Tag Archives: Southern California

Gifts From The Sky

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I found this incredibly beautiful hawk tail feather in my garden. Recently, I’ve heard a mated pair; maybe Cooper’s hawks, calling to each other from my backyard trees, so I assume it’s from one of them and that makes me very happy! It looks a bit bedraggled because we had some rain last night and it was lying on the ground.

Photo by Enchanted Seashells

A little research informed me something I didn’t know — that it’s illegal to pick up ANY feather, so I guess I’ll just leave it there. But in my own garden? Look, but do not touch? Did you know that?

I thought that this treasure was a sign from my spirit guides. A hawk tail feather is often seen as a symbol of power, courage, strength, and the ability to see things from a higher perspective. 

I knew it was illegal to possess an eagle feather but I had no idea that the same law applied to hawks and other raptors.

Here’s what I learned:

Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA): This act prohibits the possession, sale, purchase, or transfer of feathers of migratory birds, including hawks, without proper permits. 

Broad Coverage: The MBTA protects over 800 bird species, making it a wide-reaching law. 

No Exemptions: There are no exemptions for feathers that are naturally shed, or from birds killed by cars or other means, unless you have a permit. 

Permits: Permits are required for activities like taxidermy, scientific research, or educational purposes. 

Penalties: Violations of the MBTA can result in fines and imprisonment. 

Exception for Native American Tribes: Federally recognized tribes may possess, carry, use, wear, give, loan, or exchange migratory bird feathers and parts without compensation among other Indians. 

Still, finding a hawk’s feather is a profound event, rich with spiritual and cultural importance. Regarded as a divine symbol, it embodies strength, foresight, and can convey messages and blessings of divine guidance, reassuring physical health and decisiveness.

The white tip, often called the “tip of life,” represents spiritual focus and clarity. The intricate patterns, like those found in snowflakes, symbolize our unique life paths.

When a feather appears on your property, near your garden or home, it symbolizes comfort and protection. This occurrence is not just an incidental find but a key spiritual message. They’re believed to carry wisdom and the ability to see what is hidden.

But DO NOT pick it up, no matter what!

Peach Blossoms

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Sometimes the only healing modality for all this stress and anxiety is to go outside and work in the garden. Flowers don’t care if democracy is crumbling; there is regenerative rebirth every spring, no matter what or whom is orchestrating our demise.

After the rain, all my fruit trees burst forth with glorious flowers. It’s a small tree, but full of life. I’m continually fascinated with photographing raindrops.

Infinite peach-blossom shades,
her rouged and powdered cheeks.

Spring breezes help her break my heart,
blowing peach petals from her dress. — Yuan Zhen 

Photo by Enchanted Seashells

Backyard Birding

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It’s been raining but I was able to snap a few pictures between storms.

In one day, Casa de Enchanted Seashells was visited by a bevy of gorgeous birds.

I don’t think I’ve seen these guys before, but I’m so happy they stopped by! They look like an Eastern Bluebird, but that’s not likely here in SoCal. I’m pretty sure they’re not a Scrub-Jay because they’re too small. Whoever you are, welcome! The rain droplets on the mulberry’s bare branches look super cool.

A bunch of yellow finches love to eat the sumac seeds.

I didn’t post the video, but this guy was calling out to his mate, and he’s VERY loud!

True Love

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It’s time for the return of the mallards, a sweet reminder that spring is nearly here. These guys stayed close to me, finding things to eat while I snapped a few photos.

Photo by Enchanted Seashells

Duck sightings are good luck!

Photo by Enchanted Seashells

The duck symbolizes clarity, family, love, vigilance, intuition, nurturing, protection, feelings, self-expression, balance, adaptation, grace, and strength.

Spiritually, ducks are revered for their symbolism of balance, unity, and wholeness.

To see two ducks indicates inner reflection, balance, and unity, acknowledging efforts to integrate inner and outer realities, reassuring movement towards wholeness.

The encounter encourages emotional intelligence, making holistic decisions that align with values and intuition, and trusting inner wisdom to navigate life’s challenges.

Two ducks symbolize spiritual growth and evolution, pursuing a higher perspective, and accessing cosmic insight, revealing the intricate web of connections.

Ducks, especially in pairs, are often seen as a sign of good fortune and positive events on the horizon. 

That all sounds good to me:)

It’s Apple Blossom Time

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Apple blossoms smell heavenly!

Photos by Enchanted Seashells

After a decent two inches of rain, our weather turned unseasonably warm, nearly eighty degrees, which totally confused my apple trees and they began to furiously bud and flower, at least a month sooner than normal.

It looks like we might receive a bit more rain in the next couple of weeks but I hope it stays warm-ish so that every blossom grows into a juicy, delicious apple.

Good news/bad news time…

It had been a while since I injured myself but that’s no longer the case. The upper garden is mostly planted with California native plants. When it rains, they go crazy because winter is their time to shine.

Flowering white sage

I noticed a white sage that needed to be pruned. As I ran down the steep set of stairs with a huge armful of freshly cut branches, I misjudged the distance because I couldn’t see where I was going, caught my shoe on the edge of a step, and before I could stop myself, I tumbled down to the ground.

This time I didn’t suffer any broken bones, just a sore shoulder (where I fell) and another injury to my knee (also where I fell). As luck would have it, this was the same knee that has already has a torn MCL, so now I’m limping AND again wearing a brace.

The good news is that the garden is nice and tidy…Happy Monday!

Rainy Rain Dreams

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For the first time in about nine months, it rained, and it rained HARD. So far we’ve had about an inch of rain and the forecast predicts a bit more. There was similar rainfall in Los Angeles which prompted flash-flood and mudslide risks for the wildfire burn scar areas through this afternoon.

Photo by Enchanted Seashells

This deluge reminded me that I had started writing a post about an unsettling, recurring leaky roof dream where bits of the ceiling fall all around me and no amount of buckets can ever stop the catastrophe in my living room, no matter how hard I try.

I had the same exact dream a few days ago. It’s not a pleasant feeling to be powerless to avert a disaster so I did my usual research and learned that it’s a common dream theme.

Potentially, it’s not as dire as I thought. It could mean…

–A heavenly transition of divine blessings. The heavenly waters are descending down, as a cleansing release.

— You will be flooded with relief as blessings rain down upon your life.

— Your dream is an expression of pure giving that represents grace in life and personal growth in prosperity.

— The dream is from a spiritual part of your soul. The rains are a sign of a beautiful future filled with growing abundance; spiritual and material gifts.

— The presence of heavy rain and water in your dreams may symbolize emotional cleansing, a need for spiritual renewal, or the flow of energy and creativity in your life.

On the other hand, a recurring dream about a leaking roof might symbolize a feeling of vulnerability, insecurity, or a sense that something important in your life is falling apart. The leaks represent emotional distress or overwhelming issues that you feel unable to fully address. 

Things to think about…

  • Severity of the leak: A small leak might represent a minor concern, while a large flood could signify a major issue. 
  • Your actions in the dream: If you are actively trying to fix the leak, it could indicate that you are attempting to address the underlying problem in your waking life. 
  • Your emotional state in the dream: Feeling anxious or panicked about the leak can further emphasize the sense of vulnerability. 

I wish I had paid more attention to the other times I had this same dream; I could have kept track of the date and all the other details to figure out if there’s a pattern — I’ve dreamed this same scenario more than a dozen times in the last couple of decades. I know it’s not related to the failure of my actual roof, so it must be psychological or emotional. At least I memorialized it THIS time and will observe any future recurring dreams.

No matter what my dream meant to me personally, the actual sky water made my gardens very happy as they had been parched for such a long time.

Winter Surf + Dolphins

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Surf is forecasted to be more than eight feet today, but this is what I saw early this morning.

I hope you can access this video because that’s where I was lucky enough to capture the jumping dolphins!

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Surfers having fun!

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Stay Wild, Moon Child

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“Stay wild, moon child. I will shine my full silver light on your path, Moon child. Trust your intuition and follow your dreams. When I go dark, go within and tend to yourself, set your goals and release what no longer serves. When I come out of the shadow Moon child, go, be brave, and to yourself stay wild and true.” Attributed to Riitta Klint

What’s unique about this moon is where it rises and sets — at the “most northerly and southerly positions on the horizon.” It’s a phenomenon that only occurs every 18.6 years. capecodtimes.com

This is called a major lunar standstill.

It’s mindblowing to think that my older Canon can capture this kind of detail, especially considering the moon is 239,000 miles away.

Low in the sky, not sure what caused the moon to be rust-colored, but it was gorgeous…

Fully risen; it was GLOWING:

December Sunset Artistry: Opacarophile

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Do you love to look up at the sky as much as I do?

Opacarophile is the term to describe one who loves sunsets. It’s derived from the Latin word opacare (dusk or sunset) and the Greek word phile (love)

SoCal has amazing December sunsets with breathtaking hues of pink and coral and blue-gray.

About ten minutes later, the colors deepened to glowing oranges, bold fuchsias, and salmon.

Lots of people were out walking but I seemed to be the only one looking up and taking photos of the sky so I proudly confess to being an opacarophile.

Spectacular Sunset Photo

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From the deck, no filter, just purely gorgeous November colors! I DO love a sunset, don’t you?