Keeping Alabama Forever Wild

Sunrise over Wheeler Lake

This spring Al.com is publishing a project called Keeping Alabama Forever Wild. Alabamians were invited to send in essays and photographs to share about their special place in Alabama - places that contain deep meaning for them. Selected submissions for this project are running now and ends on Earth Day, April 22, 2011. A new essay is published daily. This project is done in cooperation with The Nature Conservancy of Alabama and Conservation Alabama Foundation.

American White Pelicans at Wheeler Dam

The Forever Wild Program was established in 1992 by constitutional amendment to provide for the purchase of public recreational lands. Since its inception Forever Wild has acquired eighty six (86) tracts totaling 222,771 acres located throughout the state. (source: Outdoor Alabama)

Morning mist rises above Wheeler Lake

My submission is one of the chosen and will be published this Friday, April 1st. Regular readers can guess the area I've written about. The title - "I Am This Flowing Water."

Great Blue Heron and the fish that got away - Wheeler Dam

An excerpt: " It is here, walking along the winter banks at low pool that evidence of Alabama's past can be found lying about, untouched - rock, flint and clay. I observe and enjoy its sandy shores and driftwood, soft water, spongy bottom, shorelines littered with mussel shells and rocks, and breathe in the river's perfume. Wide sky stretches from here to there, a canvas for unusual cloud formations, sunrises and sunsets, storms, lightning in nighttime clouds, mists rising from the lake, rainbows, a gazillion stars at night."

Rock and leaves - Wheeler Lake

It was tough sticking to 600 words or less but I think the essay reflects fairly accurately my love for my lake. Reading these submissions has brought back fond memories of my life here in this beautiful state. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I have.

Privet

Horrified upon originally learning of privet in my backyard, I'm pleased to report that this variety does not appear to be the highly invasive and life-choking Chinese/European species. I am not sure at all just which variety of privet this is and would love any input. During these days of rest and reflection and backyard photo ops I've immortalized the blooms that are beginning to form.



This particular privet's blooms are tiny, and run all along the whip-like branches reminding me of a weigela. In full bloom it looks like a cloud.


My Southern Living Garden Book does not describe the blooms of each privet variety but research on the web indicates this is not the invasive form. Regardless, I think its blooms are very delicate and beautiful making for a nice photo study.

Acceptance

Acceptance

"A true man never frets about his place in the world, but just slides into it by the gravitation of his nature, and swings there as easily as a star."

Edwin Hubbel Chapin

"But there isn't any second half of myself waiting to plug in and make me whole. It's there. I'm already whole."

Sally Field

"Some people confuse acceptance with apathy, but there's all the difference in the world. Apathy fails to distinguish between what can and what cannot be helped; acceptance makes that distinction. Apathy paralyzes the will-to-action; acceptance frees it by relieving it of impossible burdens."

Arthur Gordon

"Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections."

Unknown

It is time to begin again, anew. The alien that has been living in my chest seems to have moved on. Grieving is giving way to acceptance. Journaling has been my best friend. Living simply and removing excess stress from my day-to-day is allowing my soul to heal. Suddenly, this week, I feel hopeful and am thinking forward. It's taken a lot of time and meditation to get to this point. My blog has suffered as has my writing and photography. However, internalizing and honest reflection has been good for me. Thank you all for visiting regardless in hopes that I'll share something useful. I'm coming back and I'm glad. I've missed me!

Enjoy these flowers - the poor, misshapen viburnum in our sad, boggy backyard is struggling to bloom and become beautiful this spring. I know how it feels therefore I celebrate it.