Complex Simplicity

The moment you discover how to find beauty in the smallest things in life will also be the moment you find that you're living in a very beautiful world.

In the sandy, hot, arid environment of a semi tropical island the, all but invisible, seed of an eastern red cedar germinates. Against all odds the tiny infant seedling begins life. All it has going for it is its ability to create it's own food from sunlight and draw scant nutrients up from the poor sandy soil. But over the next 40 years or so he persists. The storms off the Gulf, the extreme heat, the dependance on infrequent rainfall, the constant struggle to survive slowly turn this determined fighter into a work of art; a one of a kind masterpiece of beauty. Beauty so intricate and complex that it is impossible to duplicate. As happens to all life it ends one day for tree. The waves of one final storm undermines the roots and he falls. The relentless sun, the scouring of the wind blown sand and the ocean waves eventually expose the multifaceted beauty of wood grains. This thing deserves to be seen and to be admired. Someone needs to visit this desert island and kneel here and touch him, appreciate him and find beauty in him. If you truly want to be someone who happily finds beauty everywhere then you can start by appreciating the complexity of lifes simplest of things.

China Virus Distraction

A rogue wave capsized him. Now with his boat gone and

A half mile swim through, god knows what infested water, and he'll be safe. Safe on that uninhabited island.

So that's Spanish Bayonet right there. Look out for it. The Spainards brought it here, o round 500 years ago and used it to guard the perimeters of their forts. Dont wander into a patch of this lovely plant. It is well armed as its name implies.

So what does one do when one finds himself on an uninhabited island. He pretends he is stranded there, of course.

                                                                           

If you find the remains of an old fire you also find great note writing utensils...charred wood. Now you look around and find an old peice of cardboard. And....Note ready for the bottle

Meanwhile he does a quick photographic study of the common horse shoe crab, the Remulus Polyphemus. Those barbs and hairs line the perimeter of his armor.

Just one of the Horse Shoe Crabs many eyes.

More barbs much longer than those previously shown plus his long, sharp and versatile tale. For all his fierce looking weapons and armor he is really quite harmless and helpless. But he is a survivor...he, and his relatives, have been around for 450 million years! Yep.

Hot, dry, not a drop of fresh water to be found. Interior is a mangrove swamp. How long can a guy survive on this island?

well here is some seaweed actually some red algae and green algae (sea lettuce)

Pray it Rains so he can catch some for a quahog seaweed stew.

Plus an abundance of periwinkle snails.

Problem is....there's this thing call sunset followed by darkness and things come out at night....like snakes and who know what else? I hate snakes!

need fire. Need fire now!