The cold is fierce, barely above freezing for a few hours before sunset. The winds are even fiercer, turning from north to west and back to north again. Most of the country appears to be inundated with snow except of course for our stretch of the Rhine valley. As usual. Like the fools we are, we go for long walks hoping for the wind to turn in our favour as we head out. It rarely obliges. Back home, I rub my white numb fingers to get the blood back into circulation. There's mention self heating battery powered gloves but it's only a few short weeks - I hope - and not worth the purchase.
My daughter sent me this late in the night:
It's from Eve, how the female body drove 200 million years of human evolution by Cat Bohannon.
Also, it is the time of year when the mind wonders about another key moment of human evolution. To be living in a world where society thinks it is a good idea that it is economically possible to make a substance, which nature has taken an eternity to produce and of which we have only a very limited amount available, explode it under controlled conditions with great noise in a fraction of a second to drive an engine that whirls leaves and small animals around, turning the valuable, limited available raw material into mostly particulate matter so that our driveways look neat. This morning there was a lovely bit about the different types of dead leaves on the radio. Just five minutes long. I enjoyed the bit about the beech leaves dropping in one go as if called to give up all hope and abandon ship. For more click here (5 m in long).
13 comments:
Thank you. Wonderful introduction to Stephen Rynne. Curious about his accent that I couldn't quite place, I learned that he was born in England to Irish parents and lived there until he was 7 years old and that he later farmed in County Kildare. He is a splendid and delightful observer of the natural world as it manifests in the many ways that leaves exhibit their deadness. The leaves that caught my attention most were the ones that, in particular, caused people to slip. I've had some near falls on slippery leaves recently. We don't have all that much variety of leaves where I walk, but they are plentiful. The forest is mostly evergreens but there are alder, oak, maple, cottonwood and birch trees mixed in.
You mentioned white fingers. Do you have Raynaud's? I do. It runs in my family on the side of my German/English/Irish/Scottish mother.
Coincidentally, I was in a bookstore yesterday and noticed the book you mentioned. After seeing what your daughter sent to you, I checked to see if our public library has a copy. I am now #30 in line to read one of 6 copies.
Our weather here now is just as you described in the Rhine Valley. Soon the Trumpeter swans will arrive within hearing distance and trumpet during the long nights.
There is so much and so many things we do that make absolutely no sense. And why and when did we evolve to want tidy driveways? Or yards? Why in hell are we using precious resources for so many meaningless things?
Yeah, don't get me started on the ridiculousness of leaf blowers! I haven't even raked our lawn this year because I'm told it's better to let the leaves decompose and fertilize the grass. We're trying it.
Aside from the engine, I can't stand the noise of leaf blowers. I don't rake my leaves either, other than to pile them up on my flower beds where they can do more good that if I was to put them in compost bin. They would be composted by the county, but I prefer to reap the benefits myself.
My neighbors just came back from a visit to Germany, to see relatives. They did not have good weather. It's still mild here and most days are sunny, which is nice, although deeply messed up. We should have snow by now.
I forgot to say something about the book excerpt. Of course women are responsible for evolution. We're responsible for everything else!
in our current patriarchy religions and cultures, men interpret the past as them always being in control and responsible for progress when in actuality it was us women who are responsible for just about every invention...tanning, basketry, ceramics, agriculture, etc. while the men were out whooping it up, hunting, we were figuring out how to make life easier.
well, I did break down and buy a small battery operated leaf blower but only to keep the leaves out of the barn and garage and off the deck. generally use a broom to push them off the concrete apron in front of the garage (gravel driveway) and onto what passes for grass around here. but the big gas powered loud ones that people use to clear their lawns? hate 'em.
I do use a leaf blower after I edge the grass because things such as edging are required by the HOA. I blow the grass (and any leaves on the sidewalk) back into the lawn where they will decompose. We don't rake the leaves. Never have. We mow them over when we mow the lawn. I look forward to a day, if it ever comes, when yards and lawns are a thing of the past, and people surround themselves with native gardens. I'm not holding my breath, though.
"the low blue quiet before dreaming"—what a beautiful phrase and image. Your walks are in the frigid weather but I imagine having been out in the cold it must feel delicious to come back home.
An excellent quote from Bohanan's book, which I purchased the moment I read the description of it. It's my going-to-bed reading now, and for the last month, since I have two bookmarks, one for the chapter I'm on (I'm just now looking at the brain and intelligence) and the other bookmark for all the wonderful reference notes. I've been sharing all the amazing things I've learned with my friends! So Intelligence was my topic of interest yesterday...and the universe sent me another wonderful interview from Emergence Magazine. I'll give the link on my blog as soon as I get a chance to share about yesterday's experience. And then there's another topic happening today... just some WOW experiences here!
Oh I forgot, I also quoted EVE today about weight bearing exercise to help post-menopausal women regain calcium in their bones. Something I hadn't known about. Here's my link. https://boardwalkbarb.blogspot.com/2023/12/the-greatest-reason-to-do-weight.html?sc=1701711865391#c5045523444918656818
I guess my comments got pulled. I've just blogged about the same book, different subject. When I Was 69. Didn't mean to break any rules of blogland.
I didn't realise that tidiness was worthy of condemnation. Old age saps me of the energy needed to get rid of the leaves in my garden (now putrefying to add to their charm) but I'd love to see it cleared. By husbanding my resources I am able to tidy my desk from time to time and enjoy the subsequent frisson. Does this make me a negligible human being?
I didn't realise that tidiness was worthy of condemnation. Old age saps me of the energy needed to get rid of the leaves in my garden (now putrefying to add to their charm) but I'd love to see it cleared. By husbanding my resources I am able to tidy my desk from time to time and enjoy the subsequent frisson. Does this make me a negligible human being?
Post a Comment