Respect

 

There's a downed tree along our route by water to the marina. Obviously this is storm damage.

But it doesn't look like it just broke off. It actually looks twisted.

This is not a small tree. My best boat-distance guess is that I might not be able to get my arms around the width of the trunk - or what's left of it.

It's one thing when the wind is fierce enough to snap a large tree, or even to push it over at the roots. These I've seen too, often enough, after a storm or, like this one, first thing in the season when you get a look at what the winter did.

But what kind of power from what kind of wind at what kind of angle would do this?

And I don't even have any other thoughts about this today except I am again in awe of the power of the natural world.

And realize again how beautiful and fragile and incredible and resilient the created order of life is.
And that it's good to respect our human space in that order.
And to engage with it accordingly.

And to take any lofty edge off of any of this, I guess I could have just as easily posted something similar with a picture of a skunk.

No skunks here yet, fortunately. But it's looking like a calmer, maybe even warmer day. I'm ready to be outside in all the created awesomeness after these past few days of cozy.