The Sounds Of Silence

Itching for the great outdoors and a good hearty hike, I packed up Greeniebeanie and head for the hills on this quiet Father's Day in Ohio. Perhaps it was my subconscious way of being closer to my dad who has always been sure to get us girls close and comfortable with the great outdoors. And if there is one very important thing I have learned from this man, it is how to appreciate silence. Our road trips together are an unspoken struggle between his desire for peace and quiet and my Ipod playlists. Even if begrudgingly at first,  I have learned to find the value in the peacefulness of detaching from the constant barrage of our noisy world. Never was this more apparent than on my solitary hike this afternoon at Clear Creek Nature Preserve near Logan Ohio. Nestled in the foothills of Appalachia and miles off the highway that took me there, the park and trails were serene and quiet beyond any silence I experience in Columbus. But what I found surprised me and once I noticed it I couldn't stop. The silence was deafening with the hidden life of nature that really can only shine through in the absence of all the static of our busy lives. In every nook of my surroundings I could sense all that I miss without the silence of being so secluded.

I loved finding the undisturbed rain droplets all over the forest! I just find the stillness of water still in a little capsule from the sky an amazing feat of nature. Untouched yet by any feet, hands or bodies, the trail was full of little perfectly preserved drops and pools. I also encountered my fair share of ghostly webs that seemed to attack for a moment and would vanish at one swipe of the hand. So too did the hum of the (quite) occasional mosquito visitor by my ear always announcing it's presence so faintly but definitively. The trees swayed high above me as I went along, occasionally sighing from the strain of the strong summer breeze. Thunderstorms on the horizon, the frequent rush of hot humid air bathed my body and would then recede to some new patch of air.

Then who should cross my path but a tortoise friend just taking a rest. I almost didn't see him, but thanks to the lack of any other distractions I zeroed in on his pretty yellow-patterned shell and demon-like beady eyes. He was very patient and posed for my pictures and I was on my merry way. The few puddles in my route hosted a playground of bugs jolting around on the surface. It's truly amazing how they glide across the top of the water without a single sound or disturbance. I was fortunate enough to take a few trails that truly transported me out of the Ohio I know...starting in a normal forest, continuing along a high ridge with meadows and sunny pockets and then down into a Hemlock grove full of ferns and giant rock walls on either side of me. Not bad for a 45 minute drive from the pancake-cake flat Cap City! 

Refreshed from a really great hike, a lot of time to think and the thrill of soaking up the nature around me, my appreciation for the silence I so often reject. There is so much to learn from the life surrounding us everyday that we cannot create from our human hands. The miracle that is our intricate web interactions and play that sustains our planet is worth slowing down for and taking note.

Just for fun - My first and successful venture in home baked whole wheat bread!