Sounds

As I was lying in bed early one spring morning after taking care of my dogs, I realized how quiet it is at my house. That quiet is one of the reasons I bought this house. It's on 1/2 acre, so I have no immediate neighbors, and the lot to the east is still undeveloped. There are no sidewalks, and the roads are not paved. One of the things I disliked about my house in California was all the surrounding noise. It wasn't far from a busy expressway, the houses are jammed together, and my house was near a busy park that was home to never-ending Little League baseball games nine months of the year. So when I moved to New Mexico, I looked for a house with lots of peace and quiet.

I started to think about sound. My world is never completely quiet, as I have suffered from tinnitus (ringing in the ears) for as long as I can remember. And my hearing isn't normal, either, as an inner ear infection when I was 10 years old took about 2/3 of the hearing in my left ear. The hearing in my other ear, however, is better than normal.

But I digress. I think of myself as more of a visual than auditory person, given my passion for photography and writing. But there are certain sounds that are wonderful to listen to, and others that drive me up a wall.

Sounds I enjoy include

• a tennis ball hitting a racquet's sweet spot
• a whale exhaling as it breaks the water's surface
• wolf howls
• coyote songs
• the chug-chug of a train 
• the sound of a train whistle in the distance
• running water in a stream or river
• saxophone music
• boots crunching on crisp snow  
• rain on the roof
• the propane burner of a hot air balloon
• the afterburners of a high-performance jet
• birds chirping

 I used to live just a couple of blocks from a railroad track, and I always enjoyed hearing the trains going by late at night, whistle blowing. And years ago the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., had a huge locomotive on display. Every so often a recording of the train chugging alone and blowing its whistle would play.

Sounds I really don't like

• crying babies
• the shrill voices of little kids
• traffic noise
• fax machines
• honking horns
• loud motorcycles 
• loud people
• the generic noise of a crowd of people
• howling winds

Some people go crazy when they hear the squeaking of Styrofoam. That sound doesn't bother me much. But a crying or worse, screaming, baby quickly sends me to the breaking point.

What became obvious as I wrote this list is that the most annoying sounds are predominantly not natural, while the sounds I like are mostly the sounds of nature. But these days, the sounds of nature are too often drowned out by the artificial noise that has taken over our world: blaring televisions, booming music, obnoxious commercials, traffic, crowds, hovering helicopters, honking horns. Some people feel a need to have the television on whether they are watching it or not, just for the noise. I am not one of those people.

Music is another sound that I greatly enjoy, but it has to be my kind of music.  I like classic rock, classical music, easy listening, smooth jazz and I can listen to country music, although I don't care for the super twangy stuff. I cannot stand rap, however. Good music can be relaxing and distracting, and it can be a real mood booster. Who doesn't enjoy driving down the highway with the stereo turned up, grooving to our favorite tunes?

I do know that the wrong kinds of sounds can affect my mood. When I lived in Moscow (a bustling city of more than 11 million people with very impatient drivers and terrible traffic), the cacophony of traffic -- squealing brakes, honking horns, revving engines -- could turn a good mood into a bad one very quickly. It was difficult to relax and to sleep with the constant noise. But the sounds of nature are very relaxing and calming. Walking or hiking in the forest or on a beach is a wonderful way to let go.

I appreciate knowing which sounds are irritating and which are soothing, so I can minimize exposure to the former and maximize exposure to the latter. So think about how sounds impact you, then make a point of surrounding yourself with your favorite sounds.

Remembering Gallipoli

Heroes who shed their blood and lost their lives! You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours. You, the mothers, who sent their sons from far away countries wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well. -- Mustafa Kamal Ataturk, first president of the Republic of Turkey

Tomorrow (April 26) is ANZAC Day in Australia and New Zealand, a day that commemorates the tens of thousands of Australian and New Zealand soldiers who died in the battle of Gallipoli, Turkey, in 1915 and early 1916.

The Australian cemetery at Lone Pine, Gallipoli, Turkey

I visited one of the Australian cemeteries (at Lone Pine) during a trip to Turkey last month. I also visited a nearby Turkish military cemetery. I caught a fleeting glimpse of a 100-year-old trench on the Allied side of the road. Although the battle of Gallipoli is pretty much unknown to most Americans, I had heard of it, having watched the Mel Gibson movie 'Gallipoli' many years ago. Still, the magnitude of the carnage has shocked me.

• The United Kingdom and Ireland suffered 73,486 casualties. 
• Australia: 28,150. 
• France, 27,000 dead and wounded. 
• New Zealand: 7,991. 
• India 4,4479. 
• Newfoundland: 142. 
• Allies: 141,457.
• Ottoman Empire: 251,309.

• Total dead: 130,842. 
• Total wounded: 262,014. 
• Total casualties on both sides: 392,856

This battle was one of great historic significance, as it laid the groundwork for the Turkish war of

An Ottoman Turkish cemetery at Gallipoli

independence and the creation of the Turkish republic in 1923, led by Mustafa Kamal, a distinguished commander at Gallipoli. It is considered to be one of the greatest Ottoman victories of World War I. It also is reported to mark the birth of the national consciousness of both Australia and New Zealand. So this often overlooked battle was a momentous one, indeed.

I am glad we stopped at the Turkish cemetery. Although the Ottoman Empire, of which the country that was to become Turkey in 1923 was a part, was the enemy of the Allied forces in World War I, and although I don't know Turkish and therefore was unable to read the words on the memorial wall, I didn't need to understand Turkish to read the names engraved on the markers, or to see how young most of the soldiers were. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to visit these sites, to learn about them first-hand and to pay my respects to some of those who died there. It was a sobering experience even 100 years after the battle that robbed so many of their futures.

What struck me most was the realization that these thousands of young men, no matter their country of origin, left behind families who mourned them. They were somebody's son, husband, brother or father. Turkish, French, Indian or Australian, their families would never see them or talk to them again. Many were buried in unmarked graves, or they were buried at sea. Most were very young.

Nearly 400,000 young men were killed or wounded during the battle of Gallipoli. The Ottoman Turks held onto the land that cost so many lives, and the Allied attempt to defeat the Ottoman Empire failed to knock the empire out of the war. One hundred years later, does this battle really matter?

ANZAC Day is a major holiday in Australia and New Zealand. Groups of Turkish soldiers visited the Turkish cemetery when I was there. Turkey is hosting a high-level commemoration today, attended by Britain's Prince Charles and the president of Turkey, among others. I am saddened by the loss of life, the slaughter, that took place at Gallipoli, but heartened to see that the sacrifices of the soldiers who fought and died in Gallipoli -- on both sides of the battle -- have not been forgotten. May all who fought and died there rest in peace.

Saving Tomorrow

Today is Earth Day, and I would bet our precious Earth is crying. 
Humans are continuing to destroy the only home we have. Rain forests are disappearing, glaciers and polar ice caps are melting at a rapid rate, threatening the survival of polar bears. Poachers are killing elephants and rhinos at a rate far faster than they can reproduce, all so the Asians can have their ivory trinkets and 'magic potions' made of rhino horn (which is made of the same 'magic' substance as fingernails). Fracking is causing an unprecedented number of earthquakes in Oklahoma. The Gulf of Mexico and the animals that live there are still suffering from the massive, 200-million-gallon BP oil spill of five years ago. Air pollution in some major world cities is so bad it threatens the health of inhabitants. The war on apex predators (bears, bobcats, wolves, mountain lions) continues unabated. The use of pesticides and herbicides threatens human health. Monsanto continues to push its genetically modified food products and oppose all efforts to mandate labeling. The Republican-majority Congress continues its attacks on the environment, the Endangered Species Act and the Antiquities Act, among others. An Alaskan senator introduced legislation to open nearly 21 acres of pristine wilderness to oil and gas drilling, logging and other 'development.'

Fisheries are being overfished and various western states are engaging in land grabs as they try to take control of federal lands so they can sell them to the highest bidder for exploitation. Our oceans are polluted and home to massive islands of plastic debris, most of it dumped overboard from large ships.

According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, there are 44,838 species on the IUCN Red List, and 16,938 of them are endangered species threatened with extinction. This is up from 16,118 last year. This includes both endangered animals and endangered plants.

On a local level, despite five years of drought in the high desert area where I live, city 'leaders' continue to approve permits to construct housing for some 90,000 new residents, with no apparent concern about where the water for these houses and residents will come from. Undeveloped lands continue to be 'developed', with still more restaurants, businesses and strip malls under construction, adding to the demand for water and to the already congested roads.

The city of Albuquerque just last year provided recycling bins to each household in the city. Why wasn't this done years ago? When I lived in California, recycling was a way of life. Every house had a recycling bin, and everything, including glass and Styrofoam, was accepted. Not here. Nationwide in 2012, Americans generated about 251 million tons of trash and recycled and composted almost 87 million tons of this material, equivalent to a 34.5 percent recycling rate according to the Environmental Protection Agency. This is pretty pathetic for such an 'advanced' and 'educated' nation. I routinely pick up fast food trash and discarded bottles and cans in my neighborhood, often in the same location. This leads me to believe the same people are tossing trash out their car windows on a regular basis.

I know we have made progress since the first Earth Day 45 years ago. Hybrid and electric vehicles are much more common than just a few years ago. Recycling is more accepted than it was.  The fight against coal and other environmentally dangerous fossil fuels is picking up steam.  Solar energy is becoming more affordable. But we still have a long, long way to go to protect our precious planet and try to reverse some of the damage we have caused. Our planet is very resilient, but the damage we humans inflict on our 'blue marble' is too much for Mother Nature. This is the only known habitable planet in the solar system. It behooves us to take better care of our home. We need to start doing a better job of saving tomorrow.

 

Ancient Lands, Modern Problems

I recently returned from a wonderful, awe-inspiring trip to the Middle East, during which I visited Israel, Jordan and Turkey, and saw some amazing sites and places filled with history. Imagine walking through the ancient city of Troy, which was founded some 3,500 years before the birth of Christ. Or walking the Via Dolorosa, the Way of Sorrows, that retraces Christ's route to his crucifixion in Jerusalem's Old City.

Woman at Jerusalem's ancient Western Wall.

View from the Golan Heights.

More impressive than the ancient ruins, however, was the knowledge of the area's geopolitics that was shared with our group by both our Israeli and Jordanian guides. On a visit to Israel's Golan Heights (seized from Syria in the 1967 war), we could see both Syria and Lebanon. Indeed, we heard explosions in Syria as we stood high on the hill near an Israeli army bunker.

Along the shallow Jordan River, we saw both the Israeli baptismal site (very commercialized, with a fee for everything) and the Jordanian baptismal site (left as it was 2,000 years ago, and open to visitors free of charge, although permission to enter must be granted by the Jordanian military as it is a border area). The sites were separated by the river, which was about 12 meters across. Three meters on one side were Israeli, three meters on the other side were Jordanian, and six meters in the middle were international waters. The same countries both border the Dead Sea.

From Israel, we could see the ancient biblical city of Jericho, now part of the Palestinian Authority's lands. We crossed into the city of Bethlehem, now also ruled by the Palestinian Authority, past the

massive white security walls erected by Israel to protect its citizens from attacks by Palestinian terrorists. Our visit to the Church of the Nativity, which was originally commissioned in 327 AD by Emperor Constantine and his mother Helena over the site that is traditionally considered to be located over the cave that marks the birthplace of Christ, was led by a Palestinian Christian. He is a graduate of Bethlehem Bible College. We ate lunch in a Palestinian restaurant, then we visited a local gift shop run by a Palestinian Christian family. Understandably, tour guides and similar positions are predominantly Christians, not Muslims. Our bus driver, an Israeli citizen, had to wait with the bus and was limited to only 3 hours in Palestine.

Hearing about the complicated history and political and religious divisiveness of this ancient land deepened my knowledge of the conflicts but did little to help me understand the ongoing hostilities. Jordan, one of the Arab countries that fought against Israel in the Six-Day War of 1967, now has a good relationship with its Jewish neighbor. Our Israeli guide pointed out areas captured from Arab countries during the war: the Sinai Peninsula and the Gaza Strip from Egypt, East Jerusalem and the West Bank from Jordan, and the Golan Heights from Syria. We saw new Israeli settlements on the West Bank, an area whose ownership remains highly contested.

Building in the city of Tzfat with bullet holes from the 1967 war.

We passed buildings pock-marked by bullet holes during the war. We heard about how the Golan Heights are still considered under international law to be occupied territory, and we saw the remnants of Syrian bunkers as we drove to the overlook. We passed a group of Israeli tanks in a wooded area practicing military maneuvers.

A visit to a kibbutz revealed signs warning of live mines, placed in years past as defense
against possible invaders from Lebanon. Israel is not at war at the moment, but the evidence of past wars, and preparations for any future needed military actions, are never far away.

One final thought: hearing about happenings in the Middle East on the news is one thing. Visiting the countries and seeing how small some of the areas are, and how much border area they share, presents an entirely different view of things. I better understand the fragile nature of peace in the area, as evidenced by the ubiquitous Israeli military and police. All Israeli citizens must serve in the military at age 18, men for three years and women for two years. In Jordan, a member of the tourist police accompanied us every day. Several people have asked whether it was safe to visit those countries. I always answer with an unequivocal 'yes.' At no time did I feel threatened or in danger. All our hotels had security, which ranged from someone staffing the front door to an x-ray machine that scanned each person and their luggage.

I would encourage anyone interested in ancient history and modern geopolitics to visit these fascinating countries. Not only did it make the religious stories I learned as a child in Sunday school come alive, but it gave me a real appreciation for the area as a whole.

Look Deep Into Nature

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. -- Albert Einstein

Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you. -- Frank Lloyd Wright

 I never knew that these great men were lovers of nature, but I really like these quotes.

Recently I made my fourth visit to Yellowstone National Park since last year. I was with a group of nine other travelers, but one morning we had a few hours to spend doing whatever we wanted to do, so I opted out of a group walk around the upper geyser basin near Old Faithful Geyser. After watching the geyser erupt, I started meandering around the surrounding area.

I stopped to watch the eruption of Castle Geyser, photographed some thermal pools and looked in amazement at steam rising from numerous thermal vents in the distance. Although I found evidence of bison (fresh droppings and hoof prints in the snow), the big animals were nowhere to be seen. The sky was clear and the sun was shining. Best of all, it was as if I had the upper geyser basin to myself. I walked alone, the only sound the crunching of my boots on the packed snow and ice, and a woodpecker working in the distance. Because of much warmer than usual temperatures, there was no snow or condensation from the geysers on the branches of the pine trees. Still, it was a magical place, made all the more special by the solitude.

Sadly, I didn't get as far as I had hoped and had to head back to the lodge to join my group. On the way back, I encountered a couple who asked whether I had seen anything interesting and a park ranger who asked whether I had seen any geysers erupting. I told him the approximate time Castle had erupted.

Yellowstone is a very special place. It epitomizes wilderness, yet it's easy to explore. Where else can people go and have a good chance of seeing wild wolves, bison, elk, mountain goats, moose, bighorn sheep, pronghorns, eagles, foxes and coyotes? For me, wilderness offers solitude and renewal. I love looking at the great expanse of sky, at the mountains and hills, at the geysers and thermal pools.

For most of us, nature is far removed from our day-to-day lives. We have destroyed a great deal of the natural world, and we have done our best to distance ourselves from what is left. We may go visit wilderness areas a few times a year, but we are really out of touch with nature. And our species seems hellbent on destroying what nature is left.

There is so much beauty in our natural world. We need to get outside, turn off the cell phones, and enjoy the world around us. Fill your lungs with fresh air. Wonder at the beautiful blue sky. Look in amazement at the rushing waters. Be silent and observe the animals as they go about their daily business. Look deep into nature as the wellspring of a good life. Be in touch with the earth. Listen to its songs. Refill your empty soul.

Goodbye, Big Gray

'Big Grey' has died.

This wolf, alpha male of the Lamar Canyon pack in Yellowstone National Park, was attacked by eight or nine members of the Prospect Peak pack on March 6. He fought valiantly, aided by two of his yearling sons, giving his pregnant mate and other pups time to escape. Because he wore a radio collar, his movements could be tracked by researchers. Unfortunately, two days later they received the dreaded signal that indicated that this magnificent wolf had died.

For reasons unknown, the Lamars had wandered into the Prospect Peaks' territory. By the time they realized their mistake, it was too late and the Prospects attacked with a vengeance. Known as 925M, the alpha male died protecting his family.

The Lamars have always been my favorite pack. They were the first Yellowstone wolves I ever saw, in January 2014, and I got to see them on subsequent visits to Yellowstone. Just a couple of weeks ago, my group watched the entire Lamar pack trotting across the snow for several miles, until the fading light made it difficult to see them. I don't know whether the Lamar pack was less fearful of humans than the other resident packs, or whether their territory simply afforded better viewing opportunities. Whatever the reason, I will be forever grateful that I was able to see these wonderful animals on more than one occasion.

Wolves are devoted parents and mates, and as 925M showed, will die to protect them. It appears that his mate and at least two of his pups went to visit him after the attack, perhaps knowing how seriously injured he was.

The death of 925M hit me very hard. I am glad he died defending his family and not from being shot by some cretin with a rifle. But life will not be the same for his mate, 926F, his six yearling pups and his soon-to-be-born pups. How will his mate hunt? She is, after all, pregnant. Will his pups be able to help their mother hunt and provide food for the growing family? Will she be subject to attack without her mate to protect her?

Nature can be cruel. Wolves in the wild typically live no more than three or four years. Wolf 925M was between four and five years old. But this knowledge doesn't lessen the impact 925M's death has had on me and many others who avidly follow the Yellowstone wolf packs. My heart aches for the Lamar Canyon pack, whose alpha female, the much-loved wolf known as 06, was killed by a fool with a gun when she stepped outside the safety of Yellowstone in late 2012.

I hope and pray that 926F, a daughter of 06, has her mother's strength and resilience and will be able to keep her family together after this terrible loss.

Without the Beasts

What is man without the beasts? For if all the beasts were gone, man would die of a great loneliness of the spirit. -- Chief Seattle

Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect. -- Chief Seattle

I love these quotes by the great Indian chief, Seattle. They seem particularly relevant to me now, after spending a wonderful week in Yellowstone National Park (and a couple of days near Grand Teton National Park), searching for, observing and photographing the park's magnificent wildlife.

Although wolves are typically very reclusive and stay well away from humans, we saw wolves on four different days. And we were able to watch some animals without the use of spotting scopes. One cold and windy evening, just at sunset, we watched the entire Lamar Canyon pack of eight wolves (parents and six yearling pups) trotting across the snowy landscape. We saw a small group of wolves just hanging out together. The sound of their howls as they talked to the rest of the pack across the road was spine-tingling. The morning we were leaving Yellowstone, we were thrilled to see two wolves, a male and a female, lying in the snow just 100 yards off the road. We watched in awe as they eventually got up and walked up a nearby hill. And on the last day of the trip, we followed four beautiful gray wolves as they trotted in line across the National Elk Refuge in Jackson, Wyoming. Although I think all wolves are beautiful, these four were particularly magnificent. My eye saw what would have been a fantastic photograph, with three of the wolves back lit by the morning sun. Sadly, they were too far away for a photograph, but seeing them through a spotting scope was still a thrill.

One of the guides mentioned that while many people come to Yellowstone with the dream of seeing wolves, many never see them. But even then, they appreciate enjoying Yellowstone's sense of wildness. For them, as for me, just knowing the wolves are there is comforting. And getting to see them, as I did, and even getting to see and hear them howl to their brethren across the the road, was a special treat.

Elk cows on Wyoming's National Elk Refuge.

Bison were present, too, although in smaller numbers than usual. And bighorn sheep, pronghorns, foxes and even a grizzly that left hibernation months early due to the unusually warm weather. We saw bald and golden eagles, and beautiful trumpeter swans. And of course, elk were plentiful at Wyoming's National Elk Refuge. 

Wildlife are under attack in many places these days. Many ranchers hate wolves and coyotes and jump at the chance to kill them. Bison are under attack by none other than Yellowstone National Park, in conjunction with Montana cattle ranchers.

Grizzly bears are hunted in some places despite their limited numbers. Wildlife in other countries face threats from poachers, trophy hunting and human encroachment. I worry about what we humans are doing to this planet. We use it up, we
Mine it, we pollute it. Not only the wildlife, but human lives as well, may well be threatened if we don't change our ways.

Chief Seattle was a wise man indeed. So many of would "die of a great loneliness of the spirit" if we lose our magnificent wildlife. These animals, all of them, have a great intrinsic value far beyond whatever economic impact they have. Thousands of people visit Yellowstone every with the hope, however small, of seeing a wolf. We are thrilled to watch bison, bighorn sheep and other wild animals. It fills our souls with hope and a connection to something much older and greater than us.