Greenpeace

A year ago, I had purchased a book on tracking and nature observation by Tom Brown.  The idea of tracking sounded like something to do on a day off or while hunting.  Little did I know that a year later I'd be addicted to one of the most rewarding nature activites that I know of.  Simply walking through the woods barefoot is enough to make my senses sharpen to a point that I never thought possible.  For those who havn't tried it, tracking isn't all about following animal tracks through the woods and finding an animal on the other side.  For me, tracking is an art in which you take evidence of life and piece together a story like an intricate collage.  After a while, you get a feel for life in general that one can often only achieve through meditation.  So I guess tracking can be seen as a form of meditation.  Often while in the woods, hours can fly by and I can forget about the difficulties of life for a while.  Not until I step out of the woods do my more civilized thoughts and senses come back to me.  Feeling a track (yes, I do physically feel all tracks and signs) makes a bond to whatever made it that is indescribable.  So, if you're in a tough time in life and have an hour or so and about $10 to spend, pick up a book on tracking.  You might just find solice and tranquility in nature like I have.