Reply #55: I like to

[H2O Man]

spend as much time as I can out of doors, enjoying the land here. Usually, I do this alone, or perhaps with my wife or one of our children. This weekend, I had the pleasure of company: on Saturday, my cousin, and on Sunday, a niece, her SO, and their beautiful little daughter. These people all love nature, but are in positions now where they are living in urban areas. I took them "out in the wilderness," to see where I spend my time. On both days, my visitors had the chance to sit quietly -- well, not the little children, but that is good -- and to have intimate contact with our four-legged and our winged relatives.

My niece's SO comes from Long Island. This was my first opportunity to talk with him. He is hoping to buy a place out in the sticks, and I think he really enjoyed spending time here. He likes to watch things like the National Geographic channel on tv, and I was happy when he asked me what I think of Al Gore.

I think that one of the best parts of the weekend was the amount of contact that my visitors had with those animals that live in the creek, the woods, the swamp, and the open fields here. As adults, we can see the little children as part of the natural world that is in constant communication. Our culture has forgotten how to listen, much in the manner that our culture really is deaf to the message of little playful children.

My niece's SO spoke about how native people related to certain areas by way of song. The plants and animals are always communicating with us. I believe he heard the music here yesterday.