Friday, June 15, 2012

Newsletter - 6/15/12



Hello Dear Friends!

© Donna L. Watkins - Doe and Newly Birthed Fawn
Click For Closeup and More Photos
One of the most exciting events since the last newsletter is that we had a doe birth a fawn in our front yard habitat. How magnificent! A friend who is a painter was painting the front door and told me earlier there was a deer in the yard. We're used to seeing them, but they are always special to me, never considered a common sight. I talked with her and she just looked at me and then I went inside.

Later Cindy, my friend, called me again and told me she had a fawn with her. I went for the camera and noticed in the zoom that she was being very detailed at licking the fawn's entire body while the fawn was nursing. When the fawn moved a bit and was wobbly, I thought to myself that the doe must have just birthed that fawn. Mentioning it to my friend, she said that she heard a couple of grunts but didn't look around, figuring the deer was just concerned about her working on the front porch.

When she did look, she saw the fawn and called me. I got some photos and did try for a video but it's a new camera (new to me, generously provided by a wonderful wildlife friend) and the video is choppy since it's a manual zoom feature, but you can still see the mama cleaning the fawn and the fawn nursing.  View Video of Doe and Fawn.  View More Photos of Doe and Fawn.

Speaking of painting the front door. We have a Paper Wasp nest to the right of the door, so I was concerned that Cindy might be allergic to bees and wasps or simply afraid of them as many people are, but when I called to check on that, she informed me she wasn't allergic as is commonly known, but she does swell up if she's bitten. Yet, she had no problem working with them there as long as they allowed her to. Since the nest is on one of the sidelights to the door it would be impossible to paint that area, but I can do that later when they're finished with the mothering process.
© Donna L. Watkins - Paper Wasp Nest With Varying
Stages of Larvae Growth - Click photo for better view.

We have paper wasps every year at our place and consider ourselves blessed since they are beneficial insects. Getting to know the good guys in your garden and habitat is nice since they save you a lot of grief in plant damage. As you can see from this 2007 article: Living With Beneficial Paper Wasps, they have nested before in the same spot.

One year they attached their nest to the plastic insulation strip at the top of the door between the frame and door. Obviously every time we would open the door they would be alarmed and fly off the nest and probably into the house. Makes for a lot of work capturing them and getting them outside again, so I moved the nest. I carefully took it off with the little attachment they build it on and super-glued it to the lamp to the left of the door. They didn't seem to mind since they stayed for the summer making little baby paper wasps.

It's been real quiet around our home. Randal left last weekend for 18 days in Oklahoma City. It's an annual trip he makes to visit his family and do some gardening and things for his parents who are now in the 80's. He enjoys every minute of it except for the part of us missing each other. But being an only child, I do enjoy alone time. I would like to have it spaced out through the year though instead of in one big chunk. It's been great God time and the weather has been nice.

Family was concerned about him going with me still battling this heart issue, but we have wonderful neighbors and friends who have offered to do anything and I am so much better I've not found anything I need help with. I'm rather independent but I will ask for help if I need it. It's been a week and all is well.

My friend, Kathy, across the street switched to a vegan diet a couple of months ago and makes all kinds of wonderful recipes and she's been sharing them with me now and then. Yum! She's an excellent cook and although she doesn't like everything she makes since she says her taste buds haven't changed yet (she said it takes 90 days), I think it's all terrific and delicious! I tend to forget about all the eating I need to do when Randal isn't here to remind me.

© Donna L. Watkins - Darcie & Ruby,
A Red-tailed Hawk - The Wildlife Center Event
On the day that Randal left for Oklahoma, I had plans to attend an event with Kathy for The Wildlife Center of Virginia. This is the place we take any injured birds or animals. It's about 45 minutes away and we feel so blessed to be able to have a great rehab place that close. They are actually an international teaching hospital for veterinarians who want to know more about working with wildlife.

The event was on top of the mountains at Carter Mountain Orchards. We get apples and peaches there and more recently they have planted grapes and there was a vineyard sponsoring this event. My friend likes wine, I like wildlife, so it was a great fit! When we arrived there were two hot air balloons visible over near the Blue Ridge Mountains, so that was a nice greeting and since it was in the evening we watched the sun set behind the Blue Ridge Mountains. Lovely evening!

We got up close and personal views of some of their education raptors. When a bird is injured too greatly to be released back into the wild, it is often trained for education. They become wildlife ambassadors so children and adults can learn more about wild birds and how to help them. View the photo album of the event.

I mentioned I would report on using the Yarrow for the breathing problems, since I was considering the problem might be pleurisy since "pleural effusions" were part of the diagnosis given initially, and Yarrow has been historically used for that. My report is not good since I still have times of not being able to breathe well, but it doesn't take my energy away.

© Ken Bushell - Lily of the Valley
See more of Ken's beautiful photos
I began a new herbal formula for the heart to continue rebuilding.  It's called Lily of the Valley & Blessed Thistle. The information on it said it actually healed heart valves, even the large mitral valve. Here's some excerpts about this formula:

Indications For Use:
arrhythmia, congestive heart failure, edema of cardiac origin, cardiac asthma, heart valve repair

Therapeutics and Pharmacology:
Tailor-made for serious heart problems that look hopeless. Relieves fluid build-up around the heart; specialist at repairing heart valves, including the large mitral valve. Delivers oxygen to oxygen-starved heart and brain, repairs blood vessels, improves memory. It increases myocardial efficiency and stroke volume without putting extra demands on coronary supply, and reduces excessive irritability of the myocardium.

The whole plant appears to be more gradual in its effect than isolated digitalis glycosides, but produces comparable effects with a smaller dose. The active cardiac glycosides are released sequentially rather than all together and are readily excreted by the kidneys, thus avoiding toxic buildup. The flavonoids encourage the arteries to dilate while the asparagin acts as a diuretic. It may be used in the treatment of heart failure and water retention where this is associated with the heart. No harm has been known to occur from taking it in full and frequent doses, it being preferable in this respect to Digitalis, which is apt to accumulate in the blood with poisonous results.


That may be more technical than you may want, but I think there are others out there that may want the detailed information. You can Google for more, of course.

Surely you can see why I would be excited. It totally fits the bill and I definitely have faith in God's power within the herbal kingdom. I've had more energy and I notice I can bend over (like to empty bottom of the dishwasher or put the pet dish up and down) without feeling like my heart flips out. It's obviously made gardening easier too! Many gradual improvements, so I'm trying to be patient with the progressive healing and the breathing challenge, although I'd like for it all to totally heal tonight while I am sleeping.  What a dream to have!

© Donna L. Watkins - Blue Ridge Mountain Sunset
View more Blue Ridge photos here.

I'd like to be able to shout Acts 3:16: "By faith in the name of Jesus, this woman whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed her, as you can all see."

Divine health is my prayer and getting out all of the doubt and unbelief is my goal. We all have enough faith for what we need since Jesus said it can be as small as a grain of mustard seed. And the Bible tells us we've all been given a measure of faith. So faith isn't the issue ... the doubt and unbelief stored up from our physical senses is what tips the scales in the other direction. But God works with us where our faith level has less doubt and unbelief, and I'm grateful for that.

I wrote an article called, "How Does God Heal?" that has some wise words from my friend, Mary, in it.  She's been a faithful prayer warrior from the onset of this health challenge and I treasure her words.  I also asked others to share their healing journeys, so be sure to add yours in the comments section.

All of our "new creation" package was downloaded to our spirit. God relates to us spirit to spirit, so we have to get to where the soul (our flesh and emotions) choose the things of the spirit, so that our bodies can reflect that choice. Since God is a Spirit and we in our physical state cannot see Him, hear Him, touch Him, we must communicate with Him through our spirits. He speaks to us through the Bible. In a miraculous way the Bible speaks to each of us according to our need. Its truths apply across generations, across cultures, across all life experience. It's a book beyond books and definitely created by God as much as our natural world is.

© Donna L. Watkins - Front Yard Garden
Our natural world here has had frequent rains to keep the gardens well watered.  We have native plants so we don't water any more since they're established, but getting rainwater on a regular basis will get things to growing fast.  That's great for the flowers, but it keeps me busy pruning the bushes.  I don't use a hedge-trimmer since I want them to look natural, so every snip is done one at a time.  But it's a great time to be praising God for all the beautiful things He has made.

The hummingbirds are very happy for the front garden which contains the flowers they love.  Black and Blue Salvia and red Bee Balm.  There's also some purple Upright Verbena that the birds dropped in years ago.  Butterflies and bees enjoy that.

I hope you're taking the time to be outdoors and view all that God has given us not only for pleasure, but to know Him through what He has created.  It's certainly healing.  I can feel every cell of my body smile when I sit on the chaise on our screened porch.

Enjoy life!  Every moment is precious and full of many blessings!
Donna

P.S.  If you enjoy this newsletter and The Nature In Us website ... share it with somebody else!  Maybe you know of somebody who needs something in this issue.  Thanks!


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written by Donna

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The photo(s) and article are copyrighted. You may use either of them if you include the following credit and active link back to this website: © 2012 Donna L. Watkins - This article was reprinted with permission from TheNatureInUs.com. The link to use is: www.TheNatureInUs.com.

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