As I sit watching the freezing rain accumulate outside on the just budding tree branches, I am reminded that not everyone is drawn toward nature. There are those that are not attuned to nature’s cycles beyond weather’s intrusions into their routines. Most of you (I know this by your words, images and pursuits) are definitely attuned to nature for the vitality and life it gives you. Outdoor pursuits on every level keep us physically and mentally in harmony.
One of my enjoyable outdoor pursuits is gardening. No it is not an extreme sport for sure, although it often feels like it long about April in the back of my legs and lower back after a day of working in the yard. Again, part of the process of renewal and health. Recently, my wife and I attended a yard/garden show in Portland. It was replete with all the fancier amenities of a well turned out yard (stone work, brick work, outdoor kitchens, spacious timber canopies etc.
But, there was also an ‘artist’ section under the heading of Cracked Pots. In one area of the complex, there were the booths displaying yard art, jewelry, large metal scupltures created from trash or recovered trash. One artist after another had imaginative creations gleaned from scrap heaps, dumpsters, garbage etc. that was all destined for landfills, vacant lots or roadside ditches in the Portland area. The artists were enthusiastic and their works were very appealing, nicely priced and quite worthy of a place in someone’s yard or garden.
SwittersB & Exploring 