THWAP!

Yesterday morning I heard something smack into the bay window in my kitchen. I went outside and looked down from the back porch. A bird lay on the ground, making gasping sounds and sticking out its tongue. Poor little thing; in shock. It was a baby woodpecker. I picked her up and began to Reiki. She calmed down and started to blink slowly like she was falling asleep. I went and sat on the porch with her and continued to Reiki. I did a little birdie effleurage--light stroking. Then I gingerly stretched out a wing. Not broken. The other one, not broken. Birdie physical therapy? Then I began to massage her neck. She liked that. She started to perk up.

She jumped out of my hand and onto my chest:

After a bit more time, I walk over to the tree where I often see the other woodpeckers hanging out. She hopped off my hand, and onto the tree.

SO SWEET.

Last Day at the Beach

Last night's sunset.

Not much of a sunrise, so here's a shot of the clouds.

Yeah, I know. Lame.

Backyard visitor.

Hawk

This hawk lives down by the river and escorts me down my road sometimes as I'm driving out. There are lots of animals that I've not managed to get photos of. Fisherman Willie has a beaver family living near his river lot. There's a mink across the river that scampers around after sundown. Singing bullfrogs and screeching owls. Last week I felt something flap in my ear. Willie said, "That was just a bat." Knowing Willie, I thought he was joking. He was not. I'm rather fond of bats. In Shamanic traditions, when you have an affinity for a certain animal, you look for the characteristics of that animal in yourself. Which means perhaps I am a bit batty. Hahaha

The next part of the post is now obsolete, since I've regained uploadability:

I may as well have written a story about the mink or the coyote or the bear because my AWESOME hawk photo is not uploading. Stoopid blogger. Or perhaps it's my ISP. Or the weather. Or the alignment of the planets. This puts a damper on my Backyard Animals theme. How can I just slap up a picture and be done with a spiffy post if the photo won't slap??? Hehhhh....I could interprelate this through the Door of Hawk: what am I not noticing? Hahahaha I will make an effort to upload it later. In the meantime, on with the day! :-) H.

Lizzie

I'm not particularly a fan of reptiles, but these are v. sweet. These little lizards live around my porches. They scamper away when I first open the door, but if I sit quietly, they venture back out. I have one in particular who comes and sits with me, sunning herself. I don't have a picture of it, but she closes her eyes and rests her front legs behind her. So sweet.

P.S. Grasshopper Guy suggested that I call this post Lizard Boredom. I didn't immediately get it, but then he broke it down for me: it's a play on words from Lizzie Borden. Hahaha