My online journal where I share my interests in photography, nature, coffee life, journaling, fountain pens, bicycling, spirituality and asking deep questions.
I want not only to observe but to know living beings, and this implies a dimension of primordial familiarity which is simple and primitive and religious and poor.
Thomas Merton, The Trees Say Nothing
I would add that this familiarity needs to be in their natural environment; the city park, the mountains, prairie, desert, yards, and gardens. All living beings share this world with me so spending time with them is the gift.
I am not sure how many days I commuted to and from work but I am grateful I no longer commute to work. However, this morning on my walk/bus ride to the coffee shop I was aware I still commute, yet it does not seem like a commute. While commuting to work, my mind was already at work, figuring, planning, scheduling, arguing, and already building resentments. This meant I was not mentally present for the commute. Wonder how many gifts nature was offering me and I missed them?
So I’m going to share with you a bit of my commute to coffee this morning. (Sorry if it bores you.) We had a cloudless blue sky. Apple blossoms reminding me it’s spring. A squirrel watching my every move. A cottontail checking out their reflection in the car. Early morning shadows. Spring flowers and new leaves on campus. Heard the cooing of a morning dove and the cry of a hawk. And then when I arrived at Mugs my barista, Emma, offered her wonderful smile and made me a mocha. Yes, I still commute but it’s different. I have an open slate on my calendar, so I plan to do a bit of reading and writing, in the sun. Enjoy your Friday.
nibbling on grass
mws
black eyes alert to danger
nothing but cuteness
I seldom saw rabbits around my condo when I moved in over 20 years ago. But, over the past couple of years we’ve started to see more of them. My guess is the overgrowth of trees and shrubs around the holding ponds now provides a good habitat for them. They do not play loud music, take up a parking spot, throw wild parties, raise hell or smoke. Nor do I have a vegetable or flower garden to defend from them. They’re good neighbors and I like having them as neighbors. And, Happy June 1st!
This small cottontail shows us how something may be present but not be obvious. We have to look with a different set of eyes to see beyond the ordinary in nature and also in our lives.
…scratch it.
“Creation is not an act but a process.”
Terry Tempest Williams, Erosion
