The Legend of Wu

CHAPTER ONE

There weren't always dragons in the Valley of Valdez. Valdez was a quiet place in New Mexico. There were farmers and ranchers who tended to their cattle and horses. On occasion the only fire that existed was the fire that created the most awful stench of a smell from one burning their trash from time to time.

Gallina Canyon, a dirt road in Valdez was narrow with giant pot holes and sharp rocks. This road was responsible for wear and tear on the toughest of vehicles as well as the occasional flat tire. However the surrounding this dirt road were views of the mountains in all directions and the views were majestic.

There were fir trees, pine trees, Aspen groves, ponderosa pines, scrub oaks, and yuccas. This terrain hosted wildlife such as deer, elk, wild turkey, hares, rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, mountain lion, mice, bull snakes, and pack rats.

On a warm day in September, a new addition to a loving family in the Valley of Valdez arrived. The family was told she was a mix of Boxer and Red Heeler. The way she was delivered to this family was quite magical.

It was two years ago when a man with a guitar played the most haunting song in the grocery store parking lot, a woman named Jennifer remembered feeling beckoned by the music did not know why.

Later than morning, Jennifer's husband Nathan came rushing through the door with an energy that was unlike him.

"Sweetheart, I think I found our dog".

Jennifer was stunned because Nathan wasn't really the "dog type". He scoffed at her calling Zeus, their Jack Chi, her "baby".

However, Jennifer's interest was piqued because she knew if her husband was feeling an internal calling to a puppy, then this was in fact their puppy.

Within minutes, Nathan and Jennifer were in the car headed back to the grocery store.

As Nathan parked next to a white Subaru, Jennifer had a flashback of the guitar player standing in front of this same car, only now there was a cardboard sign with the writing, "Puppies for Sale."

Isabelle, would be her name - they both knew it as they looked at her tiny, towel swaddled body as they drove to get supplies for her. They would call her "Izzy", for short.

Her first few weeks with Jennifer and Nathan were groundbreaking. Nathan had never felt a bond like this with a dog before. In the mornings, he would let her out of her crate and she would "WOOOOO", with happiness and this is where Izzy received her second nickname of "Wizzy Wu".

Eventually, "Wizzy Wu", became Wu as this was how she said "hello" and "good morning", every day. She shared her excitement to be alive with her "Wu" call.

"Wu" became a legend of loving messages as they first months of her life with Jen, Nathan, and Zeus unfolded.

The first heart to open was Zeus, who was a fiery Jack Chi mix. "Sir Barks A lot" was his middle name and being a sentry was his game. The little guy just couldn't relax or even ask for love.

His relationship with Nathan was strained at best and he peed on every household item he could to prove it.

After a few months of Alpha domination mode, Wu challenged Zeus to open up and ask for pets and love. Zeus and Nathan now had a new relationship thanks to Wu. Zeus' whole demeanor changed as Wu's puppy love led the way for a whole new way of life.

Wu had this magical ability to command love wherever she went. Her love emanated to far reaching places in the depths of her new family's psyche.

Wu knew just how to command love and respect with her magic wagging tail. Jennifer could just look at Wu and smile and she would slap and thump her tail on any surface where she was laying.

Wu had a secret that her family knew nothing about and that they couldn't see with their eyes. Like all dogs, Wu had a purpose which would soon become a legend.

It all began with the fire's spanning over 300,000 acres in New Mexico. One night as Wu sensed the stress that Jen and Nathan felt about their newly purchased home surrounded by miles of forest and wildlife.

For several nights, Jennifer lie awake in prayer for the many trees that had already burned, the homes people lost or had to evacuate in a moment's notice, and the deer, elk, horses, dogs, bear, rabbits, mountain lions, and squirrels that had to flee their natural habitats.

It seemed that the twenty mile and hour winds with gusts up to fifty miles per hour would never end. The weather forecast had no predictions of rain and the heat from the sun was not helping the fires as they moved north nearing their location.

Wu nudged her now fifty-five pound body up against Jennifer's legs one night and wouldn't budge as if she had some important message to transmit.

Jennifer received the idea to open up YouTube on her phone and find an all night recording of the sounds of rain. She put on her headphones so the sound wouldn't keep Nathan awake and imagined the smell and feel of rain while listening to the sounds.

After two nights of doing this with Wu nudged up against her legs like this tremendous force, Jennifer fell asleep imagining rain.

It was a Saturday morning, and the fire was only twenty-seven percent contained when Jennifer woke up to the trickling sounds of rain outside her bedroom doors that opened to the backyard.

Jen opened the doors with delight and smelled the smell of rain and felt the trickles of a few drops which prompted her to continue.

Just four days later, a cold front blew in and with it rain and snow in the higher elevations of their mountain town.

Now the fire was forty-seven percent contained and there were people able to repopulate in the homes they had evacuated.

Wu had a secret. She knew that imagining created reality. Wu also knew that her mom and dad had some deep inner desires that they were struggling to bring to fruition.

Whenever her mom and dad were feeling particularly irritated, she would knock all of the pillows off of the couch, bring in scraps of tree bark from the backyard, or shred her stuffed toys in tiny pieces of fuzz all over the living room floor.

Wu knew how to distract her mom and dad from their negative thoughts and get them in the present moment in hopes of waking them up from the dream that what they truly desired would never happen.

For several nights, Wu would take turns nudging her body against her mom and dad throughout the night, transmitting signals of joy, abundance, wealth, bravery, and transformation.

During the days, while her mom and dad would work, she would encourage Zeus to bark with her at the many noises they heard. This usually happened when her mom would work and need to get up and take a break from the computer.

Wu knew she had a big job to do and the next season of transformation would focus on her dad's new business that he was starting. She knew that both her mom and dad had a mission on this planet and that it was her duty to bring them love through learning the art of being present.

Wu and Zeus decided to go on an adventure in their large backyard chasing Ravens. There was one raven that came to visit daily and his name was Grandfather Raven, and he knew that he was here to work with Wu and her brother Zeus.

This Raven would land on the satellite dish on the top of Wu and Zeus' roof each day around four PM. Zeus and Wu would persist until their mom would let them out and they would go out and have a conversation with Grandfather Raven.

Grandfather Raven spoke to Wu.

"Cawwwwww", which meant "Greetings and Salutations", in Raven language.

Wu and Zeus barked several times during the interaction while their mom was on a work call.

Their barking was transmitting a message back to Grandfather Raven.

Wu asked, "How do I help my mom and dad achieve their dreams"?

Grandfather Raven started making a funny clicking noise which transmitted a new message back to Wu and her brother Zeus.

"The first thing to consider is your own power, Wu".

Zeus barked several times with fury transmitting his own message.

"But what about my power, Grandfather Raven"?

Grandfather Raven flapped his wings as he hovered over Zeus.

"You were named after the God of the Sky, and your power can cause rain and storms, so you must learn to harness this power."

Zeus puffs up his chest and stared into the eyes of Grandfather Raven.

Grandfather Raven flaps his wings as five more of his family of ravens "caw ", above him.

He "caws" back to them.

He flaps his wings and begins to ascend higher up above Wu.

"You my Darling Girl, are from an ancient lineage of shamans and I will be back tomorrow to discuss the legend of dragons from your bloodline ".

Zeus and Wu look at one another and take turns licking one another's ears whispering messages back and forth.

Wu whispered to Zeus "I think we helped bring the rain together, Brother".

Zeus perks up and whispers back "we must ask Grandfather Raven tomorrow, how we did this, so we can do more".

Wu and Zeus barked saying their "goodbyes" to Grandfather Raven and his gaggle of ravens. With that they heard the familiar sound of a car entering the driveway in the front and rushed through the broken screen barking with abandon.

Shorty afterward, their dad walks through the door with a giant smile, stating that he had good news to share regarding his business.

Zeus and Wu knew that this was a fortuitous moment on their path and that they must do everything they could to seek more information from Grandfather Raven.