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look down...

Last night our beautiful old boy Brimmer passed away quietly in his sleep
(under the grapefruit tree)

Brimmer (aka bimmy, bimster, B-boy)
 2004 - the prime of his life - he was one handsome hound!

 

Brimmer was born in the year 2000 - and came into our lives as an eight week old puppy

He was a prince among hounds

B-boy he was a gentle man: courageous, unflappable,
a hound of reserve and fierce intelligence

The bimster believed his role was to chase away storms
and let strangers know they had been seen

we always joked that bimmy didn't mind little children 
"...as long as you smother the little buggers in sauce to help 'em slide down the gullet..."
(and then he would smile as if to say 'just joking.... NOT")

He loved to come for a walk around the farm
(but only when his humans were with him... he didn't like to wander alone)

He had a stink that had to be smelled to be believed
(he was one smelly hound!)

He was totally devoted to family life

Farmer Phil and I both loved him dearly
(he was our first baby)

Our kids loved him with a passion
(he was their introduction to the wonderful world of dawg)
and he loved them back

(even without the sauce)


Over the past year his health declined dramatically
he was almost totally blind, partially deaf, a bit muddle-headed, and had mobility issues
he developed prostate problems and then cancer

we made him as comfortable as we could
(he didn't appear to be in pain - indeed he seemed quite cheerful,
in a muddled kind of way - right the end)
we gave him treats and hugs and tried to make every moment special

we knew this day was coming - as it does for all living things - but we still feel sad



We buried Brimmer near where he laid himself to rest

Sassy penned him a note to sit beside his body

EJ made a grave top tribute in flowers and stones

we will miss that dear hound

brimmer, honey and tiggy-tiggy
make a hound hill
jan 7 2015

this is our last piccie of bimmy-boy

farewell sweet prince

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uncanny....

I've mentioned before
(and I'm sure it comes as no surprise)
that as a youngen I spent many hours drawing and painting and dreaming

Recently my dear mumsy dragged out one of the paintings
I created when I was in high school
(many MANY decades ago - gulp)

 all those gathered gasped

not because the painting was particularly wonderful

(its typical of the style that many teens try out -
even if the subject matter* is perhaps a little less typical for an aussie teen in the 1980s) 

what folk found seriously strange, other-worldly, mysterious was this...

the green girl-child I painted more than 3 decades ago

looks uncannily like our wee girl-child EJ

 check it out in B&W...

 

uncanny yes?

I have no earthly explanation for this

* As a teenager I was totally obsessed --- and I do mean OBSESSED with Native American history, culture, current affairs and activism -- I devoured everything and more about indigenous peoples of the Americas and for many years it seemed that everything I did related to Native Americans : history projects, art, poems, songs, short stories....  I used to drag this large painting to school every day on the bus... The figure at the top of the painting was from an historical photograph of Chief Joseph (I rather liked Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce) - I think the landscape in the middle was my rendition of the Bear Paw battlefield in Montana (but it may have been somewhere else.... it was a long time ago!) --- I had no reference picture for the figure at the base - she came from 'somewhere' I know not..... 

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things are really looking up...

A few months ago I woke to a stunning morning sunrise

it was so lovely that I rushed outside in the just dawning light to drink it up

as the vivid reds and oranges started to wisp away

at the last minute I thought about grabbing my batphone

so I could share just a little of my delight with my facebook friendlies 

it was such a light and joyous thing to do

that I couldn't help but repeat the action the next week

then - for a short while it became a daily thing...

and no one seemed to mind that the shots

were sometimes grainy, sometimes unremarkable

(least of all me)

 

my small morning ritual was meditative and restorative: 

as I greeted the morning sky

I gave thanks and thoughts for my family and friends...

 

there is something about skies and clouds and moons and stars
 
(and stopping for a moment in nature)

that soothes the soul

yes?

Over the last couple of weeks I started to hatch a plan

(you'll notice I use the word 'plan' rather than 'project').

I find traditional meditation totally impossible
(you know the sort I mean : the sitting-in-space-stopping-your-mind-from-thinking type meditation)

Walking, gardening, patting a furry creature, being with nature are my forms of meditation
(ha! I nearly typed 'medication' just then.....).

When things have been tough, I've looked to the sky for comfort.

I've literally looked up

(and then things in my life began to look up). 

So this is my plan.

This year 

I'm going to look up.

I'm going to look up
and give thanks.

I'm going to look up
and give thanks & reflect for a moment on my family and friends

 I'm going to look up
and give thanks & reflect for a moment on my family and friends
& send loving-kindness into the world.

 I'm going to look up
and give thanks & reflect for a moment on my family and friends
& send loving-kindness into the world
& then snap a pic of the sky.

 I'm going to look up
and give thanks & reflect for a moment on my family and friends
& send loving-kindness into the world
& then snap a pic of the sky & hopefully
(no pressure mind you) 

share that moment with you.

here

It might be that all I share a totally unremarkable square of blue

but it will represent a moment I have stopped

to send good wishes to you and yours

(and all the world)

 

 

no words

just a piccie shared

the smallest of small gestures is to

look up.



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