I headed out to Wolsfeld Woods this morning for a hike. As fall progresses I am enjoying visiting this remnant of the big woods frequently to see how the colors and landscape are changing. In the six days since I hiked here last, there are significant changes. Though it’s still not at peak color, I found lots more leaves fallen on the trails, and spots of bright beautiful color.
With the woolly gray skies today, the woods felt somber and silent as I entered them. Though I could hear the muffled sounds of traffic nearby, in the woods I felt like the last human being on earth. It was as if a soft bubble of silence and peace surrounded me. All around me I found
Cloudy Day Beauty
in these wondrous woods.
I wonder if the trees mourn the turning of the seasons, or if they welcome the coming of autumn and the chance for a long rest during the cold winter months. With recent research indicating that plants and trees are more intelligent than we once thought, I wish I could understand better the intelligence of these trees and how they experience the changing seasons.
Song for Autumn
In the deep fall
don’t you imagine the leaves think how
comfortable it will be to touchthe earth instead of the
nothingness of air and the endless
freshets of wind? And don’t you think
the trees themselves, especially those with mossy,
warm caves, begin to think
of the birds that will come — six, a dozen — to sleep
inside their bodies? And don’t you hear
the goldenrod whispering goodbye,
the everlasting being crowned with the first
tuffets of snow? The pond
vanishes, and the white field over which
the fox runs so quickly brings out
its blue shadows. And the wind pumps its
bellows. And at evening especially,
the piled firewood shifts a little,
longing to be on its way.
— Mary Oliver
Sheer Magic
My hike this morning in the woods was magical! The beauty of this place and the tall magnificent woods filled me to the brim with gratitude. Today I reveled in the freedom of hiking without my camera (only my smartphone to make photos). I am thankful that some of the aches and pains that kept me from enjoying my hikes have eased off. Today I found myself striding out with ease and joy.
What a gift it is to be alive and able to locomote independently with ease. And to have beautiful places like this in which to walk. May you find some cloudy day beauty today too.
I wish you peace, gratitude, and wonder today and always.
May you walk in beauty.
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