☁️ splitting clouds at the edge of the world

I brake for Coltsfoot.

Hey y'all,

Here's a dispatch from early spring that I left in the drafts.

I have more recent things to share, but these ones are so good I can't not send this.

I left this in the drafts because I got caught up in a serious game of "What's even the point" this spring. But I'm coming out of it.

Here are three things I was thinking about back in April:

1. What is making my whole body scream YES YES YES!: How to Love the World More: George Saunders on the Courage of Uncertainty

"In a world full of people who seem to know everything, passionately, based on little (often slanted) information, where certainty is often mistaken for power, what a relief it is to be in the company of someone confident enough to stay unsure (that is, perpetually curious)."

Yes yes yes!

2. What I'm watching: The music video for Beach House's Wishes

My comfort show is The West Wing. My comfort podcast is The West Wing Weekly, in which hosts discuss each episode. I love both so much and I'll talk about them with anyone who's willing.

When actor Ray Wise–probably best known for his role as Leland Palmer in Twin Peaks–had a guest appearance on The West Wing, the podcast hosts talked about how Ray Wise has a totally unique presence. No one looks like Ray Wise, and few things can unsettle you quite like Ray Wise's wry grin. Host Hrishikesh Hirway said his favorite Ray Wise appearance was in Beach House's video for Wishes, directed by Eric Wareheim of Tim & Eric.

I raced to Youtube to experience the wild cocktail that is Ray Wise's creepiness + Tim & Eric vibes. It was a delightfully weird and gorgeous and unsettling five minutes. I'd ride that ride again.
 

3. What I'm crying about: Splitting Clouds at the Edge of the World: How Had I Never Noticed It Before?

I recently attended a talk about the native bees of Burlington put on as part of the City Nature Celebration.

The speaker was Jason Mazurowksi, a local ecologist and bee expert, and he got me SO pumped on native bees. Did you know that The Intervale [a dump-turned-natural area in the most urban part of Vermont] has the highest native bee diversity in all of Vermont?!

I Googled Jason when I got home to see if I could find some of this bee photography, and instead found this beautiful essay he wrote during the pandemic about the wildness all around us, how being a naturalist is really a practice about noticing, about how massive interruptions are often followed by an opportunity for regeneration, for developing entirely new ways of being in a new world.

"I used to quantify wildness as a function of remoteness, measured in miles from the nearest road or trailhead. But the laws of nature don’t stop at the edge of a wilderness boundary. They apply to our farms and towns and cities whether we want them to or not. I cringe whenever I hear that overused adage of the modern naturalist, urging us to “discover what’s in our own backyard.” Perhaps a better, more accurate statement: Embrace the wildness that spills out onto your doorstep."

I participated in my first ever Big Night and shared a sweet little moment with this baby Bull Frog.

Thanks for reading!

Christine Tyler Hill is the human behind Tender Warrior Co.