Last week I was hiking with my son and granddaughter when we came upon this flock of geese chilling in the shade. My granddaughter, in all her 2-yr-old cuteness, called out “excuse me” and plowed her way on through. Her daddy called out “watch out for the poop!”
Lucky for me, I got to be part of this little exchange. I even caught it on video, making it a treasured deposit into my Covid-year memory bank.
It seems like ages ago, but back in January I put together a well-scheduled marketing plan for Adunate’s 15th anniversary year. Who would have guessed in the next six months we’d have pandemic lockdowns, racial injustices, and worsening divides. These days it feels trivial to make a big hoopla about my little business.
For the record, while I’m most dedicated to my beloved clients, Adunate at 15 is not a power-driven, highfalutin design studio. If you liken me to this trusty Ford 5-speed, I might push my business from second to fifth once in a while, but usually you’ll find me happily puttering along at a steady three or four.
Another record worth noting is now that I’ve finally mastered those bloody ratchet straps, I can have a kayak loaded into this ol’ Ford and be on the road in fifteen minutes. I say this because these days—these Covid days—it only takes a text from my kids or an impromptu from my husband and I’m heading to the water…the trails…my garden…anywhere outdoors. Call it a renewal of my existence as an ecological being.
Seems like Covid has everyone doing that, right? In fact, if there’s been a universal awareness in all this chaos, it’s been a reconnection to nature.
Humans have always been hard-wired for green spaces, but given this new reality, we’re now using the outdoors to bring us together while still keeping “1 cow apart” (as we like to say here in Wisconsin). For me, a slow paddle through the wetlands allows precious time with family. Hiking in a state park with my bible class connects us after weeks of Zoom gatherings. Coffee al fresco relieves me from the isolation of my home office—okay, I haven’t done that one yet, but it will be simply diviiiine when I finally do!
How about you? Are you reconnecting with nature and how is it bringing you together with your people?
By the way…
If you’re looking to get out this fall, mark September 26-October 4 for the Fermentation Fest Farm / Art DTour. Consider it your cultural reconnection to the land—a free, self-guided 50+ miles through the beautiful farmlands of Sauk County, Wisconsin. You’ll find temporary art installations, roadside poetry, local food markets, and the natural treasures of this geologically unique region. Definitely a must-see!