Quiet, Slow Walk… June 25, 2008
Posted by Jennifer Schlick in hiking, photography.trackback
This season can be really crazy for a naturalist. Everybody wants a walk in the woods… You run from one group to the next. Or you run to check bird boxes, or mist nets, or ponds with dragons flying… As my boss once said, “Too much of a good thing is still too much.” So it seems…
Today when I got to work, I just couldn’t stand the idea of getting immediately into the work flow… Camp registrations, walk confirmations, program preparations… I decided I really just needed a walk. Alone. With camera. Slow. Without purpose. So relaxing. So that’s what I did.
I wasn’t looking for anything in particular. I was ready to accept whatever nature tossed my way. A muskrat. A daisy. A feather.
What is it about morning and dew and Green Frog songs that can melt the stress away?
I looked for patterns and color and good light. I photographed the familiar. And the unfamiliar.
I watched a Muskrat swim across a pond and an Oriole fight off a Crow. I watched birds flit among branches catching food for themselves and for babies. I startled a deer and heard it go crashing through the pond snorting. I noticed dew dripping from sunlit flowers. I saw a spider by an egg sack.
The woods invited me to explore. Shadows and sunlight. Trees and vines. Ferns, ferns, ferns…
When I returned to the office, I was met by a colleague with a serious face. It seems our boss’ husband had been in a serious accident and was still in ICU.
They say that nature restores and heals. I send all these images and sensations to you, Paul. They restored me. May they restore you. You are strong. You will pull through.
Your photos are definitely very tranquilizing. Thanks for sharing, and I hope your boss’ husband will pull through.
I, too, am thinking about Paul this morning.
Your photos have a quality that feels just right.
Peace to you and your boss’ husband.
A lovely post and beautiful shots! Sending positive thoughts for your boss’s husband!!
The sights, sounds and smells of nature do balance my life. And the ordinary is quite extraordinary under your lens. Hearing about an accident should help us remember the fragility of our lives and how we need to enjoy each moment.
If anyone needs proof of the inherent and lasting value of nature study, they should experience this post. Not only is the natural world so filled with exciting and beautiful images but also it has LIFE, from the tiny bug to the bounding deer or birds in combat– as you observe.
Your post so reminds us all of why exposure to and knowledge of the natural world should be a part of the education of every child– if for no other reason to help keep our sanity and perspective in later life. A wonderful,uplifting and insightful post.
I hope your boss’ husband pulls through alright. Your photos certainly should help. They are beautiful.
Thanks, all for your kind words… and for your thoughts and prayers for Paul.
Nature has so much to offer. All we must do is slow down and accept.
Really nice macro shots – and a second on Marvin’s sentiment.
Best wishes for Paul, as well.