BCI Post #1
9.3.2021, Backyard
A misty, chilly, overcast afternoon (63℉)
A practice of BCI - Be, Contemplate, Imagine. Following prompts, my goal was to maintain my focus, remain calm, and be present in the outdoor space for thirty minutes. The first ten, with my eyes closed focusing on my senses, then I opened my eyes and focused on observing my surroundings, finally I spent some time imagining the scenarios around me and how I could incorporate what I saw into my design work.
As I was sitting outside, I was most affected by the sensory feelings that the cool air brought with it. It had rained some throughout the day, one of the very few rainy days this summer. The air felt damp, cool pinpricks of mist hit my arms and face, I felt the damp metal of the chair beneath me. It was refreshing, energizing, and slightly uncomfortable.
While the cool air and mist bring relief to the heat, they also made me quite aware of the looming cool temperatures that will be upon us when winter arrives in a few short months. I thought a lot about the rain as I listened to the sounds of nature; birds, cicadas, the red squirrel in the cedar tree. These sounds were intermittently broken up by sirens, neighbors gathering, keys jingling, and passing cars. No matter the sounds, I was able to pull myself back to thinking about the rain.
There weren’t as many birds as there have been throughout the summer, maybe they were keeping warm in the cover of the trees. The red squirrel was talkative in the tree and a chipmunk nearby squealed when a gray squirrel ran by. We have a couple of squirrels in our yard that look pretty rough around the edges, one of which is a female who has given birth recently. A rabbit was grazing in our lawn (photo below), we are embracing the clovers and few sprigs of grass as the clovers have remained hearty throughout our dry summer.
This rabbit was really cute, it looked young and made me wonder if it was one of the babies that was born in the spring. It’s hard to say, we have many rabbits rotating through our yard daily. The only one I can truly identify is the one missing its left eye. Anyway, I watched the rabbit as it ate the clovers, then take big bites of the small columbine sprig that was growing up through the clovers. It took a break and wiped its face, then shook its fur. It must have been getting damp from the mist.
I was most fascinated by its ears - moving with every sound, while the rabbit grazed intently. It never showed signs of fear and only moved when I got up to refill my water. The ears were long and moved independently of one another. The rabbit had a curious face, it almost looked like an anteater with its long nose.
Quite honestly, it was difficult to keep my mind free throughout my time outdoors. I was distracted by the cold and fell victim to my phone twice. Tomorrow, I’ll try again and leave my phone inside. The last ten minutes turned into 5 or 6 as I took photos around my yard, primarily drawn to how the water droplets clung to the clovers, flowers, and an impressive spider web on my deck. Check them out below!
(This first blog is written to my sustainable design peers.)
