Earth Care

Yesterday morning, a friend had shared a story from NPR about a school program in DC or somewhere that was getting kids excited about eating kale. The basic idea was something like "kids don't like vegetables, but these kids do!" It went on to describe the program, the school gardens, and how the kids were excited to be growing, cooking and eating vegetables. I like to hear stories like this, and I liked when Naomi and I would take a walk to the school garden at the elementary school up the hill from our apartment. All of these things are fine and great, but the part of the article that stuck out to me was something that the director of this school program had said, and it was something to the effect of teaching kids to eat well and care for the earth.

These types of programs or events tend to focus on teaching kids to eat healthy, or how to grow vegetables, or where their food comes from, but caring for the earth is at the heart of it.  It's also frequently overlooked it seems, at least from the articles that cover these types of things, but it's the most important part. Naomi and I discussed this idea over breakfast that morning and came to a consensus that if caring for the earth is the basis of our actions, then we will eat healthier food, be more active in our lives, and care for other people more, but if we just focus on one of those things, then we don't also necessarily care for the earth.

I do believe that caring for the earth is the core of our beliefs, especially care for its soils, animals and each other. It's what compels me to continue doing what I do.

Beginning of Autumn

This is often a hard time of year for me, emotionally. I am so active, and mostly outside during the summer months, that once it starts to cool down and the days get shorter, I start to go into a withdrawal. It also doesn't help that this is the time of year that Will is hunting, and I often end up sitting inside on a cool evening, fretting that he has fallen out of a tree and now I'm a widow.

So far, he has not fallen out of a tree, and so far, I am not a widow. Let's hope it stays that way.

This year seems to be especially hard for me, but maybe I say that every year. There are some family things going on that I am taking supremely personally, even though they really have nothing to do with me. I had a rough summer with that annoying problem of having too much free time (and therefore, getting nothing done).

Despite having to battle my own brain everyday, I am outrageously happy with my life. The little moments pull me through. Like, for instance, this morning. Today was a beautiful, sunny day for the first time in many days. Knowing that I would have to spend the afternoon inside because I had to go to work, I stood out in the sun for a bit, admiring the view and brushing my hair. Everything was still wet, and the sun was just creeping up over the tree line and then BAM! All of a sudden, there was sun and warmth. For a moment, I thought the house was on fire, but then logic took over and I realized that the water drops that were still on the roof were evaporating off into a thick steam, billowing down onto the lawn.

And for a moment, I forgot about my own brain and was happy and awestruck.

Opening Day

Tomorrow is opening day of the deer archery season.  I've been more excited in previous years, but with all the things going on this year like moving, new (ish) job, weddings,  etc I don't feel prepared enough to have high hopes.   I'm in a totally new spot,  I didn't scout much,  and I don't have a great entry/exit strategy. 

I do, however, know that deer are present here, and with reasonable certainty,  I know that there isn't much pressure here.  I also feel quite confident with my shooting.  I started practicing later in the year than I usually like, but without a huge garden and the convenience of walking out the back door to shoot, I logged many more shooting hours than usual.

Another interesting twist is that there is new competition here, and by that I mean bears and bobcats.  Naomi and I SAW a bobcat walk through the backyard today around noon, carrying a bigger fish than either of us has caught this year.  I also checked my trail camera today while hanging my stand, and had some pictures of a black bear. This will cut down on my morning sits, as I don't wish to encounter either animal in the pre-dawn dark. 

I'm also relieved because I won't have the pressure of my landlord and friends whom I had to face upon the return of each (unsuccessful) hunt.  That got to me, especially as none of them were bowhunters, and didn't seem to grasp the additional challenges involved in the craft. I don't have to answer to my permission - granter about the perceived quality of the deer I choose to take.  I answer only to myself and the animals with which I choose to interact.  Naomi will not judge me based on the size, sex, or antler size of the deer I choose to return with, if I so choose, and am lucky and skillful enough to do so.  Finally, I am on my own terms.  In this regard,  I have high hopes.  I don't want to forget the lessons I learned last year, nor do I want to repeat the mistakes of seasons past.  I wish only to commune with the natural world so that it will sustain me; physically,  mentally, and spiritually.  Here's to the start of a completely new season!

First weekly walkaround

I decided today that it would be nice to spend some time each week just walking and observing the plants,  animals, and activity around the house.  I'm realizing while writing this that I used to do that at the big garden too, just every so often. 

I seem to come up with more questions than answers most of the time.  At least I can keep track of them this way.  So here are my observations

- there are some caterpillars deflating the milkweed plants on the bank by the road.  I wonder if they're monarchs.  I don't know what else would be eating milkweed.  

-we had a hard rain yesterday evening.   The water levels are back up.  There are also a lot of little fish in the brook now, and some of them are starting to look kind of big.  I want to get a net so I can check them out really closely since they really like to dart away when I approach the water. 

-The knotweed is really starting to resprout from my slashing project, more so where it's not impeded by piled of slashed canes.  Where it was heavily mulched with dumpings of old canes, it's having a hard time coming up. 

-there are some plants I'm really curious about:
     -one with stems that come off the main stalk at 45° angles, has a reddish tint, and starting to have small yellow flowers.

     -a succulent groundcover growing in the lawn with opposite roundish leaves of a beautiful soft green color. 

-I always find dead crayfish parts both in the brook and up in the lawn near the brook, but I've yet to see a live one.

Hopefully I can keep up with both the weekly walkaround and the corresponding posts.  I'm hoping to go back and add photos too.