Light on Sunburst Sanctuary – Springing Forward • Despite very cool mornings, Nature is springing forward at Sunburst Sanctuary. An opening double-photo shows the King’s almond tree at the start of February with buds on bare branches (left side) and, at the end of the same month, fully opened almond blossoms (right side). Deer are enjoying fresh green shoots in the main field (below).
Farther up the canyon, a field Sean disked and sewed with hay seed (1st photo below), is now green with new growth (2nd photo below).
To prevent insects larvae from boring into dormant spring peach tree buds, Al sprayed mineral oil on them.
A Pueblo Blessing: Hold onto what is good, even if it is a handful of earth. Hold onto what you believe, even if it is a tree which stands by itself. Hold onto what you must do, even if it is a long way from here. Hold onto life, even when it is easier letting go. Hold onto my hand, even when I have gone away from you.
Light on Sunburst Sanctuary – Amidst the Wild Things
Our trail camera captured this photo of a mountain lion walking at midday on a popular, though somewhat remote Sanctuary path. Yes, Sunburst Sanctuary is an intentional wildlife sanctuary, as well as a sanctuary for people. From the same camera, here’s a nighttime picture of a black bear.
Other animals that are common at the Sanctuary, but you may not see them, are skunks (stripped and spotted), opossums, raccoons, foxes, and coyotes. You may hear a coyote serenade the night, which is when all of these animals are most active.
Day or night, bobcats are hunting for gophers or mice in the open fields. Sometimes a large heron will land at the Sanctuary for the same purpose. And seasonally, wild turkeys strut around in plain sight amidst the numerous deer. We’ll cover more of our wild residents in another post. It’s a great blessing to coexist among the wild things.
Light on Sunburst Sanctuary – Behind the Scenes – WATER
At Sunburst Sanctuary water is in the creek, especially after a rain. There are also springs and wells, water tanks, and underground pipelines; all of these need maintenance. Sometimes repairs and improvements are made.
“What a shame,” says Al and Heiko. “We have to spend time in some of the wonderfully wild and remote parts of this property.” And so they set off recently to upgrade a pipeline that ran from Ytias spring to the mid-canyon stock troughs.
It was a big job that took more than one day. Another job [below] was developing a new pipeline for more remote water troughs.
Light on Sunburst Sanctuary – Thankful for Winter Rain • Despite California’s widespread drought, Sunburst Sanctuary was recently blessed with generous rainfall. Nine inches in two days was enough to soak the dry land, but not so much as to cause extensive damage. A total of ten inches fell over 5 days. Creeks are full of water music. Preparations had been done to help prevent major runoff in newly seeded fields. Throughout the showers, turkeys and smaller wild birds continued to forage for food, as did deer and livestock.After the rain, Heiko graded the main road. Now we watch for early spring wildflowers like peonies. Pussy willow catkins are abuzz with bees in the naked branches of willow trees. There’s a connection between the perfect amount of rain Sunburst Sanctuary enjoyed in the most recent storms and our prayers and songs requesting it. Human desires do not go unnoticed on dimensions beyond our understanding. Even casual repeated thoughts have power. That’s why it’s important to be conscious and careful about what you think, what you wish for, and how you word your requests. You are more powerful than you realize! For blessings when you need them, acknowledge and be grateful for your current blessings.
Light on Sunburst Sanctuary – Range Management • January
“Do what you love to do, and be around things that make you smile. The cows make me smile every day.” – David Jackson
Sunburst is a sanctuary in nature not only for people, but also for flora and fauna, plants and animals, wild and domestic. Management of 4,000 acres of mostly wild land is a challenge. Potential fires, erosion, and useful resources are all taken into consideration, with permaculture in mind. If the land is healthy, the animal ecosystem prospers too. We are all connected. Overgrowth of flammable foliage is managed with the help of cattle that also fertilizes the land, and develops passable trails for other wildlife and people. Sunburst’s livestock, cattle and horses, are people friendly, especially the horses. You wouldn’t be able to pet a cow, bull or calf, because their tendency is to stay clear of people, although they find people fascinating to watch. Plant communities have developed with grazing animals throughout history, making grazing animals important to the wellbeing of these plants. The goal is a healthy balance of plants and animals.
It is an initiation of sorts to have Jupiter and Saturn appearing so close to each other in our skies. Not since 1226 has humankind viewed this phenomenon. These two planets stand at the portal between the inner planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars) and our solar system’s far off outer planets, and beyond. Their conjunction indicates a “Reality Check,” for us on Earth.They symbolizes the gateway between physical birth and spiritual realization.
Jupiter helped shape the Solar System, and continues to be the planet receiving the most frequent comet impacts. It is an enormous planet, 11 times the radius of Earth, with a mass greater than 2 and a half times that of all the other planets in the Solar system combined. It is one of the brightest objects in our night sky.
In Sanskrit, Jupiter is called Guru, It radiates spiritual wisdom, good judgement, free will, beneficence, youthfulness, joy, abundance, and unconditional love. Jupiter gives us a new look at the big picture of our life, and helps us understand how we can fulfill our purpose here. This friendly planet bestows optimism and trust in life, helping us plan and take action for a better life.
Saturn is the second largest planet, Jupiter being the largest. Saturn is the farthest planet from Earth that we can see without a visual aid. Nine times wider than Earth, if Earth was a nickel in size, Saturn would be a volleyball. It has sixty moons and a complex ring system extending far into space.
Saturn is far from the Sun, distant and cold. It is called Shani in Sanskrit, and upholds discipline, responsibility, structure, boundaries and limitations, time, aging and karma, or Law. The law demands that you reap what you sow with your actions, thoughts and desires.
Viewing these giants of our Solar System should inspire us to reexamine our lives, our goals, our values. We are creating our future with every breath. It is wise to let go of what does not serve our highest good, so that which is uplifting and more appropriate can enter and enrich our lives. Being disciplined in our thoughts, actions and intentions is being in harmony with Saturn. Using free will to develop our spiritual nature, and find our best direction in life is being in harmony with Jupiter. These planets in our December sky symbolize the “Reality Check” in which 2020 is culminating.
