There are places I go ...

Solitary trees, if they grow at all, grow strong.
Winston Churchill

I was never less alone then when by myself.
Edward Gibbon


There are places I go, ethereal places, places where the forest gods live and rend magnificent magic for all human senses ... and all we have to do is go to them, be in them, and realize we are of them.

When in a place such as this I find myself doing things that I would normally not do; one is to breathe deeply, allowing all of the scents to mingle. There are pine and fir, moss and decaying logs, mixed with rich loamy soil as old as the Earth itself, and in all of this you find a freeing of your soul and if you listen very closely it will tell you stories of past visitations, show you evidence that there is an enormity to the life within its borders; great robust life in moose and deer, in bear and wolf. If you watch closely, you will see lessons in learned timidity through squirrel, chipmunk and rabbit. All this and heaven too.

I have been blessed and dazzled to witness big-horned sheep in the mountains of our own British Columbia as they dance from footholds no bigger than their hooves, as if members of a ballet troupe performing some mystical age-old saga.

But the real reason I go into these "ethereal places" is a much simpler one; it makes me feel truly like I have a part in this world that is calmer than day-to-day life in a city.

I feel more alive in the wild then in any circumstance I could ever be a part of in what we call civilization.

The true nature of man is of the wild; it is the essence of our being, and it is the place where we are one with life; we become what we are in nature, just one of its many children, and while there, we are humbled by its splendour and by the fact that we are quite small next to its enormity, for here we would exist like all other creatures, at Nature's whim.

This is unsettling for we who consider ourselves as the master species, but that is another story for another day.

For now I speak of the tranquility that overtakes me; I am helpless in the thrall of every single nuance of this beauty that is woven like a fine tapestry before my eyes. I can be, and have been, taken to my knees at the sight of the first trillium of spring, and even now the sight of this year's fawn can make me weep, for to witness the young of the forest is a blessing indeed and I revel in it.

Jaliya and I were in Northern Ontario visiting a friend for the weekend one fall a few years ago, and I asked if she would like to join me for a walk. "Absolutely, babe," was her reply, and we soon found ourselves walking through the forest. About twenty minutes in, I said, "Look over your left shoulder" -- and there she saw her first moose about thirty yards off. I wish I'd had a camera with me right then -- the look on her face was amazing; it was the first time she had actually seen a moose, and she was awestruck. It put such a smile on my face to see her expression.

My darling bloggers, I could go for hours on these topics, but let's save some for another day.

I will leave you with this; I'm amazed when I hear someone say that they have never been into the forests of this great world. If this is you, find someone who has an understanding of the woods, and join them on your own sojourn into Mother Nature's womb. Learn to love her and all of her gifts; they are there for you to see, feel, and enjoy. I will ask but one thing of you: where you go, go quietly and respectfully; leave nothing behind but your scent on the wind, and always remember this is part of life. I call it "the gift," and it is for you and me. Treat it well.

Until we meet again, love and blessings on your sweet souls.