Lately the Angels have been directing my attention to many gifts in nature. On Mother's Day while enjoying a spontaneous dinner picnic at a nearby lake, a family of Sandhill cranes were waiting to greet us. The two babies, the youngest I've yet to see had fuzzy golden feathers; their long stick like legs blended in with the tall reeds and golden sunlight as they made their way to the water's edge. Soon an eagle flew by whistling loudly, happily carrying a large fish back to the nest. I love to be surprised by what nature has to offer; the varieties and messages are endless, and always on purpose, although it may take a little while to discern the meaning. If you pay attention to nature, you won't be disappointed.
On Monday while exploring a rural part of town in search of an orchid farm, we found ourselves musing about living out in the country. There is such a feeling of expansiveness, I find myself breathing more easily. We were traveling on Route 11, when I spotted a strange little critter standing by the side of the road, looking much like the one above. A cute little thing with his big dark rimmed eyes, looking tall on his haunches, I wondered what's the message? He wasn't an animal I recognized.
At home, I looked up prairie dog, but the picture was all wrong. Then an idea popped up out of nowhere. An angel message came to me. Meercat. I remembered seeing Meerkats at the zoo in Virginia. When I saw this photo, I knew it was a hit!
The keynote for these cute little creatures is watchfulness and community. They have binocular vision, a large peripheral range, and depth perception. The dark eye markings around their big eyes are like built in sunglasses. Watchfulness also includes listening, and they are equipped with ears that stick out from the side of their heads for better hearing. That's exactly what my "friend" was doing when we drove by; being vigilant, or else he was just hoping to get a ride back to town.
It's interesting that Meerkats live in large communities (colonies) underground, keeping cool from the hot sun. They use their strength to dig complex underground burrows. It's amazing that they can shovel dirt several hundred times their body weight. Some of the tunnels are up to ten feet deep with winding interconnected tunnels. Some have as many as 20 different entrances and exits.
When the Meerkat caught my attention, I thought about the message. Lots of unseen activity is going on below the surface, so don't be fooled by appearances. There are many doors for coming and going to keep up the flow of energy and ease of access. It's through a sense of community, working together that we can live in harmony. These mammals each have a particular job they like best (babysitter, guard, builder, etc.) but often rotate as well. Group cooperation is another keyword for the Meerkat. This one seemed to be saying: Don't move out of town in isolation, stay in the community where you are. Meerkat is a reminder to be sure to turn to your friends for support.
Enjoy your day with the Angels.
Love and blessings,
Karen
