Out and About in the Moonlight

Hi Everyone,

While I'm still having some dial-up login woes with
Windows Vista, things are looking much better than
at last week this time.

I returned from a moonlight walk about an hour ago.
It was beautiful, as the termperature had cooled down
considerably from earlier in the day. Tomorrow calls
for a hot 32 Celsuis, but, hopefuly, it'll cool down
tomorrow night, so I can enjoy another outing.

I heard a little critter in the bushes along the old mines
road. It sounded about the size of a weasel or small
porcupine. I shone my light in the bushes, and even
got down on my hands and knees so I could peer in
through the undergrowth. Dispite the noise of rustling
leaves and branches, I couldn't see it.

So, I moved on, walking at a brisk pace. I find that I
usually fall into a certain pace during my walks. There
are times when that pace will be fast, while, at other
times, I'll sauter along as if I've got the entire night to
enjoy the adventure. :)

I must go now and have a cup of tea before hitting
the sack. It's been nice to finally get back into the
blogging frame of mind! I'll return soon.

All the best,
Laurie

System Crash!

Hi Everyone,

I'm sorry for neglecting my blogs, but
I had a system crash and was offline.
Things are slowly returning to normal,
although I have to recover some of my
files, which are on a hard drive running
Win98 -- my new system is running Windows
Vista . . . help! :)

I'm sure I'll be back soon, with a new
post.

All the best!
Laurie

Wandering About the Field

Hi,

I just returned from wandering about my field.
It's a fairly large field, that is fast becoming
overgrown with a variety of bushes and small
trees. If I don't soon clear it, the day is fast
approaching when it will be re-claimed by the
forest. I have mixed feelings about it -- in the
end, I think it's probably best to maintain the
field.

I have a beautiful hawthorn bush growing on my
field. I love hawthorn and it's easy to tell why
there is so much lore associated with this bush
or small tree. I'll post a photo of my hawthorn,
soon.

I'm going to have lots of blueberries this year!
My field has large patches of wild, low bush
blueberries. They are just starting to ripen. I
was able to pick and eat some ripe berries as I
walked along. Every season, I make a point of
eating a large handful of blueberries, evenings.
Wild blueberries are my favourite summer tonic
treat!

One area of the field, near my house, is a mass
of blossoming knapweed. We don't usually
associate knapweed with beauty, but what a treat
it is to see all the knapweed in bloom. It's an
ocean of blue!

Well, I must go now, and have a tea. It's
steeped, and I'm ready to go outside, so I can
drink my tea in the shade of the mountain ash.

All the best!
Laurie

This Foggy Night

Hi,

Well, I left my place at 10 o'clock tonight, expecting
the fog and darkness to make walking conditions
difficult and challenging. However, much to my surprise,
rather than having to make my way through darkness
as thick as the proverbial pea soup, the night is quite
bright, considering the approaching new moon period.

Although I must admit my ignorance of the scientific
facts, I suspect the fog or moisture captures and traps
whatever light is available, making the night brighter
than it would be on either an overcast or starlight night.

The temperature is a comfortable 18 Celsius, so walking
conditions are excellent. I was able to pick up the
specks of light from fireflies, flashing brightly against the
dark silhouettes of trees lining the old mining road.

Now, I'm hungry! You see, I skipped supper. So, I
must sign off, and make a late evening sandwich. I'll
cap it off with a cup of tea.

All the best!

About Walking, Swamps, and Living in the Moment

Hi,

Well, I was up and about rather early this morning,
which is unusual for me nowadays. But, you know,
life is constantly in flux, and even I can change and
decide to wake up with the rising sun. :)

Anyhow, I was walking along the road, examining
a swampy area that skirts the old mining road, near
where I live, when I was struck with the act of what
I was doing! Now, I know this sounds corny to many
of you, but, nonetheless, it happened. I mean, here
I was at 6 o'clock in the morning, standing on the
road, examining a swamp!

When I say, "I was struck with the act of what I
was doing," I mean I was struck by the moment or
by how fully I was in the moment, without any
consideration of past memories or projected future
circumstances. I was simply there, standing by
that swamp, enjoying myself at that moment or
those passing moments.

I suddenly felt like a philosopher, and started
thinking about the extent to which past events
and our fears or thoughts about future events,
ruin our lives, or contribute to anger, hate, and
depression, among other things. Mind you, I
realize that those things can also elicit feelings
of love and the other goodies that go with it. But,
nevertheless, I think that many of the world's
problems stem from past historical events, and
fears for the future.

On a personal level, how many relationships have
been ruined because we dwell on the past, or
some event in the past? I'm as guilty as anyone
else in this regard. I mean, we can have years of
happiness, hundreds of wonderful experiences
with our partner, and, yet, we are apt to allow some
singular event from the past, ruin it all. Humans
are nutty, that's for sure!

So, the lesson for today, folks, is that we should
strive to enjoy the moment. Enjoy your relationships
in the moment. Enjoy your life this very moment.
And, when you have the opportunity, wake up
early in the morning and go walking! If you happen
to pass a swamp, take the time to stop and enjoy it.

All the best!
Laurie

The Natural World and Our Sanity in A High-Tech Age

Hi,

We're all aware of the need to curb pollution for the
sake of the planet, and, in fact, for our very survival
and the survival of other species. However, I want
to mention something else that is clear in my mind.

The natural world is going to become very important
for the maintenance of our mental health and sanity.
It's quite important now, but with each passing year,
with the appearance of each new high-tech gadget,
it will become even more important.

What do I mean, exactly?

Well, I'm talking about our need to walk away from
all the gadgetry for periods at a time -- to slow down,
to relax, and to take the time to appreciate ourselves
and the blessings of life. Otherwise, there's a danger
that we will become slaves to the very technology
that is supposed to serve us and make life more
enjoyable.

Eventually, there's a real danger that both our attention
span and out intelligence will suffer because of
technology. Information and answers will be (are) at
our finger tips, without the need to think and ponder
and solve things for ourselves.

I think all of us should take daily siestas from all things
high-tech. We should have at least one break during
the day, to relax, to walk, sit, and ponder life. This we
should do in a natural setting.

So, please, set aside a period of time for yourselves.
Turn off the cell phones, instant messaging devices,
iPods, television, and do something totally non-tech.
Enjoy the natural world -- appreciate the trees, flowers,
water, clouds, sun, moon, and other natural elements.
You'll be a much more contented and pleasant individual
for having done so.

My best regards,
Laurie