If you look closely you’ll  see the Lynx which stopped by the other day for a little water and a nap. In the summer we get a variety of guest seeking the shade and cool concrete of the gazebo. From rabbits to rattle snakes they all seem to know about the gazebo at Hermits Rest. And yes I know, rattlesnakes? Well it’s quite the experience to be working in the gazebo, notice some movement in your peripheral vision, and discover an adult rattlesnake simply passing by you on its way to its favorite napping corner. It’s quintessential mutual acceptance, absent of prejudice and fear. It’s one of the best ‘spiritual experiences’ I’ve ever had. I’ll take being totally accepted by the critters in nature over ‘enlightenment’ any day.

I think these events are the result of having been here for so long (since 1997) that when the local wildlife see me they think, “oh, it’s just him.”

Now my wife is a whole other story and I’m posting this to give you and my long-term reader friends a glimpse of the woman who not only tolerates but actually loves my company along with the composting toilet, the 230 square foot wilderness hermitage that’s powered by two golf cart batteries via the sun and that using a total of six gallons of water a day isn’t conserving, it’s all that’s necessary. In fact she spends more time telling me what we don’t need than what we do because she says we have everything.

Lori is a wizard of nature, a natural naturalist. The other day I saw her going for a walk and chatting with one of her favorite tarantulas who was literally walking alongside her. No kidding, she not only knows this particular tarantula she knows where it lives and that it had babies last year. Golden eagles swoop down on occasion and give her a wing wave and ravens hang out with her in the gazebo. The wildlife may think ‘oh it’s just him’ when they see me but when she steps outside you can almost hear them say ” hey there’s Lori let’s stop by and say hi.” She’s even a doggone barometer. She can step outside, look at the sky and then tell me there’s a storm circling around from the south but it will come in from the west in about an hour. If she tells me this at 2 p.m. you’ll find me closing the windows at 3 because sure enough..

When I first notice and remarked on these uncanny abilities she simply replied, “I believe in being aware of my surroundings and all that’s occurring in them. All you have to do is hide (meaning be still in an almost invisible way) and watch.”

Now while I spent years reading the ancient teachings and got the doctorate, Lori simply ‘got it’ at the moment she blessed this earth with her presence.

If she ever comes across one of those expounding new age gurus who fancy themselves as teachers of life…I’m just going to ‘hide and watch.’