First trip back to the track and my den for weeks. Sunday was sunny and I resisted the temptation to have coffee in the Greenhouse, a community shop, or trek over and see what the old place was like. I so often feel the track has an awareness and welcomes me back today it was easy to have the delusion as when i arrived the sun came out and as i passed the kissing gates the bird song was loud and varied. Then the drone of lawnmowers kicked in everyone and his father seemed to be out shearing their lawns. The sound drowned out the little birds song but they were still there fast and fleeting oft times I could only just catch their shadows on the bare bark of oak and cherry and pine. The birds are so fleeting that often by the time you have registered thre movement of air and flick of feather they have disappeared. This Sunday a little bird flew down to the path and preceding me ,hopped along the path,seemingly waiting for me to catch up then hopping ahead again eventually when i got to the entrance to my den off it flew. Those of you that have read The Celestine Prophecy will know that one is encouraged not to ignore the animal or bird that seems to accompany new on your way bt to help it to heighten your awareness, your intuition, your perception.
As the drone of the noise of the machines faded , I was reminded of a Life Story by David Attenbourgh that morning on Radio 4, he was telling us of The Giant Bee, south America I think, this is he worlds largest Bee it builds its hive so that it hangs over cliffs edges, it suspends it from the cliff faces and defends the honey with penetrating and painful vigour. This train of though then took me to the times I have been stung on the track and to the time I had to give emergency Reiki to a dog that had been stung an was in shock.
The first time I was stung I sat in a beautiful spot far and from any houses or help..alas I did not know that bees nest underground and so do hornets, Ellis the dog and I were stung several times, painful as it was I felt guilty at upsetting the natural order of things. The second time I was sitting on the ground in my den and was idly scraping the leaf mould with a stuck, out from the from under the leaves came bee after bee and my they stung. Now I watch the woodland bees going in and out of their underground nest and stay well clear. I wonder what we walk upon in forests that we never see, the Buddhist way of walking mindfully seems potent.
The dog that got stuck needed water which i had and reiki he rallied and went off home, I was glad i was in the right place at the right time.
I sat on my little folded chair on my own watched and listened to the sea, watched the shadow of birds, smelt the wild garlic and spoke to no one, the sky darkens, the wind comes soft at first from left to right starting like a shushing through the canopy, i hear it getting near feeling nothing its the trees that get it and then its overhead and then off to my right it was like a tide of wind I strained to hear it as it disappeared toward the far end of the wood. I get the call and its time to go back to the machines and away from the speeding birds.
Till next time.
all photographs were taken this Sunday.
