Friday, November 20, 2009

The Quiet Forest


When I got to the nature park this time there was no sounds at all. No birds, no squirrels, no anything. Not even any people were there to disturb me. I thought it wasn't going to be a good day to find any animals, so I figured I'd just concentrate on my hike.

After a little while I began to hear something. Don't get excited though because it was only the sound of a cricket. One lone cricket! That's all I heard as I walked through the first third of the hiking trail. It wasn't a problem, but it was kind of eerie if you know that this park is always full of the sound of birds and other animals.


All of this quiet had me listening very closely for any sounds of the forest, even something small. Eventually I did hear some quiet shuffling sounds in the leaves. I instinctively stopped and looked in the direction it was coming from. The sound turned into a squirrel right before my eyes.

I guess there were animals after all, but by this time I was in the mood to focus on the forest around me. The pictures that you see here are what this forest looks like today. The last time I showed it to you it was lush and green. A month or two ago I was depressed about this, but now I'm okay with it because I realize that this is the natural order of things.


Even with the forest like this there is a natural dignity that all good forests have. I also get to experience hiking in a completely different environment, even though this is the very same forest that I hike at least once a week all year long. There are also others that I travel at the same frequency. The changing seasons continue to give me a new adventure every day.

When winter arrives there will be times when the forest floor that is now covered with brown leaves will have a white carpet of snow on top. That will give me a completely new adventure. It will also give me a different challenge to consider. As time changes so do my adventures. That makes me happy.

(Before you leave, if you like short stories jump on over to Rat Tales and take a look at my latest story, It's Coming. You won't be sorry.)(I also have another post right below the one you're reading right now. I've been very busy, haven't I?)

17 comments:

  1. Hopefully you will find other interesting adventures in this coming winter Ratty :)

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  2. Did everyone go south for the winter??? I wish I could go south for the winter, maybe come up for a snowy weekend but no more. I look forward to reading about your winter adventures.

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  3. I love those trees with their shadow! Gorgeous pictures..

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  4. One of my favorite things to do is listen to the "quiet " of the woods. Great post

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  5. I love your photos. So peaceful. There are times when it's so quiet outside my window that I wonder what is going on. But then soon a few birds will come and it starts getting noisy. I think I like the noisy better. Tomorrow starts hunting season and I'm hoping I don't hear the guns. I did not see my foxes last night.

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  6. The woods always look so different with the leaves gone. Sometimes one lone cricket is just enough sound.

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  7. It is time for everyone to take a rest, the birds, the squirrels, the trees, etc.

    It is quiet down here.

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  8. gret photos,I can just feel the peacefulness in them.

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  9. There is something extraordinarily peaceful about a silent forest. You really can focus on your surroundings and your own body. Perfect for meditation.

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  10. I used to complain about the winter with dread, but I am also learning to embrace each day and what it provides to us in nature. And I know that because I endure the winter, I appreciate the coming of spring all the more.

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  11. the pictures look so quiet and peaceful, the bare trees add more to the peacefulness. i love it.

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  12. I like the photos, looks very peaceful. We'll be all waiting for your new adventure this coming winter. Hope to see a lot of amazing photos.

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  13. It is so rare for the forest to be truly quiet, a moment to enjoy. You are so right about fall and winter bringing new adventures, each season has its treasures.

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  14. I love to go outside just before the sunrises and the birds are still asleep so I can sit and listen to the silence...it is a great time to reflect!!

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  15. These are lovely shots Ratty. So refreshing to see trees that don't look like palms. I know I say that all the time, but it's true.

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  16. @VanillaSeven
    Winter will definitely bring interesting adventures. Sometimes the cold can keep even me indoors though.
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    @DK Miller
    I'd like to be able to turn off the snow and cold whenever I want. Maybe have just enough to make it fun.
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    @Icy BC
    I thought it would make a good update on how things look in this forest right now.
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    @Joe Todd
    I like that quiet too,especially when the sound of other people is gone. The animal sounds don't bother me so much.
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    @Ginnymo
    I like the quiet but without the animal sounds I start to feel a bit lonely. I hope you don't hear the guns either. Hopefully they will leave the foxes alone.
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    @Sharkbytes
    A lone cricket is sometimes the difference between loneliness and peace.
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    @Rainfield
    Yes, it is very quiet when even the squirrels stop making their sounds. Those squirrels are talkers.
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    @Mike Golch
    Peacefulness is exactly the feelings I get whenever I'm in those woods.
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    @Scienceguy
    Yes, a silent forest is always my favorite place to just relax and let my thoughts drift.
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    @The Retired One
    You got it exactly right. These colder months can sometimes be depressing to a nature lover, but they also have their own good and unique aspects.
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    @Betchai
    The bare trees somehow add something to this specific forest for me that the other places don't have.
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    @Sugar Daddy Dating
    Winter will have its own unique and learning experiences. I hope to have some fun new stories for winter this year.
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    @SquirrelQueen
    It was you who taught me this lesson. Once I began to understand, the depression I was in just melted away.
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    @Allotments4you
    That's one of my favorite times to go outside too. The very early morning is a whole different world.

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  17. @The Ancient Digger
    I have never personally seen a palm tree, but I think I understand. These trees cover us and seem to protect us kind of like they do the squirrels. Maybe it's an instinctive thing for humans.

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