Discover Challenge: Open-Minded

Open-mindedness and mindfulness are themes which have been running through many of the stories, poems and haiku on this blog and today was another example of the blessings they can bring.

Those of you who saw my post ‘Haiku: Witness To The Magic‘ in response to the Daily Prompt ‘Witness’ will have read the following haiku:

mountain forest
mindfulness carries witness
to all the magic

© Xenia Tran

The haiku is accompanied by a photograph of Eivor and Pearl watching a bird of prey glide by. I did not mention in the original post what they were watching because I am not sure what kind of bird it was. Sighthounds have much better eyesight than humans and I was also partly blinded by the direction of the light. All I could see was a dark outline and to me it looked the size of a peregrine falcon. It was clear to me though, that it was a large bird of prey and that it had spotted potential prey.

Earlier today Denis from Haiku Hound commented on the post and after I told him what kind of bird I thought the whippets were watching he replied: ‘Hunters watching a hunter, there may be a haiku there Xenia?’

I looked at the photograph again and remembered I had taken two others at the same time. I had not used them for the original post but thankfully not deleted them either.

P1080394 ww

This is the first photograph in the sequence. We are energetically connected as a pack and when the whippets notice something I notice them noticing, even though I may not be able to see what they can see.

P1080396 ww

This is the second photograph in the sequence. Eivor is still watching the bird of prey and Pearl has now hardened her stance and her stare and is looking further down to see what potential prey the bird has spotted. This is when the haiku, encouraged by Denis and prompted by revisiting the moment, came:

awoken falcon
gliding on a promise
hunters understand

© Xenia Tran

The third photograph in the sequence is the photograph I posted four days ago with the first haiku.

two whippets in mountain forest.

They are now both watching the bird again.

I am very grateful for Denis and his encouragement to capture another part of this moment in a new haiku.

I am very grateful for all the comments and feedback I receive from fellow bloggers and followers and for all the wonderful photographs, poems and stories they share. Fresh perspectives are always a doorway to new understandings and deeper knowing and for that I thank you all.

Earlier this month I posted ‘Haiku: A Change In The Wind‘ and perhaps this is a nice haiku to end this post with:

a change in the wind
can carry many blessings
to an open mind

© Xenia Tran

With much love to you all,

Xenia xxx

Photographs taken by Xenia Tran, unedited.

Camera: Lumix Panasonic FZ38, setting: Outdoor Action.

Daily Post Discover Challenge: Open-Minded

Author: whippetwisdom

The stories, poems and photographs on this blog are the original creative work of Xenia Tran. Inspired by life in the Scottish Highlands and in awe of nature she gives voice to the wisdom of her adopted and fostered whippets.

41 thoughts on “Discover Challenge: Open-Minded”

  4. This entry reminded of flip books. If you look at the photos quickly in sequence, you can almost see Pearl and Eivor turn their heads to follow the bird. Such great photos; such wonderful subjects. I do love your posts, Xenia.

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    1. Thank you so much dear Lois and you are right, some of their photographs would make for a good flip-book! I really appreciate your kind words and your visits and I love reading your posts, both the poignant and the very funny ones :o) Much love to you from all of us here xxx

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  6. Glad you were able to reflect and capture the poignance of that moment. Peregrine falcons are smaller of body, very sleek. They use their speed to generate force when they collide with prey.

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    1. Thank you Michael, it was a true gift as I already felt so blessed and was unaware it could become even more poignant. We sometimes see these birds on the coast as well, trying to steel seagull chicks from their nest. The community of adult gulls come together as one and chase them away.

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      2. I love how the gulls collectively raise their young and look out for each other. So much inspiration in nature we are all blessed to witness. Thank you for stopping by Michael and for your kind words, as always. Have a great rest of the day :o)

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  7. Oh this is a beautiful post! Love your explanation of the creative process, wonderful words and photos of Pearl and Eivor too : )xxx

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    1. Thank you so much Tippy’s Mom! We are very tuned in to each other energetically and it makes us see so much more than we would normally see. Thank you for stopping by and much love to you and Tippy xxx

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  12. Haiku Poem about first picture of dogs.

    Had just arrived to

    Look around to see raccoon

    Run fast from big bear

    haiku poem about 2nd picture of dogs

    Was real amazed thus

    Seeing how raccoon outran

    Bear saving himself

    haiku poem about 3rd picture

    Just merely observe

    noticing what had happened

    Still standing around

    M. Brown

    ________________________________

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    1. Thank you so much for your Haiku Poem Meshelle! It is very poignant that you write about a bear because conservationists are very keen to re-introduce them to the Highlands. Thank you for stopping by and much love to you xxx

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  13. Well captured,it left me stunned after reading. Still can’t phantom the wisdom of animals and their ability to see beneath it all. Speechless Xenia…More Grace to you and them.

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words dear Whitney. We are learning so much from the whippets and they have opened our eyes to nature in a completely new way. Thank you for stopping by and blessings to you xxx

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    1. Thank you Denis, I am so grateful you encouraged me to look for a second haiku to land in our world. This experience has also taught me to revisit other moments and look at them with fresh eyes and an open heart. Thank you again and many blessings to you xxx

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  15. Pingback: Haiku: Witness To The Magic – whippetwisdom.com

  16. Your writing is beautiful. Our whippet, Remy, gives sight hounds a bad name with his lack of spotting! We’ll get really close to squirrels and they have plenty of time to run away before he spots them! Then he looks so irritated when he spots them too late!

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