earth day reflections

With Earth Day right around the corner (it's this Monday, the 22nd!), I can't help but think about my connection to the earth.  It's funny how after 9 years now of living in large cities - first New York City, now Philadelphia - I think about my consumption, my carbon footprint, my use of resources so much more now than I ever did growing up in rural Georgia.  Perhaps I'm just older & wiser, or perhaps I see the effect of the human footprint in a concentrated, in-your-face way.

Even though I try to bike as much as I can or grow my own veggies in the summertime, I know I can do more.  I know that the less I consume & the less I own, the simpler and happier my life is.  And I know the earth is happier, too.

So here's to another season of enjoying the riches of our environment with family and friends, with picnics, planting, consuming less, and spending more days outside.  (Like last weekend, along Kelly Drive in Philadelphia, where the above pictures where taken.)