Chirpy & Longtail
For a while now, whenever I discover insects or spiders in
the house, I try to release them outdoors. I catch them in a little cardboard
jewellery box that has a lid. It’s surprising, but spiders will jump right into the box when you place it beneath them. Hope decorated the box with green
on the bottom (like grass) and blue on the inside of the lid (like the sky). Maybe
they think that they are free-falling into summer…
I do this because it doesn’t feel right killing things—even bugs, which can be bothersome and creepy. Keeping this in mind, it’s probably not that unusual that Hope’s first pet was a cricket. Or rather, nine crickets. Six of them didn’t make it past two weeks, but two females and a male lasted several months. Chirpy, the male, died earlier this week. We miss him. He sang soothingly (and sometimes piercingly!) all winter long. There is one remaining cricket left. Her name is Longtail. Yesterday, as a treat, we gave her apple slices and brought her tank out into the living room with us so that she wouldn’t be lonely.
Is it possible to love an insect? It’s easy to love cuddly animals like dogs, cats, and bunnies. But insects are different. They never get used to you. They are always skittish. I know it’s possible for the heart to stretch beyond its boundaries though. An expanded heart feels an interconnectedness with even the most unlikely things. Through this openness, intuitive communication and compassion arises.
I do this because it doesn’t feel right killing things—even bugs, which can be bothersome and creepy. Keeping this in mind, it’s probably not that unusual that Hope’s first pet was a cricket. Or rather, nine crickets. Six of them didn’t make it past two weeks, but two females and a male lasted several months. Chirpy, the male, died earlier this week. We miss him. He sang soothingly (and sometimes piercingly!) all winter long. There is one remaining cricket left. Her name is Longtail. Yesterday, as a treat, we gave her apple slices and brought her tank out into the living room with us so that she wouldn’t be lonely.
Is it possible to love an insect? It’s easy to love cuddly animals like dogs, cats, and bunnies. But insects are different. They never get used to you. They are always skittish. I know it’s possible for the heart to stretch beyond its boundaries though. An expanded heart feels an interconnectedness with even the most unlikely things. Through this openness, intuitive communication and compassion arises.
Winter Is Blue
Perhaps I am getting ahead of myself (there’s still a week
to go until spring), but I think I’m going to make it this winter. I hope, dear
reader, you have fared better than me; but if you have not, fear not. Spring
is on its way! I went for a long walk in the woods today (one of the only
places that makes sense to me these days) and it was so delightful. Early
spring cannot be adequately shared in words or photos—it’s about the music of
it all. The dripping, trickling, rushing sounds of snow melting. The slightly
unnerving sound of tall and bare deciduous trees as they move against each
other in the wind. The rustle of pale gold beech leaves that just can’t bear to let
go of their branches. The melodious calls of winter birds that seem just as psyched
that spring is on its way. And the tap, tap, tapping of small woodpeckers that
are eager to snap up all the drowsy, sunbathing insects that emerge on these
warmer days. I love it all.
As I edited the photos from my walk today, I realized with regret that none of them capture what I’m talking about here. They all look wintery and show no signs of spring. Nonetheless, the sky, clouds, and landscape looked beautiful to me. As for all the other things mentioned, you will just have to trust me.
Hopeful Signs
Before you get all weirded out by the little dots on this
leaf, it’s useful to know that they are filled with refreshing lemon scent. All
you need to do is crush the leaves to release it. This plant is in my kitchen
window and its leaves look hopeful to me as temperatures here have been about
-20°C all week.
Something exciting happened yesterday morning. I drove through a rainbow. (Let that sink in for a moment.) It was around 8:30 a.m. and sunlight was refracting on ice crystals in the frigid air creating a sundog in the street where I was driving. Amazing! I drove around the block three times to experience it again and again. It’s like chasing fog though, as soon as you get close to it, it gets fainter. Still, as I got up close, I could actually see the light hitting the ice crystals causing them to sparkle and act as mini prisms. One of the benefits of extreme cold temperatures (in case you couldn’t think of one) and a magical way to start the day! As an added bonus, when I was coming home from my volunteer job today, Hope and I spotted another sundog (in the sky this time). Rainbows are definitely a good sign. What could it mean?
Something exciting happened yesterday morning. I drove through a rainbow. (Let that sink in for a moment.) It was around 8:30 a.m. and sunlight was refracting on ice crystals in the frigid air creating a sundog in the street where I was driving. Amazing! I drove around the block three times to experience it again and again. It’s like chasing fog though, as soon as you get close to it, it gets fainter. Still, as I got up close, I could actually see the light hitting the ice crystals causing them to sparkle and act as mini prisms. One of the benefits of extreme cold temperatures (in case you couldn’t think of one) and a magical way to start the day! As an added bonus, when I was coming home from my volunteer job today, Hope and I spotted another sundog (in the sky this time). Rainbows are definitely a good sign. What could it mean?
All in a Dream
Massey Hall is a magical place. I
saw Neil Young perform last night for an imperative cause. My cheeks were in
high colour and I kept feeling like I was going to cry. Why? Because I love him
and I can’t stand the thought of losing him.
Neil Young is an amazing man. Musician (guitarist, pianist, organist, harp player, etc.), performer, writer, inventor, environmental activist… The list goes on. Genius might be the right word. I adore him. Am I making that clear?
What a night! The audience was energized and receptive. If you have the CD Live at Massey Hall 1971, you might get the idea of what it was like to be there with Neil in 2014. Highlights for me were hearing “On the Way Home” and “Helpless” back-to-back, “Old Man,” “A Man Needs a Maid,” “Ohio,” and “Heart of [freaking] Gold”!!
The evening ended with the perfect encore: “Comes a
Time” (one of the only Neil Young songs that I can play comfortably on the
uke) and “Long May You Run”(I love the little nod to the Beach Boys in
that song: “Caroline, No”). I realize that I’m practically naming the entire
set list. Truly though, I loved it all. What a treat! Whenever I think of
complaining about anything for the next while I’m going to remember that I saw
Neil Young at Massey Hall and know that dreams really do come true. The song
that’s in my mind this morning though is “After the Gold Rush.” Neil revised
the lyrics last night to “Look at Mother Nature on the run / in the 21st century.” With the tar sands issue in Alberta and recent
talk of recruiting astronauts for a mission to Mars, the song seems chillingly premonitory.
Because I didn’t get to sleep until after 2:00 a.m. last night (I was too wired!), I briefly considered driving my daughter to school this morning. Remembering the message last night though, we bundled up and walked instead with the sun in our eyes, crunching ice underfoot, and beautiful music in my mind.
“All in a dream, all in a dream / the loading had begun / They were flying Mother Nature’s silver seed / to a new home in the sun.”
Neil Young is an amazing man. Musician (guitarist, pianist, organist, harp player, etc.), performer, writer, inventor, environmental activist… The list goes on. Genius might be the right word. I adore him. Am I making that clear?
What a night! The audience was energized and receptive. If you have the CD Live at Massey Hall 1971, you might get the idea of what it was like to be there with Neil in 2014. Highlights for me were hearing “On the Way Home” and “Helpless” back-to-back, “Old Man,” “A Man Needs a Maid,” “Ohio,” and “Heart of [freaking] Gold”!!
Because I didn’t get to sleep until after 2:00 a.m. last night (I was too wired!), I briefly considered driving my daughter to school this morning. Remembering the message last night though, we bundled up and walked instead with the sun in our eyes, crunching ice underfoot, and beautiful music in my mind.
“All in a dream, all in a dream / the loading had begun / They were flying Mother Nature’s silver seed / to a new home in the sun.”
Perspective
We’re on a planet floating in space
Having an intense love affair with the sun,
moon, and stars.
How crazy is that?!
Just Go Along With It
 |
| Photo: Tim Bies |
Flames will destroy everything
at the end of the universe.
It may already be destroyed.
A cold cricket cries in the pile of wet leaves.
He wanders back and forth, unable to get past regret.
Go along with it
Stumble in rain,
Walk on alone.
At the end of the trail is a warm cabin with a single fire.
There you may dry out those lonely years.
~ Blue Cliff Record: Zen Echoes
at the end of the universe.
It may already be destroyed.
A cold cricket cries in the pile of wet leaves.
He wanders back and forth, unable to get past regret.
Go along with it
Stumble in rain,
Walk on alone.
At the end of the trail is a warm cabin with a single fire.
There you may dry out those lonely years.
~ Blue Cliff Record: Zen Echoes
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)