Sacred Restlessness

I came across the phrase"sacred restlessness" yesterday, and it seems to me to be a perfect expression of spring fever and certainly describes what I've been feeling lately!

These spring days are intoxicating, with the cool, overcast mornings and the clear sunny afternoons . . . I managed to walk home from a board meeting the other night (on my nicely healing, formerly-broken foot) with a couple of friends. We all gasped to see the brilliant crescent moon hanging in the west, as we emerged from our meeting. The stars were brilliant, the frog-song symphony loud, and the fragrance of field grasses and garden flowers rushed in to fill our heads.

Craig just came home from a five-day kayak/camping trip with a couple of buddies — his own kind of pilgrimage. They went to a favorite spot off the west coast of Vancouver Island, where they go every spring. He said they saw more bald eagles than they could count, and were privileged to watch grey whales diving in and out of the water. A bit of excitement came when a large pod (is that the right word? - no, it’s called a "raft") of huge Steller’s sea lions starting chasing the three kayaks! At 2000 pounds each, the sea lions would have definitely won any battle with paddlers. They stopped the chase after our intrepid heroes got far enough away. (These guys are very eco-conscious and are careful not to get too close to any sea mammals, so they were a bit baffled by the alarm in the colony. I suspect it was breeding season.)

Craig came home with a new song to record called, "Drumming on Beach Logs" :-) . . . and he brought me a treasure: a bat star skeleton. No diamonds for this girl, just give me bat stars!! I'll have to sketch it soon. It looks like it's woven!

My own explorations have been less exotic but no less wonderful. My foot is healing enough that I'm starting to walk again, although not too far just yet. My secret spot is not too far away and I've made it there twice this week already. I'm glad I subscribe to the school of thought that says a pilgrimage can be made just by walking to the corner and back, if it is done mindfully. Sketching sure helps. Walk a little, stop and sketch a little, walk a little, stop and sketch the hedgerow, walk a little, senses wide open, hear a flutter in the greenery, watch a robin chow down on a bright orange salmonberry, walk a little more.

I'll post more sketches soon. But for now, the day awaits.