Lean Into The Silence

A new year 2023 week 67 of my journeys

So at least until I figure out something different my weekly updates will be on Facebook of course and on my blog page, since that's the only way it works from my phone.

I began the new year high up in the gorgeous Ouachita mountains in Arkansas. It was a wonderful place to bring in the new year. No fanfare or fireworks, just peace and quiet and the forest friends. I spent the evenings and mornings listening to the birds and the wind blowing through the majestic pine trees. I hiked around a bit but mostly just reveled in the peace and quiet of the forest. I could've stayed up there for a week or more if it had not been for the storm predicted on Monday. And if not for the very real concern of getting stuck on the already very rough washed out roads if I'd have stayed and weathered the storm. So I decided I'd better get down the mountain before they washed out even more. Since there are no amenities up there I'd not enjoy running out of water. Besides, I'm kinda excited to get to Arizona. I'm not anxious to get stuck in any more winter weather along the way either. Barring any unforeseen incidents, Arizona's already experienced their obligatory week or so of winter. 😜😂 I'm unsure of how southern New Mexico's weather will be though.

For those of you who don't know, I'm also somewhat of an amateur birder and one of the first birds I saw on new years day was a "new" one for me. A brown headed nuthatch, a tiny little inconspicuous treecreeper which sounds exactly like a dog's squeaky toy. They were too far away for a picture, sadly but I definitely identified them by their sounds. I'm absolutely in love with the bird app Merlin. Had it not been for it I'd have never identified that one and so many more on this journey. I sure wish I'd known about it much sooner though. Especially when I went to Ecuador and Panama! Anyway, I could see the tiny birds and definitely heard them, but never got the camera to focus on their frenetic movement way up there in the treetops. This little bird brought my life list total to 471! I also saw and heard the ever present Carolina wrens, and Carolina chickadees, a crow or ten and a couple of pileated woodpeckers plus a lone little tufted titmouse came down from the tree tops to check me out when I was having a sneezing fit! 😂🤧 She was funny just chattering away not 10 feet from me as I was non-stop sneezing for several minutes. 😂🥰 Maybe she was saying "bless you"🤣 or maybe she was telling me to shut up! 😂 Or maybe she was just confused as to what this noisy creature was disturbing the peace of her forest.

I got into Texas a few days ago and had to visit the cute little historic town of Jefferson, which I've been to before, many years ago. It's just as cute now as then, in fact not much has changed. But I did get to explore more this time, being on my own and with no agendas. I looked up the history and it's very interesting. At one time, in the 1800s it was a pretty big port town. The general store of which I took lots of pictures, inside and out was built in the 1800s and is still in use. It is darling.

The next day I made my way down to lake Murvaul where I decided to stay a couple nights. It was so beautiful and peaceful. When I arrived there were 5 great blue herons to greet me, plus lots of other birds. The next morning I looked out the front window of my little house on wheels as I sat inside drinking my coffee and saw a huge pod of white pelicans! At least 50 of them! Hundreds of cormorants too. Apparently called a gulp! Odd but interesting. I added a couple new birds to my life list here also. Two which I've likely seen before but never identified, a Bonaparte's gull and a Merlin.

Later that morning I met a couple of guys, camped nearby. Who were just sitting by the lake chatting. One who lives and travels in his pickup and the other one who is getting ready to. The second one had so many questions. Which was fun. We spent a few hours talking. It was fun sharing stories and answering questions and just hanging out without any agendas. Even though I love being by myself and traveling by myself it's always nice to meet people in the nomad "community". It's so interesting to share stories and information. I've almost never run across anyone trying to change others or impose their beliefs on others. If they're really a part of the community you can tell because no matter their beliefs or inclinations they're usually accepting of all. Politics and religion are seldom even talked about but if it is it's calm and not heated or argumentative. Like things used to be. Where you could disagree with someone and still be friends, not telling them they're wrong or worse, stupid. And if you don't agree and can't have a civilized discussion about any of it you just leave those subjects alone. And no one is bothered by that. Where you feel more free to be yourself. I'm not sure where civility went. But here, on the road it seems to remain strong. Like one of the guys said, we leave that stuff outside of the "gate". I think it's more than that though really. Also there's the fact that I'm not lonely or looking to have conversations with just anyone to just fill space. I do truly enjoy my own company and the silence. I would not say that this life is only for those like me who enjoy the silence because there are many who meet up regularly with groups of people, friends and soon to be friends and some even travel together. I'm not opposed to that on a short term basis but it's not my go to. What I'd rather say is that this way of life will help you learn to accept and even invite the silence and being alone without getting lonely. Quiet contemplation is a gift that we seldom are able to access in the rat race we've come to call life. Yet it is so necessary for growth and we've seemed to have forgotten that. Even when faced with the silence in our busy lives many try to drown it out, in whatever way they can. Fearing to go there. Fearing the silence. Fearing what they might find there and have to face. The more it scares you the more you need to go there.

I hope this new year brings you peace and happiness and I hope everyone can take at least a few minutes this week to sit in silence and listen. You might be surprised. 💕

And don't forget to check out my friends' website Sophiaswell.net and take advantage of the special "mini" 2023 personal overview reading which he's offering through the end of this month or schedule a longer in-depth soul reading any time. He also posts awesome weekly messages there as well.

And please visit my photography website and subscribe here at northstarnaturephotography.com and Teresa-Stallings.Pixels.com 💕 Thank you 💕