Bold New Year

Bold New Year

January 3, 2017

From a distance, from the top edge of the woods, Cottonwood Pond, and its fallen Cottonwood tree, look so small, almost insignificant. But, it actually plays a significant role in the woods, and it has obviously been playing a significant role in my life. Never underestimate the small things - they are often mighty.

Here it is, a fresh start. I want to take bold new steps this year with Cottonwood Pond. I want to explore so much more about its significance, how it relates to everything else - because, it's true that everything is connected. I want to know all the ways that Cottonwood Pond is connected, not to just its environs, or to my little woodland, but much further than those. As far as possible.

There's the muddy, hairy-headed monster in the middle of the lowland area. It didn't always have this funny face - that developed over time as various changes happened, various forces acted upon the Root Ball, the pond, and everything there. Someday, this funny face will fade away, and who knows what appearance it will have then. 

There is much to learn, much yet to find. 

I'm going to have a very busy year, with a number of things. In fact, January already started out with a busy bang. It will be a challenge to pace myself through it all, and through whatever unexpected things pop up among it all, as they always do in Life. 

Despite that, I want to dive into a deeper study of Cottonwood Pond. Here are some of the things I'd love to accomplish:

- Discover, identify and keep a good list of everything I find in and around there.

- Learn as much as I can about everything I find.

- Take periodic, regular samples of pond water and mud to find out what is living there.

- Observe, measure and learn more about the water quality (temperature, turbidity, pH, etc.) as well as learning more about the action of the water.

- Do a study concerning bottom lands, ponds, pools, sloughs, etc. Maybe I'll be able to figure out just how to classify this place. Certain animal species, if found, would help determine this.

- Set up a brief journal of happenings and observations, from the beginning (which means going through all of my blog posts, notes and photos)

- Find my earliest photos of Cottonwood Pond (I think they are on my external hard drive - I hope!!) and compare them to this year. Study the changes since then and do at least one blog post about that, with side-by-side then-and-now photos.

- Spend more still, quiet time down there during various seasons, conditions and times of day, just observing, and from various observation posts. 

- Get one of those video cameras that I can hide nearby, so I can find out what happens there at night, or at other times when I'm not there. 

- Be philosophical, at least now and then.

As I mentioned, it's not just about Cottonwood Pond itself. I know that whatever I learn there will enhance anything else I do, particularly anything in the realm of nature education. It will enhance my writing projects, which also serve as education. I hope to expand writing projects in the not-too-distant future. What I learn there will enhance the nature walks and programs that I offer for others, helping me to be even more effective, helping others understand the connections between everything in Nature, with themselves and Nature, with ourselves and the universe (a tall order, but it's a big part of what I do.)

And it will help me with navigating through my own life and all the strange new things that could come up - and just this strange new world we've come into. Nature always does help with that.

Cottonwood Pond has served as a microcosm, as well as a springboard, for all of my study, awareness, and education. It will continue to do so, hopefully even more so.

Thank you for sharing this adventure with me. Here we go ...

... smiling. :)