Every day on my birth - day I make sure that I get to spend time in nature in an intimate way, either by myself or with only one other special person. This started over a decade ago and has become my personal tradition. On my birth - day last I took off alone really early in the morning, fortunate to be on the country side in Arizona, in the green belt along Oak creek. I live right on the creek and the country road from my place cross the sometimes, especially in the summer from all the rain, raging creek.
At the crossing of dirt road and raging creek I went off the road and followed a path tightly along the shore of the creek. As I ventured into the shade of the huge trees I was startled by a huge owl that flew up from the ferns and foliage at my immediate left and crossed my path right in front of my face and flew up into a really big tree on my right and perched itself on a branch about twelve feet up. The owl was over a foot and a half tall. I was so startled that I just stood there and I also stood there absolutely still because I didn't want the owl to fly away.
At the crossing of dirt road and raging creek I went off the road and followed a path tightly along the shore of the creek. As I ventured into the shade of the huge trees I was startled by a huge owl that flew up from the ferns and foliage at my immediate left and crossed my path right in front of my face and flew up into a really big tree on my right and perched itself on a branch about twelve feet up. The owl was over a foot and a half tall. I was so startled that I just stood there and I also stood there absolutely still because I didn't want the owl to fly away.
So there I stood and looked at the owl and since I didn't know proper owl etiquette I didn't stare at it but looked away most of the time but then I didn't want to be rude either and was also so curious that I had to look at it some more. I was sure it would fly away but it didn't. After I noticed that the owl was not at all about to go anywhere, chillin' itself in these early morning hours, meditating perhaps, very calm and collected and tremendously peaceful, I continued my short trek along the creek, new to the area and sort of exploring, not knowing at the time there were mountain lions around.
When I returned, walking back on the trail the same way I had come, I came to the place where I had seen the giant owl and it was still sitting there in the same spot high up in a tree, completely visible. I walked by softly and slowly so that I wouldn't scare the owl away. (Why I thought an owl would even think of being scared of such a ridiculous creature as a human, I don't know.) I passed the tree where he sat and I turned and sat down on a boulder facing the tree and the owl.
There I sat and there he sat. I was looking at him and he was looking at me. I was still and he was still. I asked him telepathically, silently in my head, if he was sleeping or if he was awake and that if he was awake would he turn his head away so that I would know. Three seconds later, as if he first considered it, the owl slowly turned his head to its left and looked away into the distance. Way cool, I thought and asked him a few more questions. I think I asked him what I should do for my birth day among other things. I don't remember what the reply was but I know there was one, probably something like "be happy". We sat together for about 40 minutes and then being such a restless one I got up and walked home.
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In 2004 I spent my birthday in Altadena, California. I was staying in the hills, as high up as they had built a neighborhood. There was a hiking trail next to this neighborhood along a creek going straight up into the mountains. This creek was very narrow and trickling and was laid out into a very narrow valley between hill ranges on both sides of the creek. It was quiet, full of bugs, young trees and deep green foliage and it was heavenly. We called the place Ribbendale.
Very early in the morning on my birthday I was taking a walk by my self to and through this place along the creek. I had a bottle of water and snacks and even a walking stick but I had forgotten bug spray unfortunately. Oh, well. It was still good enough. It was a totally beautiful day; clear, blue sky full of crows and hawks circling in flight and both kinds chasing one another in the air. There were signs everywhere and I was feeling high and uplifted.
On my way back down the trail after quite a walk under the canopy of every kind of green and the early morning sun rays filtering through and making this corridor of nature like a beautifully dreamy room, I suddenly saw a lady deer standing right on the pathway in front of me gingerly grazing.
Very early in the morning on my birthday I was taking a walk by my self to and through this place along the creek. I had a bottle of water and snacks and even a walking stick but I had forgotten bug spray unfortunately. Oh, well. It was still good enough. It was a totally beautiful day; clear, blue sky full of crows and hawks circling in flight and both kinds chasing one another in the air. There were signs everywhere and I was feeling high and uplifted.
On my way back down the trail after quite a walk under the canopy of every kind of green and the early morning sun rays filtering through and making this corridor of nature like a beautifully dreamy room, I suddenly saw a lady deer standing right on the pathway in front of me gingerly grazing.
I stopped of course and squatted down so as not to frighten her, hoping to have a moment to observe her. I was about 15 feet away from her. She was completely unafraid even though she saw me and kept looking at me as she grazed.
I decided to get up on my feet after a while, being somewhat uncomfortable in my position, so I started to slowly raise myself up from squatting position and then heard a sudden noise in the foliage just to my left. A forceful blow out of air through the nostrils of another deer, her mate, as a strong warning sound for the lady deer to be aware that I was getting up, signaling danger. In less than half a second the lady deer had taken off like a bullet across the creek and didn't stop to look back at me until she was well up the hill. The trust she had for her mate's call was complete. She didn't stop to look around to see what was going on, just bolted in a flash. I was real impressed.
I never saw her mate, him being entirely cautious and on guard the whole time, hiding in the greens, where as she was so unafraid yet not curious of me, just not afraid. I walked down the path a little bit and sat down on something to look at the deer for a while. I talked to her softly and tried to see if she would not come closer again. She stayed her distance and never came closer again still perfectly heeding the advice of her mate, but she also didn't move away any further either. We stayed together like that for a while as I sang some songs to them very quietly and then I walked back home.
