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Life is a Journey For All
My neighbors grieved for the large Beech tree that fell across the road. It had been a land mark for years. It fell because it had ended its cycle of life. As it aged, it rotted from the inside out, as many trees do. Foresters tell me that many trees would be better served to be harvested in their prime.
Animals have a similar cycle. Part of the responsibility that comes with keeping animals is knowing when to let them go. They can't tell you that they hurt or can't see or have lost their status in the group, but a good keeper learns to see the signs.
While not all farmers name their animals, it shouldn't take a tag or a chip to know one's animals.
Farms have life cycles, too. Many have been run down through modern agriculture's excess use of petrochemical products. But nature has a way of over-coming our abuse. Every week I am reading stories of small farms that are regenerating through proper cycling of plants and animals, using sustainable methods and one-hundred year old wisdom.
If you have ever wondered whether your plants and animals want to communicate with you, then you might enjoy reading Stephen Buhner's "The Secret Teachings of Plants". Once you get past all of the "rational mind" discussion he has to do to get you to consider using another sensing organ, the heart, a new array of possibilities opens up. Don't try to discuss this with your friends because you'll end up sounding like a California Granola eater. |
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I should just do a "Wendell Berry" page. The man is marvelous and this one recommendation doesn't do justice to his accomplishments. I have read most of his writings from essays to fiction and I believe he is a true American treasure. Since you may want to try one before you buy the lot, spend some time reading "The Way of Ignorance." |
