Bird Watching

I am not one that actually bird watches. Sadly, I'm not that patient. But I do observe birds that are around me. Friday, I noted a few things on my walk to work

Canadian Geese. These birds normally migrate from Canada all the way down to North & South Carolina and back. They are the first heralds of spring's return in New England. We see them on the return trip north. Only... they weren't going north. They really weren't going south either. Over the past week, I've observed several large flocks of Canadian geese flying east and west. First one way, then back the other. I don't know if they are the same flocks or are just trading empty corn fields with other flocks in the area.

One hypothesis is that these birds never really got that far south this winter. The Nor'easter was early, before the bulk of the them fly past us. The winter has been very mild here since, so there was no reason for them to go further. In fact, just south of New England, the strip of land known as Long Island has been feeding and protecting Canadian geese for the last few decades and have successfully - if unintentionally - created a new breed. These Long-Island/Canadian geese do not migrate. In fact, they can NOT migrate; it has actually been bred out of them. Now they just soil soccer fields and get fat off the bread and other food people toss their way - an oversized pigeon whose only main competition are the Sea Gulls.

Another theory I have is that the shift in the poles has started and this has thrown their natural sense of direction off. We've seen other - and far more horrifying - bird phenomena in the US the last few years, such as hundreds of birds literally dropping dead, falling from the sky for reasons unknown. There have been some proposals made, but none really seems to fit. One such theory experts have proposed was "distant fireworks" startled a large flock from the roosting ground. The startled birds flew and all supposedly had heart-attacks. I may not be a bird-watcher, but that seems a bit far-fetched...

Sea Gulls Another visitor to the neighborhood this week is sea gulls. They are not too strange, but are not a common sight. These birds usually are along the shorelines - 70 miles south of where I reside. They are noisy, tough birds whom I've seen wrestle children and even stubborn adults for food. I recall a drive to a beach on Long Island (where I grew up) where two lanes of cars heading for the beach had to be detoured because some seagulls refused to move. Any car that threatened to run them over ran the risk of having the underside dismantled. They are quick and clever - and mostly around the shoreline...

The only time we see them this far inland is when there is a major storm - we're talking hurricanes and nor'easters, not just thunderstorms, approaching the shoreline. Tough as they are, they know to get the heck out of the way when these move in. Yet, we've had nothing but unseasonably warm weather and clear sunny skies all week. No storm, hardly any wind in fact. I don't know what they are doing here.

There's one in particular that I swear even spies me walking up the road and calls to me from the street lamp as I go by.

Crows Crows are said to be the harbingers of change. Last year, there was non-stop activity with crows. They would swoop and call out as I walked to work or around town. I would see large flocks of them rise from trees and fill the sky. There were many who - quite unnervingly - flew directly at my office window only to turn away at the last possible moment - inches from the glass. That happened too many times to recount - well over a few dozen.

These past few weeks... they have not been seen at all. I've seen crows and sea gulls co-exist before; usually both will be chased out of the tree by a sparrow in the summer months. :D But they have been notably missing since... the start of the year I would say. I didn't notice it right away because I was focused on work and ill, but the more I think back, the more I realize they are just... gone. They were here in December, right up to Christmas.

Robins: The traditional phrase in the area is, "It isn't officially spring until you see your first red-breast robin. The robin has always marked the beginning of spring in the area. Though with the unusual warm weather and the changes of birds of late, will we see this harbinger of spring? Or will we see yet another change to one of the lives that surround ours everyday?

Wait, watch, and we shall see.

.

Strange Winter

Thinking back to last year, we had one bad winter. We did not see any snow until Dec. 26th (2010), but then it kept coming. By February, we had already seen 82 inches (2.08 meters) of snow. Though New England sees it's share of snow, it's a remarkable, record-shattering year for snowfall in the southern part of New England. Even dedicated snow-lovers, like myself, were desperate to see it melt by late March. We worried what the 2011-2012 winter would bring...

In August, we had a Hurricane roll up the eastern US seaboard. We lost power for four days; others in our area lost power up to 12 days. We also had to keep listening to the radio as they were evacuating people along the Connecticut River. We were just outside that evacuation area. Unfortunately those in Vermont upriver from us were not so fortunate; whole towns were isolated when the bridges and roads washed away. One down disappeared completely, washed down stream and passing us on the river's way to Long Island Sound before it met the Atlantic. You could stand near the river banks and find debris pressed against the tree-trunks well past the river's original borders...

 

Then we had our first - and history-making earliest - Nor'Easter at the end of October. After a day of howling wings, we awoke to a world blanketed with early snowfall. When you compare this shot with the previous one, it does not look bad at all.

In truth it was very little to shovel, comparatively. The true level of destruction isn't visible. It looks like a clear, beautiful day following a light snowfall. 

You don't realize that gardens were still growing, fall peas were on the vines, leaves were still in the trees, many were only starting to change from summer green to the myriad golds, reds and oranges of autumn colors.

To the left is a shot of the morning glory, blackening on the vine. Confused flowers were pushing through the snow to greet the sun for the last time...

All around us was destruction. All through the prior day, we heard horrific snapping and cracking of large tree branches breaking and crashing down. Mighty oaks, elms and maple trees were broken.

The weight of even this amount of snowfall on limbs full of leaves were too much to bear.

 

Smaller trees were completely crushed. It was as if some giant had reached down in the night and crushed them. Others just seemed to peel apart like a banana.

Trees crashed down everywhere - on houses, on cars, bringing down miles and miles of power lines and phone lines. Blocking every single road - great and small.

 

With roads blocked, utility companies could not get to the power lines. With power lines down, road crews could not clean up the tree branches. With both, the snow plows were completely useless. With only three inches (76 mm) of snow, the entire state ground to a standstill.

Instead of having no electricity of four days, this time we were without it for eight days - over a week. In some places, they did not get power back for THREE WEEKS - nearly a month without electricity. Not only was this an inconvenience; this was dangerous. Without electricity, most have no heat, many have no water - hot or cold! Shelters were set up - once the roads were cleared to get to them. We stayed overnight at home, with candles and LOTS of wool blankets. But I still had to make my way to the shelter for a shower.

Businesses struggled. Most found ways to continue via generator powered wi-fi and cell phones. Then the cell towers began to fail; the battery back-ups on the towers only last a few days.

Another issue was the shortage of gasoline. A few gas stations had acquired generators following the hurricane's outage. But there was no access into the state to get their tanks resupplied. Many were only open less than two days before they were run dry. People needed gas to drive to the shelters. People needed gas for the generators and chain saws. Work crews needed it for their snow removal, tree removal and power line repair trucks and equipment. The state had to make a decision in some areas to ration gas.

We - obviously - survived this storm too. Things returned to normal. Christmas was very quiet though. Only a fraction of the people put out holiday decorations and lights - both personal and public areas. So Christmas seemed a bit darker. Everyone wondered... what will happen next....

It's now the beginning of February. There are still many trees with broken branches hanging in their limbs, dried leaves still fluttering from the dead branches. But we have not had any other snowstorm since then. In fact, we only had a dusting twice that disappeared within an hour of sunrise the next morning..

The trees are bare; the ground is frozen - somewhat. But this is not what one pictures January in New England to appear. Yet this is our January, even our December. No snow. This may lead to a dry spell as we will not have our snow melt in the spring and the frozen ground does not absorb the rainfall.

For the most part, our January has been practically amazing! We've had beautiful sunshine in a time when we mostly see cloudy skies, snowfall and perpetual gloom. This past week, temperatures have been in the 40's'F - even 50's' F (10'C). Our normal daytime high temperature this time of year is 20'F (-6'C). 

Each evening, there are many people out walking at sunset. Kids are playing outside without a jacket. There is no snow on the ground; there are no plants blooming, though it feels like late March now. Even the ground that was frozen in December has become soft and pliant. Grass has started to grow again.

I do not know what the rest of winter will bring. Today is Groundhog's Day. There is a small mammal that allegedly predicts if spring is here now or if we will see eight more weeks of winter. As fun as the tradition is, I don't hold much stock in it's predictions.

Like many things in life, we can prepare for the worst, and smile in joyous surprise when we are provided the best. Or we can believe all will be well and get hit with several feet (meters) of snow in late April. It has happened before. 

Anything is possible with God; and God does indeed touch this world of ours. Who knows what will come this year. 2012 can be one of destruction or one of major blessings.

Look to the light - for that is where Hope always resides.

Blog Pictures

While the pictures down the right side of my blog were specifically chosen and placed in a particular order, I have never presented what each means to me. I will take some time to do so now.

Don't give up. There are days I need this reminder. There are still days of tears, days of frustration, days of confusion. I can't give up. Pari (God) never gives up on me, for (S)He believes in me. Yeshua / Jesus also believes in me. He went through this life too, with tears and frustrations... Pari helps me as (S)He helped Him, whispering, "Please don't give up; I'm still working in you..."

Call to the Bride: The Bridegroom casts His nets, calling for the Bride. Purple nets represent both royalty and passion of His love. The roses represent the beauty He sees in the Bride, even when she does not see it herself. Three roses, a reflection of the Trinity. But also the fact that the Bride is NOT one person, but many - all of us in fact, as one. Christ's hand seems to touch an invisible wall. There is a barrier between Him and the Bride right now. But because His Love extends past it, it is only a matter of time before the Bride and Bridegroom will be together.

.

Faint Stirrings: At the beginning, the Bride can only hear faint stirrings. She does not know where it comes from, nor what it means. She can not understand at this point, but she has this feeling deep inside that someone is calling her name.

In Dreams: While I've had many inspirational moments in life, starting in 2006, I started to have many dreams with Yeshua in them. Since then, I have learned quite a bit and have grown much closer to Him. The two doves in the image is the Holy Spirit connecting us, teaching me. There are also several images of the sleeper; like the roses, the Bride is not one individual, but many as One.

Wait For Me: Those three words echoed in my soul when I first saw this picture. The timing of when the Bride and Bridegroom reunite is not up to me. Nor the Son. The Father chooses the timing. I need to be ready. I need to wait. Patience is important.

There are many things that draw me to this picture. It illustrates feeling safe in His arms. There is a shawl on the woman's head, a part of His Jewish culture of the time. There is also the look on Christ's face. Sometimes He appears to be at Peace, holding His Bride close. Other times He appears to be concentrating on something of which the Bride seems aware. A few times, He appears to scowl at her too...

Searching For Her Beloved: The Bride is aware of being drawn by the Bridegroom, and learns much through religion rather than relationship. She has decided to make a devoted attempt at being Bride, but her understanding of who and what the Bride is, is very limited. Christ seems so distant, high on a pedestal and all but unapproachable. Worthy of praise, prayers and songs, but not one would share a cup of coffee or join for a long walk to share a sunset.

The Bride Spirit: The Bride is shown who and what the Bride really is. It's not the Church, it's not just one person. There is something beyond what she was taught in this world. In this image, the Bride views the Spirit of the Bridegroom, or the Holy Spirit is teaching her. Or she is shown the beauty that exists within her... the beauty the Bridegroom sees when He looks upon her.

Beyond Images: The Bride finally accept who she is and sees the Bride in her own reflection and in the faces of all those around her. She will also starts to recognize that what she believed was reality may not be as real as it seems. That there is a larger existence beyond that which she knows.

The Spirit Within: The Bride begins to release her ego to let the Holy Spirit fill her. The Spirit will continue to teach her, to guide her and further open her heart and mind. With the Spirit's guidance, the Bride will be ready when the Bridegroom returns for her.

Getting Closer: The Bride is able to connect with the Bridegroom more easily. She will hear and see Him outside of dreams. She will see His work through others in her life. There is still a distance between them, but it's shorter than before. The reality of His approach dawns in her mind; her lamp is in hand. It's lit, but the flame is still small. It will grow in time.

Studies: The Bride continues to learn; the Bridegroom draws even closer. She sees His work all around her now. Not just in her life, but in all lives. Her light grows stronger. She is starting to grow in confidence of who she is.

Bride's Role: The Bride's role is not the image on the left, the image she was taught in religious education. She is not the proud Bride that stands aloof and holds herself apart when there is a cry for help. The one the Bridegroom seeks is the one on the right, that turns from her own climb to help those who need assistance to get to where she is. She refuses to let anyone go unaided where she can help, even if it delays her own journey. If she doesn't arrive with all, she would not arrive at all.

Bride Watch: The Bride is aware how close the Bridegroom is. She is aware of Him in her daily life, not just in prayers and praise. Her thoughts include Him several times a day. Like a woman in a new love relationship, she smiles every time she thinks of Him. Her love and their relationship grow stronger, day by day.

Heart's Touch: The Bride thinks about the Bridegroom and includes Him in every aspect of her life. Christ's Spirit is with her always, working through her as He draws her even closer. The Bride no longer thinks of her individual self but is always extended outward to and including others.

Awareness Extended: The Bride continues to reach out to others beyond her individual self. She tells eagerly shares Bridegroom's Love for others. There is a confidence that she has not had before.

Assistance: As the Bride learns and grows, the Bridegroom is ever at her side, always ready to sustain and help in any way she needs on the journey.

Bride Warrior: There is a point when the Bride believes she needs to fight for the Bridegroom. She believes she needs to use force, beguilement and violence to convert others to see the Bridegroom as she does. This is a dark period for the Bride as she is led astray even while she believes she is doing the right thing. She forgets that (s)he who lives by the sword, dies by the sword. Yet this is about life, not death.

So she gives up the sword, relinquishing all attack thoughts for the sake of her beloved Bridegroom. This period is also reflected in the Song of Songs; the Bridegroom will approach then draw away from the waiting Bride...

The Singing Bride: Forgoing the sword, the Bride turns to Song. Her heart sings of the Bridegroom's Love and she sings it to the world. As she sings, the world around her brightens.

Bride's Redemption: Because the world does not want to hear what she sings, the Bride will likewise experience some persecution. But that will not dim her Song, but cause her to embrace it jubilantly. It is then that the Bride receives full redemption. All of her past mistakes are forgiven in a blaze of God's Glory.

Freedom: The Bride experiences the reality beyond the reality she initially perceived. Her eyes are truly opening to what she only caught hints of before. The Holy Spirit within leads her to the next level and the glory of the universe expands in her mind..

Bridge of Destiny: The Bride finds the bridge between Heaven and Earth. Waiting for her is her beloved Bridegroom.

All and One: As the Bride arrives, she realizes she did not come alone. All of humanity is with her now; all become One. It is dark with the past at first, but grows brighter quickly...

.

Preparations Done: While the Bridegroom was away, He prepared a place for her to live.

Return to Innocence: A simple loving touch returns the Bride to the state in which God created her, young, perfect: a child ready to learn and grow in God's Light and Love. The darkness of the past is forever gone. She becomes innocent.

The Wedding Feast: Bride and Bridegroom are joined. Brother and Sister are united. They become as One and Heaven rejoices!

Final Union: Just as the Bride is the union of all Humanity. The joining of the Bride and Bridegroom brings Humanity back to God. They are joined as One - for all time. The Bridegroom presents all He is and all He has to the Bride without restriction, without strings, without hesitation. The Bride realizes this is what He has been offering all along, and gives Him all that she is... running into His arms. Forever.