Indigenous thoughts

© harrington

Hi! Thanks for coming. For those of you who need to see some real green, here it is. The red osier dogwood cuttings are leafing out nicely (see photo). On a directly related topic, I'm still struggling with depth of field. Maybe I need a macro lens? Anyway, today's sky is partly cloudy. I saw some sunshine. The temperature reached the mid-fortys. Snow is melting. Hawks are back perching on the Interstate light stanchions. Life is improving. Still no sign of geese or crocuses, so that's to be looked forward to. Have you ever wondered whether nature tries to achieve economies of scale? I haven't thought a lot about it, but given what seems to be her drive to diversity, I'm doubtful that economy of scale is a significant factor in many natural processes. Nature abhors vacuums and, I think, monocultures. Given my suspicions, I'm encouraged by the increasing attention being paid to local economies, slow food, local food, self-reliant, resilient communities. There seems to be a growing awareness of our interdependence on each other and the natural systems and services we rely on. From some of the reading I've been doing recently, Native Americans had a strong sense of community and interdependence. Since 2013 is the Year of the Dakota in My Minnesota, this might be a good year to learn more about their relationship with nature as a way to further reconciliation. You can probably expect to hear more about that on your return visits. Please come again. Rants. raves and reflections served daily.