Wilderness of Rocks In Pusch Ridge Wilderness — Images by kenne
Words by: Edward Abbey, Aldo Leopold, Ralph Waldo Emerson,
John Muir, and Wallace Stegner
Wilderness Floor
Archive for the ‘Ralph Waldo Emerson’ Tag
Wilderness of Rocks In Pusch Ridge Wilderness Leave a comment
World Book Day 4 comments
Old Sage Book Shop (Prescott, Arizona) — Image by kenne
Yesterday, April 23rd was “World Book Day.” Knowledge is power, and one of the best ways to obtain knowledge is through reading. When’s the last time you visited a library, or a bookstore? Any day is a good time to relax and read a book.
“When I find in people narrow religion
I find also narrow reading.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
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White-Lined Sphinx Moth 2 comments
White-Lined Sphinx Moth — Photo-Artistry by kenne
I heard a poet answer
Aloud and cheerfully,
‘Say on, sweet Sphinx! thy dirges
Are pleasant songs to me.
Deep love lieth under
These pictures of time;
They fade in the light of
Their meaning sublime.
— from The Sphinx by Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Out On A Limb 2 comments
“I become a transparent eyeball; I am nothing; I see all; the currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am part of God.”
— Ralph Waldo EmersonShare this:
Clouds Racing Over Horizon 2 comments
Clouds Racing Over Horizon — Image by kenne
“The health of the eye seems to demand a horizon.
We are never tired, so long as we can see far enough.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Rainbow Clouds Leave a comment
Rainbow Clouds — Computer Painting by kenne
All life is an experiment.
The more experiments
you make, the better.
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Bee On Fairy Duster Leave a comment
Bee On Fairy Duster — Image by kenne
Insect lover of the sun,
Joy of thy dominion!
Sailor of the atmosphere,
Swimmer through the waves of air,
Voyager of light and noon,
Epicurean of June,
Wait I prithee, till I come
Within ear-shot of thy hum,–
All without is martyrdom.
— from The Humblebee by Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Standing At The Altar Of Nature Leave a comment
Naturalist David Lazaroff and several other naturalists with the 2011 SCVN Training Class, Day 1 — Image by kenne
I was a member of the 2011 Sabino Canyon Volunteer Naturalists (SCVN) class. During the fall training I wrote the following poem, posting it on this blog:
STANDING AT THE ALTAR OF NATURE
When we stand
at the altar of nature,
we stand with the greats;
Ralph Waldo Emerson,
Henry David Thoreau,
and John Muir,
each having helped define
our relationship
with nature and language –
“every natural fact is a symbol
of some spiritual fact,
. . . words are signs of natural facts.”
Nature’s beauty becomes
a source of spiritual energy
connecting all things
into a universal whole
with the energy of our
thoughts and will.
We stand at nature’s altar
not separate from her,
seeing her in the flowers,
insects, animals, mountains,
creating a unified landscape
of our inward and outward senses.
Like all relationships,
the experience depends
on the degree of harmony
between us and nature,
therefore becoming a gift
granted while walking with nature
as she is embraced in our minds –
Enlighten, she shares her secrets,
making the universe more “transparent.”
Yet the gift may only offer a glimpse,
to be shared in images and words,
charming all living things.
Commenting on my poem, SCVN member, Walt Tornow, wrote that my poem ”. . . captures beautifully my feelings about being in the mountains.” He went on to share the following:
GOD, GRACE, AND GRATITUDE
Finding God in the wilderness …
- The majesty of our mountains, the magnificence of views/ vistas they afford, and the splendor and munificence of the many gifts that nature has to offer
- The awe and humility that comes from being witness to the grandeur of it all, juxtaposed with realizing the relative smallness and fleetingness of our existence
- Never feeling or being alone … lots of company by nature’s creatures, and taking in the beauty of nature’s show
- Feeling vulnerable, yet trusting, being in the wilderness — potential prey to wildlife, and exposed to the elements
- Experiencing awe, joy and inspiration by being here
- Feeling connected … becoming one with myself, with nature, and the universe
- Finding peace, serenity, and sense of holiness … my place of worship and meditation
Here for the grace of God am I …
Grateful to be, to be here, and be given the opportunity and capacity to enjoy the many gifts/ blessings around me.
– Walt Tornow
If you feel our passion for nature, we want to share it with you by inviting you to become a Sabino Canyon Volunteer Naturalist.
We are currently recruiting people who share our passion for nature
to take part in our 2017 SCVN Training Class from the beginning of October to January.
After completing the training you will start next January teaching kindergarten and/or elementary students approximately 1 morning per week. All training curriculum materials provide for an excellent learning experience, along with many guest nature experts.
Additionally, you can take part in adult Public Interpretations nature programs about Sabino Canyon.
You can learn more about this wonderful volunteer nature program and get an application by visiting our website
www.sabinonaturalists.org/
Please pass on this information on to persons you will be interested in becoming an SCVN member. Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have — kenneturner@gmail.com
kenne
Naturalist, Gwen Swanson, demonstrates “panning” to students in the “Strike It Rich” program.
This creekside activity allows children to learn about the difference between rocks and minerals
by panning for garnets in the sand along Sabino Creek, and the importance of water in forming the canyon.
Image by kenne
SCVN Training nature walk with naturalist, Bill Kaufman (Fall 2011) — Image by kenne
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Morning Rainbow In The Desert Leave a comment
Morning Rainbow In The Desert (Tucson, Arizona, September 29, 2016) — Image by kenne
All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Standing At Nature’s Alter 1 comment
Image by kenne
Standing At Nature’s Alter
When we stand
at the altar of nature,
we stand with the greats;
Ralph Waldo Emerson,
Henry David Thoreau,
and John Muir,
each having helped define
our relationship
with nature and language —
“every natural fact is a symbol
of some spiritual fact,
. . . words are signs of natural facts.”
Nature’s beauty becomes
a source of spiritual energy
connecting all things
into a universal whole
with the energy of our
thoughts and will.
We stand at nature’s alter as man
not separate from her,
seeing her in the flowers,
insects, animals, mountains,
creating a unified landscape
of our inward and outward senses.
Like all relationships,
the experience depends
on the degree of harmony
between man and nature,
therefore becoming a gift
granted while walking with nature
as she is embraced in our minds –
Enlighten, she shares her secrets,
making the universe more “transparent.”
Yet the gift may only offer a glimpse,
to be shared in images and words,
charming all living things.
kenne
(First posted August 30, 2011)
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White-winged Dove Abstract Art 1 comment
White-winged Dove Abstract Art by kenne
Nature always wears the colors of the spirit.
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Cactus Wren Grunge Art 1 comment
Cactus Wren On A Saguaro Cactus In Sabino Canyon — Grunge Art by kenne
Let the bird sing without deciphering the song.
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Sabino Canyon B&W Landscape — Composed of Nature and Soul 2 comments
Sabino Canyon B&W Landscape by kenne
“Philosophically considered, the universe is composed of Nature and Soul. Strictly speaking, therefore, all that is separate from us, all which philosophy distinguishes as not me, that is both Nature and Art, all other men and my own body, must be ranked under this name, Nature. Nature, in the common sense, refers to essences unchanged by man: space, the air, the river, the leaf. Art is applied to the mixture of his will with the same things, as in a house, a canal, a statue, a picture. But his operations, taken together, are so insignificant, a little chipping, baking, patching, and washing, that in an impression so grand as that of the world on the human mind they do not vary the result.”
— from Nature, by Ralph Waldo Emerson
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The Purpose Of Life . . . 4 comments
Arizona Wine Country — Image by kenne
“The purpose of life is not to be happy.
It is to be useful,
to be honorable,
to be compassionate,
to have it make some difference
that you have lived and lived well.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Desert Full Of Essences 1 comment
Chicory — Image by kenne
Come search the desert for wildflowers . . .
Morning bride and paperflower
Wishbone four o’clock
Desert lavender
And lupine,
Flaunting in their bowers;
Brittlebush with green flag half-mast high,
Succor to match the cotton clouds,
Poppies dotting the mountain slopes,
Scented creosote and lace pod mustard
Desert full of essences
Fit for fairy presences . . .
— my desert take on Ralph Waldo Emerson’s, Nature (fragments on nature)
