September 20, 2010
I woke up around 6:20 AM to the sound of Canadian Geese calling to each other as they passed over the parking lot where I had parked my truck. After I started my truck to warm myself, another flock of geese flew directly overhead. It made for an interesting wake-up call.
Goose offers the following wisdom:
• Movement along ones soul path
• Understanding the power of community
• Assisting others through illness
• Happiness – Copyright www.animalspirits.com
After starting my day, I decided to set out for my next destination. I wasn’t exactly sure where that was; all I knew was that I had to go south, towards Las Vegas.
However, I got on the highway and headed towards Yosemite National Park without even thinking about it. I had been to Yosemite before, so I wasn’t interested in going there again. However, I felt I had headed down this path for a reason, so I stuck with my choice.
Thirty minutes into the drive, I passed a hawk sitting on a telephone wire. It was facing east and had its head turned south. At that point, I knew I was heading in the right direction.
Over the next hour and a half, I saw five hawks and two falcons. I was in heaven, but what happened next was truly astounding.
As I rounded a curve, I saw a Bald Eagle sitting in a tree on the other side of a stream running beside the highway. I stopped my truck immediately, got out, and began taking photographs.
Since my camera did not have a powerful zoom, I could only get so close. But what I did capture was pretty impressive, considering the equipment I was working with.
The eagle was much closer than what appears in the photograph.
Bald Eagle offers the following wisdom:
• Swiftness – Copyright www.animalspirits.com
• Strength
• Courage
• Wisdom
• Keen sight, Illumination of Spirit
• Healing
• Creation
• Knowledge of magic
• Ability to see hidden spiritual truths
• Rising above the material to see the spiritual
• Ability to see the overall pattern
• Connection to spirit guides and teachers
• Great power and balance
• Dignity with grace
• Ability to see the “big picture”
• Connection with higher truths
• Intuitive and creative spirit
• Respect for the boundaries of the regions
• Grace achieved through knowledge and hard work
I stood in the eagle’s presence for what must have been fifteen minutes, thanking it for its medicine and powerful wisdom. If the hawks were my teachers and the owl was one of my spirit guides, the eagle had to be a guardian angel. I was so thankful for the moment and the chance to experience the sighting on the Unconditional Love segment of my journey. I gave thanks to the eagle, got back in my truck, and continued with my day.
I eventually reached the Yosemite National Park entrance but continued south on Highway 395. After briefly stopping in Bishop, California, I continued south to Big Pine. Coincidentally, I saw two more hawks during this drive. It was just that kind of day.
After talking to a gentleman at a gas station in Big Pine, I decided to step outside my comfort zone and drive to see the Ancient Bristlecone Trees in the Inyo National Forest. I had no idea what I had signed up for at the time. The bristlecone pines are a small group of pine trees that are thought to reach an age far greater than that of any other single living organism known, up to nearly 5,000 years. I wanted to be in the presence of one of these trees, if just for a brief moment.
I began my ascent up to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest and found myself on a very challenging, stressful, curvy drive within minutes. In approximately thirty minutes, I had gone from an elevation of 4,121 feet in Big Pine to approximately 11,000 feet. I took several photographs during the drive.
But the photos could not capture the exhilarating hairpin curves or the road’s narrowness. The lack of guardrails made the drive much more stressful. At one point, right before I reached the trees, I started having pains right in the middle of my chest. I could feel a panic attack coming on. Since I have never been a big fan of heights, I was overwhelmed by what I was taking in visually. Coupled with the sharp curves, steep inclines, and high elevation, I started to experience a shortening of breath, and the fear of passing out and running my truck off the cliff washed over me. It was too much.
As soon as the panic attack came on me, the road leveled off, and I approached a large open field. Finally, I could breathe. I went to the first grove of trees, got out of my truck, and walked up to the first tree in sight. I placed my hand on the tree and let it rest for about ten minutes. I exchanged energy with the tree, taking in its ancient wisdom. It was a beautiful experience to be next to something so ancient.
After sharing our light with one another, I bid my farewell to the tree, gathered my strength and courage, got back in my truck, and started making my descent back down the mountain. I drove extremely slow, taking my time around every single curve.
Once I turned onto the main highway and felt safe again, my emotions took over, and I began to cry. My tears did not fall from the stress. I had made similar drives many times before. I believe my tears fell because I had been in the presence of something amazing. It wasn’t until returning to a place of safety that I could process the experience and set my emotions free. The whole experience was exceptionally cleansing, as if I had received some healing.
I spent the next two hours driving through the desert and down desolate highways. There were no service stations or places to stop for water. With no water on hand and minimal sunlight, I drove as fast as possible to reach my destination before sunset.
Thankfully, I pulled into Beatty, Nevada, as the sun set. The moon had already risen in the east.
As soon as I pulled into Beatty, I found an RV park offering $3.00 showers. I jumped on that offer immediately. I then spent the next few hours working on my journal and reflecting on my day. The following map shows the route that I had taken.
Directions for Driving from Reno, Nevada to Beatty, Nevada. Google Maps, 2010
I went to bed around 10:00 PM in a casino parking lot, thinking how my day could have been entirely different if I had not paid close attention to the hawk pointing me in the right direction. It took me about an hour to fall asleep, my mind racing from the day’s adventure.