In the morning, I was cutting high grass in the old way. The first cut this year. I like the stillness, the swing: active meditation. I felt peace. I tuned in with Global Earth Exchange Day. I felt love and compassion. In the afternoon, I walked over the meadows towards the forest thanking for the healing that has already happened at a wounded place. I recalled the heartbreaking experience I had two years ago caused by lack of cooperation with nature. On a beautiful day, my neighbour with his monstrous machines racing over the meadow caused a tragedy. I became a witness as I saw mother deer jumping in huge leaps from far almost like flying to her fawn’s place. Alarmed and in fury, I was running waving my arms and shouting—but too late. There we were standing in shock, mother deer and myself, looking to the heavily injured fawn. My neighbour was in pain as he saw what he had done. With tears in his eyes he blamed the deer: “They know that the grass is being cut every year at this time, why can’t they choose another place to give birth to their fawns.” “They have been living on the planet much longer than we do, this is their way just as creator has foreseen it for them,” I replied quietly. Earlier he used to practise the old way, he said. Two days before mowing, he would walk through the grass watching out for fawns, and placing poles to which noise-making items were attached for warning. The deer would come at night to take their fawns into the forest. We arranged that I would walk through the meadows before he was going to mow. So now they are safe, and I was happy to watch two deer mothers and three fawns this year. I felt happy.

I entered the forest. Last winter the air was screaming from the noisy chain saws. Clear-cuts were left behind in exchange for the high price for wood. What used to be my favourite walking area is devastated. Feeling deep regret about the loss, I sat down in the middle of leftovers, looking around and listening. The birds were singing anyway, fern was growing anew, baby trees started their lifepath nevertheless, the wind was whispering like ever, the sun was shining as always, the typical perfume was still there. “That’s the natural cycle of life on earth.” Nature said. “Eternal change of existence.” I sang “Heya Heya Pacha Mama”. My voice sounded sadly. More and more a feeling of relief and joy tuned in knowing that life will be reborn and will always continue. At this moment, I became aware of how many fir cones were lying around me, and I knew instantly that my Radical Joy Bird wants to evolve from these. “The seeds will fall on the ground and new trees will grow”, my heart said, “that’s life”. On my way back, mother deer and her two healthy fawns were having dinner at the rim between forest and meadows. A young fox was sneaking around in the fresh hay looking for mice. I was back in paradise.