Thursday, June 16, 2011

Freedom to sit

Rattlesnake Fern
Even though I live in the forest, surrounded by its beauty, many times I feel I don’t have much time to spend there. My life is as busy as everyone’s is, with work and chores and errands. There’s always something that needs done, something that shouldn’t be put off another day, something. Time to ignore those demands and the constraints of daily life doesn’t come often. My time to just sit and enjoy the woods feels almost nonexistent. Occasionally, I just ignore the never-ending demands and go anyways, but I don’t do that as often as I should.

Adventure camp this year is letting me sit in the woods all day long, one day a week for eight weeks. And they are paying me to do it. How utterly incredible is that?

Of course, I have 8 groups of kids coming to my sitting spot during that day, and ideally I spend about 20 minutes with each group. But that still leaves me long stretches of time to just sit and enjoy the woods, to listen to the birds, watch the sky or see if I can still catch a crayfish or a frog. Yesterday was heaven. Even the weather cooperated, a joy I don’t expect to be repeated every week or maybe not even again. I will deal with that as it comes.

For now, I am content to be away from the work, chores and errands, to enjoy the freedom to putter around all day in the woods with no task in mind, or to sit in my camp chair and listen to the birds, watch the day’s sun shadows traverse the woods and just sit.

4 comments:

Granny Sue said...

OK, I think I want your job :) kids and all. Sounds perfect.

Jacqueline Donnelly said...

Now, THAT sounds like the summer job anyone would want. Except for having to use all the insect repellent.

Carolyn H said...

GrannySue: So far working with the kids is a lot of fun--and so is the time in between the groups of kids where I get to sit in the woods!

Woodswalker: Yes, this is a fun year with the kids--far easier on me than hiking up and down the mountain 6 times a day in 95 degree heat. Of course, I haven't spent all day sitting in the 95 degree heat yet either!

Cicero Sings said...

Sounds like a great sit-spot. You hit the mother-lode of assignments this year.