“Every hidden cell is throbbing with music and life, every fiber thrilling like harp strings.” ― John Muir seasonal blessings stored in tiny pockets wintertime comfort * * * Treasure Chest ~ Dahlia turns face towards autumn sun • Photo and “Blessings” haiku by Mary O’Connor © 2020
“To sit in solitude, to think in solitude with only the music of the stream and the cedar to break the flow of silence, there lies the value of wilderness.” — John Muir weighted with worry resting now in quieting space silence boosts the soul * * * Solitude ~ Swan among reeds • photo … More Solitude
“Mountains are the beginning and the end of all natural scenery.” — John Ruskin “Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity.” — John Muir • Host of the first Winter Olympics Games in 1924, Chamonix today remains a … More On Top of the World
“…the universe, by definition, is a single gorgeous celebratory event.” — Thomas Berry “Between every two pines is a doorway to a new world.” — John Muir * * * In the words of Thomas Berry, “The present is not a time for desperation but for hopeful activity.” Celebrate and enjoy this holiday … More Time for Hope
“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in…where Nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul alike.” — John Muir A view of the Jacobite steam train crossing the Glenfinnan Viaduct gave us pause on our way to the infamous Glencoe area. Faced by the majestic Three Sisters … More Wilderness
As long as I live, I’ll hear waterfalls and birds and winds sing. I’ll interpret the rocks, learn the language of flood, storm, and the avalanche. I’ll acquaint myself with the glaciers and wild gardens, and get as near the heart of the world as I can. – quote from Muir Journals, Son of the … More All the wild world is beautiful…
Elephants are particularly social animals, living in tight matriarchial family groups. When a calf is born, adults and others of the herd will gather around the newborn, touching and caressing it with their trunks. Quick to stand and follow their mother and family herd, newborns are the center of attention in their family groups and … More Any glimpse into the life of an animal quickens our own and makes it so much the larger and better in every way. — John Muir
Ornamental grasses ease the business of observation. The feather of their curves softens neighoring edges and corners. Their barely perceptible brush with the breeze is the music of meditation. * * * Photo by Mary O’Connor © 2013
Life Is Full of Sweet Spots 