Social Distancing Nature

Social Distancing Nature

Saturday was such a beautiful day here. We were out walking (what else?), this time in a local nature park. The site was closed to cars but not to people. Fortunately, there weren’t too many walkers that day so we only had to divert our path a few times. One man was fishing in the creek. A family was biking. 

And then there were the geese. Usually there are many geese in the park but only a few were around on this day. They seemed to be in their own form of social distancing. This goose was eating on its own after being chased away by a connected pair. It seemed to want to gather food near us. As we backed up, it came closer. It seemed to want company and comfort as if it was looking for its family. I softly reminded it to keep a safe distance.

I wondered if animals are as prone to get the corona virus as we humans are. I read that a dog was recently diagnosed with the virus but then I read that dogs were being trained to sniff out the virus in those without symptoms. There are so many questions about this pandemic. But one thing to remember is that social distancing can help us contain the spread.

I hope the goose eventually finds its natural family. I hope that we all are safe and healthy and remember that while at a distance isn’t our natural way of interacting, it is necessary at this time.

Canadian Geese

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Canada_Goose/overview

Fog, Shmog

Last week there was fog. Lots of it. Neighborhood after neighborhood peeked out from behind its curtain and traffic lights emitted radiant glows as the fog cast auras around them.

Yes, I know that fog causes a decrease in visibility and can make driving dangerous. I also know that it blurs everything into a colorless mass of gray. The composition of fog is ordinary – dewy water droplets, sometimes icy crystals, hanging in the air. Fog, shmog, you say. What is the big deal about fog? It’s only a cloud, after all, that’s close to the ground.

Ah, but that is exactly the big deal. Fog says, SlowDown! Certainly for safety when driving; I don’t want to minimize the need for caution. It is more than that, though. A cloud is something mysterious. Fog tends to slow down our automatic assessment of what we normally see and perhaps our judgments of those things. It makes us pay attention, to be alert to the unexpected, sometimes for our personal safety. Yet conversely, it feeds our often-repressed inner child’s imagination. What might be hidden in the haze? A castle, perhaps, with a princess in a lofty tower. A parade marching by with the sound of its drums and excitement muffled (are those children on the sidewalk holding red and yellow balloons and cheering?). Where is that unicorn going?

Then there is the sheer beauty of a foggy day. It’s hard not to be captivated by how a fog hints at things, begging us – daring us – to fill in the blanks. Here are some captivating photos: http://www.terragalleria.com/pictures-subjects/fog/fog.9.html and some fog info as well www.crh.noaa.gov/jkl/?n=fog_types

As Carl Sandburg wrote: The fog comes on little cat feet...

Intriguing, isn't it?