A Walk In The Woods
This week's post is about exploration and learning. I know, I know... yawn. But just hear me out. Think back to when you were a kid. If your close to my age, that would be before personal computers, cell phones, game consoles or even digital cameras! And, if you're anything like I was, you were always outside. One of my favorite places to be was in the woods.
The High Field Grass
I always enjoyed walking through the fields behind my house. Just a short walk down the bike path that used to be an old railroad track, and up over the embankment and you were in another world. A short distance further, and we were in a place we called "the canyon". Deep, high walls of shale cut out by a stream that lead to the Mohawk River. It was an awesome place to explore and spend time. Nothing beat the feeling of laying in the tall grasses and feeling like there was nothing else around you in the world beside the grasshoppers, grass and sky!
Into the Woods
Growing up in Maine when I was very young, my fondest memories were of walking into the backyard woods, especially in the Autumn when you could her the crunching of the leaves below your feet and the sounds of nature all around you. It seemed like a dark place except where the light would stream down through the canopy and light up the forest floor. So peaceful, and so many things to explore and learn about. I loved being there!
Now I Am Older
Now that I am older, and I have worked a full career in various capacities, I find myself longing for those walks in the woods again. That's one of the reasons I love the Adirondack Mountains. They are close enough to get to from where I live, and yet when you are there, you feel like you are miles from civilization. I can hear myself think, and I can explore and take pleasure in learning about the natural areas in the mountains, near the lakes and along the streams.
Lycopodium in Autumn, Adirondacks, 2018
Canon 5D Mark III, 16-35mm f/4 IS USM, 20mm at f/10 for 1/4 second
For example, walking this past fall on a trail near Newcomb, NY, I found this patch of lycopodium lit by an overcast sky along the trail. Did I know this was lycopodium when I stopped to photograph this patch? No way! But this was a beautiful spot and it made me curious to learn what it was I was photographing.
Winter Is Almost Here
Now that winter is almost upon us, I encourage you to take a walk in the woods. You don't have to go to the Adirondack Mountains. There might be a local park or nature preserve near you, or even your own backyard. Remember back to when you were a kid. Put yourself into that state of mind when you were curious about everything and it was all new. Learn about the natural flora and fauna, the trees and animals in your own hometown that we all take for granted every day. I'm sure that you will find your inner child again. I did.
- Alan
