Needing Nature

Like many parts of the U.S., the Christmas week found us in a crystal-like ice covered wonderland....awesome especially when you don't have to drive. At this point, I am enjoying the beauty that Winter holds. This is when we're supposed to have snow, when we expect it, and when we want it. Those late March snows always depress me, but now is the time. The glow of the Christmas lights with the ice and snow made everything appear magical. Once those lights are down or turned off, it will take me a while to adjust to the true natural beauty of everything. There are so many things to look forward to: Snow melt, Spring, Summer, etc. This is my constant challenge.....looking ahead instead of just enjoying where we're at NOW. When it's like these pictures above, though, it's easy to enjoy "now." The temperatures were warm enough to enjoy it, not that bitter sub zero cold that I could live without. When the lights are down, and the snow turns grey, that

Aaaaahhhh....cannot believe it is December 23rd, but I REALLY can't believe I neglected to post on Monday the 21st which was the Winter Solstice. For those of us that live in climates where we have 4 very definite varied seasons, this is definitely a turning point for us. I always am filled with excitement,like we've turned the corner despite having so many weeks of winter left. We've reached the shortest day of the year and now very slowly, at a snail's pace, our days will get longer. But for now, winter is here in full force, and I'm not going to fight it! "In drear-nighted December, Too happy, happy tree, Thy branches ne'er remember Their green felicity: The north cannot undo them With a sleety whistle through them; Nor frozen thawings glue them From budding at the prime. In drear-nighted December, Too happy, happy brook, Thy bubblings ne'er remember Apollo's summer look; But with a sweet forgetting, They stay their cry

I like plants! I like to have green, growing, living things surrounding me year round. In the deep, dark, cold depths of winter, plants are life when there seems to be none. But sometimes, I forget that the life inside needs care, attention, and love, which can pretty much come in one form: WATER. And like I said, sometimes I forget. And when it appears that I've killed the life in our house, my husband comes to the rescue and takes those dead plants to work and brings them back to life. He waters them, repots them, puts them on a cart to take them out to give them fresh air and sun for short times if the weather is nice. He saves them and creates life where there was none. Connection with gardens, even small ones, even potted plants, can become windows to the inner life. The simple act of stopping and looking at the beauty around us can be prayer. - Patricia R. Barrett, The Sacred Garden Each person's idea of a garden is unique. In creating a garden, we not only open

Woke up in a funk today and couldn't seem to shake it off. Instead of fighting it, I embraced it and am sharing this very mellow song, which has always been one of my favorite Dan Fogelberg songs from his Home Free album. I still am so bummed that such a talented man passed away and cannot continue to share his music with us. I rank his death up there with the death of John Denver, another nature loving soul. If you are not familiar with this, the words "Watching the sun come up over the rooftops.....There is really no way to say 'no' to the morning...Cloudy and warm, maybe a storm, you can never quite tell from the morning........There is really nothing left to say but come on morning. " There were several videos on YouTube but the live versions were pretty old and not the greatest quality. I liked this one, which of course fits totally with our nature theme with its beautiful photography. I have to say that my petty "life" irritations of the

Each flower is a soul opening out to nature. - Gerald De Nerval At elevations over 10,000 feet you don't always find that much growing, at least not at first glance. But tucked all over you can find the most beautiful wildflowers popping out by fresh water springs, by snow melt runoff, behind rocks or anywhere else life took a chance in spite of all the obstacles! I'm always amazed to find the bursts of color up here, where the wind never seems to stop, where even in July there is a chill in the air, and where the weather can turn nasty abruptly. It's hard to believe both pictures above were taken at the same place, but they were. And when you venture off the path, and find these little surprises like the flowers above, I wonder if maybe I'm the only person that ever laid eyes on this particular flower. Sticking to the path, I would have missed it, but taking the time to wander off the trail holds many rewards.

"The trees down the boulevard stand naked in thought, Their abundant summery wordage silenced, caught In the grim undertow; naked the trees confront Implacable winter's long, cross-questioning brunt." - D. H. Lawrence, Winter in the Boulevard So Monday, I was lamenting the arrival of snow, and today I'm wondering why the blizzard that has covered the Midwest has only left us with a few inches and a bunch of slush!!! So yes, I wish we had gotten dumped on. As long as it's going to snow, bring it on! Out shoveling I was enjoying the quiet, peacefulness that comes with snow. I guess I had forgotten. As crazy as all of our lives are, I think we need to embrace any moment of quiet we are blessed with. It was brief, but the interlude of stillness has stayed in my soul for the rest of the afternoon.

"Green thoughts emerge from some deep source of stillness which the very fact of winter has released." - Mirabel Osler I reflect on this and it actually brings me some comfort and it's a good reminder, because I have to say I was not really thrilled to see the blanket of snow over everything. I know this is a blog about nature, about embracing all the changes and beauty we see in the world around us. But when I woke up to the first real ground-covering snow of the year, I was left flat. Blah. Don't get me wrong. There are times I'm really excited by snow, in awe of its beauty, where I welcome the icy, crystal beauty of the frozen trees and sparkling landscape. This wasn't one of them. Maybe because it's Monday. Maybe because I was still only on my first cup of coffee. Maybe because the sun wasn't even up yet. But what I instantly thought was okay, we have 3 more months of this. Three. Long. Cold. Months. I know once I get outside and take a w

Many songs, poems, etc. have nature related themes that sometimes capture how we feel and what nature means to us. I'm going to have a Nature Song Of The Week, and with Christmas around the corner, I'm going to start off with a Christmas song. It's not a traditional Christmas song, so you may not have heard it, but please hear me out on it and give me a chance. The song is: Medley: Alfie and the Christmas Tree/Carol For A Christmas Tree/It's In Every One Of Us.........From: Don't laugh!!! This is most definitely NOT your traditional Christmas song, and don't let either the Muppets or John Denver keep you away from at least giving it a listen. This particular song/medley talks about a tree who loved his life in the woods and ultimately goes on to give the message that everyone has the potential to understand the need for peace on earth. I loved this song when my kids were little and now that they're older, we all love it. The whole album i

It may be December but in my search for color yesterday, I definitely found it. Starting out with a blue sky guaranteed success! What fun it was to roam around the woods with only my best buddy, the Sun, to keep me company. Any of these river bluffs no matter how small take on a completely different look when the trees are stripped bare of their leaves and you can actually see the landscape. Being a power walker big picture kind of gal, it's good for me to slow down and focus on the details, and to wind down enough where I just simply breathe in the moment. Only then, do I relax. You may may notice that I equate nature with breathing!! Sometimes I feel like I am suffocating until the minute I escape suburbia and enter into open fields and winding roads. "I saw old Autumn in the misty morn Stand shadowless like silence, listening To silence." - Thomas Hood, Ode: Autumn, 1827

So, realizing that there are 24 shopping days left to Christmas, I got an early jump on work so that I could escape for an hour or so to get some holiday shopping completed. Everything was falling into place for my outing...............except the weather: 51 degrees and sunny. Forecast for tomorrow: Snow/rain mix and endless string of temps in the 30's. Who knows when we might see 50 again? Hmmmm.....What's a girl to do? So off I went and I drove out to the main road. Turning left goes towards the mall and turning right leads me to the country. I truly had intended to be a good kid and get to the mall.......BUT.........forces beyond my control made me turn right. There are advantages to living on the fringe of suburbia, where a 10-15 minute drive leads me far from strip malls and into the countryside. This was taken on the way to my destination. I drive by it often on my "Therapy Drives" as I call these and it sort of transports me back in time. Warm enou

Funny how some of these state parks that are filled with people fishing, hiking and picnicking in other seasons are nowhere to be seen once the leaves fall and the temperature drops. A few diehards are out fishing, but other than that, only the sound of the wind blowing the fallen leaves and whipping through the trees can be heard. Cold, but peaceful.

The Midwest can be unpredictable, and this year it seems November was in October and October was in November. I sat on my patio Saturday, two days after Thanksgiving, with the bright sun and 50 degree weather. I savored every minute of it, knowing that we were only a couple days away from COLD. The sun warms my soul, warms me to my core. Honest, there is truly no better feeling. Sun when it's 85 is totally different than sun when it's in the 40's and 50's. It's like having a blanket of heat surround you. I don't think there's ANYTHING I enjoy more than being hugged by the sun like that. When we're blessed with those rare days, I just want to close my eyes and dream the day away. The few clouds that are there, and the chill you get when it covers my beloved sun, remind me that I need to hang on to every moment. Heaven. The laundry will wait, my floors will wait, work will wait, the dishes will wait. When you're given the gift of a warm sunny da

Early morning shot taken from my phone. Unfortunately it doesn't clearly show the moisture rising off the water. I'm sad the leaves are gone and before we know it these branches will be covered with snow and ice. Every time a season nears its close, I regret not having enough time to fully enjoy it. Every time I see something worth capturing, no matter how small, I've been trying to stop right where I am to "seize the moment" before I'm off and running on my day. Two minutes of wonder, two minutes to breathe, two minutes of a sunrise, and then back to reality.

This is the widest point of the Mississippi River, taken from Thomson Causeway COE campground in Illinois. Fall is beautiful here: The small town of Thomson has a great farmers market and down the road there are several flea markets if you like to go "junking." The best part is that the Great River Bike Trail follows the Mississippi River and you can pick it up right from the campground. My son and I had gone for an early morning bike ride once, and we met the nicest lady who was also out biking. Only she had come from CALIFORNIA!!!! She had a pack on her bike and was killing time as she was waiting for a conference in Iowa. She was in her 60's and might I add she was in excellent shape. She explained she had recovered from a rare brain tumor and I think this biking was part of her recovery. I can't imagine having the guts to go alone. I love camping, but we have been in a few secluded spots where I felt sort of "spooked" so I really admire her coura

This was taken behind our campsite at Bay Furnace National Forest Campground, just outside of Pictured Rocks. The water is very shallow so you can go WAY out, and it also made the water temp tolerable and dare I say, warm? We took floats out on the water since it was difficult to walk with the rocks at the bottom. Plus the weather was unseasonably warm while we were there. It was GREAT....not as secluded as Twelve Mile Beach, but still you can go walking to check out the beautiful sunrises and sunsets and not see a soul. Somehow I seem to equate nature with not seeing people!! It's not that I dislike being around others, but when I'm on vacation I want to be with my family and to be able to go off by myself to BREATHE and clear my head. Disney just wouldn't cut it for me.

I almost forgot I actually got a picture of this. This is the eagle that was flying over the beach, and I remember thinking that I couldn't believe how HUGE it was. This one actually came lower but had moved higher by time I got the camera out!!

Of course, since this is Lake Superior, the price to be paid is icy cold water!!! If you're brave enough to swim, after a few minutes, you just become numb to it. The sand here is so soft you sink with each step. making walking across a chore, but well worth the effort to get a good spot in paradise!! Right at the edge of this beach, a bald eagle had a nest and surprised us by swooping along the shore, one of those memorable, unreal moments.

We planned this trip based on similar pictures I had seen on the internet. And you know how it goes, sometimes things don't end up being as nice as you anticipated. We were NOT disappointed. This place is beautiful!!! Like always the pictures don't do justice to the reality. The colors are incredible.....blues, greens, reds, yellows......I've heard it's fabulous in the Fall. When I'm older and retired, I definitely will come up here in September. This is a huge kayaking place, too. There are several outfitters that take groups out along the shore which is where it's most beautiful. Everyone tells you to take the boat tour out of Munising because you need to get out on the water so you can see the beautiful cliffs. We also were advised that the lighting is better on the sunset tour, so we took it 2 years in a row. HUGE. BREATHTAKING. AMAZING. Again, it's yet another place where ANYONE can take great pictures!!! We really love this area. This part

Just when you think you've found the most beautiful, perfect place on the planet, the wind changed. LITERALLY. The shift in the wind blew swarms of flies from the endless dense forests to the beach and oddly anything white or light colored. At this bottom picture, my daughter was saying, "These flies are putting tiny holes in my skin!" Yes, they were biting flies. They swarmed anything that was light colored......like our paradise beach, our dog, our skin.....anything and everything. Got up the next day: More flies. Next day: More flies. We'd wake up and look out on the screen tent, which was WHITE making it a huge fly magnet, and we'd have our own fly forecast. When it was covered at 7 a.m., we knew we were going to have to drive inland for the day and find something else to do. The campground host informed us that he had seen the entire campground emptied as everyone cleared out because of the FLIES. We've camped for years and have experienced a

I thought I'd post some more pictures from the eastern side of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Later I'll post shots from the more popular western side which is beautiful in a different way. The top picture is of Grand Sable Dunes and the others are taken from our campground, which was I think $15 a night. It always amazes me that the most inexpensive campgrounds are the most beautiful. The name of this campground is Twelve Mile Beach, and the beach really does seem endless. You can walk forever and not see a soul. If you want to get away, and just experience nature, and simply BREATHE, this is the place. There's something about being by water that is so relaxing. Lake Superior is breathtaking. I would bring books and notebooks to the beach behind our campsite, planning to read and write but all I ended up doing was soaking in my surroundings. Cell phone coverage: Nonexistent!! I'd walk up a hill and would get a little, but we pretty much had to drive to Gr

This is one of the most beautiful places I've been to. What a surprise to find out we didn't have to travel 1000 miles to find a secluded, quiet, breathtaking place. This was taken from our campsite at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, right on Lake Superior.

Am I the only one that thinks these are cool??? I know a lot of "naturalists" are opposed to these things, because among other reasons, there's always dead birds at the base of them. I like everything about them, except for the fact that they bring back memories of the Teletubbies . What a clean way to create power, and how cool it is when you're driving miles and miles, and then all of a sudden some of these pop up. They're just so HUGE. We saw "parts" of these being transported on I80 and each windmill propeller takes an entire semi-truck to move.

Gibbon, Nebraska........which is by..........ummm......not much.....which is why I LOVE Gibbon, Nebraska. I just love SPACE, and air that you can breathe and sunsets that last forever, and storms you can see coming from MILES away, and cornfields with the sound of the wind blowing throught the stalks. What's not to like???? I LOVE this state!!!

After the Nebraska interlude, I'm back in Wyoming for this post. Since it's Fall, I was thinking of my summer vacation in the Snowy Range, Medicine Bow National Forest, Wyoming, which is the location of my previous mountain pictures. I've been coming out here since I was a kid, but now things look like they're changing, beyond the "normal" course of change that I'm used to. Beetles are killing many of the forests out west. This picture directly above looks like it's taken in the Fall, but this was actually taken in July and in fact these trees are dying by the thousands. Campgrounds are being closed as the trees are falling, making them unsafe. On the other side of this mountain range, Snowy Range, the damage is widespread, much worse than how it is in this picture. Cleanup efforts at some of the campgrounds show how huge of a mess this is and what an impossible task the attempt is. I know there's a lot of debate about what should and can be d

I guess you could say that the oil well and the power lines ruin the picture, but I kind of like the contrast. Living in a high growth area, driving out here is refreshing, and seems to stay constant.

Everyone makes fun of states where you have stretches where you drive through......."nothing." I absolutely LOVE western Nebraska and eastern Wyoming. I always have. Heading east from IL, you have the rolling hills of Iowa, and then the corn and wheat fields of Nebraska. And then things start to change. You have rolling fields. Endless coal trains in the distance. Plateaus. The land starts to change as you do this slow steady climb. If it wasn't for your gas mileage, you might not even realize that you are indeed ever so slowly increasing in elevation. Would I love it as much without the knowledge of the breathtaking beauty of the mountains that are just beyond the horizon? You can look out and almost imagine the wagon trains heading this same path. Because nothing has changed. Take out the telephone poles and wires, the oil wells, and occasional cell towers, and you'd see what the pioneers saw. Space. Lots of space.

There are places and times where we all become photographers, where we all have an overpowering need to capture the moment, place, and time and preserve it. Some places are just so beautiful that we all are able to be photographers and take beautiful pictures. But it's frustrating when the end result doesn't show the vastness of what we're trying to shoot. So when looking at pictures of places I've never been, I'm always trying to imagine all that I cannot see in the photo, the story behind the story. What went on where the picture ended? What was the temperature, was there a breeze, what did the air smell like, and what was being felt when this was taken? You hear people say over and over that their pictures did not do the location justice. It's true. And when I look at my own pictures, I see so much more, and they tell a story of my memories of that frozen moment in time that only I know. I feel the cool breeze that I felt when I was taking it, breathing

I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could learn what it had to teach, and not, when I come to die, discover that I had not lived. Henry David Thoreau