Nature

Nature is full of beauty and bounty. Today I went up into the mountains where we have a cabin. Usually go there in the spring and part of the summer. After arriving realized I forgot to shop at the store but others were coming later in the day. Collected some dandelions and made a fresh salad and rounded up some other free food, ha ha. Actually felt very good.

When I was a young man spent a year on a deserted Island. Lived off cocoanuts and honey or whatever  else was available. The fish could not be eaten because of the poisonous coral. There was a large cat that once came into my dwelling. It may have been a descendent of a jaguar or maybe a pirates cat. It was very large but I never ate it, and obviously it never ate me. We usually just had a stare down then with a proud gait the cat would just walk away. My hair reached the shoulders and beard my chest - so I was quite a sight when returning to the mainland.

Once I found a sea turtle and it had a tag - which also did not eat but released it. Found a diary of a japanese sailor that committed hari kari a form of suicide rather than starve. Caught water in rain barrels and that is all we had, no rivers or streams. Being up in the mountains brought back those youthful memories. I remember buying a pack of gum when arriving at the mainland, started to chew it and something squirted out. I took it back thinking it was bad and the gentleman laughed saying it was supposed to have that in the gum. Other things changed Jimmy Carter was the president and never even heard of him before.

When I first saw the movie Jaws it reminded me of all the shark encounters that were for real. At night thousands of crabs would be lurking about looking for a meal or a mate. There were tens of thousands of terns and other birds which fascinated me. I specifically remember the guni birds with their red balloons hanging from the chin and long beaks. Overall it was a good experience. 

Here I am in the fast paced world again of computers and technology. Worked in just about every field from robotics to electronics and computer engineering. Now it is nice to go to the cabin and get some fresh air , get away from all the news. Perhaps we overindulge in media and most of it is commercials or infomercials. Nature has its own announcers a stout woodpecker trying to get some grubs out of a tree. A bluejay yelling at another bird fighting for territory. I did notice there is always something going on in nature providing its own amusements.

The lesson that nature taught me was not to have attachments, use things but do not get attached to them.

Yes- it is a beautiful day.

Peace.

Earl.