As the country dissolves into chaos and we slog through what seems like a very long winter, sanity seems to be slipping away.
It feels like combat fatigue. Slap on the hiking boots and start walking when the weather permits. I keep threatening to join a gym but that would entail me getting into a cold van and traveling several miles, getting out of warm van to have my nose hairs sucked into my brain and I think; nope. It's the way of the country, we could have signed up for no chaos but nope we got went for crazy. I've turned off the TV and the newsfeed on my phone. I always worried we might go to war and I'd never know. Well, now the government is at war with, "We The People". Trump and Elon use the constitution for toilet paper and everyday seems like a new fire or flood. So I am choosing to listen Heather Cox Richardson in the evening after dinner and the rest of the day is for seed starting, micro-greens, walking, winter pruning and food prep. The crazier it gets the more food I squirrel away or the more seeds I buy, the more miles I walk and those seem to be my coping mechanisms. The patriarchy is not going down easily or without a fight and this is their last gasp to hang on to colonialism and that old white guy sovereignty. It won't end well but it needs to end. They will not go quietly into the night, they will burn everything down on their way out the door and we will have a golden opportunity to start over.
After a 4-5 mile hike I do feel better. A deer crossed my path the other night and I thought; you have no idea who Trump is or Elon Musk. It was a revelation! The sun is going to come up in the morning and set at night and this planet will go on spinning with or without us. Well isn't that a nice thought?!
As cold and as icy as it was this morning I set off on an amazing adventure. A walk that should have taken me an hour at most, ended up taking three.
Stop and look where your feet are planting, it could be someones home.
It was so very quiet but then the crows kicked up a fuss and I watched overhead as silent bald eagle flew over head. Another one who has no idea who Trump is ......
This area that I hike is very close to my house and I am surprised at the invasive species that have taken over so many places.
Pampas Grass where cattails used to be.....
False bamboo or Japanese knotweed..... also where cattails should be.
They are not considered food for any animals although they seem to offer some shelter. I think I'd rather see the cattails but this stuff is here to stay. These two species are almost impossible to kill. I keep looking for ways to use them but not been very successful. I even tried cooking the young shoots of the knotweed. I boiled it in two changes of water, stuffed it with cream cheese and still had my hard time choking the stuff down, grateful there was bit of cream cheese in there! Pampas grass, maybe cordage but cattails are much better IMHO.
In these times of chaos how is everyone doing? How are you coping?
see you in the yard or on the trail 💚
No comments:
Post a Comment