We’re breaking the ice in the buckets up here this month. I love this time of year even with the limits the weather brings. A few friends, a pot of soup, and a quiet evening, sharing the time with friends - human and animal - without any pretense of going anywhere or doing anything that costs a penny.
Tags: animal communication, animal whisper, Human Animal Bond, intuition, winter
The new bird seed created a festival at the feeder today! Chickadee-dee-dee. Digging out from a couple of feet of snow, with wind chills below zero, it’s a treat to support these friends of the air in a small way.
This Irish poem, from the 9th Century AD, carries the intimacy the natural world and the seasons on its wings. Before technology and instant expectations, the Celtic people looked to the land and the animals to renew their energy and for spiritual guidance. We have little of their music and art today. People of action and deep connection, the Celts did not have written language for a thousand years.
There’s nothing more true than the companionship of our animal friends this time of year … teachers of the best kind, they show us by example how to be graceful in all the seasons of our lives. Enjoy the season of ice and hug your horses!
I have news for you:
The stag bells, winter snows,
summer has gone.
Wind high and cold,
the sun low short its course,
the sea running high.
Deep red the bracken, its shape is lost;
the wild goose has raised its accustomed cry.
Cold has seized the birds’ wings;
season of ice, this is my news.
Ireland, 9th century A.D.
Tags: 9th Century, Celtic, elk, poetry, snow, Winter solstice
Pileated Woodpecker in winter
We’re settling in for a long winter’s nap at home in upstate NY.
A foot of snow is on the way for tomorrow. More to the south. We filled the bird feeder ahead of the storm and brought the snow shovel inside. When you grow up in Buffalo you learn about winter.
This is the season to hold your loved ones close. Especially if they’re furry and give off a lot of heat!
The first visitors to the new born child whose birth we celebrate on Christmas were animals. The humility of the manger is a gentle reminder of our own simple humanity, where we can go to renew our sense of wonder and kinship with all life.
deer in winter
Holding the space for new life over thousands of years, the animals of the fields give us the gift of warmth, patience and deep peace … living clean under the skies of the Winter Solstice.
The soft eyes of these peaceful vegetarians invite us to join up with the web of life; stop and listen to their quiet stories.
May your heart be warmed with the true spirit of the season. All beings are linked in the quiet hush of winter.
What we do matters. Each act of kindness, however small it may seem, will shine across the universe. Be safe in the snow, stay warm, and keep in touch.
Tags: animals, Christmas, deer, Winter solstice, woodpecker
Welcome to Animal Trax Blog! This is a community dedicated to the human animal connection & the place animals have in our hearts and homes.
We’re in the middle of a revolution of understanding about animals and their inner world. It’s an honor to be working with animals and people who “get it” - everyday heroes who are eager to have a deeper, respectful understanding of the beings they share their lives with.
We’ll explore practical, every day solutions, holistic living ideas and hear the stories of the animals themselves.
Please bookmark / shortcut this site. Stop by over your morning coffee and help celebrate the human animal connection. Thanks for visiting!
Tags: animal, animal healing, animal trax blog, animal whisper, health, holistic, holistic health, human connection, Saratoga Springs NY, Susan Hamlin