Watching self stitch a Cloth called Shelter. as I shelter in this modest home, but in comparison, luxurious. Shelter. Shelter and Safe are close sisters. Safe meaning many things. For some, Safe could mean familiar. Something you
Know. that is reliable. always stays the same.
so while vast numbers of human beings .............immigrate.........here, my thoughts are about the coming winter. Evan, the wood guy, the young man with his 4 year old son along, brought the rest of the wood tonight.
Just behind Chinche is Tay's crate. It's 30inches high, 42 long, 27 1/2 wide. A Big crate. But it was what she knew when she came here. Since a puppy, her crate had been Her Space. Dorothy, the Animal Shelter person who raised her up till she came here, had her sleep in this crate. Had her go to her crate for her meals. The crate is Tay's space and she understands it as such.
In the beginning, when she was being rowdy and didn't understand things, i would say
HOUSE!
and she would rush into the crate and take a time out. We haven't done that in a long time now. We have come to understand each other and there is no need. But still...the crate has been where her bowl is and in the morning and evening she eats in her crate. Chinche has a bowl in the kitchen, around the corner from Tay and her crate.
At first, the crate seemed incredibly Intrusive in this small space of my Shelter. Pushed up against the futon couch. Just next to the front door. Last year i brought that wooden box inside for stove wood. Further squashing up space...it was even more between the door and the crate. Also only allowed for a minimum of wood inside at any time.
From a Different Point of View, the crate HAS served other purposes. It's where stuff sits that will be taken to the Libray. Where the basket is that hold my work gloves, the dog brush, and little things that need to go out to the Albatross...wire and stuff. Sometimes, like today, when i've done laundry, the laundry basket, till i take it to hang on the line.
She no longer sleeps in it. All summer she has chosen to sleep outside. Most likely, when it becomes colder, that will change? I don't know. It's up to her. But
i'm thinking,.....do we need the crate any more? If i took it apart, she can sleep anywhere. Inside or out. I could choose a designated place for her to eat. Put her bowl there. Over time it would be ok.
But............What might that mean to her, in terms of Shelter...in terms of her own Safe Space? Her own Personal Space.? I think.
LATER
Goats won't come through the Corridor because of the New Wood which is just outside their Cooridor, really no problem but for them such a CHANGE...all that Wood piled up along their fence, so i go out and go In to the middle pen and call them and they come rushing and i scratch and love them up, being sure, Each One, even the ones that won't let me touch them....Arctica, Karma, Just Going, even them...tho they won't let me, they like it that i keep trying and they can still say NO!...so this....and more and more i think about Shelter...how Shelter says we are ok. About how much i would wish this for every sentient being on this planet, that we are just OK. Not a Lot, but just ok is enough and what is ok and what is enough and i think and the Goats are in and out of their Albatross which is really MORE than many human beings have tonight...it's dry. it's Safe.
