My online journal where I share my interests in photography, nature, journaling, fountain pens, bicycling, coffee life, spirituality and the mystery of it all.
Now at Reservoir Ridge Natural Area. Sun has set and the moon sits in the southern sky. Silence. This is why I come here. Full of gratitude for its gifts. Blackbirds and meadowlarks sing good night. Magpies fly above heading for the cottonwood trees along Claymore Lake to roost for the night. Such a lovely ecosystem that man made noise has a difficult time reaching. I am full of love for you and all of creation. Silence…
ms, journal: /30/2022
As I looked out across the meadow at Reservoir Ridge Natural Area on Saturday evening I was struck by the shape and contrast in the clouds, so I decided to take a photo. By the time I had gotten the camera out, nature continued its art of creation and added a touch of pink to the image, just for me. Then in a matter of 2-3 minutes it was gone.
I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order.
John Burroughs
I awoke early yesterday morning, couldn’t go back to sleep so I got up earlier than I wanted. It has been a busy day but a very good day so I needed this sunset and the quiet at Claymore Lake last night. Hope everyone is having a good Labor Day weekend.
Everything is His.
Mary Oliver, Musical Notation: 2
the door, the door jamb.
The wood stacked near the door.
The leaves blown upon the path
that leads to the door.
The trees that are dropping their leaves
the wind that is tripping them this way and that way,
the clouds that are high above them,
the stars that are sleeping now beyond the clouds
and, simply said, all the rest.
When I open the door I am so sure so sure
all this will be there, and it is.
I look around.
I fill my arms with the firewood.
I turn and enter His house, and close His door.
the afternoon storm moved
ms
onto the eastern plains
leaving behind its offering of gifts
a warm golden glow over the foothills
the sweet scent from the rain soaked meadow
a rainbow pointing to the hidden pot of gold
and needed relief from the days heat
“Whenever there is stillness there is the still small voice, God’s speaking from the whirlwind, nature’s old song, and dance…”
Annie Dillard
“When I close my eyes and wait for my heartbeat to match the drum, I envision people recognizing, for perhaps the first time, dazzling gifts of the world, seeing them with new eyes, just as they teeter on the cusp of undoing. Maybe just in time. Or maybe too late.”
Robin Wall Kimmerer, from the Epilogue
I’ve finished Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book called Braiding Sweetgrass. It’s been a while since a book has captivated me, educated me, moved me to tears, laughter and anger but left me with a desire to start rereading as soon as I finished. I found much enlightenment about nature that I was never taught in school or don’t remember or my focus was on the ballgame after school.
Kimmerer said she wrote the book because, “I wanted readers to understand that Indigenous knowledge and Western science are both powerful ways of knowing, and that by using them together we can imagine a more just and joyful relationship with the Earth.” She explains how Indigenous people know a nature different than we do, most of that gained from reading the book of nature. That has stirred me to want to read more of this book of nature which means spending more time with her. Highly recommend the book.
On Tuesday I posted a photo from Reservoir Ridge Natural Area that looked southwest. I mentioned that behind me was Claymore Lake. This is an image of Claymore Lake taken just after the other image as the sun gave us this starburst kiss before dropping behind the horizon and offering the stars to shine on us. The beauty found here, without the hand of man disrupting, is why I come here. Nature lures me here by speaking to a place within me.
“I used to think the top global environmental problems were biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and climate change. I thought that with 30 years of good science we could address these problems. But I was wrong. The top environmental problems are selfishness, greed and apathy, and to deal with these we need a spiritual and cultural transformation, and we scientists don’t know how to do that
James Gustave (Gus) Speth
This is one of my favorite places to sit in quiet and journal. It is at the south end of Reservoir Ridge Natural Area and is about a mile from Overland Trail road. So, with the trees between me and the road there is virtually no traffic noise, just the music of nature. Directly behind me is beautiful Claymore Lake and the trailheads off to my right. I’m posting this quote because I believe he is spot on. Our environmental problems will only happen when a psychic change occurs. Because there are some people deeply rooted in selfishness, greed and apathy, who will look at this scene and not see an open meadow untouched by a plow, but they will see an object for exploitation, not a living, breathing ecosystem.
I posted yesterday about having conversations with nature and then had a short but very important conversation with this rattlesnake on the trail at Reservoir Ridge Natural Area last evening. They initiated the conversation when they started to shake that rattle while I was about four feet away. Thus began our conversation. As soon as I heard them rattle I immediately stopped in my tracks. Without any words I knew exactly what they were saying to me, “That’s close enough! I’m coiled and ready.” I answered them by saying loudly something like, “Holy Crap!!”, then stepped back. I frantically looked for them. Once discovered, I moved off the trail and let them have it. After all, they were there first. I then asked if I could take a photo or two. I understood that rattle perfectly, without words.