BY LINDA LUKE
IN SILENCE WE CAN FIND THE GREATEST KNOWLEDGE AND GIFTS LIFE HAS TO OFFER, IN PASSION WE CAN EXPERIENCE IT ALL. “
Imbolic. (February 1, or the first Full Moon of Aquarius. Also called Brigantia, Imbolg, and Candlemas.) First stirrings of Mother Earth: a spring-cleaning time of cleansing and purification; preparation for growth and renewal. A festival of the Triple Goddess Brigit, whose breath gave life to the dead.
Celebrate and enjoy . . .
It’s New Year’s Day and I am doing my clean-it-and-make-it-shiny celebration to welcome the New Year. I am rocking out to my Pete Huttlinger CD, Celtic Harmony, and I look out the window (the entire south side of the cabin is all windows). Lo and behold, there is what I at first thought to be a fox on my porch.
Now for those of you who don’t know me, I own trifocals that I do not wear (I prefer a softer, fuzzier world). However, I realize that the tail (or lack of) defines this Woody Creature as something other than a fox, and that there are two of them. They proceed to walk across my porch, jump, and roll around, playing in the new snow. They are bobcats.
The Chicken Coop, for those of you not familiar with this place, has actually become a pigeon coop on the west side and a cozy cabin on the east. The bobcats are hoping the pigeons’ door was open for a free meal; not so to-day. Meanwhile, I am searching for my camera, turning it on just in time to get a butt shot of one cresting the hill next to the pine. Oh well, better luck next †ime.
Next time happens to be the next day, in the middle of the afternoon. The Tavern is too crowded for my comfort, so I bring home some great food. Rocking out once again to Pete and Celtic music, I am bringing newspapers outside to the recycle bin. I step out, and onto the porch steps one of the bobcats. We look at each other with shock and awe and my phone rings. Well, that is enough to send him off into never-never land and me seeking my camera once again.
Got photos of the paw prints left behind in the snow and I will review them with Andy Hall (our hunter neighbor) to see if these are truly bobcats or local pups I have yet to meet. The prints do not have the telltale signs of nails, so I am almost certain they are of the cat family and my soft fuzzy snapshot is a true image.
So neighbors, be forewarned: there are predators out there hunting for our pets. As beautiful as they are, they will not hesitate to gobble up a pigeon, peacock, kitty, bunny ( I think I still have two cottontails), or other cherished companions. If you love them, keep them close.
Later that day, around 4 o ‘dock, I go to the Woody Creek Store for a planning meeting. I am wandering around talking on my cell phone outside and I glance across the road to the park-ing area. Lo and behold, there is a blond guy (not a local) standing there with two women. The strange thing is he has his johnson out and is walking toward the Tavern. Now, I grew up in and around New York City, so this is not completely a shock to me. I just never expected this today on my way to a planning meeting.
Such is life here next to the Woody Creek. Happy New Year, from the Chicken Coop.
Linda Luke lives at the Delise cabin on Woody Creek Road. She is a gifted massage therapist, and a numbers therapist, meaning she is one hell of a bookkeeper too.
