Sunday, June 21, 2009

When I know I have been away too long





I can't believe that I have only been back for nine days. In many ways it feels like I have been here much longer than that. In many ways it feel like I have not been here long at all. Nonetheless, it has been nine days and in these nine days I have come to realize that being away from home, and in a city (which is very different than what I call home) has affected me more than I thought.

I noticed that someone down the hill has chickens in their yard now-- for the first time in my life this observation was not of normalcy. For the first time in my life I thought, "huh, that is strange they have chickens running loose."

For the first time in my life I was caught off guard by seeing a deer run across the street when I went to take the dogs out for a walk in the morning.

For the first time in my life I have appreciated all of the different chirps and chitters that come from the birds that live around my house. In the chatter you can actually hear a difference in tone and volume. It truly is peaceful. Who knew?


I think I now understand why people escape the city to hear the sounds the world naturally makes. There is no silence here in the country either, but the noise is welcoming and not at all intrusive (unless it's a woodpecker knocking away at this old redwood house at 7am).

It saddened me to think that I actually forgot these things about the rural central coast of California, but it also brought a smile to my face to actually appreciate these things now. Growing up I always loved the animals I saw around my house, on my deck, and in the trees. There was nothing more amusing than watching the turkeys flying into trees and then onto decks and roofs. (Yes, turkeys fly. No, they are not graceful. Yes, they look ridiculous when they fly.) It is truly beautiful to watch a deer bound through a hillside of ivy and oak trees. I forgot that when choosing to get pets you have to think about the natural predators living around you.



Somewhere along the way I started to not enjoy these things, let alone notice them. At least now I appreciate the coastal countryside again and that makes me feel better about forgetting.

There is still nothing to do here though. And that makes me miss the city.



By the way I have never met a dog who loves fruit as much as Baxter. He magically appears whenever, and wherever, I happen to peel a banana or bite into an apple. He especially gets excited about bananas--lots of barking and wagging of his tail until he gets a piece. He even likes to lick the peel!

All my own photography::More can be seen here.

2 comments:

Jessica said...

i love how going away makes us notice & appreciate things at home more. both are good places. and both have things to take away from them.

Baxter is almost as cute as you.

i love you natalie girl. and miss you mucho.

Laura G said...

You and I can relate. Different being in the middle of "nowhere", eh? Yet nowhere has always been its own somewhere even when we're not around. I hope you are enjoying your Mexican food, dogs, and family.