Through a Naturist Lens

Yes, it is that time of year again. Four dozen corn were delivered to our house yesterday afternoon. This morning, I shucked them all and am now waiting for my wife to blanch them so that I can take the niblets off the cobs so that we can store them for future use. I paid for four dozen and somehow they included eight extra cobs. No wonder we continue to go to Hutterian Colony for our extra produce that we don’t grow in our own garden.

I’ll be honest. I love to be in the garden or doing other outside chores while I am clothing free. This morning, that was going to be questionable because we woke up to 7 Celsius (felt like 5) this morning, which prompted both of us to wear layers as we sat on our back deck for morning coffee.

However, by the time I needed to shuck the corn, it had warmed up to a balmy 12 degrees, just perfect for working in a sunny, wind-free corner of my backyard. Today, the temperature is expected to reach 28 C. Tomorrow, it is supposed to soar to 36 C with the promise of at least another four days of 30+ temperatures. This is definitely not normal. Our local farmers are glad that it is hot and sunny as they want to get their crops off the fields.

Tomorrow, canning tomatoes is on the agenda. Twenty pounds of ripe tomatoes were also delivered yesterday afternoon. My role with tomatoes is to peel the skin off the tomatoes just after they have been blanched. However, because of expected high overnight temperatures, I will be going for a naturist walk in the early morning. Canning tomatoes won’t begin until at least noon.

Last week, I shredded cabbage so that we could make sauerkraut. The cabbage then had to sit in a brine for a week. Yesterday, I put the jars of sauerkraut onto our shelving in the basement which holds all of our canned and preserved goods. It is a lot of work, too much for most people when it is so easy, and probably cheaper, to buy all the veggies one needs in cans from the local grocery store. Just put it down to our age. We don’t live in the past, we just bring the good things forward to make our lives better.

I’ve finally returned home and expect to stay here for another ten days when I will travel to marry one of my grandsons. Earlier this year I got certification as a Marriage Commissioner at the request of my eldest grandson as he wanted me to officiate at his wedding. Now, grandson number two wants the same thing and his wedding will be happening two weekends from now. This adds a certain kind of awe to my role of being a grandfather. I mean, just how many grandfathers get to marry grandchildren by request?

Yesterday, I went for a walk in the countryside, a nine-and-a-half kilometre effort in hot sunshine. The first part of the walk was along a flat field that had just been harvested. Two kilometres later, I got to walk the hills, my favourite place to walk on the prairies. Hiking in general has been spotty during August because of too many other activities. I barely walked more that 100 km for the month. Hopefully September will be better. It all depends upon the weather. I do hope to get out for three more free-hikes before next week, a good way to start a new month.

Today I am in the city, not walking, as I have to replace my hearing aids. That is an expense that I will willing bare as hearing is important to me, especially being able to hear my grandchildren (youngest are three and five), morning birds while I drink early morning coffee in the back yard, and not miss out on all the words of wisdom from my wife of 51 years. Our anniversary was just a few days ago.

Yes, it is hot here on the Canadian prairies. I left early for my planned hike in the hills. For some reason, I packed a litre of water to take with me as I expected it to reach 30 Celsius by the time I finished my hike. I was thankful and avoided dehydration walking in full sunshine for more than two full hours. There was a lot of hill work in the hike and my legs definitely got a hard workout. Best of all, my hiking clothes didn’t get soaked with sweat as they were tucked safely away in a small backpack with the water. Tomorrow I will again go out early. The plan is for a shorter walk as it is supposed to be hotter than today.

With today’s walk, I tried two extra loops on an old trail. The first followed a dirt road to reach the main grid road which farmers typically use. For a good two-hundred and fifty yards I would have been visible to any traffic travelling down the main gravel road. Because of the time of day, that road was quiet. The second loop took me down a steep hill to reach the valley plain and the edge of the golden field of canola. At the horizon is a farmyard of a family I know quite well. I didn’t worry about being seen as their house is hidden behind the trees seen in the distance in the photo above, and they are currently enjoying some time at a lake.

My new story is coming along quite well, in my opinion. As a result, the audio recording has slowed down. I do hope to record at least three more chapters next week. I have another project that I have begun working on, as well. I will speak more about it in the future as I learn more.

I got to go out for a brisk walk yesterday morning, and by brisk I mean a brisk pace. Normally, my average pace is closer to 11:30 minutes per kilometer. Because of a good number of hills, I decided to throw in some light jogging to mix it up.

I use a variety of programs to record time and distance and am finding that I like this app by Under Armour as it has a good display when all is done. I get to add an image as you can see here, when the activity is done.

My story is now at 6600 words which is a surprise since I seem to slow down with my writing during the summer.

After my walk this morning, I will be going to a Hutterian colony to buy cucumbers so that we can make dill pickles this afternoon. There will also be other vegetables purchased as we will be having a lot of company over the next few weeks. That will mean that for the next three weeks, I will have very little time for being clothing-free in my yard, or even walking. I’m not worried about it as time spent with my children, their partners, and my grandchildren is a precious gift.

I don’t have a lot to report as life is being lived in the “normal” lane, at least normal for me. Free-hiking is on hold, likely for a few more days because of weather, chores, and expected company. At least I have the some freedom in my backyard.

So what does normal look like? Well, watering the garden is done au naturel as you can see in this photo. Because we live in a semi-desert climate with not much rain, we conserve as much water as we can, and that includes bathwater and water we use for rinsing dishes. Our garden, especially the hostas, the strawberries, and the roses are thankful for it.

We also collect as much rainwater as we can in 45 gallon drums and 20 gallon buckets for the main garden. That water is much better for the gardens than tap water. Still, when necessary, we don’t hesitate to attach the hose and water the garden when all the other water is used up.

Barbequing is also done in the buff when outdoors. I have two barbeques, the propane-ffueled BBQ and a new Traeger [wood-smoke] BBQ. Last night, it was burgers cooked on my old BBQ, on the menu.

Sometimes we just sit on our deck and enjoy the sound of the birds that find our backyard an enjoyable place to be. It’s also a place where we talk and share our thoughts, events of the day that have occurred, or simply just relaxing.

There are no rules when one is a senior citizen. With age comes freedom, well as much freedom as we allow ourselves and each other. The need to control the other or be controlled by others is rejected as we both find our own comfort zones. For me that means freedom from clothing as much as possible and practical.

Of course, there are limits as we do live in a community which has written and unwritten rules for its members if one is to be accepted. Since we have no desire to be run out of town, when “others” are in the scene my clothes suddenly reappear on my body. I think of them as camouflage, a costume and disguise to hide the real me.

How does naturism fit into your life? How much freedom or lack of it exist for you?

For the past few mornings, it has been quite cool with single digit Celsius temperatures. This morning it was eight degrees out. At least there are no clouds or much of a breeze. I went out for another naturist walk in the prairie hills this morning.

One of the things that I have noticed is that I am outdoors almost to the maximum possible. Morning coffee on the deck in our yard happens at 5:00 am [I get up earlier to put on the coffee]. Come the evening, it is hard to go back into the house. Naturally, this doesn’t promote time for writing or editing. I know that summer on the prairies is a very short lived season. The joke here is that a decent summer happens about one weekend a year. Everyone I know is already planning their winter getaways to escape the bitterly cold winters.

On a side note, I have been asked to officiate at the wedding of grandchild number two. My two eldest grandsons have made these requests. For me, this is an almost overwhelming affirmation.

I live much of my life clothing free, I have earned the respect of my peers in the world of writing, I am still loved by my mate of fifty plus years, I am healthy, and I have an amazing set of children and grandchildren. Life is good!

Today is my birthday and I have received more well-wishes than I expected. I am seventy-three today. I have friends. In a way, that surprises me.

Thankfully, my wife of 51 years is my best friend. Having a life partner makes life easier for me and for most people I know. There are some who make me wonder how they are still together, or who have found safety and peace in retreating into single life. I am blessed with a family that cares for me and accepts me as a unique individual. And, I am blessed with others in my face-to-face life who are friends. And then there are those who became and remain friends from the world of social media.

It does seem that as I get older, the circle of friends shrinks. Aging has this tipping point when it comes to the body. There is no escaping having your body betray you in quite a number of ways. To keep one’s sanity, it becomes necessary to accept the reality of a body that defies all the “rules” of what is beautiful. If one accepts that reality and then looks at oneself with a set of eyes that realise beauty is beneath the skin, not the skin. Body acceptance is part of the answer. Self-acceptance is the key. And these allow one to be a real friend to others.

I wish each of you that reads this comes to know that your best friend is yourself.

It has been some time since I last talked about meditation. For me, it is all about mindfulness. Now, how do I explain that in a way that makes sense. Typically, people assume that meditation is about drifting into a state of non-being, a trance, or simply going blank. Meditation doesn’t do any of that.

Meditation is about clearing out the chatter and noise that typically dominates, especially in quiet times. Thoughts fragment, scatter, and we are typically left with annoying bits and pieces of inner sounds and images that defy being corralled and tamed. By sitting still, one focuses on either a mantra or better yet, one’s breath. The mind follows the in breath as it fills our lungs, and feels that fullness. And as though there is no pause, the breath begins to flow out. And then, an empty pause between one breath and the next.

Mindfulness begins in first being present with your breath, a focused attention. Only then can the chatter of your mind be stilled enough to become more aware of where you are. You don’t disappear into an inner nothingness. You get to be present to the sounds, smells, auras, and presences in your environment. Close your eyes? In my opinion, no. However, it might be wise to not be wide-eyed. Leave your eyes open a bit so that you are there and not drifting into the sleepy region of inner spaces. It’s too easy to fall asleep.

One good practice is to follow all of these instructions while walking. Walking meditation is real. In the not so distant past, religious leaders walked while praying, while meditating. Typically the cloister would frame an inner garden space and the clerics would walk the circuit repeatedly in silence. I also engage in walking meditation, walks that take me into the countryside away from neighbours and traffic. As I slip into the needed personal silence, I get to hear the birds, the breezes, the insects, and perhaps more importantly, any car approaching. Awareness is the key.

So you meditate?

Another sunny day and another walk in the hills. Two days ago I walked through this valley and through another area that had just been cut for hay. Once I had cleared this valley and was at the flats between opposing sets of hills, I saw that the other area had been baled. I am fairly certain that this area will either be baled later today or tomorrow which means no naturist hiking tomorrow.

Today is the hottest day of the year so far and the energy levels have dropped come the afternoon. Since we expected this, we didn’t plan anything important in terms of outdoor tasks other than giving the vegetables and flowers in the gardens some extra water.

I have taken advantage of this indoor time to begin chapter two of the new story. I have a cool office which doesn’t need to have the air conditioner turned on. I hope everyone enjoys their weekend.

Well, that was a naturist hike with a difference. I added another km to that total because of an issue. Between the start and the finish, my truck keys had fallen through a hole in my carrying sack. I had a choice to either retrace my steps or walk home where I have a second set of keys. Luckily, about a half kilometre into retracing my steps, I found the truck keys on the path, just steps away from where I had taken my first photo of my free-hike. Needless to say, I will have a sewing task of repairing that hole, or better yet, having a clip for the keys to prevent any future loss through new holes.

Today was my longest free-hike of the year. I could have gone longer but I had other tasks I wanted to complete before the afternoon temperatures soared. I have to dead-head the roses and then search for a pair of new tires from my truck as the rear tires are in poor shape.

I also have begun a new story, or should I say I have returned to a story I had begun sometime in the past. It will be a different sort of tale.