MEET BANJO JUNIPER

The last 72 hours have been a whirlwind.  Our family unexpectedly grew a little bit with this adorable little guy.  After hearing a cry in the woods for two days, I found this little guy alone and scared in the rain.  I left it where I found it for a few hours to make sure it's mama wasn't coming back.  I knew it was going to storm that night and I couldn't bare it any longer, and it was still out there crying non stop.  No other kitties were to be found, or any trace of a mama.  I was hesitant to take it, but Ive already had one kitty die b/c I didn't find it soon enough, so I didn't take a chance on this little fella.

Yesterday he took his first car ride to the vet to get dewormed and flea + mite treatment.  He's too little for shots just yet, but the vet gave him a good examination and we think he is healthy as can be.  For the past 13+ years I have not allowed myself to get a kitten b/c Bella hates other cats.  So needless to say, this hasn't been an easy transition.  Bella is pissed.  But I'm hoping over time this will change.  And really only time will tell.

This little boy is a mama's boy, and he definitely things I'm his mama.  All he wants to do is be right up on my neck, coddling, suckling, purring, rubbing, kissing... He is a LOVER BOY to the max.  Cries when I'm not by his side, and instantly purrs the second I walk in the door.  Screams until he is up on my neck, and then just melts, purrs and rubs all over my face.  The second I put him down, he screams.  MAMAS BOY.  It's been a delicate balance trying to be there for him around the clock, and be there to reassure Bella she is still my baby too. 

I go on vacation very soon and James will be home alone with all this crazyness.  I hope he transitions a bit more before that!!!  I'm a little worried honestly.  But gosh he is soooo cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I am just in love.  Madly.

And his little name is Banjo Juniper. <3 He is a lover. A mama's boy. So curious. Loves to play, but gets easily scared. A ferocious eater. And an even more ferocious cuddler.  Like the biggest, sweetest, most in your face cuddles youve ever seen. Heart Breaker.

TEEPEE, FULL MOON, OWL MEDICINE

I recently decided to relocate my teepee from my front yard to my back yard.  I realized I never used it in my front yard, b/c I simply don't like hanging out there where the cars drive by.  I'm not sure why it took me so damn long to figure this out, but I'm so glad I did.  I have spent just about every spare moment I have since it's been up, in it.  I'm kind of sad its raining today just b/c I want to be out in it. 

It's funny b/c James and I started working on building it 3 days in a row and each time we failed at getting the main structure stable.  I kept getting frustrated and just stopping.  Finally, the 4th attempt worked.  Ive built two other ones and never had any issues.  I guess it was all about right timing.  It finally started coming together, and its my favorite one Ive made so far.  Ive outfitted it with my crystals, favorite sticks Ive collected over the years, and other trinkets. 

We've spent lots of time in it reading, hanging out with Bella & Violet, giving them massages, gazing at the full moon through the branches, listening to the birds, listening to music, watch the clouds, doing crafts, just laying there, drinking whiskey.  Ha ha.  Like I said, Ive spent every free moment the past several days in it. 

I adorned my outside space with all the scraps Ive cut off all the bell bottoms that are too long for me.  Which is just about all of them.  Ive been saving the scraps forever for just the right project.  This area is slowly coming together.  Two friends gave me some rad old windows that I'm still figuring out just where I'm going to keep them. 

Lots of reading the Bohemian Collective Magazine has happened in it too!  ha ha.  While I was making the bell bottoms garland above I heard some ruckus in the trees behind me, and turned to see an OWL flying from branch to branch.  I watched it dart to the ground twice to catch something, although I don't think he got what he was going after.  I have never seen an owl in the wild before.  Only heard them in the night.  My jaw was hanging wide open.  I took the risk of running inside to grab my binoculars to get a better look and I'm so glad I did.  He stayed on the same branch while I ran inside, otherwise I probably wouldn't of been able to spot him again b/c he blended in so well in the trees.  It was the most magnificent thing Ive ever seen.  I got watch up close all its crazy head movements.  There were a few times it heard me moving and put its eyes right on me.  I got to watch it for about half an hour! 

This happened on the day of the Full Moon in Scorpio, which is just so appropriate, with owl having ties to the moon and to scorpio energy.  Such great messages came through this beautiful witness.  Leading up to this day, my week was a wreck.  We had a really big emotional decision to make about my parents house, and I had to let some people that I really love down, and it hurt my heart so much to come to terms with this choice.  I found myself at a crossroads recently.  I thought it was just a crossroads with my parents house and what to do with it, but I realized it was a metaphor for the crossroads of my life.  I was at the cross roads of continuing to live in the past, or to let go in a big way and move on ahead to my future.  It was a painful decision, but I chose my future.  I'm ready.  I'm ready to move on.  To let go with ties keeping me bound to my parents house.  Let a stranger move in and walk away.  Allow this to be a big blessing in my life to dream of things I may never otherwise be able to attain. 

It was the first time since I can remember feeling like I made a choice that defined my life, and myself as well.  In what I was capable of.  Emotionally.  I felt an weight lift, and a shift in my heart.  Something was very tangled in that choice.  And we still have so much go through before the house is actually sold and gone, but I felt like I took the first step on the beginning of a new path, and good god it feels amazing. 

After the Owl visited me, we went to town and a turkey flew across the road right in front of our car.  Owl & Turkey have been two of my messengers for quite some time, and this full moon, they made themselves very up close and in  my face in brand new ways, and I couldn't be more thankful for them.  Sometimes I really believe my parents speak to me from beyond the dead through the animal world. 

DEER FRIENDS

A little update on our deer friends.  The babies have now joined in on the feeding.  Just a few weeks ago their mamas kept them on the sidelines in the woods, but now they are letting them come hang with the big guys.  They are so sweet.  At first they were pretty timid and would run easily but now they are some of the first to run up and don't get spooked as easily.  There were just two babies that came around but now there are three!  I don't think my excitement of seeing the babies will ever go away.  I hope they grow up to be our friends. 

And of course with this many deer, in the Texas heat, there is bound to be some tension.  I caught a few fights on my camera, but that one above tops them all so I'll just share that one.  And we got our first male in the yard below!  Look how stunning he is.  He doesn't come around regularly, usually its just the females.  He was pretty shy, but we've seen him a few times now.  I just love his fuzzy antlers.

Last week I almost got one of the adult mamas to eat out of my hand.  She ate next to me for about 10 minutes within 1-2 feet distance.  It was so amazing.  One day... it will happen!

And OMG!!!  The best thing happened the other day but I wasn't able to photograph it, but when we walked outside to leave one afternoon I looked over and one of the baby deer was laying inside my teepee!!!  It got spooked so I only saw it for a split second but it was the sweetest thing ever!  I had told them that they were more than welcome to use the teepee, but didn't really expect to ever see on of them in it, much less a baby!!!!

DEER MEDICINE

These sweet guys are my new buddies.  Weve been hanging out in the yard together for the past two weeks.  This day, one of them (the first one to hang around) came and ate about 4 feet away from me for about 10 minutes.  It was such an amazing thing.  She has been hanging around our house for a while, actually a few years I think.  She likes to play with Violet along the fence in the backyard.  The last few weeks she has decided she is not afraid of us much at all.  I'm working my up to getting her to eat out of my hand... I think she is so beautiful.

Deer has always been a part of my animal medicine that shows up.  I have always felt a fondness to them, a connection in spirit.  This past week it has shown up very heavily.  From these beautiful guys befriending us, to more amazing encounters.  On the way home from town the other day we came across two magestic Fallow deer, which I had never seen in person before.  I was so taken by their presence and beauty.  The picture below is this beautiful creature.  Then one day when I was working out on my eliptical, looking out the window, I spotted two baby deer frolicking in the field together!  And then the evening after seeing the Fallow deer, we heard Violet barking in the backyard and went outside to see what she was barking at, and there was a baby deer curled up next to our fence.  I got to see it within a foot close, and its big beautiful blue eyes with long eyelashes and little spots all over.  It was the sweetest split moment ever.  Before I was able to take a photo it got up and ran off, but I will never forget that moment.  So sweet and tender and full of magic and charm.  I can't stop thinking about it.  I wanted to cuddle it so bad, ha ha!

Isn't he just simply magestic???