Thunderbird Stories, Legends, and Myths

 

                                     

Thunderbird Stories of Pacific Northwest Native Peoples

Thunderbird Stores from the Hoh, Quileute, and Tillamook Tribes

"For the native cultures of the Pacific Northwest and the Great Plains, the Thunderbird was a mythical creature that embodied strength and power. The Thunderbird is a very large and powerful bird. It was said to be so large, in fact, that it could pluck an orca whale from the sea with as much ease as an eagle catching salmon in its talons. As the name implies, Thunderbirds were associated with storms. The massive wings of the Thunderbird made the sound of thunder when they flapped, and according to some stories, the Thunderbird even shot lightning from its eyes. For peoples of the Great Plains, the Thunderbird was a harbinger of rain, which could be a welcomed sight or a destructive force, depending on the conditions. In some cultures, Thunderbirds go to war with other forces of nature. “To the Arapaho, Thunderbird is the summer bird who challenges White Owl Woman, the winter bird, to see whose powers are greater. Thunderbird stirs up great black clouds with tremendous noise and wind. White Owl Woman stirs up thick, fast-moving white clouds that blow a piercing wind. The Thunderbird represented the power of nature and the violence of storms, but it was, for the most part, not a fearsome or malevolent creature. This mythical creature was revered as sacred. The tribes of the Pacific Northwest topped their totem poles with carved images of Thunderbirds. Drawings, artwork, songs, stories, and dances featuring the Thunderbird are common in the tribes of the Great Plains and Pacific Northwest."
-  Ten Native American Mythical Creatures

"The thunderbird is a mythological bird-like spirit in North American indigenous peoples' history and culture. It is considered a supernatural being of power and strength. The thunderbird is said to create thunder by flapping its wings (Algonquian^[1]), and lightning by flashing its eyes (Algonquian, Iroquois^[2]). Across cultures, thunderbirds are generally depicted as birds of prey, or hybrids of humans and birds. Thunderbirds are often viewed as protectors, sometimes intervening on people's behalf, but expecting veneration, prayers, and gifts. Petroglyphs of thunderbirds are found near Twin Bluffs, Wisconsin. Similar beings appear in mythologies the world over. Examples include the Chinese thunder-god Leigong, the Hindu Garuda and the African lightning bird.^[14]"
- Thunderbird in Wikipedia

"According to many legends, the Thunderbird is so large that one feather from their wingspan would have to be folded in half to properly fit into a quiver. Additionally, these creatures were so large and mighty that they could easily carry a whale in their talons. Because of this, many scholars find it unlikely that the Thunderbird could exist in modern day without being seen.

In spite of these things, the Thunderbird continues to be a point of fascination for all. The Thunderbird appears to be a creature of extreme intelligence and intrigue. There are many stories that tell of the Thunderbird in Native American legends, which make the creature appear to be one of the key deities in their beliefs. The Thunderbird is mysterious in that it is not merely a protector, but is also seen as enforcer of morality – one that should never be angered."
- Thunderbirds in Myths

Other Transformer Changers Creatures are the Raven and Coyote.

My favorite harmonica is the Hohner Thunderbird in the Key of C Low.

Birds at the Coast

This week, January 6-9, 2025, I yurt camped at Cape Disappointment State Park. The forested Park is near the towns of Ilwaco, Seaview, and Long Beach, Washington.

I saw many seagulls at the Seaview, 38th Street, beach access road shoreline.

The photographs below, not mine,  are available on the Internet:

25 Steps and Beyond Anthology
by Michael Peter Garofalo

Highway 101 and Hwy 1

Stepping Over Epiphanies

Haiku - North Sacramento Valley

A Fork in the Crypto Road

Exhibits at the Cyber Garden Gazebo: TextArt

At the Edges of the West

A Wreck Ahead Comes Into View

Cloud Hands Blog

Stuck in Some Concrete Poetry

Pulling Onions: 1,000 One Liners

Four Days at Grayland Beach

Meetings with Master Chang San Feng

25 Steps and Beyond Anthology

More Poetry by Mike Garofalo

Poetry Research

Five Senses

Fireplace Records Koan Collection

the scissors of my decisions

more to come ...

 

Potholes State Park, Yurt Camping, Day 3

Potholes State Park, Washington State

Potholes State Park, Eastern Central Washington State

Columbia National Wildlife Refuge

Columbia National Wildlife Refuge - Wikipedia

"Birdsong by day, coyote chorus by night. Dramatic cliffs and rimrock sit side-by-side with lakes, potholes, and marshes. Desert denizens and waterfowl sharing the same rugged landscape.

Comprising nearly 30,000 acres, Columbia National Wildlife Refuge is a scenic mixture of rugged cliffs, canyons, lakes, grasslands and sagebrush. The combination of lakes and surrounding irrigated croplands, combined with generally mild winters and the protection provided by the refuge, attracts large numbers of migrating and wintering mallards, Canada geese, tundra swans and other waterfowl."

Columbia National Wildlife Refuge is a scenic mixture of rugged cliffs, canyons, lakes, and sagebrush grasslands. Formed by fire, ice, floods, and volcanic tempest, carved by periods of extreme violence of natural forces, the refuge lies in the middle of the Drumheller Channeled Scablands of central Washington. The area reveals a rich geologic history highlighted by periods of dramatic activity, each playing a major role in shaping the land. The northern half of the refuge, south of Potholes Reservoir, is a rugged jumble of cliffs, canyons, lakes, and remnants of lava flows. This part of the Scablands, known as the Drumheller Channels, is the most spectacularly eroded area of its size in the world and was designated as a National Natural Landmark in 1986.

Moses Lake City, Washington, (27,000 Population)

Othello, Washington

Potholes State Park, WA, Yurt Camping Trip, Day 2

Potholes State Park, WA, Yurt Camping Trip, Day 2

Potholes State Park, Eastern Central Washington State

Columbia National Wildlife Refuge

Columbia National Wildlife Refuge - Wikipedia

"Birdsong by day, coyote chorus by night. Dramatic cliffs and rimrock sit side-by-side with lakes, potholes, and marshes. Desert denizens and waterfowl sharing the same rugged landscape.

Comprising nearly 30,000 acres, Columbia National Wildlife Refuge is a scenic mixture of rugged cliffs, canyons, lakes, grasslands and sagebrush. The combination of lakes and surrounding irrigated croplands, combined with generally mild winters and the protection provided by the refuge, attracts large numbers of migrating and wintering mallards, Canada geese, tundra swans and other waterfowl."

Columbia National Wildlife Refuge is a scenic mixture of rugged cliffs, canyons, lakes, and sagebrush grasslands. Formed by fire, ice, floods, and volcanic tempest, carved by periods of extreme violence of natural forces, the refuge lies in the middle of the Drumheller Channeled Scablands of central Washington. The area reveals a rich geologic history highlighted by periods of dramatic activity, each playing a major role in shaping the land. The northern half of the refuge, south of Potholes Reservoir, is a rugged jumble of cliffs, canyons, lakes, and remnants of lava flows. This part of the Scablands, known as the Drumheller Channels, is the most spectacularly eroded area of its size in the world and was designated as a National Natural Landmark in 1986.

Moses Lake City, Washington, (27,000 Population)

Othello, Washington

Subject Indexes to Zen Master Raven by Robert Aitken

Zen Master Raven: The Teachings of a Wise Old Bird. Compiled and annotated by Robert Aitken. Illustrated by Jennifer Rain Crosby. Foreword by Nelson Foster. Wisdom, 2002, 2017, 229 pages. VSCL, Hardbound. 183 Brief Koans.
Most koans feature Master Raven giving anwers or comments, and asking follow up questions; therefore, I chose to use the character Master Raven is talking to for the Student/Learner under the index heading of "Master, Teacher." Otherwise, nearly all 183 koans would be listed under Master Raven. Just automatically assume the central teacher in nearly all these koans is Zen Master Raven.

Subject Index to Zen Master Raven's 183 Koans Collection. PDF, November 21, 2023, 28 pages.

Case Titles Index to Zen Master Raven's 183 Koans Collection. PDF, November 21, 2023, 7 pages.

Case Number Index to Zen Master Raven's 183 Koans Collection. PDF, November 21, 2023, 7 pages.

Animals and Responders Index to Zen Master Raven's 183 Koans Collection. PDF, November 21, 2023, 7 pages.

Subject Index to 1,975 Zen Buddhist Koans

Keys to Zen Buddhist Koans Database Collection

Taking the Path of Zen. By Robert Aitken. North Point Press, 1982, 149 pages.

The Gateless Barrier: The Wu-Men Kuan (Mumonkan). Translated with commentary by Robert Aitken. North Point Press, 1991, 325 pages.

Zen Master Raven. Meredith Gammon Hotetsu's Zen Blog. 183 Cases "Each post is a chapter of Robert Aitken's Zen Master Raven, with an introduction and verse by Meredith Hotetsu Garmon."

"A uniquely playful and incisive collection of Zen teaching stories from a beloved American master. A modern classic, now in a new expanded edition. In the tradition of the great koan collections and the records of ancient masters, Robert Aitken distills a lifetime of teaching down to its essence. Intriguing and deceptively simple, Zen Master Raven is a brilliant encapsulation of Zen in over a hundred koan-like encounters alongside many charming illustrations. Featuring curious beginners like Mallard and Mole and profound teachers like Brown Bear, Moose Roshi, and Zen Master Raven himself, this classic of contemporary Zen and will inspire seekers for generations to come." - Amazon

Zen Master Raven by Robert Aitken. PDF, 2010 Pages. Terebess Bootlegged Copy? Likely an unauthorized bootleg!

"In the tradition of the great koan collections and the records of ancient masters, Robert Aitken distills a lifetime of teaching down to its essence. Intriguing and deceptively simple, Zen Master Raven is a brilliant encapsulation of Zen in over a hundred koan-like encounters alongside many charming illustrations. Featuring curious beginners like Mallard and Mole and profound teachers like Brown Bear, Moose Roshi, and Zen Master Raven himself, this classic of contemporary Zen and will inspire seekers for generations to come." - Review

The Journey: Big Panda and Tiny Dragon. By James Norbury. Illustrated by James Norbury.

Big Panda and Tiny Dragon. By James Norbury. Illustrated by James Norbury.

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse. By Charlie Mckesy. Illustrated.

The Complete Tales of Willie-the-Pooh. By A. A. Milne. Illustrations by Ernest H. Shepard.

The Tao of Pooh and Te of Piglet. By Benjamin Hoff.

Vegetable Roots Discourse: Wisdom from Ming China on Life and Living. By Hong Zicheng. Translated with notes by Robert Aitken. Counterpoint, 2007, 240 pages. "Written 400 years ago by a scholar in the Ming Dynasty, one hundred years after Columbus and around the time Shakespeare completed Henry VI, accomplished scholar and philosopher Hong Zicheng retired from public life and settled down to write an informal compilation of his thoughts on the essence of life, human nature, and heaven and earth. Though he wrote other books as well, only this one has survived—thanks largely to its continuous popularity, first in China and later in Japan and Korea. Entitled Caigentan (Vegetable Roots Discourse), this book has been studied and cherished for four hundred years. Terse, humorous, witty, and. above all, timely, this book offers a provocative and personal mix of Daoist, Buddhist, and Confucian understanding. It contains 360 observations that lead us through paths as complex, absurd, and grotesque as life itself. While it has been translated into many languages, this comprehensive version will immediately become the standard edition for generations of English readers to come.es."

Buddhism: Bibliography, Links, Information, Resources. Compiled by Michael P. Garofalo.

 

 

 

Backyard Birds

 Karen Garofalo has taken many fine photographs of the many kinds of birds that visit our backyard bird feeders and bird bath.

We took care of our daughter's two
brown dogs for a week.

Just Observing in Chrysanthemum Time

mums flowering, 

zinnias seeding--
   just wondering

“Plucking chrysanthemums along the West fence. 
Gazing in silence at the East Cascade foothills. 
The Canada geese flying in formation overhead, 
Through the soft valley air of morning―
In these things there is a deep meaning, 
But when we are about to express it, 
We suddenly forget the words.”  

- My rephrasing of lines from an unknown Chinese poet
from verses found in 'The Wisdom of Insecurity,’ by Alan Watts, 1951.  

A Gardener's Pictorial Memories

The Spirit of Gardening 

"I search and can't find myself. 
I belong in chrysanthemum time, 
Sharp in calla lilly elongations.
God made my soul
Into an ornamental thing."
-  Fernando Pessoa

The Last Second of Summer

The bare branches of an old shrub
Above its fallen scarlet leaves─
Emptiness or forms? 
Chrysanthemums in full bloom
Below clear blue skies─
Forms and emptiness? 

The first second of autumn,
The last second of summer─
Neither Forms nor Emptiness,
The spaces of past time,
The realms of dead minds;
Or, bereft of Space and Time,
The Singularity of the Big Bang Sublime. 
 
-  Mike Garofalo, Autumn Poems
   Mabon, 9/22/2020

   Reading the The Heart Sutra from the Buddhist scriptures.

"If all meanings could be adequately expressed in words, 

the arts of painting and music would not exist."
-  John Dewey

Pragmatism and American Philosophy

"A chrysanthemum by any other name would be easier to spell."
-  William J. Johnston

Haiku Poems by Mike Garofalo

Pulling Onions (Over 888 Quips and Sayings) by Mike Garofalo

The Sea Calls Me

 Karen and I have been dealing with surgeries and rehabilitation for a few months during the late winter of 2023. I have not been Yurt camping at the Oregon Coast, at Bandon, since January, 2023.  

In a few weeks I will be solo Yurt camping at Grayland Beach State Park, near Westport, in Washington.  YES!!!.  

Part I: Southwestern Washington

Grays Harbor, Willapa Bay, Long Beach Peninsula, Lower Columbia River
A Traveler's Hypertext Notebooks, Guides, and Resources

Part II: Grayland Beach
A Beach Camper's Hypertext Notebook,
Studies, Readings, Activities, Seasons, and Tips 

Part III: Doing and Seeing   
Photographs, Blog Posts, and Reports from 2021-2024  

Part IV: Reflections of Beachcombers   
Poetry, Short Essays, Commentary, Quotations   

Southwestern Washington

 

Grays Harbor
 

Willapa Bay
 

Long Beach Peninsula
 

Lower Columbia River, North Side, from Ilwaco East to Washougal

Olympia south to Vancouver, Interstate 5 Corridor
 

Native Americans in the Area

Northwest Coastal Oregon: Astoria to Cape Lookout

 

Four Days in Grayland Homepage

 

“The waves broke and spread their waters swiftly over the shore. One after another they massed themselves and fell; the spray tossed itself back with the energy of their fall. The waves were steeped deep-blue save for a pattern of diamond-pointed light on their backs which rippled as the backs of great horses ripple with muscles as they move. The waves fell; withdrew and fell again, like the thud of a great beast stamping.”
-  Virginia Woolf, The Waves

Not many birds seen by
the cold low tide shore;
I thought I see many more.
Saw seagulls at the Westport docks,
Waiting for free fish guts,
Tossed potato chips or popcorn bits,
Tossed aside by fishermen
Laughing over old jokes and riddles,
Hoping for better weather
When the lingcod might bite better.

"The sea is calm to-night.
The tide is full, the moon lies fair
Upon the straits; – on the French coast the light
Gleams and is gone; the cliffs of England stand,
Glimmering and vast, out in the tranquil bay.
Come to the window, sweet is the night-air!
Only, from the long line of spray
Where the sea meets the moon-blanch’d land,
Listen! you hear the grating roar
Of pebbles which the waves draw back, and fling,
At their return, up the high strand,
Begin, and cease, and then again begin,
With tremulous cadence slow, and bring
The eternal note of sadness in."
-  Matthew Arnold, Dover Beach, 1860

Four Days in Grayland
By Michael P. Garofalo

Birds of Willapa Bay

 

Dunlin Flock Over the Surf

Today, I will drive from Vancouver to Longview, and then up two lane country backroads 411 and Westside Highway which follow the course of the Cowlitz River up to Toledo.  Then, up Jackson Highway through Chelais and Centralia.  Finally, Highway 6 to Raymond, and 105 to Grayland.  

I will be camping in a Yurt at Grayland Beach State Park.  Expecting some showers and cool weather.  I will return to Vancouver on Thursday morning.  Observing birds will be a highlight of this Spring trip to the sea.  

"Spring provides shorebird migration spectacles, and summer offers a tremendous diversity of breeding species from the rain forest inhabitants of the Olympics, alpine tundra breeders in the Cascades and desert shrub steppe specialties in the Columbia Basin.  Spring is the season of migration spectacles, the shorebird passage through Grays Harbor, seabird migration offshore, Sandhill Cranes through the Columbia Basin. Landbird migration can be good too, particularly in the riparian areas and desert oases of eastern Washington. Several bird festivals at this time provide the out-of-town birder with a great introduction to local birding and birders; look for the Othello crane festival and the Grays Harbor shorebird festival on the web."

A Birder's Guide to Coastal Waqshington.  By Bob Morse, 2001.  Featuring Ocean Shores, Long Beach Peninsula, Forks, Westport, Tokeland, and 160 Birding Hot Spots.  Detailed coverage of birding locations near Westport and how to get there.  Excellent resource!  RWMorse, 2001, 270 pages, photographs, ring-bound.  VSCL.  FVRL

Coastal Washington Shorebirds and Waterbirds.  By Ruth McCausland.  116 pages. 

Birds of Washington Field Guide.  By Stan Tekiela.  Adventure Pubs., 2001, 332 pages. 

American Birding Association Field Guide to the Birds of Washington.  By Dennis Paulson and Brian Small.  Scott and Nix, 2020, 368 pages. 

Birds of the Pacific Northwest.  By John Shewey and Tim Blount.  Timber, 2017, 560 pages. 

Birds of Washington State. By Brian Bell and Gregory Kennedy.  Partners, 2017, 284 pages. 

Pelagic Zone (Epipelagic) Boat Trips for watching oceanic seabirds out of Westport Marina in the summer months. 

Bird Watching

All About Birds Website

Shore Birds

Sea Gulls    Western Gull 

Birds from the Northwest Perspective

Seabirds of the Pacific Northwest

Birding in Willapa Bay Wildlife Refuge

Notable Shorebirds in Washington

Birding in Washington State

Bottle Beach State Park  Near Westport  SS   Bird Watching Area, Mudflats, Swamps, low shrubs.    

Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge

Johns River Wildlife Area   Images   Near Westport  SS   History  Game Farm Road off 105  Walking trails, boat launch, bird watching.  

Jetties, marina, and pier in Westport. 

Jetty and small marina and wetlands around Tokeland.  Tokeland   Population 200   Willapa Bay   Images  

Martha Jordan Birding Trail, Ledbetter Point, Long Beach Peninsula

In the Spring, many birds flock to the shallow waters and river estuaries of both Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay. 

Four Days in Grayland
By Michael P. Garofalo