I awoke this morning to a light dusting of snow. And the winds that have been visiting for the last few days are still present with their loud voices. They are busy tossing the powdery snow in the air so that it sparkles in the sunlight. And they are busy roaring above the trees and whistling through the boxwoods. Walking in these big winds is hard, but I find that it actually helps me stay grounded. I have to firmly plant my feet whether I want to stand still or actually move. The winds blow, blow, and then gust really hard in a rhythm hard to catch. With each step I don't know how much to brace myself, so my connection to my body must be full and the connection my body has with the earth must be complete as well.

I am in awe of my feathered friends as they move on, in and through these winds. From carolina chickadees to mourning doves to mallard ducks to turkey vultures, they are all amazing. I watch birds crack open a seed while balanced on a branch swaying in the wind. I see birds turn on and in the winds as they prepare to land on the water. The ability to be one with the wind while still maintaining their course is astounding and something to which I aspire. Moving through the world fully in my physical body, aware of the essence of each of the elements (water, air, earth, fire, wood, metal, stone, light, ether, star) that is within me, I know on a different level. Open to all my senses, beyond the physical five, I experience being in a whole new way. I am the bird on wing.