Sometimes It's the Little Things

   As they say, sometimes it's the little things. I think what draws me to the wilderness, and for that matter what draws us all out into the bush, is the wonder of it all. Having that sense of wonder and curiousity has always been a driving force with me. I just have to know what's changing out there, what's happening to my familiar friends in the woodland. I just have to know about it all... like which trees still stand after the wind storm, or whether the wild turkey are still roosting where I last found them, or whether the mother coyote has had her pups. I just have to know... I have so many questions that need to be answered.

  One of my favorite authors is Rachel Carson, a scientist, writer and an evironmentalist credited with reviving the evironmentalist movement. She once wrote, "If I had influence with the good fairy who is supposed to preside over the christening of all children, I should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life." I must have been one of those children who was gifted that sense of wonder, because I feel it everyday I set out for the bush. Everytime it is an adventure, everytime there is something new.   The lesson here is not take any of it for granted. To practice good bushcraft you must find that kinship with the landscape. You must become familiar with all the little things as well as the big and easily noticed landmarks that present themselves. Let the wilderness find itself inside you, so that when you dream, you dream of being out there, amongst the places that make you more then just yourself. For it is not just about wondering about the world around you, but also about wondering about yourself. Happying exploring...