Nature: Red in tooth and claw and blue in feather.


My morning meditation was interrupted by a sudden thumping sound. 

 My mind said:
- Just ignore it. Keep observing the breath.

 My other mind said:
- Yeah, but I wonder what it was?

 The thump came again, and after a few seconds there was another thump.

 - What is it?
- Shut up – observe the breath. Don’t give in to distraction.
- But there it is again. And again. I’m going to open my eyes and look.
- Don’t open your eyes, just stay with the breath. Be aware there is a repetitive thumping sound, but don’t give it any attention. Stay with the breath. Just the breath.
- Okay. Just the breath. The breath. Oh hell there it is again. I don’t care, I’m curious, it’s just the way I am. I’m opening my eyes.

 I looked out the window and in the dawn light I saw the source of the thumping sound. A kingfisher was perched upon the electric wire that leads to the house. It’s a thick wire, finger thick. The kingfisher had something in its beak. 

 Every few seconds it would lean back and then slam whatever was in its beak down against the wire. The vibration travelled through the wire and echoed in the structure of the little wooden house. I peered out, trying to see what it was holding. Perhaps a snail whose shell it was trying to break. 

 Then I saw the legs. Two little legs and the back end of a frog protruded from the beak. The legs were moving, pumping frantically against the air. Slam, thump. Slam, thump. Slam, thump. The legs finally stopped moving and the kingfisher flew away. 

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Marc

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