Walking In Silence
One always walks in silence.
Infinite Possibilities
“Invitations are everywhere in the forest.” M. Amos Clifford I wanted to explore this theme of forest invitations. What were they like? How do they arise? What effects do they have? According to Clifford, in Forest Bathing, one job of a guide is to offer invitations to observe and then connect deeply with a specific aspect of nature. Invitations might include studying the forest floor (earth), watching clouds drift across the sky (air), listening to a flowing stream (water), or…
The Rebirth of Lower Woods Pond
It was full nighttime darkness when I began the drive. My headlights carved cones of light into the night and I had to blink in the glare of approaching headlights. Then, suddenly, surprisingly, as I crested a steep hill I spotted the first faint layer of daylight lifting above the eastern horizon. Glancing at the dashboard clock I was relieved to see that there was still more than 40 minutes until sunrise. I would have enough time to arrive at…
Rachel Carson Reserve #3
I planned to go to a different spot. Perhaps out past Horse Island to the remote tip of Bird Shoal where I might gain a new perspective on nature in the Rachel Carson Reserve near Beaufort, NC. My two previous sit spots at the Reserve had been conducted from the observation deck on Carrot Island. Both had been beautiful, instructive, and remained vividly etched in my memory. I had learned much about the salt marshes and tidal flats. Now, I…
Mariposa Grove
It was another early wakeup and another predawn drive to the west entrance of Yosemite National Park. I was on a mission to maximize my two day visit to the park. Fortunately, there was no line at the gate and after showing my National Park Pass, I was waved through. I started my hour long drive down narrow roads, around sharp curves, and up and down steep mountains. Passing by a number of scenic outlooks I saw people sitting patiently…
Podere di Santa Maria
Much felt familiar as I began my hour long sit spot on the terrace adjacent to the 17th century stone farmhouse, Podere di Santa Maria, the Farm of Saint Mary. To the east the familiar faint first light of day lifted above the forested hills of Tuscany. The air was filled with a typical pre-dawn freshness. I heard customary morning sounds—a rooster crowing, a dog barking, and around me the steady drone-chirp of crickets. I sensed differences as well—a faint…
The Aldo Leopold Bench
The Aldo Leopold Bench At 3:30 a.m., with such dignity as I can muster of a July morning, I step from my cabin door, bearing in either hand my emblems of sovereignty, a coffee pot and a notebook. I seat myself on a bench facing the white wake of the morning star. I set the pot of coffee beside me. I extract a cup from my shirt front, hoping none will notice its informal mode of transport. I…
A Vacant Lot at the Beach
Down three flights of stairs, a quick sixty-eight steps across the yard, and I arrived at the edge of the vacant lot. Often while on vacation at my timeshare I had walked by this lot usually eager to get to the beach and had paid scant attention to what by all appearances was simply an overgrown and neglected patch of property. Then two days ago on my way to a beach walk I heard faint seet-seet-seet calls, turned and spotted…
A Backyard Sit Spot
The question in my mind as I walked up the side of the elevated sand mound was clear. Could I experience a deep nature connection conducting an hour long sit spot right in my back yard? I thought the answer was yes, given that nature was most likely just as rich and complex in my backyard as in some remote and wild park or forest. It was an important question for me. I hoped to demonstrate that the sit spot…
A FeederWatch Sit Spot
For the majority of enthusiasts, however, birdwatching simply provides a personal and very special entrée into the natural world. Graeme Gibson Day 1 Faint first light, swirls of yellow and orange edging above the southern horizon, the excitement of an early morning winter sit spot— this all felt familiar. The difference was I didn’t have to layer up, drive on icy roads, and trudge through deep snow to get to my destination. Instead, I was seated in…