Do you ever talk to plants?  Would you ever admit it? I think lots of people talk to plants.  What about people with green thumbs? I decided to give it a try. Could this plant tell me why it wasn’t doing well?

My mother’s begonia plant was not doing well.  Actually it was my grandmother’s plant too.  I could get cuttings from a friend if I wished. I had been travelling all over with this plant.  I wanted to keep it, to save it. (more…)

Have you ever wondered what messages there might be if you communicated with an owl or another creature? Wouldn’t it be exciting to see what a wise old owl has to say?  About you?  Or about it’s life and environment?

A year or so ago, I was living in a 10 acre remnant of pasture land, grazing land, a land where horses and wildlife had lived.  This area had the beautiful name of Sage Hill.  Noisy and dusty development is going on all around, and it will soon disappear. There were still some wildlife residents, though, including meadow voles, deer, coyotes and various birds.  Four great-horned owls (parents and owlets) were occupying a deserted barn, and hunting on the rest of the property.  I could see them perched on trees and various other platforms. They had nested here for years. (more…)

Where do you find nature’s beauty?  In what landscape, season, time of day? In what weather?

Last winter  I was driving through the mountains trying to outrun a snowstorm that was predicted to arrive. I tend to be quite chicken about driving through weather.  Why is that?  I drove through snow and ice storms all the time when I was in my 20’s. Do we just think we are invincible at that age? Or do we acquire layers of fear over our lives, through different experiences and relationships.  That is really another story, though. (more…)

Have you ever wondered if some people have more access to nature than others? Poor people often live in ghettos in the city. In supposed non-developed countries, people may live close to nature but have lost the ability to live sustainably through wars and corporate takeover of their way of life.  This is a huge topic and I really don’t want to get into all the politics and social issues around this.  These are just my musings on the rich having better access to nature in many places in North America, especially recreational communities and resorts.

I was walking in nature recently along a waterfront. Before reaching the nature trail I passed some pretty fancy houses.  I wondered how that person made their money to have such a big home.  For all I know they may have made their money ethically.  Or they may have taken advantage of their employees, or destroyed the environment.  They may also have given money to good causes.

(more…)

Have  you ever wondered what it is about the healing nature of horses? Why do people say they help them with emotional and physical issues?  Does establishing a relationship with them really help people feel more confident?

I went out tonight to the paddock to see the two visiting horses, where I am currently staying. I have not had much to do with horses since I took riding lessons when I was 12 years’ old. I hesitate to say how old I am now but it is many years later.

When the horses first arrived, I was nervous of them. These huge creatures could do great damage. I know you have to be aware, especially if they spook. I volunteered to help out the owner by letting them in and out of the paddock, while she was at school teaching. But I was hesitant.  (more…)

When was the last time you really looked at a tree and wondered what it’s life is like? Did you really stop, centre yourself to a place of quietness, and listen to any thoughts or impressions that came into your mind. Did you wonder what it would be like to hug a tree?

I was hugging a cottonwood tree recently because I read that tree hugging is now scientifically validated to be good for your health.  Trees give off vibrations that contribute to our well-being.  So do plants.

You just need to be near them to feel more positive.  So meditating among trees has great benefit.

(more…)

Do you ever feel like you’ve missed opportunities in nature, to record something, even if it is only in your own mind. You forgot to bring your camera or your binoculars. You didn’t take the time to stop, look and listen.

Recently I went out without my camera or my cell phone.

I was driving along a dirt road where the marsh and water hugged the road – no shoulder, no ditch.  It felt like driving right in the middle of a marsh. Many birds were swimming around.  As there was no traffic, I could stop and watch. (more…)

Have you ever wondered about the structure and quality of tears? And why they vary with many different emotions? Well, it turns out that the structure of tears is different for different feelings. I was thinking about this after my latest bout of tears.

I was driving back to where I currently live after still not finding where I want to move. It was a beautiful sunny day on the wide open prairie. I was very discouraged and scared. I don’t feel like I belong anywhere.  How will I find that place, that landscape, that town, that community  and that climate that feels right and which I can afford? (more…)