Nature's Beauty

Yesterday, I took a nice walk around a new area that had nice snowshoe trails.  It was a pleasant day, no navigating, no mountains, just a walk to enjoy nature.  I came across this and was pretty impressed.

Now, it is pretty cool.  I wondered what would cause this snow mass to melt in such a way.  Why did that little shape, in the center of some pack of snow, melt before the rest?

Then I realized, it was 41 degrees, with a forecast of slight rain and temperatures staying in that range; I would be the only human being to see this, ever.  It just makes me feel that much more enthralled with the way things are in nature.  So instead of analyzing it and wondering why and how, I just enjoyed it for a moment and moved on.  Maybe Mother Nature was expressing the same feelings for me that I have for her?  (I know that was weird).

Resolution - 2013

Happy New Year, three little words that seem to have so much meaning to so many people.  The expectation of change.  Why is it we use a specific day as "The Day"?  It is the day we "hope for a better year", we make our resolutions and our wishes for the future.  I think we all do it in some form, either out loud or in our heads.

I know I do, but silently.  When I was younger, I would say them aloud, I believe some were even written on a piece of paper as a reminder, lost in some drawer somewhere. Most were things like eating better, being nice to my sister or respecting my parents more. Some I kept for a short time, some I never started.  I can't remember any that I have kept forever (but I do respect my Mom and Dad, and I still try to be nice to my sister).

Being "social" is hard for me, I'm a pretty self-contained individual.  I've been working on that resolution for a while now, starting with joining social media like Facebook, connecting with family and friends.  Sometimes that's a good thing, sometimes not, but I guess that's what friends and family are for.  We have differences of opinion and we have discussions about those differences.  I do resolve to be a little better on that front, so if I make a misstep, sorry.

Other than trying to be better socially with friends and family, I really haven't made any New Year resolutions in a while.  If I think of something during the year, I usually try to start it right away.  Most of the time, these are nice, small adjustments that no one other than me knows or would recognize, so that's a good thing.  If it ends up something I don't really want to do, there's no judgement by anyone other than me.

So, this year, like many in the past and like many other people, I hope for peace and prosperity for all. I hope this year, more people will begin to recognize we are stewards of this earth, that we are part of the ecosystem, not the owners.  My continuing resolution is to assist in the efforts to bring this realization to others though social media outlets and discussions and maybe, just maybe, I will plant a seed in someone somewhere and grow that recognition by just one more person.