(pictures below)
One of my favorite reasons for wanting to spend so much time in nature is simply all the life, in all of the many forms that one can find, feel, smell and be a part of. It is truly something that just makes sense to me. We are part of this ecological world, and we have such an impact on this planet that we all call home. It is easy to forget sometimes, living in our day to day just how much we are connected. In nature it is nearly impossible to be amiss to all the connections, and it is what makes me feel so absolutely alive and at peace here.
From the vantage point of my kayak I look to see if the beach ahead is one that will be suitable to camp on. My kayak rises and falls with the tides, the same tides that have created the beach ahead. The eagles up above watch over me and no doubt their next salmon meal somewhere underneath. The salmon bones from that eagles meal will provide the nutrients to help make the trees stand tall, help them to fight off disease, and help strengthen their root system for the next wind storm that inevitably will come. Dare I catch a salmon for myself to snack on while I decide if this will be home tonight. I breath deep and thank all the living matter, for this rich salty fresh air that I breath in, and I think to myself, this, this is what life is all about. I cherish the cycles that are ever so present.
It is hard to feel anything but connected out here. This feeling can take us so so far. These trips are what sustains me when I am back in the city. I can close my eyes and come back here, to the flicker of the fire, the howl of the wind, the unexpected sea lion, the laughs that made me feel so in the present. The hardest usually seems to be getting out here, that is until you have to go home, then going home easily becomes the hardest. Settling into the city never has the ease of settling in to nature.
Dear Silke I hope in fact I know you will have a great summer out there in nature!