The day I held a Bald Eagle; Seeking my Power Animal

I've been a few times to the Hawk Conservancy in Weyhill, a fantastic charity who care for a wide variety of birds of prey, including the Great Bustard project, and a host of kites, owls and eagles. You can see birds up close, watch their displays, and even fly a Harris Hawk, but this time I came in search of my power animal.

"Power animals are spirits in animal form who teach, guide, and empower us."

These are the words of Steven Farmer in his book, Animal Spirit Guides, a great resource for finding and connecting with your power animal. They can give you advice on whether to take up an opportunity, such as a job, or provide comfort in times of crisis. I discovered them whilst at Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary, but when I sought a connection was surprised to feel the presence of Eagle, and pushed it away for a time.  I came to restore a connection with Eagle after Farmer's book showed me how much we had in common.

I wandered habitats taking pictures of long-eared owls and hawks before taking a seat outside the Eagle section. I closed my eyes and had a little meditation. It was a blustery day and helped me imagine soaring high above the clouds, and gave me answers to my many questions. I thanked Eagle for his time, and went to watch a display. 

Displays run several times a day with birds who like to soar above the heads of unsuspecting spectators. In previous visits I've had to duck to avoid collisions with vultures! This display was moved to the hide due to the wind, but was no less wonderful. Sweeny Todd, a beautiful snowy owl, flew between her trainers, and a host of black kites snatched food as it was catapulted into the sky. It was spectacular to watch, but things got even better when given given a rare chance to handle Orion, a Bald Eagle.

Our group were asked to wear a thick glove before given a few moments with Orion. I had to duck to avoid his wings as he climbed atop the glove, and I couldn't stop thinking how lucky I was, especially as I came to connect with Eagle, and got to do just that.

After my encounter we explored the newly refurbished restaurant/cafe and bought memorabilia from the gift shop. I got information on volunteering, as giving something back is not only rewarding in itself, but can help you develop a stronger connection with your power animal.

Weekly Walk #2 Danebury Hillfort

This week, I enjoyed the Winter Ales Festival in Manchester, but found time for a short walk around Danebury Hillfort. I started at the top-car park, and enjoyed the stormy view that followed.

I headed into the inner ring and climbed atop the steps...

...and got a few pictures of sheep and ponies before the rain started to fall.

It's a refreshing walk, despite being short, but hopefully I'll get out further next week.

Weekly Walk #1 Between River Anton and Test

Today I tested my new pair of hiking boots on lovely winter stroll across fields near Wherwell and Chilbolton. I enjoyed fine views over the valleys of Anton and Test, and didn't get cold or wet, which is always a plus at this time of year. I didn't get blisters either.

I remembered this walk as it follows part of the disused Sprat and Winkle railway line that once ran between Andover and Redbridge. It was relatively straight forward, and only had one section on a busy road. I used the Hampshire Walks Pathfinder Guide, but already had a vague knowledge of the route. I parked off the A3057 at a car park near Fullerton, and walked quickly as the sun started to set, giving me a lovely red sky view on my return.

All in all the boots did rather well. I slipped up one icy, muddy hill, which was quite fun, and was surprised to have dry socks after wading through a boggy section on Chilbolton Common. Definitely look forward to testing out these bad boys on a more intense hike.

A Life of Pi; Respecting our Animal Friends

I watched a Life of Pi the other day and was reminded of a lesson once taught to me by the director of Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary, a lesson about the way we view animals, and if that view is respectful to them or not. Spoilers below.

A Life of Pi is all about a young boy named Pi who has to fight for his survival when the ship transporting his family and their assortment of animals is sunk in a terrible storm, leaving him stranded in a life boat with the only other survivor; his father’s Bengal Tiger, Richard Parker. It’s a clever set-up, but works on a deeper emotional level due to Pi’s close personal connection with Parker.

Pi views Parker as a friend, and almost loses his arm in the process when he feeds him by hand. His father, a strict science type, reminds him in a cruel lesson that Parker is wild and incapable of friendship. I felt the father was wrong, and wondered if the film would show animals can be our friends in a Disney like way. As the film went on, I realised both father and son were right. Both points of view combine in a valuable lesson.

Parker tries to eat Pi, Pi is rightly petrified and spends half the film outside the boat, and realises he must tame the beast if he is to survive. He succeeds, Parker stops trying to eat Pi, and I think accepts he needs Pi to survive, coming back to the boat when stranded on a floating island, as if waiting for Pi to sail them to land.

Pi’s weakness returns when he exposes Parker to a violent storm to share with him its beauty, leaving the tiger petrified and almost lost to the ocean. It’s when Parker leaves him on reaching land that Pi realises his father was right. The tiger walks off without turning back to say goodbye and he knows he was never his friend.

In a way this is half true. Animals are just that. Animals. We're animals too, but in the end, have fundamental differences. We can’t say hello to a wild tiger and play games with it, sometimes not even with a captive tiger. There are of course pictures we've all seen with owners giving their wild animals cuddles, and it’s fantastic and wonderful, but isn’t always the case, and shouldn’t be all we strive for.

In the final moments, an older Pi explains to a writer listening to his story, that although Parker never looked back, he was sure deep down they had a personal connection. It cannot be proved on a physical level, but it was there. This is where father and son combine in points of view. Pi realises he had a close bond with Parker even though the tiger couldn’t show it in a physical, human way.

The sanctuary's director, Leyton, told me if we demand an animal to be our friend, if we want them to like us so badly that we put ourselves into dangerous situations to be close to them, we put the animal second to our selfish need. This is what Pi does when he feeds Parker by hand. Not only is this disrespectful to the animal by not appreciating it as a wild creature, it is driven out of a selfish desire. Pi learns he can have a close connection with an animal without physically needing anything in return. Certain wolves at Wild Spirit may not lick your hand or want cuddles, but this doesn’t mean we can’t love them, care for them, and possibly feel something on a spiritual level.

The word respect means understanding the nature and power of animals, and being able to care for them without asking for anything back. I believe we can be very close to our animal friends, and if we can do this for them, will get back something that can’t be put into words or reason: a spiritual, loving bond, and a mutual respect for our kind.

Happy New Year! Time to plan my next adventure

It's that time of year when besides making new years resolutions I like to think about what challenges lie ahead. It's been suggested my team from The Three Peaks get together in Inverness and climb the surrounding mountains. I'm very excited as I loved climbing Ben Nevis, but there are other hikes on my radar, and some of those I've listed below as I try to figure out what suggestions I should make to the group.

Gore-Tex National Trail

I heard about this hike at the end of last year and couldn't believe it's length. It's a 470 mile walk along the length of Scotland over some already established paths. A massive achievement if you can do it all, but can be split into various sections and would surely lead to some impressive sights.

Scotland's Munros

According to Munro Bagger.com, there are 282 Munros or mountains in Scotland, and apparently if you can climb them all, you can officially call yourself a Munro bagger. Awesome.

Hadrian's Wall

I'm a bit of a history geek, or more to the point I have a fascination with history and historical sites, and am spoilt for choice in the South-West with many hill forts, such as Old Saurm and Stonehenge on my doorstep. At the other end of the country, I find myself drawn to a coast-to-coast walk along the length of Hadrian's Wall. It apparently takes a week to complete. Definitely on my to do list.

Clarendon Way

I've walked parts of this 24 mile walk between Salisbury and Winchester, stopping by the remains of Clarendon Palace. I think it could be done over two days with a stop over in one of the villages. It certainly looks like fun, passing pubs in Pitton and Broughton before ending at Winchester Cathedral. This would probably make a good warm up hike before meeting with the group for our expedition.

Other walks suggested to me were the Yorkshire Three Peaks for a similar challenge to last year, and various Highland walks, such as a hike of the Angus Glens. I'm anxious to get out and about and hope to report on an outing very soon.