I know - I'm late with my post -it should have been up yesterday -  and there are a couple of reasons for the fact that it wasn't. One being that I was out of town most of the day. This is the time of year when the craft markets start popping up all over to get your Christmas money before you spend it elsewhere, and I went out of town to browse one of the bigger ones in the Valley. Some really neat stuff there - and yes, I spent a bit of money! I like to support the local  creative community. The other reason is that since I got back home I have been going over this post in an attempt to make some kind of sense to someone who might not suffer from the convoluted forms of thinking that my mental gymnastics go through! There is maybe-almost-sort of a connection with my recent post on changing perspectives.

I was watching a video on "Imagining the 10th Dimension" and it brought about an interesting train of thought. To MY brain, it clicked right in with what the basis of "The Secret" is all about. Everything that you could possibly dream about is already there waiting for you, you just have to step in to the flow and claim ownership of it. So after watching the video I figure if you bend the path you are following and connect it with where you want to be, that's all there is to it.

Huh?........

What the heck am I talking about? Well - The basis of "The Secret", as I see it, is that everything that we want already exists. But as individuals, we are trained (or brainwashed) to only see what we THINK exists for us according to who we think we are. As example, if we think we are stupid or inept, only things that stupid and inept people are capable of handling will be available to us in our lifetime - and even if something wonderful comes along, we can't imagine ourselves in that position, so we unwittingly push it away because we don't think it is meant for us. If we think we are intelligent and lucky and can do what we desire, then we will find a way to do exactly what we desire, come hell or high water. Our actions on a moment to moment basis are governed by how we perceive ourselves and our world. It's much more complicated than this, but that about sums it up for me. Envision yourself as who you want to be - live your life as who you want to be - and you will be that person.

Part of the basis of the 'Tenth Dimension' idea is that all ten dimensions exist - now. Past, present, future, and all possibilities thereof, exist - simultaneously. They don't easily fit in to our vision of the three dimensional concrete world as we believe it, and the three dimensional part of us may not be able to physically survive in them, but they exist. There is much, much, MUCH more to it than that - but for this comment, it's all I am considering. Not very scientific of me, but when I read these theoretical ideas, I always look at them and say "Okay, how might this theory apply to my life as I live it?" because after all, I am a part of the natural universe and must operate under the same basic principles to some degree or other.

What popped in to my brain was if all possibilities could possibly be in existence at this present moment in time (from a scientific point of view) - I think I'll just bend the path I am following a little so I can connect with the path that takes me to the future I see in my mind - the one I know exists. Just step from here to there. Sounds like fun to me! No hard work trying to dig out the stigmas and retrain myself, no time wasted thinking about 'stuff' or 'issues' - just step on over to the other side of things.

To attempt to make this a little easier to grasp in everyday terms, think about the TV show (Extreme Makeover- Home Edition). Pretend your family was chosen. A crew comes in to rip down your old house and build you a new one beyond your wildest dreams. One moment you are living in horrendously confining circumstances  - you step away for a holiday - when you come back, you have a grand and glorious home to walk in to. A new life begins. You learn to think differently about life because reality for you has changed. I am sure that this opens up a whole new set of challenges for the family - but with all that brushed aside, you have stepped onto a different path through life. One lived with a different perspective on what you are capable of doing. New possibilities open up. You merely stepped from the horrible into the limo - and everything changed.

...... to take this one step deeper into my mental mire, if you change the perspective you have about who you are and what you are capable or deserving of in life, life itself can change. When you are willing to think differently and make that change, you can bend the path and connect with one that brings a new result. It is a series of decisions made in the moment giving new perspectives and new paths to follow. You don't even need the makeover to begin the process - you only need the change in perspective.

Maybe that is all babbling gibberish to you - but to me it makes sense. (A little bit of knowledge in my brain is a dangerous thing!) So I think I will have some fun with the idea and try it out.

You really should check out the Tenth Dimension website and related pages because there are some interesting ideas and discussions there. You don't have to grasp the whole concept immediately - but it is good to give the brain something new and different to grapple with once in a while. Shake out the cobwebs. See what resonates for you.

Say this is the path I am following. I can't really see where it leads, but it looks well traveled, so I could continue on this way and find out what awaits me.

But if I change my perspective slightly, I see there is a pathway off in another direction. Not so well worn, but obviously used by someone along the way. I could also go that way and explore what awaits me.

But then, there is also this pathway. I could take the bridge (over the troubled waters) and go through the tunnel (instead of climbing the mountain) and I have a clear path in an entirely new direction which will bring different results. But....all of these possibilities exist simultaneously. The results or destinations are there waiting for us.  Now.

It is in the decisions we routinely make at moments like this that shape our life. These decisions are based on what we believe ourselves to be.  Are we going to take the well worn paths, or investigate the less traveled? Do we want to the easy way or make things difficult for ourselves? OR.........do we want to call in the helicopter to lift us out and whisk us away to somewhere entirely different? Perhaps step in to the limo and and tell the chauffeur exactly where we want to go. That sounds like fun to me....what about you?

After having spent some time in the Swan Lake Habitat Restoration area thinking about the arid country I grew up in, I had a yearning to go back and take another look. I always had remembered the sage and greasewood and cactus of my childhood, but it struck me that I don't see that anymore when I go home, and wondered if it was all just a figment of my imagination. I decided to go and take a focused look through adult eyes. Fortunately it isn't very far away - just a bit more than an hour's drive. So I decided to take a tour and go the long way around. Make it a circle tour.

I started out to the south end of the valley where I knew for sure it was dry desert and headed north from there to compare - to see whether I had just latched on to stories in childhood or things taught from textbooks, or if it had really been as I recalled. Driving on the first leg through Keremeos and Cawston I noticed the many huge swaths of new vineyards growing in the valley that had never been there before, and immediately outside the irrigated areas was sagebrush. A stark contrast. As I descended into Osoyoos, near the American border, it was rather obvious the difference between the developed areas and the natural ones. Heading north up the valley I saw more vineyards covering huge expanses, and again, immediately outside the irrigated area was sagebrush.

Just a little bit of natural water remaining in a basin after the hot summer is over provides a bright green oasis in the brown hills.

From the lookout above Osoyoos it is easy to see the contrast between irrigated country and natural habitat.

One of many expanses of irrigated vineyards to supply the local wineries. In the foreground is a river channel bounded by trees and shrubs, and between the river and the vineyard is natural sagebrush country. It shows the effect a little water can have.

As I neared Penticton I stopped at a viewpoint overlooking the city to ponder what I was seeing and what I remembered and came to a conclusion. I don't think of it as desert so much any more because the areas that I recall as being full of sage are now full of housing developments and vineyards and thus, irrigated and green. They flow up the mountain sides to where the pines are in a majority, and the sage has disappeared for the most part. But it was sage, greasewood and cactus. It doesn't take much to see that. Shifting my view west, over the expanse of the Reserve where no development has taken place, I see sage once again.

The marked contrast is an eye-opener. We are so busy taking care of daily life that we don't really look closely at our surroundings and think about what we are seeing and the changes taking place. We tune it out. It doesn't matter what is there - we still have to get the laundry done or the kids to school, or that project completed for work. It doesn't matter what kind of trees grow there, or if any trees at all grow. It's all very nice to be able to take some time and go for a swim in the lake, but I know many people who have lived between two lakes for years, and not been to swim in them. They consider themselves to be lucky living there, but it is the IDEA of living somewhere  in a valley of sunshine between two beautiful lakes, where you can golf most of the year. They don't actually take the time to DO these things, they just like to hear the envy in their distant-living friend's voices when they say how nice the weather is, while their friends are still blanketed by snow.

 Skaha Lake in the foreground, Okanagan Lake in the background - only about 5 miles maximum between the two. Development up the hillsides includes residential areas, orchards and wineries.

It is easy to see where the developments stop - the country is arid once again when left to nature.

Change is constant, change can be good - but it's important to keep aware of what effects the changes have on the natural world, otherwise we don't understand our loss of bio-diversity until it is too late to slow the process down until it is in balance once again.

Found a website one day that I find very interesting. You have the ability to start a campaign for or against something. Your choice. Then you broadcast to all your friends and promote getting people to sign up and join your campaign. To quote their About page "The Point lets anyone start a campaign asking people to give money or do something as a group, but only if the campaign hits a predetermined tipping point." I think that's a great idea! Granted some of the campaigns are localized, and some of them are just plain silly, but some of them are really good. It allows average people to join together and have a voice. To say what they would like to say to corporations, with the backing of others, and without spending millions of dollars in resources to get the word out.

The particular campaign I signed my name on to is one challenging major women's magazines to do a photoshoot of real women with out all the photoshop editing afterwards. If you don't quite get what I am meaning - watch the video from the Dove campaign below. Towards the end of the clip, after the photos have been all taken, there are some subtle and not-so-subtle changes made to the final photo before it appears as a huge billboard ad. Take a look at the end result, and then take a look at the woman standing before the camera in the very beginning. She is beautiful just as she is. Now, I am not saying there is anything wrong with curling your hair up and making it look soft and pretty, nor is there really anything wrong with putting on make up if you want to. Women have been doing it for hundreds of years in one form or another. But it is the changing of the facial structure at the end that annoys me. Much research has been done by multi-national companies to make a decision as to what "look" sells best. Which eyes, what colour skin, what shape of the cheekbone and brows ...  they have it all figured out ... and then they pull it together on the computer.

In the process, the average woman on the street is duped into believing that this is the image of perfection, and that it exists, when the only place it really exists in that way is on a computer somewhere.  It doesn't even help the ego of the model getting paid money to stand for hours in front of the camera and hot lights and distort her face and body into a million different poses at the click of a shutter. She knows that the result on the page is not really the way she looks in the mirror no matter how much you make her up. That in itself signals 'no matter how pretty you are, it's just not quite good enough'
So what does all this have to do with me and my interest in nature? Why do I care? Well - for one, I believe that there is beauty in all of nature and we don't have to change it around to make it so. And for two, I believe that the common man should have a say in how things work in this world. So this seems to combine the two beliefs into one action I can take to make a change. And that is three - taking action rather than just complaining and wandering off because the idea of actually doing something is overwhelming.

I'll get down off my soap box platform now.   ; )

On the garden front (or back actually) - I had a tomato plant protected by chicken wire to save it for me. The tomatoes were just getting nice and big, and I was hoping for some rain and sunshine to ripen them and make them juicy. My mouth was watering at the thought of it........... but it will not be.

Such is the state of my tomato plant today! Not very fruitful.

And there is the footprint of the culprit that ate it! I fed the deer last night apparently. My tomato plant wasn't the only casualty... I had a sunflower that was just beginning to bloom as well. I would show a photo - but I no longer have one to photograph.

This year was a test year for the garden. I am trying a few things that I like to see whether they will survive the deer and the winters. If they don't I will plant other things next year. Guess the tomatoes will have to go in a greenhouse if I want them. Most of the yard is just natural - I let it grow as it pleases, but I do like colour and blossoms, so am looking in the wild to get clues of what I can actually grow that is native and requires little attention.... and doesn't get eaten by deer.

But such is the hazard of gardening in this town with plentiful deer. And I am not terribly upset, as to me it is a beautiful thing that I can have animals wander through my property without feeling threatened by me. Not exactly encouraging the bears or cougars, though they are beautiful just the same.

If you want to check out The Point and see what challenges they may have for you to be involved with, or sign up to the one I did, the links are listed here.

The Point

Show our Beauty Campaign

We have had a cooler summer this year than the past few have been. Global warming has moved the temperature up when the sun is out, but we have had more rain than recent years. It has been a rather nice relief, as too many months of high temperatures create conditions for forest fires, test the stamina of the people and the animals, and wither the plants to brown much earlier in the year than normal.

If the beaches are full you can always go kite surfing to keep cool.

It has been in the mid 30's for several days now, but yesterday we had rain again. Thunder and lightening as well. The skies were rumbling, the rain was pouring, and I was busy at the computer, hoping that the power was not going to go off!  Fortunately it didn't, and the rain ceased before dusk, so there was a bit of a sunset, and at twilight I sat on my step enjoying the cool fresh air. The nighthawks were whipping through the air catching the bugs and the buck was slowly browsing his way around the edge of the stand of trees across the road. As darkness fell a half-moon the color of an orange slice shone in the sky as the stars began to peek out from behind the slowly evaporating clouds. The orange color is caused by smoke from forest fires across the border in the U.S. We have had it several days now as the wind blows it up from the south, so the rain also helped to clear the air and the odour is not quite so strong.  It was peaceful, and a chance for me to cleanse my thoughts and reconnect with the natural world.

The past month has been a busy one, and at times rather rushed and stressful with much hard work involved. I don't always deal well with pressure anymore. Too many years of having to do-it-regardless with no opportunity to take a break and look after me, has embedded a rather persistent aversion to it, even though the circumstances have changed dramatically. Somehow, my brain still wants to go into shut-down mode. I have to keep reminding it that I can take a break whenever I please now, so it doesn't have to do that to me anymore.  I tend to take breaks quite frequently because of that - and as a result, progress rather slowly sometimes! This will produce the inevitable feeling of guilt at not working more quickly (because I am used to very short deadlines), so then I have to deal with the guilt ....... and on it goes!

It's all a matter of balance and re-programming my thoughts and the resulting feelings. Connecting to nature helps me do that. It's called ecotherapy and it works wonders. We are, as I have said before, a part of nature. We have evolved for thousands of years being in complete connection to it. Now, we are becoming very detached from it and suffering the consequences. It's the reason we all love to spend a weekend camping or at the cottage in the woods. We reconnect with the natural world and it helps us balance the frenetic energy we get caught up in the rest of the week. We don't even have to be conscious of doing it - the benefits of a long walk in the forest or field had been recognized long before the word 'ecotherapy' was invented.  Keeping 'cool' is not only about body temperature, it's about state of mind as well. It's about keeping connected to what we really are.

Reconnecting at the end of the day.

I have finally come to completion on most of the little reno projects I have been doing (some before and after photos below.) It is amazing how making one change in a room can make such a huge difference in how you feel when you walk in to it. I was reasonably satisfied with what I had - satisfied enough to live with it for these past two years - but always had visions in my head of something just a little different.

My art corner where I work feels so much cleaner and lighter now. I have loads of things to work with - painting and drawing supplies; mixed media paraphernalia - then my sewing corner is nearby, so I have fabrics hidden away as well. It was not easy to figure out how to hide it all. Now, it holds all the same things, but the room feels brighter - feels less weighty even though the floor is darker. But perhaps that is part of it - the floor carries the weight now, and the objects on it don't seem such a heavy burden.

Before, with the carpet still in place. I took out the carpet, moved the desk around, painted the bookcase and added a couple of pictures. It is very much the same, but it feels totally different when I walk in the room.

I still have all my art supplies here, and still have the view out my window and the light from it. But, now, if I want to clean I just need to pick up the broom or the  duster and in a matter of moments I am done.

The bathroom was just a mess - plain and simple. It was the only room in the house that I have known since the beginning needed drastic change. It felt cramped, impossible to clean, and ugly! Now, when I walk in I feel better. When it is complete, I will walk in with a smile on my face, knowing it is clean, and I can easily keep it that way.

This was before - horrible sink that leaked, all the goodies for the new sink piled under the chair ready and waiting - the door off the vanity waiting for the disconnect of the sink. The shelving just inside the door crowded me when I walked in. It just wasn't a pretty sight (and this is after I covered up the green-patterened wall paper!)

Still some things to do here, but the change in the room is huge. When I walk in the door, there is space around me. I love my sink - so I can overlook the fact that I don't have the doors on the vanity yet  : )  I know they are coming along. It feels so much cleaner too. The baseboard stacked behind the chair is for behind the toilet - that will get done when I redo the floor.

It's kind of like life really. If there are things that you don't feel good about and you change them to something that puts a smile on your face - you feel good about yourself and good about the world. It doesn't have to be attacked all at once - just pick some small thing that pulls you down or makes you feel bored, and replace it with something that makes you smile. It is that simple. Yes, it has taken me several weeks to get this all done. First I had to plan what I was going to do, make all the decisions and purchase the supplies. Then I had to move out everything that was in the rooms already (and believe me - that was no small task - I have alot of things and a small house). Then I had to get busy and do the work whether I was in the mood or not - whether I was tired and sore or not- even when I had other things to do as well. And even after that part was done, I still had to move all the things back in, deciding in the process what was not going to be included this time. The same with life. Decide what needs changing; make the decisions on what you need to do to change it; set out a plan for working on it; decide what you are going to replace it with; sort out what is not going to be included in your life once the changes are made; and plan how you are going to integrate the new habits or attitudes in to your real life.

There is still a short list of deficiencies, things still to be done, and some minor adjustments as I go along, but that too is life. It is a journey, a process. Nothing is ever perfect forever. We change, circumstances around us change, adjustments must be made on a continuing basis. Sometimes it is bloody hard work. Sometimes we just don't want to do what has to be done. But if we want the results we dream of, we have to buckle down and get to it. Like Nike says "Just Do It" . The results are more than worth it!

Links for changing your house;
Do It Yourself Network - includes home improvement, outdoors, crafts, woodworking, product info - everything you need to know to tackle an improvement project with lots of videos for visual help.
http://www.diynetwork.com/

Home Depot - too many categories to mention here, but they include indoor/outdoor projects, building supplies, tools and hardware and lots of videos. You can search for information on almost anything that might come up.
http://diy.homedepot.ca/diy/landing.jsp?N=0&langId=-15

These are just a place to start. Type what you are looking for into google search, and you will find it!


Links for changing you;

So many of these available, just keep searching until you find a site that offers what you need, and presents in a manner that you are comfortable with, that makes sense to you.

Change Your Life- this free site provides some basic tips on how or where to start the changes.
http://www.livingorsurviving.com/

Gaia - This site is a whole community. You can stretch your body with Yoga or Tai Chi, or stretch your mind in the community space with connections to help you live a greener more peaceful life. You need to enroll, but there is not cost. It is worth exploring.

http://www.gaia.com/

I had a post ready for today, but noticed an article this morning about the 'official extinction' of the Caribbean Monk Seal, so got sidetracked and decided to write about this instead. It was mentioned that there hadn't been any 'confirmed sightings' since 1952. Hello --- that was 56 years ago! This opens up my mind to a multitude of questions.

How could no one have noticed?

If they did notice, why wasn't it news then?

Are our priorities set on the wrong things?

How can we change this?

Well, as I searched, I found that someone did notice and actually declared them extinct in 1996 - the International Union for Conservation of Nature. So why did it take so long for the fact to become news, I wonder?

My own personal opinion comes from my connection to the nature of the universe and the direction humans have taken over the last few generations. In my view, the farther away we get from the understanding and noticing of how nature works, the less attached to the outcome of our actions we become. If we do not consider our own species as a part of nature and its evolution, we don't feel the need to pay attention and make the connections.

So how do we change this?

My thought processes say it begins within. The more we understand of ourselves and how we function, the more we begin to realize that we are merely another species on the planet - but a very powerful species because of the intensity of the damage we can do. No other species that I am aware of can completely annihilate the planet. No other species seems to want to destroy things as badly as we do. I have mentioned the TED video with Janine Benyus talking about using Biomimicry for sustainable design in another blog post, and I feel it is worthy of mention again. Biomimicry is a process that looks at nature to see what processes are used to achieve the results that we may be looking for in our own development. Now, that may seem too drawn out, time consuming or complicated for you, but I mention it because there are scientists out there that understand the fact that nature is not meant to destroy itself. It is created to be self-sustaining. It is created to become a link in the chain. We need to understand that we are one of those links, and our stewardship of the others is a most important factor of our life here on this planet. If we have the power to destroy it all, we must balance that with the power to preserve and enhance it as well. It's the yin and yang thing really. The pendulum swinging. We need to keep a balance.

And just so I don't overwhelm you with "issues" ..... I walked past my kitchen window in the middle of writing this post, and noticed a flash of yellow on my patio. Investigating, I found mother oriole here, right outside my window. I have a mountain goat hide that was turned into a carpet many years ago when family still hunted for meat to eat. It is well worn and was in need of an airing, so I tossed it over a seat on the patio. I guess the oriole figured she had hit the mother-lode because after a bit of a squabble with the male, she returned several times to pick off goat hairs for her nest!

Oriole picking the hair off my goat skin rug!

Gathering hair for the nest. Guess it must be nice and soft and certainly would help keep the eggs warm. Birds are pretty smart.

I am happy that there is a nest nearby and that I can contribute in some way to helping them decorate! In the long run, I suppose it does relate to the rest of the blog in that we are all connected, even in small, seemingly unimportant ways.

Now I am being distracted by the sound of the fighter jet roaring overhead doing rolls. There is an air show, I guess I should go take some pictures.

For more info on the monk seals:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25007277

TED talk with Janine Benyus
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/18

International Union for Conservation of Nature

These have been flitting around in my trees for several days, and I thought they were Orioles, but now that I have finally been able to capture a pair in a proper picture, I see they are evening grosbeaks. They were picking stuff from my lawn. (Now you know why I have removed some of my lawn - this is the 'good' part!)

This little chipmunk caught my eye as I was sitting reading. It had come down from my fir tree to nibble and rest for a minute before it took off to the neighbours.

This warbler and his buddies come on a regular basis to sit in my trees and sing.

The deer are never far away.

Yesterday I was sitting out on the patio eating my lunch and reading. The birds were in the trees singing, and I noticed the chipmunk by my fence. Then I heard the hummingbird hovering above my head (no doubt contemplating the bright yellow sweater I was wearing, and deciding anything that big couldn't possibly be a flower!) Later in the day I saw the grosbeaks gathering food from my lawn. Then as late afternoon came along, the deer were across the road browsing. The robins, sparrows, warblers and swallows are ever-present.

This is the reason I like living here.

These are some of the things that trigger the "feeling" I was talking about in the last post.

The town has most of the necessities and some extras to keep us happy - the people are friendly - but it is the connection I can make to nature at any time of the day, no matter what else I am involved in - that keeps me content with being here, and resting easy without the things I don't have.

A view along the road from Princeton to Summerland - the back way. Through the mountains and over the streams, past ranches and farms and fishing lakes.

After my last post I left home and took the back road to Summerland. It follows along the valleys that you see in the photo above for about 100 kms. over mostly paved road, but some gravel (and washboard, potholes and cattleguards). Took me about 2 hours. Lots of fishing lakes and streams, outdoor camping spots and great scenery. The sun was shining, the weather hot, the birds were singing and everyone was out camping for this first long weekend with great weather. Every place that you could get near a creek or lake there were campers, trailers, tents, dirt bikes and quads parked. People were relaxing and enjoying the country.

Coming into the back entrance of Summerland you drive past orchards in full blossom now, and down into town. This long weekend is the "Blossom Run" weekend where they gather from all over to show off their old cars so I took my tour around so see what was there this year. Some real beauties, and some that will be, once the work is finished. Always fun to see what people used to tour around in!

From old to new - original and souped up..... a real variety here.

All set to go touring. Can you imagine rumbling along in this one! Would have turned everyone's head.

All polished up and gleaming in the sun.

Spent a couple of hours there chatting with friends and checking out the cars, then continued on to Penticton to pick up some plants for my patio containers.There are plants sold here, but I wanted something a little different than what was offered. Stopped at Skaha Lake for a few minutes to watch the kite boarders on the lake taking advantage of the sun and the wind.

All in all it was a fun day and I am glad I took off. The energy of this first sunny weekend is always exciting - everybody busy having fun - it revs you up and gets you going, and it has to carry us through until the next long weekend!

One of several on the lake that day. With all the traffic, I couldn't get closer! Will find them another day and take more.  This guy took the wave and was just floating in air when I clicked this one.

A beautiful spring day on Okanagan Lake.

Walking is one of my favourite pastimes. Sometimes I walk fast to warm up, get rid of frustration or get my exercise and tune up my body. Sometimes I saunter, merely to enjoy the world around me. It is these times I love the most. I listen to the bird song and try my best to see who is singing, and from where. I hold bird-watchers in high regard, as it is not easy to pinpoint where the bird actually is, and then get close enough to identify it. When you look in the bird books it is hard enough to see the subtle differences between the photos, but put 40 feet and some branches between me and the bird - well - I don't have much success at being precise. And as far as using binoculars to help…I have seen lots of close-up branches and leaves, but not many birds I must confess! The small songbirds are together in groups picking the seeds left on last years weeds, furiously stocking up for nesting season when they will need all the energy they can muster up. They chatter and chirp to each other as they do - like a crowd of any other creatures, there is an on-going communication between them.

Another thing I love to do when strolling is notice the bark on the trees. There are so many different textures and colors!  It may just seem to be an ordinary old scrubby bush at the side of the river, but the variation in bark colors on one kind of shrub can be striking. They denote the varying ages of new/old growth, but they are beautiful in their contrast. There is something fresh and vibrant about new growth - it looks full of life. One can almost feel the energy coursing through it. Buds on each kind of shrub and tree are different in subtle ways. Some are covered with a waxy looking coating, others are shiny; some have a light fuzz covering them; some are smooth with tufts of fluff poking out the tip. Each batch of leaves starts in its own way, for its own reason.

Then there are the critters - small and large. Chips and tooth marks on trees from beaver at work, whistles from the marmots as I approach, and prints from deer and cougar. Chipmunks chipping to announce their whereabouts … everyone is out enjoying the sun - soaking in the warmth and making up for the scarceness of winter food. It may not always look beautiful, but spring is an energizing time of year.

Walking not only allows me to connect to the world around and see what is going on, but it is good exercise as well. Walking fast works the muscles as well as the cardiovascular system. Walking slow works the muscles less vigourously, but works them none the less, and allows the mind some time to connect to the spirit. Often a problem that's been bouncing around in my brain will find itself worked out after a long walk, even when I am not consciously focusing on the problem. The mind seems to be free to do the work itself and present me with the answer if I am just strolling along noticing the world and enjoying the sunshine. I used to feel rather guilty about going for walks - thinking it was unproductive time - enjoying it enough to do it anyway! But over the years I have realized that frequently my walking time is the most productive time in the day - perhaps not when ticking off the 'to do' list - but certainly when considering what was most important in regards to lifetime goals for health, fitness, peace of mind and happiness.  Walk in the city park by the lake, or walk in the wilderness - even just around your neighbourhood. It doesn't matter. Just walk. There is always something good comes from it.

If you are interested in walking, 'The Activity of a Lifetime' is a good site to get info from, and try checking out walking clubs in your area if you don't want to walk alone. Clubs are very popular these days, and there are lots to chose from , or start your own.

A small stand of Aspen (I believe) stands out against the other trees and bushes.