Sunday, September 21, 2008

Wilderness and Meditation....

My love and I headed to elk country for the weekend. He has begun to explore the world of bow hunting and I gleefully hunt for wild...Huckleberries!!! We awoke in the dark, starry morning to hooting owls and donned our layers of clothes we eventually stuff into our packs as the sun warms us. Driving to the trailhead, we saw a mama moose and her baby. We walked in silence on the trail as the sun barely started bringing light. Elk were bugling! Have you ever heard it?! It is such an amazing, ancient sound (like a dinosaur)! They continued calling throughout the day and I savored my time, slowing picking berries, feeling like I was in the middle of Jurassic Park (although a lot calmer than if pterodactyls were flying overhead) . It felt immensely quiet in so many ways, yet nature is also so rarely quiet...birds chirping, squirrels throwing huge pine cones out of the trees, deer snorting and of course, elk bugling. Perhaps the quietness I am aware of is inside myself as the harvest transforms into a meditation. I noticed this as I was picking with my homegirl yesterday. We happily picked at different bushes, joyous to have time in the woods to catch up on life with each other. Our conversation slowly, naturally eased into silence... individually immersed in our moving meditation. As we grew out of sight of one another, we would occasionally give a hoot and a gentle return, just to check in.
So simple and so rich!!

2 comments:

Garity said...

Kelly,
I have really enjoyed your blog for quite some time now. Yes I have been a lurker (sorry) and am finally thinking I need to comment. So, how did I find your blog?
Back in April I was doing a google search for Carl Lithander's memoriam when I stumbled upon your blog post that mentioned him. I have been an avid reader ever since.
I had just learned of Carl's passing after getting back in touch with his older sister through our old school alumni site. (Carl and I lived in Peru at the same time and he hung out in our little group...mostly made up of those of us who were teased and bullied like crazy by the wealthy elite local students who went to the school, all of us kind of found solace together). She told me that his memorium from Peperdine was online if I wanted to copy it. That is when I found your blog.
I'm not even close to being a total convert to raw foods yet but your site has really helped my family and I at least enjoy several of your recipes. I've also enjoyed Montana, living it vicariously through your blog. My husband and I (plus 3 boys and one on the way!) live in Mexico City right now but we are looking forward to getting back to the west when our tour is over and Montana is on the list for our stateside assignment (hubby is from Idaho, I'm from Oregon).

So that's the "small world" explanation of how I found your blog. My e-mail address is on my blogspot profile page in the event you'd be interested in writing back. My blog unfortunately has to be set to private because of embassy security recommendations, I'm not a blog snob or anything.

Raw in Montana! said...

wow! I'm going to email you! xo, Kelly