Appreciation For Nature Is Close To My Heart

Forest Path

Is it in a human's nature to not love the natural look of things? That they have a need to change it? For instance, yards, trees, wild plants, flowers, rocks and wild critters? To cut down trees, remove the rocks, kill the wild plants and critters? Make it into a lawn then complain about cutting the grass all season. Having to fix or repair the lawn mower or buy a bigger one and pollute your area with noise and fumes? They seem to have the need to build a garage to house all their equipment for keeping nature from taking over. They really get excited about the mower or the garage or work shed but not about the first dandelion showing up on their lawn.

Cutting Grass

Now I understand the need for cutting the grass because fleas and ticks live in that uncut grass. So if you have cats or dogs you need to protect them by cutting the grass. It does not have to be done by the latest or most powerful lawnmower you can buy. I worked for a man once who blacktopped his whole front yard in a city house. It was so ugly! I admit lawns look nice but do they really need to be so large? An area of wild plants and flowers is actually prettier to me. 

One More Tree Down.........

Does every single tree need to be removed from the yard? Especially if a house is in the middle of the forest? If you do not like trees do not choose to live in the forest. Instead people will buy a house in the forest and then spend their life trying to make it look like a city house. Why spend time working in the yard for years, trying to change the natural beauty of the forest around the house, so it loses its connection to the forest?

Roads through out the forest

I am a woman who loves the forest and the wild plants that grow naturally. Not planted by anyone. Others will see a dandelion and think it is a weed. I see a dandelion and see it in its beauty an edible medicinal plant. There is a reason that wild plants will resist pests that kill garden plants. They will resist the strongest weed killers. Yet those same  chemicals could kill you in the end. I prided myself on not using chemicals of any kind in my garden beds. I could eat a vegetable right in the garden. No need to worry about the chemicals like you do when buying from the store. 

One of my favorites........dandelions!

Now of course, I live downtown in a small city. No forest but I do have trees around me. I am within walking distance of four city parks. Most of the time I am the only person in the park. I sit out there and just watch the birds and squirrels and the occasional person walking through the park. I enjoy it but I do miss being in the forest. I have my memories though and lots of photos. I look at them and remember the times being out in the forest. 

Copyright © 2024 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2024  Kathleen G. Lupole

Appreciating Quiet Even When Living Downtown

Living in downtown apartments are not always quiet

I hate the sound of loud noises. Wondering if it has anything to do with my age. I will be 72 in a few months though I don't believe I have any hearing issues. My apartment is very quiet and I appreciate the silence. Music I do not consider noise. I listen to music daily but not loud blaring music. Sometimes I think people like to play it loud so everyone can hear it. Even the people who do not like it. In fact, I find I appreciate it more at the level I listen to. I always pause it when someone comes to my door or calls me on the phone. I don't want to miss my songs!

Intercom in my apartment

In my apartment building we have an intercom system. The doors at the entrance opening into the lobby are locked at all times. To enter there is an intercom on the wall and you have to buzz the apartment you are visiting. It will buzz in that apartment and the resident will push a button to ask who it is. Then they push a button to listen to your answer. Once they are satisfied that it is someone they are expecting or know, they push the button to unlock the door and you can enter the building. It is a very good system and I like it. But......when the intercom buzzes in the apartment..........it is VERY loud! Rabbit and I jump every time. Even when I know someone is coming here. 

Across the street from my apartment

Quietness was one of the things I treasured when living at Peaceful Forest, my former home. Especially in winter. It was very quiet all year long. That is unless a chainsaw was buzzing a tree down or the generator was running when there was not much sun. I remember listening to my horses chewing their hay and that was the only sound I could hear. Or the chickadees and blue jays during the winter which were welcome sounds to me. You quickly acclimate to your environment and grow accustom to the sounds of daily life. Even though I badly missed the sounds of the birds in the forest I had to move on. To my new life and sounds. The only birds I hear now in a downtown location are crows. Every now and then other birds will show up but they do not sound as happy as the birds in the forest. 

Downtown

City life is full of noises. Trucks backing up to loading docks in early morning hours. Garbage trucks pulling up to the dumpster at my building. I get up early so it doesn't really bother me so much. Sirens at any time of the day or night. Fire trucks, emergency vehicles and police. Bars. The back of the bars on South Broad Street, the main street of my city, face my apartment building. So when they have loud music playing, especially live bands or musicians I can hear it in my apartment. I don't mind that either because it is usually good music. My building also has a theater in it and many times I can feel the beat of the music since it is right here. That doesn't bother me one bit because I love having a theater in the same building I live in. It is not a movie theater. It is a theater for live shows and concerts among other forms of entertainment.

Looking out the door of my apartment

I got used to it. Even though I do prefer quiet, there are times when the sounds of others reassures me that I am not alone. At times I will walk out of my apartment and go to different floors and not see one other person. Then on other days I hear people talking in the hall outside my door as they wait for the elevator. Doors slamming, people laughing, a dog barking, a mobility scooter horn beeping, etc. I go downstairs to get my mail and a group of people are sitting in the lobby talking and laughing. It is nice to have friends in person which I didn't before moving here. I feel I am living alone but am not alone. Anytime I need time with friends I have many to choose from. 

Copyright © 2024 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2024  Kathleen G. Lupole