Day #3 - Spring Musings

As I wandered through the park
a couple walked their dog behind me
off leash of course
no one pays attention to the leash law here

The dog, a Weimaraner, wanted badly
to chase the golf disk (we call them Frisbees)
however was well behaved enough not to

As I wound down the path near the creek
I noticed the foxtails had gotten tall
and there were California poppies
crossing the path into the meadow
marching to the creek perhaps

There were other wildflowers too
blue ones and white ones and yellow ones
and purple ones - the kind that make me sneeze

There were ants on the trees and on the grinding rock
there were ladybugs along the path
there were bees dipping into the dandelions
there were song birds in the trees and the reeds

I wonder if the woman treading determinedly past me
with her iPod on
Could hear the trill of the redwinged blackbird
or the call of the magpies or the song of the crickets?

I wonder if the track team or the Little Leaguers
ever take the time to stop and smell and listen
and just be
just be one with Nature in all her glory?

I wonder if the little boy with the teddy bear
I passed on the way back home will be
allowed to just be
just be a kid playing along the creek
catching frogs and chasing dogs,
turning over logs looking for bugs
or snakes or such

It is nice to wander through the park
and just be
just be....me

Sweet Wonderment of Nature

I'm blessed to live right next to a local park with a creek meandering through it. Those who know me on Facebook have seen my various photos and videos from my meanderings there. Here is a poem I wrote a couple of days ago after one such meander.

The light of day
The dark of night
The rich brown loaminess of the soil
The verdant green of the grass
The rich textured shades of browns and greens of the trees
The amber waves of grain
The vibrant reds, blues, purples, yellows and oranges
The rainbow of the flowers and fruits of Nature!

The ebb and flow, fast and slow of the water
Down the channel, crashing over the rocks

The rut of the deer
The cry of the hawks
The skitter of the slithery things in the brush
The red-winged blackbird perched on a tule rush

Ah, the sweet wonderment of Nature!

The Bear in the Stream

The photo above is the impetus for the poem today - or at least part of it. I took myself for a hike in Hidden Falls Regional Park in Auburn CA today. It was noisy and peaceful, as only nature can be.

The Bear in the Stream

The sound of water calms me
as it rushes over the rocks

The quiet of the trail
envelops me as I trod along
listening to the sound of the water
sometimes faint, sometimes strong
as the trail winds along

The occasional bird calls
out overhead
and unseen critters rustle
in the bushes on the edge of the trail

I pass a small stream
with a rock that looks like
a bear's head in it.

I stop and take a picture of it,
then look around
knowing bears don't come down this low.

Or do they?

No, they don't, at least not today.

Today was simply water and trail.