It’s as if I used to live in this huge warehouse filled with wonders, but all I had was a little pencil flashlight to find my way around. Now I have a really huge, high-powered light and I’m finding out that there’s much more to feel and experience than I could ever have imagined.

I had an extremely vivid dream once where I had died of a ripe old age and was on the other side. One of the most interesting things I learned in that dream is that “the veil” between our human existence and our “home” in the other world is much thinner than we could ever imagine. We can truly experience “heaven on earth” if only we have the eyes to see and a heart that will open. It’s there, all around us in the hummingbird outside my study window, in the fourteen geese that suddenly flew overhead while I was walking down by the river in the Los Rios District in San Juan Capistrano, in the way the hills of Southern California fill your entire being with the smell of sage and resinous plants. It’s in the love you feel for your family and your best friends, and the love you feel for a stranger’s child running along the beach, laughing.

Random Acts of Kindness

How can we be a person who brings a little bit of heaven closer to others? I think one of the simplest and most powerful things we can do is to follow Anne Herbert’s admonition to “Practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty.”

Last Sunday I had brunch with my friend Isabelle, and spend the rest of the day with her. Sometimes when we talk it’s like “tongues of flame” descend and the dove of the holy spirit comes to rest in our hearts. Ideas, insights, epiphanies just flow, and it’s so sweet. One of the things we began talking about was how powerful an act of kindness can be. Studies have shown that not only does being kind to someone flood our bodies with certain types of endorphins that cause a rush of good feelings, but also the other person to whom we are being kind experiences this amazing physical/emotional response as well.

Izzy was telling me the story of how recently she was standing in line behind a woman buying sheets and pillowcases. However, when the cashier rang up the purchase, the woman didn’t have enough money, so she set the pillowcases aside. Isabelle stepped up and said, “Would you please allow me the pleasure of buying those pillowcases for you?” The woman was stunned and at first said, “No, that’s all right.” However, another woman further down the line had the right idea. She said, “Look, someone is offering you a gift. Just take it and feel happy.”

Research has also shown that the morphic field of kindness doesn’t stop with the giver and the receiver but literally moves out like a wave, raising the endorphin levels of the people surrounding the event and creating somatic shifts in them as well. This reminds me of the story told by a Native American friend of mine. He had been invited by a police officer to come to Long Beach, build an inipi, and conduct a monthly sweat lodge ceremony with a group of young men whom we euphemistically call in our culture, “youth at risk.” As Gene went month after month and met with these young men, the police officer noticed something very strange happening in the community. This particular part of Long Beach was known for its high crime rate, and especially its murder rate. The office started to notice that, statistically, the crime rate was going down, and most significantly the murder rate. It was as if whatever honesty, healing, and deep caring was going on in that sweat lodge was moving out into the community itself, healing some of the chaos, hatred, and desperation of the people who lived there. That’s a mysterious and powerful message.

It seems like a small thing, just being kind. But I’ve been the recipient of kindness many times over the last few years of my life when I really needed it, and sweet acts of simple kindness were sometimes all that kept me going.

Gratitude

I have a wonderful friend named Gretchen who talks about how important it is to give thanks every day when things are going well, but especially when things are going terribly wrong. Nothing gives you the strength to keep going like writing, “I’m grateful for____” ten times on a sheet of paper. It’s astonishing how much there really is to feel thankful about.

Then again, every once in a while we hit a place in life’s road where, for a while at least, everything is golden. I’m on one of those stretches now where in the last week I’ve had so much to be thankful for. I’ve had a long, long period of stress and uncertainty, but now all of that is resolving, piece by piece. So I’d like to end this blog on a note of gratitude.

I’m thankful that my CT and bone scans are completely normal and that I am the poster child for beating cancer, the person my oncologist calls “a miracle.” I’m so glad I can be that miracle and that two years down the road I’m strong and vibrant and enjoying life with all my heart.

I’m thankful for the miraculous rescue of Baby Eaglet Harmon over the past few days. When the Raptor Center took him out of the nest to care for his injuries, it was risky and there was no guarantee that his parents would accept him once they put him back, especially since the whole shebang was accomplished via a truck with a cherry picker. However, literally moments before the kind folks at the RC were about to move in and rescue him again since the parents hadn’t come back in over 24 hours and the poor eaglet was about to spend another night alone in the nest—potential prey for owls and raccoons—Dad swooped in like superman and began feeding the eaglet, and Mom was not far behind.

What I am especially grateful for is watching the chick literally luxuriate in all the new attention and “feeding up” he’s getting. His eagle parents are pretty young and haven’t raised many broods. Before Harmon’s injury, when his wing got stuck in the nest bowl, Mom eagle used to leave the nest often to go shopping at Bloomingdales while the 3-week old baby sat there alone. Now there is almost always a parent in the nest, and Harmon is snuggling with them all the time—attention he needs since his former snuggling partner, his sibling, fell out of the nest a week ago. It gives me such joy to watch him lying sprawled in the nest with a full crop of fish, stretching with contentment.

Finally, I’m thankful that I have made it through the first step of the three-year tenure process at UC Irvine, and that my department has given me their full support and recommendation for my continuing appointment. The first time an instructor undergoes this evaluation, they call it “passing through the eye of the needle,” so you know it’s not easy. In their letter to the higher-up committee that will review my application they wrote:

“With great enthusiasm, the Composition Program recommends that Joy Parker be granted an excellent review and promoted to the status of “Continuing Lecturer.” Joy is one of the most gifted and talented teachers on the Composition faculty, and also a productive colleague and collaborator.”

This is huge hurdle, and I’m over it.

May we all be granted big flashlights in the magical warehouse of life and remember that bad times are followed by good times and that there is always so much to be thankful for.

http://joyparker.wordpress.com/2012/05/04/saving-harmon-the-eaglet-in-the-minnesota-bound-nest/

5-8-12: As I tuned into the Minnesota Bound Nest this morning, I saw our baby eaglet with a very full crop preening himself, stretching, and settling down to a very relaxed and happy “food coma” nap. Nearby Mom stands careful watch over him. What a way to start your day.

What I didn’t know (until I started reading some of the “chat” for updates) was that last night at 7:00 p.m. when the eagle parents finally landed in the nest—after Harmon had spent more than 24 hours alone and hungry—the rescuers from the Raptor Center were all nearby and that Jim was moments away from climbing back up the tree, re-rescuing Harmon, and taking him back to the Center. This was literally a last-minute miracle.

I’m sure we all have our own stories, but I was on the freeway on my way home about 6:45, having a conversation with the Divine. On the one hand I realized that in the huge scheme of things, maybe it would be better for Harmon to be fostered by new, more experienced parents at some eagle nest deep in the forest, far away from people and cams. On the other hand, with all my heart I didn’t want to lose the rare opportunity to be part of the magic of watching this little eagle—so courageous and strong, who so far had beat all the odds—grow into a beautiful juvenal. I want so much to watch him open his wings, learn how to use then, and one day to take his first flight. I wanted to be able to spend the next few months watching that world 75 feet in the treetops, hear those sounds of wind and birdsong and eagle cries, be a part of that special place in the Minnesota Woods. It is pure mystery and wonder to immerse oneself in the world of a beautiful wild creature and to watch the secret workings of its little wild heart.

In the end it’s really a question of love. Some people say we shouldn’t project our feelings onto nature, animals, and birds. But I’ve met with people of many indigenous cultures and witnessed their relationship with nature. They don’t objectify nature or see themselves as separate from the living world. They see themselves as part of a tapestry of life that is complex, powerful, and beautiful in a way that is far beyond our everyday definition of beauty. To them everything is alive, even trees and stones, and they are part of it. All nature is imbued with spirit and consciousness.

And Then Something Wonderful Happened

When I got home and turned on the computer, I couldn’t believe it. And I never knew till this morning when I read the updates that if the parents had waited a little longer to come home, that the story would have been completely different.

The MN bound teams writes: “It’s not every day that something this incredible happens.  This just goes to show the power of mother nature.  Tens of thousands of lives have been touched by this eagle family and their impact has spread all around the world.

“It was a moment of tears for many.  Standing from a distance we were only minutes away from going back up to get Harmon.  Jim, our tree climber saw the mother close by the nest.  Harmon was screaming and it was clear that something was happening.  Everyone stood silent and watched.  Soon, the mother moved closer yet again.  Then, out of nowhere dad flew down and landed in the nest.  It was a reunion for the record books.”

Dad returned first and began feeding Harmon two of the fish heads the Raptor Center had set around in the nest. But when Mom landed, she grabbed both fish heads from Dad and began feeding the baby herself. I thought, “That’s it, they’ve all bonded again.”

Today is a New Day

Dad brought a huge fish to the nest this morning, and Mom has been snuggling with Harmon off and on. A moment ago, Harmon was getting another meal. It’s so magical to watch the adult eagle tear off a little piece of fish with its powerful hooked beak and then gently reach down to delicately place it in the chick’s little beak. Now it’s gently raining and Mom is sheltering Harmon, snuggling him warmly against her breast.

What’s ironic is that this whole experience seems to have taught the eagles to be much better parents because Harmon had to spend a lot of time alone in the nest before. Mom seemed like somewhat of a flighty young eagle, with only a couple of years of parenting experience, but she’s much more watchful and attentive today. We all grow and learn.

Here’s a link to the latest Minnesota Bound blog and what they have to say about last night’s family reunion:

http://www.mnbound.com/bald-eagle-blog/

And if you want to watch live, here’s a link to the live Minnesota Eagle Cam live:

http://www.mnbound.com/live-eagle-cam/

Happy Eagle watching and much joy today!

P.S. At 12:50 Minnesota Time there was a hail storm that lasted for quite a while. Thank God the Mom was there to extend her wing over the baby, then take him close under her feathered breast. This eagle Mother is really learning to be a magnificent parent.

About a minute and a half later, Mom arrived, took two fish heads from Dad, and began feeding the baby herself. Now that both parents have fed the eaglet, rebonding with him, so to speak, our troubles seem to be over.

I was starting to get worried that he had been abandoned because he was by himself in the nest for more than 24 hours. Minnesota Bound and the Raptor Center were closely monitoring the nest, but it would have been heartbreaking for him to have to be removed from the nest yet again, spend another night with humans, and then be fostered into another eagle nest. The poor little guy has been through enough. Nobody deserved a break more than him.

Here’s the video of Harmon’s Dad and Mom coming home and feeding him. My heart is full. Now we can all watch him grow up in this gorgeous nest in the treetops. I look forward to every moment because, like thousands of others, I have fallen madly in love with Harmon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ccL42FTBIA

The Minnesota Bound folks write: “We just witnessed the most amazing moment. Tears are flowing everywhere. For the last half hour we’ve been monitoring and watching Mom and Dad move closer. Broadband, Raptor Center and MN Bound crews are quite emotional over this most amazing homecoming……… Way to go Harmon!”

At this moment 122,000 people are watching this nest and sharing in this joy.

As the solar-powered batteries faded and the nest cam switched off shortly after 9:00 p.m. Minnesota time, Mom and Harmon were snuggled together in the nest. Sweet eagle dreams.

Here is the latest blog from the Minnesota Bound website. The link is here for those who would like to read earlier blogs on the site, but I reblogged it in its entirety here.

The most important point is: They will not abandon him. There are several options that are being considered if the parents do not return within 48 hours from the time Harmon was returned to the nest. Whatever happens, he will be taken care of and given a chance at a real eagle life. There’s a lot of precedents and procedures in place. So, ultimately, Harmon will be taken care of.

Minnesota Blog:

Questions and Concerns…

Monday, May 7, 2012 at 11:29AM | MN Bound Editor

“We are getting a lot of questions and we want to do our best to keep you in the loop.  First off, we are in continuous conversation with the experts at the Raptor Center and we are not going to leave the bird in the tree without care.  Harmon is under great supervision at this time.  Dr. Ponder and crew have been fantastic and deserve much respect for their efforts.  Without them, this rescue and return attempt would not even be possible.  With that said, here’s what we know.

“We placed Harmon back in the nest mid-afternoon on Sunday.  The hope was that the parents would come back and take over their eaglet and their nest.  This has been done before and it has been successful in the past.  We should say, however, that there are no gaurantees.

“When we were at the nest yesterday, both eagle parents were still there.  They watched us put Harmon back in the nest.  They haven’t left.  But, here’s a tough fact to swallow.  Dr. Ponder did say that Eagle Parents don’t always come back.  Some eagle parents will give up on the nest pretty easily.  All we can do is remain hopeful that these parents aren’t like that.

“It seems logical to us that the birds would just go back and their paternal instincts would take over.  Unfortunately, wild birds don’t think like humans.  They are not capable.

“What is the fish in the nest for?  We placed fish in the nest for the parents.  This is common practice according to our eagle experts.  Consider this incentive for the parents to return.

“What can we do to help?  The best thing for everyone to do at this time is to remain patient and let the experts do their job.  Because this has been a national story in a hurry, everyone seems to want to call and ask questions.  We cannot express how much attention we are giving this situation.  Additional calls are only keeping everyone from being able to do their jobs.  While we appreciate all of the support, this blog and our facebook page is the best way for us to keep everyone informed.  Please refrain from calling the raptor center with questions.  Please know that we are in constant communication with them and will update you with information as THEY deem necessary.

“How long will we wait before we would make another rescue attempt?  That is the big question.  Again, we are working with the experts here and we value what they say to be the best advice.  Generally, the eaglet can remain alone for several hours without food.  When we put Harmon back into the tree, he was full.  It is believed that he would be ok for up to 48 hours.  The largest danger is that of predators.  Harmon is not protected from danger without the parents around.

“What will happen to Harmon if the parents don’t come back?  The experts at the Raptor Center will make that decision once we take him down.  There are a couple of options.  It has not yet been determined what that will be.  It is important to note the decision will be made on “what is best for Harmon,” not “what is best for the viewers.”  We will update you with those details when we are given the green light from them.

“A special “thanks” to the Raptor Center and Broadband.  Without their support and their boom truck, we would not be able to act so quickly.

“We will update you with more information as it becomes available.  We are still hopeful that we don’t have to make any moves and that the parents return to the nest.  Anything is possible.”

The eagle parents have still not returned to the nest, but the Raptor Center will continue to closely monitor the nest. Here is a link to their latest update blog and the text to that message:

“While we wait patiently to see if the adult eagles return to the nest, we thought we would take a moment to respond to some of the questions we have received in the past 48 hours.

“What did we leave in the nest with Harmon? We left several pieces of fish in the nest when we returned the eaglet. We know that the most important cue for the adults to return to the nest is the eaglet’s food begging cries – our hope in leaving the fish was that once the adults came in, they would not have to take the time to hunt, but would have “fast food” available with which to feed Harmon.

“Did we stay in the area to see what happened? What happens next? While we took care to note the presence of the male and female perched about a ¼ mile away, we attempted to leave the nest area as quickly as possible. One of our major concerns is that eagles will often abandon their nests if disturbed during nesting. Clearly, this whole episode has been a major disturbance, albeit necessary if the eaglet was to survive. We – like you – are waiting patiently to see if the parents will come back this morning. And as we wait, we are in discussions on the next phase of Harmon’s journey should the parents not return to care for him.”

I found these two articles in the Richmond Times Dispath about two eaglets whose parent had abandoned the nest because of crews who came to the nest area to dismantle the camera equipment when it was decided that it was disturbing the parents, who had stopped feeding their babies. The eaglets were removed from the net and hand fed by experts Friday and Saturday after, then returned to the nest.

The parents returned finally to feed their chicks, however, if the parents hadn’t returned, experts at the Center for Conservation Biology had planned on moving each of the chicks to another eagle nest with chicks already in it in a remote location. Aparently, scientists have been doing these kinds of planned adoptions for decades, and “he open mouths and begging calls of the new chicks trigger a response in adults to treat the new chicks as their own.” Perhaps something like this is planned for Harmon if mom and dad don’t return to the nest. Of course, we all hope that they do.

Here are the links to the two news articles:

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/2012/apr/15/tdmain01-eagle-cam-comes-to-end-chicks-being-fed-b-ar-1843259/

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/2012/apr/16/11/tdmain01-eagle-chicks-waiting-for-parents-return-ar-1844770/

For the last day and a half I have witnessed something that was truly extraordinary. Yesterday in the early afternoon in the Minnesota Bound Eagle Cam nest, the last remaining baby eagle, Harmon, became caught in the nesting material and couldn’t get out. The mom had made a “bowl” in the damp, post-rain nesting materials, Harmon collapsed in a typical “food coma” after a big feeding and slipped down into the hole. When he tried to move again, he couldn’t get out. His little wing had become caught in the sticky, drying nest bowl.

For over 24 hours thousands of people watched Harmon struggle to free himself while his parents fed him, took turns staying close to him, and made efforts to free him. You could tell that they were concerned and knew something was wrong, but couldn’t figure out how to make it right. If an eagle can have a “perplexed” expression, they certainly had it.

It was so heartbreaking to watch this little three-week-old eagle keep struggling to free itself. It was especially hard considering that a week earlier the other chick in the nest had accidentally been knocked out, gotten stuck outside the “nest crib,” and fallen to its death. My heart just broke the day that happened. I’ve been watching this nest practically since the chicks were hatched and they started their lives together like two little fluffy white angels. I’ll never forget the video of the mom delicately and tenderly feeding the day-old babies. So, of course, it became imperative for all of us who lovingly follow the eagle chicks to save Harmon.

Quite a lot of discussion went on in the “Live Chat Room” as to whether or not it was possible to even approach the nest, since eagles are a protected species, or whether we would have to watch Nature take its course, which seemed too terrible to even contemplate.

Fortunately, some nest watchers knew how to contact the proper authorities and the rescue was set into motion. The first step was to apply for a permit from the USFWS for permission to enter the nesting territory of the eagles.  State officials had to be contacted as well. Apparently, there is a $5,000 to $25,000 fine for approaching an eagle’s nest without permission. In the meantime the Minnesota Raptor Center was contacted and a boom truck was driven to the site. “Tree Climber Jim,” a fellow who has experience climbing very tall trees (this nest was 75 feet above the ground) and dealing with irate raptor parents, was put on alert. The Raptor Center is world renowned for treating injured raptors, so if the eaglet needed medical assistance they would be ready to offer whatever help was needed.

Saving Harmon Video

Here is the video of Jim climbing into to nest and saving little Harmon. http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/22353672. The actual rescue starts 15:00 minutes into the film. You need to turn the sound up very loud to be able to hear the conversation between Jim and his colleague who was standing in the boom next to the nest. I understand that the mom eagle bravely stayed by the nest until the last possible minute.

I will never forget my joy at seeing Jim climb into that nest and say, “Hello Buddy.” We’d all been waiting for a day and a half for rescue. At that point over 9,000 people were watching the nest cam and every moment people had been sending that little eagle prayers and positive energy. One person had even contacted a home for 150 retired nuns, asking them to pray for the little eaglet. All day people joined in from nest cams all over the country, introducing themselves, saying, “I’m from the Decorah Eagle Cam.” “I’m from the San Clemente Channel Island cams,” all sending their support and good wishes. Support came in world wide.

Surprisingly, Jim was able to pull Harmon easily from the nest bowl. He took off his climbing gloves and, with his bare hands, cleaned the feces and maggots off the sweet baby, cradling him gently and doing everything he could to assess his condition and see if there was any apparent damage. Harmon’s little wings seemed to flap easily, but he seemed exhausted and a bit unsteady on his feet, what Pete called some “equilibrium problems.” According to the Facebook page for Minnesota Bound: “Our eagle expert made a decision to bring the eaglet down. It wasn’t in good shape at the moment. We are going to take it back to the Raptor Center for treatment and hopefully right back to the nest.”

A hard rain started about half an hour after they got the baby out of the nest.

It’s Been a Tough Season for Eaglets

Not all the baby eaglets make it. I’m a San Clemente resident and a Catalina and Channel Island eagle watcher. It’s been a challenging season for us here, and we’ve had our hearts broken twice. The first time was by the loss of the lone eaglet in the Two Harbors nest. Apparently the mom eagle was detained or injured in some way and her mate stayed with her throughout the night. When they came back to the nest with a fish the next morning, the mom looking bedraggled and the worse for wear, their baby was gone, carried off in the night by a fox. The eaglet fought valiantly but was too young to save itself. I cried for days over that one because the Two Harbors nest is my favorite.

I was thankful at least that there was a bright patch. A week before the loss of this year’s TH chick, Solitaire, or “Sassy” as she was nicknamed for her spunky attitude, the lone 2011 TH chick, was sighted on San Clemente Island after being unaccounted for for several months. So Solitaire successfully made it past her first year and has established a territory.

Our second loss was the youngest chick in the Rattlesnake nest. A bad storm with high winds came through a week ago, knocking down several large trees in the canyon, including one adjacent to the nest. The biologists believe that these heavy winds knocked the smallest chick right out of the nest.

What is beautiful to watch, however, is the love and grief that our nest watchers share as our eaglets hatch, grow, fledge, and start their new lives. Once again I saw this love expressed with baby Harmon’s struggle and rescue.

It’s unknown whether Harmon will be returned to the nest, but the prognosis looks good. He/she is presently at the Raptor Center being cleaned up, de-bugged, fed well, and given a chance to rest. The biologists plan on returning him to the nest in a day or so when they’re sure he’s all right. Then we will all hold our breath to see if the parents return and begin feeding him again.

Hopefully, this story will have a happy ending, but for now Baby Harmon is safe. We’re all so happy.