wildlife conservation

The Oystercatchers of Gwaii Haanas
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The Oystercatchers of Gwaii Haanas

Hail Brave Hearts

The great wild is calling,  An adventures awaits.  Dutifully we don our apparel for yet another great holiday in Canada.  It’s summertime, and the sun shines gloriously on long days of warmth and outdoor activity. Canoes and kayaks entice us into the waters of lakes and rivers.  The iconic Canadian transportation system, lures us into the paths of our history.  Build your canoes, build your kayaks, follow in the steps of legendary people who navigated the waters this way.

The great wild calls us to develop the skills of history makers who charted the seas, mapped the coastlines and stamped the approval of the ownership of this land.  This is ours.

The great lands of the Haida, tucked away in the northern islands, north of Vancouver Island.  Isolated and rare, a gem of discovery.  This land is our land, protected by a great nation of peoples, the Haida people of Haida Gwaii and the Gwaii Haanas National Park.  It belongs to them and their stories fill the islands.

We arrive by plane, for the trip of a lifetime, into the land of the Haidas.  Remote and alive, the area fills with eagles.  The ocean is calm and the days are warm.  We’ve packed for a week long kayak adventure into Gwaii Haanas.  This area is a paradise of wilderness ocean adventure.

Seagulls meet us, reminding us that God is here.  In the call of the birds, we clearly hear Gods name.  Seals bask on the rocks and a river otter swims past.  An Oyster Catcher stops us.  His antics catch our attention as he jumps around on the rock in a aa unusual dance.  His five chicks huddle close together in the nest and his mate slumber close by.  He is a father and proudly shows off the nest.  A thirteen year old bird, whose making a noise that sounds like Barack.  We name him Barack then, pleased that he’s shown us his fine family

Black Oystercatcher Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Our luck with the weather holds for this trip.  There are seven of us on this  July excursion, with a guided kayaking and camping company.  The Pacific is mainly calm and peaceful towards us as humpback whales surface and feed in our sights.  One comes close to us.  It’s a pleasure.  The wildlife sightings are superb, with black bear, dolphins, orcas and sea lion to add to our list.  The bird life is unusual to us as well.  Ancient Murrelet,  seagulls, falcons, puffins, rhinoceros beaked birds and red footed pigeon guillemot to add to  our list.  It’s a list of some rare bird and animals  in an area filled with ocean life.

Then, there’s, the people.  We visit the Haida of the ancient totem poles.  to see for ourselves the carvings of great masters and to hear their stories.  A far flung people, out in islands in a remote Pacific location.  An area of impressive beauty molding a nation of seafaring people, who live from the sea.  The builders of ocean going canoes paddling the great seas.  A people of unique culture, surviving in an area of wildlife wealth.  The ocean provides.

This was a dream holiday in our great land.  So much to be proud of, so much to enjoy.  The land and the people, the ocean and the wildlife.  A place of unusual prosperity.

parks.canada.ca › pn-np › bcGwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine …

The sun shines brightly on Haida Gwaii and the warm summer breeze encourages outdoor adventure.  This was a wonderful, unique  holiday in Canada’s superb wilderness backyard.  We congratulate ourselves for this choice of adventure.    We’ll be back

written by Dr. Louise Hayes

August 27, 2023

Gun Control
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Gun Control

Good Day Brave Heart

It’s seldom a bad day with so much to do.

Exit the warm contentment of the cozy, familiar structure to the bright snow-covered future that awaits you in the outdoors.  It’s a fantasy world of snow laden trees, martins leaping along the way and birds chattering to each other.  What do they say?  Only your own spirits will determine their message.  The sundog shines in a glorious ring around the sun, indicating a weather pattern on its way.  The brightness of this glory world is the psychedelic wonder of yesteryear.  It’s no wonder that they thought that LDS was safe.

Minds bend in the staggering difficulty of the task.    The unfathomable human experiment of the day.

Hunting and trapping, the need to survive, the human is a new predator in this place.  Now the competition for the food supply has increased and new hunters are on the land.  Hunters with families and small mouths to feed.  Tiny tots with growing pains, hunger pangs and shill cries.  Feed us! cloth us! save us! The howls stop when the hut vanishes in the snow and the hunt for animal tracks begin.

This new human brings a new kind of weapon to the wild world of big game hunting.  Gone is the bow and arrow, now it’s the rifle.  Guns.  Guns to protect us, guns to hunt with, guns to be dependent upon.  Guns for survival, guns for livelihood, guns for trade and barter.  Guns.   Only the need for ammunition is a drawback in the use of guns.  Stock the larder with as much provision for the winter as you can, and don’t forget the main one, your gun.

Unlicensed weapons have as many as you want to.  No one is watching.

The stealthy aboriginal makes his way to your shelter.  Maybe you don’t have to hunt today.  Maybe all that you have to do is to trade him a good gun and a round of ammunition for a side of moose, a rack of elk and a hind quarter of deer.  Maybe he will give his own much needed furs, from that rabbit, for a gun.  The indigenous people need the fur more than the fur trader do, but wildlife is plentiful, and trade brings wealth to this family.  Wealth to one, survival to another, a deal is struck.  It seems like a win, win situation.  The stealthy aboriginal so experienced in the ways of this land, looking to improve his own lot in life.  A gun for his hunt, a gun for his prosperity and a gun to protect him from the devil.

The homesteader is saved.  No more psychedelic sunshine.  No more mind-bending winter exposure.  No more lethargic, seemingly drug filled indecisive wanderings.   He is saved.  Saved by the aboriginal bell of necessity.  The gun is more powerful than the bow and arrow.

A shot rings out on the still land.  The skilled new hunter has already conquered.  More will come looking for this kind of trade.  More will seek the European for guns.

Guns for survival, guns to protect us.  Guns.  A new way of life.

The Wild Canadian Year: Canada’s toughest season, with only the hardiest prevailing – Winter – YouTube

Written by Dr. Louise Hayes

 

 

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For All of Us

Hail Brave Hearts

The winter is upon us, glistening.  White snow falls softly, with blessings.  Good cheer awaits those joyful hearts, as the spirit moves us in generous ways.  A joyful time.

The quiet of wintertime soothes our souls.  The merriment of song fills the world.  Hopeful and happy, like squirrels gathering nuts, we hurry and scurry to gather our collections.  Hoarding our gifts to bring delight to those most dear to us, oh Holy Night.  Soon will be a gift of finery so rare, song and praises, fill the air.  Copy the moment, all of the delight, majesty, wonder, goodwill to us all.

Hopeful are we, of an expectation already granted, enchanting, adoring, love.

We decorate and adorn ourselves, to express the riches of earthly gratitude and acceptance.   The skies are sparkling with brightness and fill the world with glittering light.  Wish upon these wondrous stars, the heavens bring glory to us.

Soon, in the quiet moments of the night, will a life of great joy, enter our world.  Inspiration, love, happiness and cheer. Soon the gift of great joy fill our world with love.  A child.  A baby.  Born of the delight of a prophecy, which will fill the world with a special guidance, a special leadership, a special light to guide the footsteps of the devoted.

Follow this light, for this leadership is for us all.

Animals, softly speaking, reminding us, this is for all life.  All of the Earths creatures are adored and witness this special life.   Why such a lowly birth?  Surrounded by beasts who witness this life, humanity touches all of them.  Humanely treat these affectionate creatures, they too are part of the glorious host, invited to share as witnesses.

Not just angels, not just maji, not just shepherds and humans, but sheep, camels, donkeys and cows.  The Earth has so many creatures to care about.  They celebrate with us, oh mighty human, they belong to us, for us to care for all throughout our lives.  This is the message as well.  Be kind.

Love each other all of your lives.

The animals were invited as well.  This is not an accident that the birth is so lowly, but divine intervention to show us the way.  How to treat the eternal wonder of the world.  The heavenly hosts sing in praises, the Earthly creatures welcome with gladness.  Song and joy fill the air. Humanity for us all.   All of creation is important and must be protected.  All welcome to this glorious birth.  All are welcome to the joy and gladness, to share in the celebration of a gift of life to all life forms.  Precious and compassionate, humane and loving, all of the Earth sing with joy.

Joy to this Earth, to the great planet of creation.  Joy to the creatures who dwell upon it.  This is the holy time of sharing and caring.  This is the time of prayer and blessings.  Sing joyously all of you people.  A wonderful event is nearly here.  Dress up your fine table, pull out Christmas cheer, with delicacies reserved only for this time of year.  This is the coveted event that we wait for, to celebrate our Earthly delights gifted to us from the most high.

Joy to you, during this great holiday season.  Joy to you, all of your life.

Written by Dr.  Louise Hayes

November 23, 2018

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In The Forest

Hail Almighty Human

Scream, as the terror is with us.  Strike a match, ignite the fire, burn and burn and burn.  We watch in helpless  horror as the forest fire rages.  Pillars of smoke and flame that engulf the trees, lay waste to the land, destroy our hopes and kill our lives.  The shock, the death, the despair.  No more fire, we scream in fright, as one of the worst years for forest fires is now starting to pass.  It was everywhere.  The smell, the cold, the choking fumes, hundreds of kilometers away and still it affects us.  The sky is a fog, the mountains vanish, the sun is gone and the light is dim.  Properties gone, their fortunes fade, one deathly blunder and our lives are changed.  Sometimes forever, sometimes for years, the horror of fire leaves a wake filled with tears.

Fighting against it, fighting the odds, the perils of a task so immense to complete.  Save our homes, save our lives, save our destiny, try, try, try.  The screams of terror, as it all lays to waste, the burden to rebuild, to be strong in it’s face.  The plight of the people, as smoke fills the air, of all of life running, to save what it can.

As the autumn is coming,the fall colors are hear, hoping that snow will make everything clear.  The cold and the wet, the snowfall might do it, put out the fires that humans can’t manage to.  The constant struggle, the constant fear, this has been one of the worst fire records, of all years.

The forest succumbs, it takes lives with it, those too tired, too slow, too young, too old.  The toll of the fire is much more than property.  The loss of the forest, the loss of the land, the goodness and value that go hand in hand.  The life supporting forest, that we all need and love, is the doom of the wild, when it burns to dust.  Gone is the wild song, the singing, the praises, the love of joy, of living, that saves us.  When the world is quiet, there’s a sound no more, the sound of hearts beating to build and restore.  The sound of the quiet is a deafening tone, of mountains without life, where all is just stone.

http://naturecanada.ca/what-we-do/NatureVoice/endangered-species/know-our-species/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqvzSpuW81gIVAZF-Ch060wN5EAAYAiAAEgLx__D_BwE

The quiet, too quiet, it reminds us of something.  This is the great planet, full of life and living things.  They should be talking, we should be listening, to hear a slither, a crack, a croak, or a twitter.  Here in the quiet, there isn’t any talking, no one to hear them, they run from something.  Even without fire, smoke is in the air, it’s too much for many and the quiet is result.  A world without the great wild is a world without care.  No songs to sing, from birds out there.

The elk now call, they start to rut, another life cycle, in a forest, with luck.

Written by Dr. Louise Hayes

September 23, 2017

It’s Birthing Season
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It’s Birthing Season

Hail, all you Bravehearts

The spring magic is bursting, it’s flames fill the air, heady with perfume, the fragrance is everywhere.  Colours of rainbows, the infraction of light, darting licks of sprouting things, the springtime comes to life.  Brilliance of beauty, the delight of newborn lives, nesting calls of symphony, the choir of our lives.  Behold the wondrous species, they all have missions here, to fill our world with Earthly praise, to a planet we  hold most dear.  The budding trees are blooming now, the bees are hard at work, for pollen, nectar and honey is the plan of natures work.  A stork will bring the babies, a notion so absurd, the animal chain of learning pain, brings babies from the woods. It’s nests and eggs that hatch the young, it’s thickets, where they lay.  That overrated stork lost out, to the trees and forest at play.

Lovely splendor, lovely birth, the drama of the fall, has an outcome so desirable, it’s babies after all.  Little adorable ones, needing so much attention.  Stop!  Don’t miss that chance, to capture them on camera.  The wildlife are beaming, they know now what to do.  Stand by the roadside in the Parks and wave at the calamity of you know who.

An adventure for this praiseworthy day, a photo or several, or two, of babies coming to join us, in this hinterland of guess who.  Nature may be difficult, it’s predator and prey, but come into the world of babies, and it protection and play.  Lovely little ones, so cute and soft and adored, we all become their mothers, just to nurture a world to be explored.  They’re fabulous and new, they shriek at us, coo coo! We all come a running with baby food.  The spring and the parenting, the planning for next year.  Raise those babies wisely, they represent the herd!  No dowdy ones, no unmatched socks, put on your sleek new coat.  You are a representative of a genetic stock to rival any goat. Survival of the fittest is the game all parents play.  When babies are born and pride is given to a new cast of characters today.

The love and devotion of springtime happiness, is turned to a summer of responsible parenting togetherness.   Chattering with pride, they show off their newborn delight.  Just look at little elk calf there, he’s blossoming with intellectual might.

The fish eggs are hatching, the frogs sing with all their might.  A lovely day on planet Earth, fills their little lungs with a chorus of pond song, after dinner, choir serenade delight.

The sounds of the season are love and loving sounds, as the great gifted planet, spins it’s eternity  of  marvel all around.  All creation, all for good, a special aptitude, the great gifted planet, spins it all just for you.  Just for you, oh little one, just for you to share, the fabulous stretch of wisdom, greets you everywhere.   This gifted, great planet, in it’s protected, universal space, is a wealth of brilliant life form abundance, for everyone, even the human race.  Welcome and acceptance, treat it all with care, for this great, ingenious planet, can concoct new species, if it’s dared.  The life forms are brilliant, it’s beauty and adored, the planet exudes it’s wealth of creation for all of us to explore.

Rise and shine, it’s springtime, so go out and greet the day.  For all of us, are from planetary dust, just go out and play.

Written by Dr. Louise Hayes

June 11, 2017

Something New
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Something New

Hail Braveheats!

Fabulous and new, I reach out to you.  Look outside and see.  A breath of wonder awaits all of you, as the world turns into it’s new reality.  A fresh, new form of creation is there, a surprising change of life.  A mutation of some sort, but still, a whole new entity is formed.

Praises again to the almighty planet, a world of energy and change.  When you know it all, think again, a life form springs into your world.  Interesting and challenging, the world spins something new.  A delightful curiosity for the brave at heart, to test the strength of that fine aptitude.  Explore and adventure, question and pursue, what in the world is the Earth up to?   Too much of something, that needs to be reduced, a predator of excess set on the loose.

It’s marvelous how we can know it all, then up springs something,  to teach us to learn again.

It’s strange and marvelous at the same time.  Wonder and curiosity springs to mind.  Delve into the unknown, look and see, the world is still changing and amazing to me.  A life form, so unusual, protect it, keep it safe.  How does it harm you, in it’s own special place?  The adventure of living on a planet so great.  The thrill of discovery tempts us to our fate.  Lovely to look at, interesting and rare.  Creatures so unusual, they delights us, entice us, tempt us and amuse us.  How do they do that?  Why is it like that? Where does it come from?  How does it survive?  Questions needing answers, evolutionary interest.  So many differences, so many species!  It’s astounding the number of life forms.

A new something emerges, that we’ve never seen before.  Something unusual waiting to be explored.  Surfaces and landmasses, oceans and lakes, the curious will uncover what the earth makes.  Fill up the land, fill up the sky, fill up the waters, with living and creation.   The earth has it’s mission and creation it is.  Fun, funny, wonderful things, that capture our attention.

Saving a species, an ecosystem, a world, becomes the mantra of a human aptitude.  Environmentalist, biologist, botanist, and the like, all gravitate to earth sciences, to fill their delight.  Bugs and pond study, amphibians and birds, all in one small space, in a jam packed world.  The wonder of inter connecting, of small pond dwelling, the masses of species sharing a tiny space. Predator and prey, living together.

Come out of your houses, enjoy the view.  It’s an awe inspiring world that’s been created for you.  Come see the wonder of the great planet Earth.  A gem in the galaxy waiting to be discovered.  Feast your lives on the palette of something so rare.  Color and spectacles, blooms and fresh air.

Dust and star dust, life and creation.  A world like no other.  This great planet Earth, with it’s life and creation, is as unusual in the universe as it’s  inhabitants are on this planet.  Care and be cared for, we are all at stake here.  We have to save all of us, in this painfully small, speck of celestially dust called Earth.

written by Dr. Louise Hayes

March 26, 2017

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The Mariana Trench

Hail Almighty Planet

The Earth sings to us from it’s ocean depths.  Songs of creation, of discovery, of challenge, of adventure, of conquest, of unimaginable, tantalizing delights.  The unknown, the unexplored, the difficult.  A challenge only for the most qualified, most skilled,  most ingenious and the brave.

Here is a delight, to capture the imagination of the mind of man.  A chance for a record, for a first, for a brilliant endevour.  Here, in the darkest depths of the ocean lies the undiscovered secrets of the Mariana Trench.

http://www.deepseachallenge.com/the-expedition/mariana-trench/

Oh fabulous planet, so exciting and unusual.  The exploration of the surface is still unfolding.  Thousands of years of human history and still, the planet offers more.  Again the great Earth inspires us to explore, again the great Earth temps us and tantalizes us.  Come, great human, into the depths of the dark waters.  Come great human, come to the ocean and explore.

This is a world for the curious.  Choose your adventure and pursue it. So much to see in the world around us, so much to do on the surface.  We stretch our bodies and thrill our minds.  We focus on adventure and pursue the great mysteries.  We strive to discover the secrets of the planet.  Oh, mysterious world, full of caves and space, mountains, and forest, oceans deep and endless sky.  The thrill of this lifetime is a world within our reach.  Yet still, the great planet surprises us.  Lifeforms in unusual places, defying the odds of possibility.  Cold and dark, deep and difficult, yet the light shines on something and it takes our breath away.

Something new for us, when we think we know it all.  Something still out there, still unexplored, still calling our name.

Mariana Trench | The Deepest & Most Unexplored Place On The Planet

The brilliant great planet, shows us another mystery.  We’ve conquered the seas, boats are part of our lives, we know the surface of the oceans, and much of what is inside.  Here, in the Pacific Ocean, is a new mystery.  A great crack in the ocean floor, deeper than the highest mountain.  It’s cold, dark depths await the mighty adventurer.  Oceanographers smile, with eager curiosity.  Space travel and Polar explorations are accomplished.  We go further into space, colder in the harshness of the polar icecaps,   higher to the tops of the worlds mountains, but what lies beneath the surface of the Earth is still a curious and an unexplored place.

Down beneath the surface of the Earth, down into the depths of the ocean floor.  Still, great human, a chance for discovery.  A skill testing area to ignite that flame of curiosity.  Still, oh great ones, the Earth presents itself with uniqueness and unusual areas.  New lifeforms, new beginnings, new creatures, new worlds.

The Earth, that awesome spinning globe, that speck of dust in a universe so vast.  To be here, in this life sustaining place, where mystery upon mystery upon mystery unfolds.  Oh lucky human, to be alive is such a wonderful world.  The great planet sustains us and keeps us, so very well.

written by Dr. Louise Hayes

October 28, 2016

 

Your Rights
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Your Rights

Hail, you awesome human

Behold!  The great planet presents to you:  The Great Wild!

Superior in every way, the great wild entices you.  Come, almighty human, the championship duel is about to start.  Bring your cameras and your keen vision.  This is a match for skilled, well muscled, genetically superior athletes. This is a match of competitive strength, for unrivaled dominance,  for the preservation of the species.  A match of such superiority, the dueling giants will battle fiercely for the opportunity to mate.

Come with your curiosity, your cameras and your wit.  These fabulous specimens are all business and don’t get in their way.  These are the giants of their species, the largest and the strongest of their beings.  These are the majestic ones and they will fight for their rights.  These are the great males of their kind, moose, elk, deer, sheep, they all rival each other in the fall.  The mating season is well under way and these animals dominate the landscape around them.

Big Horn Sheep Fighting Butting Heads Alberta, Canada

This is survival of the fittest.  The strong will dominate and win their chance to mate.  This is the superiority of the species.  A necessary dual to protect the genetic superiority of the herd.  The wild calls.  The challenge is on.  The dual has started.  The fight for dominance protects these animals.  Their right to mate is an essential one.  It weeds out the week and the inferior and protects the strong and agile ones.  The biggest, the toughest, the strongest and the most agile, these are the specimens that are needed and these are the ones who survive.

Come awesome human.  Slink into the back country with your camera and your wits.  The challenge for survival is on.  Don’t miss it.

Written by Dr. Louise Hayes

October 23, 2016

Just for Us
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Just for Us

Hail, oh Bravehearts

Riches and wealth.  Beauty and majesty.  The great land calls the people and with hope and skills they come.  Oh glorious day, of sunshine and warmth, of bedazzling beauty as the meadows show off their colorful flowers and the trails entice us into the spectacular wonder of the great wild.  This is our life now, to venture and wander, to fill our eyes and souls with the beauty of the Earth.  The powerful planet, the life force of creation.  Awe and wonder, the fabulous views unfold.  Yet another meadow, yet another waterfall, yet another hill to climb, scene to photograph, animal tracks, and animal sightings, more and more of the great wild, more and more of the awesome land.

Our strength in numbers protects us as we pass.  The delight of the wild lands inspires us and keeps us moving. More to see, more to do, so little time and yet so much to gain.  The joy of this great wild place, where the unending view is the beauty of the Earth.  Fabulous planet, with your majestic mountains, the lakes and wildlife, so abundant and thrilling.  Another tumbling, unpolluted river.  Another viewpoint with a sight of endless wonder.  Lovely to behold. Our days journey is a quest for that unspoilt view, the treasure that we long for and the right that we demand for the preservation of this.  No development, no interference, only the trail along the rolling hillside carved by the hand of the great Earth and the creation of this almighty one.

A place to breathe.  Here is the domain of the planet.  A place where those fortunate few travel to explore and to enjoy.  The breath of the Earth is fragrant.  It’s multitudes of flowers wave and nod to us, greeting us with dazzling color and spreading forth blankets of charming, beauty as the variety of color and species lines our path.  This is the world that we care for, the world of the great wild, where the planet’s creations are protected.  This is our  home and we care for it deeply.  Here is where the world is at peace, where we cast aside our worries and wander along the paths of fragrance, color and beauty to a destiny most wonderful.  Again, we are not disappointed.  The breathtaking wonder of this awe inspiring land fills us with joy.  It’s marvelous.

Still that same old view, the view that explorers and adventurers chose to protect.  The view that created a marvelous protected wilderness area.  The view of the brilliant planet as it shows off its dazzling brilliance and welcomes us with awe and wonder.  Here is God’s land, a land for only that creative force.  A land that reminds us of the wonder of nature, the need to protect it.  The bees, busy in their daily routine, the variety of plants seeking their hold in the soil, the outcroppings of rock and the rushing streams.

That same old view, that greeted the wandering spirit so many eons ago, has remained unchanged, just for us.  Just for us, to stretch our legs in the vast eternity of the great planet.  Just for us to share this vision, to keep it for us and to leave it untouched.  Just for us, in our part of heaven, here in the great wild, of our great planet.

written by Dr. Louise Hayes

July 23, 2016

Early Spring
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Early Spring

Hail, you brave almighty ones.

Praises, you awesome ones, praises to this great good Earth.  The warm spring days welcome us.  Come out of your houses and feel the warmth of those special sun shining rays.   The spring, with it’s special power, it’s newness, it’s creation, it’s splendor.  It is beauty that we crave and beauty surrounds us .  The joy of living, of life on the planet, of the simplicity of warm breezes, cool lakes, shelter from trees, magnificent flowers.  The joy in their hearts as the nesting birds sing, the fondness of animals as they gaze at their offspring, the brilliance of flowers as they burst from their buds.  The magic of the planet casts it’s wondrous spell and spring has captured us once more.

Glorious days of sun filled splendor, rays of shining gold sent to us from heaven.  The lights is with us for hours  now, the dark of winter is cast aside and the joy of spring fills the air.  Fragrant gardens, song filled skies, colorful meadows and deep secrets hiding in the forest.  It is the season of growth and birth.  A season of wonder and delight.  The Earth spreads the word to us, welcoming us into it’s great wonder.  It is the beauty of this great planet, that brings us so much joy. Joy and discovery.

Those same old trails change each day, a new bud, a  new animal track, viewpoints, water rushing, an early spring with so much to see.  The water entices us and we’re swimming in April.  So much goodness, so much sport and  so much fun.  It extends our lives by weeks this year, everything is early.

An escape from the bustling city to the quiet of the spring filled country, a dazzling day on a mountain bike, exertion and strenuous activity to liven the muscles and tone the body.  This great country’s past time of escaping to the beaches, the trails, the forest, the mountains, the campgrounds, the parks and the great wild.  Escape to the wonder of the natural world, the world filled with surprises and unexpected pleasures.  A roadside pull off with big horn sheep playing close by, a view of an eagle with egrets on its nest, that great  horned owl peering at us as we walk along the trail. The views of spring time meadows, of glaciers and mountain tops, of long endless grasslands and still pristine lakes.  We protect all of this.  This is ours to keep.  Our cherished escape to the great beyond, the fabulous parks , the wilderness and the joy of being.  That wholesome success of a day of play, of the unpolluted water and the clean, pure air.  Those days that take your worries away and fill your lives with that sense of wonder.   More, we want more. More of this life of athletic fun, of hikes and photos, of swimming and riding.  More of those rugged climbs to test our endurance and strength.  We want more.  More of this vast land with it’s unique species and more of the beauty of our scenic wonder.  More of the wonder of the natural world and more of the healing of this great divine. This is our awesomeness, these special, protected places, these is our secrets, that we quietly share.

We are old here, but we are still young.

written by Dr. Louise Hayes

June 11, 2016