Is there greed in nature?

This light graced the morning just above the hamlet of Bellfountain on Dawson Road.

Here are some images of Autumn on the land.





Does greed exist in nature? There is violence as evidenced by feathers strewn across the grass. Competitive advantage is seen in the blackberries reaching from the forest into the open field, the dominant turkeys chasing the weaker birds away from the flock, and there is the Scrub Jay out competing the Stellar Jay. But is there greed as a natural state? I've been thinking about the debacle on Wall Street and the obscene bonuses made possible by the blind largesse given out by the government (and from our hard work). In a way it is another form of competitive advantage I guess. It is just sickening to me that intelligent people who have the potential to do positive work for so many people in the world choose to be so self-indulgent.

It is the time for the bear to gather the last stores and prepare for the long sleep. In Chinese medicine I learned that it is the time of metal and a time for turning inward. At this time of my life, with the world events going as they are, I just want to turn into the cave of Aisling and not leave. To store all my food, to install solar energy and a new woodstove, then to let the world do whatever it will do. It is definitely quieter now and it would be an ideal time to just sit on the land and pretend that things aren't like they are. Iraq. Afganistan. Wall Street. Unemployment. A surging China.

In the moment of pre-dawn, as I breathe the fresh, cool, humid air everything is alright with the world. As long as I stay in the moment, avoid listening to too much NPR, and listen to the leaves fall to the ground. Life is good in those moments.