• horizons,  landscape,  rants,  sunrises,  writing/reading

    Let’s try something else!

    September 12, 2023

    Warning: Here comes a rant. Just over 22 years ago a terrorist attack on the World Trade Center began a devastating war, and I use the word war loosely here. This two decade long conflict has had a huge cost in money and lives. In this post I will set aside the money numbers with my rant focused on the human costs. In terms of human costs the numbers are staggering and these numbers are estimates. One report states the total number of deaths is 167,000 people killed by direct war violence in Afghanistan. I find that to be 167,000 too many. Which brings up my focus of this post: violence does not bring peace.

    I read from the Save the Children website that almost 33,000 children have been killed and maimed in Afghanistan over the past 20 years, an average of one child every five hours. Even if that number was half as many it’s shockingly too high. Again: violence does not bring peace.

    September is National Suicide Prevention Month so I thought I’d mention a few numbers on suicides of veterans. Since Sept. 11, 2001, just over 30,000 veterans have died by suicide — four times more than the number of U.S. military personnel who died in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. That also comes out close to one veteran every five hours. I find it dumbfounding that we can support the idea of putting a uniform on a young person then training them to kill, placing them in combat situations and not expect them to have psychological trauma. Once again: violence does not bring peace.

    Even if the numbers presented here are incorrect by 90% they are way too high. They affect me at a deep level. Not sure it was a good idea to write this post but searching for these numbers has reinforced my conviction that: violence does not bring peace. Let’s try something else!

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  • clouds,  landscape,  natural areas,  Pineridge Natural Area,  sunrises

    Everyday

    August 27, 2023
    Predawn sky from Thursday morning of August 24, 2023

    It was “oh dark thirty” this past Thursday morning when a voice within urged me to visit one of my favorite natural areas. I gently made my way to a favorite rock, making sure to avoid the prickly pear cactus. My goal was to be present, to photograph the predawn sky, to be in a place of pray, to listen to the silence and to take part in the gift of this mysterious and wonderful moment.

    As I sat on my rock I noticed it seems to be harder and more uncomfortable with each visit. But I know this rock is being what it was created to be, a rock. Maybe I’ll bring a pillow next time. I swat at annoying, hungry mosquitoes, unsuccessfully. A couple bats quietly dart above me, those deadly predators of the mosquitos. I urge them on! A band of crickets is practicing the same song as the last morning I was here. In my opinion they are getting better each time I come. Along the water’s edge a frog croaks his song of romance. Best of luck my friend! I reach out and rub the sagebrush between my fingers. It’s my way of taking its fragrance with me when I return home, a simple and natural sacrament. A coyote silently crosses 30 feet in front of me heading towards the prairie dog town. Stopping once to turn and check me out. And those clouds! They were constant shapeshifters this morning reminding me life is constantly changing. For me there is something special about watching the colors pink and red kissing the horizon. So much to be grateful for! 😍 And now, I thank you for letting me again share with you a glimpse of my early morning in words and photographs. 

    I’ll end this post with an inviting question by Mary Oliver in one of her poems, “How many mysteries have you seen in your lifetime?” My answer to her question is: everyday! What’s yours?

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  • Art,  coffee life,  coffee shops,  latte art,  musings,  writing/reading

    A “to-do” list

    August 25, 2023

    I’ve noticed how several of my baristas, as well as other people, will often ask me what I have planned for my day. Some days that’s easy to answer because I do have a list of things. While other times that’s not as easy to answer because I have no to-do list. It got me to reflect on that what am I going “to be” today appeared more relevant than what I was going “to do.” So, in my journal I wrote answers to the question, What sort of human will you be today, Monte? My writings brought up some interesting thoughts. You can laugh at these, discount them, add to them or stop reading this post and get on with your day’s to-do list. Either way here is a short and incomplete list.  

    I want to be kind, loving, fully present, virtuous, reflective, forgiving, open minded, honest, prayerful, happy, my true self, caring, thankful, respectful, and a listener. I see that most of this list is my life lived through my attitude, intentions, and approach to life. Now the following list are roles that I can strive to do through my actions and efforts: to be a photographer, a writer, a creative, a student and the best son, brother, father, friend I can be. Seems it may be we need to be and do.

    There is no simple answer to this question except maybe “to be all that I can be”. Yet, I cannot be any of those without putting some action to them, which means a “to-do” list that includes how I approach living my life. Another good question to ask myself is if am I thinking about what I could do for others, what I could pack into the stream of life or am I just thinking of myself? Thanks for listening to my ramblings this morning, if you did.

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  • Mary Oliver,  Metro Parks,  quotes

    That Slow Seduction

    August 24, 2023
    Blendon Woods – May 2009

    I could not be a poet without the natural world. Someone else could. But not me. For me the door to the woods is the door to the temple.

    Mary Oliver

    I’m rather new to poetry, in both reading and writing. Primarily because I did not understand it, nor did I put the effort into learning what it was about and what it could teach me. It just wasn’t time yet in my life. Now it is. Some of that slow seduction could be spending more quality time in the natural world, or as Mary suggests the temple. I like how Maria Popova says it here. Having said that I want to thank all of you who read and maybe even understand my attempts at writing poetry. But not today!

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  • clouds,  landscape,  sunrises

    then… the gift

    August 21, 2023

    then… turning the corner I caught 
    a glimpse of the northeast sky 
    with its soft pink delicate clouds 

    I had to stop, couldn’t refuse the gift 

    then… opening my journal, I began listening
    with my own prayer; of writing, of being present  
    and then the meadowlark began to sing or pray

    I had to listen, couldn’t refuse the gift

    then… off to meet Eric for coffee
    a full day of gifts; the gift of sunrise,
    the gift of his life, the gift of my life,

    and the gift of the new day

    mws
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  • grass,  haiku,  landscape,  natural areas,  Pineridge Natural Area,  Plants,  sunrises,  writing/reading

    Something so simple

    July 28, 2023

    cloudless predawn sky
    silhouetted needlegrass
    something so simple

    mws

    This image is from Pineridge Natural Area a few days ago. I went for the predawn meditation, to empty my monkey mind and allow nature to fill me with that sense of awe. It’s always a great way to start my day. I was entertained by a half dozen bats demonstrating their aerial acrobatics, silhouetted against the sky. Then I noticed this solitary needlegrass silhouetted against the orange and blue horizon dancing in the light breeze. Grabbed my camera since I had it with me. Something so simple. Have a great Friday!

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