Class 3 notes by Amy N.
It usually takes a few days for everything from class to sink in and see it begin to integrate into my life. Today (three days after our class) was one of those days where I was given the chance to experience and explain a little bit about the course to a friend and some family.
My day started with some typical house chores and fed into a little “road trip” across the Golden Gate Bridge and into the Marin Headlands. Spinach, lentils, and the scent of garam masala accompanied a beautiful view of Angel Island and a misty cityscape. Silence broke only between bites of food to discuss life plans and other happenings. As with most conversations as of late, we ended up discussing permaculture and what I’ve been doing in class.
I started off her off with some generalizations of permaculture while watching the fog burn off over the bay, giving greater visibility to the ocean and the natural contours of the land. Once we could better see the city, my friend and I noted and discussed the difference in the amount of structural development on either side of the Golden Gate Bridge. It made me happy to be where I was at that moment, surrounded by rolling hills, peppered with dilapidated and graffitied batteries.
From lunch we wandered through one of the battery tunnels to Hawk Lookout. The dark concrete tunnel was like a transporter taking us from a view of one of the world’s most famous cityscapes to green grasses and tall sequoias full of birdsong. Beyond the trees was a promise of a grayish open ocean and an empty horizon barely visible through the haze.
Once at Hawk Lookout, we found a sit spot situated within the sequoias. After taking a moment to settle, we dove into a quiet conversation accompanied by the chatter of songbirds. From there I remembered our discussion about bird language and nature awareness and brought it up to my friend. We wondered what type of disturbance we had caused by climbing the slight hill to the lookout and share the beautiful view with the rest of the forest. Hopefully we hadn’t startled anything too much. I have a feeling we didn’t because eventually we were accompanied by three ravens gliding into view just above our heads and a hawk soaring lower down in the valley. Birdsong had returned and been noted until a mountain biker happened by and made some noise walking his bike through some wood chips.
We returned to the city with smiles on our faces and full from good conversation and beautiful scenery. Although only a quick trip, its impact was strong. I feel my mind reawakening from the dull sleep of city gossip. The profound thoughts I once had are slowly reemerging and filling a void in my life.
This little adventure showed me how much I have absorbed from the course these past three weeks and further piqued my curiosity for what’s to come. I look forward to getting my hands dirty and a further expanding of my mind through more observation.
Learning Affirmation: I reclaim myself through observation and interaction with my community.
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