My second last painting in this 52 WEEKS PROJECT is a pileated woodpecker (thank you Rose-Marie). When we spent a season in a farmhouse in Saskatchewan we had a woodpecker who visited us bright and early every morning, beating out staccato messages on the metal down spout outside our bedroom window. Believe me, there were days I wasn't so happy to see him, but one morning as my daughters and I were eating breakfast he flew into the kitchen window. I saw him lying on the ground and felt very sad for him so I put on a new pair of oven mitts which I had received for a gift and went out to check on him (I was always told not to touch a wild animal for my protection against possible germs and for his against the scent of human skin). He was lying there breathing very quickly so I lifted him, spoke softly to him and placed him out of harm's way. Slowly he regained his wits and so I went inside to watch over him and eventually he flew away. And, the next morning he was back at our down spout. I was never so happy to be awakened at dawn.
As a totem animal, woodpecker is an attention grabber and reminds us to pay attention to our body's needs. He reminds us to pay attention, to be aware. Even a dead tree is an opportunity for food and shelter, is there an idea or project you need to revive? As a communicator, he also reminds us to remain mindful of not only our body but our words. Consider opportunities and trust your own intuition. Comments are closed.
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