caught

caught at the interface
of natural
and man made
blown in
by the wind
caught by deck
made of wood
sawdust and resin
held together
by steel
mined, refined, and milled
built as designed
upon the earth
beneath the sky
landscaped
with living trees
dropping their leaves
as the hemisphere
tilts away from the sun.
this is the border
between nature
and artifact

The First Token of Winter

On Thursday the longest frost-free season in history ended and we woke up to about 3 inches of snow on the ground.  Winter weather has finally come to Great Basin.

I have begun to wear a sweater and heavy socks at home and a coat outdoors.  I can't say that I am completely happy about winter coming, but I can say I accept it, and that I look forward to watching the snow falling in the yard.

Feeding the birds takes on more importance now as the abundance of seeds gets buried in the snow.  I feel needed (though I am sure they will survive without me).

And I have bought a snowblower to advance my fight against the forces of nature...

the open hand

the open hand,
released,
let go,
unburdened,
emptied...

x4...

1

The world is complex,
as am I
pretending to be simple.

2

I do not try too hard
to fit into another's shoes.
My own fit me comfortably.

3

My thoughts
are smaller
than sound bites.

4

And now
my hands
are empty.

Hiding

I am hiding
from reality...
I am really good
at hiding.

I am good
at pretending too.

a poem

a poem
is simply words
strung on a single
thought

perhaps
everything
is poetry

looking up

We are always
between roots
and branches.

Beneath

I really don't know
what is hidden beneath my feet,
what this soil is hiding,
created from the earth's crust,
weathered and worn
and washed down from the mountains,
enriched by the lives it supported,
what secrets are buried here,
what bones are hidden
here beneath my feet.

the path ahead, and a lesson of stoicism

OK, the election was a shock for many of us... and some think it is the end of our way of life.  As a naturalist and an anarchist, I often look at the natural world for some guidance; and today I look on this scene as a model.

First, yes, the way ahead is uncertain, I don't know what will happen, but that just makes it an adventure.  We will adapt to the changes and keep moving forward.

Second, I look at how the trees here on the edge of the Great Basin survive the harsh, dry climate.  They grow, live, and survive here where they are planted.  And so will we.  So will we.

The sun still shines, and the crows still dance in the sky above the junipers and pinions.  We shall dance too.

And as an anarchist... I don't care who is POTUS... I will continue to live my life as I will.

just a word (or two)

I have been away from this blog for a while.  I had nothing to say, no words to share (which is not true).  Maybe I was just tired; or maybe I was just being rebellious against my self-imposed demands.  Maybe it was more existential, maybe it was a bit of depression.  Maybe, I have been busy with travel and grandkids.

I have been thinking a lot about what I want now and who I think I am now.  I think about my place in this world, and what my legacy might be, and I feel my time here as being finite and getting shorter.  I worry some.  But, now mostly, I am grateful for life, love, and the experiences I have had.  This is the bedrock of my life.

The season is changing and the days are getting noticeably shorter and cooler.  I see that we are approaching winter, and I wonder what kind of winter it will be.  And... I look farther around and up the analemma to spring.