CHASING DOWN THE MUSE: Listen to nature’s warnings

“The first law of ecology is that everything is related to everything else.”

The peaceful calm of an early Sunday morning was shattered by the screeching of the Cooper’s Hawk from the branch of a nearby Eucalyptus grandis. Soon, the call was answered by the harsh cawing of a crow. They kept at it for several minutes, before the hawk flew off, followed by the nagging crow. It was the start of a dry and disturbing day.

As I was heading out for a hot midday hike in the wilderness area with my friend Suzette, I heard the first of the news. There were wind-whipped fires burning in Malibu, the Agua Dulce area of Santa Clarita, Santa Barbara County, and near the border in San Diego County.

On our hike, Suzette and I spoke of many things, carefully avoiding the sobering subject of fire and loss. Was it just too much to consider it happening again here in Laguna? We can only hope and prepare.

Are we ready? Are those bleating goats I hear each day nearly enough? Laguna has already gone through more than its fair share of natural disasters.

Here in Bluebird Canyon we are reminded daily of the most recent of these by the sight and sounds of restoration mid-canyon. Still, I cannot help but wonder.

October. Wind. Fire. These three words together conjure thoughts of water and our significant lack of it here in this desert of the West. We continue building (or did at least until the recent mortgage mess) out to the edges; we plant lush, often tropical, landscapes that require much water for sustenance; agriculture, which uses a lot of water is one of our economic mainstays; more and more people come.

Yet, we are in the end still a desert. The specter of global warming bringing rising ocean waters that engulf our coastal cities is nothing compared to the lack of fresh water availability in the west.

In Los Angeles alone about 125 gallons per person per day are consumed, according to most reports. That’s a lot of water. There has been recent talk of mandatory cutting back, but for now all cuts are voluntary. In my experience, though, we don’t always make the good choices unless forced.

Areas like the Glen Canyon Dam, which formed Lake Powell, have given the West a false sense of security for too long. We have come to the end of that excess capacity. Water ownership and management are issues of greater and greater importance as a drought over which we have no control continues.

I have heard it said that there is always enough water; we just have to be willing to pay for it. While that view has some historical merit, it seems it creates an awful lot of winners and losers. We need to alter demand as supply becomes limited. But how?

I’m trying to get educated on water for starters. Using potable water for flushing toilets or watering lawns is a waste. And that’s just one thing. Cut water use in small ways, like when you brush your teeth, shower, water plants or do laundry. There will be no easy answers, but all of us here in the West must question water usage, educate ourselves and others, and seek those answers — for ourselves and for future generations.

Salt water and chemicals can fight these October fires; potable water is not needed here. We can hope no more lives or homes are lost. We can pray for rain, I suppose, as well. Of course, that only brings problems of mudslides. Egads! My brain becomes tired.

The day’s peace of mind has been shattered by outside events. Maybe this is a good thing. I have to remind myself that I cannot bury my head in the sand or a well-watered lawn. “Show up” and “pay attention” are important, and in this case at least, we are invested in the outcome. All of us.

It is October. It is windy. There are many fires. We are in a sustained drought and running out of water. Was that hawk a mere annoyance or trying to tell me something? Nature itself brings its signs and signals. I’ll try to listen. I hope you will, too.

CHERRIL DOTY is an artist, writer, and creative coach exploring the many mysteries of life in the moment. She can be reached by e-mail at cherril@cherrildoty.com or by phone at (949) 251-3883