Threat of interest?

   A few days ago during my morning walk I saw a group of animals in the distance that I don't normally see in such close proximity. There were two Canada geese, their goslings, and three adult Muscovy ducks, apparently huddled together in harmony. I soon understood that there was not the peaceful coexistence that I had envisioned.
   Drawing closer, I saw that one of the ducks was in fact very close to one of the goslings, upsetting one of the adult geese greatly. The goose hissed loudly and repeatedly, but did not intervene in a more direct, physical way. Still, the duck kept approaching, seemingly unfazed, uncaring or unaware of what I assume was one of the parent's distress.
   I was standing perhaps ten to fifteen feet from the commotion when I saw what I thought was the duck touching the young animal with its' beak. I figured at that moment that it would kill it for sure.
   I feel it is important to add here that although I found the scene upsetting to witness, I never once thought about interfering. I still find something wonderful and beautiful in even these emotionally charged and potentially sad animal interactions.
   Anyway, with all that honking and shrieking accompanying, the duck made contact with the gosling, but then started to walk away. Of course, it is possible that it had wanted to attack it, but had for some reason decided otherwise, but to me it seemed that it must have just been inquisitive. Perhaps it wanted a closer look.
   Although the entire happening was quite short and had unfolded in a somewhat deliberate way (these Muscovy ducks move quite slowly when walking, waddling from side-to-side as they do), there was nothing that would have suggested to me that it would come to the ending that it had.
   As I continued walking, I thought about what I had seen, and how I had been so wrong in how I had foreseen it ending. I imagined then, as I do now, that there must be so many things that I must also think about in ways that don't account for the seemingly endless viewpoints and particulars that I know nothing about.

Blurred flowers

   There is something that I often find very special about the tree pictured below. Although not always remarkable for me when I pass it, at times the flowers on it seem blurred, shifting my sense of vision for a moment. I like this feeling, as it reminds me that I have a choice in suspending a lot of how I organize the world. This is always a good thing.

   I think that this blurred quality is visible in the picture that I took of it, which I was sure to be very still when taking. Afterwards, I thought that perhaps I should have been moving when I took it to better illustrate the quality I am trying to describe, but as I look at it now, I think that it is there anyway.
   I remember studying the artist Paul Cezanne in art school, and it was told to us students in one class that he, and others from the time, used to drink absinthe, which was said to have hallucinogenic qualities. I recall the teacher explaining that this may have contributed to Cezanne painting trees in the way that he did, which I find similar to the flowers on the tree I have described. Below is Cezanne's example.
 

Cezanne's "Large Trees at Jas de Bouffan"

   Years ago, I believe a short time after those art school years, I remember spending time with some fellow artists, walking around Central Park in New York after having taken acid. We noticed that many of the trees in the park reminded us of Cezanne paintings. We went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art later in the day and saw some of his work. It all made sense to us.

   In my current middle-aged years, I have had some naturally occuring, near- hallucinogenic experiences, some like the ones I am describing here. I find them all the more beautiful that they have happened without the use of any mind-altering substances.

   It seems to me that the ability to experience the natural world in different ways points to an openness to engage with a less restricted mind and eyes, and perhaps most importantly, to experience things how they exist. When I am able to see the world in this way, I feel like a completely included participant, even if only for that very moment.