Our latest home base is in the woods of northern Ozark Plateau. We are surrounded by mature Oak, Hickory, Walnut, Dogwood, Redbud and Eastern Red Cedars, etc. Our little woods are a living partner in our lives. We have healthy populations of Owls, Hawks, Blackbirds, BlueBirds, Downy, Snowy, Hairy and Pileated Woodpeckers. We have Nuthatches and Flickers, and so many more. Bald Eagles are often seen perching in our trees eating rabbits. We do what we can to assist and foster them.

Loving the trees so much, we notice tree issues when we are camping. This last trip took us through Indiana, all around northern and central Ohio and Kentucky. Last year we took an extended trip through Michigan (mostly Northern Michigan) to visit copper mines, small towns, waterfalls, rock shops, old forts, and sit on chilly beautiful Lake Superior beaches …that I missed in a busy “ Southern Mitten”childhood.

In Michigan, we happened to meet an older gentleman and his wife and their dog. I asked the wife why so many trees were dead. She said she didn’t know but that her husband was a retired botanist and arborist. She asked him to come speak with us. He confirmed my suspicion of the Emerald Ash Borer. The wife piped up complaining that campers had moved wood and caused the problem. Her husband quietly and kindly corrected her, explaining the beetle’s systematic, rapid movement across the country was the result of many factors and mostly inevitable once they came in on ships from China. It was a very interesting conversation.

That conversation had me both thinking of the scientists teachings and understanding, and his wife’s surface judgements based on, well, advertising. What a world it is that pairs (or maybe juxtaposes us) in our approaches to each other and to world events. It also set me to chuckling because it’s Yin and Yang. It’s balance (or lack there of) in relationship to our greater world understandings (close to home and in our environment) that have become so out of balance.

The failure to look deeper than what we’ve been told…in this case to sit with and observe the actual forests to look for the points of equilibrium rather than trying to enforce “cures”. It’s a microcosm of what is showing up everywhere in our world. How and when did we become a population that didn’t look deeper?? How and when did we give up our own responsibility to ask questions and question status quo?? Where has this landed us??

So, before I bore you with more of my ramblings, I suggest this video:

https://youtu.be/S3XrqbrkmKQ?si=X-V7gUVAc1QscGQa

Camping you see, takes my Husband (Hub) and I to the lesser known parts of the States, the quieter spots…if you will. This has always been the joy of the little Casita. We can and do camp where larger campers can or won’t go. We spent years backpacking and tenting before the Casita. It’s in the small off season places that one is apt to have the chance at real conversations with strangers and hear the things that people who like quiet spaces have been considering. I see this as almost a force of nature in itself. We go to the roads less travelled with the intention of learning, experiencing and seeing something new or important. The Universe never disappoints. Maybe my expectations are low though. I am, after all, the girl who sees beauty in the first flight of newly hatched termites in angled spring morning light shafts. It sets me to sweetly wondering the most lengthy things.

Getting back to dying trees…our KY trip a couple years ago took us to out of the way camp spots garnered last minute as we escaped severe storms in Mississippi. We only escaped the worst part of the storm though, because when we awoke we found trees laying down all around our camper.

There, in KY, the issue seemed to be drought that was devastating the forests. I asked, no one seemed to have any other guesses. My observations were that the parks were simply picking up the dead fallen trees and stacking them in humongous piles in amongst the living trees. I think you, dear reader, see the problem there…especially those of us who have lived in the middle of a wildfire out west.

When I questioned the Rangers about the safety of wood piles I was told they didn’t have a choice. It’s their orders. So now we get back to the same question of: How did we become a population that mindlessly follows?? And what are we leaving for the next generation ??

I don’t know. Mostly I think the craziness in our world now is a way for the entire population to see our part in its creation. To see what we refused to see and decide what we will leave to the next generation. It does amuse me that something as quiet time in the woods can spin the mind in so many ways. God Bless camping.

So, I will stop this quick piece and hope it gives you a little something to muse on yourselves. I have to relearn the new stuff on WordPress and figure it all out since my long absence. My posts are likely to be different than before…I have lived through a lifetime of happenings in the last ten years and age (along with the times) have me moving in new directions. I’ll try to keep it interesting. I hope you will find the follow/subscribe button.

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