WHAT IT MEANS TO BE GREEN
It isn't necessarily a political party and it isn't the color of our skin unless you're a frog or iguana. It is not black, white, brown, red or yellow and anyone can be green and it unites us all.
It is the color we associate with the Earth, trees and sometimes the ocean...but being green has deeper connotations, like being environmentally conscious...a state that is more than simply being a human on this planet. It is an integration and a relationship to all around us and an awakening to our connection to it.
Nothing is separate, from birth to death and before and after, energy has residues and follows us around whether we perceive it or not. It lives in our cells and affects our perception. It taps into our consciousness and tries to get us to pay attention. Mostly we are busy with everyday business, people, chores, staying alive, etc. but if one is aware, they will be guided by this force.
So I feel that being green is about listening to the trees, wind, clouds, wildlife, birds...to the sounds, smells and life around us. Not just hearing it but paying attention to it.
I know if there is a predator around by the call of the crows, ravens and beach birds like the Killdeer. Recently a beautiful, silver Goshawk sat above me in a big tree overlooking the garden. All the crows descended on it making a great ruckus. If there is a cougar around, they will do the same thing, alerting me where to look. They are my watchdogs. I don't live with pets like dogs or cats which sometimes bother the wildlife and often need great attention. I love the wildlife and look forward to seeing and hearing them in my life. They require little maintenance, taking care of themselves. I do feed the birds, especially when it is cold. I stay away from genetically modified corn in the feeders as it seems to cause deformities in some firds.
When I have been away for any amount of time, everything is here to greet me when I return. The ravens fly out to meet the boat as it approaches the island and they wake me in the morning. The eagles hover around, knowing I'm back. Sometimes the hawks fly over and land, one at a time. The raccoons will be on the window ledge and the deer, before the wolf came, would be at the back door. The songbirds know right away when I am home and are ready and waiting. The hummingbirds are around all year and survive just fine when I am away. All know how to survive without me and they are my friends. I watch, listen and learn so much from them.
THESE FAWNS WERE DROPPED OFF BY THEIR MOTHER FOR ME TO BABYSIT
Sometimes a mother deer from the island would drop off her babies for me to take care of while she went off to feed or rest. Because there are no dogs on the island, people brought us orphaned deer to raise. If we went fishing, often we would have to take them in the boat because they would swim after us if they were left behind. They had great love for the family and loved to play and hide. They always went back to being wild but remained friends.
We have raised baby seals, deer, otter, crows, gulls, seabirds and more. It has been a life full of interesting moments and the lessons learned from each have increased our awareness of the great love and caring each wild creature is capable of, often more than humans, and they don't forget a kind gesture.
I guess that's what I think of when I am reminded of being green...the love and relationship to the natural world around us. We are all green when we think of it, how can we not be? Indigenous peoples always honored the green as its' own being and the "green water people" were the ocean dwellers. Green thumbs are a great asset in this situation and you learn from trying. I find it deeply satisfying, like a meditation and I always thank the plants and trees.
It was by design and intent with some govt expropriation thrown in. I used to live in what is now Pacific Rim National Park Reserve but we were bought out so here I am. (it is called a “reserve” because no treaties have been signed by First Nations here in order for the govt to have full rights over it. Jurisdiction is still unsettled.)
I love your art, and of course the sound of the place you live in. Was it luck or your decisions?