TRAILS OF NATURE; Everywhere

Nature is everywhere, and everyone has a unique relationship with the universe around them. Some are satisfied with the morning sun shining next to their coffee cup through the window of their 17th floor apt in New York City. Others crave the danger and interaction with Nature on the slopes of Mt. Everest. Some people can not kill an ant, their respect and awe of Nature is so complete and pervasive. One way or another, most of us interact with Nature, even if only to shovel the snow from our sidewalks or shake the rain from our coats.

Whatever your relationship with Nature, the point is – you have one, as Nature IS the air we breathe, the land we walk upon, the food we eat, the breezes in our trees and the sunshine that begins and ends our days – whether we see it or not.

My connection with Nature includes a deeper than physical relationship; I doubt I will ever be capable of explaining it succinctly, but this connection includes the need to share it.

Nature’s power is obvious through her volcanoes, tsunamis and plate tectonics, while the awe of her beauty is clear through her sunsets, sunrises and wildlife. Life – its origins, evolution and oddities, both on Earth and throughout the universe, are complex, and in reality – still new and unexplored by humanity.

What are your thoughts about Nature? Do you dream of the future flight of the Condor and the Eagle, as told in Incan prophecy? Do you ski through snow-laden slopes? Do you revel in the coolness and buoyancy of her waters through an early morning swim? Do you enjoy the laughter and innocence of children through your day-care services? Or is your passion exercised through chasing tornadoes for your weather related position at NOAA. All questions, concerns or comments will be addressed; let’s explore and share the trails of Nature.

As always, Nature prevails.

Winter Trails; the 'fabric of our lives'

Winter snows howl outside today. As I sit by the window, gazing through the blowing snowflakes to the far away thoughts inside my cozy brain, it seems it's the small things - the everyday, 'no biggie', collection of on-going moments, that seem to fill me. I used to believe the big events were the 'markers' of life...getting married, climbing the social and professional ladders, getting a raise. But are these bigger events really as important as the tiny parts of life that grease the gears of our 'every-days'?

When a loved one passes, what is it that comprises 'the memories' we so treasure. Is it..the way they smiled when they tried to hold back from telling about a secret gift? Or the way their eyes looked just before they said 'I'm sorry'? Or was it their particular walk that you watched for years as they left for work? How about their yen to take off fishing every Sunday morning? It used to annoy you, you wanted more time with them...then. How did their hug linger, the smell of their perfume, the toss of their head and the shine of their hair?

Yesterday, you were planning your vacation, your new move, the big party at Christmas, the "rest of your life." Tomorrow, your health may change, disease may creep in, and time will not stand still; it never does. What then, of your tomorrows? My dear Colorado friend always says..."T.C.! Things change."

Weave carefully, the fabric of your life. Choose the thread, gather it with forethought, add many colors, tie knots in the lose ends, wear it with reverence.

Nature is sunlight and sadness, growth and grief, forethought and forgetfulness, birth and death.

TODAY

"Possess this day with awe and caring.
It is a gift given quickly and only once;
Stain it not with tears of regret.

Look to yesterday with reverence,
For it is a teacher - a wise one,
A pathway for tomorrow, a memory, a vision.

Tomorrow is also a vision, but without substance.
It is a dream, a wish, a story - yet to be told,
A feeling waiting to be birthed.

Yesterday passes,
Tomorrow waits;
Ah...but for today."

Danielle Simone
1983
(copyright, 1991)

Nature prevails.

Nostalgia trails, Down the Backroads of Yesterday

In the next few days, Mr. Oris George will publish a new e-book, "The Man At the Side of the Road".

If you enjoy serious writing about the 1940's era, when the trails of nature were a bit tougher, more palpable, then trot on over to the orisgeorge website and take a closer look. Mr. George not only lived those days but will shortly be sharing one of his more serious stories of that era, The Man At the Side of the Road. This touching story will allow you a peek into the thoughts of an 8 year-old during the WWII era; it will warm your heart and leave you a different person with a better understanding of the difference that 50 years can make in a culture.

The Man at the Side of the Road is written by southeastern Colorado's premier writer of nostalgia. Don't miss the chance to buy this touching story.

Nature prevails.

CHICKEN TRACKS...Next Stop on Trails of Nature

We're finished on the kitty trails; the kitties are settled in. Time to set out on another Nature trail.

"DID SOMEONE SAY TABLE-SCRAPS?"










Hasty Acres lays claim to the best incredible-edible-eggs - according to Oris George from The Backroads of Yesterday. Why, only Thursday, Mr. George gave my Acewriters writing group, a detailed explanation/presentation/specific rendition of the simple cooking, cooling and serving process for the perfect egg! This perfect egg is born - ONLY - at Hasty Acres.

Here at our spacious country dwelling, our six, feathered beauties enjoy the amenities necessary for prolific, perfect egg production. They have free range - which adds grasshoppers and other delectable bugs to their diet, creating bigger, brighter yolks. For breakfast, our pretties get a bowl of hen scratch (grain) to supplement their egg-layer pellets. Scratching in our bulb bed fills their afternoons. They thoroughly enjoy themselves, and my garden soil gets aerated, energizing any lazy worms (they have to be fast to out-dig our pretties)! Given a chance to return to their primitive way of life, they produce their best eggs.

Did I mention they donate free fertilizer all over Hasty Acres?! We do have to occasionally chase them away from the front door - fertilizer on the front steps seems to agitate Mrs. Barn Builder, for some odd reason...

But back to the perfect egg....next time on Chicken Tracks.

Tip of the day; "An egg is its own perfect container!" (courtesy of Don)

Nature prevails.

Trails of Nature - Along the Back Roads

"There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains
of nature - the assurance that dawn comes after night, and
spring after the winter."

- Rachel Carson
The Sense of Wonder

When I take time to pass along the back roads and follow the trails of nature wherever they take me, it is often with wonder and a sense of deep adventure that I find myself thinking of friends who give great value to life, of family who love me, and of all the gifts I've been given for the wholesome purpose of giving them back to humanity. The greatest blessings of life come when I take the first step along the trail and find myself walking the path a friend has trod.

~ Charger Mom