A new Era

Barn Owls

Happy 6/7 to that weird 2nd-grader who still thinks it’s funny to yell “6-7” out the window to confuse adults at my son’s bus stop. This is your day pal. The mulberries are ripe in my yard and the birds are very excited about them.

Wonder

I knew that lichens are comprised of a fungal host working together with a photosynthetic organism like an algae or blue-green cyanobacteria (or sometimes both). It’s a symbiotic relationship that I often think of like a shepherd with her flock. But I recently learned something new about lichens! Through genetic testing, scientists have discovered host-specific communities of bacteria within lichens that help with things like defense and nutrient cycling. Very cool. It makes me think of our gut biomes and our own microscopic partners within. And so, my shepherd and flock metaphor evolves into something more akin to a miniature ecosystem dappled in green, blue, and gray. One more reason to smile at the next patch of lichen you spot.

Whimsy

I’m sure groundhogs have their own stresses, but I tend to romanticize their lives. Many groundhogs live in the large cemetery near my house. Imagine if, stepping out your front door, much of the landscape around you was edible, all your favorite meals growing within easy reach. Moreover, imagine if you could dig your dream home wherever you liked, perhaps in close proximity to the tastiest foods. As an adult worrying about housing costs and grocery bills, I sometimes feel a little pang of jealousy for the groundhogs who watch me walking along the cemetery lane and pausing to admire lichens on headstones. They seem to spend much of their time munching dandelions and soaking in the sunshine. Seems admirable to me.

Writing Prompt

Let’s play with genre. Choose some aspect of the natural world that sparks your curiosity or fills you with wonder. Write out some basic facts about your topic as simple statements. Now, see if you can reframe some of those statements by viewing them through new lenses. Frame them as if you were talking about new technologies. What about through a spiritual lens? Can you view them as sci-fi elements as if you just arrived on this planet or fantasy elements conjured through magic? Trees, for example, could become solar-powered, carbon-fixing machines. OR they could become fantasy giants who grant us life-giving breath through their sighs.

I think my soul’s been healed