Into the Woods

Ok I have my photos uploaded from my 'hike' today.  It's quite amazing how much BETTER these scenes look in the now.  I actually thought of that whilst I was taking the pictures, but I had to take them anyway to see if they turned out.  I must note at this time that the BEST photos I got were when I stopped on the side of the road when I saw an amazing view of the sun.  I used to just note and drive by usually because it was not convenient to stop, but not this time... and I was rewarded... hopefully you will be too!

So.. the theme music for this trip is:  'Out of the Woods' by Nickle Creek  Hear it Here!  Open it in another tab and listen as you read.  It's quite nice.... good harmonies... LOVE harmony!

Run round in my head for sure!  I did have plenty of thoughts running through my monkey brain, but that's why you go into the woods... to quiet those... and it ALWAYS works (at least for me).  I also had decided that I would not be stingy with my shooting... nope.   I would just take and keep as I wished when I returned home.

I LOVE looking at the sun through the trees so I took many pictures of this, but the first 3 didn't do the actual experience justice so they were dumped.  This first image is the prairie restoration field butted up against a line of pines... and the blue sky... I enjoy that field immensely and wait excitedly for the turn in the road where this appears.

Right after this shot, I found a deer trail through the woods to the trail head.  Who wants to follow the road when you can walk where the wild things walk??? :)  I even saw the kissing trees across the road.  Nature is so loving! :)

These little guys (to the right) deserved a special note... I mean don't they just look like little people (men I think) with nice fluffy hats?

I think they were gathering to discuss the playoff football game tonight.  I can almost see their beer bellies... ;)





This is a county park and I'm not sure how much they go through and pick up fallen or dead trees, but I had to admire this tree as it took on a barbed wire fence.... Man Versus Nature:  Nature WINS!  All you deer... cross that fence right here... I have your back!  :)  I like to see that once in a while.

These pictures are in my favorite part of this hike... it's on the top of a ridge (a ridge for Midwestern folks a small hill for those that actually live in mountainous areas) and it's 360 degrees of tree trunks.  I love when you turn and you can't see through the trees... you just see tree trunks.  It's safe.  It feels like tons of big tall (and friendly) soldiers surrounding you. And the sun through the tops of these trees is awesome! The silence here is also incredibly moving... except when you hear the locals and their snowmobiles and a random gun shot (I thought deer season was over... must be target practice).

Now this shot of the sun through the gorgeous trees that I kept.  mmmmm!

This next one reminded me of the snake from Robin Hood.. Sir HISS I think is his name and I did NOT google that... that's from memory BABY! :)  

I can't decide if this looks like Mother Nature keeping score (little tick marks) or if it looks like a really loooong UPC sans numbers.  In any case, it seemed to be the most highly decorated tree in the land so I had to capture it and say a few words on the subject.  :)  Yes that's sideways on the tree... it's really hanging on folks.

Ah.... and here we have a bench; made by humans for humans (How come it's not humen?) to sit upon.  Here I sat on December 22nd, the previous time I hiked this trail, and meditated.  It was just after the Winter Solstice and the end of the Mayan calendar and I had read about some cosmic collisions happening so I thought I would honor this and meditate at the time to see what came to me.  Among many other things like tears of gratitude, I was brought a new mantra 'She is love'.  I'm assuming whomever sent it meant me, but I guess it could mean many feminine beings - the moon, the earth, the doe I would see later.  And it really doesn't matter exactly who she is, it's a great thought.  I use it to remind myself to act with love in love because we are... love.  So anyway, that's the bench where I melted the ice under my butt and got my pants all wet sitting for about 8 minutes.  It was WAY worth it for whenever I felt the wetness, I thought of my new mantra - 'She is love'.  My wet arse is love too! :)  

A side note about that bench spot;  a few paces before you get to the bench, is a talking tree.... talking to me, but creaking to most.  I stopped to view all the animal roads that tracks had left in the snow when that tree started to talk... other trees were moving with the wind, but not talking like this one did... if only I could speak arbor language! :)

Danger BELOW!

I can think of many places to use this sign (to the right), but it really doesn't seem like under that bridge is very dangerous (in a river that's about 3 feet deep at the most).  Nonetheless, there is danger JUST below that sign!  So WATCH IT sista!

Ah... onto a couple shots of some cross country skiers in the park.  I had to chuckle at the person in red (I think lady in red, but one can't be sure with all the winter gear on) because I was probably about 20 feet from her and my camera makes noise when it takes a picture, but she never even looked my way as she was so intently concentrating on getting her skis (Why do I keep wanting to use 2 i's?  Am I suddenly speaking Finnish or something?) to go in the ruts made by the other skiers (didn't try to use 2 i's this time, the third time's a charm!) ahead of her.

 The other skier in purple (which you really can't tell from this photo) I nearly chased down and had no visible signs that she knew I was running loudly her way... I had a back pack on with jingling buttons and was running in the snow CRUNCH CRUNCH CRUNCH.  Those skiers are focused and hopefully never get attacked by a bear in the woods.  At least they won't know it until it's too late.  They were very smart to be enjoying the GORGEOUS January day in the snow!

Soft Pine  

And these, my friend, are the sights that pulled me over on the highway to shoot.  The clouds are painted with color!  I just loved the shadows from the line of trees too.  All in a corn field outside of town.  Simple beauty.

And this is my final rainbow colored cloud picture... another pull-over, but in a different spot a few minutes later... had to get some osmosis water from the grocery store and caught this one on the way back.  GORG!

  

So there you have it... my 'into the woods' experience.