This Sunday afternoon, I am presenting a nature writing workshop in Ojai in conjunction with the environmental nonprofit, Footprints in the Soil. I have five friends/former students who have said they’ll make the drive up from LA for the afternoon, which I greatly appreciate. This is my first foray into the writing world here in Ojai, and those five people may, in fact, be the only folks there. But here’s the thing: if they are willing to drive 1 1/2 hours to participate in my writing workshop, then I’m going to prepare as if there will be 500 people. So, I have spent the last several weeks reading everything I can get my hands on related to nature writing.

The best part of teaching is that I have a great excuse to learn a whole lot more about a subject I find interesting. That has certainly been the case with nature writing since I’ve looked at many books, articles, and essays that are so beautifully written that they have had a great impact not only on my mind but also on my pocketbook. I’ll be receiving quite a few of these books in the next few days from Amazon. To name only a few, let me say that I’m looking forward to reading more of Pam Houston’s Deep Creek: Finding Hope in the High Country, Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Braiding Sweetgrass, Rebecca Solnit’s A Field Guide to Getting Lost, and John Murray’s Writing About Nature. Wow. That doesn’t even include Barbara Kingsolver’s wonderful essays and books, Mary Oliver’s poetry, or any number of other authors who have pulled me in and wowed me with their moving nature prose and poetry.

Spending so much time at our orange grove in Ojai has deepened my interest in nature writing. Waking up among the trees, hearing the wind rattling the leaves, smelling the clean air, and feeling the temperature difference between standing in the shade versus in direct sun, I have become much more attuned to my surroundings. Also, being here has helped me to recognize that we are not the sole occupants of this grove. We live among ground squirrels, mice, rats, and gophers. snakes, opossums, raccoons, deer, and at least one bobcat, along with countless birds, bees, insects, and frogs. Oh, and, of course, coyotes. They routinely visit as well. So, I would say I am waking up to those realities, which open my mind to just how teeming with life this land is.

On that note, I’ll close. After all, our rooster will start crowing in the early morning hours and will be joined by the hee-hawing of a neighbor’s donkey. Plus, our dogs will let us know at around 6 am that they are ready to run outside and see what is happening, and then a whole new day begins.

Peace to you, my friends. We all need a little peace in our lives right now, yes?

Talk again soon.