Delightful

As the doldrums of summer arrive I begin to realize that I have nothing to complain about. I have been lucky enough to be able to stay at the school I love and I have good friends and family. I feel that Syracuse is slowly becoming home, despite my lack of direction and a permanent home. I am certain that I will have trouble leaving when the time comes, but for now I will be contented to stay here for the next two years.

As usual my gut pushes me to wander this planet.

Because of this I will in all likeliness never find my true home, if such a thing really exists. I would like to stay in a place for a long period of time in my profession as a Conservation Biologist, to truly know a place. To know the terrain, the species, and the people. The closest I have come to that is in my beloved town of Schwedelbach. Knowing I will always feel like home there, I feel a little better. it is my sanctuary even though I am sure it has changed since I left. It will always hold a special place in my heart. I will carry those memories all my life as a traverse great distances, as I cross the lush forests of the Temperate Forests on the Western coast of Canada. As I tread upon the broken,parched land of the Gobi desert. wherever I go.

I will miss everyone and everything, such is the curse of the wanderer. But my lust for the unknown will keep me from lingering for too long. all things must change, and all things must pass (as the late great George Harrison would say). So when your favorite watch or stuffed animal is lost or broken just remember that all things are temporary and no matter how hard you cling, all things come to an end. they may pass on to another, turn into something else, or be lost into the unknown....

Dance continued......

Did someone call my name?
like a distant drum is beating
or is it just another dream along of long ago?
I dance again I am spinning
In the light I am living
and I can feel the power rushing through my veins
once upon a time I could do no wrong
for the candle flickers, the flame is never gone

to my brilliant feat
they all pay heed
I hear the crowds roar oh so loudly

is it a game of chance
or merely circumstances
a jack to a king and back
then you have to pay to play
the world it won't wait for you
its got its own things to do
the sun's gotta rise and drive another night away
and as i listen to the silence
i can hear thunder in the distance

to my brilliant feat
they all pay heed
I hear the crowds roar oh so loudly

to my brilliant feat
i make grown men weep
and still my eyes grow oh so cloudy


~"My Brillinat Feat" by Colin Hay

Dance

For the mosses

This semester I'm taking an Ecology of Mosses class with the ever-wise Professor Kimmerer. This class has opened my eyes to the wonderful home of the waterbear. While tiny in comparison to vascular plants they form their own "forests" full of complex habitats and organisms. It now takes me even longer to go on walks now because eI must crouch down and check out the mosses all around me. I was opened up to a whole new perspective of the world. Now this may sound a bit odd, that a moss could change my world-view, but when you take into account the extreme complexity of these mosses and their significance on the planet, it is hard to ignore them. They provide protection form soil erosion, sponge up water that would normally run-off, effectively saving it for other plants and animals to utilize. They also provide a safe place for other plants to grow and are the home of thousands of different micro-invertebrates, larvae, mollusks, and a whole other host of microorganisms.

I could probably talk about mosses all day if given the chance and a willing ear. They are fascinating plants with much more complexity than I could have ever imagined before taking this class. One of my favorite organisms that live among mosses are waterbears. In Kimmerer's book "The Gathering Moss" she describes them as trundling, which is to "To move along by or as if by rolling or spinning". So I imagine these round eight-legged globs equipped with little claws rolling around in the moss. These creatures are known to withstand some of the harshest environments on the planet, in the arctics and the even the vaccums of space. impressive for something about 0.8 mm in length. So when you have the time take the chance to look at these fascinating plants up close and personal: into the realm of the waterbear.

Home

The world is so full of different kinds of people, all different religions and beliefs. So on this Easter Sunday I would like to pay homage to a few. I was inspired by national geographic who posted their weekly photos in the news today. One image was of a man praying the Birkat Hachama or "sun blessing". According to the articles it is only practiced every 28 years by ultra-orthodox Jews. I found the image gorgeous.

 The next image (on the bottom) is also from national geographic. Caption :   "A worker attaches cards bearing Buddha's name to lanterns to celebrate the philosopher's birthday, which is observed on April 8. Buddha's birthday is a national holiday in South Korea, where about a third of the 48 million residents are Buddhist."

trundletrundle...

For my first post I think I'll just leave you some lovely pictures and what I hope to do with this blog. My sister and I have wandered many places and hope to go many more places. this is the journal of these travels. Whether these places are relatively close or to the far corners of the planet, I would like to describe them. The hope is to raise awareness on cultural diversity, natural history, food, and the hardships/joy of life. So I'll post world news, recipes, cool pics I find and take, and facts about the life on mother earth. mostly, I hope to have fun. enjoy!