A Conversation for The Meditation Garden

Nones

Post 201

Hypatia

Both Colorado and Montana have more dramatic landscapes than we have. There is a bit of disagreement over whether the Ozark Plateau or the Appalachians is the oldest land mass in North America. Whatever, our area is truly ancient. Our mountains began as mighty as the Rockies, but have worn down over the eons. smiley - smiley
When you are in the Ozarks you can sense that age. When you take off your shoes and stand on a rocky outcrop you can almost feel the past entering your body, making you a part of a billion years of continuity. And there are places here where you can hear the earth. It is a special area.


Nones

Post 202

MaggyW

I've been to Arkansas - but can't remember if the Ozarks go that far down...and I was too young to notice geology smiley - laugh. I was 17 and only into boys and horses...

But America has such wonderful diversity of country. One day we'd like to drive the whole way across and then back again...


Nones

Post 203

MaggyW

Mind you...the Bozeman valley where we lived for a while was pretty special too...seven ranges of mountains around it and the Bridger Range would go pink every evening at sunset (always had snow on them). People would come out of houses and offices to look at them even though it happened regularly.

It was a sacred valley to the Indians and there weren't any (notable) massacres so you could just sit there and be with the hills and the river and feel nothing but the planet.

One of the lovely things about America is that there isn't that much history. Europe is weighed deep in history. That's a good thing too but it makes the land feel different


Nones

Post 204

Hypatia

Maggy, Arkansas shares the Ozarks with us. The most rugged parts are in Arkansas. NOrthern Arkansas is beautiful. Southern Arkansas is flat.

Now see, I am soooooooooo jealous of the history in Europe. We're never satisfied with what we have, it seems. But you're right about there being a different atmosphere. I imagine that any place that has been occupied for thousands of years is going to have a residual, collective aura of all those lives. Which is going to be stronger than the earth's vibrations.


Nones

Post 205

YOGABIKER

It is very sad to me that the thousands of years of history of this part of the world is completely lost. We do seem to conclude that since we are not taught anything prior to Columbus that everything started then. It is not said that way, but it comes across like that. The stories, the wars, the great civilizations, the discoveries are all lost. Well mostly lost anyway. What isn't lost is largly ignored. Columbus is not my ancestor any more than Montezuma is. Most of my ancestors left Germany in the late 1800's. Anyway, it's too bad that disease and immigrants had to kill so many of those people who didn't keep very good records.

smiley - peacedove

YB


Nones

Post 206

abbi normal "Putting on the Ritz" with Dr Frankenstein

It's striking differences, especially Castles and Royal histories in Europe compared to the US. Europe was a great lesson as a teen. It became easy to see why the US was looked upon as a foolish younger sibling. I"ll never forget graffitti in Brussles at the time of the Viet Nam war. Seeing the US through outside eyes, good and the bad views,is something every American should do at least once.

Amazing wherever you live if you look into the history what you will find. Hypatia are you near the Trail of Tears or the huge caves and caverns?

It can be fun to set your mind to being a tourist in your own area.

Further back it's not so different!smiley - sheepsmiley - ponyCave drawings in France and the Americas, Australia of so long ago look so similar.

I used to not care so much for the wide open plains.
smiley - magic until I stayed with a friend in various seasons.
With a blizzard you could see 2 fronts coming for hours building up steam and colliding. Before harvests the long range views were always bordered by tall grasses blowing with the wind ,like a sea rising and falling. For a short time the sunflower season, nothing but sunflowers as far as the eye could seesmiley - wizard Baby ones Giant ones.
I will never think it's too plain in the Plains again! smiley - biggrin


Nones

Post 207

Hypatia

Abbi, my sister lives in central Kansas - wheat country. The sunsets over the ripe wheat fields are breathtaking.

YB, have you visited Mexico or Central America? The pre-Columbian sites there are very impressive. And since they build with stone, they have lasted longer than most of the sites in the US. The Mayas made astronomical calculations much more sophisticated than the Europeans of the same time period. There is one building at Chichen Itza called the Caracol, which was an observatory. Fascinating place.

I want to go to Peru one of these days to visit the Inca ruins. At a time when we could have managed it time-wise and money-wise, the state department was discouraging Americans from travelling to Peru because of the Shining Path and Tupac Amaru gurillas.

The mound Builders in our area left so little behind - except for the earthen mounds themselves. Cahokia is close enough for you to visit. smiley - smiley


Nones

Post 208

Hypatia

Abbi, yes, the Trail of Tears came very near here. What a tragedy that was. As to caverns, I hope to take the folks attending the meet through one of the large commercial ones. There are quite a few nearby.


Nones

Post 209

abbi normal "Putting on the Ritz" with Dr Frankenstein

OOO I would love seeing them again.
Have not sen them since I was a childsmiley - cool
I will be envious with so many coming from over the pond!
*rarely indulges in envy*


Nones

Post 210

YOGABIKER

I saw Fantastic Caverns, Merrimac Caverns, and one other in the late eighties. Very smiley - cool. I think the cave tour is a great idea! This is sounding better by the minute!


Nones

Post 211

Ellen

I've been to Cumberland Caverns in Tennessee. Wonderful, amazing place.


Nones

Post 212

MaggyW

I once flew over the Grand Canyon but missed most of it because I was too busy taking pictures to look properly smiley - doh

Going back to YogaBiker - didn't quite get all your posting but a point there about 'losing' a lot of history is very valid. Who knows what happened centuries ago in a country like America?

Found a 'big sky' in Britain last week - went over to the Fens to visit someone and the land there is so flat I could see weather coming from miles away. But of course, Britain being so small, our weather changes every 10 minutes anyway smiley - laugh. I remember having a Russian come and stay who was amazed at the constant changes.


Nones

Post 213

YOGABIKER

This world is a beautiful place all told if you ask me.
I couldn't appreciate it for most of my life, but slowly, around ten years ago, I started to look around me in awe. It seems to have started when I noticed how gorgeous the woods on the hill above the river was. It was staring me in the face. I couldn't believe that I had missed this view until then. It was the way I came home from work every day for the previous eight years or so! Ever since I have been getting more and more of those views.
Biking through the country, or high class neighborhoods, or depressed spots with abandon factories.Overcast evenings, bright sunny days, or safe inside during a snow storm all seem bursting with beauty these days. Last summer, about forty minutes from or house we stumbled upon a prarie preserve we had never heard of. Rolling hills as far as we could see. I must go back there when I have time to walk them!
This view of the world came as an unbidden gift. It's fun to talk about but I don't know how to pass it along to anyone else. The Buddhist talk about being awake, maybe I am waking up. If any of you look around and see what I see, we are the lucky ones. It appears that many people are missing it. I was missing it myself for far, far too long.

smiley - peacedove

YB


Nones

Post 214

Ellen

Wow, cool Yogabiker!


Nones

Post 215

abbi normal "Putting on the Ritz" with Dr Frankenstein

I agree YB!
smiley - boingKeep your mind and eyes open to new ways, joys and beauty!
They are everywhere.
You never have to be finished having first experiences.


Nones

Post 216

MaggyW

I do so agree.

A few weeks ago when I was feeling a bit low I challenged myself to find 100 beautiful things on my usual normal dog walk. It was so easy! Everything was so wonderfully lovely - even the colour of some bird s*** on a leaf. And I saw so many buds and flowers and birds - and a squirrel's drey. Absolutely beautiful and a real lesson in wakefulness.


Nones

Post 217

Hypatia

The weather here is so odd this year. One week it is spring and the next it is winter again. Each season has it's own beauty.

Do any of you live where there are ice storms? YB does, I'm sure. I don't like having them because they damage the trees so badly and often take out our power for days on end. But they are soooooooo beautiful. As pretty as a heavy wet snow is hanging on the trees, I think the ice is even prettier.

I used to paint for a hobby - may get back to it one of these days. When I first started I began noticing things like how many shades of green are in a landscape and how many different colors are actually in a cloud filled sky. I seriously looked at things like shadows and textures for the first time. This earth of ours is a beautiful place. smiley - rose


Nones

Post 218

abbi normal "Putting on the Ritz" with Dr Frankenstein

YB it is a kind of "waking up"!smiley - gift

On history lost - we have many ancient sites here where Utah-New Mexico-Colorado meet up. where the Anasazi cliff dwellers lived in a city of rock walls. It is spectacular.

One of my greatests joys was hugging a 3000 year old treesmiley - somersault
More like a love patsmiley - winkeye no way to totally embrace them!
Oh the history they have seen off the California shores!


Nones

Post 219

Hypatia

Abbi, Chaco Canyon, Pueblo Bonito and Mesa Verde are places I have on my 'absolutely must visit' list. I've visited some of the pre-Columbian sites in Mexico and enjoyed them greatly

I'm told that the University of Colorado does a tour each summer of the Four Corners region. The guide is from the archaeology department, I think. Anyway, if it isn't just for students, I'm thinking it would be a good way to see the area.


Nones

Post 220

abbi normal "Putting on the Ritz" with Dr Frankenstein

I think you would enjoy it very much Hypatiasmiley - gift


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