PLUG IN!

It's Spring! Beautiful bouquets blast right out of the Terra Firma. They are there whether you are there to enjoy them or not.  That's the beauty of nature.  It doesn't need us mortals. It flourishes very well without us. Get into those hiking boots, grab your camera and head out on any trail. Of course you could prepare with help from Tripping On a Shoestring. But even if you only take day trips from home, don't miss this opportunity provided to us all by the very planet we live on.  Don't take it for granted. It's a free show complete with dancing fern, singing birds, babbling brooks, clean air and energy. The Earth's energy abounds. You will feel it the minute you step into the forest. You will soak it up, thrive on it and bring some home with you. Go plug in, get energized!

AS WE SLIDE SLOWLY SEAWARD

As the small stream slides slowly seaward it reminds me of the roads we all take to our destination. Generally we have a direction but lack final knowledge of the end.  My goal is to enjoy the trip, each and every day, each and every mile. Henry David Thoreau said "If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours." In other words: It's not the destination, it's the journey.  So my recommendation to each of you is to live each day as if it's your "end destination" (who knows? It may be) but at the end of the day you will be satisfied and looking forward to the next. My hope for each of us as we approach this season of renewal is that we may live the life we have imagined for ourselves.

PUT A STEP IN YOUR SPRING

Spring has sprung, so spring into Spring with a spring in your step.  OK enough, well you get the point.  Being cooped up all winter can make a person silly.  Look at the sun streaming through the moss in the pix below.  The ferns are leafed out, the wild flowers are ready for your eyes and the birds are singing.  There are trails to hike, fresh, crisp air to breath and wonderful sites to take in.  Just think, hike a mile,  burn 100 calories.  That is a good goal after a winter of sedentary life.  Oh, I am speaking for myself of course.  But burning calories is a good goal if you can't be prompted by the smells, sounds, and sights of a new morning in a Spring forest.  We have all heard the old question: "If a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it...?"  Well, I can assure you that the forest with it's trees, moss, ferns, wild flowers et al will do just fine without us there as a witness to the beauty.  But would we humans do as well?  Would we thrive without bearing witness to that beauty?  No matter where you live in the Pacific Northwest, there is a trail similar to the one pictured here just waiting for your foot steps.  As I have traveled around this area I am surprised at how often I find this same scene: Newly unfurled ferns, clinging & hanging moss, old stairs leading on to more.  You will too.  Check your local maps for parks, pack a lunch, strap on your hiking boots and head out.  A huge breath of fresh Spring air is just what your lungs need.  Your whole body will thank you for the refreshing reawakening it will get from the burst of energy received when you embark on a Spring walk in the woods.  Don't forget your camera.  And please add a comment in my "comment" field about where you went and what you saw.

GETTING THE OLD "EAGLE EYE"

If you have ever wondered why the Bald Eagle is our national bird you will wonder no more if you watch one of the many eagle cams set up around the country.  They live long lives, mate for life unless one dies then they may "re-mate".  They are fierce defenders of their young, tenacious, excellent builders, etc...the list goes on.  Who else would we select?

NBC nightly news recently did a bit on the Cincinnati eagle cam.  The entire city is caught up in watching a pair and their eggs/hatchlings.  There are even large screens in school rooms with the cams going.  Cincinnati has not had Bald Eagles in 200 years.  So, that's a big WAHOOOO.

Here in the Willamette Valley, there have been numerous sightings of our growing population of Bald Eagles.  The guy giving me the "eagle eye" from a limb about 100 feet above me is mated and has a nest nearby.  But, my computers around the house are all set to the Decorah Eagle Cam placed high in a tree by a nest in Decorah, Iowa.  Below are corn fields and a fish hatchery.  Fish hatchery:  See, eagles are smart!  The pair have been followed for many years, they are referred to as Mom & Dad.  They had three eggs this year:  D18, D19, D20.  So D18 hatched Wednesday, D19 poked his little head out yesterday and D20 has a hole in his egg.  I think he took a look at the snow storm engulfing the nest and decided to wait it out inside his snuggy shell.  Watching this pair, Mom & Dad caring for each other and their brood, is so interesting it is hard to look away.  There were times earlier when the eggs were new that Mom had an inch of snow on her and the surrounding nest.  Once in a while she would stand, shake off the snow then settle down on her treasure.  

Being a "fair weather camper" it is easy to stay close to home to await the sun and warm days while I watch Mom & Dad tend to their fuzzy babies.  But I am watching the weather here and will be ready when the days warm up.  The van is packed, clean (inside) and I have maps out.  I hope you are preparing for a "Tripping on a Shoestring" summer as April charges into the sunshine. Whether you camp in a tent, van, motorhome or out of a back pack it is time to start whetting your appetite for comfortable hiking boots, wilderness areas, quiet back roads.  Don't forget to look up, you might get the old "eagle eye" like I did.  What an absolute treat!