Category Archives: nature prescription

take steps along a path toward discovering the regenerative existential cures to be found in plant dominated environments such as gardens and landscape.

Has ANYTHING Changed?

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21Dec2022

The first day of winter.

Four days til Christmas.

And CJ posted four tales.

4.1–The Oval Garden experiences inspired me to address the things that were at the very heart of landscape architecture. In this tale, I talk about the sun and sunlight.

4.2–After my Oval Garden visits, I went over and over my portal experiences, trying to understand logically what happened. I, in this short tale, share my own conclusions.

4.3–I used my own forest experience to construct a short tale in which I talked about forests in the landscape, their life beyond the senses and salubrious exchanges.

4.4–I described what I was missing in Tangier. But I did have a rooftop garden terrace with a view over the Strait of Gibraltar.

Who is CJ and why is he writing these tales?

In June 2000, Christopher Janus, a senior studying landscape architecture at a mid-west America university, finds himself in Tangier on a term abroad design study. The strange culture, the North African landscape and Mediterranean gardens are not what he expected. CJ, as his friends called him, could not wait to be home for Christmas.

To complete his term abroad design study, CJ documented his strange culture, landscape and garden experiences in Morocco in a series of 43 short stories that are being released on Amazon Kindle Vella everyday between now and Christmas Eve. The first 3 are FREE! You can find them here: Tales til Christmas Vella link ASIN: B0BNZDYKKC

Mediterranean Sun, Sand and Palm Trees

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La Baie de Tanger–the beach at Tangier with the medina and Kasbah in the background. No wonder CJ thought he had it made for his term-abroad design study.

What could possibly undo the beauty of this landscape, its plants, its gardens, its sun and sandy beaches?

Or is the question, rather, what could enhance this outstandingly beautiful landscape?

CJ had his hands full.

He tried to explain it in a series of short stories about his six months in northern Morocco. He called his very short stories tales. 

Tales? 

Tales because in Morocco, for the first time in his life CJ couldn’t distinguish between fiction and fact.

CJ’s tales are the reveal.

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Those very short stories are, for the first time, being released on Vella everyday between now and Christmas Eve.

The first three episodes are FREE and 16 tales have already been posted. Find them here=http://bit.ly/3B9rJXE

ENJOY!!

All 43 tales will be found under one ebook cover titled Curious Tales and via KDPselect will be offered for FREE on the day of launch likely in the first half of 2023. Sign up here to be notified of the launch date to get all 43 tales for free=https://bit.ly/3q5lcaq

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If you wonder what actually happened during CJ’s six months in Tangier, pick up the eBook, Tangier Gardens–out of the classroom into the real world–via plant portals, FREE on Smashwords here: https://bit.ly/3SIAfma

ENJOY!!

Hope Landscape

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Find the hope.

The popularity of landscape photographs these days is the result of our lives being so turbulently fast-paced that we humans have an unquenchable existential thirst. We try to satisfy that thirst by absorbing in a one second glance at a landscape photo the peace and inspiration so essential to a fulfilling human existence. But we do not have the time to go out in the real life landscape to actually bathe our souls in it.

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Do you agree?

If so, maybe you’d like to read the landscape stories I write.

Sign up to my email list: https://bit.ly/3q5lcaq

Read my ebook, Tangier Gardens, it’s free on Smashwords: https://bit.ly/3SIAfma

The Firstest Snowfall

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It is about waking up to a joyful surprise.

Went to sleep hearing the rainfall on the roof. It wasn’t cold, but late autumn coolness everywhere. The falling rain eased me into sleep.

Oh, that first snowfall of the winter…oh, that first snowfall of the year.

There’s nothing quite like it. Waking up to the first–clean, bright, yet not glossy–the best white.

Yesterday’s Autumn.

Yesterday like that.

Today…

Joy on high–the first snowfall!

In life, natural things have always attracted me, so I look for them and write about them

I am a nature lover and a landscape aficionado.

I am curious about all things green—the environment, plants, gardening, horticulture.

And because I am intrigued about the multi-cultural, mystical history of people and plants, I have lived in North Africa, Europe and the Arabian Peninsula.

If you are into these same things, then please visit my Smashwords page or join my email list.

Trapped?

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Trapped in the dark? You do have options.

There is light, sunlight, transcendental light… look for it.

It’s always darkest before the dawn–the dawn does come…wait for it, go to it, change will come.

You can see through the dark times.

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In Tangier Gardens, CJ was submerged in dark times; but with the help of his girl friend, Sachy, he found the light.

If you’re into these kinds of stories, please join my mailing list, more are on the way–stories from Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.

My Secret Pleasure

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My secret pleasure? I find it when I see clouds forming and escaping from the mountains.

  • clouds

When the temperature, humidity and barometric pressure are amenable, I can see the mountains breathing.

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This pleasure from nature, the landscape, the topography, the plants…that is the heart of CJ’s discoveries in my novel, Tangier Gardens, where the student becomes mesmerized by the northwest Africa landscape and Tangier gardens. Interested? Buy the book.

Want to know more? Join my email list–discounts and more.

Thank you

Mountain Stream

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The flow.

Mountain stream above the tree line, clear and white–straight flow to the pineal.

The stream takes advantage of the eyes and ears as paths to the pineal.

Words and talking get in the way–the stream continues; but the pineal flow stops.

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In Tangier Gardens, CJ discovered this flow.

He didn’t know what to call his experiences, paranormal, gnostic portals, or the answers to existential unknowns–but he knew the inputs were from nature, its landscapes and plants.

Want to learn more about these experiences in nature, in the landscape? Please join my email list.

Explorer?

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Ever been at the foot of a valley? Facing a challenge?

Are you an explorer?

What do you think you might find up this valley?

Death?

Inspiration?

You’ll never know till you start walking up the valley. 

Do it–that’s what life is for.

Against all odds, CJ did it. Find out how he did it in Tangier Gardens.