Walking is a great time to think, but not so useful to think about things to write. I return from my walk and instantly forget all the great ideas and wonderful placing of words I had in my mind. Today I walked 2.48 miles, for a total this month of 19 miles. A through hiker would probably make 18 or 19 miles in one day. In my mind have moved off of Springer Mountain and am working my way along the AT in Georgia, while I step along the park paths and roads around my home. I have walked in snow, wind and sunshine. Today I walked after taking my first Master gardener class, and I mostly thought about how excited I was to be starting this new adventure. Today we introduced ourselves and told what we wanted to get out of the class. I think every teacher, including me, does this. My goal was working with native plants, and helping local and migrating wildlife. Also I wanted to improve my home garden, and I loved the idea of garden education. Many people talked about service to community, learning more, and landscaping. We are all ages, male and female. I can’t wait.
One of the leaders of the master gardener in my county is also involved with the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge. She had volunteered there yesterday, and I had walked and photographed yesterday, although we didn’t meet then. She told me they had counted over 20,000 sandhill cranes and 12 whooping cranes yesterday. I love seeing and listening to these birds, they make such a wild kind of cooing sound. I dreamed while walking of maybe getting the opportunity to volunteer at the Refuge. Also I just finished reading a book “Bicycling with Monarchs” and this book has really affected me. The author, Sara Dykman, is a wildlife biologist and adventurer. She biked from Mexico to Canada and back to Mexico following the general path of the Monarchs as they migrate. She stopped to teach classes at schools and to encourage people to protect the habitat that allows these butterflies to survive. She would get so discouraged as she watched people mow down milkweed plants, destroying eggs, caterpillars and the food source needed by the monarchs. She also ran into tons of people that cared, that were encouraging wildflowers, pollinator gardens, and native plants. Yesterday when I walked I saw no birds, no insects, hardly any people. I was passed by a yard care truck and trailer filled with chemicals. But when I got back to my house and sat on my porch I saw cardinals, wrens, a woodpecker and lots of other birds I can’t identify. My mood improved.
Today after meeting the lady that volunteers with the sandhill cranes I saw a post on facebook from a person I know. He had just completed a bucket list, and killed two sandhill cranes. He proudly held up their bodies for the camera, grinning. The juxtaposition of death and conservation overwhelmed me and I felt sick. Deep down I understand hunting for wildlife management, and I have defended the practice many times. I love to eat deer jerky, and elk burgers are wonderful. I am not anti-hunter. At least I don’t think I am. If I had to feed my family I hope I would have no trouble killing. I’ll never be vegetarian, blame bacon and barbecue, but I can’t understand, can’t abide, hunting for sport. What is the sport in shooting an animal out of the sky, taking a life just because it is fun, challenging? I love being out in nature. I hunt with my camera. I try not to judge, hunters go and do what you want following the rules and laws, but I don’t want to see the dead bodies on the same day I am celebrating the survival and growth of a species. Yikes.
Walking is great! Sometimes the thinking isn’t so good. But, usually the walking helps the mood, and moves the thinking to good things. I need to get out into woods, and on mountains, for some of the walking. Hope to do that this weekend.
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