Underground Icicles, mml 2009

The abundance of this earth is something I’m mentally aware of; but I’m mentally aware of a lot of things.  For instance, I know eating too much chocolate may result in more padding around the hips than one might like.  This mental awareness, however, seems to be inconsequential when I am not able zip up my pants and for the life of me can’t figure out why.

I experienced a very similar sense of amazement this past weekend while walking on my friends’ tree farm looking for a Christmas tree.

I love National Geographic.  I adore the Discovery Channel. I tell you this only to prepare you for the fact that I may have seen literally hundreds of shows about this amazing earth we live on.  Which is to say I have been many, many times awed by the richness and intelligence of this planet.  And yet, much like the phenomenon of pants that can’t be zipped, I was totally unprepared for the wonder of underground icicles.

Six of us humans went out in search of the Larsen Christmas tree on the Brown’s tree farm in North Plains, Oregon.  Walking into the woods, we began down a trail and quickly noticed the top layer of soil had been lifted and was being loudly flattened under the weight of our feet.  I bent down in curiosity and found that little icicles had formed beneath the ground, pushing the top layer of soil up and creating a marvelous little winter wonderland hidden from view.

Underground Icicles Closeup, mml 2009

I have never seen anything like it.  None of us there had.

While I am often amazed at the beauty and richness of this world, this particular little discovery brought me to my knees.  How utterly complex and divine this planet is. What a tremendous capacity it has for creating worlds within worlds.  And doing so with such precision, grace and splendor.

Whenever we feel poor or uncertain of what lies ahead, we would do well to look under our feet or over our heads.  The richness of the world reveals itself, freely, in so many brilliant and shimmering ways. All we need do is open our eyes to it.