I have to admit that I’m not too sad to see February go. But, I’m not overly excited either. The truth is, I’ve noticed my relationship to winter changing over the last couple of years. What changed exactly? Well, for one thing, I pretty much lost interest in complaining about it. What’s the point of that? At the same time, I ran out of energy from trying to see the positive side of everything. As Doris Day said, “Que sera…
This morning as I was making breakfast, I thought the words, “I am in a universe of pain.” As someone who deals with chronic pain, I have previously thought, “I am in a world of pain” on days when it has been really bad. But today was different. For even though I was experiencing the most pain I’ve had in recent memory, I wasn’t using those words to mark or measure it. Instead, there was an immense spaciousness around it,…
I had two flocks of turkeys pass through my yard today. I stopped to watch them, and in those moments, there was nothing else happening in the world. The sky rumbled, grey and pouty, as it began to spit like a child having a temper tantrum. I stood at my window, watching the golden maple leaves sway carelessly to the ground, feeling aware of the comfort of my home. Memories of my lifetime of autumns passed in an instant, as…
I’ve seen a lot of amazing places over the last week or so. I drove from the Columbia River Gorge through the rippling brown grasslands of eastern Oregon and Washington, through the sweeping evergreen mountains of Idaho, and into the big sky country of Montana. Each place I visited captured my imagination, but none so much as Glacier National Park, where I have been for the last several days. There are no words to describe it and pictures cannot begin…
I spent the last few days visiting my good friend, Erin, in Portland, 0R, and now I am off on a brand new camping adtventure by myself for the next two weeks. I’ve been so consumed with preparing and planning for this trip for the last few weeks that it is hard to just let go of it all. I arrived in the Columbia River Gorge yesterday afternoon, beyond exhausted from pushing too hard for too long. But the campground…
I woke up this morning feeling depleted and bereft after pushing too hard against my natural rhythm all week. The burning question in my mind was, “What’s the point?” I honestly couldn’t say. I went out into the garden, knowing that connecting with living, growing things is usually balm for my soul. I picked raspberries, gently plucking the sweet thimble-like fruit into a well worn paper pint container – a simple and kindly reassuring task. I harvested beans and tomatoes,…
The following is a guest post by Rob Fletcher, originally written for his blog At Your Best. It is about our experience rescuing a stranded skunk, and I couldn’t have written anything more perfect about this beautiful and poignant moment. I’ve also included a video of some of the skunks I have been caring for at the wildlife rehabilitation facility that I volunteer at. Please enjoy. Another 90 degree summer day, another work day done, another evening summer swim in the…
Summer is here! I went for a paddle on Laurel Lake in Erving with a neighbor this evening, which was a great way to ring in this vibrant season. As I started paddling, I found myself veering off in a weird and unexpected direction, unable to control myself. It took me a few seconds before I realized that I was on my paddle board backwards. I laughed and said, “Well, that basically sums up the way my day has been. …
The other day I saw a puddle on the pavement that was mixed with gasoline leaked from a car. It looked like a big, swirly iridescent rainbow. I remember seeing these kinds of puddles when I was a kid, and feeling a great sense of delight as I exclaimed, “Look, Mom! A rainbow!” And so, we go from childhood to adulthood. The simple things that delighted us become weighted by knowledge and reality. A pretty puddle that once made me…
It’s my birthday! And that means it’s time for my annual birthday blog post. This year, I’m spending it in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, where we are camping and hiking for several days. Our campsite is right on the Little River at Elkmont Campground, and apparently, we lucked out by getting what veteran campers here refer to as “the primo site” (Site F8, if you happen to be going there). And I can see why! It’s private, quiet,…