A Nip In The Air...
Ah, yes...Fall seems to have finally "fallen" in our fair city.
Woke up this morning (my first feat of derring-do) to temperatures BELOW 50 degrees!
It won't be long before the tomato plants give up the ghost, along with most all the other foliage we have.
Well, I could bring them indoors, use a grow-light and have tomatoes all winter, but in THIS neighborhood, too much illegal crap is grown indoors, so we wouldn't want anyone to get the WRONG impression now, would we?
Funny how we each seem to mark the seasonal changes in our own ways...
We really don't need a calendar to tell us "when" a particular season arrives, nor do we need a weatherman.
Many of us can tell when a season changes simply by the ways our body "acclimates" itself to the elements in their course.
In my case, the aches shift from one area to another...LOL.
Other people have allergies that might kick up a bit.
Sometimes, we mark seasonal changes by when we have to shift the clocks from daylight saving (?) time to standard time...and back again. Others will take refuge that seasonal changes are upon us when the NEW TV SEASON begins to air. Men especially become fond of fall because it's FOOTBALL season.
And their women are widowed for about 15 weeks, and dread this time of year, don't they?
Some people prepare certain foods at certain times of the year.
(but thankfully, PIZZA is a year-round food)
Of course, we all perform "duties" within every season...like watering the lawn in summer, raking leaves in the fall, shoveling snow in winter, and finally getting to catch our breath in the spring (yay).
Those of us fortunate to have a small patch of God's green earth to look upon view seasonal changes by the flora and fauna surrounding us, however minuscule.
We know Spring is here when we see those crocuses poke through the recently thawed ground.
And then we go through the entire "ritual" of planting, fertilizing, blooming, harvesting, until the plants wither back into the soil they came from...until NEXT season (if they're perennials, that is).
Spring is a time of renewal in many ways.
That's not all that bad a trade-off, really.
We give and we get...nice parity there. A sense of "balance" as it were.
Nature is cool that way....you get back what you put into it.
The Native Americans knew this full well, and we can learn much from the manner in which they revere nature.
A true sense of give and take...balanced in full.
Be nice if PEOPLE worked that way, instead of just plants, bugs, and domesticated animals.
You'd THINK that since mankind is at the "top o' the heap", food-chain-wise, we'd already have a comprehensive understanding of such things. Well...not so much.
Mankind is often WAY too busy trying to off his fellow man, claim land belonging to someone else, bickering among him/herself about some of the most inconsequential things, so as not to appreciate the unique opportunity laid before him.
If you're getting the notion I was watching more of the Ken Burns series about our National Parks, go to the head of the class.
There is just so much right here in America that is so damn beautiful, that it boggles the mind.
Now, I admit to not nearly seeing as much of this nation as I really want to, and I'm sure many of you feel likewise.
I've seen enough in my travels to know that there's a lot I haven't seen, and really SHOULD see.
To understand ourselves, we have to understand the land we inhabit.
Now, aside from blogging (...and shopping), the Internet can provide us with a "travelogue" of sorts, if we are wondering about a particular place. I think of this as akin to the ULTIMATE VIEWMASTER COLLECTION.
It sure beats an encyclopedia...lots more pictures...and even videos!
So take THAT, Britannica!
And let's face it, with ALL the crap going down in the world on an hourly basis, and also our country, our cities, towns and neighborhoods, don't we really NEED a REAL break from all of it?
And one that's NOT perhaps rooted in some sort of fantasy?
Can't we take a few minutes to enjoy what we have HERE...NOW?
I don't mean go ahead and wallow in it for the next 12 years...there are always still things that need doing.
But just take a little time to immerse yourself in what our land has to offer too any of us willing to give some time to look upon it and be appreciative.
Go to a public park in your area, or out on a wilderness trail nearby. Hell, dig out the old bike and pedal through a "green trail" path...after all, it's your tax money...enjoy it!
Like I said...it's the "give and get" thing.
Yeah, this might sound sappy, but I'm certainly no tree-hugger. I'm just a guy who wants to understand WHO we are, as a nation...WHERE we plan to go as a people...and WHY we need to fix things that aren't broke, while ignoring things that truly need mending.
And that's where nature comes in. Doesn't matter if it's garden plants or Yosemite National Park.
Granted, there is no El Capitan in MY garden, but I have to admit that nature gives back to me more than I give to it.
I'd like to even that out a bit better.
I get to enjoy the plants, the fragrances, the blooms, the birds, and yes, even insects like butterflies, crickets and the occasional praying mantis. It's all free...can't beat that price with a stick, can you?
Yeah, I'd like to give back for all that I've been given...not too tall an order.
Perhaps next spring...when it's time to begin anew.
Sounds doable, God willing.
So take a minute or two today...around your house...at dusk, perhaps.
Take it all in. Appreciate the freedom in nature that is found all around you.
And perhaps come to appreciate YOUR freedom more in the process.
Stay safe out there, America.