Nature and Consciousness

and, I brave a cold California morning

Sep 25, 2024

Recently, Ron announced to me over a late dinner that he and our good friend Jack were planning a trip the next day to Santa Margarita Lake. “Oh, that’s great, babe,” I said, not jumping to invite myself along on their possible dude-only outing.

He said, “I’m picking him up at 6 AM.” I nodded, “Mm hmm,” secretly hoping he wouldn’t ask me to go along, but also hoping that he would. (Yeah, I’m complex like that.) He stared at me for a long moment and then said, “Do you want to go?”

YES, I want to go to my favorite lake in California! (Okay, I didn’t shout it.)

And with that commitment came the sound of screeching brakes in my mind.

I don’t get up early! I like to sleep in! I’m a night person! Too damn early!

Well, I figured I would catch up on my beauty sleep another night, because going to SML is important for my spiritual rejuvenation.

The next morning, I was up first. Not patting myself on the back so much as acknowledging just how much I love SML.

I checked the weather: Ugh, gonna be cold. Big potential deterrent, though I wasn’t about to get wimpy after waking up at 6AM to do this. So I put on my BearPaw boots and appropriately layered clothing. Seriously, what’s up with this cold snap in mid-September? The weather manipulators obviously don’t know that Ol’ Man Winter kicked me out of Wisconsin because I hate the cold.

Anyway, we headed out (thank goodness for the heated seats in our truck), picked up Jack, and drove to the lake.

The temperature was a consistent 49°F. with little wind. Fortunately, I was dressed for success.

We drove the bumpy dirt road of the Vaca Flats out-and-back, and found a perfect spot next to the water. Gorgeous!

Santa Margarita Lake on a chilly September morning. I lightly edited this photo using ON1 Photo RAW.

We watched the mist as it curled up while wafting off the calm water. I got a great video, too. The cloud cover was starting to peel away from the warming sun.

I stood quietly watching the water and listening to birds and water fowl. Very meditative.

We saw the Great California Blue Heron (twice, actually!), which Native peoples believe symbolizes grace and self-reflection on your spiritual journey. This process — the refinery of consciousness — usually leads to healthy transformation.

Here is another photo of the lake, a perfect mirror for such self-reflection!

Another view of Santa Margarita Lake and some of its winged lake dwellers! I edited the photo in ON1 Photo RAW, making it more dramatic with a texture called Duodecim plus adding three different vignettes.

I took another video so you can get more of a feel for how meditative it was! There was only one fast fishing boat on the lake, which disrupted the serene vibe twice, but otherwise, it was peaceful.

We stayed in this spot for about two hours, then drove up to the mesa called Vaca Flats, where we walked around for a bit, enjoying the overall visibility of the scenery from higher up. The clouds had all disappeared by this time.

We left Vaca Flats and drove along the shore of the lake. The shrubs and weeds are very overgrown, but we found a small view of the lake with a park bench. It was obvious that deer and possibly mountain lions and bears had trampled down the foliage in this spot to drink from the lake and also rest. There, we warmed ourselves in the sun under a clear blue sky.

Ron and I love spending time with Jack, who grew up in a logging family very close to an Indian reservation in northern Minnesota. We talk a lot about Nature and music and consciousness in our very different ways. I grew up on a large ranch in rural Wisconsin, just a few hours across the St. Croix River from where Jack lived, and my husband was raised in a General Motors family in the suburbs of Detroit. Somehow, we all understand each other. Maybe it’s all the water we were near!

We stayed near the park bench for quite some time, sharing stories, discussing music projects, and marveling at the intelligence of Nature.

Then it was time to get back home, with our bodies, minds, and spirits refreshed.

I hope you enjoyed reading about my morning lakeside adventure and viewing my photos and videos! As always, I wish you excellent health, well-being, and great joy.