Beloved,

This past week I have been concerned (obsessed)
with a little Hooded Merganser affectionately called
a “Hoodie”. Sunday he appeared on Lake George,
my lake and he was all alone. Hoodies use my lake as
a feeding ground in the Spring migrating from the
south to here and then in the fall on their way back
to the south.

They are my favorite migratory duck as they are
of smaller stature and the male has a white hood
on his head which looks like a fan we use to fan
ourselves. They certainly stand out with their
white fans above a black and white body. They
are divers and it is so much fun to watch them
disappear under water only to appear further
down the water. I finally verified for myself
that they are not eating the “weeds” but actually
feeding on fish.I have good binoculars and I can see
across the lake at the houses, etc. but not for details
that need close up shots.

This fall the hoodies stayed for a month. I so enjoyed
them and they only left when the lake was beginning
to freeze over. We have had an unusual winter (for
which I am happy but the ice fishermen are not. The
lake is still not frozen over completely, there are
channels of water not frozen dispersed among the
channels of frozen ice.

Sunday as I looked out over the lake I noticed this
lone hoodie out there and he was diving and feeding.
I wondered why he was here as all the others had
left for the warmer climate where the water was not
freezing. I watched him several times over the next
two days, he was in the middle of the lake and he
was not leaving. I then noticed him waddling on the
ice channels and he tried to fly but just ended up
skidding across the ice.

That was when I started to get concerned that somehow
he was unable to fly and could not get off the lake. They
do not come onto the shore, they may stay in shallow water
to preen themselves but I have never seen them on solid
ground. I knew he was fine for now but would not be
fine once the lake froze over and stopped his food source.

I wanted to help him (aren’t we obsessed with helping
others who we perceive to need us) so I started with
the many phone calls that I would end up doing.
I started with our town Dog Officer as I figured
she would know some people or organizations that
might want to rescue him. I kept getting suggestions
of people who might help with other phone numbers
I might call. These included animal clinics and forestry
divisions and rehabilitation places..

Each day I would search the lake for him and I watched
him make his way close to shore in one place that was
not frozen. I let my imagination go and pictured myself
going to the shore where he was and rescuing him myself.
I know even if I could get my kayak in the water, that
they tip easily so even if I managed that, I would not be
able to net him without perhaps endangering myself.

Since I would be unable to coax him to shore with
bread as he eats only fish, I imagined myself with
a net that I could reach from shore and nab him. When
you are trying to help someone or something, it does
become an obsession. We are consumed with the
need to help and the danger is when we don’t realize
that there is nothing we can do but we keep trying
anyway.

I renewed my frenzy of phone calls and even went up
to three men at the Post Office, hoping one would know
what could be done, perhaps something I could do
or perhaps someone else would be willing to try.
Realize that the freezing cold is on its way this
weekend and there would be nothing I could do
once the lake is frozen solid. I even called our
Senior Center director and she called some
people for me.

Since I am a Reiki Master, I continually sent him
Reiki energy seeking a healing of whatever was
keeping him from flying to be with his own kind.
I had a call from a woman at Norcross Sanctuary
who asked about his wings, Were they askew or
drooping, I said no as I saw him waddle that once
across the ice. I knew his feet and legs were OK
because I was able to see when he had waddled.

She told me that sometimes they do not have the
feathers they need for flight. If he had been
attacked or mishandled, he could have lost
those very important feathers that are needed
for takeoff. I learned a lot from her and it
quieted my heart somewhat. She even told me
NOT to go out in my kayak. I wondered how
she found out that I had one and then I remembered
that Judy at the Senior Center who had called her
had probably told her that I had one. There was nothing
more I could do but pray and send him Reiki energy.

I got up this morning but was unable to see him
because the lake was all fogged in. It finally cleared
an hour ago and I cannot find him anywhere. I need
to assume that somehow he has been healed and is with
his flock of “hoodies” .

Part of me KNOWS that when something shows up
in your life in whatever form it takes, it is a gift for you.
He was a gift in the sense that I got to enjoy his antics
longer than normal but most especially to remind me that
to become obsessed in helping does no good for either
the supposed victim or for yourself.

When a situation shows up in your life, look at it and
ask it why it is there? What is there that you need to
look at and what is the gift in all of it? Love yourself
for whatever you are feeling (no guilt) and be
grateful for what you have learned through this
episode.

With all of this talk and thought of ice, I thought
you might like watching this.

When the tide is out… under the ice.
Very interesting what natives have done for ages.

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=Z0qGvC3vqaA

Is he asking for Change, or is he asking for change?
Filmmaker Sharon Wright creates a short film about
a homeless man as he affects multiple peoples’ lives
with just one dollar. Written and directed by Wright,
the film proves that it doesn’t take much to be the
change in someone’s life. (A Touching Video)

http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/most-popular/homeless-man-makes-changes-happen-film.html

Do you know just how much your smile affects someone you
are not even aware of whom you touched. Let’s become aware
of the small things because they affect more people than the
big things.

I now have 4 videos of my TV show on this website.
http://www.waleson5.com/gallery.html. I hope you enjoy
them and let me know what you think.

Love and Light

Mary Grace

http://www.TheWoundedChalice.com
http://www.IAmMaryGrace.com

PO Box 403
Wales, MA 01081, USA
413-245-3977