Flashback and Rhythm

Yesterday I spent in Ithaca on Cayuga Lake at their Nature Center. Walking in their facility reminded me of the years I spent at the Louisville Nature Center and learning the teams course at Jefferson Memorial Forest. It was rather odd being at the other end of a program and participating instead of leading. I sort of sat on the sidelines in my head watching everything unravel as it usually does on a trail and with teamwork. When I came home, I made progress on a book I'm reading and paid attention to the location of a few black ants that are in my house. They are positioned in different corners and they seem to "man" the area as lookouts for predators or scouts to find food. I'm amazed by their independence and curious as to the bigger role they play to their ant colony. They are definitely on a mission as lookouts or something. I know most people would kill them off or relocate them outside, but I sort of like watching their routine of navigating their small areas of the globe and finding elation over a crush Cheerio crumb on a counter or the floor. In a way, we are all ants on different trails, playing out the roles as they've been given.