ricky

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Elsa’s Song, Dec 18th 2021

The woman’s weathered hands moved across the ancient wand. 

To the untrained eye the object looked like a shrivelled up piece of wood. 

To Disa it had been obvious the first time her eyes met it that it was anything but wood. Being a blend of onyx, shungite, white alabaster, rock crystal and lava from the inner core of Mother Gaia, swirled together in a spiral like pattern it was an extremely magic wand. The Dragon Wind Wand. One of the most powerful instruments to ever grace the Earth plane, even though no instrument had any true power without intent.

Disa had noticed how some of the birdseeds in her garden had sprung out. How they had managed to do that, outside in the cold, on the thick layer of snow and ice covering the ground, was mystery to behold. Unless it was due to the bright light coming in from the galactic suns during the short days. Magic light for magic sprouts? 

Nejla and Ricky’s sleds had come to a halt. They had travelled throughout the early morning. At 3 am they had packed up, moved on for a few hours underneath the Ursid meteor showers. Now at 6.30 am it was time for a nap before the bright red and golden sun dawned. 

A deep sigh from the dogs spread through the quiet air. What seemed like just as deep a sigh sounded out from the surrounding woods seconds later.

“Light is the first cause, and every second cause is its shadow”, Maddy the Mighty stretched out like only cats can.

‘What’s that?” Ricky turned and looked at the cat.

“Oh, just something this pretty connected guy Rumi I once knew very well used to say”. Maddy curled up.

“How old are you Maddy?” Nejla asked.

“Ancient. Not that it matters though”, Maddy replied opening one eye. “Let’s just keep what the dude Rumi said in mind once we wake up with the sun after this nap OK? You will see. Oh yes, you will see.”

“Did you know I was about to name the second lead dog Rumi?” Ricky turned towards Nejla. “But he insisted on being called Kabir instead”.

Nejla could not help laughing out loud. “I always thought it such a weird combination of names and energies  with Thor and Kabir in the lead, but Thor and Rumi surely would have been outrageously weird.”

Another sigh from The Crew and The Pack. Time to snooze.

Disa picked up The Dragon Wind Wand.

Cecilia Götherström, December 18th 2020

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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.

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Elsa’s Song, Dec 8th 2021

Nejla sat with her hands wrapped around a fresh cinnamon scented oat milk cappuccino, in what felt like another dimension.

The Crew – her band name for Tuva, Kriya and Starlight – lay sprawled out and curled up between the crackling open fire place and the front door.

The blizzard had quietened down. Now there were just grey, plump clouds dropping snowflakes in a dancing slow motion.

Ricky sat at the sturdy wooden table across from Nejla. How she and The Crew had ended up this close to Pinehome with the train was beyond her comprehension. 

One moment they had been engulfed by the blizzard. Which was not a bad thing. There were few things she loved more than the cold wind and snow touching her cheeks. 

“Embrace! Embrace! Embrace! Align!” had travelled through her mind. As she said the spell out loud she had felt very powerful from within.

Seconds later , the sound of someone whistleing, followed by The Crew howling in reply. A black labrador appeared as the sun broke through the storm making the snow flurry dissipate.

“Dio!”, Nejla could not believe her eyes. “Dio! Where is Ricky?”

“Here!”, Ricky’s voice reached her before she could even see him approaching on skis. “Welcome to Buffalo Land!” He almost fell forwards as he swung his arms up to greet her with a hug which made the skis move backwards. “Soulsister, soulsister. So good to see you.”

“So, what really brought you here this time, sister dear?” Ricky reached for the sugar. He liked his coffee sweet to the point of it being sugar with a bit of coffee.

“The Adventurer. Storulven. Spells.” Nejla shrugged her shoulders. “Not entirely sure, but it’s definitely something to do with those three. And maybe more. I felt, and feel, instructed to take one step at a time, not envisioning anything behind those steps, just listening. I know this was big one. I had some sort of inner knowing telling me I had to go north, in the direction of White Buffalo Land. So, here we are.”

“Here we are”, Ricky echoed. “Listening to the light.”

Cecilia Götherström, December 8th 2021