Animal Encounters

THE BOOK OF CHANGE: Messages from the Wise Ones

October, 1998
Peppe le Phew, the Wise

This is one of those early experiences, and one of my favorites, by the way, in which I was being taught by the animals themselves, about their consciousness.

I did not yet know that they could communicate with me through means other than body language, and I that I could understand them.

During this time I was living in my travel trailer at Beaver Creek, four miles in from civilization I was parked at my friend’s land, and even though they were there at times, generally I was alone. It was a very difficult and incredibly stressful time for me.

I had let my friends rent the home I was selling to them, leaving me homeless. There were no services, no help. Yoko, my yellow lab and best friend, barely fit in the trailer, and was constantly hurting from her arthritis. The heater would not operate on the cold nights we were having, because there was no electricity to kick the blower on, which made her arthritis even worse. I could go on......

One night I was slowly driving down the road towards the trailer with a friend, gazing at the animals who were making their appearance, when suddenly a skunk ran right in front of me and started up the middle of the road. Her fur was flopping from side to side as she ran, like a little mischievous kid with a pony tail swinging. She was right in front of the car, like she was saying, “Watch it! This is my road.” She ran this way for almost a mile. She was so cute, so funny. She didn’t have her tail up as if to spray. She was just dancing up the middle of the road. I began to giggle as I watched her. She had me slowed down to less than 10 mph. When I began to giggle full out, she veered off the road.

A week or so later, I was in a huge hurry, almost out of gas, late for an important meeting, and stressed beyond belief. I was tearing up the road, headed for town, driving much faster than I should. Suddenly, there she was again, right in front of the car, her fur flopping from side to side. “Oh no, I thought. Not now. I have to get by, please!” But no, she wasn’t leaving the middle of the road. I wouldn’t hit her. She knew that. I honked and honked. I tried to get around her, which was impossible on a one-lane gravel road. A full mile and one half she went before I got giggles, hysterical giggles this time.

You know how it is when you drop into present time and giggle? Nothing else matters but right now. Everything else drops away. Well, this is what happened to me. I forgot all the stress, the meeting, the gas...everything. When she finally had delivered the message, she left the road. If this is not a “LIGHTEN UP” message, I will eat my hat!