Thursday, May 26, 2005

Milling around

Yesterday, actually in the course of writing the previous entry, I managed get out of here over lunch and get up to the Bruce Mill Conservation Area.  I've been waiting since October to get back out there.Yesterday, actually in the course of writing the previous entry, I managed get out of here over lunch and get up to the Bruce Mill Conservation Area. I've been waiting since October to get back out there. It was gorgeous. I was expecting to be hit up for a $4.25 entry fee but the booth was still unmanned, just like last year. Hope it stays that way!

Oh, it was gorgeous. All the trees leafed out... a perfect sea of green. If you've read the journal from last fall, you'll remember that I started wandering the woods barefoot in a minor communion with nature. Did that again yesterday. I was always afraid I'd rip myself open in two seconds, but it's not really like that. I'm sure you can get hurt, but if you just look where you're stepping, or keep to the path while you're looking around, it's not a problem at all. It's like opening both eyes and suddenly seeing in three dimensions. Walking the forest shod is like wearing a clothespin on your nose in a bakery. Barefoot, you can feel the soft, crisp leaves of last autumn; the cool, moist clay; dry, brittle twigs and the surprisingly soft pine needles. Warm wood of the smooth planks on the path and the bridges. The differences in temperatures between light and shade is startling. It's a lot more interesting when you approach it with a whole other sense. I took a lot of pictures with the little $80 digicam I bought last winter... dozens. Even took a few videos, birds chirping, trees in the breeze. I guess I was there not quite an hour. I got as far as last time, and this time went down the hill on the far side. There was an even more elaborate bridge down there. I would have forded the stream in the soft mud, but I had to get back to work so I couldn't get too mucky. Maybe some Friday when I'm not working. But it was fantastic. It was like I had the whole forest to myself. All the time I was there, I didn't see another person. I walked on mossy fallen logs, took pictures of the sky through the trees, watched a light grey squirrel run past me, and investigated what seemed to be an old ruined bridge. I sat in the forest gloom for a few minutes and just relaxed with myself. I wish I'd had all afternoon.

I wish there were some way to post a few of the photos; they're so full of colour... but I think you have to be a paying user to do that, and I'm not. I'm here on the blog's good graces. But I just thought I'd share one of the simple joys of life with any of you who happen by. If you're bored some summer afternoon, go experience the forest. It was gorgeous.  I was expecting to be hit up for a $4.25 entry fee but the booth was still unmanned, just like last year.  Hope it stays that way!

Oh, it was gorgeous.  All the trees leafed out... a perfect sea of green.  If you've read the journal from last fall, you'll remember that I started wandering the woods barefoot in a minor communion with nature.  Did that again yesterday.  I was always afraid I'd rip myself open in two seconds, but it's not really like that.  I'm sure you can get hurt, but if you just look where you're stepping, or keep to the path while you're looking around, it's not a problem at all.  It's like opening both eyes and suddenly seeing in three dimensions.  Walking the forest shod is like wearing a clothespin on your nose in a bakery.  Barefoot, you can feel the soft, crisp leaves of last autumn; the cool, moist clay; dry, brittle twigs and the surprisingly soft pine needles.  Warm wood of the smooth planks on the path and the bridges.  The differences in temperatures between light and shade is startling.  It's a lot more interesting when you approach it with a whole other sense.  I took a lot of pictures with the little $80 digicam I bought last winter... dozens.  Even took a few videos, birds chirping, trees in the breeze.  I guess I was there not quite an hour.  I got as far as last time, and this time went down the hill on the far side.  There was an even more elaborate bridge down there.  I would have forded the stream in the soft mud, but I had to get back to work so I couldn't get too mucky.  Maybe some Friday when I'm not working.  But it was fantastic.  It was like I had the whole forest to myself.  All the time I was there, I didn't see another person.  I walked on mossy fallen logs, took pictures of the sky through the trees, watched a light grey squirrel run past me, and investigated what seemed to be an old ruined bridge.  I sat in the forest gloom for a few minutes and just relaxed with myself.  I wish I'd had all afternoon.

I wish there were some way to post a few of the photos; they're so full of colour... but I think you have to be a paying user to do that, and I'm not.  I'm here on the blog's good graces.  But I just thought I'd share one of the simple joys of life with any of you who happen by.  If you're bored some summer afternoon, go experience the forest.

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