We've been inspired by Anna Comstock's Handbook of Nature Study to begin anew that which we've allowed to go stale; the intentional observation of God's beautiful world. We could hear Autumn as we walked through the Bell Buckle park. The crunch of leaves under foot and the crisp rustling of dried foliage as we brushed against it tickled our ears. We encountered robins, sparrow and blue jays. Madison picked up some fine specimens of mushroom and moss while I retrieved a cattail from the marshy area along the railroad tracks. It was such a mild day under a clear blue sky; the sun wrapping us in warmth as we walked along. I agree with Anna Comstock. "Out in this, God's beautiful world, there is everything waiting to heal lacerated nerves, to strengthen tired muscles, to please and content the soul that is torn to shreds with duty and care." (from Handbook of Nature Study, p. 3) We chose the cattail and mushroom as our two items to study in further detail for next week.
And he wandered away and away,
with Nature the dear old nurse,
Who sang to him night and day,
the rhymes of the universe.
And when the way seemed long,
and his heart began to fail,
She sang a more wonderful song,
or told a more wonderful tale.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
