Enya Says

 Enya Says

September 13, 2022

From the Ranch

 

Woof Woof to all my canine and human friends. Dang, it’s been a long time since I last felt the urge to do some writing. In my defense, I’ve been busy. Keeping track of Annie and clark is not a task for the faint hearted as they are both mobile and have a number of interests outside this house that simply do not warrant my attention nor the indiscriminate sacrifice of my valuable energy. Furthermore, although I hesitate to share personal type information on social media, I have been dealing with some health matters. My hearing is shot. I don’t know how it happened but it did. I knew it was fading when I could no longer hear Annie’s sweet callings and murmurings. Clark’s I could detect as he can be quite audible, even by human standards. When the recommendation for hearing aids came back from the audiologist, I objected as I am resistant to things being inserted into my body cavities. It’s one of the few things we canines universally agree upon and a circumstance where many humans accept our counsel. If you doubt this, just ask your humans how they feel about their upcoming colonoscopy. 

 

Hopefully this isn’t reading like a newsletter from the canine Rescue Mission, but it seems that when one thing falls apart there’s usually another to follow and so it has been with my vision. Annie and Clark took me to my Vet recently. He’s the one with the unusually large hands. The Vet verdict is that while I have some “close up” vision the rest of it ain’t so great. Luckily, I can still see this keypad. I get around good enough but these days I rely more upon my nose to figure out where I am. For this I am thankful as I have seen (when I had vision) many humans with fading vision stumble bumble around without benefit of a superior olfactory sense as we pooches possess. 

 

All things considered chaps, life is still pretty darn good. Hey, I’m 15 years old and the chow gets a good grade, I have multiple beds and blankets to support my more frequent snoozings, I  get outside for a spot of fresh air, I always catch the chipmunk in my dreams, and I get more carrying around by Annie. I am particularly fond of the latter as she always loves me up and she smells good. It’s a case of canine social security. 

 

I just love that Fall is creeping in. It’s my favorite season. Sure, some of my friends complain about what lies ahead, namely winter but I try to stay in the moment and keep my keen nose in the wind. When I still had hearing I liked listening to that old Bob Seeger song with the verse  “strange how the night moves with Autumn closing in.” I look forward to a few more campfires here at the Ranch with Annie and clark, possibly a visit from one of my new best friends, Max and a tasty morsel in my chow dish. I also wish Annie would let me eat chocolate because Halloween looms not far off. 

 

Well friends, it’s adios and bow wow for now. I trust this epistle finds you well and you are being treated kindly. Don’t forget, you get what you give. Let the fools pet you a bit. 

 

Your friend, 

Enya

Kindness

 Before you know what kindness really is

you must lose things,
feel the future dissolve in a moment
like salt in a weakened broth.
What you held in your hand,
what you counted and carefully saved,
all this must go so you know
how desolate the landscape can be
between the regions of kindness.
How you ride and ride
thinking the bus will never stop,
the passengers eating maize and chicken
will stare out the window forever.

Before you learn the tender gravity of kindness,
you must travel where the Indian in a white poncho
lies dead by the side of the road.
You must see how this could be you,
how he too was someone
who journeyed through the night with plans
and the simple breath that kept him alive.

Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside,
you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.
You must wake up with sorrow.
You must speak to it till your voice
catches the thread of all sorrows
and you see the size of the cloth.

Then it is only kindness that makes sense anymore,
only kindness that ties your shoes
and sends you out into the day to mail letters and purchase bread,
only kindness that raises its head
from the crowd of the world to say
It is I you have been looking for,
and then goes with you everywhere
like a shadow or a friend.

-Naomi Shihab Nye

-- 

Travels and Thoughts!

 We have been traveling slowly throughout the western passage from North to South... stopping along the way to breathe and meet souls of the Earth. That is our favorite thing in life. Looking for the evasive (at times elusive)  connection to others. When you are quiet and breathing it just seems to appear. 

Our travels guided us through Kanab Utah and downward through Tucson and as always landed us in Tubac Arizona. Tubac has been a quiet refuge for us for 10 years. Many souls turned into deep friendships that will remain with us forever. Surprisingly, we have all aged... how did this happen? I'm not feeling much older and when I gaze upon my friend's faces they are eternally young. Several are turning 80 this year... amazing in my mind! The high desert treats them well. 

This year we decided to land in Pecos New Mexico for 10 days (outside of Santa Fe) and we were treated to an incredible experience. New Mexico walks in the wake of spiritual happenings. It is the land (of enchantment) of indigineous ways, of battles fought, of ancient lands. You can feel it all around you. We stayed in an incredible spot in the Sangre De Cristo mountains. Our hostess has developed a zen path with sculptural delights of buddhas, ancient indigenous sculptures, hindu sculptures and most impressive wind harps (outdoor sound sculptures). I had never experienced such delight to my ears and senses. The wind harp delivers. This site has some information: https://harmonywindharps.com 

Finally we met some incredible souls. One in particular was a gentle german shepard who guarded and guided us through our stay in New Mexico. Another sacred visitor was the blue heron who landed in the tree top beside us to sun his wings. Today as we explored a church at Apache Corner which was built in 1880 (Nuestra Senora de Luz Church) we met a sprite of a lady all of 4'10" who walked up to ask if I had a garbage bag or two. She was decked out in many coats, hats and scarves with large sunglasses upon her beautiful face. Her smile was contagious. And she grabbed my face in her hands and kissed me. I had been kissed by an angel. She had come from the Phillipines years before, had survived brain cancer in 2009 and now had difficulties in balance and vision. She held Traces and my hands as she talked. Everyday she walked to the church to pick up litter and to pray. We joined her and were set off with a kiss and a wave. Life is incredible on this planet.