Murfle, our eldest dog is at the Vet Clinic
today for an endoscopy. The specialists
are looking to see what is swollen and irritated behind her throat and
nostrils. She’s been vomiting huge
amounts of mucus and struggling with breathing. The vet said it could be
something stuck like a popcorn kernel or a pebble. It could also be a tumour.
Since the temperature went up last week (to
+6), a lot of snow melted. We’ve been
able to see grass for a few days. In a few of my blog entries, I’ve talked
about how powerful a sense of smell is for a dog. What I haven’t mentioned is
how dangerous pesticides and salt mixed with fuel can be after it’s been
incubating for a few months underneath the snow. Our Beagles are big on sniffing every thing
and there’s a big chance they either caught a virus or filled up their snout
with toxic elements.
I find it sad how much we’ve deviated from
our animal nature as humans. Our lives
are dictated by appearance more so then by experience. I’ve lived in several different cities around
the Montreal area and each dictated the same kind of phenomena. In the summer,
it’s important to have golf-green grass; manicured landscaping; and to keep up
the cleaning of spas and pools. As many
of you know, we moved into a new neighbourhood last spring. We were told even before any introductions
between neighbours that the wild flower seeds the ex-owner planted on our front
lawn would not be tolerated if it spread to other lawns. It seemed to be the focus during the whole
season. It’s amazing to what lengths
people are willing to go to --- to keep
the most benign living creatures from spreading within their own natural
habitat. As humans we give ourselves
rights and powers; which don’t belong to us.
KM just recently returned from Mexico. Every so many years, she goes back to spend
the holidays with her family. Christmas
2012 and New Year 2013 – was one of those years! This weekend KM shared an interesting story
with us concerning butterflies. She
explained how every year, the monarchs flood this small village, which is
situated bellow this big mountain.
Through the years tourists have swarmed to this village in order to
experience the migration of the butterflies.
The village eventually depended on tourism and so even though the crowds
of people were disturbing the monarchs and their journey, it was difficult if
not impossible to control. Until one
year, this part of Mexico experienced torrential rain and part of the mountain
came down in mudslide. The village had
to be relocated.
“Since then,” KM explained, “the monarchs
are left alone. No more tourists to make
it difficult for them to climb the mountain.
And no more villagers to take advantage of their journey.”
According to KM mother nature took care of
the butterflies and eliminated the human pestilence.
It’s kind of horrible to relate to humanity
as “pestilence;” but the fact of the matter is we do often behave as such. In 2012, there was lots of talk about the end
of the Mayan calendar. Many understood
this as the end of the World while most talked about the beginning of a “shift
in consciousness.” In so many ways, I
hoped to witness a miracle event: A shift in awareness and a change in
behaviour, attitude, and action. Could
we as humans be less about power, benefits and money; and more about respect,
generosity and humility?
Honestly this whole experience with Murfle
this past weekend has only confirmed to me that we are not connected to nature
and we’re too preoccupied with human business to even be helpful when it comes
to Earth issues. How hard is it really
to commit to being different and to being aware of the World around us?
Comments
When a new neighbor developed the lot next to mine I cam home one day to find him spraying pesticide and weed killer all along our shared property line.
It upset me to see poison being applied to places where I harvest food, where my dogs play, where indigenous reptiles and amphibians live... The turtle who lived in my garden moved away.
I asked the new neighbor to please not spray so close to my yard. He was afraid he had killed some of my plantings and asked me to point out what could stay and what could go...
It all stays.
I like KM's story and mother nature taking care of the Monarchs.
I am sorry to hear about Murfle. I hope she recovers okay.
I will pray for her tonight.
Leanne
Territoriality is definitely a huge theme here too... We also have NEW neighbours and they decided to cut down one of our Butterfly bushes because they thought it was theirs. They felt it was in the way when they mowed the lawn. The idea of ownership -- is ridiculous when it comes to Mother Nature. At least that's the way our ancestors thought.
I think we need to be conscious of the toxins we continuously spread through our world and realize how much of an impact they have on us and Nature as a whole.
LISA
All my neighbours have impeccable lawns. I am the only one who doesn't use chemicals... but now I have an overgrowth of dandelions and digging them out one at a time just isn't enough anymore.
I am thinking of turning my front yard into a garden that butterflies and bees can enjoy. Why have a lawn that we don't use because that is what everyone else does?
At work the factory is surrounded by a large grassy area which is maintained by outside contractors. I hate that as a matter of course they spray all along the edges. Does that little dead strip really look better than the a slghtly unruly mowed bit of grass at the edge? I find it hard to believe...
I love seeing grass with other things mixed in and even at work they let the dandelions be and I love to watch them flower and sometimes I blow their seeds off. As a child we had a strange plant come up in the lawn and for years my parents did not mow that bit, so this plant could flowere in it's raggedy orange loveliness.
There are other places where butterflies and moths are a tourist attraction. We came across one on Rhodes last year. All the reviews say that the people visiting are disturbing them and their numbers are dropping. We did not go. We did however have a visit from one of the beautiful moths when we visited a lovely ruin by the sea. I like that nature sorted it out and I hope it does too for the moths of Rhodes...
I have to admit I wanted somethingmiraculous to happen too...