January 20, 2018

It's a beautiful day in Silver Spring.  The forecast of 55 degrees turned out to bring a day of 60 F.  The water coming into the creek was clear, and I enjoyed watching the patterns of light on the water, the sound of the flowing water, and the warm sunlight.  I just basked in the experience for a while before walking downstream, where I found some bottles and litter to pick up. 





I wish there wasn't any litter in the park, but on the other hand, it led me over to the other side of the creek to drop off some snack wraps and plastic bags in the trash container.  On the hillside across the road, three deer were grazing.  They paid no mind to the cars and bicyclists coming by just a few feet away.  They seemed more alert to people walking, like me, even though I was on the other side of the road. 

I watched them for a while, as they wandered slowly, grazed, and groomed each other.  Then I walked a little ways up the road and crossed over, getting closer to them without frightening them.  I watched for perhaps 10 minutes more, and spotted another farther up the hillside lying in the sunlight in front of a fallen tree.  They were all does, and I'm sure some or all of them will be having fawns in a few months. 

I noticed myself gradually relaxing and letting go as I watched them enjoying the warmth and sunlight.  It occurred to me that they are much more aware of their environment than most people are, and that we could benefit from slowing down and paying more attention to things. 

Sunrise 7:22 am, sunset 5:15 pm