luca

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Elsa’s Song, Dec 14th 2021

The call of the first starling braided itself through the air. The clouds vanished. The bright winter sun creating diamond crust on the ground.

Ricky and Nejla were busy getting the sleds ready for the trip. The Crew were eager to get going. The five older huskies pulling Ricky and Luca’s sled sparkled with anticipation. The group of starlings were belting out their regular lunch serenade right after the morning one. They just kept on going.

“Gorgeous!” Nejla could not help herself. She just had to yell it out. “Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!”

“Oh, yes!” Ricky sounded in. “Gorgeously freaking gorgeous!

Luca the Lab was getting comfortable in Ricky’s sled. Nejla tied the cargo basket closed. It was filled with food for The Crew, her own provisions, backpack and all the regular long distance mushing gear.

Both Ricky and Nejla had inherited their sleds when Ricky’s grandfather and Nejla’s uncle passed. He’d been the most renowned musher and sled-maker in the country. Everyone who were serious about the art of mushing came to grandpa and uncle Ford to learn how to work with “these gentle souls with fierce clarity” as he’d called called “the polar breeds”. The sleds he built were known to be strong, fast and flexible.

Ford had told both Nejla and Ricky that his grandfather’s grandfather had actually learned how to build the sleds from the trolls and the pixies. The fairies and the alves had then taught him how to create the lines. Every sled made had its own Nisse appointed to look after both sled, dogs, food, human connection and more.

A faint sound of “swish, swish” in the snow made Nejla turn her head. A little black cat looked her straight in the eyes. A moment later she graciously jumped over the handle bar and placed herself on top of the cargo basket.

“It’s obvious she’s joining”, Ricky laughed.

It took less than a minute for the cat to make herself comfortable.

“And who are you?” Nejla asked.

“Maddy the Mighty”, the cat replied. “You know you ain’t gonna connect to any dragons with just them dogs. And you know you need dragons! It ain’t gonna work without dragons. So who’d you gonna call? Cat Kingdom! And I’m your representative. Pleasure to connect”.

Cecilia Götherström, December 14th 2021  

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Elsa’s Song, Dec 10th 2021

Alabaster sunk his paws deep in to the snow. He’d been up on the rocks, peeking down once more towards Pinehome City. 

They were all together now. Nejla, Starlight, Tuva, Kriya, Ricky and Luca. 

He could see them through his inner eyes. The two humans sitting on the floor by the Christmas tree. Sharing stories. Laughing. Remembering. 

All four dogs sprawled out across the large kitchen floor.

What had once been the “Grand” waiting room in this timber wood train station building from the 1800s was now Ricky’s kitchen.

Alabaster made his way down, returning to the pack. How he loved these moments of approaching, feeling the warmth in his heart, connecting through the golden threads to his brothers, sisters, all the pups. Watching every single personality doing their thing while being in total harmony with the entire canine family.

Sure, they could growl and show off, change, walk off, start anew, return, explore. But that was because that is how things just are.  If everyone is allowed to live out their purpose, harmony is what you get. And harmony includes storms, floods, falling trees, new growth.

 You use the mind, heart, and soul,  leading the body to the best possible solution for the highest good of all.

When you exist in a state of awareness where greed does not exist, you see everything through the eyes of Isa. The eyes of Isness.

He realized he’d let his mind wander in to the human domain again as he felt four youngsters rolling around him, asking for attention, nipping at his legs and paws.

“Come play, come play, Grandpapa Alabaster!”, they howled like a four octave choir.

“OK then!” Alabaster took off down the slope, zigzagging, jumping, rolling. Four young furballs falling over in his paw steps, doing their best to catch up.

A few of the packs hunters had just gotten back from their recon trip and joined in.

If you’ve ever seen a group of eight adult and four “just-out-of-puppyhood” wolves play on deep snow covered slope under the moon, star and sun lit winter morning sky, you know exactly what I am talking about.

Joy, aliveness, speed and wit dancing around in your heart.

Cecilia Götherström, December 10th 2021.