vesterberg.se

I have recently returned from a one-week trekking in the mountains in the company of my oldest son Mattias and my dog Viggo. We visited the area west of Abisko in the very north of Sweden. It was really an adventure with many experiences of the greatness of nature. As a preparation for the trip (just for fun) I read and thought a little about survival strategies. What are the most important patterns that make people survive when they get into trouble; a plane crash, a catastrophe or when they get lost in unknown territory.

Those who survive shipwrecks, plane crashes, natural disasters and prison camps are those who are open to the changing nature of their environment, according to many psychologists. The survivors are those who notice that something changes around them and adapt accordingly.

Each one of us live with a mental model of the world, psychologists say. We see what we expect to see. We see what makes sense and what makes sense is what matches your mental model. More or less unconsciously we find reasons to exclude the information that might contradict our inner world instead of updating our view. Here comes the insidious thing. When things change around us, we don’t notice it. When the unexpected happens, we move on as usual or sit down denying the facts. We have a tendency to anticipate and predict the future based on our mental model and that puts us in trouble. We have this false sense that we are always in control.

At one point in Abisko we were a bit disoriented and were slightly on the wrong path. The landscape before us didn’t match the map as we expected. This happened at the end of the day. We had just finished a difficult passage and were hungry and tired, expecting an easy route to our next stop. We had to pause, eat some snacks (important!) and reorient, updating our mental image of our position.  We could easily have continued for miles in the wrong direction, but luckily we didn’t.

Psychologists say survivors more than others allow new information to reshape their mental model. They admit reality, accept it and work with it. They are open and curious. This rule is obvious in the nature. Those animals that adapt to changing environment survive and those who don’t become extinct. People who are rule followers don’t do as well as those who are of independent mind and spirit. Survivors question everything, sometimes annoyingly.

Trekking is a great way to learn to be a better observer. You have to look at what is around you and intelligently compare it to the map. When you walk in isolated parts of the country, losing your way can be unpleasant. This keeps you alert. You also have to look back every once in a while and memorize how your past path looks, because you might be forced to turn back.

Thankfully, we can learn to live aware and open. We ought to nourish our curiosity constantly and question what is happening. Perhaps it is a just matter of relearning, since no one is more observant and adaptive than a small child. This observant and adaptive lifestyle might save our life one day.

I am sure you have had moments when you felt especially close to nature. It could have been a sunset or when you met a deer in the forest. It could have been hearing birds singing an early morning in the spring. I believe that these moments are precious. No, more than that. They are important, very important. We should seek these experiences or rather expose ourselves to them. But you can’t command or control them. You have to take the time, be still out in nature and wait for them.

I spent time trekking and living in a tent in the Swedish mountains at two occasions this summer. I was at the bare mountain region where the clouds are sailing. It was a great experience. Up there in the stillness with no people in sight (except my fellow-trekker) I took the opportunity to “connect” to nature and the wildlife. We had sunny days, which are great. Stormy weather (the wind can be very strong up there) and fog can also be positive experiences if you let them. I remember standing in a vast valley with the strong wind blowing through me. I remember seeing the clouds pass by close and I was profoundly affected.

- Hmm, what do you mean by that?

I can’t describe it really. I felt small and at the same time surrounded and embraced by nature. Now afterwards I feel that my relation to nature has changed. The wind and the clouds somehow feel familiar. Does it sound spooky to you?

I believe one of the reasons that man can destroy nature without hesitating, is that he hasn’t gazed in the eyes of a wild deer long enough.

Tell me reader, have you had experiences like these?

Isn’t she lovely? Almost like in the children’s books. Beautiful to look at, but don’t take a bite!. Does anyone know what it’s called in english?

Amanita muscaria

Who could imagine that my dog would find such a little fellow one morning? It is April, 30th and about 8 degrees Celsius in the morning. The snow is barely gone.

It isn’t a poisonous snake and it was very dull, but I reacted quickly as you can understand.

Later, my dog found another unexpected fellow in the woods…

Songs from the wood; wonderful tones from flute and birds. The hat is mine and the young man is very familiar. He’s a great guy.

- He says it’s a lot of fun
- But he ain’t jumping around
- He is smiling
- But he ain’t moving much
- I believe he enjoys it
- Bah, I want some jumping and shouting
- Perhaps he does it on the inside

Now I have used Auralex Great Gramma for some months. It looks like this; my Behringer PEQ 2200, EBS HD350 and Ampeg 410HLF neatly stacked on top of it.

This product from Auralex.com is an acoustic isolation platform that floats the speaker cabinet. I bought it because several prominent bass players on the net recommended it and I got curious. I have written about it earlier here. The advertisment promises great purity of tone and after using it for a while I have to concur. My tone is now more defined and there is less disturbing vibrations. My bandmates confirm my opinion; they can hear me more clearly now. I can allow a higher volume on the deep tones on my equalizer.

We live pretty close to a forest and me and my dog have wandered to and fro there, continually expanding our territory and learning to find our way around. Sometimes we tread the common tracks, but most of the time we make our own paths. Very seldom we meet someone. The animals we have met are mostly birds, like woodpeckers and black grouse. I have almost felt like it was me, Viggo and our forest.

Then one day a week ago I found footprints along my path, footprints of a bear. The population of brown bears is increasing in Sweden by 5% per year, though we do not have nearly as many as there are in Canada for example. Viggo wasn’t that interested, so the track must have been a few days old. I can tell you that a look around a bit more now when I walk in the forest and I always have my camera with me. I might have big company.

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Me and my dog Viggo, a four year old Golden Retriever, were out together the other day, walking in the morning sun in a forest nearby. In August we have much morning dew here in northern Sweden and when the sun rises, nature shows its best side. We can easily miss the small things around us, the colors, the smells and the sound of the wind in the leaves. It is wise to catch the moments of beauty and store them in our hearts.

I remember when my children were small. We used to lie down on the ground and be fascinated by the ants or look at the trees and let them speak to us. Having a dog has reminded me of this lifestyle. Yes, it is a lifestyle; Walk slowly, look around, listen, take a deep breath and see the beauty in the small things around.