Author Archive
Basking In The Sun
Posted by: | Comments04/23/2009
Cats in the Spring time basking in the sun; tulips and daffodils basking in the sun; and the dark, damp earth also basking, warming, sometimes steaming in the sunshine. Me, too. I can feel myself relaxing deep into my bones as the chill of winter easily slips away. Practicing Yoga, sitting in silence, grinning from ear to ear I bask in the Spring sun. As often as possible. Ah-h-h-h-h-h-h
From Grandmother and Grandfather on down the line, I have watched my family greet the new day, especially in Spring. Some sniffed the breeze, turning to face the flow and catch all the fragrances in the air. Others gazed at the sky first, wanting to see in all directions, gauging the flow of the day by reading the clouds (or lack of) including color, shape, size, movement and the color of the sky as well. How the animals acted, how the air looked and felt, and how sound changed and carried through it. All of this was done with delight! All of this was part of starting the day and ending it as well.
All of my Grandmothers and Aunts and Mother knew how to ‘bliss out’ in the sunshine, some just sitting on a bench or a wall or a rock in the garden. And some in a rocking chair with a bit of handwork in their lap forgotten in the bliss of basking in the sun. It is amazing how much good it does to relax into a moment like that – instantly ‘NOW’. Um-m-m-m-mm
It occurs to me how much I learn just by smelling the wind. I’ve wondered how much was actually passed on to my children since we were not on a farm anymore. Then when I moved to Denver, my youngest daughter (who had lived here a decade) told me that when I smell cow manure it’s Greely and it’s going to snow.
The more awareness you can bring to each moment, the more Nature speaks to you. Listen, taste, touch, smell, feel and sense your environment and yourself. Whatever piece of Earth you live on, urban, suburban or rural, She loves to be greeted and ‘read’. There is so much information held there and it’s never the same any more than you can dip your hand in the same river twice.
There is deep wisdom in basking in the sun, smelling the breezes, looking at the sky and being aware of the phrases of the moon. When all other communications are messed up, there is truth in it. If all the animals are running for high ground, go with them as fast as you can. Know where the closest piece of open ground is, especially in a city. Go stand there and grow roots once in a while.
Functional Animals
Posted by: | Comments04/07/2009
There are many times I’ve had to bite my tongue about animals in the home. Growing up on a farm gave me an entirely different view of animals and their place in our lives. I had no idea how different until my daughter posed a question to me. It was following my comment “Dogs belong in the barn.” Which really meant they don’t belong in the house. “If dogs don’t belong in the house, why have them?” She, and most others, see dogs as being a member of the family, which means they also inhabit the same house as their ‘people’.
When you grow up on a farm, all animals reside outside in their own environment – a house, a coop, a barn, a pen, and so forth. I went on to explain that the dog had a role on the farm, depending on what is needed. Dogs were our faithful and loyal companions when we were outside ourselves, which was almost all day. Our dog, Skipper, had his own house and his own jobs. He was to chase away the foxes from the chicken houses, the rabbits and woodchucks from the gardens, alert us when someone was coming, and keep a watchful eye on the us kids. A dog could lead you home when you were lost, warmed your hands when they were cold, cleaned out a cut when you were away from home and water, and sooth your hurt feelings when it all got you down. Dogs listened to you and made it all better just by their attention.
Dogs in the house meant dirt, fleas, and smell in the house, and there was so much of this already on the farm, and tracked in by us, Mother didn’t want any more in the house. When it was exceptionally cold one winter night, Skipper was brought in to sleep. He stood by the door whining and shaking until we let him out again; he ran to his warm snuggly house and disappeared behind the burlap bag on the door. This was his home.
Cats kept the barns free of rodents; geese ate the grass in the garden and were an alarm system; pigs ‘rototilled’ and fertilized the garden in the fall. We loved each and every one of these animals – except the chickens. There were too many of them (3000-4000) and they not only were quite brainless, they ate each other given half a chance. At other farms, animals had different functions depending on the ‘cash crop’. They herded, protected, and guarded. Whatever the job, having them in the home deluted their function and eventually made then much less useful.
I now know that urban animals are mostly pets. Their function seems to be as companions and partners, or children. It’s been proved over and over that this is also a wonderful role for pets…but not in my home! Once you are raised on a farm I guess some things remain outside forever more!
Spider Webs & Tea Bags
Posted by: | Comments04/02/2009
Walking around the farm with my Grandfather was always an education. I learned about plants with their botanical names and sometimes what they were good for or what harm they would cause (like stinging nettles!) He told us about the animals and their habits, from Mr. Opossum to Miss Trout. There was also valuable first aid information for kids who could be playing a long way from home. That’s what I want to share with you today.
If you get cut and need help to stop the bleeding, find a spider web and lay it over the cut. The blood will start to clot on the fine web threads. Then find a really big soft leaf, like burdock or mullen and cover it carefully to keep it clean and come on home.
Always carry a snake stick with you. That’s a stick that has a shallow ‘V’ on a long walking stick so that you can pin the snake down, preferably catching it just behind the head or you’ll get bitten. Better yet, use it to rustle the grass ahead of you as you walk through it which will scare the snake away. This is an invaluable tool when you are picking blackberries and raspberries since the snakes love to wait in the briars for the birds.
Always carry a small sharp pocket knife and learn how to use it. Always carry a clean white handkerchief big enough to act as: a cup, a hat, a bandaid, a strainer, a tournaquet, a washcloth, a face wipe, a towel, a lunch bag, an extra pocket… . Wear a whistle and take the dog.
Walk a path or walk toward something a ways off. Keep your eyes on it so you don’t go in circles. If you loose your way in the woods, walk down hill. Listen for water and if you find a creek, follow it – go with the flow. Watch where the sun is so it stays in about the same place in the sky as you walk so you don’t go in circles. Remember that’s why people made cairns.
If you get scraped and it’s dirty, get the dog to lick it clean. Dogs have antiseptic on their tongues. Follow the dog home at supper time. He knows the way. Dogs are good hand warmers, too!
Burns and abrasions can be helped with tannic acid. This is found in a wet tea bag (black tea) and stream water that has had oak leaves in it. Honey is also good on abrasions, as is unpasteurized blackstrap molasses.
I’m sure many of you have heard some of these things growing up. We always had Epsom Salts, Boric Acid crystals, Witch-hazel, camphorated oil, and Oil of Clove in the medicine cabinet among other things. Most of these I still have and know many uses for them. I’ll write more later and I hope some of you would like to add your own home first-aid suggestions.
