Sunday, August 3, 2014

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


27 comments:

  1. Hola Beatrice querida! Linda vegetación de ese frondoso bosque ! Que tenga un óptimo inicio de semana
    Besos

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  2. Your surroundings are so much like ours. Have you been experiencing the hot and dry weather as we have? I have just been watering the orchard - everything is drooping.
    I have an elderberry in a large pot, so that I can take it with me when we move house - must keep the elves and ferries around!

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  3. This is a very beautiful and powerful post, Karen. I agree with you that nature can be a wonderful healer. I think God planned it that way...that we would have nature to not only give us peace and balm our weary souls, but also to heal us spiritually as well as physically. I think every cure to every ailment is found somewhere in nature, and it's like a wonderful scavenger hunt! Sometimes we mess up and destroy what was given to us, though, and that is terribly sad. I loved learning about the different plants and berries you present here and your photographs are wonderful!

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  4. Lovely photos. So much to discover in the woods. I love it - especially once the mosquitoes are gone for the season. Still, I hate to think that we are nearing the end of summer. :-(

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  5. just beautiful. i have an old coffee cup full of feathers in my office, too. :) second time i have seen thimbleberries on a blog today!

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  6. Your countryside is lovely, the cooling of late summer and berries to eat just perfect.
    Merle........................

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  7. Dearest Karen,
    Wish more people on this planet would go back into the tranquility of mother nature and observe the little miracles of life around them. It might change them... going back to the very basics, away from the greed and the hustle.
    Lovely photos and it is amazing how many berries you got in your area!
    Enjoy this summer; not yet end of summer for you I hope. We got almost two more months of it... We look forward to some sunshine so we can finally relax on our balcony! Had guests today and enjoyed cooking yesterda for our cold buffet. A nice way for being able to enjoy time with your guests instead of being in the kitchen preparing a hot meal.
    Hugs to you,
    Mariette

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  8. Nothing like a walk in the woods. You live in a beautiful area.

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  9. What a lovely outing. Loved the glimpse of Ling Ling and the puppies. Beautiful photos.
    Enjoyed them.

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  10. Beautiful post with so much good information about your neck of the woods (ha!) I feel the same way about nature and spend as much time outside as I can. Our idea of a fun day is walking in the woods, canoeing, or going to the beach (which is what we did today.)
    Have a great week!

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  11. I did not know that about Elders! I have learned something new today thanks to you friend! You always have the most meaningful and beautiful posts that everyone can learn from. In this day in age I think that it is so important for people to get back into nature....maybe we would have less violence if we were more connected. Thank you for taking us on this beautiful walk with you Karen. Just stunning where you are! Nicole xo

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  12. I enjoyed that tour very much. We have a kind of elder here that makes berries that can be eaten when cooked. I have one, but I'll have to get rid of it because it's so big, it brings chade to my kitchen garden. Now that I have read your post, I think I might keep it, just try to have it put somewhere else in the garden! I'm very supersticious...

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  13. What a wonderful walk! I wonder if the little holes were from some sort of solitary bee? xx

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  14. Thank you for stopping in. I was able to get you back on my Feedly and GFC list! Hope you and the critters have a wonderful week.

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  15. Your nature walks are always so interesting and enjoyable. Thanks for taking us along and sharing your neck of the woods with us.

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  16. I always enjoy my nature walks with you, Karen. I also love your beautiful cottage painting at the end of your post, along with your touches of nature that you brought home. Hugs!

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  17. What a beautiful and relaxing walk. So many wonderful berries, and lovely greenery. Good idea re. the ring on Ling Ling

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  18. You have such a lot of berries there, the birds must love them. I had never heard of thimble berries before last year, when I was in the Upper Peninsula in Michigan and saw thimble berry jam. Your woods are lovely; something about nature that is so soothing and restorative.

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  19. Hi Karen, I enjoyed this walk and all your lovely photographs along the way. Love the dappled sunlight. This is a place of tranquility :)

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  20. Nature is the perfect teacher! Patient and wise and if we listen closely, we can learn so much. Thank you for inviting us to take this walk with you, Karen.
    Hugs,
    Lin

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  21. What a beautiful world you live in Karen! To me it's like stepping in a dream.

    Madelief x

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  22. Oh Dear,
    thank you for the wonderful walk. It's a great area you live in. And you are so right: Nature brings us back to basic thoughts!
    All my best
    Elisabeth

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  23. I enjoyed the walk! We've been so pleased to see lots of wildflowers blooming here in NC this month, too! I love that thimbleberry....how sweet! Enjoy your week! Hugs!

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  24. I loved walking through your woods. So much to see. The closer you look the more to see. I am still wondering who or what put the rocks in the old stump.

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  25. Such beautiful photos! You live in such a beautiful area of our world. I know just what you mean about the comfort of nature. I feel the same way about my little bay in the Northwoods. Thanks for sharing. I love your blog!
    God bless

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  26. Dear Karen,
    first of all I want to say Thank you for your kind visit and so kind comment! and Very Welcome as our new follower :O) I am very pleased about that!
    Now I am here for a visit too and I love your wonderful Blog!
    This post about the walk through the woods and nature, all the things you have seen, is georgeous!
    I am glad to be here now and wish you a wonderful weekend,
    Sending Hugs and Blessings,
    Claudia xo

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  27. number 4 photo image from the bottom of the post is my favorite...wow beautiful! I agree with you about "Nature has always felt nurturing" it surely brings peace to my soul...can't live with our it..
    Hugs

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Thank you for stopping by! Your comments are important to me and are very much appreciated. xx Karen

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