Notes From A Bear's Journey

     As the spring rains (and snow) continue, I remain puzzled by the number of lawn mowers I hear, my neighbors already out putting down spring fertilizer, their unnaturally-green lawns almost an oddity, their lawn "marks" crisscrossing as neatly as baseball fields.  This is not to say that I haven't been out there as well, clearing up the leftover leaf cover and stray clumps of pine needles that have, I hope, sheltered a few wintering bugs and bulbs.  But it did bring to mind the comment that author John Green wrote, that an alien species coming down to visit would wonder what is that "god" we revere, this green expanse we water and fertilize and mow but yet rarely use, this Kentucky bluegrass lawn, a seed which is neither from Kentucky nor is blue.     Then again, a beautiful lawn is captivating, be it those royal Tudor-like lawns of monarchy or pristine golf courses.  One could almost say that such sights are beautiful, but at what cost?...

     Those are words no chess player cares to hear.  Mate.  It means that no matter how many moves you may now make, the game is over (so well exemplified in the Netflix series, The Queen's Gambit ).  And there are times where I feel in a similar mood, stuck in the mud with few directions left, perhaps my age telling me that the "game" of my life is nearing its end.  Which is not at all depressing, at least not in the sense that I've lost, or am about to lose, for my life has been extraordinarily filled will good and will hopefully continue.  I have, in a word, been more than fortunate.  But that said, I do feel as if I have moved from being a player to perhaps a coach at one point, but am now a fan in the bleachers, content to just watch and enjoy.  There is a lot to see when viewing life from these high seats, things both good and bad, happy and sad, encouraging and depressing. Photo: Nat Geo photographer Kiana Hayeri     ...