Cardinals and chipmunks and storms, oh my.

We're under tornado watch so I don't think I'll be going outside to have a bonfire tonight.  I'm glued to the tv listening to the play by play of the storm.  The brunt of it looks to be passing us on the south but never take anything for granted.  In the meantime I'm cleaning sporadically and cooking up some chili.

I have a love/hate relationship with storms.  Growing up I never slept the night we had one because I was afraid of dying in my sleep from a tornado.  I lived through a typhoon on Guam but I couldn't get away from the window.  I was mesmerized by the ferocity of the storm.  I had to watch every minute of it.  I was a mess when I had to go in to work the next day but fortunately we didn't have any power so they sent us home.  It wasn't a major typhoon so we didn't have much damage and no deaths.

So I'm still staying awake watching the radar but not as afraid.  I just have to know what's happening out there.

I did manage to have a pretty good Midsummer Day though.  I was fixing my breakfast and heard a bird chirping outside the window by the stove.  Looking out I saw a beautiful cardinal sitting on the birdbath that I haven't put in place yet.  It had rain water in it and the bird was pretty happy with that.  Looking down I saw a chipmunk coming out of his home in the wall of our garage.  Hannibal was sitting right there but at the length of his leash so he was unable to do anything but stare.  The chipmunk was unconcerned by the cat and just stood on his hind legs watching the cardinal chirping while chirping in reply.  I had no idea they even knew each other.

I love these moments of nature.  I never paid enough attention before to the wonder and glory of life all around me.  So I try to make up for lost time, I guess.  Was it a sign...an omen?   Who cares.  I'm not worried about any of that anymore.  I just try to be aware of my surroundings, my environment.  If there are messages in them, they will become apparent.  Otherwise I'm just enjoying the encounters.

I will light a candle later for Midsummer and maybe do some meditation or prayer but I'm going to wait until I see if I need to hie to the basement first.  I don't want to leave lit candles while I make my way to safety.

More and more I'm finding myself comfortable with both my path and myself.  I'm not as worried about my sister's visit anymore.  She's not staying two nights as it turns out so I only have one day to deal with and I can handle that.  I'm still very tired from the trip, not getting much sleep.  Professor wakes up early these days and thinks I need to as well.  But I am catching up with the housework and will very soon catch up with the yard work.  Maybe by harvest time.

I'm off to finish up supper and then go to my room to read and maybe do a tarot reading during the storm. I love the energy out there and would love to capture it in some small way.