Caretaker of Casa Claire

When I first realized in early 2017 as I was about to pack my bags and move from my life long home in the Bronx to somewhere in Northern Colorado, to a home I had never even physically seen, I’ll admit, I was worried that I was going to regret this latest bit of impulsive behavior.

I mean, part of me was hoping that the Universe would intercede and the offer on the home would be rejected or my mortgage application would not go through. Some Act of God that would show me I was making a big mistake in leaving all that I knew for a place without the friends and family that had surrounded and protected me for six decades.

In the end, I kept whispering the mantra my sister used to recite to me while we were growing up – “Leap and the net will appear.” (she had stolen it from John Burroughs).

Eight years later, with my first literary series – The Claire Saga – successfully written and published, I realize it was the best move I ever made.

You see, there is something about this property, an energy, that immediately welcomed me.

As soon as I pull into the long gravel driveway, past The Ladies copse of trees,

I feel protected.

And of course, Jack the Spruce earned his spot as a protector of Casa Claire in The Claire Saga and in real life.

But it is a symbiotic relationship.

We have slowly added to the charm of the property, the silent nods to the mystical creatures that all Celts can feel around them.

and the spiritual acknowledgements that accompany that feeling,

But most of my time is spent out on the land, under the trees.

Or around my meditation/grounding spot

under The Old Man and his family copse.

So, I never feel alone.

I am called to care for the other living creatures that share Casa Claire, beginning with the most mystical and magical Claire the Mule,

who arrived here shortly after Lisa and I moved in. And that relationship has changed my life.

Claire and her little sister Honey require the most attention, if only that their daily needs of food, water, grooming and hoof care correspond to their much larger sizes.

I’ve got my feral cats that come on their own terms to visit the Jack the Spruce Grotto

for their meals and maybe a cuddle or two.

We’ve got the wild birds that regularly drop by for a talk, a song, a meal, a drink, or even a flyover.

A neighborhood fox loves to stop by my office to remind me that this land belongs to all the creatures, and to finish up the cat food under the Jack the Spruce Grotto .

Even the tiniest critters find their way to the safety of Casa Claire.

And of course, the boisterous Beagle Brothers have acclimated quite nicely to their roles as a continuation of the McCaffrey family hounds and their forever home here at Casa Claire. Their arrival this past Valentine’s Day was the most perfect timing.

Each one of these creatures provide me with such joy.

Caring for them and their surroundings adds to my purpose in life.

And purpose is everything.

So, my fine, five readers, find that magical place that calls to you. Gives you a purpose. Defines you.

Find your joy.

And most of all, make today a great one.