I am sorry that I have not written a post in so long. My journey of writing my first book Mystical Animals of Ancient Oak is really the story of my life. It is a story of finding healing with a mother who recovered from years of alcoholism, and the great awakening into nature that soon blossomed. How thosetwilight walks around South Valley Park brought great joy and inspiration to my soul. Why was that flightless duck I came to name Mr. Drake so important? He symbolized the essence of what people so often tread over in their daily lives. I had not visited South Valley Park in years and recently had an emotional visit there. No matter how old I get those days will always be the most important times of transition. Everyone needs to stop and re-connect with a special place in nature. Take time to unplug from all the fear around the Covid Virus. Find somewhere to honor and protect so that it will be there for future generations.

This evening I have a happy animal story to share. My friend Beth Kaufman (comedienne and book author), was at a shopping center when she saw cars stopped in the parking lot. She got out to see if there was an accident. It turned out that there was a pond in the parking lot and a mother duck was parading her ducklings across the parking lot. Fortunately, no one honked! And the ducks made there way safely! This is a great example of the importance of slowing down and stopping for wildlife. Thanks to the drivers who all care enough to stop.

COPYRIGHT JUNE 2020 – CYNTHIA FAIN

Last week we had another cat abandonment on our property. One of the tenants here saw a small white pick up truck stop and drop off a grey cat and two white kittens at the base of our driveway. The tenant who lives here ran to get the license tag and hopefully report this to the police but the car sped off too fast. I am keeping my eyes out for the cats. They ran towards our neighbor’s house right on Route 522 at the corner of the highway. This is a criminal and sadistic act. People need to STOP acting like cats are exependalbe and can be thrown out on the road. I hope the cat and her kittens don’t get hit on the highway. I am praying I see the cats and can get some food and water to them before they perish. And I would like to thank the cat rescue organization Rapp Cats! They are one of the cat rescue groups that contributes major humane support to Rappahannock County’s lost and abandoned cats. Panda the cat that was abandoned here last fall was on the list for Rapp Cats and he is now in their shelter awaiting an adoption family!

COPYRIGHT MARCH 2019 – CYNTHIA FAIN

I want to address our human indifference to all the animals that are killed every year by automobiles. Every time that I drive by any animal that has been hit and killed by a car or truck – I always say a prayer for that animal. Today I drove by a deer lying on the side of the road on Route 522 in Culpeper, VA. She was probably hit today. I looked at her glazed eyes and crumpled legs and thought that is time for people to recognize that these animals have very important lives! They are not just in our way as we hurry down the road. If people would slow down and honor life as much as they do speeding – far less wildlife and people would be hit and killed on our roads. I really hope that people will learn to see these animals that die on our roads as something much more important than “road kill”. So please share this message to spread the word that animals lives are sacred.

COPYRIGHT JANUARY 2019 – CYNTHIA FAIN

Tonight I am writing about the issue that I have worked on for years – the severe violence and mistreatment of deer. Why are the deer blamed for being over populated? Isn’t it humans that are over running the planet and causing most of the environmental crisis that we face? Why is it ok that people take over the meadows and forests, and then push out wildlif?. And then when deer show up in their yard – they want them killed! I am afraid that we are becoming .a very materialistic – techno enthusiastic species that is tragically losing our ability to truly understand nature. Nature is not something to kill in order to control to human’s satisfaction. Every time I see a wild animal killed on the road I take a moment to remember that that animal’s life held meaning. So the next time someone complains about the deer – stop and ask them about all the things humans do to make deer and other wild animals miserable. Maybe it is time to do something to honor the deer.

COPYRIGHT JANUARY 2019 – CYNTHIA FAIN

Tonight I want to discuss the importance of slowing down for wildlife, and of course people, when driving. It seems we live in a time when people are super aggressive and oblivious when driving. Animals hit and killed on the road are not just a normal casualty of our driving. The carnage we leave on the roads is ignorant and unacceptable. So often people tell me that there is nothing they can do to avoid wildlife. That is definitely NOT true. The first thing you have to do is make a top priority of staying alert, especially at night driving through wooded areas. Make it a priority to drive with the attitude of saving a life. Often I see families of raccoons that have all been hit when traveling together. And far too often I have seen injured deer dragging themselves off the road. We have to change our attitudes and hearts about wildife road fatalities and make a much stronger effort to make the road a safe place for people as well as animals. I don’t know how or why it became an acceptable part of driving that we ignore the needs and rights of other species that need to cross the road. We also could do a lot better by building more under passes that provide safe passage for animals. What suggestions do you have for creating a more humane world?

COPYRIGHT JANAURY 2019 – CYNTHIA FAIN

Opening the Heart

Through
The Sacred Path of Animals & Nature

 “Mystical Animals of Ancient Oak” Workshop

Presented By Cynthia Fain

Author of Mystical Animals of Ancient Oak

http://www.MysticalAnimalsofAncientOak.com

Saturday September 22nd, 2018

2pm -6pm

Sugar Loaf Unitarian Church

Class is held in the Meadow Room

16913 Germantown Road Germantown, MD 20874

Pre Registration is Required

Call – 301-807-7384

Email – CynthiaAFain@aol.com

Sliding Scale Fee – $25.00 – $35.00

Class Description –

• An exploration of the healing powers of animals and nature. How nature helps us emotionally heal.
• Powers of Observation of nature and how they are being lost in the era of technology.
• Building a non- violent and compassionate world for wildlife.
• Nature Walk and capturing nature spirits on camera.
• Animals as unexpected teachers – Wally Magician
• Closing Circle

It never ceases to amaze me how many barbaric practices are committed on factory farms. We have male baby chickens that are being ground up alive. Baby pigs have their heads smashed against pavement to kill them. Calves are kept in solitary confinement and taken away from their mother’s shortly after birth. Mother pigs live in tiny prisons called gestation crates. Pigs are boiled alive before being slaughtered. Poultry are also boiled alive and have their throats slit while fully conscious.

If these realities horrify you = they should! I encourage everyone to take a deep look at what is on their plate and to do some research into what goes on before you eat it. When I was a child I never wanted to eat meat. Now I know why.

We need to out law all these factory farming practices. What kind of species are we if we can sit back and let this go on?

What are your thoughts on these common factory farming practices? How can we stop this? I became vegetarian in the early 1980’s after learning about these things.