[We're All Just] Babes in the Woods

Summer came closer today than it has for several weeks. Sun shone on me and the rest of my world for the entire day (almost). By late morning temperatures were in the 80s; now clouds huddle across the sky as temperatures fall back to 60.

We're finding more evidence of the existence of babes in our woods. Two days ago we eyeballed teeny deer footprints at the end of our driveway. The indentations in the dirt were about an inch long from front to back which gives one pause ... how can a fawn walk on hoofs that tiny, much less survive the stalking of coyotes, bear, and wolves?

Our phoebes now fill their nest to the rim. Earlier today I saw one baby stretched across the front of the nest with another directly behind it faced in the opposite direction. Squeezed up against the house wall were the remaining two nestlings, their small heads and beaks facing west. The quartet were amazingly quiet, their eyes closed. They'll be leaving home soon once their parents decide to quit feeding them insects and the fledglings have no choice but to take flight and fend for themselves.

I returned to the deck today for an outdoor TCC practice. The numbers of insects have exploded since this spell of rain and clouds began but the plants and leaves and never-ending shades of green are also richly abundant.

My eyes looked east as I positioned myself on the far side of the deck away from the phoebe nest. Mom and pop are already freaked out by our little kitten so I found no need to elevate their anxiety even more due to a too-close TCC practice.

I'm exploring a few more refinements to my practice based on Justin's instructions from the TCC DVD. First, I'm observing what happens when I rock backward in Rocking Motion and second, I'm more conscious of my T'ai Chi step when I step to the left or right for Carry the Ball to the Side.

Every tiny adjustment makes a difference in my practice though, more and more, I recognize that my mental focus (or lack thereof) is the key to my TCC experience and the circulation of the Chi. Which reminds me of a blog I read today in the Harvard Business Review: "How (and Why) to Stop Multitasking." I'll write more on that tomorrow....