My World

We have dealt with either very cold or dreary rainy days or both the last several weeks.  Yesterday I walked outside into beautiful partly sunny skies and a mild 66 degrees.  Managed to prune the dead leaves from our lambs ear that has been struggling with the Mish mash weather in its own way.  It was still rather early in the day at half past noon,  even with impending darkness coming at 4:30. So we decided to head to the woods. 

I was much in need of a rejuvenation of my body and soul which always happens when I can wander through God’s beautiful nature far away from the concerns of this insane world.  Hiking over uneven mountainous terrain is a more healthy workout than walking on level paths and concrete walkways when one is able.  Then there is the added pleasure of the soothing sound of babbling water in streams,  birds foraging in the underbrush and the cool breeze rustling what’s left of the winter leaves in the trees.

With daylight short this time of year we decided to head to a local hiking trail near Nocolula Falls. I hadn’t realized how much all this rain had affected the Falls which I knew would be reflected in the streams all through the Black Creek trails we were headed to.  The Falls were roaring slinging mist high into the air. 

While very close to the city,  the trails give the illusion of being far away from people and the man-made things of our world. No traffic sounds at all. 

Even during the winter months you can find woodland natural ferns growing everywhere.  They seem to congregate along the stream beds.

This area of Alabama is well known for its many Boulder ledges.  Many are used as shelter from the weather and homes for varied wildlife and animals. People have even taken shelter in them if caught out in the forest in severe weather. There are massive Boulder ledges with caves throughout Alabama much larger than this one that native Americans used as homes all through the state.

Black creek has etched out its way over the decades, changing its path to that of least resistance causing small white water falls all through the forest. This is one of those places I could have sat near all day long.

Even in death there is beauty. Dead fall is found everywhere in the deep woods. I imagine this tree has lain here for years. There is actually a very tall thick tree attached to the other side of this massive tangle of roots. Normally it would be a large mass of dirt and mud intertwining with smaller roots where it was completely uprooted when the attached tree fell. But time and weather has removed all that to leave a hardened wooden sculpture I thought worthy of framed art.

Another beautiful aspect of woodlands death is the amazing variety of fungi that spring forth from a dead tree. I’ve not encountered this particular variety before that I remember. It resembles turkey tail fungi but I have never seen this green coloring.

We wandered over three miles this day in about 1.5 hours. Our hearts got a good workout and my soul was refreshed to face the world again.

Once back in the car, we stopped at our favorite treat shop Scoop du Jour for a scoop in a cup of the latest fresh made ice-cream. This time I indulged in a combined single shop of expresso chip and brownie deluxe. It’s the holiday season so he even added a waffle cone chip. Perfect way to end the day before heading home to cook a healthy meal.

Feeling down or depressed? Get out in the woodlands. God will speak to you and comfort you if you listen closely to His creation.