My 'Master Plan'

I had such a great day today. Finished up another semester yesterday, so I am feeling on top of the world. I have one more year left to finish my BLA/MLA and definitely on the down hill side of this overhaul of my personal/professional life.

I met a practitioner yesterday when he reviewed my work and we hit it off soundly. He was impressed with my presentation and it was probably one of the best reviews I have had to date. He has done design work all over the world and he appreciated my process, my style, and my ideas which made me feel grand. We met up again at the 'after LA Review Day BBQ' and we talked about my work and what I had in mind for the future. Who Knows?!!! But the wheels are turning and my whole life seems to be opening up to me.

After pulling 2 all-nighters to finish up with the requirements of the project, I finally got some sleep, but woke up at the crack of dawn. I don't know exactly why, but I felt such an urgency to run to the end of the block to watch a sunrise this morning....a new day dawning.

As I stood and waited for the sun to make its ritual appearance, I heard a clacky squawk overhead. When I looked up, I saw two Great Blue Herons! They had the whole sky in which to fly, but they never strayed, their path took them right over my head.

That had to mean something. In all the years I have been spotting and following these majestic birds, I have only ever seen one at a time. This morning I saw two. Together flying. It was a beautiful sight and I felt like they were bringing me a message, something I needed to pay attention to.

I googled the symbology of the Great Blue Heron and this is what I found....

The blue heron is a totem (symbol) of someone who has chosen to claim their life as their own. According to North American Native tradition, the Blue Heron brings messages of self-determination and self-reliance. It represents an ability to progress and evolve. The long thin legs of the heron reflect that even though we must be able to stand on our own, we don't need legs that are great massive pillars to remain stable. Blue Herons have the innate wisdom of being able to maneuver through life and create their own circumstances. If the Blue Heron has shown up as your totem, it reflects your need to follow your own unique wisdom and path of self-determination. You know what is best for yourself, and need to follow your heart rather than the promptings of others. You probably sit calmly while the rest of us lose patience. And when you choose to follow the promptings of your heart, you soar with magnificence.

What a powerful thought to start my day. And I had a wonderful day. I ran errands and when I returned home, I started my chores. I spent the entire day in the garden. I got busy pruning and burning and mowing and clipping my way around in the beds. Pure bliss for someone who has been away far too long.

And the message from the GBH, right on.

here is the future

Burn, Baby, Burn

One of the profs in the Art and Design department sent out an email Friday asking if anyone would like to come out to his farm to help with his prairie burn on Sunday. I was up for something new and different, so I got busy yesterday. I finished a paper, worked on a GIS assignment, and did my reading for the week. This would be my reward.

I google-earthed his farm and headed out late-morning. The temps were in the 60's and the sky was crystal blue. There was a light E-NE wind with rain in the forecast, but not until later in the night. It was a perfect day to be out in the light and fresh air.

When I arrived, he was walking up his lane to meet me...he must have seen the trail of dust as I drove up his dead-end gravel road. Even his cows came over to the fence to greet me. He was carrying a rake, a shovel, and water for the two of us. We said our hellos, then he asked if I was ready to burn. He must have recognized that look in my eyes when I smiled and nodded because he pulled a big box of matches out of his back pocket. We walked to the far NW corner of the first patch and as he knelt to strike that first match, the wind swirled up and around, caught the spark, and we were in business!

He handed me the rake and showed me how to 'drag the fire' down the line. I followed the fence row, about 8 feet out in front of the real burn. I felt like the Pied Piper. That fire followed me like...well like the Pied Piper. If I pulled the rake in a straight line, so it went. If I curved around each fence post, the burn line arced. He saw how much fun I was having, asked if I would be ok, warned me to watch the wind direction so I wouldn't get trapped, then headed off to start the second patch further north.

It took about 45 minutes to burn the first area because of the wind direction. When he returned, he started a third patch and instructed me to head north this time along the electric fence. The wind was starting to blow from the E-SE, so within minutes I had a nice trail of fire behind me. I 'drug the fire' to the far bluebird house along the river. The prairie grass was thick here and it offered the fire just what it wanted...fuel. Within a minute or two, the flames caught the wind and went racing up over the hill to meet up with the second patch he had ignited.

What a drastic change to the landscape! It was beautiful. From a distance, it reminded me of a freshly tilled garden. We met up on the river bank and he showed me some wild flowers that were in bloom along the edge of the forest. I spotted bloodroot, Dutchman's Breeches, some hepatica and a Downy Hawthorne ready to throw out its bloom. He pointed out some old Bur Oaks, hardwood upland trees that he figured were close to 150 years old! They were huge, knarly dudes just hanging out in that old forest, watching the water swim by. He told me that this spring the river finally carved its way thru the meander just below his house. Promised we would walk down there before I left, but we forgot. Just think of witnessing that break...something that had been in the works for hundreds of years and it finally happened. He said he watched the water come up and when it finally receded, a new channel had formed. Those rivers are amazing! Water knows where it wants to be and goes there.....

He had two more patches he wanted to burn, so we headed south and he lit that patch with one match. I drug the fire down toward the lane, right up to the base of one of those Bur Oaks. The wind was getting stronger and caught my fire line. Whoosh! It started down the patch heading west. He started another line to back burn around his tractor and called me to move the Mini to a spot on the other side of the lane. It was good he thought to move it because the fire turned and headed into the spot where I had parked. The Mini would have looked just like a toasted marshmallow!

Later he joined me down by the oak at the bend in his lane and we walked west ahead of the fire. This was turning out to be one of the best days in a long, long time. Nothing like a little distraction of fire to clear one's head and thoughts. I love tromping and I love fire. Life was good. Even better tho, he reached into his sack and pulled out a PB&J. So we walked and talked and headed toward the last patch to burn. He pointed out some prairie potholes that were coming back since he bought this part of the farm. Tiles blew out this spring, so water had returned and they were starting to show signs of life. Down over the hill to the northeast was his pride and joy...a beautiful wetland that had been farmed to within an inch of its life before he got his hands on this land. Now it offers the most beautiful view from on top of the hill and it sings out with frogsong. Loud and noisy songs of frog! It was glorious. I could see myself falling to sleep at night to the sound of frogsong. This, or the sound of rain on a metal roof....these sounds soothe my soul.

For the last patch, we started in the NW corner and drug the fire straight south. It was having a hard time taking hold; the ground was wet from a blown tile line, but I walked out into thicker grass and it caught immediately. The wind had picked up quite a bit and with abundant fuel, the fire had no trouble burning. A fence line separated the prairie from a neighbor's field of corn stubble, so we had to watch if any burned thru. I would drag for a while, then slip over the fence and beat flames for while. Luckily, there was a hefty strip of green grass before the corn stubble, so the fire pretty much stayed on this side of the fence. Just to be safe, he brought his old pick-up over and got out the hose attached to a very large water tank in the bed.

He left me there while he walked back up the hill to check on my car and his tractor. I stopped to take in this beautiful landscape. The wind was fresh, then thick with smoke, then fresh again. I was immersed in the sounds of crackling fire and frogs and wind. I could feel the heat of the flames on the back of my thighs as it followed me along that charred line.

This spot, at this moment, was another most perfect place to be in the universe.

New Beginnings

I have not been out in a sunrise for a very long time. My early mornings have been consumed by projects, readings, and rushing off to catch a ride to school with Tess. This morning I had a purpose. I was up at 5:30 a.m. to walk out into the new light and into a new day. I decided I would catch the sunrise this morning because on this day I will start a new page in my life.

Rob's horoscope from last Thursday (see earlier post) has got me thinking about that lack of harmony between my inner and outer self. They have been so out of whack for such a long time. It is not that I have been unaware, it's just that daily I dismiss it as the way things are in my life and that someday I will fix it. I find that I am constantly telling myself, "Later..."

Today I woke up with a clear conviction. No more unbalance. Attitude is everything; change is upon me and I embrace it. A change of heart, a change of mind, and a change in sincerity toward my future and those in my life are having a profound effect on that change in harmony of how I live and who I am.

Training as a landscape architect has brought me so much more than learning the points of practice and profession. It has sent me on a quest for answers about who I want to be. I am optimistic about my future. I see myself on a path that guides no one but me. About midway thru this semester I broke down and cried to my professor because I felt like I was letting so many people down. She came to the rescue like the true friend she has become and assured me that I was exactly where I needed to be and that no one was feeling let down. Yesterday, at our weekly, early morning meeting, she finally asked me where my path was taking me. With a short conversation about all this study and research I have been doing, we nailed it to the wall. Something so simple and so reassuring has finally settled into my life and a weight I have carried far too long has been lifted.

I am on my way. I am feeling passionate again about my studies and the decisions I am making about my life. I have renewed determination that from here on out, it will be ok. Better than ok. It will be harmony.

Oh, Rob, you know me so well!

For the Week of April 8th, 2010...

Cancer (June 21-July 22)
It's probably true for a lot of celebrities that their public personas are not accurate reflections of their private lives. One striking example is actress Megan Fox, who's famous for being a sex goddess. But the fact is, she told Harper's Bazaar magazine, she has only slept with two men in her life, and it makes her ill to even contemplate having sex with someone she doesn't love. While it may not bother her to have a reputation that's so different from her inner world, I wouldn't say the same about you -- especially now. I urge you to do what you can to create more harmony between the version of yourself that you project outward and the version of yourself you actually live in. Horoscope provided by Free Will Astrology

Trompin'

Late last night I got a call from a friend who wanted to know if I would like to tromp in the morning. Most assuredly! We set a time of early, early so we would have plenty of time to do my most favorite thing in the world....tromp the waterways thru forest and fields.

The paper that is due on Monday was done. The lemon meringue pie I promised to make for Easter dinner was in the refrigerator. The rolls were shaped and raising.

This would be my reward. I quietly slipped out of the house just after sunrise so I would not wake any of those sleeping in and set off for a morning of bliss with a companion who loves to tromp was much as I do.

Look who we found along the way!

Happy Easter

Your gambling chakra is conspiring with your inner roughneck to pull a fast one on your dignity chakra and your inner wuss. If they get away with their scheme you may find yourself having ridiculous yet holy fun in high places. And I wouldn't be surprised if in the course of these hijinks, your spirit guides channeled some holistic karma into the part of your psychic anatomy that we in the consciousness business call your "spiritual orgy button." APRIL FOOL! Sorry if that sounded a bit esoteric. I was invoking some faux shamanic jargon in the hope of bypassing your rational mind and tricking you into experiencing a fizzy, buoyant altered state, which would be an excellent tonic for both your mental and physical health.

In a New York Minute!

There and back....seems like a dream now. New York City for Spring Break.
This is the 3rd time we have traveled to NYC to explore. The first time happened before I started the landscape architecture program, so I was merely one of many tourists checking out all the touristy haunts. The second time we went to NYC, I had been in the program for a year and a half, so there were places I wanted to experience from the standpoint of a aspiring landscape architect...designed landscapes in this most fabulous urban environment.

This trip was one where I ventured further out to explore Prospect Park and Greenwood Cemetery in Brooklyn, Fort Tryon Park in Upper Manhattan, and again, Central Park and its surrounding neighborhoods. I also was able to drag my family to one of NYC's newest parks, the elevated High Line Park. Nicely done and so unique.

It is good to be home safely, but I am not so excited to get back into the grind of school. It was nice to just explore and wander this most beautiful city.

A Day for Celebration