Birds Count and The Bird Count -

If it weren't for birds, the world as we know it would not exist.

Birds are woven through our lives from sports and social media to gaming, the military and our homes. Without the birds, our economy would crash. 

Think about it.

St. Louis would be without their Cardinals, Baltimore without their Ravens and Orioles.  Who would have won the Super Bowl since Seattle wouldn't have the Seahawks?  Toronto would be without Blue Jays, Philly without the Eagles..the list goes on.

Gaming and social media would have the void of Flickr without the Flicker.  The economical hit alone would be significant if  "Angry Birds" didn't exist as greeting cards, stuffed birds, t-shirts, party decor and more have resulted from this game.

And speaking of the economy, what about the bird images with which we fill our homes?  Images of birds abound in malls and local stores. What logos would businesses use?  Just last night, I noticed the duck logo for Hilton's Homewood Suites.

What would artists paint? What might Dolly, Ferlin and Marty have sung in place of  "On the Wings of a Snow White Dove" My favorite childhood movie "The Birds" wouldn't exist. I'm unsure about The Byrds since they've the y not i.

People are described hawkish and dovish.  Carrier pigeons were integral in saving lives as they carried messages in war not that long ago and even used to carry urgently needed medications and lab specimens.  And although I'm not quite sure how I feel about it I can support a local business by sending a pigeon gram today!

Indigenous or Native eople have known the birds and everything in the natural world carries energy and messages that when we are receptive we can receive.  I was reminded of this when I read about the series of children's books created about Louis the Duck in the Homewood logo.

Children listen.  We were once all children and still are somewhere within. 

Birds count in a multitude of ways, ways easily ignored but are unfathomably important.

To me they count for the beauty and joy they bring.  This weekend, I will join others around the globe and literally count birds Feb. 14-17 as part of the 17th annual and global Great Backyard Bird Count.

Minimally take 15 minutes one day and count the birds in your yard or a specific area. Register at the GBBC site and submit your numbers.

For all the birds have done for us and continue to do, this is the least we can do for them!

-Dawn, The Good News Muse, 13 February 2014

dawn@imaginetheshift.com

Held By Trees and Nature's Kind I Receive Earth's Valentine

Robin bobbing 'bout my yard

Spring can't be too very far

Yet on the calendar page I find

It's February. Love's on our minds.

 As for me, I'll sit outside

and love what is in Wintertime.

Seeming barren and dull to some

I find magic thanks to Sun. 

For even on a cloudy day

Sun's evidence comes my way.

As plants poke their heads above

from dark below green shoots come.

Lenten rose tucked near the ground

easy to miss in leaves of brown.

Round and tender are the buds

Yet resilient just like Love.

 By taking notice, sitting still 

Listening, opening I am filled.

Held by trees and Nature's kind

I receive Earth's Valentine.

-Dawn, The Good News Muse, 6 February 2014

dawn@imaginetheshift.com

ilisten, iconnect, itouch

Thanksgiving morning I awoke thinking of Steve Jobs and all he did for the world.  This might have made sense or at least not been unusual if I were an 'i anything' kind of person. My cell phone's over four years old, my preferred pad's a pad of paper and I still have a land line.

Yet I awoke thinking of Steve Jobs and my neighbor Wendy. I had dropped in on Wendy two nights prior.   I had gone out at 6:30, now long after dark, to lay to rest my raised beds.  It just didn't seem right celebrating Thanksgiving and the fruits of the earth without first bringing closure to my tiny garden and honoring its presence in my life. That's when the seed was planted that I should turn the corner and walk up the street to wish Wendy a Happy Thanksgiving. 

We first met in the fall of 2005. I consulted with her about getting dental braces. My father's cancer worsened and I never followed up.  Fast forward six years. I decided to see her again but she had left the prior practice.

After tracking her down, I made a second appointment six years later and learned in the intervening years that Wendy had become my neighbor and we had multiple common connections including dear three legged cats.  

I debated spontaneously knocking on her door.  I don't typically drop in on people except for my 'adopted' family now a few streets over and Judy across the street.

My intuition overruled present societal protocol. I listened. I walked. I knocked and Wendy came to the door albeit apprehensive. Think about it. Today when someone knocks I suspect a solicitor or someone casing the house before a potential break in.  People simply don't visit anymore.

I didn't intend to go in. I was happy standing at the door just saying have a good holiday but Wendy insisted I come in.  We sat in the floor, enjoying wine and talked as her dear cat of whom I'd heard gave me the honor of loving him.

Thanksgiving morning I lay in bed realizing I am an i-something person.

i listen
i connect
i touch

My neighbor and I enjoyed a spontaneous fifteen minutes of face to face, voice to voice, heart to heart connection that still at least for me has a richness that texting, tweeting or even face booking can't quite match.

Whether i knock, i phone, i touch, or text, tweet or get linked, most importantly I realized whatever I do iopen and ilove.

What about you?

-Dawn! The Good News Muse, 28 November 2011

dawn@imaginetheshift.com