Back To Those Wonderful Woods Again
And the stress is leaving the body
Everybody has those stressful days when you know that the best thing to do is take a walk.
This was one of those days.
You might not even know what is bothering you. The woods won’t care. You know this walk will only help you.
Show some love to the woods. Respect it. Try to stay on the paths. Carry out your trash. Let nature be nature.
I know just the woods to enter.
I feel better already while walking on this quiet leaf and needle covered carpet.
The leaves are no longer crunchy as they settle themselves down for some winter insulating and decomposition.
There are never too many leaves out here.
I’m walking deeper into this small woods in no time at all.
Looking through the tangled undergrowth.
An old white pine tree shedding limbs watches over these thankful woods.
One pine tree may provide food and shelter for many species of woodland creatures, seen and unseen, for hundreds of years.
A diversity of life coexists in this small woodland.
A home for the many woodpeckers can be found on any dying or dead, still standing, limb.
I’m staring at an emerald green mossy rock sitting in the leaves.
What was I stressed out about???
Old stone walls show where the land was divided.
Neither these trees, nor all the furry and creepy crawly creatures, worry much about human ideals or their arbitrary borders.
The walls do look nice.
A long dead tree is not forgotten in the woods.
These mosses remember and honor their friend with brilliant, exuberant, green growth.
Walking into a paper birch stand. These trail markers help us find the way.
Watching these endless leaves and white trunks of paper birch can be hypnotizing.
On my way out feeling much lighter. The trail surrounded by the grey bark and fresh scent of sweet birch trees.
Life continues to find a way like this grass clump at the foot of one of the woodland’s revered elders.
Waving goodbye to the old pine
as we reach the edge of the woods. This pleasant walk down these well worn trails made such a difference today.
Written for Dr. Preeti Singh and William J Spirdione collaborative prompt for the third week of November, Reciprocal nature prompt, ‘A Walk in The Woods.’
I was honored to take part in a nature column many of us wait for with pleasant anticipation each week. Dr. Preeti has a deep love of nature and cares for and knows how to bring out the best work of others.
Thank you to everyone who is enjoying nature with us and everyone who participated in the prompt. There are plenty of stories to read on this prompt and others. It would be a big help to the Reciprocal community if everyone would read some of your fellow writer’s stories. They will appreciate the views and you will be entertained and enlightened.
Please read Dr. Preeti Singh’s story with our shared prompt and prompt instructions below…
Experience the beautiful fall photography and poetry by Elvie Lins…
and please read Leonard Tillerman, and his hope filled walk in the forest below…
Thank you, Reciprocal, and its editors Sahil Patel, Yana Bostongirl, and, Dr. Preeti Singh, for all the continuing support you give to the writers of this fine publication.