Both Feet on The Ground -- Walk With Me!

 

Rachel & Cottonwood 

    Walking outside in nature can be a form of meditation.  Rather than focusing inside on my thoughts and the antics of my mind, looking, observing, trying to see everything around brings me into the peace found in this moment. This walk where I now live is near the Nevin Springs Wildlife Area acquired by the state in 1876 to create a fish hatchery. The drive to secure space for parks, preserves and conservancies  reminds us of our need for recreation. To Re-create! Recreate ourselves! Bring ourselves into harmony with being itself. On a recent walk I stopped to observe a chickadee feeding. This chickadee besides the normal black and white pattern had a light dusting of yellow on each side of the breast.  The chickadee would leave a low perch fly down to pick a seed head off a plant then fly back to perch and quickly pick the seeds out to eat. Then quickly repeat. As I watched a jogger came up behind, stopped, asked what I was looking at. I pointed out the chickadee feeding. 

    He exclaimed, "that's my favorite bird," before going on.

    I'm frequently surprised at what I find.  I can identify most trees in my neck of the woods by their bark. Yet at the conservancy nearby I noticed a large striking tree; tall with a very straight trunk. I could not come up with a name. This led to a quest as I engaged myself in identifying the tree. 

    After doing some research returning to the foot of the tree I uncovered beneath the snow the distinctive leaf of  what I thought might be a Big-Tooth Aspen. The size of the straight trunk astounding. A fast developing tree most Big-tooth Aspen only grow to about a foot in diameter before death. Two feet in diameter is consider very large. I measured this one at slightly over three feet in diameter. Double checking I found mistaken identity. The leaf was from a Cottonwood a tree I'm familiar with, but here out of context. I usually see Cottonwoods next to water not in amongst hardwoods.  I took a friend over to show her the tree then took her picture for perspective on the size of the trunk. Thanks Rachel! 

        This Cottonwood lives on a gentle slope. At the base of the slope a large spring creates open water. The water that feeds the spring must be ground water following the slope just below the cottonwood. Ground water even just a few feet below the ground surface stays warm. Waterfowl use the open water created by the spring in winter. Below a flock of geese. 

                                         

        This blog falls short of all I would like to share. I've put together a Walk With Me video to capture more detail. The being there. While working on this blog I began to think of myself as a Nature Nerd.  Oh, yes the poem I've been working on started in 2019 will highlight my love of being out with the other wildlife and trees. 

Both Feet On The Ground

Both feet

On the ground,

The only way to know

Mother Earth

Intimately.

Gravity travels her

Curving waves of

Organic, verdant

Green flesh, 

Where 

Water seeks

Mineral bound stone,

Dissolves

Essential nutrients

For dynamic evolution

To weave

Roots and fungi

Throughout

Within, to

Bring forth pioneer

Plants and trees

That rise in

An epidermis

Of soil;

The ephemeral

Magic

Amazing symbioses

Of

All Being; 

    Thanks for joining me. I believe you'll enjoy the video. There's a surprise at the end when I found a bench beside a main trail with a brass plaque with an appropriate quote for Winter. 

May Serenity Be Yours -- Until Next Time Tony 

    Anthony G. Hendricks, author, poet, nature lover -- naturally;  Buddha Blues, just published with a great cover created by his Sister Judith; available at Amazon as print on demand or as an e book at Amazon or Kobo. With formatting help on cover and interior by Woven Red. Other books The Wasteland Revisited, a book length poem about the dystopia causing global warming; available as an e book at Amazon; A Journey In The Human Dilemma, collected poetry and prose; trade paper back only
available through the author.