Blog, Deep Ecology, Ethics & Whole Community | April 7, 2010
The first step to changing things is to have a dream.
Every Sunday afternoon a group of us meditate at the yurt to do that – dream about how we can bring
the animals’ voices to humans and find a better way for all of us to live together. We usually have Bluebell the buffalo, at the foot of the stairs,
MacDougal the clydesdale and Foffy the mustang running past the window, and Windsong the Elder Wolf inside with us.
Kris spoke into the silence, of a reverie she sometimes has. What would things be like if we lived on another planet where all life was respected;
where animals were treated well; trees revered, and people were kind to each other. How would that play out in day-to-day life? How would
things work; be different? We began imagining then what it might it be like on earth.
Would you join us with your ideas, dreams, pieces of dreams, writings you like? Would you join our meditation circle from afar.
The first step to changing things is to have a dream.
Muskwa-Ketchika wilderness by Wayne Sawchuck
Every Sunday afternoon a group of us meditate at the yurt to do just that — dream about how we can bring the animals’ voices to humans and find a better way for all of us to live together. We usually have Bluebell the buffalo at the foot of the stairs, MacDougal the Clydesdale and Foffy the mustang running past the window, and Windsong the Elder Wolf inside with us.
Kris spoke into the silence, of a reverie she sometimes has. What would things be like if we lived on another planet where all life was respected; where animals were treated well; trees revered, and people were kind to each other? How would that play out in daily life? We began imagining then what it might it be like on our planet if we built in harmony with the land; if subdivisions were almost invisible. If there was a different way of looking at things. If all life was celebrated and people would WANT to protect all living things instead of having to be convinced to. We would like to develop a full Dream of the Earth.
Would you join us with your ideas, dreams, pieces of dreams, writings you like?
Would you join our meditation circle from afar?
Animal Story, Deep Ecology, Ethics & Whole Community, Foxes, Wellness & Spirtuality | April 2, 2010
We visited Feather the red fox today after the deep snow of the night. She was her usual lovely sweet mischievous self, fur full and glossy. We brought her some guests, as she always likes to greet everybody, her little 
inquisitive black nose sniffing, examining, assessing. They were enchanted by her sweetness, agility, curiosity; by her eagerness to meet them and visit with them.
She is an elderly fox now, with the feel of wisdom that many living creatures seem to gain with age. Jean went to a fur farm some 11 years ago and bought her as a little kit. (It always astounds me that you can go “buy” a wild animal.) That is eleven years of life given to her; eleven years of life for that dancing diminutive piece of vitality. One out of 800 foxes!
So many questions: a Buddhist who visited her wondered aloud – what was her karma that she was picked out of 800 foxes, to come here and have a life? I don’t know, but I do know that she has done a splendid job helping people see the magic of foxes; of balancing the fact that yes they sometimes do eat chickens and cats. That difficult balance we have to find between loving a predator that is part of our family, say a cat, and also loving a predator that is not so close to us emotionally, yet acknowledging their right to live too.
So it comes down to family and tribal loyalty versus the recognition that we are all part of something larger.
Blog, Deep Ecology, Ethics & Whole Community | March 31, 2010
The delicate long-legged killdeer are back, flitting through the air with their haunting cries. The ground is still frozen under two feet of snow, but life, sensing the change in light, Life, is stirring. Excited. Getting ready for its ecstatic push for spring. I look up to the skies, my eyes caught by movement. In the whole huge empty western sky there are two geese flying close together in perfect unison, one unit. Two small life forms in exquisite harmony. It is music and dance and poetry. Why are they so close together? How do they stay in such perfect unison? What are they feeling? Perhaps the joy of being in such harmony with another of your kind; a completion that comes with a mate, with male and female energy combined? They emanate such joy; bursting with the anticipation of making new life. There is nothing more deeply exciting.
There is fascination and beauty in anything suffused with the life force, all of it leading in to the mystery of life. From an ant finding its way back to it’s colony, to two geese in the sky, to a grizzly bear standing on a hilltop surveying its domain, to the passion of a wolf pack adoring its pups, what joy, wonder, richness we are bathed in!!!
Animal Tales, Bears, Wellness & Spirtuality | March 23, 2010
All winter we worried about Teton Totem and his severe back problem. How would he be? Would the long winter sleep aggravate it? What do we do with a nearly paralyzed 1000 pound grizzly bear?
We made him a special bed for his hibernation, lining his den with wood and then extra hay to make it softer and warmer and he could arrange it as he liked. With Penelope’s help with his back in the fall (see Bear Burrito, Blog November 2009) he was quite a bit better just before going to sleep for the winter but still we worried. What would the long period of inactivity do?
Teton emerged from his den recently – and he was using his hind legs! Not perfectly but the long sleep and stillness did him no harm. Not only was he walking, but he was sweet – sweeter than he had been in a long time. In fact there was an indescribably sweet and gentle look in his eyes. What a gift!! What a way to start spring!!
Deceased, Wellness & Spirtuality, Wolves | March 23, 2010
This is the story of Thunder, a timber wolf, who’s passing illustrates the mystery and wonder of nature and the strong bond between members of his species.
Art & Creativity, Blog | March 15, 2010
In February, internationally acclaimed wildlife artist Dan Smith and his wife Liz spent two glorious days at the Earthfire Institute. Here is what they had to say about their experience. “We spent our time researching arctic and grey wolves as well as lynx. We enjoyed interacting with the animals in this peaceful setting and getting to know our marvelous hosts Susan Eirich and Jean Simpson. One of our highlights was meeting a 16 year old wolf 
named Windsong and learning her story. The compassion that Susan, Jean and their staff have for their animals is commendable.” You can see Dan’s paintings of Earthfire animals and others on his website.
Animal Tales, Blog | March 15, 2010
At the pet store yesterday Lori the manager called me over — “Look, look at this!” There were two parrot cichlids in a tank swimming about in the lower left front corner looking rather strange because there was a whole tank in which to swim. After a few minutes, I saw a tiny, tiny little speck darting about in that corner — then another — then another. Lori said there were 30 of them. The babies were born just four days ago. She said at first they all stayed in a little depression in the gravel, the parents hovering over them and chasing away all the other fish in the tank. This stressed them so much that she removed all the fish except two placid suckers who spend their time glued to the back wall. Now, four days later, the babies were escaping the nest and darting about exploring, looking very excited with new life and the joys of having a physical body, oblivious to any danger. The parents would pick them up in their mouth and return them only to have others escape. The smaller parent repeatedly scoured the bottom for bits of food, picking up morsels, and expelling the food toward whichever babies it could find; attacking fish in the next tank through the glass, then scouring for more food. There was no way these tiny things could eat all the food the parents were blowing at them but they couldn’t help themselves — driven to shower the babies with food, to feed, feed, feed. Periodically in their attacking fits they saw those poor suckers out of the corner of their eyes and an unreasoned fury descended upon the suckers as they peacefully clung to the glass. They would hurriedly unattach themselves, move a few inches and try for peace again. The larger parent swam in circles over the empty nest looking overwhelmed and frazzled, occasionally rounding up a baby in its mouth and trying to bring it back where it could watch over it and keep it safe. The next day I came back to photograph the fish family and the parents had the beginnings of a pebble wall built up against the front of the tank in an attempt to protect the babies from the prying eyes of humans. A lot of work for little fish! Building walls, changing nests, darting, chasing, rounding up, feeding, attacking, trying to keep an eye on their babies and keep them safe…..they were a wreck.
The tribulations of parenthood are universal.
Blog, Wolves | March 11, 2010
Cindar was a 7 year old, beautiful black female wolf. She was very sensitive and smart. Jean and Susan called me because she was depressed and seemed ill. When I arrived she was weak and was breathing very rapidly. When I listened to her lungs with the stethoscope she had very little air moving through them. I was immediately concerned as to why such a seemingly healthy wolf was losing lung function so quickly. We decided that to get a better idea as to what was going on with her lungs, we needed to do a chest x-ray. The x-ray revealed fluid in the chest and very limited lung capacity. Some of the lung had no air in it at all. It was clear she had pneumonia but what would have caused it? Cancer? What sort of infection would be that rapid? We started treatment for pneumonia and I went home unsettled in my mind. In the middle of the night I suddenly sat up from a deep sleep and said – It’s a torsion! Lung torsion is quite rare and is seen mainly in very deep chested dogs like Afghans, which are similar to wolves in conformation with their narrow deep chest cavities. What happens is that one lobe of the lung twists around its base, which includes the airway and all the blood vessels. In a very short period of time the lobe starts to die. This process causes toxins to build up, and fluid to accumulate which further decreases the animal’s capacity to breathe. The only treatment is surgery, which is very complicated and has to be done by a specialist. Unfortunately the closest hospital able to perform the procedure on Cindar was in Salt Lake City. As soon as I realized it was a torsion we were dealing with Jean was in the car on the way to Salt Lake as Susan made arrangem
ents, but it was too late. Cindar died before reaching the hospital. This was a very difficult case to diagnose and to lose. Cindar’s lung had twisted well before she was showing any outward signs of distress. Wolves are so strong and so capable of hidingpain and illness it makes it very difficult to know if something is wrong until they are very ill. This was a very unfortunate case and I may never see another lung torsion again in my career because they are so rare but I will always keep it in the back of my mind because of Cindar and maybe I can save the next one.Maybe this article will help save an animal too. – Summer Winger DVM
Earthfire Stories | March 10, 2010
We were never a close family.
Mother’s pathological narcissism demanded our full attention. Dad, though an inspiration, was shackled with alcoholism.
My older sister and I survived an unnerving childhood…and we harbored deep wounds.
Yet… I could always make her laugh… sometimes get her to the beach… she loved horses and I would bounce along beside her on a ride….but as the years went by she became more and more “distant”… not returning phone calls and writing the same “formula” thank you notes for Christmas and birthday gifts. I had just about given up on our sibling relationship when Earthfire’s magic gave us another chance.
This past year, in lieu of traditional Christmas gifts, I “gave” eight friends “a share” of a “shade” tree for Earthfire Institute….a beautiful, tall, Amur maple.
I also included the most recent Eart
hfire newsletter in the Christmas card.
Within a few weeks I knew by the envelope that the dutiful thank you note had arrived but the contents amazed me…..
“Hi Judith….Many thanks for the gift to the Earthfire Institute. I am so pleased- especially because you are directly involved in the project. Their mission statement is inspiring…and a yurt…how wonderfully appropriate and with so many uses. I love that Blue bell approves, too…and Cucumber-what can one say-a great story with a good news ending.”
So much excitement! I was stunned, excited, grateful.
Touched by the animals, and the hope that Earthfire embodies, my sister came out of her “shell”. We are communicating again and of course I will send her a membership for her up coming birthday.
Healing comes in many forms…and reminds us that the “connections” are never really broken…… -Judith Austin
Blog, Deep Ecology, Ethics & Whole Community | March 9, 2010
Talkeetna, my malamute, was walking me on leash the other day when she suddenly made a leap into the deep snow on the side of the track and dug furiously. She has pounced and dug before, never to meet with any success, but she loved the effort so I indulged her and watched. However this time was different. A tiny vole, feeling safe under the snow, was caught unaware and after a few crunches went down the gullet of a well-fed dog who did not need it. I felt really bad. A life ended so suddenly for no real necessity; perhaps a mother of several little babies, or a mate. A hungry owl or hawk or fox – that would have been an understandable use of its life. But just to give a well-taken care of dog some pleasure? The wild animals are under enough pressure here from humans, who act as predators by taking over the land and water and food sources and homes. I as much as anyone love seeing my dogs run and play and follow their natural instincts, but it is not fair to the wild ones to let loose upon them other predators as well – our beloved dogs and cats. It is interesting how we make dividing lines in our mind. “Us” and “other.” The dogs and cats have become “us”, family members; and the wildlife for many is still the “other.” Thus we feel justified in letting our dogs run and chase wildlife and our cats hunt the birds and mice that are vital for wild animals, who have to fight for their food and their survival every day. It would be good if we could expand the boundaries of “us” to include the lives of the wild ones. Then we would be moved to find a way to live together that takes all lives into consideration.
Page 3 of 7«12345»...Last »
Energy Healing Wolf
Wildlife as a Whole
