The Richmond Nature Park drew hundreds of people on a damp December afternoon.  Children and adults of all ages had come to see four live owls who had been rescued from dire circumstances and rehabilitated.  Each owl sat perched on the gloved hand of a member from the Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society.   Each owl was different in size, colouring and nature, as pictured below.

The Great Horned owl (upper left photo) is known for its aggressive nature and habit of eating other owls.  Not surprisingly, the Barred owl (upper middle photo) who sat six feet away from the Great Horned, was a little nervous.  She anxiously spun her head from side to side until her view of the Great Horned was blocked.   The smallest owl, known as a Saw Whet (upper right), sat at the other end of the room, a safe 20 feet away.  In between the Saw Whet and Barred owl, was a Barn owl with her peaceful heart-framed face (lower left).

On this very busy afternoon, the Great Horned owl became agitated by the overwhelming crowds of people.  As a result, she was removed from public viewing for a while.  When she returned (photo above right), she still bore the same angry look with her seemingly large furrowed brow and round glaring eyes.

Cameras big and small clicked all afternoon long.  Streams of people flowed through, many stopping for extended periods to marvel at each amazing bird.  One curious woman reached out her finger in an attempt to touch the Barred owl but was swiftly reminded by a member of the O.W.L Society: “These owls are wild.  They can hurt you.”

As a spectator and fan, it was easy to forget that the owls are wild since they were indoors, perched on a human finger with one leg tethered to a 6 foot long strap held by its host.  It was easy to forget because the owls sat so regally for long stretches of time, posing for photographs.

The big eyed owls stared at the humans while the humans stared big-eyed back at the owls.  “Wow!”  “They’re beautiful!”  “They’re amazing!” were frequent exclamations from the public.  On the other side of the table, the owls remained quiet, seeming to not ‘give a hoot’ about the admiration they were receiving.  They only batted their eyes demurely and twirled their heads nonchalantly as if it were another day in the park.  It was the members of the O.W.L. Society who spoke on their behalf, answering the myriad of questions thrown their way.  “They can hear your heartbeat.” was one response, which brought another chorus of wows and simultaneous jaw drops!

Nature has so many lessons for us.  I suspect if we stopped our continual activity  and sat still long enough to hear our own heartbeat, life might not be so harried or even taken for granted.  During this holiday season, take time from all the busy-ness to ‘listen’ to your heart, and then bring this intention into the new year!  Remember the wisdom of these wise birds.

Wishing you and your loved ones a safe, warm and joyful holiday season, plus all he best for the new year!

Animation is creative imagination brought to life.  When it comes to creating brilliant animations, Disney’s Pixar is tops with inspiring stories that bring humour and light to the world of human experiences.  Their movie “Inside Out” is no exception.

The main characters are pre-teen Riley and her delightfully animated cast of emotions.  These endearing characters, aptly named and designed after their prevailing moods are Anger, Disgust, Joy, Fear, and Sadness. All of these emotions share the control panel of Riley’s mind.  They intermingle and work together like board members driven by intense emotional states.  You may think this chaotic but they actually work very together in helping Riley through her turbulent pre-teen years.  Even though the dark emotions out number the bright by four to one, Anger, Sadness, Fear and Disgust reveal positive traits that support the livelihood of Joy.

One of the most delightful scenes is when Joy enters Riley’s imagination and she morphs into different shapes. The brilliance of these segment is that we too can shift our experiences of emotions by using our imagination.  Psychologists have long used the metaphor of a wandering black dog for depression.  They advise us to see depression as a black dog visiting and to acknowledge the dog and then send it on it’s way.

The imagination creates wonders and holds unlimited possibilities, both within ourselves and outside.  Imagine more ways to experience joy in your life and there is a good chance Joy will arise to be your faithful companion!

It was a beautiful day for a bike ride; the perfect day in so many ways.  Well, at least it started out that way.  I pedalled my bike along scenic False Creek to Granville Island.  This was my day to explore the world of art.  I locked up my bike securely and proceeded to one of my favorite galleries that displayed the works of various local artists.  After delighting myself for an hour, I wandered over to a ceramic studio, only to discover enroute that my bike was no longer where I left it.  I stood there in disbelief.  I could not accept what I was seeing.  The vacant spot where my bike once stood now glared back at me.  What could I do, I asked myself.

I looked around and everything looked normal.  Traffic crawled slowly as it usually did and a few people meandered about.  Nothing was out of the ordinary.  Except for my missing bike, which was only evident to me.  I knew I had to call the police to report the theft.  For now, I was physically fine.  I had all of my essentials including a good pair of walking shoes, money for transit and a cell phone to call someone if I wanted.  I even had my favorite bike helmet and cycling gloves still with me.

I walked over to the next Art Gallery and shared my experience with the receptionist.  She empathized with me and that was when I realized I did not want this unfortunate incident to spoil the remainder of my day.  I spotted a chair sitting in the sunlight, against a large floor to ceiling window.  On the chair was a brochure advertising the special event that was currently happening. I sunk into the chair and read about The International Day of the Dead event, showcasing artfully decorated human skulls made of clay.  Artists from around the world, celebrated life and art through their spirited creations honouring this 3,000 year old ritual initiated by Spaniards.

As I immersed myself into the artists works and stories, my sadness over the loss of my bike lifted.  Looking back, it is ironic how stories can shift our mind and mood.  Stories of death brought me to fully realize how much life was in me.  I rationalized with myself that today was the day that I needed to donate my bike to mental health.  What is a bike anyways, I asked myself.  A bike is a machine for transport, exercise and having fun.  What is life, I asked myself.  Life is spirit.  I choose spirit, and at that point, I released my bike.

I read somewhere that life is like learning how to ride a bike.  You need to keep pedalling else you may fall off.  Well, on this day, I chose to get off of my bike and I chose to live in spirit.  For that, I am deeply grateful.  I accept what I cannot change.  I choose to move on and let go of thoughts that do not serve me well.

Since the incident, I have grieved for my beloved bike.  I have also filed a police report.  I hope to see my bike again one day but I am not holding my breath.  My life continues, at a slower pace … for now.

Huge trees lay fallen on the hillside.  An intense windstorm had swept through the nature park just weeks before.  A family spanning three generations were halted in their tracks by the sight of fallen trees and freshly cut stumps, remnants of the massive storm.

The eldest of the clan quietly observed their surroundings, then created a story using animated body gestures showing how strong winds must have whirled through the area.  His wife on the other hand was rendered speechless, overcome with great sadness for the grove of old trees she had enjoyed since childhood.  Her son was also speechless, mesmerized by the beautiful designs and colors exposed by recent cuts across fallen trunks.  His partner did not see any beauty in their surroundings, only devastation.  Their young children danced excitedly around them, oblivious to the unique observations of others.  They pointed high above to the large gaping hole in the forest canopy, saying that someone must have turned on a giant flashlight.  The littlest one, now crouched down low in the sunlight, erupted with a holler, “Look!  A baby forest!” as she pointed to tender shoots emerging from the forest floor.

This is life.  The cycles of life are evident everywhere.  Old gives way to new just as darkness gives way to light.  All elements are valuable, important and necessary.

A large truck idles noisily at an intersection.  The license plate at the rear is encased with a silver frame and message warning all drivers behind that it makes frequent stops.  But this is not a delivery truck and instead of delivering goods, this regular pick-up truck claims to stop at every Tim Hortons to pick something up.

It seems this pick-up truck is not alone.  The line-up of vehicles at every Tim Horton’s drive-thru reveals this.  Whether picking up a favorite drink, donut, or sandwich, Tim Horton’s has become more popular than a visit to Uncle Fred, Aunt Sue, or Grandma Muriel!  No need to get out of the car, no need for family etiquette and social graces of longer visits.  Just short and sweet, a smile and thank you, then hit the gas pedal and away they go.  Easy.  Maneuver through traffic, take a sip … “Ahhh.hh.h!”  Turn a corner.  Take a bite “Mmmm.mm.m!”  Life is good.  Or is it?!

Faster is not necessarily better.  Conveniences come with a cost, some of which you can see and others you can’t.  Consider all the costs of our modern conveniences today, well beyond the wallet.  Think about the long term impact of your choices today and how they impact our environment for future generations.  We always have choices!