WHEN URBAN MEETS WILDERNESS

In the thirty years we have lived on our perfect little farm. Just the occasional yips from the coyote but nothing of consequence happened. That has all changed in the last few years as urban sprawl meets woodlands and squeezes the wildlife out. The opportunist coyote is sticking around and causing havoc in the neighborhood. Recently we have lost all of our ducks but one and now our old mousers are missing. Everything is housed for the night in the stable. Finding the howling coyote right outside the barn door was a message that they were here and getting bolder. Now they are entering the stable at night and raiding the pens of our pet ducks. It's impossible to close all the barn doors in this recent heat wave. The horses would swelter in a closed stable. It's a quandary. For now the lone duck name "Peekaboo" is sharing quarters with the old mare LE who is her guardian during the long night.

VACATION BOUND

It is time for a break from farm, work and worries. I'll be hiding out in the forest for a few days to find some solace and quiet. Going home to the north quiets the mind and puts life back in focus. The chaotic whirlwind of activity and daily pressures we put upon ourselves, drags us down to despair at times and weakens our will to fight back. For me, a trip to the wilderness is a healing medicine. I watch in wonderment the simple pleasures and beauty we all rush by and never acknowledge. A butterfly might land on a rock and gently fan its silk wings. As nightfall approaches a loon calls out in the twilight of the day with a haunting cry that darkness will soon follow. Wolves might howl their existence as their voices travel far over the silent night and calm water. The stillness of midnight helps us fall into deep slumber until the raven crows out in that first morning light. A black bear might wander onto the trail we both travel. Caution and respect is required. Embrace the fear with a knowing that life is real at that moment. It can be exhilarating. Don't always travel with trepidation for we might never discover little treasures that seem minute. They are all gifts we seem to ignore and shouldn't. I rarely take time out from the busy life and burden it hangs on my shoulders. I have a need to renew, refresh and enjoy just being free from a schedule.