Ep 112. Seal Pup Surprise & Growing Forward
Jun 09, 2023 7:25AM • 13:21
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
garden, seal pup, sharing, fisherman, nature, dogs, seal, dilemmas, hope, growing, dear listeners, walking, new jersey, mary, puppy, ellie, wildlife, wildfires, love, years, dilemmas, mary stone, garden, nature, inspiration
SPEAKERS
Mary Stone
Mary Stone 00:00
Hello fellow lovers of all things green. I'm Mary Stone and welcome to Garden Dilemmas, Delights and Discoveries. It's not only about gardens, it's about nature's inspirations, about grasping the glories of the world around us, gathering what we learned from mother nature, and carrying these lessons into our garden of life. So, let's jump in in the spirit of learning from each other. We have lots to talk about.
Mary Stone 00:26
Hello there, it's Mary stone on a very boy smoky screened porch. I had heard the air quality was poor because of wildfires in Canada. But I hadn't really smelted in my office. So, I'm sitting out here now with Jolee, she joined me the wind is kicking in, which is probably why the smoke is moving here. It has been so dry, we must all be very careful. I've been watering a bit not trying to be wasteful, but spot watering is what I do. And I encourage you to do the same. This is totally not what I expected to talk about. But I had a client come up with an idea whose 13-year-old shared with her and that is to while you're warming up your shower, capture the water in a bucket to use it to water your plants. I thought that was brilliant.
Mary Stone 01:15
Anyway, I want to thank those that reach back about last week's chat Fawns Cry and Perennial Pilfering. It was such a delight to hear how many of us, you know, relish the beauty of young life. It's unfolding.
Speaking of wildlife and leaving them alone, I have to share the story that I still love. It was written a few years ago, I think like six years ago, but it happened in a way that was so magnificent. While we were walking along Island Beach State Park in New Jersey, which is all about protecting wildlife. We were with my canine kid, Ellie and we spied a fisherman which turned out to have not a puppy, but a Seal Pup Surprise and it starts like this.
Mary Stone 02:38
Hello fellow readers and listeners. Interactions with wildlife can bring a tear to my eye. The wonder of it all on April 23. Now this is in 2017 while walking along Island Beach State Park in New Jersey with canine kid Ellie, we spied a fisherman with what looked like a dog. I should preface that Ellie is a rescue dog who still suffers from anxiety and fear of other dogs. I've told you that as she was sharing our lives here together, how she never got over it, or fear of other dogs. As we began to walk around the fisherman, he pointed to his dog. To our surprise, it was a seal pup and Ellie was not fearful but curious as where we.
Mary Stone 03:19
Seals are pinnipeds, meaning fin footed, and are commonly called Sea Dogs. And after meeting this little fellow, it's clear why he looked like a playful puppy showing off by arching his back and flipping around to watch a truck as it passed by. He squeezed his nose with his fin and had a playful moment. Or maybe he was clearing his ears from being deep in the sea. "He doesn't move too fast," the fisherman said who was minding his tackle when the little guy crawl next to him. I suspect our friend was a harbor seal pup with silvery gray further glistened in the sun. They range from gray to brownish black or black and often sports spots. Males grow five feet and 250 pounds females 150 to 200 pounds. Harbor seals can swim as soon as they are born and depend on their mother's milk for three to six months, then head out on their own to live up to 25 years.
Mary Stone 04:16
So I was wondering why the seal pup may have trusted the fisherman. I have the cutest photo of the fisherman with this seal pup, and I even have footage of him squeezing his nose and everything so I will put a link to the column in show notes you'll be sure to enjoy it.
Mary Stone 04:33
Technically, we were standing too close the seal chose to park himself accordingly. You should stay at least 50 yards away. Seals can be dangerous when approached. Their bite is more severe than a pit bull. Mary worrywart wondered at the seal pup was injured or lost. Though he looked well nourished.
Mary Stone 04:51
They usually hunker down in small groups called colonies in haul out sites where they rest warm themselves and escape predators like sharks and people Later, I learned the Marine Mammal Stranding center in Brigantine New Jersey recently released five baby seals that likely came from colonies in Massachusetts and Maine that they nursed back to health. I wonder if the fisherman's pup was one of them, explaining his trust of humans. This is when it gets kind of funny Seal Pup security. That afternoon we checked on the pup whose fisherman was gone and replaced by New Jersey State Park official sitting vigil in the truck equipped with a bullhorn which I coined as seal security.
Mary Stone 05:34
"Stay away from the seal stay away from the seal," Seal Security announced to the horseback riders passing by sound asleep. He looked like driftwood that washed ashore. We chatted with the official who said he was there to keep people away. The seals know what they're doing. He's here to warm up, seal swim south to feed on fish heading north after winter. Just as we spoke about last week, keep your distance if you encounter a fawn, or other babies in your garden, don't interfere; rather marvel over the miracle of Mother Nature. She knows what she's doing. Garden Dilemmas, Ask Mary Stone.com.
Mary Stone 06:13
Yes, I love visiting this story again, because I refer to that moment so many times because it was so magical to see this little puppy of a seal. It was just funny and to see Ellie's reaction so calm when she normally ignited when she would see other dogs. Anyway, I appreciate you listening to the story. And I have a totally unrelated thing to share with you.
Mary Stone 06:35
You're going laugh my dear listeners because I'm now in my truck, which makes a great sound booth because the wind is so crazy. It's been such a strange afternoon with these winds that are bringing in the, oh boy, the smoke, I don't even know how to tell you how strange it feels. I hope you're not having the same experience. And I just think of all those wildfires doing what they're doing to our beautiful woods.
Mary Stone 07:02
Anyway, I wanted to share this story which is really not related to the seal pups’ story, but it's related to our time together. And it has to do with the book proposal that I had told you about way back in December. I didn't make the deadline. It's to Hay House who I hope will be my publisher. I pushed through last night I stayed up till three in the morning. I totally can't believe it because I'm not a person to stay up late. Anyway, I pushed through it and I delivered what is I consider a draft proposal but I'm very proud of it because I pushed through the self-doubt that has been I don't know what is the word paralyzing me. Does that ever happen to you? self-doubt, paralyzing you. It's a hard thing this human condition. So I'd like to read the letter.
Mary Stone 07:51
Dear Hay House team, you have published the ultimate book of living in the rhythms of nature by Dr. Wayne Dyer. Change your thoughts change your life, Living the wisdom of the Tao, a book introduced to me during my beloved brothers last months. It's flagged, tagged, and underlined. And now Wayne's encouraging voice joins my meditative morning walks thanks to your empower you app. My hope is my teaching memoir, The Lesson of the Leaf, How the Rhythms of Nature and Gardens Help Heal and Grow your Life, will encourage readers to apply the principles of the Tao to help overcome overlapping losses in the later seasons of life by finding lessons and respite in the rhythm of nature and gardens, and growing hope.
Mary Stone 08:34
I should explain to those of you that may not know what the Tao is, and what it is, is the wisdom of Lao Tzu that left the warring states of China 2500 years ago and wrote the wisdom and 81 verses of how to live a peaceful life following the rhythms of nature and following our innate nature of being peaceful beings. So, it's very inspiring, and it's so related to what we talk about each week.
Mary Stone 09:08
The lesson of life is not only for those that love to dig in the dirt, but for those that admire gardens and nature are wish to, and those that love dogs, which I grew to do after having a dreadful fear of them. Maybe it was unconditional love that I feared not having experienced such love until a couple of puppies unexpectedly entered my life.
Mary Stone 09:28
The book is relevant today more than ever, and that losses have grown since the pandemic life losses adding to the expected and unexpected rarely talked about losses that occur as we age. But one of the positive outcomes of the pandemic has been a surge in interest in outdoor activities in nature, as evidenced by visits to parks and outdoor recreation areas, plus an upsurge of new interest in gardening and indoor plants and outreach to adopt pets, especially dogs.
Mary Stone 09:59
One of the gifts of the journey through and ultimately leaving a marriage ruined by neglect and isolation of addiction was following a path that led me to become a landscape and garden designer. I am grateful for helping others beautify their surroundings, often leading to sharing encouragement and life experiences. These relationships inspired a weekly column published in the press, which is here in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. It started in 2012. That's 567 weeks ago, hard to imagine. I enjoy sharing dilemmas, delights and discoveries in the Garden of Life, and it's online as you know, my kind listeners. And we're getting a lot of visitors now. And you are one of them, and I so appreciate it.
Mary Stone 10:42
I dream of growing the evolving community and seeding an interactive forum, a virtual nature and nurturing garden club if you will. Perhaps we'll even have in-person hiking retreats and garden tours to bring more together to learn and grow in the Garden of Life, sharing encouragement and support and garden and personal recoveries, seeking nature's inspirations, stimulating growth, weeding undesirables and embracing the unexpected.
Mary Stone 11:10
While this book proposal is not perfect or complete, the journey to share my story began soon after the goodbye of my soulful twin brother Bill eight years ago, in hopes of passing forward his wisdom of The Lesson of the Leaf that gave me the courage to love and let go of my marriage. I didn't know that it would see me through his illness and passing a few years later, rolling into our mother's long, torturous goodbye from dementia.
Mary Stone 11:36
Running a design business writing and podcasting each week is my story of why I haven't been able to hit send since I joined the writer’s community in 2021. But I am today, and I am grateful. Thank you for the gift of helping to heal my life with your authors and I lifts those such as Wayne Dyer and Louise Hay and Anita Moorjani, and Mike Dooley. And for the privilege of being part of the Hay House community, and for allowing me to submit my work and progress --One step closer to feeling worthy of loving myself.
Mary Stone 12:08
I put a link to the video that I had recorded in December. And I did it in one take with no edits. And it brought such tears of happiness. I'm going to put that link in the show notes because I hope you my dear listeners will become part of my cheering section to move forward with this vision of sharing my brother's wisdom. I feel like we're doing that together each week and I so appreciate it. I can't thank you enough for the time you sit with me and for sharing the podcast with your friends or family members that may enjoy it as well. We are growing, growing together. You're helping me and I hope I'm helping you. Thanks so much. See you next time on the screen porch or in my truck.
Mary Stone 12:51
You can follow garden dilemmas on Facebook or online at Garden dilemmas.com and on Instagram at hashtag Mary Elaine stone. Garden dilemmas, delights and discoveries is produced by Alex Bartling thanks for coming by. I look forward to chatting again from my screen porch. And always remember to embrace the unexpected in this garden of life. Have a great day.