Wilderness Wonderings

I’m in a small, one-family, one-camper spot, with an almost built-to-regulation carport. There is a commercial seat like you sit on, a square box about two feet square, covered on three sides with ½-inch hardware cloth and solid ¾-inch plywood front, set over a small gully where water would run off in a heavy rain, of which they have few here. I have a really nice fire pit, built with granite rocks and sand surrounding them to form the frame above ground. I have an oversupply of wood, as you can imagine. Unlawful to cut anything alive, but the forest is full and thick with fallen trees and branches from the heavy snows of winter. My first (and only!) encounter with a black bear here in the wilderness of North woods of Maine happened early this morning, probably between 3:00 and 4:00 a.m. I was sitting in a lawn chair beside my huge pit fire that was really blazing in the early stages of the fire. I hear a deep grunt/groan from far out in the forest that piqued my interest (and initial concern). Then, about ten minutes later, I hear the same noise, this time much closer, much louder, and, I assumed, very close to my deep woods, isolated camp. For some strange reason I felt no fear as I strategized, sitting there quietly by my fire, “How will I handle this situation, should the bear choose to come and visit me?” I was processing and strategizing alongside the following thoughts: This is peak berry season, a bear’s favorite diet. I am living in a virtual natural garden of these lush fruits—blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and later cranberries. Usually, bears won’t attack humans unless they are hungry. I talked to several old-timer Mainers who lived with these bears for years. My best resource was a man who has lived about half a mile from my camp, in these same woods, some 38 years as of last year. They all said that these bears are shy of humans. They will still attack, but only if hungry or if a mama bear has her cubs nearby, or if you disrupt them at their food source. So, I felt safe at this point. I had a huge fire roaring, and I assumed, rightly or wrongly, that this would be a deterrent. I guess it was! Also, the berries were a deterrent, apparently more delicious than he thought I would be! ~ ~ ~ I spent my first full day of retreat reading, writing, exploring the forest, and tuning into the symphony and sources in this pristine beauty. God/Life provides an abundance of flowers in God’s garden, whether or not humans ever enjoy them! I’ve had some wonderful study and quiet time—reading Henry David Thoreau’s 150th anniversary of Walden—graciously given for this trip to Thoreau’s world. It deepened my appreciation of the forest, water, and what is really essential for quality life—he got it! Read and meditated on daily reading for July 9th in Celtic Daily Prayers—readings that come from the North Umbria community of Ireland. Rich, good food for thought to deepen my spirit life and seek a clearer understanding of who God is. ~ ~ ~ There is an abundance of moose, deer, bears, porcupines, skunks, grouse, tree squirrels, and many more special creatures of the forest. Some I’ve seen, some I don’t want to see except at a distance. There is a premiere moose habitat on the lake cove I am on, so hopefully I can encounter some of them. I saw a great blue heron—they measure body length of over 3 feet and have a wingspan of 6 feet. That feller was searching for lunch near my shore, as I was eating my lunch. I watched him for about 15 minutes move like a snail through the water, searching for whatever he was searching for. I distracted myself to get my bird book to make sure I had him identified correctly. There are beavers with a lodge just off my shore. I saw seven magnificent Canadian geese with brilliant color and markings flying in at low altitude and flying straight at me which landed about 200 yards from me. They immediately began a scrumptious dinner, feeding for about 30 minutes. They have enormous bodies to fill. When they finished, they swam to shore about ½ a block from me. Beavers waddled up the shore, preened themselves for a while and put in for the night. It was fun watching those long necks bobbing away going after the fish they were eating. It was fascinating as they continuously kept their heads bobbing above their long necks! This entire trip to Maine was worth that scene! There are salmon (fresh Atlantic variety), Pike, large brown and rainbow trout, big black bass, and many more in these waters. It is a fishing paradise. However, only the truly dedicated and hearty anglers make it up here. There are a few who make it to this spot. I like this. It preserves my privacy. ~ ~ ~ The unity in creation — every single bit of it. Scripture speaks of oneness with creation. I’ve read and believed it all my life. Questions come along in this 20th and 21st century and confirm it in many magnificent ways that explore our abilities to comprehend. Lao-Tzu understood it deeply and intimately, and I’ve spent time daily seeking to unwrap this truth from 2500 years ago in the Tao. So how did unity of creation come more alive for me in Maine? First, there was the peace I made with mosquitoes. I’ve hated these pests most of my life and have often questioned, “How do they fit into creation that is very, very good?” I got my answer, at least partially, in Maine. And I truly came to love these little fellows. I finally realized something I’ve known for many years—they are a very important part of the food chain for some of these little birds I love to watch and listen to their songs of praise. So, as I sat in my camper and watched these little guys try to get to me, I realized I was really just juicy bait for them! I praise God for them and love them for the purpose I came to see, and thanked God for screens that keep them away from me for maximum comfort. God’s splendid creation. What kind of ingenuity or creativity or intuition do these little fellows have to find the one small crack in my door, invade my privacy, and set up for battle with me? Sometimes they win, sometimes I win this battle. In awe of God’s and mosquitoes’ great mystery to me. Our wisdom, creativity, and intuition must be far superior to theirs. So, now I’m confronted with the challenge, “Am I using it all as well as they?” And consider the hummingbird. One pair of wings for forward and one for reverse, and they can change gears faster than I can blink my eyes. They can remain still in flight and move at 60 mph in two seconds. What engineering! They must be some of the most exquisitely engineered birds alive!