Nice to Meet You

I formally met this little guy this week. It covers the ground along the trail I walk frequently, only reaching a height of a couple centimeters. After some Google sleuthing, I believe he goes by the name Antennaria microphylla. It is odd how simply putting a name to an object immediately makes you feel more connected to it. It's a little like when you learn someone's name, they become more human to you. Their life can start to take shape in your mind. Every being, plant and animal, has an entire life experience and a role to play in this world. Learning their name is the first act you can take to allow its life to unfold before you.

For tomorrow's Nature Journaling class in Flagstaff, we will be drawing and painting antlers. This time of year, the elk and deer shed last year's antlers to allow new growth. I will be bringing in a bunch of sheds that we've gathered over the years. Antlers are a wonderful practice in learning techniques to translate a 3D object with unique shapes and curves, to a 2D space on your paper. You can sign up here.