Tuesday, March 20, 2018

The Oppenheimer Report 3/19/18


The morning before last I was awakened by the sound of crows. There must have been a lot of them, and the cawing was coming from down by the frozen lake. There have been a lot of deer around our house, as there usually are with the approach of spring. They come out of the woods, foraging around on the newly exposed grounds. Almost every year there is at least one kill somewhere nearby. A few winters ago, I watched two wolves dragging a deer carcass across the frozen lake. Last Friday morning, I discovered that the crows were picking at the remains of a carcass in front of our neighbor’s house. I went down to see what was going on, but there wasn’t much left to inspect. Ribs, a lot of blood, legs, and a little fur scattered about. I was reminded of the symbiotic relationship of all living beings, and of the harsh realities of Mother Nature.

I’m a “citiot”, born and raised in a city, and I remained relatively oblivious to nature throughout my ill-spent youth. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always loved the outdoors, but I wasn’t particularly respectful of the balance of Nature. It wasn’t until Shauna and I began to vacation in Banff National Park that I became profoundly sensitive to that delicate balance. Over the many years we travelled out to Banff Park, we befriended a lot of locals, and some of them guides and park officials. We learned about the dangers of habituation, and of the damage ignorant tourists do to the park habitat. People act badly, and it is the animals who pay, sometimes with their lives. Now, we live in this natural paradise near Muskoka, where wildlife and wonder are omnipresent. People come from all around to experience the beauty of our parks, but many are not respectful of the wildlife. Loon chicks drown in the wake of jet skis, people feed bears, thus creating a “problem bear” which must often then be destroyed. Most of us are unwittingly the party to animal abuse, simply because we eat meat that is raised in an inhumane manner. In short, things are getting more and more out of balance, and no doubt man is the primary culprit. That saddens me.

At first, I was a little shocked to see the deer carcass, and to think that the animal probably suffered before it died. I don’t like killing things myself, although I will (and have) if those things become a nuisance to my home. Still, I do not deny my nature as a carnivore, and was fascinated by the sight of this kill. We rarely see wolves around here – I’ve probably seen two since we moved up here – but I know they are in the woods lurking. Mother Nature is one tough lady, and she takes no prisoners. We can build all the waterfront condos we want, closer and closer to the shore, ignoring the potential for a weather catastrophe. We elect myopic, greedy politicians, but what is in the interest of some may not be in the interest of most. More and more I don’t know wherein lies that delicate balance. I know that hindsight is 20/20. I got a little reminder the other morning, when the black birds were hovering around the kill. Mother Nature is in charge, and she will cull the herd. Much can be learned by respecting her laws. Alternatively, much can be lost by ignoring them.

Of late, I’ve been in a dry spell with my songwriting, but the sight of that carcass jump started a lyric in me. I penned a song full of metaphors, about watching out for the wolves. Nature will always win in the end, no matter how we struggle to control it. Man’s hubris never stops amazing me, but in the end, Mother Nature and her wildlife will likely have the last laugh.

“Deer carcass on the frozen lake/ Ribs picked clean in the morning light/ I turned away from this bloody sight/ Knowing no soul goes down without a fight.”


  - Written by Jamie Oppenheimer c 2018 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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