The Muley

The terrible wind blew itself away, so this morning, I took to the river to wander. I wanted to see what this prairie had to show me.

My friend and I grabbed some coffee and homemade banana bread and flew out the door. The state park we like to go to is just a short drive, but when we got there it seemed so far away. From everything.

There's a bench over looking the Platte River. We sat for a minute, drank our coffee from tin cups and watched the river which appeared to be moving in slow motion. We noticed that the banana bread matched the color of the landscape. The big grey sky wasn't the normal turquoise blue but the horizon went on and on, to meet one more.

"I really want to see a deer. I need to see a deer," I explained to K. It looked empty of wildlife, but we strolled the riverbank quietly and slowly in hopes of seeing something. You can't be impatient on the prairie.

We stepped on tall grasses that were flattened by heavy snow and everything around us was the color of harvest wheat and raw umber. Crunchy stems and leaves and pods stood wearily waiting for the next storm to take them down. No more fragrance in the flowers, no sweetness in the sage. Cattails were bursting out, their seeds looking like silky cotton fluff.

The night before I'd been reading my Pocket Guide To Spirit Animals. It's no surprise that the Owl plays a major role in my life. I've become accustom to what they stand for and how they've come to stay. Owl is always here. Lately though, I've been thinking about deer. I've been asking for the the stillness deer can show me. Deer are highly sensitive, and I am the same. Just like in the owl spirit world, deer are intuitive creatures. If you hang around me long enough, you will hear me boast "I am psychic."

A connection with this animal claims you have the ability to handle challenges with grace. Grace is something I don't have. Yet. I ask for gentleness the deer can offer.

Today, this prairie, this land some describe as lonely, spoke to me. Today, I felt free from my reslessness. I found the stillness I was looking for. A Mule deer and I exchanged smiles, then he gracefully moved on.