“You don’t fix Nature. Nature is. We are part of it, and when we listen to what she is saying she will always guide us toward happiness and gratitude.”
I love this Hank!
It’s been over 8 years since I’ve traveled back to my childhood home stomping grounds of the Valley, Foothills and Sierras. The last time I visited there was so much change (a sea of subdivisions and shopping outlets), it made me sick! I miss the green rolling hills of grass and oaks. Although, you’re correct, it doesn’t stay green long enough!
I just picked my first round of Hucks here in Montana! And, some wild strawberries too!🤩 Our rivers are much lower than they should be this time of year, except the Yellowstone. Despite a recent rainy day, our foothills have browned quickly. I know soon, our skies will likely be filled with particulate. I have to remind myself…Necessary Ending for New Beginnings!
I keep thinking I'll make a run back to CA some day, pretty much for the same reasons... to visit old friends across the taxonomic spectrum. Problem is I have too much I want to do... hunting some pigs in the canyons, eating great Mexican and Asian food, drinking some good wine that hasn't been trucked across the world, etc.
Your homecoming journey struck several chords with me, Hank.
I, too, have those natural respites from the loud and sometimes crazy world we live in. A North Dakota wetland pothole in the middle of hundreds of acres of prairie; the top of a tall prairie hilltop overlooking the St. Croix River at a local state park; or sitting in my boat in the middle of a remote Ontario lake, “listening to the silence.”
Notable author and conservationist, Sigurd Olson , often wrote about such wild places. About his writing cabin on a point of land he called “Listening Point”, on a Minnesota north woods lake, he wrote,”Each time I have gone there I have found something new which has opened up great realms of thought and interest. For me it has been a point of discovery and, like all such places of departure, has assumed meaning far beyond the ordinary”
“Only when one comes to listen, only when one is aware and still, can things be seen and heard.”
So thankful you shared your “Listening Points” with us.
I'm sure parts of California are beautiful, but the incessant traffic would drive me away in a hurry. My happy place is a small inland lake in the Northwoods, surrounded by miles of northern hardwood forest. Usually, there is nobody there but me and my wife. The nearby town that I live in has less than 3000 people, and one stop light. I can breathe here, and I can experience nature on my own terms, without swarms of people around. I'm glad there are still places like this left.
That was so poetic. Much of it resonated with me, but "its incessant traffic as “normal" rang loud in my brain. I've lived in CA for nearly 42 years, all the while greatly appreciating its diversity, but every time I come back here after spending quality time somewhere else, I'm gobsmacked by the traffic whether it's driving 'down the hill' from Truckee, driving in on I-15 from Vegas, or driving anytime in the Bay Area or So. Cal. At least the growth seems to have slowed or even stopped.
I understand but it's also sad. I imagine your brother lives in one of the more densely populated parts of the state. And there's the rub. There are vast swaths of California from the Oregon border to Mexico and our eastern neighbors that have hardly any people.
Good to hear. "So if you ever find yourself wandering back down an old trail, know this: kindness waits there. No maps. No traps." California is a great place to visit.
“You don’t fix Nature. Nature is. We are part of it, and when we listen to what she is saying she will always guide us toward happiness and gratitude.”
I love this Hank!
It’s been over 8 years since I’ve traveled back to my childhood home stomping grounds of the Valley, Foothills and Sierras. The last time I visited there was so much change (a sea of subdivisions and shopping outlets), it made me sick! I miss the green rolling hills of grass and oaks. Although, you’re correct, it doesn’t stay green long enough!
I just picked my first round of Hucks here in Montana! And, some wild strawberries too!🤩 Our rivers are much lower than they should be this time of year, except the Yellowstone. Despite a recent rainy day, our foothills have browned quickly. I know soon, our skies will likely be filled with particulate. I have to remind myself…Necessary Ending for New Beginnings!
The Raven! Sounds like a great trip. All the best.
Great thoughts, and so rooted in nature, which means, of course, us. Thank you for these words.
"When we listen to what she is saying she will always guide us toward happiness and gratitude" -- what a vital reminder in these trying times.
I will probably never not think of our summer hills as anything other than suede now.
It was so great getting to spend time with you, Mr. Shaw.
I enjoyed this meander.
I keep thinking I'll make a run back to CA some day, pretty much for the same reasons... to visit old friends across the taxonomic spectrum. Problem is I have too much I want to do... hunting some pigs in the canyons, eating great Mexican and Asian food, drinking some good wine that hasn't been trucked across the world, etc.
Nature and years lived: the two best sources of whatever passes for wisdom and perspective.
Your homecoming journey struck several chords with me, Hank.
I, too, have those natural respites from the loud and sometimes crazy world we live in. A North Dakota wetland pothole in the middle of hundreds of acres of prairie; the top of a tall prairie hilltop overlooking the St. Croix River at a local state park; or sitting in my boat in the middle of a remote Ontario lake, “listening to the silence.”
Notable author and conservationist, Sigurd Olson , often wrote about such wild places. About his writing cabin on a point of land he called “Listening Point”, on a Minnesota north woods lake, he wrote,”Each time I have gone there I have found something new which has opened up great realms of thought and interest. For me it has been a point of discovery and, like all such places of departure, has assumed meaning far beyond the ordinary”
“Only when one comes to listen, only when one is aware and still, can things be seen and heard.”
So thankful you shared your “Listening Points” with us.
I'm sure parts of California are beautiful, but the incessant traffic would drive me away in a hurry. My happy place is a small inland lake in the Northwoods, surrounded by miles of northern hardwood forest. Usually, there is nobody there but me and my wife. The nearby town that I live in has less than 3000 people, and one stop light. I can breathe here, and I can experience nature on my own terms, without swarms of people around. I'm glad there are still places like this left.
This post reminds me of a quote from Pema Chodron: " You are the sky. Everything else- it's just weather"
Sounds like you have left some rough weather behind and a clear Canadian high pressure system is dominating your forecast right now!
That was so poetic. Much of it resonated with me, but "its incessant traffic as “normal" rang loud in my brain. I've lived in CA for nearly 42 years, all the while greatly appreciating its diversity, but every time I come back here after spending quality time somewhere else, I'm gobsmacked by the traffic whether it's driving 'down the hill' from Truckee, driving in on I-15 from Vegas, or driving anytime in the Bay Area or So. Cal. At least the growth seems to have slowed or even stopped.
I agree Patrick! In fact, I told my brother I can no longer travel back to visit him. He needs to come visit me!
I understand but it's also sad. I imagine your brother lives in one of the more densely populated parts of the state. And there's the rub. There are vast swaths of California from the Oregon border to Mexico and our eastern neighbors that have hardly any people.
Good to hear. "So if you ever find yourself wandering back down an old trail, know this: kindness waits there. No maps. No traps." California is a great place to visit.