Wind on the Trails

-

 

By Brother Luke

Suddenly a mighty wind swept in.

(Job 1:19)

Winter has truly blown in with a fury this year. We have had several winter storms accompanied by strong winds and the crack of trees breaking and falling in the woods. And when that happens, the trails don't get spared. So, my dogs and I have made, and continue to make, forays into the woods to hike the trails and clear away the debris and branches. Those forays are more like reconnaissance because when the trees themselves fall across the trails, then out comes the chain saw.

Sometimes all that is required is to cut a path through a large tree trunk. But other times one tree will bring down another, and a jumble of branches blocks the trail. Much of that can be cleared by pulling the broken branches away from the trail and using a simple hand saw to cut some of the branches. In some cases a tree has fallen, uprooted, and hit another tree, and remains hung up perilously over the trail. Bringing that down requires more calculation: which of the trees gets cut first, and in what order do you cut the others to make sure no one gets hurt as the tree finally falls to the ground? Some of the trees that come down also have trail blazes on them, and those have to be removed and then placed on other trees. The good news about trail grooming is that it is work in nature. For me it is a chance to do a simple, but sometimes exhausting, task, usually with my dogs helping out by bringing back the branches I throw away! In winter the snow is an added attraction for the dogs. Not only is the whole world a giant snow cone just for them, but what a great place to play. Usually they romp around, wrestle with each other in the snow, and generally have a grand time. If I have to do something a bit dangerous, I leave them at the monastery. But mostly we go together.

Working in the woods can also be a time of clearing out the cobwebs in my mind. Hiking the trails in snow requires extra attention to the feet; who knows what branch or stone is hiding under that white carpet? Not the time to let my mind wander too far afield. But the beauty of the environment can also sweep me away from ruminating on other worries or pressing tasks. It can remind me of the magnificence of God's creation and how lucky I am to be alive and able to appreciate it. I begin to realize that my big worries are really very small when put in their proper perspective.


beginning of red trail by the puppy kennel

tree hung up over the red trail at the south end of the yellow trail



Iso trying to figure out how to move that log off the red trail, east side behind puppy kennel


Iris trying to figure out the same thing


branches we moved off the yellow trail behind the training kennel


tree that fell next to the orange trail behind the old garage




Comments

New comments are not allowed.

Popular posts from this blog

Monks on the Move

-
Image
  by Brother Christopher   It is not often that monks get to travel, given that our focus is on living the monastic life in this particular community. However, occasionally situations come up when travel is warranted, and one such opportunity presented itself recently for Brothers Christopher and Theophan. The Institute for the Study of Eastern Christianity at Catholic University of America was hosting a conference titled “Ascetic Practices and the Mind: Mental Healing in Eastern Christianity” on March 1-2. We found out about the conference when Robin Darling Young, one of the theology professors at Catholic U and an organizer of the conference, paid a brief visit to New Skete last fall. During the course of her visit she learned that Brother Theo had a background in neuroscience, and she mentioned to us how the conference planners were looking for an Orthodox participant(s) whose interests were in both spirituality and neuroscience. She took advantage of the synchronicity...
Read more

Seeking God

-
Image
  By Sister Cecelia Seeking to do God’s will in all things is what monasticism is all about. It encompasses all the nitty-gritty happenings in all our lives. At the Nuns’ monastery, after 30-plus years the door and door frame opening to a second-floor deck had succumbed to all the snows and rainfalls and was rotting along the bottom. It took 3 months for a replacement door to arrive and another few months for it to be installed. Further investigation of the deck itself revealed extensive rotting that needed attention. Through many years of repairs to the wooden deck itself, it appeared to be a lost cause. How long would the wood last, since so many coats of stain and preservative had been applied and the wood floor and railing were still cracked with so much snow and rain on it? How long would a repair last before someone leaned against the railing and went tumbling down? Or a floorboard gave when stepped on? We do trust in God, but we also know that God expects us to use our hea...
Read more

Liberty and Belonging

-
Image
  By Br Brennan Just over a year ago I was planning an early retirement with an eye to monastic life. While I can’t say that I had one of those great careers and was at the top of my game, I had come to know some really amazing people over my years in the last job. Among those, I always enjoyed truly close relationships marked by great mutual respect. However, I was also one of those artists with a day job, and as a dancer/instructor/choreographer I had come to notice in recent years a certain status of “esteemed eldership” of sorts (at least in my particular genre, that of East European ethnic dance), however awkward I felt about it. After numerous visits to New Skete over the years, I knew the transition to postulancy and novitiate would involve quite a shake-up in my sense of self. And I was correct. First, I was not going to jump in and wow anyone with any diligence, knowledge, or finesse, as I might try to do in a new job. All I could do was pay attention, and learn what t...
Read more