Late Summer Walk

These late summer days are wonderful 

for a little walk in nature,

so come along with me! 

Ling Ling leads the way as we fill the bird feeders. 

The chickadees sound the alarm with

 loud clicking noises when she is around. 

She wears a bell, 

as she does like the taste of little birdy. 

Since wearing her bell, she has not had any luck :)

Most of the birds have dispersed after raising their young, 

and the feeders don't need to be filled as often. 

The Stellar Jays will stay away until September. 

I wonder where they go? 

Whitey and Champ have discovered a burrow. 

Every morning they do a little more digging. 

I guess they think if they keep at it, 

they will come up with a prize. 

I just gave them both baths, 

so, of course they want to play in the dirt! 

The huckleberries are ripe. 

These are Red Huckleberries and you can always

 find them growing around rotted stumps. 

They love the acidity. 

Quite often you see them growing right out of the top

with long tap roots snaking down along the sides. 

With their light green leaves and cherry red berries

they are a beautiful plant and very long lived. 

I have one growing beside my children's former 

play house that was growing here when we came. 

That was 1981! 

As we look closer we can see one of those long tap roots beside 

a woodpecker hole. 

We see the very first ripe blackberry!

 It is always the center berry that ripens first. 

Blackberry flowers are usually white, 

but in the shade they are lavender! 

They are much like their cousins, the wild rose. 

Another beautiful wild berry is Thimbleberry, 

so named for their hollow shape when picked. 

They grow on small, thornless shrubby plants

with large maple-like leaves. 

They have a dry, bland taste, but the birds love them. 

There are still some Elderberries left on some of the spindlier trees,

as these berries are even more favored by the birds. 

Did you know that the Elder is considered the most powerful 

fairy tree in folklore? 

This tree is considered deeply magical and healing

and according to folklore,
if you want to attract fairies and elves into your garden, 

plant an Elder.

But keep in mind it is unlucky to cut it, burn it,

 or bring the berries or flowers into the house :) 

The flowers of this variety are very pungent-

much like the scent of skunk! 

It attracts a certain fly for pollination. 

No worries about bringing those flowers inside! 

But it is a beautiful plant and attracts beautiful birds to your garden. 

The berries are toxic to humans, though. 

There is a forest trail made by wildlings

 alongside this ancient cedar stump. 

Let's take a little peek.....

Right away we notice two little holes in the hard packed path. 

You can see by my finger how tiny they are! 

I am suspecting beetles....

Even though it is so quiet that you can hear a leaf fall, 

evidence of life is all around....

I feel many pairs of eyes following me as I step most carefully. 

A twitter here, a rustle there - I know I am being watched. 

An unsettling thought, but comforting at the same time.

This old mossy stump has several rocks embedded inside! 

Nature has always felt nurturing to me. 

Whenever I am feeling sad, or lonely, 

or upset over the state of the world,

getting out in nature seems to balance things out. 

I realize this world is simply miraculous 

and petty problems have no

place here. 

Sometimes I can feel too self-important, 

too self-focused, too self-involved, but standing next to a grove of 

100 ft. trees that have withstood wind, rain, storms and drought, 

I feel put in my place. 

When I look around and notice the teeming life around me -

the innocent creatures and plant life trying to survive

despite man-kind's destruction,

I feel most humble and repentant. 

Nature is so forgiving. 

I can take the world for granted 

or I can count my blessings. 

I get to choose. 

Nature is the perfect teacher. 

Every day it reminds me with its gentle lessons, 

and sometimes powerful forces,

that only through balance, cooperation, 

nurturing, strength, courage, forgiveness and selflessness

do I create a sustainable life.

Taking walks in nature brings me back to what truly matters. 

Little gifts from nature to remind me of my blessings as I go about my day. 

Wishing you a beautiful day

full of little blessings, too. 

xoxo