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Life Art
Let us spend one day as deliberately as nature. Henry David Thoreau
On our way to Bellingham, Washington last September, we spent the night in Eugene Oregon. We stayed near the University of Oregon campus and dined at a wonderful Italian Restaurant called Beppe and Gianni's Trattoria. They are well worth the stop if you ever visit Eugene.
We chose to walk there from our motel. On the way we came to a parking lot where a group of people were gathered staring into the sky. Not able to resist, we also looked up. My mouth dropped open and my breath escaped. At first we saw a gathering of birds but then as we turned in a circle we realized the sky radiated with them. They swirled and whirled and swept together creating a funnel cloud undulating in a ballet of connected movement. At a clue from the leaders the tip of the funnel dove toward and down into a giant free standing chimney. While some made it in at the first try, others whipped around to reconnect with the tornado of wings.
This migratory behavior of 30,000 birds occurs each year at the same place for about 2-3 weeks. We watched for 20 minutes unable to speak as we witnessed the flight moving together as one, their passion clear, elegant and strong. This truest art form, this dance of nature reminded me we are not alone. Our combined energy fills the world and universe. Even though their flight comes from an instinctual need to migrate and roost, it's elegance lifts the soul. We too instinctually create our world and although many times I hate our need to spread civilization across the earth, we also create much beauty through our collective need to survive. This delicious evening remains a reminder to me to look for the art in life.
Be sure to click on the link "gathering of birds" above.
On our way to Bellingham, Washington last September, we spent the night in Eugene Oregon. We stayed near the University of Oregon campus and dined at a wonderful Italian Restaurant called Beppe and Gianni's Trattoria. They are well worth the stop if you ever visit Eugene.
We chose to walk there from our motel. On the way we came to a parking lot where a group of people were gathered staring into the sky. Not able to resist, we also looked up. My mouth dropped open and my breath escaped. At first we saw a gathering of birds but then as we turned in a circle we realized the sky radiated with them. They swirled and whirled and swept together creating a funnel cloud undulating in a ballet of connected movement. At a clue from the leaders the tip of the funnel dove toward and down into a giant free standing chimney. While some made it in at the first try, others whipped around to reconnect with the tornado of wings.
This migratory behavior of 30,000 birds occurs each year at the same place for about 2-3 weeks. We watched for 20 minutes unable to speak as we witnessed the flight moving together as one, their passion clear, elegant and strong. This truest art form, this dance of nature reminded me we are not alone. Our combined energy fills the world and universe. Even though their flight comes from an instinctual need to migrate and roost, it's elegance lifts the soul. We too instinctually create our world and although many times I hate our need to spread civilization across the earth, we also create much beauty through our collective need to survive. This delicious evening remains a reminder to me to look for the art in life.
Be sure to click on the link "gathering of birds" above.