The Free Radical

This is the 113th post of the Daily Forest Report… not bad considering that I only began it in late June. At that time I had become completely dissatisfied with the quality of the “news” I was receiving through both mainstream and alternative media channels. The only thing that was perfectly clear was that most of what I was encountering was predominantly bullshit.

I have always believed in the adage “As above, so below.” With this in mind, I decided that the Natural World (i.e. the Forest) could do as good or a better job of keeping me abreast of whatever I needed to know during this unique time of evolutionary transition. The principles of holography or fractalization ensure that my experience within the microcosm is a symbolic reflection of what is occurring in the macrocosm. And from there I began issuing these missives through the many voices of the Forest.

Early on I found that foraging along the way helped me to tune into the vibe of the Forest Life. I was utterly shocked by the amount and variation I discovered as I satisfied my tastebuds and curiosity.

I ate a crapload of flowers, mostly dandelions and alfalfa blossoms… and I suppose I must mention wild onion too, as I ate nearly a thousand of them before the ground finally froze.

The interesting thing about my foraging activities was that everything I picked and ate was either directly on or directly adjacent to the path I walked. I didn’t ever have to stray from the main path in order to find the incredible bounty I encountered. I can only imagine how much food is really out there!

The two most notable forageables would be high bush cranberry– because of its superb uniqueness and rarity– and juniper berries. Now juniper berries are not often considered too remarkable, but back in 2011 I had noticed that they were radically altering their flavour. Late in 2011, the juniper bush I frequented had shifted the familiar gin flavour of its berries to something I eventually identified as tasting exactly like guava. It was a pleasant change for sure, but a bit odd too. And then this year, Juniper shifted the flavour again… to one of cinnamon with a hint of clove… very nice! I have no 3D explanation for why this might happen, so I’ve conveniently concluded that this is a fifth-dimensional expression of juniper berries… leading us into the New Age.

Once the frequent trail-nibbles had fully attuned me to the Forest, the animal encounters came thick and fast. Over the past six months I encountered Deer, Elk, Rabbit, Fox, Cougar, Bear, Coyote, Bobcat, Moose, Snake, Squirrel, Chipmunk, Ground Squirrel, Frog, Raven, Eagle, Woodpecker, Grouse, Hawk, Vulture, Owl, Dragonfly, Wasp, Spider, Grasshopper, Inchworm, Butterfly, Caterpillar, and Ant among others. Many of these were rather perplexing encounters, and never did I leave the trail to go in search of these critters. No, it was more like they were searching for me!

Of particular note were the encounters with Cougar, Moose, Snake, Frog and Deer, and the uncharacteristic lingering of a lone vulture I named Richard. Ten years ago I was convinced that to meet up with a cougar in the forest was a sure death sentence, as these lions are quite capable of remaining undetectable until they are literally upon you. Well, I’ve had two very close encounters with mountain lions now, and am happy and privileged to share these tales… as I have.

Moose was just such a rarity that I never would have guessed that such a thing was even remotely possible. But lo and behold, one autumn day, there he was standing directly on the path waiting for me. He casually sauntered off, allowing me the opportunity for a quick shot with the GoPro… thankfully, as I thought no one would believe me! He’s been hanging around ever since.

Snake gets honourable mention because I encountered Snake twelve times this season. Again I must reiterate that I didn’t go looking for Snake. All twelve of these encounters occurred directly on the path. Twelve times is a lot in just a few short months by my reckoning!

Frog checked in with me twice, which was very encouraging since I hadn’t seen a frog for about three years prior. I didn’t have to venture into the swamp either, as Frog came out to greet me on our route.

Now Deer is someone we encounter around these parts on a nearly daily basis. They tend to hang out in our townsite. Town deer can become very aggressive though, especially if they are with fawns. One particular incident I had in the forest however was rather surprising. First the two Deer came right up to me as I walked by. Then, as I dug out my camera, I feared they were turning to leave, but that wasn’t the case. One of them promptly laid down in the grass virtually right beside me. That kind of acceptance feels good!

In a similar vein, in a video summarizing the summer’s adventures, Chipmunk can be seen hanging out in a tree which was only inches from my face as I filmed him. He seemed utterly determined to look me in the eye, and so he did!

And I guess I should mention again the incredible proliferation of butterflies early in the spring and stretching into summer. This seems rather appropriate during a year I’ve described as a transformational one. A short film I compiled during the summer features those same butterflies… along with some of their forest pals.

To me it’s been an amazing year! I eagerly look forward to deepening my connection to Mother Earth through her local emissaries. I truly feel like I belong to something amazing. Just try to imagine what could be if humanity was to ever fully align itself with the cycles and systems of Nature instead of squandering so much energy containing, destroying and fearing the very arms which embrace this One Shared Life!

Happy New Year… Happy New Age!