As sometimes happens I have Saturday to myself and when the river beckons from the mountains in the west, I have little option but to drive out there, past the ice cream parlor and on to Rawley. By the time I got to Rawley, it was down right raining but as I was almost there I went to the little parking lot and figured I would get in the water, as that had been my intention all along.

As I rumbled around for the right swimsuit and shoes in my trunk a young man and woman came down from the rock/steep incline from the left and the woman was smiling like she knew me. I thought she was familiar. 

She had met me at the co-op some months ago and I seem to remember a sunhat and blue dress, a bike with a cart pulled behind. She said I was very helpful with a dream she shared with me.  She said she had a dream a few weeks ago and said she wanted my contact information so she could contact me about her new dream. I was able to unearth a business card from the trunk of my car and give it to her. I am looking forward to hearing from her. Her partner had long black hair and said he could not remember his dreams. 

When the young couple left there was no one to be seen at the watering hole. I ventured in a little bit at first, up to my knees and gradually started to swim against the current, which swiftly turned me around and sent me into shallower water. I enjoyed this back and forth taking a little time each time to get out of the water and walk around a bit until the next time. 

As I leaped in and out of the water I noticed a young longhaired man crossing the stream, where the rocks make a little waterfall and it is not so deep. He looked intent as he went by. He had a knife attached to his belt that was sheathed. When he came back to re-cross, he was carrying a big fork. 

I overcame my anxiety and I asked if he was catching fish, maybe spearing them with this fork. It was two feet long and silvery and sharp pronged.  He said he had caught three trout. I thought of following him blindly but I had eaten heartily earlier and now was on a mission of my own to soak in the water. He too had long black hair and a beautiful smile. 

It turned out to be a beautiful evening full of sunshine and warmth. I was glad to chat with a woman my age that told me a lot of her life story and wanted to know if Jesus was my savior. She felt that any mention of Mary was idolatry and God could be taken over by the devil very easily. She too had a beautiful smile. I laughed as I told her that God wanted her to try the silent thing. She wanted to hug me as she left the beautiful water. 

In the interest of friendship, I choose silence at times and focused on her being a soul just like I am and that I recognize that in the situation. Nameste, I salute the God in you. 

Robin Redbreast

Two robins built a nest in the lilac tree just outside two of my windows. As I go upstairs to the attic I can see them head on, and from the armchair I have placed near the window in my kitchen I have a sideways view. 

When I first noticed them the little chicks were down in the nest and all beak.  When ever they heard a sound they opened the beaks wide for food. The parents flew in at great speed. They fed someone at random and took away a poop in the beak. 

Sometimes they brought tiny morsels I could hardly see and at other times big long looking larvae what vanished down a beak in no time. 

One chick seemed to be growing the fastest. He had no problem standing on the back or head of the others and preening and picking at his feathers all over the body. 

He looked very precarious wobbling about but kept within the nest perimeters. 

When eating breakfast this morning I observed the biggest one was not getting fed. The parent fed the littlest one, then jumped on the back of the smallest one, removed a parcel of poop and flew off, wings spreading in all directions over the nest 

Immediately after, the biggest robbing, extricated herself on to the back of the smaller one and stretched her wings just like the mother did before flying off. I could see that chick thinking, “did you see that?” and “Maybe I can do that too! ” 

Not long after I looked again and all tree little heads were down in the nest again, as if their bravery frightened them and they went back to being newly hatched. One gave a big yawn with the fright of it all. 

When the storm came, I noticed both parents got on the nest and one of them kept her wing stretched out over the side of the nest for more protection. It was sweet to behold. It was windy that time. 

Another time the little ones were left unattended in the rain and one of the chicks picked at the water dropping off a leaf. They learn early and well their life skills. 

They do not worry at all about what is happening all about them. There are crows, cats, fast traffic, weather, wet or windy. They are living life with all their might. They just see opportunity and claiming ability to fly. They are not concerned about their clothes either, other than that preening they do.

Next morning the nest was empty. Two were sitting on my kitchen window ledge and the third on my deck. They were off into the wild blue sky, and me left with an empt nest and a lovely enlivened memory of their business. 

So I will leave you with love and hoping we can be like the lilies of the field and the birds in the air, in touch with our instincts and claiming all we came here to do. Love from Rose.