After a week of glorious sun the grey skies hae reappeared and snow and sleet are forcast for tomorrow. This year have been unusually well organised and got seeds planted on time now am beginning to think I will regret this. Having been stuck making Play Doh snakes all morning with the toddler no writing has been done today. I am determined to start writing daily so it looks like I shall be writing after he goes to bed tonight. So as a result am fitting a little blogging in now as we watch a programme on Welsh wildlife. From reading a few other blogs last night I realised how much peoples beliefs influence not only their lives but also what they write. First let me say I hate labels. My personal beliefs do not fit neatly into any one catergory. I do not have any of the conventional religious beliefs and if pushed would have to class myself as pagan. Anyone on my facebook friends list can tell you that you are guaranteed lots of pictures of trees and plants. There may be the odd animal but that will usually be the dog, as on walks he and the toddler AKA Monster usually make enough noise to scare away anything I may wish to snap.
I do feel a connection to nature and find it sad that so many do not take advantage of its solitude and appreciate the beauty that surrounds us all. The other half complains I am turning the monster into a tree hugger this is of course not true. I do want him to learn to listen to nature and to understand more about the world. There are two things I would encourage everyone to do take a camera and go for a walk through the woods. Look through the viewfinder it realy does focus your view and give you a different perspective.
Secondly if you are walking near trees when it is windy place your hands on the trunk. Okay if there are people about you may feel silly but it is an amazing feeling to feel the power of the tree as it fights the wind. I may be romanticising but it feels like the tree is breathing and for me it really does connect me to nature and the world as a whole.
We take so much of nature for granted yet it is the plant life which valiantly struggles to pump out the oxygen which gives us life. And that is why in this age of technology where so much is taken for granted I feel so strongly about the need to keep grounded and keep in touch with what is happening to the planet. Does this mean I am a greenie, no I admit I am too lazy to do all the things I should, I recycle most things but am not strict about it. I am guilty of not turning lights off when I should but that does not make me a bad person despite what some people would have you believe. I think that most people feel that what little they can do is pointless in the face of the industrial pollution and they are probably right. But that does not have to stop a person being amazed by natures perseverance. While we give up after half hearted attempts to fix the problems we as humans have created nature carries on regardless reclaiming whatever land she can the next pictures are of an old quarry by where I live. As a teenager I can remember the quarry still standing until for safety reasons it was filled and a bit of grass seed thrown on. In only a few years nature has worked to obliterate any sign of the quarry from view, in a few more she will have succeeded.
Finally I would say walk no matter what the weather, experience the wind in your hair and the rain on your face. I am guilty of looking out the window thinking I don’t want to go out in this, luckily the dog forces me to. But it is so fulfilling to watch a child as they splash in their wellies through the puddles. Maybe as adults we forget what joy such simple pleasures can bring. Maybe we all need to get our wellies on and splash around a little and let the stresses of every day life pass us by even if only for an hour or even just sit and listen and let nature help us relax.
Paula Acton 