determined to get my attention!
A Helpful Hawk
My first clue to the guiding, caring aspect of Mother Nature occurred when a bird led me back to a hiking trail I’d lost. I’d gotten about 50 yards off the path, heading in the wrong direction. Suddenly a bird screeched. Looking up, I spotted a low-flying hawk circling intently over a particular spot. An investigation was in order. When I arrived at the spot he was focused on, he flew off. Wow! I found myself standing smack in the middle of the lost trail! My winged friend had delivered me back to my path.
Dancing with Danger
Mother Nature had just begun to rearrange my understanding about the inner workings of the natural world. She arranged for me to experience safety in situations that are usually hazardous for humans. To protect their offspring, wild boar usually attack people who intrude into their space. When I surprised a family of 40 wild boar with babies and they were more curious than hostile toward me. A poisonous scorpion crawled harmlessly over my foot without showing any inclination to sting. During a lengthy close encounter of the wily kind, a pack of coyotes sniffed me, checked me out thoroughly, and then went nonchalantly on their way. And I stomped my foot within an inch of a nesting rattlesnake—without triggering a bite or even a rattle. Now I have the confidence to walk—and even sit—peacefully within a couple feet of resting rattlesnakes.
Ah, Mother Nature and my “crazy” medicine man—their ingenious game plan was bearing fruit. The clues I was picking up from my uncharted journey were beginning to form a fresh picture about how life really works. I could now see that