Thoughts on perception 2, our environment

3 06 2009

Recently, a friend of mine gave me a copy of Wendell Berry’s Sex, Economy, Freedom & Community. Thus far it is an excellent read. This same friend took this picture (i think) somewhere along Oregon’s scenic coastline. 3391775620_ef96c078dc_o

I want to quote Berry here, ‘[...] the love of nature that limits itself to the love of places that are ’scenic’ is implicitly dangerous. It is dangerous because it tends to exclude unscenic places from nature and from the respect that we sometimes accord to nature’ (28).

images This is highway 84 in southern Idaho. It is arid and profitless lanf.  And yet, this barren stretch where seldom is seen a valley dwelling deer or low lying hawk, hoping for prey to fall victim along this asphalt wonderland, is quite captivating. But despite this captivation, and according to our modern understanding of our general use of the word, scenic it is not.