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A bond with Nature.....
Even as a very young child I grew up respecting and enjoying the peace and beauty found in nature.
We all have it to some extent. That feeling of being part of our surroundings when we walk in the woods. The energy and exhilaration
when near fast moving water. The passionate thunder of the falls, the tranquil babbling of a creek, it has a strength and
touches your spirit, lifting it, cleansing it, and warming it. To realize that you are just one more living thing amongst
a million other living things, another creature in the woods. Yet instead of feeling small because of this, you feel welcomed
and at home.
Can I describe it any better without rambling? I think not.
~and yes I already rambled.
| Good Morning |
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| Sunday, sunflowers, and sunrise. |
Camping allows us to experience nature!
Camping is so very much a part of my life. I have travelled in every State but Hawaii, and every
Province but not the North West Territories or the Yukon.
I grew up travelling with my Grandmother, Mother, and one or
both of my sisters and our dog. We had adventure after adventure in our volkswagon bus.
As a young child camping meant
swimming, exploring, campfires, and marshmallows. Around the time I got married it meant booze, radios, bonfires, and friends.
After I grew up it began to be more of a journey back to nature. Exploring, hiking, appreciating and relaxing.
Camping allows me to leave behind all of the bustle and speed of the city or
work. It gives me the chance to refresh my batteries so to speak. I am able to get in touch with who I am by accessing the
restorative power of Mother Nature. Today when I go camping, there is no booze, there is no party, there may not even be an
actual campground, but there may still be a marshmallow or two.
The First Time I Camped Alone!
In 1998 I made a decision that was monumental to me. I was going camping alone. I had never
even built a fire, someone had always been there who enjoyed doing that and I'd always let them.
I found a scuba/camping
event I could join and signed up. The day I was to drive to the campground, I ended up getting a job interview in Toronto.
I decided to do the interview on my way North and just keep driving north from there. So picture this: you are at a campground
'roughing it', when you see a car pull into a nearby campsite. Out gets a woman dressed in a very professional and business-like
dress, shoes with high heels, whose hair is upswept in a fancy barrette. She looks prim and proper and totally out of place
as she pops the trunk of her little car and pulls out a tiny bag containing her tent. There were audible chuckles from my
neighbouring campers as I began to unfold my tent.
I had the tent up and was in it and changed in about 10 minutes. The outfit was replaced by the
appropriate camping clothes, and the heels gave way to sandals. The barrette disappeared completely. Then out came the scuba
gear, the bike, and the lounge chair. I was relaxing with a guide to the activities in my hand within 45 minutes of arriving.
I heard no more chuckles.
I really enjoyed the trip, but did miss sharing the experiences with someone else. When a skunk walked
right up to me from the bushes, there was no one else to be frightened, shocked and amazed. When I built my first fire, there
was no one to cheer. When I went for my 6 hour bike ride, there were deer standing just feet from me, unafraid and unspoiled.
They watched me slow and stop my bike. A buck and two doe nibbling gently on the low leaves. I was delighted, but had no one
there to share the moment with. I learned so much though. It taught me to be happy for myself, and find my own encouragement.
I was on a road to self discovery and this was one major step towards that goal.
Back to Nature!
I wanted to get back to nature. A few years ago I decided to become a "pioneer woman". Because of
this, I purchased a big old farm house. All wood! Wood outside and wood inside. The floors downstairs were hardwood and the
floors upstairs were pine. It was surrounded by fields and had a lake just a km away. From the upstairs window at night, you
could hear the water rushing down the river, and at dawn the mist covered the sound. The house was heated with a wood furnace
in the basement and a woodstove is in the living room. The woodstove had two giant glass wing doors and a sun face surrounded
in glorious rays is cast right into the iron. It was made for me, but I wasn't meant to stay in it.
Camping with Friends!
I went camping at Sharbot Lake with my friend Sue. I was on vacation and took my watch off immediately on
arrival at the site. It was wonderful to go for walks and bike rides on my own, or with Sue. Sharbot Lake is beautiful. We
had a small boat at our disposal and spent some time rowing it around. We had a good time out in the middle of the lake, jumping
off the boat and swimming around in the water. When we just sat still and floated around, we could see the loons and the occasional
splash of a fish. From the centre of the lake all I was encircled by a birch speckled pinehill with stone cliffs of
pink and grey granite. The sun glistened off the water and shone so bright. It was ideal.
While Sue was off visiting with her family, I built a campfire and just 'felt the moment'. The
earth under me was cool and soft, the air around me was fragrant with smoke and pine, the fire was hypnotic as it snapped
and crackled, and the water became a black pool, with silver ripples gleaming in the moonlight. I existed in it, and
it surrounded me. I experienced and attended to it all. I became peaceful, relaxed, and recharged. There is something
magical in nature at night.
Camping at an Abandoned Campground!
I surrounded myself with nature at an abandoned campground. We were the only ones there. We camped
right beside the river and the kids spent hours playing in the water. There was a snake coiled up in a tree to catch some
sun, but apparently he was one of the few because I've never seen so many frogs! At one point, I was reading and laying on
a blanket, when I felt a cold solid thump land on my leg. I instinctively screamed and kicked which sent the thing onto my
back. I screamed again and jumped up, then laughed at my own reaction. I'm just thankful no-one was around to see it. I can
pick frogs up in my hands without a thought, but an unexpected assault was a bit of a shock.
Our campsite was surrounded by oak trees. It was beautiful and very, very private. There are wild
animals in that area. The owner of the property told me on the day that we arrived,that he had just scared two foxes out of
his barn and at least one wolf was seen and heard in the woods just days before. At around 2 o'clock in the morning I awakened
abruptly to the sound of sniffing and shuffling just outside the tent. After a heart stopping moment, it turned out that the
dog had escaped from the kids tent and was chasing all kinds of critters around in the dark. I went out after her. What fun!
Running around in the woods with a full moon casting a silver glow to everything it could touch and blackness covering
everything it couldn't reach. The dog suddenly stopped running and I caught up to her, only to realize that she was standing
perfectly still. Then she began growling low and deep and was staring at something off in the blackness. We both decided to
return to our campsite. Out of danger I wandered back enjoying the beauty of the night, the brightness of the moon. The term
"moonshadow" came to mind and the song ran through mind as well. I thought of all the moon songs and was still humming Madame
de la Luna as I went back into the tent. It was my birthday.
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