Back from my backpack/camping trip up in the back country of the South mountains! What beautiful country to be alone with Nature and your thoughts. I got to my camp a little later than I would have liked (I forgot how early sundown comes up there) still I got a fire kindled,tent put up,big wood gathered, and drinking water from the creek boiled just as the sun sat on the crest of the furthest mountain. By the time the last rays dipped away I was finishing my supper of veggie curried rice and canteen cups of hot coco. I stacked a few logs on my fire and sat down with my feet propped up on a log for a foot stool and sipped my hot drink. It was VERY quite...just the sound of a gentle breeze whispering through the tree tops and the chuckling of the creek about 300 Yards away. And then....a rustling all around me. It would start then stop, then start again. This went on for about an hour. I just sat and sipped my coco. A log fell deeper into the fire and flared up a bit more light and I saw two eyes glowing just beyond the rim of firelight. It looked at me...I looked at it. (I hoped it was not a skunk as I know from experience what happens when It feels threatened or nervous!) It looked at me for about 8 Min. then crossed into the light and passed only 3 feet from me. It was one BIG Raccoon! After it decided I was safe enough it went right on by continuing her nocturnal patrol. What I did not see till I came off the mountain was ANY Humans at all !!! As I sat fireside It occurred to me that I was sitting in the middle of all Four of the natural elements of life. Earth (I was resting on it) Air (In the treetops and blowing smoke...sometimes in my eyes LOL) Fire (It was warming me, cooked my food and let me see my visitor) Water (Boiled from the creek it filled my canteens for hiking tomorrow, provide personal hygiene needs and warmed me with coco and coffee at sunrise) This line of thought led me to the fact that, in theory, every basic need as a human was right here in this spot of wilderness. Earth, soil tilled for plant food. Plant food often brings meat on Four legs.Plants offer healing herbs(Just ask Shawn!) Air, as a species we have just begun to take a serious look at the potential of wind power. Fire, cooks food, provides light, kills surface germs, warmth, can even stop bleeding if it must. Water, Life itself! Drinking ,cooking,bathing,cleaning, our very bodies are made mostly of this element! Sitting in my spot on the mountain once more reminded me how much the Human animal takes for granted and destroys its own supporting environment. What other Dumb animal does this? Before I went into my tent and slipped into a slumber,I thought what a pity my species has become Advanced enough to become THIS truly stupid. Ah, but then my species often disappoints me. We should ALL go sit on a mountain in the woods and perhaps learn something we forgot. (Just a few of my fanciful thoughts)
Posted on: Sun, 24 Nov 2013 21:21:07 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015