Tag Archives: nature

r e s t

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Every trip we have taken to a different locale far away from our familiar territory is a pause in Life’s normalcy. Some trips are exciting and invigorating while a few may be endurance travels, but the thing to remember is that we are removed from our comfort zone.

Recently, we visited a tropical country with jungles, exotic wildlife, oceans and beaches, and a very different standard of day-to-day living. Such a vacation was enjoyable and educational, and at the same time humbling as we are reminded once again how blessed we are to live freely, safely, having our needs met (and so much more than we really need to live a full life).

Not all vacations are continually restful nor peaceful, but they do allow us to pause and hopefully return a bit refreshed-after recovering from the traveling aspect of distant destinations! Moving to a different city or country can result in the same feelings after the settling-in process is completed. I wonder at times what it is that prompts me to explore places not yet seen or even known to me until research has revealed them. I suspect, like many of you, that I seek a bit of adventure, enlightenment, engagement, challenge and rest. Upon my return from some idyllic destination, I seem to be more energized, wanting to repeat the trip in the future. However, there have been a few vacations and trips which taught me a great deal more about myself but which I have no desire to repeat. This is to be expected simply because the ups and downs of vacations and trips mimic our daily lives. Few of us ascend to a bucolic alpine meadow and remain there indefinitely.

Rest can be elusive and even uncomfortable, especially for us ‘doers’ whom always need something to focus on in order to be distracted from the unpleasantries of our trials and failures. Boredom has become a neglected part of our lives and seems to negatively affect our psyches, especially in our energized world of instantaneous gratification. But I am learning that to be bored has its’ advantages, forcing us to put the smart phone and computer down, turn off the news and so-called influencers, and simply pause and imagine this life we have been given to experience. And, what we have to offer in return.

I recently came across this devotion from John Ruskin which speaks of musical ‘rests’ and how we perceive similar pauses in our daily journeys. I find his analogy sublime.

There is no music during a musical rest, but the rest is part of the making of the music. In the melody of our life the music is separated here and there by rests. During those rests, we foolishly believe we have come to the end of the song. God sends us times of leisure by allowing sickness, disappointed plans, and frustrated efforts. He brings a sudden pause in the choral hymn of our lives, and we lament that our voices must be silent. We grieve that our part is missing in the music that continually rises to the ear of our Creator. Yet, how does a musician read the rest? He counts the break with unwavering precision and plays his next note with confidence, as if no pause were ever there.

C A D E N C E

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Summertime creates an outdoor atmosphere where all manner of sounds are generated during each twenty-four hour period. I have been reminded frequently, and lately, of the myriad natural sounds which enter through my ears and resonate inside my being.

Sitting on our deck, we hear the drone-like humming of hummingbird wings as they arrive at our feeder to drink their liquid energy. Cicadas chant their daily mantra like a wind-up music box…sometimes so loudly that we have to vacate the deck chairs for the couch. Crows squawk irregularly, but when they do it’s like listening to neighbors having an outdoor party-complete with arguments!

Birds chirp and sing. Hawks screech as they glide across the sky. Squirrels make unusual noises among their specific communities. Coyotes and bobcats make their presence known nocturnally via howls and hoots. Leaves rustle in unison like magic flutes as the invisible wind whips past them.

These daily and nightly noises are like an orchestra’s cacophony of sounds as the musicians tune their instruments immediately prior to the performance. Audible chaos turns into a symbiotic union of beauty. How Beethoven continued to create musical masterpieces as his deafness increased daily is beyond my comprehension.

I submit that nature’s sounds may seem like that of a human orchestra tuning their instruments, but with one exception. Nature’s instruments are pre-tuned. They’re also pre-programmed. Together, nature creates the perfect cadence of sounds. This auditory resonance can be tuned-in or tuned-out depending on whatever is grabbing our attention at a specific time and place. Similar to a practicing pianist whose instructor uses a metronome for tempo adherence, so, too, the natural sounds we hear have their own steadying affect.

Obviously, this post isn’t about high-quality photographic images, but leans more towards introspection, of sounds, of life’s drumbeats, and of their place in our well-being. I submit that what we listen to (hear) is just as important as what we see, smell or taste. Anyone who has spent time at an oceanside beach and listened to the waves reach and retreat from the shore must admit there is a calming effect to this rhythmic dynamic. The same is true for listening to water flowing down a mountain brook or bubbling in a fountain.

Would it be presumptuous of me to suggest that each of us could benefit from receiving some type of calming cadence in our daily life? Even if it’s only for a few minutes? With so many distractions and noises bombarding us constantly, I know I need this momentary peace to reset my inner metronome. Can you sense that I’m aging? Rhetorical question for sure!

SUSPENDED

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Ever wonder what life would be like if we were permanently suspended?

Unhiged from the drama we call daily living.

Not a care in the world.

Where ferns grow below native ponderosas and white pines.

Then take a trip to a forest where trees actually breath-out oxygen. And the cycle of nature thrives without man’s influence. Where birds gather and brooks flow. When shadows create etherial silhouettes and moon beams filter through tenacles. The earth is covered with a carpet of sweet decay, and owls hoot and hawks screech. Then there is silence.

And the air is so crisp and clean…like in Heaven.

OUTSTANDING

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Just a tree, a barren gaggle of pale branches

Standing out among it’s vibrant brothers and sisters

Rather out-of-place, but not all that uncommon

Illuminated by early morning sunshine-a reflection

Placid water became a mirror; green glass

What grew upwards appears to have grown downwards

Almost like the timber grew into the depth of the surrounding water

An illusion? A simple opportunistic photograph? A surprise?

Yes, a surprise of sorts as nature consistently creates the transcendent, the distiguished, the outstanding.

Anticipation

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Brown turned to white during first snow. Our feathered friends started paying us a visit as soon as I put out the feeder…squirrels, too, although they are always active. Winter’s chill replaced Autumn’s confusion. Life goes on.

Nature’s rituals are as regular as clockwork. Thankful that something is consistently good. Man can be a brute. And, He can be amazingly kind and generous. Last year challenged all of us. Some didn’t make it. Life goes on.

Results rather than resolutions. Hope instead of despair. Calm words replacing angry voices. Love overcoming division. Health being restored. Truth defeating lies. Effort required by all. Life goes on.

A N T I C I P A T I O N . . .

Please excuse the lack of clarity as these photographs were taken through glass and during blowing snow with my cellphone. Also, when ‘Man’ and ‘He’ are used, their meaning extends to all humans.

Hope your New Year is filled with a bounty of joyful experiences !

BLUE HERON

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One must stand…

Before one walks…

And, one cannot fly until one stands…

This episode begins with a swift flight from one side of a small lake to the opposite side. From a football field away something grabbed Miss Heron’s attention which resulted in a sudden dash…from watching to flying to stalking to fishing.

Intentional, natural, instinctive, graceful, and deadly !

I was reminded once again that no matter how beautiful and inspiring nature is, she can also be lethal. Just ask the frog. I certainly don’t want to tangle with this bird.

Herein lies the purpose of the telephoto lens: to capture something up-close, but by doing so from a distance. Safer that way.

Gone Fishin’

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“Gone fishin’, instead of just a wishin’ ”

This was the tagline / theme song to The Fisherman’s Friend, a local television show which aired from 1953 to 1974. Harold Ensley was the originator and main character of this production. He was a Kansas native, a minister, an avid fisherman and an astute businessman. His show was broadcast live from each venue and often with notable quests.

As a child I would occasionally tune-in to Gone Fishin’, as the show was affectionately called. I remember being confounded when I watched his show. On the one hand it was like “watching paint dry”, and on the other hand it was informational and relaxing. Fishing didn’t grab me like it did Harold and a host of his dedicated followers. Perhaps my lack of success affected my enthusiasm. However, I was pretty good at snagging underwater brush.

Yesterday, as I watched the sun rise above the east treeline, I caught a glimpse of a couple fishermen. This fellow had just set-up on a small dock while the other fellow trolled the lake in his boat…he had a four-legged companion with him. I spoke with this man for a few minutes. We talked of the fantastic, unseasonably cool weather that encompassed our geography (men usually talk about weather). We also spoke of seizing opportunities such as the beautiful morning, a freshwater lake, and having the availability required to fish. We didn’t talk about CV19, politics, BLM or finances. Refreshing!

You will not find an epiphany in this post nor a judgement of any kind. Instead, I have chosen to share a mundane moment in time and place…with the under-current of exceptional. To rest in the midst of nature, commune with the Creator, and enjoy a brief interaction with another individual is sublime. Prior to this moment I spent an hour with a good friend, talking over coffee as the sun warmed our faces. I am blessed and take nothing for granted.

A Cardinal Moment

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Much can be said about the beauty of our feathered friends. The variety of shapes and sizes. The tail feathers. The varied beaks. Wing spans. The chirps and the songs. Their flight patterns and eating habits. Nest building and mating. Food choices.

The more colorful, the more timid (at least in our neighborhood). Cardinals are one such bird. They are a delight to witness when they choose to appear. Cardinals always seem to be in pairs. As in many of natures species, the male is the brighter of the two, but certainly no more important.

 

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It is unusual to find a Cardinal perched on a feeder. They normally forage on the ground or in trees and shrubs. For this male, the temptation must have been too great to be relegated to bottom feeding. As for the female, she chose to dine with company !

 

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Photograph disclaimer: These two were shot through a glass door and with zero-time to prepare which translates to not-so-vivid images. We enjoyed them anyway. Always a blessing to see God’s handiwork in action.

 

May you find color in life today.

Social Distancing Nature’s Way

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Does it seem ironic that much of the world is experiencing this viral pandemic during the Spring season? At the very least most people can step outdoors and inhale fresh air, take a walk and enjoy the beauty of God’s colorful creation. Contemplate the advent of this virus in December and carried on through the winter months. I submit to all that that scenario would create much greater stress than the present. Don’t misunderstand, I do not minimize the current situation, but it could be worsened by the season.

Nature hasn’t seemed to be affected by COVID-19; grass grows, flowers sprout, squirrels play, birds build nests and lay eggs. In more remote areas, lions still roar, monkeys swing in trees, whales traverse the ocean depths and reptiles catch their prey. This lone morning dove has chosen to do what comes natural every year…lay eggs and hatch them. Social distancing is a natural thing for much of the Animal Kingdom.

To be totally honest, I am a bit tired of all the overused buzz words we hear a multitude of times each week. Words and phrases like: new normal; N95 masks; six foot rule; zoom meetings; essential services; sanitize; hoarding; scamming; isolating; etc. All apply, but to what degree? Job loss is real. Businesses will fail, millions will be unemployed in the future, just as they are now. Yet, I see so many folks treat this pandemic like a holiday. I work in an essential service industry and DIY projects are the “thing” right now, but this will pass as the virus continues to reek havoc in our world. People will really suffer if this pandemic continues for many more months.

On a more positive note, I am encouraged by the sense of unity, cooperation, sacrifice, ingenuity, beauty and positive social change which is taking shape around the world. We truly have become a global community. Wouldn’t that be grand if this dynamic continued after this germ is eradicated? Until then, look to nature for inspiration. My dove has distanced herself far enough to be kept from harm, but close enough to be seen and heard. May we learn from her.