Piney’s New House
— by Dawn Harrison — Moving days are stressful enough, but imagine if you were moved and no one told you what was happening. That would quickly turn a stressful day into a scary day. For Piney the Porcupine, moving day was a little scary. He had to wait in an unknown area with the sounds of construction going on around him. Luckily, it was a short-lived experience and he wasn’t actually getting relocated---he was getting an upgrade. Even then, I wanted to make sure he knew what was going on, so I did something that usually works for calming down kids and dogs: I sat and told him a story: Once upon a time, there was a handsome porcupine named Piney. One morning, Piney woke up to find...
For Wildlife, Making a Daily Living Isn’t Easy: A Conversation with Wildlife Filmmaker Jeff Hogan
When Susan asked wildlife filmmaker Jeff Hogan about the patience needed in getting his award winning film footage, he replied, "Patience? If it takes me a whole day or two days to get a shot of a beaver coming down the stream, I don't need patience. While I am waiting there is unlimited entertainment. To be amongst all that life, sitting in the middle of it, is incredible. I am in awe of the life around us. The wild just blows me away." Cinematographer Jeff Hogan has been filming and photographing wildlife around the world for over 30 years, earning numerous awards for his work, including several Emmy nominations for cinematography. Being a naturalist at heart, Jeff's passion is to...
Windwalker
A gorgeous, dominant, aggressive cougar in his youth, Windwalker changed dramatically as he aged, softening and seeking connection with humans, offering what they described as profound, intimate experiences. [gallery size="full" ids="1553,1554,1555"]
More Stories About Windwalker:
The Sacred White Buffalo
We had a particularly powerful workshop last October with Rose De Dan of Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing. According to Rose and other shamans who look at life from an alternative frame, Windwalker the cougar, near the end of his days, had hung onto life to be here through the last retreat of the year. People had flown in from around the country to see him one last time. Rose made him the focus of the workshop with ceremonies honoring him and his courage and beauty of spirit. Paralyzed in his hind legs, he lay regally and greeted each participant with warmth and dignity, purring his way through the entire visit. People in turn helped him into his wheelchair, groomed him, lay with him in...
