awakened by fragrance of scotch broom, full flower
walking amidst cloud of bees hovering midair
what conference is this i attend,
an interspecies ambassador?
from “interspecies,” Wildcat Canyon Suite, Claudia L’Amoreaux
Once upon a time, several years ago, circumstances in my life—proximity to a 2079-acre regional park, good health, and a flexible work schedule—a convergence of circumstances I deeply appreciate, enabled me to make a personal commitment to walk on a trail for a few hours, almost every day of the year, no matter what the weather. You could say I created my own nature school. Because I showed up to walk that trail day after day, I was witness to great and surprising beauty. I learned quickly to always carry a pen and a piece of paper folded up in my pocket, to capture the encounters I had with the other wild life in short poems. I later named this set of poems The Wildcat Canyon Suite, after that trail I came to love…
…which brings me to the Leatherleaf Mahonia (Mahonia bealei) currently in bloom at the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco. The photo above does not do it justice and it doesn’t give you a sense of scale (the flower is the size of a soccer ball, the leaves extend at least 16 inches, and the plant is taller than I am). I took this photograph one-handed while lifting a small human in my other arm so she could see the flower at eye level. I used my phone camera to identify this exotic with the Seek app. Believe me, I had never heard of a Leatherleaf Mahonia until Seek identified it for me on the spot.
I’ve been visiting the Tea Garden fairly regularly with my young granddaughter Aya. Because we visit again and again, the place gifts us. We’re there to see the squirrel drinking from the water-filled stone bowl that sits on the emerald mossy ground just beside the stone lantern. We’re there to see one bold white mushroom rising up in the little grove behind the pagoda. We’re there at coy feeding time. We’re there to spot the brand new ducklings with their mother on the pond. We are startled by two Red-tailed hawks tangling over a fresh catch. We hear the honking geese and look up to see them flying overhead in V formation.
We’re not far off the grid in deep nature. We’re literally one block from a major commuter artery in a large city. We can hear the sounds of traffic, sirens, airplanes overhead. And about that Mahonia. Originally from China. According to the Invasive Plant Atlas, it’s been planted as an ornamental and is invading woodlands in the southern US. Meanwhile, Aya and I are having a great time saying Leatherleaf Mahonia. Say it aloud. You’ll see what I mean.
What nearby places draw you back, again and again, and help you to grow your sense of place?
Let me know. I’d love to hear from you.
