Community Garden

A Community Garden

For this next nature experience, I traveled to a community garden near my father's house. The day was bright and sunny, with a few puffy clouds here and there. Birds chirped and bees and butterflies swarmed the bright orange and red and yellow flowers that engulfed the entryway to the garden. A few lizards scurried across the gravel path in front of me as I walked down the narrow stretch surrounded by flora on all sides. The path split two ways, one of which went to the right and snaked around a large pond inhabited by a family of turtles and some frogs. A few patches of bubbles were visible, suggesting some fish might also reside there. The beautiful scene of the tall oak trees and sky reflected on the deep green and blue surface of the pond. To the left was a large garden area with a few people walking here and there, all looking at something. I later came to find that they were observing a model train track with many different paths and trains chugging around the large, open area. Every so often along the paths there were benches that allowed me to sit back and relax, taking in the scenery and smells. Bluebirds swarmed the trees above and squirrels cautiously searched the ground for acorns. I traveled the gravel path for a few more hours before I ate my lunch at a picnic table and gathered my possessions to leave the garden. Even as I was leaving the garden, I couldn't escape the beauty of it. Someday I wish to return and see it again.

Nature Photography

Nature Photos

Today, I went for a long nature walk. However, instead of just observing the already amazing beauty of nature, I photographed the beauty to save for later so that I could admire it even after my time was through. As I was walking along the trail, I managed to capture the beauty of nature in multiple photos. The first picture I took was a low photo of the trail as it went on for a while and then curved around a tree and disappeared from sight. The bottom of the picture was focused on the rocks and pebbles, and they became less visible as the trail went on. The next photo was of a small stream running down the middle of the trail. I took two photos of this, one from the top and one from the bottom. I captured the slowly running stream as it created miniature waterfalls as it ran down small rocks. The background of the photos was a group of large ferns with the sun shining through the pines. The final picture was at the base of a large rock, covered with moss and flora and surrounded by large oak and fern trees. The sun was shining through the leaves as it emitted rays of sunlight in small areas. I took these photos to capture the beauty of nature in a different fashion. You don't have to go on a long hike to hunt for a deer for a slim chance. You can simply admire the scenery, the non-living beauty that mother nature created for humanity to observe in complete awe. I encourage you to go out into nature and observe the gorgeous sights that I have. Take in the beauty of life in a natural state. I promise you won't regret it.

Forest Bathing

Forest Bathing

Forest bathing is a calming technique. It is a practice where one goes out into nature and walks. You do not bring electronics with you, you simply quietly walk. You walk slowly, however. This is not a hike or a nature walk to reach an objective or observe a specific thing. You have no objective besides peace, nothing to observe except the beauty of nature. You don't talk. Everything is quiet, save the animals of the woods. As I began walking through the forest, the first thing that I noticed, or rather smelled, was the pines. The needles smelled wondrous, and I was reminded of fresh oranges. The sun shone through the treetops and illuminating the forest in careful, precise areas, the birds began singing. I identified multiple blue jays and two crows. The blue jays sang a memorable song, while the crows cry was shrill and chilling. There was a light breeze that I can only describe as refreshing. As I strolled down a trail, I ventured off to the right of the trail, and followed a smaller trail. The sun was shining beams of light through the tightly gathered treetops, creating a mysterious yet beautiful sight.

A Nature Poem

Beauty in Patience 

The blue jay, sleek and daring, darts through branches

Flying in circles, searching for it's prey

Patiently waiting

For it knows that the best things

Take time

Nearby, the bright green spider sways in the wind

Grasping the thin web it lays on

Patiently waiting

For it knows not to work hard, but to work smart

All around, the wind blows through the trees

Rustling the dozens of leaves

Patiently waiting

For it knows that eventually,

it will carry something off to it's destiny

Be patient 

For your time will come, some day

Nature Sounds

Fox Noises

The evening was fairly quiet. The only animal around was a small, grey squirrel wandering around the mandala, mostly in the same area as the spider. A shrill cry rang out, almost birdlike, and with it, the squirrel ceased all movement. It appeared as though it was attempting to shroud itself with the darkness. The cry rang out again, and the squirrel still did not move. I deduced that the animal producing this noise was a red fox, as the way the squirrel was acting suggested that it was hiding from a predator, and the noise was too high-pitched to belong to anything larger. The squirrel was obviously frightened. All the time I was there, the fox did not approach. Every so often, leaves or branches would crack. Yet it never came near, most likely because it was afraid of me. I felt a bit guilty, as I was disturbing the balance of nature. However, I also felt a sense of joy, as I had saved the life of this innocent squirrel laying before me.

The Mandala

The Mandala Spider

As I scoured my mandala for anything interesting, I noticed the bright reflection of the sun shining on a spider web. The center of the web was about as big as my hand, and the supporting strings were woven around two small trees and an even smaller felled branch. The spider lay motionless at the center, hanging upside down. The threads danced around in the breeze, taking the spider along with it, yet it still did not move. Perhaps the reason behind the shining string is that the sunlight reflects around the transparent, thin thread and then reflects back out. The spider was small, around the same size as my index fingernail. It's a nice green color, the same as the leaves around it, with small black dots over it's body. The green is bright, but not too overwhelming on the eyes. The underside of the abdomen is black, with a small orange area in the center. I deduced that the spider must be a Venusta Orchard Spider, based on it's appearance and behavior. It lies motionless in the center of the web, most likely waiting for an unsuspecting insect to wander into the web. The spider has built it's web towards the edge of a circular clearing about 10 feet in diameter. I concluded that the reason it has built the web in this area is that insects will most likely fly through the clearing as opposed to crowded areas, and then run into the web, where it could be entrapped and eaten. The whole time I was there, the spider did not move. I will check back on it in a day or two, as well as look for other observable fauna and flora.