Baraka

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

I watched the documentary, Baraka today. The film, beautifully photographed in high-definition, depicted the common thread found in all people in the world: spirituality, community, violence, destruction and death. The story was told through man’s relationship with nature. The opening scene began in Japan where a female Japanese snow monkey (macaque) was soaking in hot springs. The monkey sat still, her expression calm, almost meditative. I had wanted to see the film on its own merit, but the image of the macaque in such a calm repose, convinced me that the film was worth putting aside the day’s chores.

It has been my intent to one day return to Japan to visit the mountainous regions where the snow monkey lives. I don’t know much about the snow monkey except for the photographs I have seen of them. Macaques have a red, human-like face with expressive eyes. Their fur is naturally thick and during the winter months they grow an even heavier fur coat that protects them from the cold. Although they typically walk on all four legs, they are capable on walking on their back legs allowing them to hold items in their hands. Most photographs of macaque show them soaking in Japanese hot springs, called onsen. I guess that is where I first fell in love with them.

My initial trip to Japan was an experience in culture shock. It was the first time I had travelled to a foreign country (Canada notwithstanding) and found myself in a place where I was the one who stood out from the masses. Metropolitan Japan is defined by large waves of people in constant motion. Narrow city streets and tightly packed buildings are brightly lit by gaudy displays of neon. It was emotionally overwhelming and isolating for in addition to not looking Japanese, I did not speak the language.

After a day of recovering from jet lag, we left the city travelling by rail to Hakone. We walked around the city and stayed in a traditional Japanese hotel; rooms furnished with tatami rugs and futons rolled away in a closet. After dinner we went to the onsen where there were separate pools of steaming water steeped in various herbs and smells.  This was the Japan I was seeking, one where the pace was slower, buildings simple and elegant, where traditions and history are more important than commerce.

Someday I will return to Japan, not to visit the Ginza or Akihabara (Electric Town where stores carrying the latest in electronic gadgetry ply their wares) but to travel far into the forested regions where the macaque live. Where people and nature intersect and move in concert with one another.

The Arrival of the Big Cats

Photo Credit - Michigan Department of Natural Resources

When I planned my September trip to the Upper Peninsula, one of my goals was to search for the elusive cougar that had been seen in the area where I was to stay. I had no expectation of success as these great cats are secretive and not fond of human interaction.

So when I received an email from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources about three verifiable cougar sightings, I was thrilled. As I read the press release I was astounded to learn that two of the cougars wore radio collars, a device not used on cougars in Michigan. DNR officials noted that North and South Dakota are the closest two states to utilize the collars on cougars. Considering that the Dakotas are between 500 and 700 miles from the Upper Peninsula, those two cougars traveled a great distance to arrive at their present locations.

Intrigued, I pulled out my Michigan Mammals book (Rollin H. Baker, Michigan State University Press) and read the section on cougars. The book explained that the juvenile cougar is highly mobile, for resident male and female cougars tend to remain in their original territories. But the cougar roaming distances discussed in Michigan Mammals were 25 miles or more. Five to seven hundred miles is significantly more than the distances discussed.

That leads me to ask the question, why have those Dakota cougars travelled such a long distance from their home territory? As with most predators, food availability is often the determining factor in where a cougar will situate itself. With its abundance of whitetail deer and sparse human population centers, the Upper Peninsula would be an ideal location for any cougar to reside. It makes me wonder if whether the cougars traveled east to find adequate food supplies and to avoid the depredation by ranchers who blame the cats for the killing of their livestock. Agriculture and cattle ranching are major industries in the Dakotas, leaving little doubt that the cougar is an unwelcome guest in those states.

Whatever the reason for their relocation, the cougar, like the wolf, is a key player in maintaining ecosystem balance. As top predators, the cougar regulates the deer and small game populations naturally. Without the cougar, overpopulation of prey animals can result. Too many prey animals can cause excessive feeding on trees and other vegetation and starvation will drive prey animals into residential areas in search of food.

Whatever the reasons behind the arrival of the Dakota cougars, I am glad to see that someone had the opportunity to see them in the wild. Perhaps one day I too will get the same chance.

Press Release - Michigan DNR verifies three Upper Peninsula cougar photos - Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Nov. 28, 2012; Contact: Adam Bump, 517-373-1263, bumpa@michigan.gov; or Debbie Munson Badini, 906-226-1352, munsonbadinid@michigan.gov

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153--290552--,00.html

True Friendship Endures

Today was a special day for I had lunch with a friend whom I had not seen in several years. We had worked together many years ago and despite moving in different directions professionally had managed to stay in touch. Over lunch we talked about the old days of working together, reminiscing about colleagues long forgotten, eventually coming full circle to our present careers. We shared stories about our families, the lengths of our marriages, and how our perspectives of work and life have changed.

It is difficult to believe that our friendship has lasted more than twenty six years. Except for a brief period of time, I can count on two hands the number of times we have seen each other since I left the company we both worked for. What amazes me is that after only a couple of awkward moments at the onset of our lunch, our conversation resumes its natural tempo, as if our last visit was only weeks earlier not years.

I returned home to my two old ladies, who were waiting impatiently for their noon meal. Like my friend, Lucy and Gracie have also shared my life for a very long time. We have grown old together and yet, I continue to see them as the youngsters who joined my home so many years ago. The three of us have long past the frivolousness of our youth. We are not as spritely as we once were and I see the effects of aging in the bodies of my two girls. Despite the physical limitations that come with age, my relationship with them is as strong as the first time we met. Time may change our physical beings, but not the emotional connections that first brought us together.

In my busy life, I often put chores and responsibilities first to the detriment of relationships. Looking back, I had my priorities backwards and it is days like today that reminds me of that. There will come a time when Lucy, Gracie and my friends will pass from my life permanently leaving behind only memories. Would not a better use of my life here on earth be to reach out to those whose friendships bring richness and meaning to my life?