Reflecting
Well, it’s that time of year again… Today was my birthday.
As self-reflection seems to be the thing to do on such days, I did some thinking about my new life and all the changes that have taken place recently. (For anyone that somehow still doesn’t know, at the tail end of last year, I moved from southern California to Vashon, Washington.) It hasn’t just been an extreme change of scenery for me, it’s been a pretty big shift in my lifestyle as well. I went from walking the arid, chaparral-covered hills of a canyon to exploring the moist, green forests and rocky beaches of an island. I also went from spending the vast majority of my time alone with my camera and the critters to becoming part of a small, tight-knit community that I have quickly grown to love and with whom I am eager to share my nature experiences.
All in all, my 37th year was a good one. But the latter half of it seemed to whiz by at the speed of light. The whirlwind of moving to a new state, the excitement and bustle of meeting so many new people, trying to get acquainted and accustomed to my new home; all of it has left me feeling a bit nostalgic for the comfort of some of the things I left behind.
I thought about that a lot today and realized that one of the things I was really missing was this blog. This blog and also the friends who encouraged me and participated by sharing their wonderful comments and insights here. I really want to make the time to give myself this gift once again. And I definitely want to reconnect with my very patient friends who may be wondering what the heck happened to me. *grin*
OK… enough blathering on about stuff. I’ll just end by saying, I’m glad to be back here and looking forward to once again sharing my photos and stories about the things that I love most.
(Photo taken at Fisher Pond… one of the many new “favorite” locales I frequent these days.)
Hello Harsi, you have indeed been missed here, how wonderful to have you back blogging! Looking forward to hearing your “nature news” at your new home. Very best regards, John.
Hello, John. I’m pleased beyond words that I didn’t lose you as a reader during my long gap of silence! My blog isn’t the only interest of mine that has lain fallow — I also have found it difficult to keep pace and comment on all the other great blogs I read. (Not to mention, my far too long absence from the great community of people at BugGuide.) Ah well, these are all things I hope to change soon. Time can be a difficult thing to manage, but it’s worth trying to stay up-to-date and in-touch with fantastic people such as yourself. I think it was late Fall the last time I checked-in with you (just before all heck broke loose with our moving preparations)… I am looking forward to sitting down and reading what fascinating new adventures Winter and Spring brought your way!
I’ve been checking your blog every now and then since your last entry many moons ago, and how pleased I was when I was greeted by something other than a rattlesnake this morning (though that rattlesnake is admittedly awesome). First of all, I just want to say Happy Birthday! even if slightly late. I think it’s great that you are enjoying your time up in Vashon even if your new lifestyle is quite different. Change can be tough sometimes, but all in all it can also be very rewarding. If you do decide to keep up this blog again, and I hope you do, I’ll very much look forward to it 🙂
Hey, Chris! So nice to get a note from you. As you can tell from the lack of blog posts since my birthday — I’m still trying hard to figure out this whole balancing act of having enough time and energy for all the things that I want to do. The only consolation I have is that I know I’m not alone in this struggle. I have faith that I’ll find a way to make it work… oh, and on that subject, have I mentioned how proud and amazed I am with the quality and quantity of posts you put out on your G+ page???!!! You have such a great group of people following along too — congrats, my friend! Thank you for the belated birthday wishes and also for being so supportive of all the changes that are happening in my life. I miss you and hope that we find the time to catch-up on insect/bird/critter sightings some time soon. *grin*
Thanks Harsi 🙂 You know, I’ve gotten a lot of inspiration from your blog when trying to construct interesting posts for G+; I was always amazed how you were able to keep up creating meaningful content on a daily basis, so when I get stuck from time to time I’ve reflected how you were able to make things work for you. I think I’ve really lucked out in finding an awesome community of people that are for some reason or another interested in my ramblings, and I think a good community makes all the difference and makes it worth it. I am sure you can certainly relate since as you’ve touched upon in this post it sounds like you’ve found a great community of like-minded individuals up in Vashon so I can definitely understand your time away from this blog and all of that. I don’t really have that kind of tight-knit community where I live that shares my interests so I am very grateful that I could fill that missing hole online 🙂 I am sure though that once you do find a way to balance this blog and the other stuff going on in your life that certainly all of your readers and friends that followed your adventures before will return and follow your new adventures, whatever they may be. We really do need to talk insects/birds/critters again sometime soon – I’ve been finding a lot of good things lately! Like you though I havn’t been able to spend much time on BugGuide so I’ve got probably atleast 20-30 new-to-the-guide species just sitting around in my files collecting dust. Birds have been a bit slower this spring though unfortunately. It’s hard to imagine you not “alone with [your] camera and the critters” as you say, and of course who could ever forget your legendary pool rescues, but I hope that you’re finding some time to balance with the natural world as well 🙂
Aww, Chris… you made my day yesterday! Hearing that I in anyway inspired the great posts you’ve been doing lately is just an amazing compliment. Thank you. I also seriously appreciate your insight on the way my life has shifted… you know, while I have been feeling really bummed lately about not finding the time to keep-up with all of my online interests, it’s true that the number of face-to-face interactions and conversations I am having with folks around town about nature is quite inspiring. It feels good to be connected to this place and the people who live here! You are absolutely correct that I just need to find the right balance so that I can keep making all these great NEW friends, and still manage to find the time to keep the OLD ones I love dearly. Hah! Story of my life, Chris — tons of cool stuff constantly being recorded on my camera and in my memories, but soooo little of it gets shared the way I wish I could. In archived “pool rescues” alone, I could submit a new critter each day for a year and still have plenty lacking IDs. I would love to talk to you — call me anytime! P.S. I absolutely adore that recent photo you posted of the teeny salticid — the background is fantastic! That is a shot I would have loved to have taken myself… P.P.S. Guess what finally went out in the mail today?? Hope your mailing address didn’t change!
so good to see you posting again H! Happy to hear that all is working out well at your new home. Moving is always exciting. We’re trying to decide whether to spend a winter at my Mom’s home in OK (she passed away in March) but I’m honestly getting a bit too old for that moving stuff I think. Lots to catch up on in time…
Dearest Cindy, I’m delighted to get a note from you! But so very sorry to hear about the death of your mother. I know how much she means to you and her passing is indeed a profound loss. My deepest sympathies and the best (virtual) hug I can offer. For someone like myself who is very used to “staying put”, this move has definitely been one of the most exhausting and emotional experiences I have ever had (and continue to have!). But my new home is a truly beautiful place filled with very wonderful people and I know that in time I will feel as comfortable and familiar with my surroundings here as I once did in California. With love, Harsi