This photo was taken in early March of 2025. Notice the ring encircling the sun. This is an indication of wet weather which is yet to come.
Sure enough, the following day, the forest was covered in a thick layer of new snow.
There are signs everywhere in the forest which foretell of future and past events. One thing is for certain, time moves forward at a pace which is both steady and concerning to all living creatures.
The reason I state this is quite simple; our lives are temporary and there is nothing anyone can do to alter the final outcome.
Mammals and Birds do not count the passage of time as humans do. They carry on with their lives, living each moment as fully as possible. Nature is always on the lookout for more humus, in other words, nature is always trying to convert living matter to soil. The wild ones are fully aware of their vulnerabilities and therefore are living in the present paying full attention to the world around them.
Our species has removed itself from this natural order and have created a world which corrupts the very fabric of the web which was woven long before humans placed a footprint in the mud of an ancient riverbank. This attitude precludes us from living life in the moment.
I have seen people on Portage trails in Algonquin Park attempting to find cell service so that they can check their social media sites. They are so focused on the disconnection from society that they miss the very reason they came to the park to begin with.
As the shadow of age gets closer, the reality of my mortality is coming into focus. I am not consumed by this reality; however, it does motivate me to invest my remaining time in living life moment by moment.
When you are out on the trail, or wandering in a park or on a city sidewalk; take the time to take your time. It is in these quiet moments where life truly exists.
