Water Manifesto

[H2O Man]

(Note: The following is taken from a journal that I keep. It may, or may not, be of interest to DUers.)


There are some advantages to getting up before 4 am, though this morning, when the dogs again started barking at distant noises, I would have preferred to get another hour’s sleep. But it was not to be. So I made my way out to a rocking chair next to the pond, with a cup of coffee and 2 slices of bread.

I use the bread to feed the fish in the pond, and fill the bird feeders, before sitting and drinking the coffee. The sounds of coyotes moving further up the mountain keeps the dogs barking, though soon that ends. Yesterday, the sight of numerous turkey vultures circling above the edge of the open field suggests that the coyotes had killed one of the deer that stay in the pines there every year, raising the season’s fawns.

As the sun begins to rise, the pieces of bread begin to move on that water’s surface, as schools of minnows slowly consume them. It’s too dark to see the minnows, although the light allows me to see the wonderful pattern of tiny ripples on the water. A few trout come up from the deeper water, and jump for both bread and insects, their splashes making the only noise in the morning air, followed by larger ripples on the pond’s surface.

The first birds that I hear are mourning doves, which make their "coo-ah, coo, coo, coo" song as they slowly approach the pond. A pair sits high on a branch, watching me and looking for other potential danger, before coming down for a drink of water, and then feasting on seeds scattered on the ground. Within minutes, there are a half-dozen black-capped chickadees, and I can hear the sound of their wings as they fly near me. I love the songs of the little birds, and before I can finish my coffee, there are a wide range of small and medium-sized birds here, and I’m glad that I got up when I did.

Early man received his education from nature, and the waterside is one of nature’s advanced classrooms. Sitting here this early, I anticipate the mourning lesson.

An orange cat comes through the swamp at the west side of the pond. There is something exciting about watching a cat in natural surroundings – they are beautiful, powerful animals. As a bird on a branch signals to those on the feeders and ground that danger approaches, the birds stop their competition for the seeds and fly to the branches of shrubs and trees. Everything is silent for a moment – almost everything, that is, but the cat focuses its full attention on a noise I’m not able to hear. I suspect that a small rodent is attempting to escape the cat’s attention. In a flash, the cat is gone from my view.

A half-hour of undisturbed feeding for the birds follows. I can see schools of minnows, some with several hundred of the little creatures, slowly pushing the pieces of bread, back and forth, until they disappear. Then, another cat comes from the same path as the first one, and the birds repeat their safety precautions. This gray cat eventually continues on its path east.

Though I tend to be a "dog person," I have respect for cats. My wife and daughters have two indoor cats, and while I much prefer the outdoor variety, those two focus a lot of their attention on me.

In a sense, the differences between outdoor and indoor cats illustrates the concept of "locus of control" that is important in understanding human behavior. An internal locus of control is when a person believes that they are both responsible and able to take actions that help define the quality of their life. An external locus of control is, of course, the opposite: it is when a person believes they lack the power to take control of their own life. They believe that outside forces are responsible for their condition, and that they are little more than a victim of circumstance. The majority of people hold beliefs that blend the internal and external locus of control, and even those with the strongest internal sense recognize that there are circumstances in life that are beyond their control.

Indoor cats, despite their independent nature, become dependent on an outside source for their food. Indoor cats tend to become fat and pampered. The outdoor cat does not look to people for its food: it hunts for it. And attempts to pamper the cats I saw this morning near the pond would not have been welcome.

People with an internal locus of control have what Erich Fromm called a "life-promoting" mind-set. They are creative, and in both good and bad circumstances, look to make the best of things. People with an external locus of control have what Fromm called a "life-denying" mind-set. They are the opposite of creative, and in both good and bad circumstances, look to make others responsible for meeting their needs.

One of the single most important influences on brain development is "stimulation." There is no question that human beings benefit from stimulation from the time they are itty-bitty babies, toddlers, and small children, through the rest of their journey here. When a child’s brain is properly stimulated, they develop an internal locus of control, and are able to play out of doors for hours on end, with an active imagination hat transforms their back yard into life’s playground. When a child is not properly stimulated, they develop an external locus of control, that restricts their creative processes. Rather than playing out of doors, they prefer to sit for hours in front of a screen with bright flashing lights providing their excitement.

Creative human beings appreciate that they are part of the larger process, and are comfortable enough being by themselves, that they also are at ease with others. This includes recognizing the vast array of differences within individuals. There are as many songs as there are types of small birds at the pond’s sides.

Stifled human beings become anxious when they are alone with themselves. They prefer to lose their identity in a crowd of cogs, though they resent people who are different than themselves. They are examples of those who know the lyrics f life’s songs, but not the tunes. They want to throw tea bags into the pond, because vultures such as Sean Hannity and Glen Beck said this is stimulating entertainment.

[seemslikeadream]

1. The best reason to wake before dawn is to hear the birds sing

:hi:

[H2O Man]

3. I think so.

Now that it's light out, I'm about to head back out, with a good book. I love this time of year.

[panader0]

2. I got relaxed just reading this

I too love the early morning, especially this time of year. I water a few of the non-native trees, fill the bird feeder that hangs outside my living room window, trim growth off of the mesquites to shape them, go back inside now and then to refresh my coffee. My energy is high, the morning is cool, no one is awake yet. The coyotes and javelina have retired to their places.
I wish I had a pond like yours. There is a one acre pond adjacent to my land on BLM property. It's dry now waiting for the summer rains that fill it to overflowing on occasion. It can fill in one night, after a good rain toward the mountains. Then the frogs come out, thousands of them roaring all night like a huge engine. When I first bought this forty acre parcel, I had no neighbors for miles around. That was nearly thirty years ago. But with a four acre minimum and the thick mesquite, it is still quite secluded.

[H2O Man]

4. I sat and listened

to the peepers last night. The larger frogs should be out and about soon, but there is something about the little frogs that is special. There are a number of ponds in the hills around here, and a large swamp between my pond and the creek. Thousands of the peepers sing throughout the night. Nothing beats sitting near a small camp fire, watching the flames, and listening to the frogs.

[Me.]

5. Nice

"and while I much prefer the outdoor variety, those two focus a lot of their attention on me"?

Why is that do you think?

[H2O Man]

11. Hard to say.

It may be a game to them. Or they may be looking for more food.

My daughters think it's a giggle, either way.

[bleever]

6. Here, the wysteria is in full bloom,

fragrant, and filled with the buzzing of bees. It's very nice.


What is most amazing about the people susceptible, in their external-locus-of-control way, to the likes of Hannity, Beck, and Limbaugh, is that the external force they react to is so amorphous. They aren't reacting to, say, a specific piece of legislation, or intrusion on their lifestyle, or policy decision. They decry high taxes when in reality their taxes were just cut; they decry government intrusion now, rather than when the NSA was listening to their phone calls and archiving their emails; and they wave the American flag while threatening to secede because they love America so much. Their sprouting revolution is a sterile stalk that can bear no fruit fit for nourishing body or soul.


Oh, and the climbing roses are open in huge blooms, and the first crop of oranges is almost ripe and ready to pick.

:hi:

[Me.]

7. Their Tantrums & Hysteria Will Produce No Longterm Results

Progress is on the move and just like you can't stop the seasons from going forward, they can no longer delay forces that are external and contrary to their wishes but which suit the many, on the whole. There is a new book out about Raygun which disputes the myth about him being the great conservative. The author takes the viewpoint that he was not who they think and chances are they wouldn't like him if they did. Their thinking has no solid foundation upon which to stand and is why it's crumbling under their feet.

[bleever]

8. What's the title of that book, Me.?

Sounds very interesting.

[Me.]

19. I Believe This Is It

I believe thgis is it. I saw an interview about it on Andrea Mitchell’s show.

James Mann's new book "The Rebellion of Ronald Reagan,"

“Add to that list James Mann's splendid new book. Mann uses Massie as one of four themes to illustrate what he provocatively calls Reagan's "rebellion." Though he never quite spells out his meaning, by "rebellion" Mann seems to be describing Reagan's rejection of the conventional wisdom on the Soviet Union held by three somewhat disparate camps: the U.S. intelligence community, arch-realists, and Reagan's own conservative political base. Along with an intriguing profile of Massie, the other themes highlighted by Mann include Reagan's complex relationship with fellow Californian Richard Nixon, the bureaucratic bloodbath waged over the "Mr. Gorbachev, Tear Down this Wall" speech, and Reagan's own series of negotiations with Gorbachev.

Mann makes a persuasive case for Reagan's singular vision and idiosyncratic genius in several ways. First, Reagan conceived of the Cold War as an ideological contest between two worldviews and values systems, one of which was superior and the other of which was destined to fail. The latter point is especially salient, as it rejected the prevailing consensus and put Reagan in an adversarial posture against the prominent "realists" in his own party -- such as Nixon, Henry Kissinger, Brent Scowcroft, and even at times his own Vice President George H.W. Bush. All of whom instead saw the Cold War as a static power contest between two rival states that was destined to continue in perpetuity and thus could only be managed, not won. As realism today seems to be enjoying a popular and not entirely unwarranted resurgence, Reagan's Cold War doctrine is also a helpful reminder of realism's limits and past errors.” Continued

“This book is not a hagiography. Mann includes an abundance of less flattering facts, such as Reagan's dozing off (twice) during meetings with the Pope, his deference to Nancy Reagan's astrologer for scheduling significant events such as the INF treaty signing ceremony, his general inattention to policy details and government management, and his troubling detachment from presidential duties during his last year in office.

Nor is everything in Mann's book is persuasive. For one, the first section overemphasizes Nixon's role and importance in the 1980s, and has the feel of treating Nixon and Reagan's differences over Soviet policy in that decade more as a contrived literary device than as a consequential driver of history. More significantly (and here I echo some of Grover Norquist's critique below), Mann's conclusion that "Reagan didn't win the Cold War; Gorbachev abandoned it" gives Gorbachev too much credit and depicts Reagan as a mere facilitator. It also belies many of the facts that Mann himself details. Reagan's policies, especially the military build-up, the domestic economic revival, the Strategic Defense Initiative, active support for anticommunist forces such as the mujahedeen in Afghanistan, human rights initiatives, and forceful rhetoric all created the context in which the Soviet system had little chance of succeeding. In short, Reagan created new "facts on the ground" which altered the international reality that Gorbachev inherited. The Soviet Union, illegitimate and bankrupt at home, and overstretched abroad, could not keep pace. For all of his laudable reforms, Gorbachev could not control the tides he unleashed -- tides which Reagan helped engineer.” Cont

http://books.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/04/15/the_limits_of_realism

[bleever]

23. Thank you

very much. Very interesting stuff.

[H2O Man]

12. Right.

They are merely finding an excuse to vent their pent-up emotions.

Though I rarely have RFD tv on, the other morning, I saw a clip of Don Imus talking about Glen Beck, with Matt Taibbi. After Taibbi had made fun of Beck, Imus attempted to say he liked Beck, who has appeared on his show. When others said Beck is going off the deep end, Imus said that he is sure it will end with Beck putting a gun in his mouth on air, and splattering his brains out. Crude, but probably accurate.

[formercia]

9. The flycatchers returned this Weekend

It started with one pair in the Barn a few years ago. They tend to be high-strung birds and shy away from human approach, but over the years, they have adapted and now nest in the upper nooks and crannies of our front porch.
They love the garden. The tomato cages provide a handy spot to lay in wait for their next insect victim.The pole bean supports provide another, more acrobatic venue.
We have no mosquito problem in Summer. We enjoy our evening meal in the outdoors, knowing that our diminutive sentries are always on guard, ready to intercept any bloodthirsty insect that would dare approach.
They ask nothing but the freedom to raise their children, without fear.

[H2O Man]

13. We have a pair

of barn swollows over the front door on the cabin. Fast little creatures, and it's quite a show, watching them nab bugs out of the air while in flight.

[formercia]

24. My favorite is when the Monarda (Bee Balm) blooms

It's a brilliant red and the Hummingbirds love it. I can sit and watch them for hours. Last Year there was one female Ruby throat that would fly over to me and hover right in front of my face. I could swear she was saying thank you. She would look me in the eye, bow her head, then fly away. This would happen once or twice a day.

[H2O Man]

25. Humming birds are fascinating.

Maybe you already know this, but if you squat or kneel near a flower (or feeder) that a male wants to get to, he'll act a bit more aggressive than an unsuspecting person would expect. If you hear one before you see it, you would likely think a rather large bee is about to sting you.

[formercia]

29. You can always hear the bell before the one that gets 'ya.

They buzz their wings as part of their threat display. There's always at least 2 males trying to control the Bee Balm. I'm letting the patch spread, even though some consider it invasive and plan to start a couple of more in different areas to attract more pairs.
They are ballsy little birds. Hearing that buzz is like hearing the bell at the start of the round. And the fight is on.....

[Reterr]

10. Lovely

Thank you Water Man :)!

Creative human beings appreciate that they are part of the larger process, and are comfortable enough being by themselves, that they also are at ease with others. This includes recognizing the vast array of differences within individuals. There are as many songs as there are types of small birds at the pond’s sides.

Stifled human beings become anxious when they are alone with themselves. They prefer to lose their identity in a crowd of cogs, though they resent people who are different than themselves. They are examples of those who know the lyrics f life’s songs, but not the tunes. They want to throw tea bags into the pond, because vultures such as Sean Hannity and Glen Beck said this is stimulating entertainment.

So true...

[H2O Man]

14. It sure makes

it a lot more fun, to hang out in a natural setting, than to watch the news. I'm finding most of the nonsense on the cable networks disturbing, at best.

[Peacetrain]

15. Very tranquil wordsmithing H2O Man

I enjoyed it no end, and was carried to the pond in my mind. I have those same doves cooing in my garden..

Thank you for a literary respite. It was good for the soul :hi:

[L0oniX]

16. What a nice break from all the 28 -you know who- threads I have hidden today.

:evilgrin:

[puebloknot]

17. Definitely of interest to this DUer. Very poetic and reminiscent of ...

... the work of Mary Oliver. One of her books is called "Why I Wake Early."

http://www.amazon.com/Why-I-Wake-Early-Poems/dp/0807068799

Most of her poems begin with a description of a nature scene, or animals or birds therein, and then she ties the thoughts and feelings to We, the Humans, and what we could learn from Mother/Father/Sister/Brother Nature.

I just bought a Kindle. I'm trying to decide if I'll keep it. There's something so soulful about carrying a slim volume of poetry, as opposed to having a thousand books in one slim "volume." I am personally bothered greatly by "the flash" when a page turns, electronically. Reading a book should be a quiet refuge from all the noise and flashing on television and in films. In my view, there's an adolescent fascination now with all the gimmicks and flashing they can throw into what might otherwise be a good story and a decent film or television presentation.

Maybe I'm just getting old. Maybe I'd like to grow old(er) quietly, sitting by a pond where I can't hear the fall of my neighbor's ax, with a book of poetry in hand.

Don't be apologetic about posting from your journal. Thoreau did it; you can, too.

Warmly,

J

[bulldogge]

18. Thank you

for sharing that. I know I am a bit biased but I do believe we may live in one of the most beautiful places on this small Earth. It is interesting when we are able to be at one with our surroundings and are able to witness the ceremonies of life taking place around us.

It is certainly no accident that when my little one and I go for walks in the woods by our house that great conversation takes place. Of course just the fact that we are spending time together has something to do with it but the relaxed state that develops when the song birds serenade you and the wind cuts through the grass and the trees.

When you mentioned early mans class room it made me think of this, as you know but most on here do not my daughter is very young and one time when we were walking down a trail, she was 2 at the time, I noticed her looking up at the trees in pure amazement and I asked her if she liked it in the woods. She answered in a whisper while staring at the tree tops "yes, it's like a library" big words for a little girl.

Enjoy the good weather!

[G_j]

20. start the day

with a thank you!

;)


that was nice.

[KoKo]

21. Interesting Insight....something to think about off the path...thanks!

K&R... :thumbsup:

[PuraVidaDreamin]

22. So very enjoyable. I've never had a a cat before.

But now on our little homestead in the making we plan on having an outdoor cat. Not even sure
how one should get a cat that will be a farm cat. It's all just so very interesting.

Thanks for the read.

[ieoeja]

27. Kittens are the cutest and most cuddly little ...

... psychotic killers in existence!

[malaise]

26. What a beautiful post

Thanks H2O Man.

[BelgianMadCow]

28. live your life as if each second was the final one

or carpe diem - an inspirational piece you wrote H2O Man.

I don't have a pond close by - but I could describe watching my vegetables grow along similar lines. Just been in my greenhouse 2 hours past nightfall :)