[at-l] OT? Being Whole

[Bror8588 at aol.com (Bror8588@aol.com)]

In a message dated 7/9/04 16:14:11 Eastern Daylight Time, 
jbullar1@twcny.rr.com writes:


> To each his own, Skylander. I'm glad there are 
> so many folks who like the cities. It keeps them from cluttering up the 
> rest of the landscape.
> 

This morning I sat outside drinking my coffee and while I was listening to 
the Mocking Bird what sings each day morning and evening, I thought about hiking 
and how when you sit still in a place for ten minutes (sometimes less and 
sometimes more) the birds resume their singing and the little animals scurry 
about.  Sometimes it is fun to walk off a trail about 50 yards and just sit and 
watch nature and hikers go by.  I did this once up in Vermont off a very short 
loop trail (around Hapgood Pond in Peru) when I was there camping with some 
friends when who should come by but about ten friends that I had known for years. 
 All eyes were on the trail and I thought that they would all pass by leaving 
me unnoticed in my sitting spot but my friend, George, with whom I hike in 
NJ, spotted me.  When he hikes he looks beyond the trail to see if he can spot 
any wildlife. Sometimes I look wild, but very tame am I.  

Sitting in the city and listening to Mocking Birds is OK but I hope to get 
into the woods sometime this week and see if I can hear any other type of birds. 
Every once-in-a-while I get out and "clutter up the landscape" of some 
wilderness place.  I try to be "hidden" among the trees and sit unseen while being 
aware of nature all around.  I do bring a camera but am usually so at peace 
that it becomes a prop rather than a useful tool with which to capture 
interesting images.

The hardest part of my incursions into the countryside are the bus rides to 
return to home, but once home I do enjoy the comforts there.

Skylander