Taking Back What Was Stolen From Me

This time last year, I was hiding.

I am married to a "front line" RN and we had been badly rattled by this "pandemic" at first and tried very hard to protect ourselves, our families and our communities from this deadly pathogen. But by this time last year, the stench of bullshit was everywhere and at this point, we feared our neighbors. EVERYONE was angry. Wear a mask, have people be nasty to you. Don't wear a mask, have people be nasty to you. Truly, I just sort of shut down and went into hiding. I did not even go out and gather my wild herbs or hunt for morels. I stayed on my land almost full time. As the lies became obvious over the winter, I promised myself I was NOT letting another year get robbed from me.

Yesterday I went to the woods and I did not find a single morel, which is how it usually goes for me. I enjoy hunting them, but I rarely actually find them. I found some other things, things I did not realize I needed so badly. I found myself in a little circle of trees with the sun pouring down on me. I just sat down and listened to the river beside me, the birds above me. I grabbed a stick and started lifting up leaves and chunks of bark to see if any mushrooms were hiding under them, and the smell of moist, fresh earth wafted over me. It had been a long, long time since I felt so serene. It was still there, my connection to earth, to universe... and I could still feel it if I just remembered to take a moment.

In the midst of the election frenzy, I actually dragged my ass to a local church for the first time in decades. The people were very nice, the service was fine, but I did not go back. I just have trouble feeling "at home" in a church, do not really feel God's love there the way I do in the woods. While humanity's most amazing architectural feats are usually places of worship, men simply cannot replicate God's cathedrals.

Council Mountain
All photos taken with my Galaxy cell phone

It is a bit bittersweet, much of the land I once roamed was sold off and the public is no longer allowed to access it. There is a waterfall in this picture, it is a charming little spot about 1/4 mile off the road. You are no longer allowed to go back and feel that thunder of water over the rocks, no more splashing in the pool at the bottom.

There is waterfall in there, I promise

As we drove back home, a big, black dog ran out of the woods. Oh, wait... THAT IS A BEAR!!! I hit the brakes and watched her dash across the road. A moment later, her cub emerged from the woods but when it saw me, it turned and ran back in - away from Momma. We just sat in the middle of the road and soon, baby appeared down the road, haulin' ass toward his mother. I had my phone all ready... and I GOT IT!!! And it is completely blurry and you are going to have to believe me when I tell you that fuzzy spot on the right side of the road way down there is a bear cub. I think my future as a wildlife photographer is secure, offers should begin pouring in any moment... lol!

It is a bear cub. Really!

Thanks for stopping by, and Namaste!

Hmm.. My photos will not upload. Going to be that kind of day then...? OK. file:///home/mark/Pictures/20210503_113939.jpg