yard and I saw Baby stand up and drop an egg right there on the gravel that this was going to be one of those days where you just have to go with the flow.  At least if you expect the unexpected, not too much will catch you by surprise.

Go Ahead. Just Rip My Heart Out

Hate is a very ugly word and if the Dalai Lama can give me a better word to describe this feeling I have, I will use it.  In the meantime, I hate coyotes.

This evening I lost three hens, not including Karen earlier in the week.  And what about Dumpling's injuries which led to her death a few weeks back?  In my deepest of prayers, I ask that two of those hens are up in a tree somewhere and will be back tomorrow.  The fate of the third is certain.

After a very stimulating three hour dance workshop followed by a well deserved enjoyable early dinner with my friend Kim and then a quick stop and try on of many at the essential oils section of Whole Foods, I made my way back home.  As I pulled in the driveway, Red and Honey were coming toward me.  I did think it a bit strange that they would be headed in my direction at 7:45pm but then again, the days are getting longer, so I passed it off as that.

I came in the house to change and then head out to do my evening chores.  It was still plenty light out.  As I came to the hay shed, Honey was perched up on a board and settled in as if to sleep there.  Strange.  And I passed that off as wondering if she was not feeling well again.  I scooped her up and brought her home and as we approached the hen house, she squawked and squirmed.  Why were there only five hens in the house?  Red wasn't there so I passed that off as him being out escorting the last few girls back home.

From out in the dry lot, I heard a rumpus from my neighbor's hen house.  Could have just been the hens settling down for the night except that both Bodie and Pinkie were keying in on something in the air and they were both at the fence on alert.  I called Aaron to ask if his hens were locked in and he told me more or less but that they have lost a few over the past weeks.  Just as he said that, I saw two coyote walking toward his hen house.  In my strongest voice possible that could carry over the rushing canal, I yipped for them to move along.  Aaron was out of town fighting fires being set by a pesky arsonist up in Montana but when he comes back tomorrow, he will set out with his bow and arrow with the intention of taking out a coyote or two.

Hanging up from Aaron, I turned around to notice Red sitting up on the rail of the tack room.  The previous hints of something amiss were passed off, but this was too strange.  I walked him back to the hen house, counted my hens again, closed up the door and started looking around.

I found black and white feathers of one of my Barred Rock hens on both sides of the fence by the hen house.  On the other side, there was a significant pile of them that told me the hen was snatched near the fence on my side, carried over and disposed of on the other side.

The sun was setting and seeing clearly through my tears was becoming a challenge.  I couldn't find any other feathers nearby.  But who was it?  It was either Baby or Alice, my two oldest girls, or Precious, one of my first year babies.

It still leaves two hens unaccounted for, not forgetting Karen.  They would be another one of the Barred Rock hens and either Cat or Helen, one of my Rhode Island Reds.  The hens in the house were tucked in and under so I couldn't tell which one of those were in the house and who was missing.

It is always heart breaking to lose an animal; goodness knows I've said that before.  But to come home and find three of your hens gone, it just rips your heart straight from its safe place behind the ribcage and dangles it out as coyote bait.

What If...

What If... is not a phrase I use often.  I'm more of a it is or it isn't kind of gal.  It will be or won't be, as you wish.  I suppose I use it when teaching to encourage someone to think about something differently.  Lately, I've been finding myself pondering a lot of What If... scenarios.

What If those conveniently located fast food restaurants were replaced by farmer's markets.  Would kids crave strawberries more than french fries?  Would families tend to eat from plates rather than boxes and wrappers?  Would the shocking obesity rate in the US plummet?

What If bumper stickers that read "I drive this way to piss you off" were replaced with "Wag More. Bark Less."  Would people experience more laughter in their day?  Would aggression on the roads diminish?  Would people's anger be appropriately directed and addressed?

What If there were no guns.  There was a time without them.  Would hunters take the time to learn the craft of bow and arrow?  Would disagreements be resolved with words?  Would living peacefully hit the headline news?

What If meat ranchers all had a touch of autism.  Would the treatment of animals for food be more compassionate?  Would the meat have genuine flavor because the animals are not sick, stressed and medicated?  Would humans consume less additives that aren't natural to their diet because they will no longer be needed?

What If those who are most vocal about having their religious freedoms threatened treat everyone else the way they say they would like to be treated.  Would insults and slurs go by the wayside?  Would a young boy named Aalam, whose name means World, have no self-esteem issues because of the way a boy named Adam treated him?

What If everyone sat in meditation or prayer for ten minutes every day.  Would people's health improve as their stress level noticeably decreased?  Would kindness be the first reaction?  Would people find greater happiness in life because they take time to look within for happiness, for their own truth?

What If people educated themselves properly before making a statement about a global issue.  Would there be less fear among the masses?  Would they have to confront their own demons before demonizing others?  Would progress be made because dialogue was based on facts not on regurgitated untruths?

What If people were more aware about global issues?  Would the 3.3 billion women on this planet have the same rights as men?  Would there be as much outrage over the rape of women in the "Democratic" Republic of Congo or Sudan as there is over background checks for gun purchases? Would people learn that every action is just one link in the unbroken global chain?

What If everyone traveled to a foreign country at least once in their life, not including resort towns in Mexico or Canada.  Would there be more patience for those having difficulty speaking the English language?  Would people realize there are many ideas of freedom?

What If everyone unplugged for one day.  After you read my blog.

What If.... This could be a very useful phrase after all.

Goslings On The Way

Newsflash:  I seem to live in the flight path... of geese!

This morning starting at about 6am, there had to have been hundreds, as it seemed to me, of geese flying by on their way to Sunday Canada Geese-fest.

Some people wake up to a buzzing clock, a car alarm, a siren, dogs barking.  Not here.  Full on down alert.  And they didn't pass by all at the same time, it was a gradual pilgrimage to pond mecca.   Just as I dozed back off, another of flood of honks toward water's edge.

I don't mind.  I like the thought of them flying in pairs and I love watching them protect their goslings.  It's another notch in the life cycle kind of day.

Enjoy!

Attracting Abundance

As I anoint myself with my Young Living Abundance essential oil, I specify to the universe the type of abundance I seek.  Think about it...if you just sent out a general intention of abundance, it could be an abundance of parking tickets, bruised bananas, popped buttons!

The last couple of weeks have been interesting in this regard.  I booked two private teaching events for May, I've welcomed returning private students, the gal at the car wash gave me a $20 bill that she said she found under my front seat, a friend gave me a generous gift, and I received a bonus from work!

So as today is rather windy and I'm a bit foggy from a very late night and early morning, I've decided to go through my mail.  I don't do this as often as I should.

A notice from Delta inviting me to use the last of my miles on magazines was one piece of unopened mail.  I've already used these on magazines but it seems using them before has somehow generated more miles because I just placed my order for 300 weeks of the WSJ (I miss that newspaper), a year of Entertainment Weekly and The Economist.  Shhhh, I whisper to you that the invitation had a deadline which had passed but the return message said my subscriptions were being processed.

There was an invitation from Nielsen to complete a survey on my television habits.  I started to tear it up for the recycle bin when it struck me as possibly a fun thing to do, so I opened it.  There were two very crisp $1 bills in there as a thank you for completing the survey!  I had missed the survey deadline it seems, but as they were kind enough to send me $2, I thought it my duty to attempt to complete the survey.

Another piece of mail contained a $20 discount on a seafood order from Omaha Steaks.  The Seafood Sampler would be far more food than I could handle, or rather my freezer could handle, but my friend April is happy to share the order with me so we each get a reasonable portion of good quality seafood at a very good discounted price, plus the discount!

Last night at Maverick's, in addition to the wonderful people I see there regularly, two students who have been traveling for over a month came in to let me know they were back and ready to resume lessons, my physician was there, and a student from four years ago was there.  Funny to have such connections all there on the same night.

So, I shall be very clear about my intentions for abundance as I would like time to read my new subscriptions and prepare for the next Nielsen survey, but not too much time!

Stop and Listen

There are some things that I just know.  I know them either before they happen or without being told.  What I don't know yet is how to truly listen for this gift all of the time.

The little things like seeing a friend in a vision out with her husband and later she tells me she and her husband are going out, or just knowing with conviction that I need to connect with someone, they seem almost benign.  It's when I give them thought that I recognize they are more than a coincidence because the message is so strong.

The big things, like death or waking up one morning knowing clear as a bell that my partner has hooked up with one of my friends, those never seem benign. Yet, how did I know?

These past weeks have been chaotic, ungrounded, physically painful.  I had a visitation from the Archangels and my house and I were turned upside down for five days during their stay.  I was experiencing absolute frenetic energy and it was jarring.

Then one of my hens, Dumpling, went missing.  She disappeared sometime within 2-3 hours in the middle of the afternoon.  That was Friday, April 5th.  I searched this ranch high and low and found no sign of her, like she just vanished.  And for the past two weeks I have continued looking for her, still resisting the reduction in the hen headcount of eleven, and asking Archangel Ariel, the protector of animals, to watch over her wherever she might be.

Last evening, I was out feeding the horses.  I kissed Hy Note and moved on to dole out the sweet blue grass hay.  As I kissed him, I had a strong recollection of his very intense and severe colic episode last fall.  He was in so much pain, he literally was walking into trees.  I immediately gave him Reiki while I waited for a call back from the vet and he managed to stand still for a few moments to receive the energy.  With this memory calling my attention, I turned back around to see Hy Note looking at me, and then he put himself down on the ground.  A horse does not lie down during feeding.  I ran for a halter, got him up, scooted him around a bit and the gas passed.  Thankfully, this time he had only a minor belly ache.  Before heading in for the night, I made sure I could hear his gut sounds and that he pooped, signs that his system is functioning as it should.

This evening, I was collecting the pearls from the girls.  As I picked up 3, I looked at them and saw a dark brown oblong egg, which really wasn't there because Dumpling is the only one who lays dark brown, oblong eggs.  

Earlier this morning, the goodles had knocked over a bale of hay.  Rather than pick it back up and restack it, I thought I'd take it apart and use it first.  This knocked over bale opened up a hole between bales; it was like a tunnel.  I looked at the hole with my head cocked to one side because it seemed strange that it would be there.  Carla and I had stacked the hay pretty well.  

This evening, I looked at that hole again and I even bent over to look in.  While it was light outdoors, it was dark in the hole and I thought I should go in and get my flashlight and see what this hole is about.  I didn't do that then.  Bodie was sniffing at the hole and for a minute I thought maybe the ranch bunny was in there.

I was out in the dry lot, again spreading out the evening feed, and Pinkie came up to me licking her lips and with a definite thought on her mind.  So, I followed her out and around the corner and there she was.  Dumpling was barely standing at the entrance of the hole!  Feathers were scattered around and she looked roughed up.  I imagine one of the dogs managed to pull her out.  I could tell something was wrong with a foot and I wasn't so sure about one of her wings.  I ran to the tack room to get a towel I have in there for the just in case moment, and I wrapped her up, grabbed a literal handful of hay and brought her inside.

First things first, I comforted her and thanked Archangel Ariel.  Then I shook up the NutriDrench and gave her some, undiluted, straight into her beak.  This is a syrupy liquid filled with electrolytes and nutrients and that no matter how much you wash your hands, you still smell it on your skin.  I put her in the kennel and ran out to get more hay.  The goodles were circling and calling me, Pinkie was hiding under the shelf in the garage because I had scolded her and Bodie wouldn't come close.   Dumpling's water cup was filled immediately and put directly under her nose.  I could hear Shadow and Pippin walking in the gravel, not where I want them to be, and as I went down to the hen house to get her some food, I found Shadow inside eating the grain.  Thankfully, he has become accustomed to being chased from inside and walked out on his own--it was easy, I needed that.

I left the goats out to browse and I went back in with the pellets and set them out for her.  I wet my fingers and put them to her beak.  And then I gave her a Reiki treatment.  She settled right down, closed her eyes and I watched her body rise and fall with her breaths.

Chores still needed to be completed, so I reassured her I'd be back.  She turned her head and looked at me and I could feel her gratitude.  I asked Hy Note, the guardian angel of my animals, to help her heal.  I told Alibi she was back--for the past two weeks I've been asking him if he saw anything.  Shadow is such an old soul. As I held him, I asked him to send all of his angels to give Dumpling strength.  When I locked up the hens, I told them Dumpling was in the house.  Truly, very truly, they reacted!  Heads up, chicken chatter amongst them.

With the flashlight, I went to look at that hole in the hay. It's only a bale-width deep.  I looked from above; could she have fallen in?  It was not likely.  The hole is on the bottom layer of hay, so it is on a pallet.  I suppose it's possible she got stuck, which explains her hurt foot.  And did the dog/s drag her out?  I think so.  Why isn't there a pile of chicken poop in there?  I don't have a very good explanation.

Just now, I checked on her again, and she is alert and looks directly at me.  Where was she for over two weeks?

Getting back to listening.  Her disappearance never seemed final for me and for these past two weeks I have been asking Archangel Ariel to bring her back, in one form or another.  My petitions didn't seem futile.

After the Archangels left my house, I understood the need for the chaos.  I had become so consumed by external events and influences in my life, that I couldn't keep anything straight in my mind.  I couldn't remember from one minute to the next, seriously.  So, if they couldn't get me to stop and go inward on my own, they were going to bang me up and bruise me quite a bit.  Kind of like being hit over the head with a frying pan--you certainly could not ignore that!

Recognizing this place of inquietude, I went for an acupuncture treatment last Thursday.  Everything shifted and lifted.  I felt joy again.  Last Friday, I really did dance for joy!

With that veil of heaviness and gloom shaken off, I could be available again to tune into this gift of intuition, of knowing, of seeing.

What did I learn?  Trust it.  It's real.

Why Respite Ranch?

When the wind blows in Central Oregon, it's time to redirect and retreat indoors.  Rain? Snow? Cold? No problem.  Wind?  I run for cover!

It is very windy today.  The kind of wind that just knocks the wind out of you to make its own force even more hearty.  I thought spending a few hours indoors would be a good time to start on those taxes.  Then I realized it had been a while since I had posted a blog.  Naturally, the priority won out.

The animals and I are in our sixth month here at Respite Ranch.  Everyone has done a beautiful job adjusting to the new surroundings and rhythm.  They are thriving under the blue skies.  It is a lot of work taking care of everyone.  I am still making my own adjustments for what works best for them and being mindful of space and time for me.  They come first.  As any of you with children can appreciate, my business drops when one of them needs something.

Restating the fact, ranch life can be hard, painful--outer body and inner soul--and sometimes cruel.  Yet for any moment of discomfort, there are hours of comfort.

I invite anyone who could use a shift in perspective, a little personal space, a spot of encouragement to find their clouded truth, to come to Respite Ranch and just be.  We are surrounded by trees, countless birds overly generous with their songs, mountain views, fresh air and love.  Lots of love.

If hugging or grooming a horse is not within your comfort zone, just sitting and watching them and absorbing their therapeutic energy is vibe altering.  Of course, I would encourage you to redefine your comfort zone.  They are incredible healers.  Intuitive, giving, grounding, kind, compassionate, and knowing.  Looking into the eyes a horse is like finding the portal to your deepest self.  There is only truth.  There is only love. 

Do you enjoy eggs?  It is an honor to crack a pearl from one of my girls and enjoy the rich flavor of the bright orange yolk, the way an egg is supposed to taste.  Those not accustomed to farm fresh eggs might think the egg is a funny color.  It's the happiness and health of my beautifully feathered hens being shared with you.

They like to follow me around the ranch and they talk as we go along, commenting on what bug they just snatched from a blade of grass or encouraging me to give them a little snack from the house.  They are big fans of yogurt, tuna, rice and all kinds of fruits and vegetables.  We contribute very little trash to the landfill.

While Shadow and Pippin can get rather randy this time of year, observing their antics and their affections melts away any ice walls that serve no positive purpose.  They nap together, sometimes curled into each other.  They call to me in very sweet voices, "ma'aaa" and I cannot resist.  Shadow is so affectionate, it's hard to fathom.  When he curls up at my feet, I'll sit on the ground beside him and he wiggles a bit to get himself touching me or he finds a way to rest his horned head against my body.  And with such tenderness and knowing that he is safe, my angel falls asleep.

He will stand for as long as I will to be groomed.  He likes to extend his front legs, one at a time, and I gently pull on them, move them around, massage his shoulder and his joints and he is genuinely grateful.  Shadow is my protector.  If he hears my voice change as I scold Pippin for his bad boy advances, Shadow will leave his hay in his house and come running to me, literally.  If Pippin is challenging me, Shadow will knock him clear of me.  Then he comes to my side to be sure I'm okay and I thank him and kiss him and he walks away with pride knowing his momma is safe.  Honestly, is there any greater privilege?

Pippin is a handful.

I pray he never stops loving peanuts because that is how I get everything done with him, including brushing his hind legs that look like tattered wool blankets.  Pippin wants nothing to do with a brush so while he is shedding, he has big clumps of wool hanging off of him.  So, I feed him peanuts with one hand while brushing him with the other.  He is smart enough and understands that I get something too.  The poor baby does take his share of bumps and bruises by the head of Shadow.  There is a good 25 pounds difference between them and Shadow does have all the power.  So, when he gets an undeserved pummeling, he comes to me for comfort.  The other day, he managed, as goats do, to get a hook of a cord stuck in his mouth.  Thankfully, I was able to keep him from pulling and Shadow from head butting long enough that I could figure out which way the hook was facing and get it out of his little mouth.  He cried.  I kicked into crisis management mode.  So now we are just watching the little swelling he has on his cheek to be sure it doesn't get worse but only gets better.

They are humorous.  They are fun to watch running around in circles chasing each other or the dogs.  They are clever and you can be impressed by just what they'll figure out.

No ranch stay is complete without the loving companionship of Bodie and Pinkie.  Once you get past their individual manners of greeting you, they are perfect hosts.  You will not be left alone, no need for affection will go unmet, your desire for tactile stimulation will be more than satisfied, and your heart will smile and laugh.  Their love is sincere and endless.  

As wide as you can open your heart, they will fill the space with their loyalty and acceptance of you.  And when they fall asleep on your lap or at your feet and start to twitch, snore or talk in their doggie dreams, it is impossible to hold onto anything that doesn't make room for your greatest good.

Pooker,   the matriarch of Respite Ranch acknowledges you every time you come in.  She is partial to the Y chromosome, so if your gender is not such, she doesn't intend to offend, it's just the way she is.  She is 18 years old and she deserves every treat, kiss, bath, scratch she gets.

The Respite Suite has calming energy for a visitor.  I had the very comfortable queen bed made many years ago.  It puts you on the pedestal you deserve with its pillow top mattress, extra pillows and light down comforter that is cozy in winter or summer.  The windows are adorned in green, from the natural landscape outside.  The lamps are soft, the iPod loaded, a candle and incense ready for a flame, a few books of interest are on the table for when a line of written inspiration can round out your day on the ranch.

I enjoy my space.  I enjoy looking out onto my animals and hearing my hens cluck up a storm when they've left one of their pearls for me to find.  I enjoy how the physical work keeps my body strong and allows these magnificent beings to exist in harmony and respect of each other, knowing they will be cared for and provided for, nurtured and appreciated.

I think about my previous homes in city landscapes.  What different lives I've led.  I'm going to stick with this one for a while longer.  More lessons have been learned in the past 5 years than in the previous 40.  What a gift.  I am very happy to live this gift and share this gift, and I am not ready to tuck it away in the closet to be cherished as just another memory.