Monday, May 17, 2010
The first arrival to a party that I had on Saturday was a snapping turtle. I happened to look out into the driveway to see a small dark shape moving toward the house. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was a turtle. I think it was moving from a drying up wet area, and looking for a new place to be. I went out and moved it into a vernal pool on the other side of the house. I begrudged the fact that the tadpoles would soon become the turtles lunch and dinner. By rescuing the turtle, I have caused the demise of many amphibians, but we are all part of a circle. In order for one creature to live another must die, and there is a balance of sorts in the chaos of the ecosystem. Will this one act cause a greater imbalance, probably not? But many of the other things I do may. If there were just my action s to consider, there may not be an imbalance, but compound my human actions by all the other humans doing the same things (consuming resources, creating waste, creating a monoculture in our lawns… and the list goes on and on.) Even this journal I keep…
Tonight, Monday, I hear the white throated sparrow and oven bird out the window. I have been preparing myself for a public meeting with a CMP representative and towns people. CMP is upgrading their power lines to meet the demands of the North Eastern Grid. I do not know that any of us have a real say in the matter at this point, but…we shall see.
As the sun descends toward the western horizon, the shade is getting deep. The oaks are still unfurling their leaves, but the poplar and maples are fully developed. The verdant color of spring is darkening. And I hear the new call of the Green Frog in the nearby pool.
Greetings from an internet cafe in London England--just checking in to see whether Waldo County still stands.
ReplyDeletePhilip Roth wrote in 'American Pastoral' about a woman who starved herself to death, so guilty did she feel about her consumption of all things, animal, vegetable, non-food. At a certain point (one we certainly can overdo in the USA) but at a certain point, one must pay homage to the simple biological imperative to consume and...live. And live.
I don't feel quite that guilty, I do want to live. But I do think about the impact of my existence upon this earth. It never hurts to muse and to maybe get others to muse too about their impact. Although the one reader that I seem to have probably is a bit like minded anyway. :) Hope you enjoyed England.
ReplyDeleteI consumed a lot of sunshine hiking and riding horses, getting the worst sunburn of my adult life on my ears, neck, and lower face. The heat and sun also required me to get myself outside of outsized amounts of beer, lemonade, and beer shandy (a mix of beer and lemonade.)
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