This morning’s meditation on zoom brought ten people together: three sisters in different locations, someone in a car in Salt Lake City, another in a Bangkok hotel room, somewhere in Mexico, in his dad’s cottage in France, and at home in Boston, Cambridge, Regina, and Victoria. How heart-warming to be together like that, sitting in silence, our breaths joining the boundless stream of humanity. May all beings be free from fear. May all being be at ease.
♥
Catharus guttatus (Latin: spotted)
It’s been snowing on and off for three days. An eerie silence with many birds at the feeder. Yesterday morning, among assorted sparrows, a large one never seen by these untrained eyes. I sent photo to a friend who knows about such things: if it’s the size of a robin, she replied, it could be a Hermit Thrush; they don’t usually stay for the winter and have a lovely song. They also, I found later, like to eat red berries … and there were fat bunches drooping on the adjacent Hawthorne hedge.
♦ A dharma friend has since identified said bird as a Fox Sparrow. So much to learn.
@ Mike Hamilton
The hummingbird feeder is filled with sugar water to sustain the little flappers who elected not to travel south. Problem is that liquid freezes with an hour and needs to be regularly thawed. (Ona can alternate between two feeders one frozen the other warm/ Or wrap a string of Christmas lights around the little tank.) During my morning refill, while balancing atop an icy garden bench, a feisty hummer* buzzed up to before I could re-hang the thing, eager to break fast. Pausing in mid-movement I gently touched its chest with my gloved index finger. Ohh! my breath stopped for a delicate moment. *Anna’s hummingbird (Calypte anna) named after Anna Masséna, Duchess of Rivoli, no less.
p.s. Small birds are at risk of freezing to death, see what you can do to help.
Thich Nhat Hanh, Vietnamese Zen master (1926-2022)
♥
Having shoveled a narrow path for the dogs to navigate I spontaneously went to my next door neighbour’s and then 2 more across the street to clear their entrances. I took extra care with the one belonging to someone who tends to ignore my Hello. Aversion arises when we encounter something unpleasant, the Ancient Sages say: an act of kindness is the antidote. May Peace Prevail On Earth.
A piece of quilt batting tied around the liquid in your feeder will keep it from freezing for several hours. Another idea, cut up an old sweater and used it for extra warmth too.
Thank you, Peter, I love your blog. Merry Christmas.
A Fox Sparrow, Peter. 🙂
O dear! Thank you. Martha. My friend did hesitate because of the yellow beak. Once again things are not what they seem.
More about fox sparrow at https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/fox-sparrow
So true, re Aversion arises when we encounter something unpleasant, the Ancient Sages say: an act of kindness is the antidote. May Peace Prevail On Earth.
Merry Christmas Peter.
Many blessings to you Peter- for international meditation time, for feeding the birds, keeping the hummer water thawed (there are many tricks, of course, to keep them warm) shovelling paths for dogs (more than one?) and your neighbours. Such kindness.
Acts of kindness reverberate within, even without being acknowledged. In fact for this magic to work the sender is advised not to expect anything in return. But then you know all that: thank you for all you do, dear Nancy.
Merry Christmas and happy new year to the kindest Peter