soarlikearaven

[soarlikearaven]

March 20,2019

I can’t even believe she is gone. My sweet girl. My buddy, my sister, my confident and my joy. Monroe was always happy to see me. She would run to me, wag her tail and wait for me to hold her hips, wind her up and let her go running across the bridge to chase the bunny that she saw 7 years ago behind the lava rock.

Joe and I brought her home 11 years ago this month. We met the breeder in a parking lot somewhere in Apple Valley, along with proof that we would be good puppy parents, a huge mansion of a dog house that Joe built for our new baby. It was so big that it barely fit into the back of the truck. *The dog never slept in the house. It later because a chicken coop and was one of the only wooden structures that survived the fire.*. Tucked into the back of the truck were three puppies. Two females and one male. We both wanted a girl, and Joe insisted that our new puppy had all the black points. The only one that fit that criteria, we the smallest, shyest puppy of the bunch. She wouldn’t come over to us and tried to squeeze into the deepest crevice of the truck. She was shaking. Absolutely terrified, while the other two were jumping all over us. Joe had to have her.

As soon as we put Monroe into Joes truck, she saw the fluffy bed that we bought her, and immediately stretched out content to know that she would be well taken care of. We drove home on the longest road trip ever. It seemed like 9 hours! There we decided on the name Monroe, named after Marylin because of her blonde color and her moles.

When we arrived home, Monroe was all shakes and shyness. Would this puppy ever love us? In the weeks to come we took her to puppy classes at Petco, and at least twice a week to the dog park so that she would be socialized properly. It seemed like she always wanted to be friends with the most intimidating dogs. Pit bulls, Rottweilers, dobermans... Her size kept her safe, and she developed into the most loving and gentle dog that I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.

She learned to swim when we threw her in the creek. After that she enjoy fishing for rocks, and whatever else she could find in the creek. She loved all of our animals. The chickens, the sheep, the horses, all of them. She even loved Pancho and respected him like he was a huge Macaw. I think she was bitten one to many times. She would turn her head every time he came near her, and was so jealous when Pancho would play with her toys. Monroe loved her toys, and would immediately rip our their eyes. Then she would lick them like they were her babies.

One day, she got her tail caught in her dog door and came running to me with the tip still attached. Not knowing what to do, I wrapped it in duct tape and rushed her to the vet. She ended up having it get 2” of her tail removed. Amazingly the hair grew back on the end of it.

Monroe absolutely adored Joe. She would do anything for him, and recognized that he was her alpha dog. She would absolutely die of shame if she did anything to displease him. Her loyalty to him and me, was unquestionable. She went with Joe to work most days of the year. Every one knew her and loved her. She met celebrities, from Arnold Schwarzenegger to Johnny Depp. Shetraveled with us on most of our road trips. She had been to Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Arizona, Nevada, Montana, Washington and Oregon many times. She traveled so much with Joe that the miles they spent together took them to the moon and back and around the world. They were truly soul mates.

We will miss you baby girl. The comfort, love and gentleness that you gave us will never be forgotten. We can only hope that Jehovah will grant us the desire of our hearts...to see you again.

[soarlikearaven]

Why Soar Like A Raven?

I’m sure the next question will be, why is the name of your blog, “Soar Like a Raven?”  

Ravens are my favorite birds.  They are extremely intelligent and beautiful.  They are always quick to take advantage of a situation and they often express appreciation for any kindness one might bestow on them.

Ravens have been a part of my life since I was a little girl.  My mother used to feed them off of our balcony.  Their names we Ho and Bo, brilliantly named by a 5 year old, me.  Every morning they would come to the balcony and tap their beaks on the metal, alerting us to their presence.  This became annoying when they would arrive at 6am on a Saturday morning. Nevertheless, they were part of the family and I always looked forward to their visit.

Now in my 30′s, I have kept a familiar relationship with our ravens.  Ravens have life partners, and they breed and live in the same location their entire lives.  I believe the ravens that live on our property are the offspring of Ho and Bo, and Joe and I have brilliantly named them Charley, and Crow Crow.  

Since my mom got sick in 2016, I have been keenly aware of our special relationship.  Every day they come to visit us, stalk us in fact, looking for their daily feeding of chicken eggs. They have raised two sets of chicks, the first set had two babies, and the last clutch had three babies.  Although cute, the babies are very loud, and very annoying when they are begging for food.  I’m always happy when they leave.

(The photos below are of one of the babies from the second clutch.  He got stuck in some netting and Joe rescued him.)

Charley and Crow Crow, live in our water caves, and when the fires blazed though a week ago, I worried about their lives.  The day after the fire, they were no where to be found.  There were many dead birds on the ground, not burned, but it seems as if they literally had the life sucked out of them.  Every feather in place.  I called my ravens for about 20 minutes and no sign.  The next day Joe retuned and said as soon as he walked on the property they immediately flew up to him.  I went to our property today and the same thing,  Charley immediately followed me to the chicken coup for his eggs.

They are amazing birds.  Charley is very outgoing.  He has deep throaty clucks that issue forth from an extremely large beak.  His girl is very petite and polite.  She makes him retrieve all of the food and she is very shy and cautious. When my mom was sick, I would go to the sheep house and cry.  One day I heard Charley walking on the tin roof above me.  He looked over one side, and saw me sitting on the other, and he walked over and dropped a gift at my feet.  I know it was a gift because he specifically brought it to me.  It was the testicles of my recently castrated sheep.  Needless to say, he charmed me.  

One of my favorite scripture in the Bible is Exodus 19:4 

“You have seen for yourselves what I did to the Egyptians, in the order to carry you on wings of eagles and bring you to myself.���

Since ravens are some of my favorite birds, and Jehovah illustrates his saving power by means of “wings of eagles.” I decided to combine the two to be the title of my upcoming journey.  My life is reliant on my most magnificent God, Jehovah. He is the only one who can save me on wings of an eagle.

[soarlikearaven]

Soar Like A Raven

I have been through many trials in my life and I have kept a journal for many years documenting my journey.  This past week I lost every sentimental thing I have ever owned, including my journals, in a fire.  Although not an extremely sentimental person, there are things that hold a dear spot in my heart.  My mom’s paintings, (a cute parrot, a blonde girl holding pearls in her teeth, a gorgeous drawing of a raven, and a woodcut print of a horse.), my aunt’s polaroid watercolor art of our old mailboxes, my grandmother’s needlepoint of a cat that looked like Pepper, and my watercolor painting of a Monarch butterfly, when I was an 10 year old. I left behind my mother’s wooden giraffe sculptures from Africa, and a painting my dad acquired for my mom’s wedding present of two zebras.  He traded his graphics for that painting.  

I lost all of my turquoise stones, my silversmithing studio, and a few of my favorite dresses.  I left my two year old Mac Computer behind because I felt like I was being materialistic in taking it.  Really, when I look at this list there are not too many things that I miss. 

The two things that I left behind that I regret the most are my mom’s journal that she kept about us since I was a baby.  I couldn’t find it.  It was buried in her room.  I never violated her confidence by looking at it, and I was going to wait until my heart healed a little bit from her death, to read it.  I was excited about it.  I wanted to know how she felt about me as a baby, as a teenager, as a married woman.  But I guess it doesn’t matter.  I know she loved me.  Even more than I loved her which seems impossible.  All of my memories are in my head and in my heart.  I am convinced that we only need these things because we have imperfect memories, and because people die.  Well, we were never supposed to have imperfect brains and we were never meant to die.  Jehovah will soon restore all of these things.  No more death, no more pain, perfect minds.  Then we will not need mementos or pictures.

In the meantime, the loss of my viola has hurt my heart. My dad bought me an expensive Viola when I was about 12.  He loved to hear me play and I played for about 10 years.  To think that I lost this part of him, kind of kills my heart a little. I didn’t grab his little paint box either.  The one that he painted the outside of with graphics, and all of his old paints brushes were in.  Just things, but it hurts a little.  To think his hands touched those things, and that my mom penned those words with her own hands...

Soon.  Soon THEY will be back.  Not the things.  I don’t need the things.  I need them.  I could never imagine anyone in paradise before my mom died.  I was always alone when I thought of it.  Strange huh?

As soon as my mom died, I saw all of them. We are hugging.  My mom, my brother, my grandparents, and my Aunt.  All of us.  I’m introducing them to Joe, and my mom and Joe are laughing and hugging.  It is a happy day.  It is real in my mind.  So real.  The sun is shinning, and we can’t stop laughing and smiling.

They are alive to me just like they are alive to Jehovah.

Luke 20:38 “He is a God, not of the dead, but of the living, for they are all living to him.”

It is so easy for Jehovah just to wake them up.  I can’t wait for that day.  But in the meantime, one day at a time, go with the flow, and serve Jehovah faithfully and with courage.

So starts my journey.