Living in the city makes me think about nature more often. When I was a kid we lived in a little factory town that felt like the city. The train going by would rumble the house and all the older neighbors would keep an eye on my brother and I. Because we didn't have a very big yard or many trees for that matter, my parents would take us to the park or hiking in the woods. We even went up to Maine to purchase an Old Town canoe so we could check out wildlife from the water. Nature is calming and being by any moving body of water is where I find contentment.
If you live in the city like me and miss those woods, you want to find ways to get connected again. I have found simple ways to bring nature near me despite the sound of sirens in my ears and buildings close by. Here are some ideas:
1. Take Pictures with Your Phone of Nature: While I go on my 2 mile walk through the neighborhood I could be distracted by all the homes, cars, and asphalt. What I try to do is focus in on nature and find simple little plants or the way the light hits the trees lining the road. Once I have found a good specimen, I take a picture with my phone which I have with me. I have seen some pretty awesome looking weeds out there folks. We even have a park near by that I like to spend my time gazing at.
2. Get or Make a Bird Feeder & Fill it with Seed: While living up north, Chris and I found this awesome bird feeder that we could suction cup to the window. With its clear walls and roof you can see every movement of the birds that come by. It takes a while for them to get used to you being around to watch, so don't think it is a fail when you have to wait a couple weeks for some action. It also takes them a while for them to find it. Since living here we have seen a lot of beautiful birds and the squirrels as well. Sadly for them, they can't get to the feeder at all. Having the birds come and make all their songs really makes me feel like I am close to nature.
3. Visit a Nursery & Purchase Easy Care Plants: For the longest time, even when we lived in a somewhat nature setting, I wanted to have plants in the house. I think it is an affect of living where it is cold and brown most of the year, but besides that it is also good to have something in the house that cleans the air. I have yet to have a collection, but I am working on the one plant I have so far to see how I am at maintaining foliage.
4. Visit a Botanical Garden or Walk a Trail on the Weekend: Most of the time we all don't really have time to be outside anyways and on the weekends, city or country, we can spend time in nature somewhere. When spring comes I am thinking of getting a membership at Longwood Gardens so that I can get my fix of nature on the weekends. I have only been there in the winter so I am looking forward to see what it is like outside soon! If you want to do something free, find an old railroad trail or a wildlife refuge outside of town. Even taking a walk in the city park can help with that nature fix.
These photos that I have posted are from our visit in Austin last week and it was good to get outside and walk a trail for old times sake. We actually didn't get far on the trail because our friend Phil and I kept stopping to take a picture of random leaves and rocks. Anyways, don't ever think that you are stuck living in complete city life if you are used to the country. There are ways to stay positive about our situations. You just have to think outside your town house or small apartment.
Happy Nature Hunting!
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