Gazehound's Animal Communication » DragonDreamz

Santa’s Coming

Gayze — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 17:36:33 +0000

I’m sure most people, even those who purchase gifts for their pets during the holidays, probably don’t consider the animals as actually understanding Christmas. Oh, sure, they recognize the changes, notice and even remember things like decorations and trees. Some may even feel the animals remember that there is going to be a stocking in the lineup with dog or cat treats and toys in it.

How much, though, do the pets really understand? How much do they “get” about this strange annual tradition their family celebrates?

About three weeks ago, we began hauling holiday boxes out of the closet. The first one to come into the living room, in preparation for decking the halls, was the box with the stockings in it. Since 2010, and moving into our current home after my Dad passed away, we’ve actually have a fireplace to hang them on. We set the box on the floor, and immediately, in ran Kai. He was quite excited, and we had to keep nudging him away from the box. At one point, we humans were distracted, and I turned to find the black Saluki’s head buried in the box. He came out suddenly, tail flailing with glee, and went racing through the house….

…with his stocking. Not just “a” stocking, there were nine of them, in various sizes, in that box. It was his stocking. A merry chase ensued, after which I managed to take it away from him and hang it up. Several times that evening, and the next day, he would wander over to the fireplace and nose that stocking, as if expecting presents to magically appear in it.

In more recent days, as a package or two arrived from a dear friend, we’ve put wrapped gifts under the tree. Kai gave them a sniff or two (and we did have to put the ones we suspect have edibles in them into a box to thwart his interest), but after the first day left them alone. For a pooch who enjoys getting into trouble, he’s been extremely well behaved when it comes to Christmas.

Until this morning.

It’s Christmas Eve. As usual, I was the first one up, and had tended the pets and done most of the morning chores. After eating his breakfast, Kai went to his usual spot on the den loveseat, where he normally relaxes and watches me as I putter about the house. At one point, I sat with him for a cuddle, and told him that Santa comes tonight. We talked about how Santa brings presents, of course, and wondered what goodies the jolly chief elf might leave for Kai.

A short time later, I was standing at the kitchen sink sorting cranberries(*). I thought Kai was still on the loveseat, but suddenly realized that I was hearing a racket under the Christmas tree. I peered around the corner.

There was Kai. He was sticking his nose between the presents under the tree, giving each a sniff, and then shoving it out of his way in order to inspect the next package. It appeared, and felt, and was certainly confirmed by the emotions sensed, that Kai was just making sure Santa hadn’t come early and left his present under that tree!

I had to move him out of there several times, and tell him to “Leave it” (a cue he normally obeys on the first issue without any arguments). Kai was determined to make sure his present wasn’t there!

The above photo was taken just a short while before writing this post. After finally convincing the blackdog of the family that the packages under the tree were not to be tossed and sorted by a long pointy Saluki nose, this is the spot Kai chose to settle in. Yes, there’s a patch of sunshine there…but there are numerous other, larger, and more easily accessed patches in the house as well.

That old Santy Claus sure isn’t going to sneak by KaiGuy!

(*Every Christmas Eve, I make special cranberry breads. I use whole fresh cranberries, which have to be cleaned and sorted. I was actually rather disappointed with this season’s cranberry crop. I wound up having to throw away almost a third of the berries in the bags purchased from our local supermarket’s produce department. I’ve never seen so many overripe, and even rotten, berries in a batch before. Don’t worry, though, there were plenty of good berries to make two lovely loaves for Christmas morning breakfast.)

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And The Weather Outside….

Gayze — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 14:53:02 +0000

…is actually really pretty this morning.

Last night, however, it was pretty darned frightful.

Now, I don’t totally dislike the snow. Don’t misunderstand me. A new snow is so beautiful, peaceful, pristine. The fact that this one fell on October 27th, and I had to drive to Cobleskill to get my son to his evening college class in it, though, wasn’t the most peaceful or beautiful moment. The roads were horrendous, covered in four inches of snow and freezing slush, with white-out blizzard conditions to drive through. Thanks to my dad’s big truck (every winter I understand why he wanted the biggest, heaviest four wheel drive pick up he could get), we made it, though. It was really nice to get home safely and be able to relax afterward.

I’m not ready for winter. I love all the seasons, though fall is my favorite. When it snows in October I always feel like I’ve been a bit cheated. This year, especially, because we didn’t have a great fall to start with. The floods caused by Irene and Lee took their toll on the trees, and many that normally give us nice color just went brown and dropped their leaves. There are still some leaves on the hardier trees, though they didn’t have the color they usually do. And now they’ve been snowed upon.

But…it really is pretty. This morning, with the sun out, and knowing it’s already melting, I stepped out onto the deck early and snapped some pictures. I hope you enjoy them.

And the doe–that’s our “Birdy”. I am fairly sure I’ve shared photos of her here before; I know I have pictures of her in my main Facebook profile albums. Last winter was a tough one. We had a lot of snow and most of the winter the ground was well covered, making it very hard on our local deer. There was very little to eat. Part way through the season, this half-grown doe showed up at our bird feeders. She would return each day and pretty much empty out everything she could reach. I believe it saved her life. We began to call her “Birdy”.

Birdy’s visits to the feeders didn’t stop when the snow melted and the world turned green, though. She’s been back pretty much daily all spring, summer and fall. In fact, once the herds started reassembling, Birdy even brought company. She began to show up with another doe her own age, an older doe and two twin fawns. I’m guessing it was her own twin sister, her mother, and her younger siblings. They all appear to like bird seed.

Yesterday late afternoon, as Devon and I were leaving to fight the storm to Cobleskill, I stepped out on the deck, and there was Birdy. Right on cue, the snow fell, and she visited the feeders and pretty much cleaned them out before we got home. I leaned over the railing and took a few pictures with my cellphone (the best of them is above). She finished her snack in a leisurely manner, looked up at me, and calmly walked across the lane and into the woods.

Better stock up on bird seed. Winter appears to have called early.

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Jonathan Livingston Seagull

Gayze — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 13:52:51 +0000

“To fly as fast as thought, to anywhere that is,” he said, “you must begin by knowing that you have already arrived….” (Richard Bach, “Jonathan Livingston Seagull”)

Jonathan Livingston Seagull, by Richard Bach. Anyone who thinks this is just a book about a seagull needs to read it again. And again. And again.

Yes, Jonathan is a seagull. But he’s not just a seagull.

Yes, he’s a seagull who desires to follow his dreams rather than remain confined by the rigid expectations of the flock. That in itself is a lesson of wonder and wisdom, but even that is only the very beginning of who Jonathan really is, and what he teaches.

The byword of the decade, to the point that some people inwardly groan when they hear it now, has been “The Law Of Attraction”. The Secret
book and movie brought it out of the woodwork, though it’s been around much longer than that. In essence, what was taught in The Secret simplifies the laws of reality, which are malleable and mold-able, influenced not only by physical and logical things, but by dreams, beliefs, thought and inspiration. If you follow any of the prominent “Law of Attraction” teachers today, you will find many of them recommending this “little book about a seagull,” in fact.

There are many such teachers now. Everywhere you look, someone else is opening a “teaching ministry”, of sorts, in an effort to spread the “gospel” (and occasionally cash in on the fad) about creative thought in some way. Long before The Secret, however, there were teachers who attempted to relay this concept to their students.

One of the best known, and least known, of these elder wise-men was a seagull. Even when Jonathan first hit the bookshelves, and took the world by gentle storm, people who had the courage to read between the lines saw it as more than just “a book about a seagull”. In that light it was primarily promoted as encouragement to follow ones dreams, to allow oneself to march to a different drum if that was where the heart was leading. It was praised as a book about seeking self-growth, inspiration for those who wished to move toward their own heart’s concept of perfection.

Back then, I don’t recall too many people describing this as a book about the very nature of Reality. Of course, back then, I was thirteen. However, each time I have read Jonathan, I’ve seen deeper levels of meaning. It was not just Jonathan’s determination that helped him to grow, it was his ability to let go of the illusion of the physical world around him and allow his heart to believe that growth, even growth beyond what he had initially been able to conceive, was possible. It was not only possible, but it was a given, as long as he did not give up.

As an animal communicator, learning spiritual and life lessons from an animal is nothing unusual. That was a normal part of my existence long before I ventured into the realm of animal communication, in fact. The interesting thing, however, was that an entire generation of humans was picking up wisdom from this particular animal (at least those who could see the book as more than “a little book about a seagull”).

This is a book about a seagull, about a somewhat stubborn and unusual seagull, about a seagull who didn’t follow the rigid mores of the flock, about a seagull who learned that “Reality is What You Make It”. You would think that would be enough, wouldn’t you?

But even that only scratches the surface of what Jonathan is really about. It is about life, it is about death. It is about the nature of reality, and about what exists beyond what we know as reality. It is about growth, growth that goes so far above what we can conceive, that it may just go on forever. There are those who believe that Bach, when penning Jonathan Livingston Seagull, was tapped into some higher source, actually channeling ancient wisdom, rather than “just writing a book.”

I don’t know about that, but I do know that this simple seagull, this high flying bird, when read about with open eyes, open mind, and open heart, can relay some amazing lessons to the reader.

These, to me…to many of us, I’m sure…are very poignant lessons–lessons which I struggle daily to fully comprehend and embrace.

I think I need to read Jonathan again.

Sidenote: you may note, with humor I hope, that most of the ads automatically selected to appear on this page are about Goldendoodles and Labradoodles. This is because the post contains the words “cash in on the fad”. Interesting bit of reality in itself. LOL This should not be seen as an endorsement by the author in any way for what pops up in the ads, though.

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Random Acts of Kick Arse: EQUANIMITY

Gayze — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 05:00:28 +0000

For the past couple of months, I’ve fallen behind on my RAOKA posts. Things have just been busy here. Baby bird season has begun, and I spend much of my time hopping up and down to keep little hungry mouths fed. I’ve been writing, editing, and putting my new e-book, Through Their Eyes, The Nature of the Beast, on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. I’ve been working on a paperback format, soon (I hope) to be available on Amazon. My clients have been given my time and attention, my family (both human and otherwise) has been a prime focus….

I’ve thought about RAOKA, and followed the posts, but I always manage to think about it after the deadline for posting, so haven’t participated as I so enjoy doing.

Still, though, life is good. Although it seems like there are a lot of irons in the fire, so to speak, there has been an aura of calm, of inner peace, that has made all of the craziness, well, not quite so crazy.

Finding that inner balance when everything around you seems to be spinning at lightspeed…that, to me, is equanimity.

I find it interesting that this is the current theme. I don’t believe in coincidence, so it’s not really surprising, that I just happen to be reading a very interesting book right now. Zero Limits, by Joe Vitale and Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len, has been on my wishlist for some time now, and I was recently inspired to finally read it.

Zero Limits is the account of how Mr. Vitale and Dr. Hew Len became acquainted, and began a partnership to bring seekers of healing, and of inner peace, to a knowledge of the Hawaiian practice of Ho’oponopono. Ho’oponopono is a method of healing in which the healer looks inside himself, to find that place in which the Divine resides (the place of zero limits), creating balance, peace, love and forgiveness. The seeker looks within, taking 100% responsibility for his life and for all that is in his life, in order to heal both himself and those around him. The process is about creating peace, and seeking love; it is about loving and forgiving; it is about healing others by healing oneself.

It’s pretty cool.

Equanimity resides in that place of inner balance. It is the act of remaining calm, composed, at peace. It is about creating a calm sea when all around may be turmoil. Equanimity is about knowing that the love of the Divine exists within, no matter how outer circumstances may appear.

I have been striving to practice equanimity, not just in the past month, but for some time now. It isn’t always easy. Being human, we tend to get swept up in the tide of appearances, and behave as if we are controlled by circumstances instead of the other way around. When we find that place of inner calm, however, we learn that peace of mind is a choice we make, and something which we seek within. It is not dependent on how calm, or crazy, the situation around us may be.

Equanimity is not exactly about rising above circumstances…it is about going to our center to find that we are, in fact, the creators of our own reality. First we find our peace, we love, we forgive, we rejoice. As we reach our point of inner calm, it will radiate outward and sooth all that is around us.

May the peace of Divine love bless all your days.

==========

RAOKA logo by Melissa of Operation Nice

The following information is from Zeenat, of Positive Provocations, the caretaker of the RAOKA movement:

What is RAOKA? How can “you” be a part of it?
The RAOKA mission seeks to remind us that Random Acts of Kick Arse happen all around us—and also to spread the spirit. Each month, us RAOKA team core members vote on a new theme based on your submissions.
On the first Wednesday of each month (US time zone) we invite everyone to post about what we’ve observed, passed along, or created. During the first ten days of the month, contact me with your theme ideas for the next month.
I’m the Caretaker & Loving Keeper of The RAOKA Crusade with my core team mate Gayze. Check out her HUGS post along with other crusader posts linked at the bottom of this post.
Thank you Lori for entrusting me this awesome mission and thank you to Sami for starting it! Love you both! Raoka Logo created by Melissa

Be Involved in RAOKA!
If you’d like to become a Random Acts of Kick Arse Crusader—here’s your chance:

Propose a theme by contacting me the first ten days of the month or simply follow along with our monthly themes and spread the Random Acts of Kick Arse!
Write a post about what you have been up to and publish it on the first Wednesday of each month. If you would like a reminder emailed to you each month or would like more information, please contact me. If you don’t have a blog, you’re welcome to play along in the comments.
When you see my RAOKA post published, add your details in the Comments below including the URL address of your own RAOKA post and the title of your blog. I will then create a link to your post for others to see what kind of Beautiful Random Acts you’ve been up to. You can copy – paste the other Raoka team mates links from below this post into your post and write a two line intro to what Raoka is all about in your posts footer. Also, Let your readers know that they can contact me anytime if they would like to be part of RAOKA too.
I would love love love to have you on board The more the merrier!

Zeenat’s Equanimity Post
Joy’s Equanimity Post

Related posts:
1. RAOKA (Random Acts of Kick Arse), October
2. RAOKA for May — Serenity

Friend Firenze

Gayze — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 19:16:39 +0000

Some time ago, I posted a conversation I had with one of the “NY 100″ llamas who were rescued from the Montana Large Animal Sanctuary. During that talk with this particular llama, to whom I’d felt drawn from day one, he agreed to allow me to call him “Firenze”.

You can read that previous post here….

I’ve been back and forth to the center numerous times since, of course, and always look for Firenze among the group. Until recently, the llamas had limited freedom, as illnesses and problems were being treated. Most of them are doing well, though, and recently they’ve been allowed into the larger front pasture. They’re ecstatic about all the room, the browse and grazing, and the ability to really stretch out and soak up the sun.

I’ve had the chance to stop by a few times in the past week, as I’ve been helping Wes to hunt down mealworms to feed several recently rescued bats. On Tuesday, when I dropped off the first batch of mealworms, I said hello to the llamas, who were enjoying the sunshine. As my son and I left the center and came around the farm road, we passed a group of llamas lying in the sun, among whom was Firenze.

Stopping the car, I called his name through the open passenger side window. Of all the llamas in the group, only he responded. His head came up, his ears went up, and he stared right at me. I greeted him, and he watched the entire time as my son and I sat there, and as we drove away.

Today, more mealworms in hand, I stopped back in. After putting the buggies in the ‘fridge, I walked around the kennel building to see Firenze, with deliberation, coming from the rear of the pasture toward me. He came right up to the fence, the only llama of the large group to even acknowledge my presence, and stood watching me with interest all the while I was saying hello. After several minutes, another llama became curious about the attention I was giving Firenze, and wandered over. Firenze flattened his ears and walked away, heading down the hill away from me.

I assumed he’d just had enough chat, or that he didn’t want the other llama encroaching upon his space.

I got in my car, pulled out, and drove down the road. As I came to the bottom corner of the lower pasture, however, I was greeted by the sight in the picture (which was snapped with my cellphone, so I apologize for the awful quality, or lack thereof).

Firenze, completely alone, no other llamas in sight, was standing at the bottom corner of the pasture. His head was up, neck stretched high, ears pricked up in obvious attentive concentration.

He looked for all the world as if he was waiting for me.

Nearly a hundred llamas, and I’ve spoken at length to only one, was gifted by only one with the permission to give him a name. And that llama, out of the entire group, appears to have decided I’m worthy of his personal notice.

Coincidence? I know what I think about that…how about you?

And yes, I am extremely honored.

RAOKA for February: Warmth

Gayze — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 05:00:25 +0000

This month’s theme was suggested by M, of The Exception

When I heard that the theme for the month of February was going to be “Warmth”, my first thought was “WTF”? (Which, of course, stands for “Warmth? Through February?”) Here in upstate NY, February is usually the coldest month, the harshest month of winter. As the month moved forward, I sat here on the 25th watching the snow pile a new foot of depth on top of what was already on the ground, and on the 26th, all I could think of was that it was the anniversary of Dad’s death, which was, itself, brought on by the cruelty of February….

And then, I noticed the end date, or publication date, I guess, of this month’s theme. March 2nd.

My mother’s birthday.

Suddenly, “Warmth” made perfect sense. My mom was the dictionary definition of “Warmth” … warm hands, warm heart, warm soul. She was the kind of person who warmed the lives of everyone around her. She spread physical warmth, with the beautiful items she would crochet and give as gifts. Every baby born to our (enormous) extended family began life wrapped in an Aunt Florence blanket. Every pair of cold feet would be tucked into a set of her hand-crafted slippers. Many laps were warmed by her throws, and many beds made cozy by coverlets of Mom’s “granny square quilts”.

The crocheted warmth she gave, however, was not the most cozy thing about my Mom. That would be the warmth of heart and spirit she was known for throughout both the family and the community.

Mom took in strays, I used to say. In fact when she would tease me about yet another animal, I would tease right back about all of the strays of other kinds that she opened her heart to. The children of the family all thought of her as a favorite, the aunt they could talk to, the one who would always say “yes” if someone needed a place to stay. I was, technically, an only child, but I never lacked for the companionship of other kids. When her sister went through a tough few years after her divorce, her two kids came to live with us, and stayed for a number of years. When my cousin had a rough time, her baby was brought to our home, and my Mom and Dad raised her. Those kids, both generations, would be back and forth to our home afterward, as well, sometimes staying a year at a time, while their parents attempted to get life straightened out for them.

It was not just family who could always rely on Mom’s warmth, though. For many years, “Mrs Stubbs” was a fixture in the deli at the corner of our road. In fact, the store was sold four times while Mom worked there, and each time, Mom went right along with the store. Each set of owners considered her their greatest asset, because everyone in the community loved her. Mom knew all the secrets of the neighborhood, though she’d never have revealed them, because most of the kids would come into the store and tell her their troubles long before they felt brave enough to talk to their parents. I have no idea what any of those secrets were, of course, as Mom would never break a promise not to tell — only that she’d be preoccupied and, when asked, would admit that a kid had yet again confided in her. It was not just the children, of course. Mom made many friends of the moms and dads as well, who would come in at all hours of the day to buy coffee and a hard roll, and stay for the conversation and comfort.

When I was in high school, a group home opened up down the road from the store. My “adopted family” suddenly expanded by ten or so kids. This home was for teenaged boys from the city, kids who’d gotten themselves in trouble with the law, and who were sent to live “upstate” with a couple trained to supervise them and help them to straighten out. This got the kids away from the influences that had turned them in the wrong direction, with the hopes of helping them to find their way.

Mom knew every story, held every hand, and many of these boys told me in no uncertain terms that they would do absolutely anything for “Mrs Stubbs”.

Mom was Warmth to everyone who knew her.

She died on November 1st of 2006. I sat in the hospital room, talking to her unconscious body, stroking her hands and arms. Her skin, old and frail, was as soft as velvet, but much too cool. When the doctors asked if we were ready to turn off the machines, I had to be the one to say yes. She never took a breath on her own again.

Mom is gone, but her Warmth remains. I do my best, not always successfully, to continue her legacy of love. I will never be half the person my Mom was in life, but I know that her spirit is beside me, helping me to at least be the best I can.

Every year, except for last year, as my Dad’s death a week before derailed me, since her death, on March 2nd, I have baked a pineapple upside down cake. It was Mom’s favorite, and the taste of the warm, tangy sweetness will always bring back the touch of her hand, the sparkle in her blue eyes.

Whenever I am cold, cold to the depths of my soul, I know I can turn to Mom for Warmth.

Happy Birthday Mom.

==========

RAOKA logo by Melissa of Operation Nice

The following information is from Zeenat, of Positive Provocations, the caretaker of the RAOKA movement:

Be Involved in RAOKA!
If you’d like to become a Random Acts of Kick Arse Crusader—here’s your chance:

Propose a theme by contacting me the first ten days of the month or simply follow along with our monthly themes and spread the Random Acts of Kick Arse!
Write a post about what you have been up to and publish it on the first Wednesday of each month. If you would like a reminder emailed to you each month or would like more information, please contact me. If you don’t have a blog, you’re welcome to play along in the comments.
When you see my RAOKA post published, add your details in the Comments below including the URL address of your own RAOKA post and the title of your blog. I will then create a link to your post for others to see what kind of Beautiful Random Acts you’ve been up to. You can copy – paste the other Raoka team mates links from below this post into your post and write a two line intro to what Raoka is all about in your posts footer. Also, Let your readers know that they can contact me anytime if they would like to be part of RAOKA too.
I would love love love to have you on board The more the merrier!
Stay Tuned! Next month’s theme is “Less Stress” as suggested by Zeenat.

Awesome RAOKA Crusaders and Their “Warmth” contributions :

~Tim @ 360 Degree Self wrote RAOKA: Palm Tree State of Mind

~M, of The Exception shared with us: Warmth Inside and Out

~Zeenat of Positive Provocations Opens Our Hearts to Warmth

Creature Thoughts February 2011

Gayze — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 18:25:10 +0000

Creature Thoughts

Keeping in touch with the animals…

…and the people who love them

February 2011

New Beginnings

Every month I do two very regular things in the “blog world”. I put out my monthly Creature Thoughts newsletter, and I write a post to participate in the RAOKA (Random Acts of Kick Arse) movement. This past month, the theme for RAOKA was “New Beginnings”, chosen by Zeenat of Positive Provocations. This month, also, I have been completely wrapped up in the rescue of 100 llamas from the Montana Large Animal Sanctuary, which shut down and abandoned the animals to the elements.

The llamas have made me late (or is that llate?) with both projects, because, where time is scarce, one must prioritize. I’m sure no one can argue that getting those llamas safely to Northeast Llama Rescue at Red Maple Farm was the priority. Now that the llamas are here, we’ve been going pretty much 24/7 generating support via fundraising and publicity. (Be sure to click on the links in this issue to follow some of our news and TV coverage).

What better topic to write about under the inspiration of “New Beginnings”, therefore, than the “New York 100″, as the llamas have come to be called locally?

Reports vary as to how many llamas there were originally at the sanctuary. At the time they closed their doors, I’m told that 800 had been counted. There were 600 of those still alive when the rescue groups on that end of this massive rescue endeavor were finally allowed access. In addition to llamas, there were goats, sheep, horses, cattle and various other species of animal, totalling over a thousand, who needed to be moved off the land and to safety.

The hundred that came to Schoharie County in New York was, as far as I understand, the largest of the groups to be moved. It took weeks of planning, calling, contacting, and intensive fund-raising, to finally get the llamas here.

They pulled in to a parking lot down the hill from the sanctuary on a cold, snowy Friday afternoon. The livestock trailer which carried them was 53 feet long and 13 and a half feet tall, and never would have made it up the dirt farm road. It took us nine or ten trips in the smaller stock trailer owned by the sanctuary to get all of the llamas up to the farm.

Sadly, one llama was so weak from starvation and neglect that he did not survive the trip. Another, pictured above, was close behind him. He still is unable to stand on his own, but his will to survive is astronomical; he improves daily and gives us great hope that he will recover. He’s esconced in the hay storage area where he has a continual supply of goodies, as well as rabbits, ducks and chickens who keep him company and cuddle against him. People might think the little ones are just keeping warm. I believe they are channeling healing toward this fellow, and our Special Needs Boy is recovering in part due to their help.

The llamas have been at NELR now for two weeks. They began their New Beginning as animals who had eyes filled of nothing but hope, spirits that had been drained of energy, and stomachs in desperate need of being filled. They stood shoulder to shoulder for days, doing nothing but consuming hay. After a while of gathering strength in the form of good nutrition, the llamas began to, well … do normal llama stuff. They started to “cush”, which means, in llama-ese, to lay down and chew their cud comfortably. They started to jostle for position at the grain bins and hay racks, ears back, giving that wonderful spirited llama grunt of, “My turn, you had your turn!” to one another.

The condition of the llamas is heartbreaking. On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is “close to dead” and 10 obese, these llamas are checking in at a “1 or 2″. However, with each passing day, the life comes back into their eyes, they show more and more spirit, and their energy levels improve … as does their rescuers’ hope. We look toward spring, and to fattened llamas who are finally out of the woods and able to be put up for adoption.

These hundred, as well as the other five hundred that were divided up among caring rescue groups and given new hope, were literally plucked out of the hands of death.

When I connect with them, I feel waves of gratitude along with a great easing of fear. The smiles on their faces match the thankfulness in their hearts. Often, their emotional focus is on the plentiful food before them, something they’d doubted they’d see again in their lifetime. There is pain from many, but with that pain a new-found sense of hope. They understand that they are now safe.

Talk about a New Beginning!

Be sure to visit Gazehound.com frequently for updates on the llamas, and for a series of conversations I plan to have with them as they continue to recover.

Newsy Stuff:

Rather than the usual fare that fits into this section, I’d like to point everyone toward more information about the llamas now known as the “New York 100″.

As stated above, these animals are a long way from being considered “adoptable”, but if you think you have the resources to care for several of them, there is an application on the NELR website at http://redmaplefarm.net. The llamas will not be adopted out singly. They don’t do well as loners under normal circumstances, with the exception of guard animals for flocks of goats or sheep, where they can commune with their charges. There is also conflicting information as to the wisdom of using gelding (altered males, which all of these are) llamas as flock guardians, so please do your research before adopting a llama for your sheep or goats. They will go at least in pairs, or to homes which already have established llama herds),

Also on the NELR website, you will find a Donation button. The transport alone cost us over $9,000. We estimate that it will take another $15,000 or thereabouts just to feed the llamas until spring. We haven’t even tried yet figuring in vet care and other expenses.

The sanctuary, in addition to accepting donations, is also accepting items from the critical needs list posted on the front page of their website. If you have other ideas or resources, or can help with any of those items, you are welcome to use the email button at the bottom of every page to contact the director.

Northeast Llama Rescue and Barnyard Sanctuary, and New York Wildlife Rescue, housed at Red Maple Farm, are run by Wes and Darcy Laraway, the directors. In addition, we have a board of directors and a great many volunteers, all of whom were instrumental in getting the llamas here safely, and remain so in their ongoing care. Many of these volunteers are college students from SUNY Cobleskill and high school students from Middleburgh Central, where Wes is a history teacher and Darcy teaches middle school science. The center is an IRS 501(c)(3) charity, and is entirely volunteer and donation run, and thanks you immensely for your support.

Free Help For Our Animal Friends at NELR

Northeast Llama Rescue and Barnyard Sanctuary and New York Wildlife Rescue (an IRS 501(c)(3) charity) accept Paypal donations through their website at http://www.redmaplefarm.net. In addition, we have a totally painless (and free) way for anyone to support the care of the animals we rescue. If you sign up to shop online through iGive.com, at no cost to you, every purchase you make through the iGive gateway will earn a donation for the animals.
To sign up to shop through iGive for NYWRC:

http://www.igive.com/NYWildlifeRescueCenter

And even if you don’t sign up (but why would anyone not sign up since it’s free and painless?), you can still earn money with each internet search you do simply by logging in to the iGive search engine rather than Google or whichever other search engine you normally use:

http://www.isearchigive.com/NYWildlifeRescueCenter

NYWRC also has a fun little gift shop, where you can buy all sorts of items, from clothing to coffee mugs and more, with one-of-a-kind wildlife designs on them:

http://www.cafepress.com/NYWildlife

Wouldn’t you love this face on your mouse-pad?

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Gayle Nastasi (of Gazehound’s Animal Communication) is a professional animal communication consultant and writer, who hopes her connection to the animal world can serve as a way to help her fellow humans enrich their relationships with their animal companions. By better knowing our non-human friends, we ensure a kinder future for our world and we learn what it means to be a unique and essential part of all that is. Permission is given to forward this article to anyone you feel might enjoy it, as long as it is understood that copyrights are held by Gayle Nastasi, and the author’s name, and links to her website(s) are left intact. If this publication has been forwarded to you and you would like to subscribe to Gazehound’s free monthly e-newsletter, “Creature Thoughts”, just visit the newsletter link below.

Links of Interest

The Llamas:

NELR/NYWRC
NELR’s Facebook Page (most frequent updates)
NELR’s Twitter Updates
CBS 6 Albany’s TV coverage of the NY-100
Albany Times Union article
Schenectady Gazette article
NELR/NYWRC’s blog
Booty for the Cause fundraiser
LlamaLovers Charity Auction
The Beekman Boys and Polka Spot, who are running a wonderful Virtual Adoption fundraiser

RAOKA

Visit Positive Provocations to read more about RAOKA, to view Zeenat’s “New Beginnings” post, and to follow links to posts by the other wonderful participants

RAOKA’s December Theme: Simplicity

Gayze — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 05:00:04 +0000

‘Tis the gift to be simple, ’tis the gift to be free,
‘Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
‘Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gain’d,
To bow and to bend we shan’t be asham’d,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come round right.
(“Simple Gifts“, a Shaker song, by Elder Joseph Brackett)

Simplicity

For many years now, my greatest personal desire has been to achieve simple independence. That statement will mean something different to everyone who reads it, I’m sure. For me, however, it’s more the “simple” than the “independence” that rings through my soul.

For me, the wish is to disconnect from dependence on outside sources: of power, of income, of sustenance, of heat, of reliance on the great monopolies that so dictate the workings of our society. I have visions of digging into the earth for insulation, for welcoming the light of the sun to power our home, to returning to the soil to provide our foods. I can even see chickens scurrying around my feet and leaving me gifts of brown, white and gold for my table.

When the theme of “Simplicity” came up for RAOKA, therefore, I couldn’t help saying, “Wow….”

It is funny, though, due to the way our society has buried itself in the thought that nothing happens without great financial input, that “becoming simple” is really quite a complicated endeavor!

So, while I visualize the dream, and try hard not to get hung up over the details, I’ve tried taking small steps. One of those, a minor one to many, though one that has become a major enjoyment for me, is knitting.

My mom was a crocheter. She created some lovely things, from slippers to full sized afghans, from baby booties to sweaters of complicated design. I always envied her, but when younger, I would try to emulate her creativity and lose patience. I’d lose patience with the hook, with the yarn, with trying to follow the patterns, but mostly with myself.

A little over a year ago, I had a dream about my mother’s hands. It was during the period when I was still relying on support to walk, after having come through a year of struggles in a wheelchair with a leg stripped of flesh and in continual pain. Mom had died in November of 2006, and I was in a state that I really, really just wanted to see her again, to hear her comforting words, to cry on her shoulder. That simple image of Mom’s hands, yarn entwined through her fingers, her crochet hook looping in and out of some lovely new creation, brought me incredible comfort. I woke up that morning knowing I had to do something with yarn.

However, nowhere in the house was a scrap of yarn. I did, however, find some kite string. Nowhere was a crochet hook, but I came up with a couple of newly sharpened pencils, and I began to knit.

Yes, knit: with two pencils and a ball of kite string. How simple can you get?

Today my pencils have grown into a really cool collection of circular needles, and my kite string is replaced by a large and growing ever larger stash of real honest to goodness yarn. I even have an entire llama fleece down in the shed that I’m guessing at this point I’ll never get around to cleaning and spinning (so far my efforts at spinning have shown me that there are some things for which I’ll never grow out of my impatient clumsy kid stage).

For the past two years, therefore, gift-giving times such as birthdays and Christmas have included hand-knit socks, mittens, gloves, and other small items. Eventually I’ll venture on to sweaters and more complicated garments, I’m sure. But for now, simple is as simple does, and I’m content to produce simple items that bless the wearer and bridge the gap between necessity and pleasure.

For the knitting, the simple act, the move forward, is a step toward Simplicity. It’s been my opinion for some time now, as I watch what is happening in the world around me, that the Universe is turning, turning, till we come ’round right. What this means, or at least it’s my theory, is that we are slowly watching the complicated machine of society fail us. This is not as dire as it sounds, though, because as we learn to embrace a simpler life, we embrace strength as well. We embrace the ability to return to the Earth Mother, to that which God the Creator has provided, for our resource. Instead of depending on that which mankind has woven in complicated inter-dependencies, we return to the Source. It is, of course, all there for us. We have, however, grown so complicated that we’ve forgotten how to access it.

For me, that vision is not one of despair, but of hope. And the symbol of my hope, sometimes, lays in the image of a simple, knitted sock.

==========

RAOKA logo by Melissa of Operation Nice

The following information is from Zeenat, of Positive Provocations, the caretaker of the RAOKA movement:

Be Involved in RAOKA!
If you’d like to become a Random Acts of Kick Arse Crusader—here’s your chance:

Propose a theme by contacting me the first ten days of the month or simply follow along with our monthly themes and spread the Random Acts of Kick Arse!
Write a post about what you have been up to and publish it on the first Wednesday of each month. If you would like a reminder emailed to you each month or would like more information, please contact me. If you don’t have a blog, you’re welcome to play along in the comments.
When you see my RAOKA post published, add your details in the Comments below including the URL address of your own RAOKA post and the title of your blog. I will then create a link to your post for others to see what kind of Beautiful Random Acts you’ve been up to. You can copy – paste the other Raoka team mates links from below this post into your post and write a two line intro to what Raoka is all about in your posts footer. Also, Let your readers know that they can contact me anytime if they would like to be part of RAOKA too.
I would love love love to have you on board The more the merrier!
Stay Tuned! Next month’s theme is “New Beginnings” as suggested by Zeenat.

Awesome RAOKA Crusaders and Their “Simplicity” contributions :

- Zeenat’s post on Simplicity at Positive Provocations
-Joy @ Unfolding Your Path To Joy wrote Embrace Simplicity
-Tim @ 360 Degree Self wrote Raoka Simplicity

Happy Holidays to All!

Gayze — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 17:04:19 +0000

Here atop the hill, surrounded by snow, the birds outside argue over the good stuff in the feeders, and the birds inside over the good stuff in their dishes. The hound is asleep on the sofa, the kitty asleep in her favorite human’s bed. Life has changed, but Season to Season it still remains the same. The sun returns faithfully, the tree gleams with color and light, and our family wishes you and yours

A Joyous Holiday Season

And, to Santa Paws … whoever you may be, a heart-felt thank you from me and my leg!

–Gayle Nastasi–

November RAOKA Theme: Wonder

Gayze — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 06:00:55 +0000

That Childlike Sense of Wonder

I believe in Santa Claus.

No, really.

“A Sense of Wonder” is something that all children are born with. Everything to a child is magical. They look at the world with eyes filled with curiosity and, if allowed to thrive in a safe and secure environment, very little fear. They stare into the reflections in a puddle as if looking through a magic mirror into a new universe. They watch the leaves rustle in the breeze as if expecting to see the gentle hand that is tickling the tree. They look into the eyes of their childhood pet and imagine all sorts of wonderful things going through that beloved alien mind. They watch the stars at night absolutely certain that the stars are watching back.

And then…they grow up.

Most of us, as adults, move through a fast-paced world. With bills and responsibilities laid upon our shoulders, we often don’t have time to look at the things around us with that same amazing curiosity that we did as children. A leaf rustling in the breeze only means we’ll have to hold our hats on tighter. The reflections in the puddle only make us wish we’d remembered our umbrella. To many adults, dogs don’t think and the stars are just great gobs of burning gas too distant to worry about.

It’s a shame, but it’s also a blessing when we do remember, to spout an oft over-used phrase, to stop and smell the roses. We will suddenly see something, hear something, feel something that stops us in our tracks and makes us wonder again. We’ll drive up a hill to be met by a full moon just rising on the horizon, huge, bright, taking up half our field of view, and we cannot silence the child inside the bursts forth and shouts, “I wonder why the moon looks so big tonight”. We’ll turn a city corner to see the brilliant sunset lighting up the sides of the buildings like glowing golden spires, and we wonder how we could have walked down that same street every day for a year and never noticed how beautiful it can be. We are gently jostled out of work-related reading by the cat who leaps, purring, in our laps and as we reach absent-mindedly to stroke her, we wonder how we could have missed the fact that this is one of the softest things we’ve ever touched.

Wonder. Children live with it from moment to moment, as a central core emotion of their lifes. For us old timers, Wonder strikes like a magical lightning bolt and gives us back our childhood, if only for one amazing startled moment.

Today is December First. In many western cultures, we are currently moving through our holiday season. Many grownups see this time of year as a time of burden. They spend gobs of money and rue every penny, they complain that the holiday commercials are appearing on TV too early, they curse under their breath as they think of the ensuing credit card bills, and they go on and on in frustration about how “commercial” the holidays have become.

In my eyes, I cannot join the Grinch Ranks. I don’t know why, but even in our most desperate times, I look forward to Christmas as I did as a child. The Eyes of Wonder return to me, and my heart is seven years old again. Oh, I’m not delusional–I know the extra money spent is going to be hard earned, and we’re going to, on the surface, struggle to make the holidays bright. But I don’t care, because the joy, the magic, the Wonder of the holidays is worth all that boring grown up angst to me. I’ll never be one to complain about commercialism, or about how much money is being spent. I remember the Wonder. I remember the Magic. I remember that, somehow, from somewhere, a miracle will always happen to make the holidays special. By letting go of the grouchy grown-up growls, I open the door so that magic can enter freely.

By embracing that childlike Sense of Wonder, I hang my stocking for Santa to fill.

I’d like to take this chance to wish you all a Magical, Wonder-Filled Holiday Season. However you celebrate, or even if you don’t, may this special time of year bring back your childhood belief in miracles and magic, and may you find the Peace on Earth that we all hold dear in our dreams.

RAOKA logo by Melissa of Operation Nice

The following information is from Zeenat, of Positive Provocations, the caretaker of the RAOKA movement:

What is RAOKA? How can “you” be a part of it?
The RAOKA mission seeks to remind us that Random Acts of Kick Arse happen all around us—and also to spread the spirit. Each month, us RAOKA team core members vote on a new theme based on your submissions.
On the first Wednesday of each month (US time zone) we invite everyone to post about what we’ve observed, passed along, or created. During the first ten days of the month, contact me with your theme ideas for the next month.
I’m the Caretaker& Loving Keeper of The RAOKA Crusade with my core team mate Gayze. Check out her HUGS post along with other crusader posts linked at the bottom of this post.
Thank you Lori for entrusting me this awesome mission and thank you to Sami for starting it! Love you both! Raoka Logo created by Melissa

Be Involved in RAOKA!
If you’d like to become a Random Acts of Kick Arse Crusader—here’s your chance:

Propose a theme by contacting me the first ten days of the month or simply follow along with our monthly themes and spread the Random Acts of Kick Arse!
Write a post about what you have been up to and publish it on the first Wednesday of each month. If you would like a reminder emailed to you each month or would like more information, please contact me. If you don’t have a blog, you’re welcome to play along in the comments.
When you see my RAOKA post published, add your details in the Comments below including the URL address of your own RAOKA post and the title of your blog. I will then create a link to your post for others to see what kind of Beautiful Random Acts you’ve been up to. You can copy – paste the other Raoka team mates links from below this post into your post and write a two line intro to what Raoka is all about in your posts footer. Also, Let your readers know that they can contact me anytime if they would like to be part of RAOKA too.
I would love love love to have you on board The more the merrier!
Stay Tuned! Next month’s theme is “WONDER” as suggested by Gayze at Gazehounds Animal Communication.

Awesome RAOKA Crusaders and Their “Wonder” contributions :

-Zeenat @ Positive Provocations wrote — Can You See The Wonder?
-M @ The Exception wrote -The Season of Wonder Begins
-Eric @ Eden Journal wrote – Wonder