Forest yearnings

Touching mosses, greening views

Where do you get your fixes during these days of sheltering in place? How do you stay connected to the rootedness of the forest while hustling to make ends meet?

I’m exploring nature all over my neighborhood in San José, south of San Francisco and the heart of Silicon Valley. Here I find I am surrounded by beautiful trees and hundreds of neighbors with small urban gardens. Our sidewalks are a patchwork of works in progress but walking these days away has kept me centered to the extent that has been possible. We planted a little garden in hopes that our bounty will slow down trips to the supermarkets (where prices are skyrocketing anyway). It’s not simple to shop right now but growing things in California seems to be simple once one prepares the soil and the tiny seeds and tender shoots are safe and settled into the soil.

Imagine, the entire blueprint of a tomato, or a head of Bibb lettuce, a sprig of Italian Parsley, or a fuschia-colored Zinnia is forever contained in its own seed. The scale of nature’s divine plan is awe-inspiring. I like to think of myself as a co-creature in nature, unfolding as planned in spite of the storms and droughts.