Non-Human Mammals; The Other 98%

Learning things like this pull my heart into millions of pieces that each fit into its own emotional cell; so many emotions that have no name.

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It made me laugh the other day when someone said in conversation, "animals don't feel things; it's just a chemical reaction to stimulus."

I laughed incredulously because I was wondering what they thought THEIR reactions to things were if not chemical; could it be we are made of some other non-fleshy substance--silicone, kryptonite?

The reason we are all called "mammals," is because we share many qualities of Nature and react in similar fashion. When one spends any amount of time in Nature, or around animals in general, she will discover more and more similarities that we share with them.

This brings me to the point that while humans have a way of extending their desires and goals to insatiable and infinite destinations--whereas most other species do not--our feelings and desires emanate from the same kind of genetic interactions that animals have. And the truth is, yes they have them, and even more importantly, a mother's love is a powerful thing regardless of whether you have two legs or four.

The purpose of this knowledge then is to understand that a mother of another species is driven just as we are to insure the survival of her young, to protect it as best as she can, and to love it as much, or more than she loves herself and THIS truth is embedded within us all, our genetic make-up insists upon it.

This kind of knowledge should evoke a rush of mercy from our hearts, a call to protect the most vulnerable in our world: those who have no voice. So many sages we have known throughout history have called on humanity to rise to the call of "honorable stewardship" of the world around us.

So far the "dominion" of others has carried a mendacious burden of cruelty, indifference, and anything BUT the humanity we all believe we embody through our saints and messiahs.

Researchers Find That Wild Donkeys and Horses Dig Desert Watering Holes Vital For Entire Ecosystem Performing a function not seen in the Sonoran since the Ice Age, wild donkeys and horses, dig wells which desert animals drink from.

Something we never see in person! So cool!

Fifty-five bald eagles in one tree, by the Nooksack River in Washington state. Photo: Chuck Hilliard of Light Of The Moon Photography www.awaken.com

Somethings are too sweet for words; this is one of them. Touching to tears.

I saw this movie the other night and cried. Of course I cried; it taught me another reason to cherish all the creatures of this beautiful and unique planet.

I watched because I wanted to learn what the Octopus was willing to teach. I wanted to understand them better and cheer for their survival...and for this I cried. For the joy of it's life, for the bitter sweet way in which it ends. For its short life, about a year if it's lucky, and what she gives to her babies so that some of them will survive.

Somewhere in the dark privacy of the mysterious ocean, the reptilian complex works its magic and its horrors. And sometimes we are the beneficiaries of those who are willing to explore the region for the sake of broadening our horizons, teaching us the value of compassion; compassion to others as well as to ourselves.

I highly recommend:

MY OCTOPUS TEACHER

It may change you, if you are willing to be changed for the better.

Another post about the value of horses. The last lines: "In short, horses take us to the location of the divine mystery...the possibilities are infinite and eternal."

So true; they give us all they have, all they are, and we, as humans often do, use and discard. Right now, the Bureau of Land Management, of the Department of the Interior, are rounding up America's wild horses and burros and sending them to slaughter via kill buyers.

As Pythagoras said, as long as men kill animals, they will always engage in war and there will never be peace. Horses are the peace we seek, standing right in front of us, speaking to us in a language older than homo sapiens; one that we have left in the dust of our arrogance that we are somehow apart from, and better than other mammals, other lives---even apart from Nature itself and we wield Dominion over it all.

It's just not true. We are a part of everything that lives. And the horse is our connection to it all.

Humans sometimes forget that we never fight any of our battles alone. And as men and women are often drafted into duty, so are the animals drafted into duty they have absolutely zero understanding of, duty that compels them to act in ways unnatural to them, and puts them in situations they cannot fathom or survive.

Even so, they are as heroic as the men and women who fight for causes they believe in; they do our bidding because we have asked them to, and that is the only reason.

God bless the beasts and children of war, many of whom have become its tenderest casualties but not before acting heroic to protect us.

Sgt Reckless; RIP with angels and your comrades, in the tens of millions, who also fought. May humans someday learn the art of peace as well as they know the art of war.

There are times in life when reading about courage from a horse will touch you to your soul. This story touched us like that and we wanted to share with you.

Life Magazine named the filly in the photo as one of the Top 100 Heroes in American History.

She was a former Korean race horse who was purchased by a Marine at a Seoul race track in 1953 for $250, and she served in the Korean War with such distinction she was awarded the rank of Staff
Sergeant USMC. Her name would become SSgt Reckless.

One of her battles….the Battle of Vegas was hopeless. Chinese troops outnumbered the 2nd Battalion of the 5th Marines by ten to one. It seemed there was no chance for a victory other than to withdraw the Marines and regroup for a counter attack, but the troops at Vegas were nearly cut off. Escape was almost impossible.

The Battalion determined the best tactic for escape was to protect the movements of the Marines with cover fire, and a heavy “wall of fire” was to be provided by launching continuous rounds from recoilless rifles…otherwise known as reckless rifles. High ground was chosen for the gun placements, but the needed ammunition was heavy. The rugged winding trails leading to their placements were 45 degrees up-hill. Supplying ammo would be difficult, but constant re-arming of the guns was needed in order for the plan to succeed. The “wall of fire” could not stop until the Marines were safe.

Reckless had been trained to supply these “reckless rifles” on the front lines with ammo while avoiding enemy fire as much as possible. Her learning had been swift, and she did her task without assistance from a human.

The battle lasted for five days. In one 24 hour period alone, while under heavy fire, the little sorrel mare made over fifty trips up the rugged winding trails of the forty-five degree hill. On that day she traveled over 35 miles, and carried more than 4 tons of ammo to the gun emplacements with no human assistance. She stopped only once: to put herself between three trapped Marines and enemy fire while “shielding” them to safety. Twice wounded, she was undaunted. She knew the importance of her task, and every Marine in the Battalion knew it, too. They gave her water and food, and cleaned blood from her eyes as she passed them by.

In the end the plan worked, and constant fire never ceased. The fire curtain held, and protected the Marines as they regrouped, and then re-took the territory. The battle was won.

At the end of the battle, Sgt Reckless was given a rub down and special treats. She drank water, beer, and soda from the helmets of grateful Marines. The next day she awoke with lameness. She walked around constantly until the limp went away. After she “shook it off,” she returned to the munitions depot on her own accord….ready to carry ammo up the hill again. It’s what she wanted to do. There would be other battles to fight….this had been just one of many.

On November 10, 1960 she was given the rank of Staff Sergeant, USMC in a ceremony held for her at her Camp Pendleton, Ca. home. In attendance at the ceremony were her comrades in arms from Korea, her two foals whom she had given to the United States Marines and Marine Corp Commandant Gen Randolph Pate whom had fought side by side with her in Korea. Gen. Pate personally presented the stripes to her.

In May of 1968 SSgt Reckless, USMC died. Please never forget her…..and don’t let history forget her, either.

The comfort that mama sheep bring to each other. We just aren't looking at others the way we look at ourselves. ALL MOTHERS WEEP FOR THEIR BABIES.

Animals live in the moment; that is the only difference. They FEEL in that moment, the intensity of emotions that all mammals do, including humans.

Time to step out of the darkness of our arrogance, and into the light of the Garden.

"Sad night last night but today is a brighter day. The ewe (female sheep) on the left lambed a stillborn and we were unable to resuscitate it. She cried most of the night longing for her lamb after we removed it.

The ewe on the right lambed twins last week, though they were very small. It seems that today she has given one of her twins to the grieving mother to raise as her own. This is a photo of them together with their new children."

Credit: Bishop Family Farm