A Glorious Morning in the Desert
March 12, 2013
Glorious morning here in the desert! Just slightly cool fresh air under an immense blue sky filled with blazing light. After we (my wife, our dog, and I) returned from our walk, I fed the birds and gave them fresh water, spreading the seed over a wide space–the space of my attention. I really enjoy this process of holding the container, jiggling it to let just enough seed fall to the earth, and making sure that there is some seed everywhere in the ‘bird cafe’ so the birds don’t have to fight to eat–and they usually don’t. Plenty of seed and space for them all (about 100-200 or so birds of many kinds). Even without the beautiful birdsong with which they fill the air, I would feed them, though it does feel like a beautiful exchange. Feeding the birds is part of my morning ritual, though sometimes my wife takes care of it.
We really feel connected with nature here. Of course there are also rabbits and hares around; they love to eat the desert grass. We first see the rabbits’ white tails and the hares’ long ears. The hares are really large–and fast. One of our good friends (a great lover of nature who drives up from Arivaca both to visit and to take part in some of our group activities) sometimes refers to the rabbits as “nature’s snack food,” since, of course, they are fast food for many larger creatures, including coyotes. Soon the snakes will be waking up from their hibernation and we will need to pay even more attention to where we walk, which means, of course, that we cannot be lost in dreams. I do indeed love the desert! It evokes natural meditation–meditation in action–always fresh and alive.
Harmonious Awakening 