WHEN YOU LOOK OUT YOUR WINDOW-REAL OR FIGURATIVE-DO YOU SEE THE FOREST FIRST, OR THE TREES?

I HAPPEN TO BE SITTING ON THE 29TH FLOOR OF OUR HOTEL IN SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, LOOKING OUT ACROSS THE EXPANSIVE SAN DIEGO BAY LINED ON THE OTHER SIDE BY HISTORIC CORONADO ISLAND.  BEYOND THE ISLAND, THE PACIFIC  OCEAN STRETCHES SEEMINGLY WITHOUT END.

WITHOUT QUESTION, MY FIRST GAZE OUT THIS WINDOW DICTATED SEEING THE “FOREST” WHICH CONVINCINGLY STIMULATED A FEELING OF VASTNESS AND UNCOMMON BEAUTY.

BY NOW I HAVE SPENT SOME TIME ALLOWING SPECIFIC OBJECTS, VIBRANT SCENES AND ACTIVITIES CATCH MY ATTENTION-IN OTHER WORDS,THE “TREES”.

THE CONSTANT TRAFIC ACROSS THE BRIDGE.  AN OLD BUILDING IN THE SHIPYARD BELOW BEING DISMANTLED.  NUMEROUS PRIVATELY OWNED SAILBOATS MOORED A HUNDRED YARDS FROM SHORE. A CONSTANT FLOW OF SHIPS, BARGES, YACHTS AND SAILBOATS PEACEFULLY PLYING THE WATERS TO DESTINATIONS UNKNOWN TO ME.  ALL THESE I HAVE SEEN BEFORE, OF COURSE.

BUT HERE THERE IS AN ADDED ATTRACTION WHICH I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED; EVEN AFTER ALL THESE YEARS OF LOVING ALL THINGS AQUATIC.

JUST BEYOND THE BRIDGE AND ACROSS THE BAY SITS THE TRAINING STATION FOR THE US NAVY SEALS.  ONLY RARELY DOES A MOMENT GO BY WITHOUT THEIR SPEEDY PATROL BOATS RACING ALONG THE DEEP BLUE EXPANSE OF SAN DIEGO BAY.  SOMETIMES THREE OR MORE COMBAT- READY BOATS RACE IN A CONTINUOUS CIRCLE.  THEN, FOR REASONS KNOWN ONLY TO THEM, THE ENGINES SLOW TO A STOP, LEAVING ME TO SPECULATE WHAT MISSION HAS CAUSED THESE TACTICAL MANEUVERS.  IF THAT WERE NOT ENOUGH, A NAVAL HELICOPTER SWOOPS AROUND THE BAY AND PERIODICALLY DESCENDS TO HOVER CLOSE TO THE SURFACE, FORMING A TORRENTIAL CIRCULAR MIST TO RISE ALL AROUND.  I HAVE NO WAY TO KNOW WHAT THOSE BRAVE MEN ARE UP TO, BUT WATCHING THEM BRINGS A FEELING OF ADMIRATION, PATRIOTISM AND SECURITY.

I WOULD BE PLEASED TO HEAR HOW YOU WOULD DESCRIBE YOUR LANDSCAPE TODAY.