Rebecca Wilks

Rebecca Wilks; Photographer, Teacher, Yarnellian, Do-Gooder

Monday, February 3, 2020

Gratitude and the Demonic Squirrels




“The essence of all beautiful art, all great art, is gratitude.”  ~Friedrich Nietzsche

Driving away from my third and final camp in the California desert last week, I felt luxurious waves of gratitude.  I had enjoyed precious time in the wilderness and solitude.  I have the means to share gratitude with anyone interested in looking, through photographic images.  My spouse encourages me to do these things, which in itself is no small blessing.


“I am 20 miles or more from the nearest fellow human, but instead of loneliness I feel loveliness. Loveliness is a quiet exultation.” - Edward Abbey

The details are also worthy of gratitutde; winter sunshine and the sounds of coyotes hunting, unrushed time to contemplate, and the mundane blessings of nighttime propane heat and shelter from the wind.


“And we see more if we go to those obscure places, the ones with primitive roads and no facilities, because then we face this warp and woof of time alone in silence and with only the bubbling of love and memories to keep us company.” Charles Bowden

When I stumble on quotes which resonate, I enshrine them in my journal.  Recently I noticed a thread among them, about encountering gratitude and a muse in the quiet places.  Though they may appeal most to the introverts among us, they contain the footprints of universal truth.


“Art doesn’t happen unless you can rest enough to take the time “ ~Christa Sadler


“I travel in wild country a great deal, often alone, and my friends find this to be fatally eccentric, although they use the more polite term “stupid.” They feel sorry for me because I miss the fun of camping in groups, same sex or mixed. Perhaps I am too cranky to know any better. I go afield to calm myself, to sort out the demonic squirrels in my head.” ~Ellen Meloy

Here’s to the cranky and to calming the Demonic Squirrels, Ellen.  Cheers.

As usual, there’s more on the website.

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