• coffee life,  coffee shops,  fountain pens,  journal,  journaling,  lifestyles,  writing/reading

    A Soft Whisper

    February 11, 2022

    As I travel this journey of life, I find both the unceasing chaotic chatter of the world and my mind brings turmoil within me. To quiet these voices of anxiety and confusion I use my journal and fountain pens. They have long  ago become intimate friends who have the ability to bring a calming to my sometimes troubled spirit. As I hold these trusted instruments my breathing and thinking settle down into a place of peace. As I write, the world still shouts but now from a distance and the continuous chatter of my mind gradually becomes a soft whisper.

    We are expecting snow to begin about midday with 1-3 inches total. Stay warm.

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  • Candid Portraits,  coffee life,  coffee shops,  People/Portraits

    All is a Miracle

    February 9, 2022

    ““People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child—our own two eyes. All is a miracle.”

    Thich Nhat Hanh

    It is so easy for us in our society to miss the miracles, big and small. For some there is no concept they exist. Wonder how many of us would we see the miracles if we put down our smartphones?

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  • landscape,  natural areas,  Pineridge Natural Area,  sunrises

    Pretty Pitchers

    February 8, 2022

    In the United States law, federally designated wilderness is famously defined as ‘an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.’ One environmental ethics text defines natural like this: ‘Something is natural to the extent that it is independent of human design, control, and impacts.’ Definitions like this start with a basic assumption that human beings are not part of nature. They assume, in fact, that humans are the opposite of nature, that our influence makes a thing less wild or natural. And I simply reject this premise.
    After many years, I have come to see the concepts of wilderness and nature as not just unscientific but damaging.

    Emma Marris

    It was amazingly warm this morning, 38 degrees when I left the condo about 6:15 am. I headed to Pineridge Natural Area to greet the sun then needed to take my car in for an oil change. Walked over to Starbucks to get a latte then caught the bus home.

    Way too many cars with only one person in them. Admittedly I am a part of that problem and it eats at me. This town is very bus, bicycling and walking friendly. It is also environmental friendly with all its parks and natural area. They offer everyone the opportunity to be a part of nature, to be changed by it, leaving the car at home. I’ve been apart from nature for too many years because there is still a small part within me that thinks I’m not a part of nature. Yet, more time in nature has touched that essence within me that knows I am a part of nature. Aware of a desire to live a more vibrant and healthy concept of wilderness in wilderness. Taking pretty pitchers is not enough. Yes, I know, I sound like a broken record. Have another Awesome day!

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  • Avian,  seasons,  snow,  winter scenes

    How do they do that?

    February 6, 2022

    Well, since you asked, here are some interesting facts for you about Canada Geese. Geese on the ice may be resting or preparing to move on to un-frozen bodies of water when need be. Huddling their bodies together on the ice of a shallow pond can cause it to warm up, especially along the edges, and increase their food supply, so sleeping on the ice can merely be a step towards thawing it out.

    Their bodies are built to stay warm. They have insulated underbellies, and enough feathers, generally between 20,000 and 25,000, to keep their upper body temperature around 104°F (40°C). (Goose down has long been considered the warmest filling for things such as jackets and sleeping bags.)

    Geese also have an interesting type of circulation through their feet that transfers warm blood back up into their bodies. Since their feet can’t freeze, they often sleep with them tucked underneath their bodies. This heat-transference phenomenon is one of the reasons why sometimes you’ll see them standing on one foot with the other tucked up under the belly, especially when the ground is frozen. 1Courtesy of Google.

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