A Continuing Series
2015-12-24
There has been weather never before seen here. We have passed through many consecutive days of record breaking freezes and cold days. It is supposed to be cold, but the sun is out. I take my naked body as a thermometer out the door for a quick reconnoiter. In the sun, it is nice. The slight breeze gives a slight chill, but I am only slightly bothered. I need exercise and vitamin D. There should be no problems, if I keep moving.
I rush back in, gather my protective Vibram KSO’s and drink some water and kombucha. I then rush out the door.
I begin at a more brisk pace than usual. I had thought of jogging on the jeep trail. The new neighbor’s construction appeared to not be happening on Christmas Eve. But also to consider, there would be no rattlers under the brush and the stealth trail is so much more interesting. My pace quickens, as I get my footing. I begin to use my arms more to balance and maneuver around the brush and prickers. I am using a whole different set of muscles than jogging. Still, I am aware at each footstep, watching for cholla prickers in their characteristic bundles and buds. I take care about soft sand with collapsible tunnels dug in it and the uneven surfaces of rocks. None of my motion feels redundant.
The ground is soft from the rains. Under my footing, I see the imprints of several deer. In time, I realize that they are following my trail. Each leg of the stealth system reveals more of this consistent pattern. When I arrive at a bush that I jump over to hide the course of the trail, the prints jump as well! It is uncanny and this continues all the way to Havarock. How do they know?
My pace has increased as I gallop over bushes, between bushes, onto rocks buried in the ground. It is a lovely impromptu dance to watch myself doing. Sometimes running, sometimes jumping, I find it very fun and very diverse.
As I arrive at Havarock, I hear the rumble of a larger animal with hooves, a commotion. It could be deer, or javalina. As I cross the collection of boulders and mount the large rock of refuge, to my left, I see six or seven of the furry piglike critters. They are moving, disrupted by my presence. They are in a herd behavior. I stand, collect my hands and mentally coast into a meditative state, to send them the energy that is familiar to me as a natural divine grace. They immediately stop, relax and even begin to return to the shelter of the hackberry bush that they congregate under.
It is a complete uniform stop, not like a leader directed stop, they just all responded at the same time. It is as if I have used Jedi mind tricks. Yes, you may ask, “What kind of hoodoo, woo woo silliness is this?
I have noticed this in javalina before. The first time that I tried it, I was hiking nude deep in the Tortolita Mountains alone. Before we were aware of each other, I passed a pack of them on the side of the trail. The two males bolted, hightailing through the dense vegetation up the side of the steep slope of a large hill and out of sight. I had no clue that they could move like that, let alone through such thick vegetation. I would take me a half an hour to get through there, which they traversed in a matter of seconds.
They left a mother with a brand new babe. The cute little thing was so tiny that it could walk under her legs. It was so young that it still had the brown coat before grey sets in. It seemed to bounce along on its tiny legs.
They crossed the trail where I had just been. I felt bad disturbing them making them fearful. As mom and babe began to ascend the hill I did this energy thing. They immediately stopped and began to browse and relaxed.
We have been working with transpersonal energies for decades. I did my master’s thesis on it. I know that it does work on people, but this application is fascinating.
Back to Today:
Today, after this sense of oneness shared with my neighbors, I stand on Havarock and pray thanks for the gift. It is quite moving.
I start again through the desert, again in my movements and exercise. My body temperature, even when the sun goes behind a cloud is stable. I’m warm. My breath becomes slightly heavier at the pace. I’m achieving a degree of an aerobic state. I’m using a variety of muscles, and my movements are negotiated in a spontaneous manner. I’m moving fast enough on this stealth course that I find myself off of the trail by mistake. I use this opportunity to survey a fallen decayed saguaro giant. It has broken on the rocks. The previously accordion-like ribs of its skeletal structure are splayed in many directions.
I pause and look out over the vista at the massive Catalina Mountains. The clouds have lifted, which had appeared to cut off their tops, making them look as if they were buttes. There is snow up there. The mountains are white capped.
After this breather, I’m jogging, jumping, galloping, and dodging back over this course, which is anything but a path. It is great to run and see what an intricate machine we all have been blessed with.
I return to home, invigorated…with a moment’s deliberation, I do it again! Naked fun! So alive!