Focusing on Nature

 

Focusing on Nature

Nature has been a bit more obvious around here lately, with squirrels dashing in front of cars, hawks flying down closer to people and deer gallivanting on streets and in backyards. Here is an example. There were actually five deer crossing our backyard the other day. Two moved off into our neighbor’s property behind the children’s playground. One had stopped for a moment to look at the swings. I wondered if it was considering having a ride. When my husband came out with his camera, the deer moved on. They crossed the street slowly as if they were just out for a daily walk.

I think that our housing development was built on the deer’s natural roaming path. They figured out how to navigate around the fences that some of our neighbors have erected. We are used to them coming into our back to munch on our plants and our sweet cherry tree. But they have been showing up more frequently and being less reserved.

I think we all are looking at things differently now. What used to be in the background of our busy lives has come to be more prominent in our awareness as we become more locally aware. Focusing on nature is a way to step out of our daily worries and be lifted by its beauty or be delightfully surprised by an unusual encounter. I think of it as a gift that opens me up to a wider perspective.

Turkey Vultures in Our Neighborhood

Turkey Vultures in Our Neighborhood

My neighborhood consists mostly of houses, a local elementary school, well-tended lawns and a variety of trees. It’s like most suburban developments except for an occasional aberration like I noticed yesterday. It seems that a clump of trees has become home to a bunch of turkey vultures.

I’ve seen these birds soaring overhead more frequently this year. Sometimes they come fairly close to rooftops and float over backyards. They usually come in groups, tilting their wings to catch the updrafts and maybe spot some carrion to eat. They aren’t exactly cute but they are impressive.

Why are they here? These birds used to be seen mostly in the southern states but since our climate has been warming, they now have moved into the north and have even been spotted in Canada.

The world of nature is shifting as we can see by the weather forecasts this season. We are expecting temps in the 70s for the next few days! I wonder what the birds will think of that. Perhaps we all need to be flexible as our world changes.

All about turkey vultures:

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Turkey_Vulture/id

Blame the Mosquitoes

Blame the Mosquitoes

I’ve been considering putting up a tented gazebo for a few years. The reason being that we couldn’t sit out on our back patio due to the mosquitoes. It’s almost as if they are waiting for us to come out and settle in our chairs. Then it’s a free-for-all. They buzz around our ears, land on our arms, and have a snack. We used to be able to go out mid-day without worrying because mosquitoes would only be around early morning or at sundown; not any more. They are now out all day long.

We tried citronella plants and candles but the mosquitoes seem to laugh at that. I’ve worn wristbands that claim to ward off mosquitoes that didn’t work either. I’ve sprayed and rubbed – without luck.

So this year we bought a gazebo kit and put it together. It sits quietly in our backyard, hardly noticeable, and provides a peaceful place to be outdoors without being bitten. It actually surprises me that the mosquitoes haven’t pushed their way inside, as the netting is not bug tight. Occasionally a fly ventures inside and we do see spiders now and then. Perhaps mosquitoes need a more intimate connection with our bodies; they react to the carbon dioxide we exhale and to our body odors and temperature, but whatever the reason, so far we have been enjoying our primitive outdoor haven.

What do we do there? We read or chat, sometimes nap, but mostly we observe. There is a sense of calm within the netting, almost as if we are invisible to the outside world. Birds chirp around us. They walk right near the gazebo, closer to us than they would if we were more visible on the patio, pecking at the ground for seeds. Squirrels frolic in their mating dances; it’s like having a ballet company for our own pleasure. But even if nothing is happening, there is serenity there among the hedges and trees as if we are in a tree house without the height.

Will it last through the winter? I don’t know. Whatever happens, it is a delight right now. I blame the mosquitoes for making it necessary but I am grateful for the experience. In a way it’s a reminder of the fun we had in our camping days, communing with nature and removing ourselves from the bustle of everyday life. We feel ourselves let go as we sit there, enjoying the mosquito-free respite in our backyard.

Mosquito info:

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/bugs/mosquito/ 

Want to try some natural mosquito repellents?:

http://www.tractorsupply.com/know-how_Outdoor-Living_home-remedies-to-get-rid-of-mosquitos

Try these suggestions to keep the newly introduced tiger mosquitoes at bay:

http://www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/pctigermosquito.htm

Early Morning Clouds

Early Morning Clouds

I am not a morning person. It takes me a while to gather my energy so much of breakfast preparation takes place automatically. It’s a good thing oatmeal doesn’t need special attention.

Having said that, I am often startled out of my lethargy when I look out the kitchen window. Sometimes a new bird will surprise me or a flower that planted itself will suddenly appear. This time it was the sky that did it.

The trees were just awakening themselves, their leaves barely hanging on in mid-season. They seemed to be framing something that drew my eyes upward. Just above and beyond them was an exuberance of white clouds. It woke me up right away. I sensed myself being drawn upward into the vastness of the sky. How much larger I felt! 

Clouds often represent things depending on their form. The lighter ones tend to be associated with air and movement, higher thought, expansion and enlightenment. The darker ones are seen as more related grief or omens of change. But whatever the symbolism, there is always movement involved. Clouds are not indicative of the past; they exist in the present.

I wasn’t seeking the clouds’ meaning in the morning but I responded to their presence. They moved along at a slow pace, inviting me to dream along with them. And so I did for the rest of the day, making up my own symbolic definition of infinity, allowing myself to bask in their, and my connection with all of nature.

Chinese symbolism:

http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/Chinese_Customs/clouds.htm

Puddles of Daffodils

Puddles of Daffodils

It’s sunny today, a welcome change after a weekend of pouring rain. The ground remembers, however. It is wet, wet, wet. Mud puddles are everywhere. The grass is sopping, the bushes soaked. Between the recently melted snow and the consistent rain, the earth doesn’t seem able to absorb any more.

Although it is inconvenient, there is reason for this madness. April showers will bring May flowers - even if so much of the rain came in March. The water loosens the soil, making it easier for roots to dig in and gives plants nutrition for a good start. The daffodils seem to agree. They are already pushing up through the puddles, reaching for the sun. They are happy to greet another Spring; the crocuses have bloomed already.

So while we squish around on the saturated ground, putting corn gluten on the lawn to control weeds, cleaning the vegetable patch from last summer’s stalks, and digging new plots for anticipated plantings, it’s good to remember that each season has its own character. And why not? Nothing is static in our world, not even us. Some of us like the snow while others bask in the heat of summer. We don’t all plant the same flowers, if we plant at all, or the same veggies. We all like different foods, read a variety of books, have a diversity of jobs. Nature expresses itself in its own way, and so do we. If the weather isn’t our favorite, all we need is a little patience  - Nature will get around to a new season. Soon there will be puddles of daffodils.

The source, science, and philosophy of the rhyme:

http://feelingsandflowers.com/136/april-showers-bring-may-flowers-%E2%80%93-discussing-the-rhyme/  

Rainbow on the Wall

Rainbow on the Wall

I was reading an article in the Sunday Philadelphia Inquirer about Winnie-the-Pooh. I remember the Pooh books. Many nights were spent with my kids tucked in and cozy as we followed Christopher Robin and the adventures of Pooh Bear, Tigger, Piglet, Owl, Rabbit, Eeyore, Kanga and little Roo.

There is actually a place in the English countryside that was the birthplace of those wonderful stories by A.A. Milne, a magical place for him and his son. They found a spot in nature that allowed them to transcend the everyday and let their imaginations fly. Milne looked at the hillside, the bog, the trees, and the woods and found possibilities for stories and exciting explorations.

Nature is a source of pleasure for the senses. It often delights me with the brilliant colors of flowers, the beauty of its myriad birds, the rustling of fall leaves. We tend to think of nature as existing only outside but it has a way of engaging us no matter where we are.

Recently, I found a rainbow inside my house. The morning sunlight had come in through the pane on our front door, bounced off the beveled glass in the hall cabinet, and projected a rainbow onto the wall at just the position where I would see it as I came down the stairs. I gasped and felt my whole spirit open up. I immediately imagined fairies giggling behind me, a story in the making.

Finding the unexpected in the usual energizes us. It challenges our brains and helps us expand in creative ways. A rainbow is always arresting but having one inside the house was certainly a perception-teaser.

The rainbow on the wall didn’t last long but it set up all that was to come in a special light. I shared the experience with friends throughout the day and found that it elicited joy in others, as well. Was it a cosmic reminder to see the grandeur in the ordinary? To see it, perhaps, in ourselves?

Take a peek at Pooh corner:

http://www.philly.com/philly/travel/20130217_The_Pooh_corner_of_the_world.html

The Nature of Nature

The Nature of Nature

I was placing the loaf of bread I had just baked, a braided raisin brioche, onto a serving platter when my husband came into the kitchen. “Wow,” he said when he saw it. I appreciated his obvious compliment but then he added, “Are you going to blog it?” Huh? “I write a blog about nature,” I said. “Well,” he said, “this is your nature.” That stopped me in my wash-the-pans, clean-up-the-kitchen, start-the-dinner tracks. It got me thinking about the nature of nature.

I looked up definitions in several sources. Nature is a noun with many connotations. What it basically comes down to is essence, whether of a person or thing. It takes in, well, everything. The concept embraces the microcosm as well as the universe. It defines the character of the subject, its makeup and qualities, the substance that separates it from other things and the spirit that differentiates it from related things. It doesn’t just refer to Mother Nature’s realm, as we usually tend to think of it, although one of its meanings is that which is separate from human habitation aka the natural world.

So I decided that he was right, I am part of the larger nature of all and baking is one of my attributes. It speaks to how I think of myself, which is as a supportive, nurturing person. I used to bake bread all the time but haven’t for a while though I do bake treats to have with our afternoon tea, a habit we adopted after we experienced it at a B&B in Maine one summer. And bread’s nature is that of a life-sustaining, fundamental product. What better way to express what I think of as my nature?

And not to be picky about it but bread is composed of the non-human part of nature, made of flour and yeast, eggs, sugar and butter. Yet it wouldn’t be what it is without the human influence to put it all together. Simple, right? I’m still thinking about it.

How would you define nature?

http://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nature

I Kissed the Hibiscus

It’s hibiscus season again. The plants in my backyard (and side yard as shown) are in full, incredible bloom! I have seen various flowering plants – I understand there are over 200 varieties – but each year these come up with blossoms that knock my socks off. It’s quite a display for a plant whose name means “delicate beauty.” Perhaps that refers less to the physical characteristics of the hibiscus than to its essence. Lots of benefits have been ascribed to the hibiscus.

Have you ever had hibiscus tea? I must have. It’s pretty hard not to have tasted it. Hibiscus is in lots of herbal teas and comes available with blueberry, coconut, vanilla, pineapple, even sangria flavors among others. Yogi Tea, Tazo, Republic of Tea, Stash, even Lipton all have hibiscus varieties.

Have you shampooed with the flower? I haven’t but it is tempting. It supposedly nourishes hair and slows premature graying (a little late for me, there). I wonder if it colors the hair. This might be something to experiment with.

Have you eaten hibiscus? No, not yet, though I have eaten nasturtiums. I’ve been reading that the flowers can be added to salads, is available as hibiscus honey and syrup, and can be made into tea at home.

Have you used hibiscus medicinally? Can’t say I have. This needs looking into. The plant has a long history of medical use. Claims have been made for its use as an antioxident, as a help in keeping the digestive tract functioning regularly, can help in weight loss, etc. There’s quite a long list of healthy possibilities.

Have you kissed a hibiscus flower? I did yesterday, in appreciation. What a pleasure to have this dazzling plant growing in my yard. I kissed the hibiscus not because of its useful values, which seem to be extensive, but because of its nature. It is what it is and can be appreciated on many levels. Even on the most obvious one – its delicate beauty.

What does hibiscus mean? http://www.flower-meaning.info/hibiscus.php