-=> Quoting LORRAINE PHILLIPS to ROBIN ARNHOLD <=-
Hi, Lorraine,
 LP> Oh, interesting.  I hadn't thought of that before but it definitely
 LP> makes sense.  I had to change my method of orienting myself when I
 LP> moved to this city (from another city) because here it's best to know
 LP> your route in detail, including what lanes to be in, and to know what
 LP> compass direction you should be going on each street that you'll be
 LP> taking. Sometimes even the native Calgarians can't find an address,
 LP> specially in the newer districts, and give up and go home.  It can be
 LP> really fast to get around town - if you have an up-to-date city map,
 LP> make use of the through streets, read all the street signs and avoid
 LP> the cul-de-sacs. |-]
Madison is another city that can be difficult to get around in.  The
center of the city is built on an isthmus that is 8-10 blocks wide.  The
State Capitol is at the narrowest part of the isthmus and on a square
with streets radiating in 8 directions like the spokes of a wheel.  Many
of the streets are one-way streets and several are closed to private
vehicles.  Getting from one side of town to the other is, shall we say,
interesting.  Of course, I live on one side of town and work on the
other.  :>
 
 -> I am a supporter of a nature sanctuary about 40 miles out of town.
 LP> 
 LP> Just out of curiosity, what sort of habitat is it?
It is located on the extreme eastern edge of the driftless bioregion,
that portion of Wisconsin that was missed by the glaciers.  It has
wetlands, a small area of remnant tallgrass prairie, and a red oak
forest.  There are also several springs and a small stream.  There is
currently a prairie restoration project underway to extend the original
prairie habitat.  There are several rock shelters in the forested area
with pictographs.
 
 -> I finally decided that people who live in the country recognize
 -> landmarks differently than urban folks and are more used to moving
 -> around in spaces that don't have wall-to-wall buildings, blocks, and
 -> straight streets.
 LP> 
 LP> I admire people who can get out in the bush and identify bird calls,
 LP> animal tracks, plants, habitats, etc.  I've gone on walks with the
 LP> field naturalist society here and it was very humbling when they'd
 LP> point some lovely bird which I hadn't even heard, let alone seen,
 LP> because I had been totally preoccupied with not falling over, or into,
 LP> anything. 
It is true; it is easier to notice things when one's attention is not
being distracted.  You might find you notice things easier when you're
sitting down and resting, like on a lunch break during one of these
walks.  Of course, I have a bit of incentive:  not infrequently I find
myself driving country roads at night and I need to keep an eye out for
wildlife.
 LP> Perhaps the starting point for a city person in the country would be
 LP> to give names to specific natural objects.  You know, like naming a
 LP> particular rock based on something about its shape, then memorizing
 LP> where it is in relation to some other known location.
Yes, one recognizes things by their relationship to each other, such as
the tall rock in the middle of the pasture that usually has horses in it
who like to hang out in the shade of the oak tree that hangs over the
road right before the intersection where one turns right and then goes
over a narrow bridge.
 
Take care,
Robin
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