Copyright – Photograph taken by Cynthia Fain June 1998

Tonight I am writing from a very magical place called Raphine, Virginia in Rockbridge County. Imbued with primordial ambiance, this area sits nestled between the Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains, where clean air and crystal blue skies abound. Woodlands, meadows and farms surround us and song bird melodies fill the air.

As the sunsets, a pink glow hovers over the mountains, and the creatures of the night emerge from their hidden realms. Darting fireflies create a grand illumination streaking through the woods while opossums forage for food and coyotes journey on their nightly prowl.

Prior to my time in Virginia, I had been a lifelong Montgomery County Maryland resident. A new era began for me in late 2010 when I moved to a cottage in Rappahannock County Virginia. Every morning was filled with magic, as I headed out to the forest and followed the trail to the creek. What an enchanted way to live, among nature and the foothills.

My plan  to have a one year hiatus, turned into a twelve year journey through the Blue Ridge of Virginia. My adventures wove through Rappahannock County, Rockbridge County, Charlottesville, Virginia and finally off to Culpeper, Virginia. Throughout the years in Virginia, I reflected back to one of the most memorable times in my life, in the community of Ancient Oak in Darnestown, MD. The healing spirit that Ancient Oak brought me was not lost throughout the challenges of time.

I will never forget my mother and I taking our first exciting drive to the Ancient Oak neighborhood. It was the summer of 1996 and we had suffered through too many years in a condo with noisy neighbors. As soon as we turned onto Chestnut Oak Drive, charming houses with large meadows and trees, evoked a feeling of an era which has sadly vanished.

Neighborhoods with meadows, forests and ponds have tragically been destroyed by cookie cutter – high density housing. Every time a new neighborhood is built – more wild places that once harbored song birds, deer, creeks and trees – are turned into a sterile universe. Where are the magical places for people to explore? Why does everything have to turn to concrete, technology and huge overpriced houses?

Mystical Animals of Ancient Oak, my first book (currently being edited for re-publishing) captured the stories of the animals and birds that lived in our yard and defined the root of our experience. Every day the squirrels, birds, chipmunks, raccoons, ground hogs and deer created a tapestry of stories that brought meaning, joy and healing to my life. Whether it was Black Matriarch Squirrel boldly chasing the other squirrels away, Old Timer in his great last climb up the oak tree, or Neighborhood Bully the feisty orange tabby cat patrolling our yard, each day was a magical unfolding.

In today’s world of lifeless developments, where are the adventurous green places to explore? People are so fascinated by technology such as apps, iPhones, lap tops and artificial intelligence – we need more emphasis on the importance of nature.

As the suburbs turned into these cloned subdivisions – people became totally disconnected from wildlife. The deer have taken an insane amount of violence and hatred. All these people complaining about wanting all the deer killed – they are sitting on what was once the deer’s home, trails, and food source. I have never understood all this displaced anger on the deer. Every time we drive our cars, we are driving on what was once earth. We cannot imagine how a huge highway might have once been a forest, because all we see is our world of conveniences.

Whenever I see any animal that has been hit and killed on the roads, I always say a prayer. We may never know the amount of suffering caused to the animal kingdom by our driving and hitting all these animals. They too had their daily lives, and missions that tragically were cut short.

My message here is that our daily lives need to be more intertwined with a deep seated awareness of how much we need to give back to the planet and the creatures. Living in the Blue Ridge, nature is always around you; whether it is the mountains, the forests or farms. But upon returning to the suburbs, the air pollution, traffic, and concrete jungle are the challenges we face.

The stories of our time in Ancient Oak are profoundly important reminders of what we stand to lose if we do not take compassionate, focused care of the planet and her creatures. Finding the power and importance of the animals and their stories is a monumental key to preserving and restoring our environment – for humanity and well as the animals.

Always travel through your day with the awareness of the preciousness of all of life. Learn to see the stories in all the animals around you. Nature is asking us to step back into awareness, compassion and reconnection with her cycles. May everyday be a mystical journey with an abundance of nature and adventures.

Copyright – Cynthia Fain – July 23, 2024