We recently spent a long weekend visiting the in-laws in Northern(ish) California. Man, was it awesome. Our visit gave us the opportunity to get back to nature - to unclench from our jaded, smog-encrusted big-city lifestyle and really remind ourselves what's really real, you know?
And it was perfect timing because just the other day I said to Jon Bon Jovi, "Jon?" I said, hunched over, hand in a ziploc bag, gathering dried cockapoo patties from the backyard, "I'm jonesin' to mainline some nature junk." (See how urban we are?)
And Jon Bon Jovi waggled his head, letting an exhaust blast from a city bus ruffle his bangs off his face as he threw his broom and dustpan aside in a most haphazard manner. He liked the idea, I could tell.
"Just give me a moment to saddle up Hoss and Lamont." (Those are our steel horses. The ones upon which we ride.)
And we were off like a dirty pair of drawers. ~ Walt Whitman
At great personal peril, I tried to take lots of photos as we waded up to our armpits in freakin' raw nature. I share them with you now.
This was our rustic nature pad - home base for gnarly au natural hi-jinks.
Our first nature encounter! We initially were concerned
about being under dressed (seeing as how we didn't have hats)
but turns out that's just his personal statement.
Nature Lesson #1: The forest is pretty casual.
Our first nature encounter! We initially were concernedabout being under dressed (seeing as how we didn't have hats)
but turns out that's just his personal statement.
Nature Lesson #1: The forest is pretty casual.
This little scamp slipped into our cabin and ate myentire pack of birth-control pills. Ironic, yes?
Nature Lesson #2: Untamed wilderness is not without
its subtle literary devices.
This is not the fawn's mother, but a Nanny-Doe hired bythe mom to take care of the baby while she slips out
to Laughlin, Nevada for a girls' weekend.
Nature Lesson #3: Sometimes nature has to get out of the
freakin' house or else it's going to lose it.
Bonus! In between honing our survival techniques andliving off
I was able to indulge my passion for Japanese Zen
fountain construction. Yes, it took 7 hours to design
and build...but I think you'll agree it was worth it.
Nature Lesson #4: Do NOT fill your canteen with stump water,no matter how normal it looks.
I know that's the same buck who was staring at mein the parking lot of Pea Soup Anderson's.
Nature Lesson #5: Two words, dude - restraining order.
Caught on film - the rare and dangerous Sneaker Snake!Note the coloring that says, "Danger!"
Nature Lesson #6: You snooze, you lose.
Yeah, right. Like that's real.Nature Lesson #7: Sometimes nature tries to
fool you with fake crap.
I believe it was the legendary Jane Goodall who observed,"When the zombie bunnies come out, it's time to go home."
Nature Lesson #8: Zombie bunny! Run away! RUN AWAY!
NOTHING BUT GHOSTS - Beth Kephart's new book that's already garnering stellar reviews - is now available for pre-order! To view the book's beautiful trailer, click here.
Thank You so much to the incomparable Tessa at An Aerial Armadillo for this gorgeous International Reach Out Award - which she designed herself, BTW. I am honored and Tessa's blog is a gem. (Plus I love the way she spells favourite with a "u" all classy-like.)
And thank you so much to Bebe Cannelle for the fantastic shout-out!
Thank You so much to the incomparable Tessa at An Aerial Armadillo for this gorgeous International Reach Out Award - which she designed herself, BTW. I am honored and Tessa's blog is a gem. (Plus I love the way she spells favourite with a "u" all classy-like.)
And thank you so much to Bebe Cannelle for the fantastic shout-out!
59 comments:
Ahhh, nature - love it or feel guilty because your haphazard toss of a softball at a rabbit you saw munching on one of your prized flowers inadvertently struck the little fat hog in the head while your tween daughter looked on in horror.
Ah, hopefully you had your plush garden snake bite kit with you... those sneaker snakes can be deadly.
I also wonder-- was this area not also gnome-infested, or did the Freakin' Nature keep them deterred?
Are you really The Swiss Family Robinson's?
this is just like that "Into the Wild" movie
...just without the naked hippies, and that part where he dies.
Love it. Your write up was so... so real.
I need to go climb a tree now.
You reminded about a peacock post I've been meaning to write. Call me anal, or just homesick for California, but what, exactly, do you mean by "northernish." I like to place my mind on a mental map.
Exciting about the book , I loved the trailer.
I can't believe some wacko thought you would fall for that "peacock on the lawn" bit. Psh.
Good thing you're experienced naturalists.
I am completely terrified of the sneaker snake and the zombie bunny.
Yikes! We have stumbled across such creatures on some of our recent outings as well:)
Awe. Some.
Brilliant photography! You really captured the essence of nature - such a roll, I loved it, but you lost me with the peacock.
Isn't nature grand! And YOU are hilarious!
Your accommodations look lovely. I'm glad you were able to avoid the bite of the Sneaker Snake. It's so hard to get medical assistance in the wild!
Were there any brightly colored toadstools there? Because I think I've hallucinated that yellow butterfly before.
Wow, what an adventure you had! I'm glad nobody was fatally injured, that snake does look dangerous!
Lots of wildlife around that cabin. I take it there was no WI-FI or cable TV?
I love when you quote Whitman, but I'd rather eat his sampler instead. Peace! K
Only thing you are missing are a few Gnomes! We have them in our forest here...sneaky little bastards! Have fun getting back to nature!
I feel sure you will be hearing from the Sierra Club or the Nature Conservancy soon. You are a natural nature photographer. I could just feel that bunny's beating heart pounding and his body filling with adrenaline because your camera was so close to his face, as I meditated on the wonder of creation.
That was full of all kinds of awesome. Seriously, though, that zombie rabbit is freaky.
Wow! What a tirp you had! The rustic cabin and all the wildlife! LOL! At least they didn't try to steal your Frito Lay products!
we've got 7 acres of actual nature if ever you venture to Mississippi, just sayin you're welcome to visit : )
ps our zombie bunnies don't bite
As usual, your post is hilarious. Thanks so much for making my day!
All the best
x
Zombie bunnies is scary!
I get all happy-like whenever I get to read a new post from you. You da best!
Peace out, city dudette.
Stalking deer and zombie bunnies. What is in that canteen anyway?
I'm IMPRESSED! You blog shoule be renamed "Life Just Keeps Getting More Rugged!" Wow. There's a show about folks like you - "Survivor" I think it's called. I bow to your ruggedness! - Your pal at Ungirdled Passion
I thought I was looking at National Geographic with all the nature close-ups. But then I got to the peacock and well....
This reminds me of an ex-boyfriend's cousin's house. She had ceramic animals everywhere - INSIDE. The best was a little fawn curled up by the fireplace (both of which were fake).
When you run away from the zombie bunny is it in a serpentine pattern?
And could you blame the bunny for taking the birth control pills?
It's like fleet week in that hutch...
Peace - Rene
You'd better be careful out in the wilderness like that, I thought I heard some banjo music while I was taking a gander at that peacock! Walt Whitman never took off his dirty drawers!! He just turned them inside out like a real woodsman.
It sounds like you barely escaped with your life.
Thankfully, the trees didn't have faces. That crap just freaks me out.
Oh jeepers. I came over here to be amused, bemused, and relieved from real life for just a second, and look: You are being much too nice to me.
Thank you, dear Anna Lefler. Thank you.
Oh. And please. Go get a refill on the birth control pills, okay?
hahahaha that's about as back to nature as I get- although, I'm sure my nature would include Pink Flamigos drinking a mai-tai.
I been to Split Pea Andersons...many times!
I like nature too...like when I go all out and get raw tomatos on my salad!
"it's just a lit-le bun-nay..."
LMAO at the fake peacock.
Also: You've seen a million faces, and you've ROCKED them all.
I thought Frito-Lay products and the fat of the land were synonymous...
Very creative nature walk.
Where'd ya go? Fresno?
Amazing! You must have lain still for days to get some of those close ups of animals in their natural habitats.
This post is full of win! Heh...
http://terribleanalogies.com
Very very funny. Good to see you.
Oh I laughed, I cried, I watered my artificial flowers....
THANK YOU.
:-)
Ah, this was worth waiting for! Fake peacocks are so scary.
x
that is too funny! i will never look at plastic woodland creatures the same. :) hope you all had a nice vacation away from it all
I love communing with nature. But those fake peacocks gotta go! So tacky.
Got any extra stump water?
Some of that wildlife looks mighty tasty!
Wow. Northern California has a lot of the same fauna as Hilljack, Ohio.
Now if there was just a dried cockapoo patty snake, we wouldn't have to bend over and pick them up ourselves!
lmao - drat those snakes!
All that nature makes a girl want to breathe deep...dropping by from SITS roll call!
My mistake is never taking that rule about zombie bunnies seriously. You'd think I'd learn by now, but no.
You are so the funniest. I love you Anna.
I love the rabbit that ate all your birth control pills and that one fake animal. har har
Oh yes you would have loved my cousin Mo especially as he got older, totally eccentric.
xoxoxo
I don't come here often but when I do you manage to lift my heavy heart. Thank you.
Very funny and great pictures too. That is about as close to nature as I like to get myself. Stopping by from SITS. If you get a chance, stop by my blog and enter my one year anniversary contest.
Dude...I just FLEW over here from SITs hoping to scarf some of your Krispy Kremes - I had no idea I was in for a Freakin' Nature encounter!
Loved it all - except for that OBVIOUSLY fake peacock. Pfffft - what a poser.
LMAO! You gotta be careful out there...
But I think you need to come over here to truly experience the wild. Even a walk around my suburban neighbourhood these days brings me encounters with fur and fangs - and I don't mean the neighbourhood dogs - or my mother in law.
There are a couple of awards for you on my blog if you want them.
www.myloonyverse.com
I LOVE the zombie bunny thing - where can I get about a hundred of those?
Gawd, you are so uber urban. Just love it. And we have those snakes here on our farm, except not in the same pretty colours....
Red next to yellow? Red next to black? See, that's why I'll die from a snake bite! lol
Ugh, that stump water lesson reminded me of something horrible. In 3rd grade (THIRD GRADE), I took a dare. Drank creek water...a whole Pepsi bottle full of it. I haven't done that since...was never sicker in my life. Probably lucky to have lived. So I'm definitely with you on the stump water point. I get it.
Wow! Great pictures from Mom and Dad's house. I never knew the yard animals could look so good!
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