Sensitivity

There are a number of different species in the Mimosa genus that are called "sensitive briar" due to the fact that their leaves will curl up when touched.  They are sometimes called Catclaw Briar and they are a legume which sometimes colonizes where the land has been overgrazed.

I find them interesting because their flowers are showy and attract one to the plant and yet the leaves are sensitive to your presence.  It sounds like a few people I know who do things to attract attention yet are sensitive when that attention occurs.  Sometimes that attention drawing mechanism is in the form of clothing, or possibly piercings, tattoos or bright colors of hair.  They want to be seen yet when given the apparently craved attention are defensive or even belligerent.

All of us are sensitive about some things and all of us crave attention.  Sometimes that craving is misplaced and certainly is frequently misunderstood.  Society conditions us to "blend into the herd" and yet we are designed to be predators, not prey.  It is in our eyes -- literally -- they are set into the front of our face rather than on the side.  Prey animals have eyes on the sides of their head which allows them better vision behind them as well as to the front.  Predator eyes are set on the front of their face which gives them better ability to focus on a target.

Maybe that conflicted nature of drawing attention while being sensitive to it is a product of a society which attempts to make us something we are not built to be.  It makes you question whether many of our social structures are the product of a higher level of predator which preys upon lesser predators -- namely those who are subject to the conditioning of that society.

In my opinion, much of our education system is designed to push people into that sub-predator category so they will be subservient to a more aggressive class of predators.  It creates a "working class" designed to serve an elite which uses them to advance their own power.  The system we see evolved as a result of the need for factory workers and it continues to evolve today in ways that push the boundaries of tolerance due to the conflicted nature between design and conditioning.  It isn't only the educational systems -- much of which is a positive so please don't attack me for the comment -- it is in the media (currently the worst in my opinion is fake news on social media generated through AI by foreign and domestic adversaries), in literature, and in many other societal structures.

In some ways my words may sound like the beginnings of a manifesto of some kind.  They are not meant to be, but they are meant to, perhaps, serve a cautionary note on the trends we see in society that are pushing many to revolt against what they believe to be an oppressed role.  The balance between the needs of the economy and the nature of people is a sensitive one.

Just like the Sensitive Briar (Mimosa microphylla) which colonizes overgrazed land, perhaps the signs of strain in society such as rebellious behavior, are signals that people have been pushed too far.  Those who see themselves as "normal" often see that behavior in a negative light when it might actually be a warning sign of deep systemic problems that must be corrected.

 Seeking Value

What is value?  We all have a basic understanding of the concept, but I want to clarify the basic meanings of the word.

According to the Meriam Webster Dictionary, value has several meanings: 1) the amount of money that something is worth, 2) the equivalent in goods, services, or money for something exchanged, 3) relative worth, utility, or importance, 4) something that can be bought for a low or fair price, 5) something (such as a principle or quality) intrinsically valuable or desirable, 6) a numerical quantity that is assigned or is determined by calculation, 7) a relative lightness or darkness of a color.

That's a lot of different meanings for a word that we all think we understand.

I think a basic need of people is to feel that they are of value -- that they are needed by others, or that they are considered to be desirable company.  It seems a little strange to me that we sometimes look at others in such a term as value.  The simple reality is that such a view is the basis for many so-called friendships and when the value has been diminished the friendship disappears.

The whole concept of value is a self-centered one.  It comes back to what someone or something can do for me.  It is based on the concept of exchanging something we have for that which we don't.  It might be time, money or some other exchangeable medium.  It is a matter of giving up what we have for something we desire more highly.

One of the keys to sales is to establish the concept of value in what one is offering to be sold or exchanged.  Potential customers must be convinced that the object being offered has greater value that what is being given up.  Sometimes that perception of value is false but momentarily seems real because of an appeal to emotion or some sense of gratification.  This is often the case with much of what we see on television.  Advertising is often targeted at our base natures of envy, greed or again, that self-centered desire to have others "look at me" that creates momentary pleasure which is sometimes at the expense of lasting gain which might be of higher value -- such as relationships.

As I age, I am learning that many of the things I once valued were only temporarily so.  The cost was often higher than that which was immediately realized.  It often wasn't just the monetary exchange; it was in the things that were no longer accessible -- what I gave up in order to have what I momentarily desired.  We often see only the immediate cost and miss the longer-term impact of our decisions.

As the Apostle Paul wrote (very loosely interpreted), I am learning there is much value in being content in whatever circumstances I find myself.  Always striving for more is a common way of life but ultimately a sad one.

The Ohio Spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis) is a beautiful flower that graces the roadside in many places.  There is value in the grace of its beauty.

 Texas Paintbrush

There are many things that are symbolic of Texas.  The Alamo, Bluebonnets, the Texas Longhorn, the Lonestar Flag and even Shiner Beer, but one that is often overlooked is the Texas Paintbrush, one of the beautiful flowers that grace the roadsides and meadows of the state.  We can thank Lady Bird Johnson for that.

Another name for it is the Indian Paintbrush.  Sometimes I wonder if legends that have been attributed to native tribes are simply made up by modern authors seeking creative ways to tell a story, but the legend of the Indian Paintbrush surrounds the desire of a young boy to paint the sunset.

I love a good sunset as much as anyone else, but I also know that the vivid colors which we so admire are the result of the refraction of light from the setting sun among particulate matter suspended in the air.  A good old Texas dust storm is particularly effective in generating beautiful sunsets.  Mix in a few high clouds to create shadowed shades of violet and the painting is complete.

The Blanket Flower (Gaillardia pulchella) of which I have written about previously, is probably my favorite wildflower, but I also relish seeing Texas Bluebonnets (Lupinus texensis) and the Indian or Texas Paintbrush (Castilleja indivisa) pictured below.  What is your favorite wildflower?  If so inclined, tell me in the comments below.

 Life Lessons

When I was young, we had a honeysuckle vine growing beneath the kitchen window of our house.  To this day I remember how it smelled when the blossoms covered it in the spring and the butterflies, moths and bees buzzed around it seeking the sweet sustenance those flowers contained.  My mother showed me how to lightly pinch the base of the flower and gently pull the pistil out which drew a drop of nectar from the flower that was a pleasant treat.  It is a technique of foraging that I suspect is rarely taught to children nowadays.

It would be difficult to make a meal of the tiny drops of nectar, but the energy contained by them would certainly act as a refresher to someone in need.  That source of energy is what attracts the insects to the plant.

Dad didn't want the honeysuckle growing in the flower bed because it tended to spread and crowd out other things that he wanted to grow.  I was tasked with digging it out which was quite a chore since it required finding all of those runners and spreading roots.  I always enjoyed digging in the dirt as a kid and it wasn't the onerous chore kids today might think it to be, but it was bittersweet because I subsequently missed the Spring treat of robbing the nectar from the flowers.

I vividly recall the honeysuckle to this day and am reminded of it when I walk in the woods of our current small acreage.  In it I see life lessons taught to me as a youngster.  1) Nature provides. 2) Understanding how nature provides and how to utilize it is important. 3) There are prices -- the cost/benefit of everything. 4) Work is necessary to gain what we want but it sometimes carries the added cost of what we might have had.

 Quiet Giant

Silvery flashes among the deeper greens,
The gentle breeze is stirring
The gray-green leaves that flutter
To reveal their underside.

Mottled bark where flakes have fallen

Mark the giant Sycamore

Standing tall among the lesser trees

Which seek to crowd beneath its branches.

Long-lived ancestors saw the founders,

Furnished them homes,

Warmed the hearths,

Provided the furnishings of civilization.

Treasured for shade they line the streets

Of many small towns and villages

Where domestication contains them

And children play among their branches.

American Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)

 Earth Day 2026 -- Using Our Imagination

No, I'm not some radical Environmentalist, but I am an Environmentalist in many ways.  I believe in Conservation much more strongly than Preservation.  I see the Earth as my home, and I want my home to be clean, healthy and functioning properly.

The theme of Earth Day 2026 is "Our Power, Our Planet."  The focus is promotion of clean energy.  That's a tough one because Solar and Wind power are just as damaging to the environment as the oil and gas industry in many ways.

Most of us don't really think about the energy we consume except when we buy a tank of fuel for our vehicles or pay the electric bill.  We just expect it to be there ready to use, convenient and reliable.  

Our lives, jobs and recreation are filled with energy consumption.  The carbon you ingest as food is energy consumption.  The round of golf you play consumes energy -- the cheeseburger you just ate.  The burning muscles from a hard day of physical labor are the result of consuming energy that fuels your efforts.  Everything revolves around energy consumption and expenditure.

Reliable sources of energy and other resources have been the driving force behind wars.  The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in an effort to cripple the U.S. Military while Japanese forces seized the energy-rich lands of the Southeast Asian Islands.  Current events in the Middle East are to a large extent about energy as was the action in Venezuela.

Wind and Solar power are currently the darlings of the Environmental movement but the devastation of mining for rare earth minerals which are key to battery manufacture is often ignored.  The vast solar arrays which remove productive farm and ranch land are ignored.  The giant wind chargers which require tremendous manufacturing capabilities as well as the need for vast storage areas when they are scrapped also scar the land.

Wind, Solar and Water power are all very natural sources of energy, but not in the ways we have attempted to harness them.  Our food is captured solar energy.  That energy utilizes water and carbon which are drawn from the soil and the air to store itself in plants which are then either consumed directly or are further processed and concentrated by animals.  Wind and water shape the land and the things growing upon it.  Utilizing power from the sun, the planet itself along with the moon anchored to it generates the winds and cycles the water to sustain itself.  It conserves resources by constantly recycling them from one form to the next.  Even the waste leftover from our energy consumption is recycled.

We disrupt the natural cycles through chemicals and mechanical means, but nature itself carries the mechanisms to do all of those things on its own.  Soil microbes, plant roots, fungi, insects and worms are constantly breaking down the detritus of the living into food for the next generation.  Rather than focusing on unnatural processes and machinery to harvest our energy needs we need to re-think our approach and seek ways that mimic nature.

Below is a photo of an American Blusher Mushroom (Amanita flavorubens).  I have used a different photo of one in a previous post.  What many don't realize is that beneath the soil is a complex web of fibers connecting the mushrooms.  That's why we see "fairy rings" growing where mushrooms or toadstools are in the semblance of a circle.  The rhizomes threading through the soil not only break down plant and other material, but they also chemically transmit a message to nearby plant roots, insects and worms that food is nearby and available.  It is an amazing world we live in.  Let's keep it that way.

 True to Self

I admire people who are able to be completely true to themselves in any environment.  They are not swayed by trends or the desire to fit in, yet they adapt to the situation and simply shine as who and what they are.  They aren't trying to draw attention and don't have a "look at me" presence, they simply live to the beat of a different drummer, and they are comfortable with that.

When we are true to ourselves, we thrive.  It may not be in the ways others are comfortable with but that doesn't really matter.  There is peace in being who you are rather than always trying to fit in.

Yesterday I came across a garden variety of petunia growing wild among the weeds and grasses of a meadow.  I'm sure it is descended from a forebearer which was deliberately planted.  This one was thriving and shining and going wild by simply being what it was designed to be.

 Rising Mists

This morning as I watch the mists rising from the pond my mind twists with two forces pulling my thoughts; one is the scientific explanation that the water is warmer than the air this morning and the second is the simple, poetic beauty of rising mists.  The mists become a curtain hiding the surface where unknown dangers might lurk.

I sometimes think there is a war between reason and fantasy being fought within our minds.  Reason is based in our desire to understand and control where fantasy is rooted in our understanding that we are not in control but ride the currents of a reality that is beyond comprehension.  In the world of reason, we are limited to what we deem to be real.  The world of fantasy is unlimited -- unbounded by what we know or can imagine.  In it the unexpected is expected.

What is it that drives our tendency to fantasize?  Is it disappointment or disillusionment with reality or is it something calling us to reach beyond the circumstances that bind us to place and time?  

I think reality and fantasy are linked.  Fantasy -- imagination -- is what allows us to discover and understand the amazing and marvelous reality that surrounds us.  Our mind asks, "what if?" before it seeks new paths of understanding.  We are wired to crave knowledge and that wiring creates pathways to exploration of the unknown.

Yesterday we took a short walk simply to look at the various plants we could find growing around our property.  Our focus is on identifying those foreign to our soil and those which are native.  We identify and decide whether to remove or retain and encourage.

Growing in the ditch along our county road we encountered a small cluster of Pink Ladies (Oenothera speciosa).  They are also known as the Evening Primrose.  They are native to Texas and often seen along roadsides.  Identifying these plants is part of our quest for knowledge but it also provides fodder for the imagination.  Perhaps they are really fairies in pink skirts dancing in the wind.

Encouragement Matters

 Everyone faces times of doubt.  It may be that we feel unprepared or perhaps unworthy.  In times like those it is always nice to receive encouragement.  Hopefully, there will be a mentor there to encourage you in those times of doubt.

Sometimes encouragement can take other forms.  Creating opportunity for others is a form of encouragement.  It may be a bit more subtle but helping to create that small space where someone can find a niche in which to fit is encouraging to their growth.  They may not always recognize your contribution, but as they thrive in that new role or activity, they will remember that you were there.

We have numerous Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) that grace our place.  Watching them flit from branch to ground in search of food is one of the enjoyable moments of the day.  They feel comfortable enough around us that they have nested and raised a brood.  Yesterday we took a quick peek to see how they were doing.  You can even see the blue tint to the feathers already.  Encouraging them to nest was simply a matter of providing the space -- both in the form of a nesting box and leaving them alone to fulfill their purpose.

 Omens and Portents

When you live in the country you are sometimes surprised by the things that show up in your yard or that you see in your rural environment.  Country dogs can be a contributing factor to those surprises.  In those times when we lived in the country and had dogs -- even those supposedly confined to a fenced area -- we have been blessed by the discoveries they have made and felt compelled to share with us.

In Nebraska we had the dried remains of a deer carcass laid upon our front porch.  Opossums have been delivered to our doorstep -- not always those whose spirits had gone to the hereafter but were playing their name out until opportunity for escape occurred.  Yesterday we were graced with a demonic looking skull and a few rib bones clinging together by thin strips of dry hide.

If we were the superstitious type, it would be very disconcerting to see the skull looking at you from in front of the house.  In our case it was more of a stimulus to our curiosity than anything else.  We have not seen any of the genus Capra in our neighborhood, but there obviously are, or at least, have been some and now there is one less.

I can imagine that some might find the discovery of the skull as an obviously evil portent of bad things to come.  I choose to look at it in light of the term in common usage today of GOAT -- Greatest of All Time!  Maybe our canine guardian was simply demonstrating his feelings toward us....