Night at the Park

October 20, 2013

I decided to take my dog for a walk at our favorite spot at Burrell Lake Park on my day off, but we did not end up arriving until dusk.  My mom, my Chihuahua, and I decided we had about 15 minutes or so before it got dark, so we took advantage of it.  We made it one time around the lake before the sky turned from dusk to dark.  I never visited the park in the evening, so this proved a new experience for me, as well as my mom and Ziggy!  

I have to say, the view was absolutely spectacular. As the sun went down, the water looked very dark, but the small amount of light reflected off the surface of the lake.  The sky was a crisp denim blue and the weather was about 48 degrees, so it felt a little brisk.  The weather felt a little too cold for just a sweater, a light coat would have been great!  

Yesterday, I did not see my family of ducks, but this evening I saw them assembled by the lake as if they were conducting an important meeting of some sort.  At least 15 ducks were gathered on the walkway by the lake, talking among themselves, many of them very loud and vocal.  My mom and I both laughed because it really did seem like they had a secret meeting time going on.  My dog never really paid much attention to the ducks the first time he saw them years ago, and not much has changed.  He is more interested in peeing on everything and sniffing around than paying attention to the ducks.  My dog did not seem to mind it was evening and a little chilly out.  He had on a little blue sweater and conducted his business like any other ordinary walk.  

I wished I had a better camera than the one on my phone, because the scenery was gorgeous!  The ducks gathered at their "meeting", all took flight together a few moments later, all in unison, in a beautiful swirl in the sky!  Some of them skimmed the surface of the lake at one point, splashing a little water.  

An evening look at the lake

My dog in the park on his evening walk in his little blue sweater

Entry #4- Language of the Leaves

Date: October 19, 2013

Time 2:17 PM

Weather: Very light drizzle, off and on, brought an umbrella but did not need it.

Colorful leaves sprinkle the ground



As I walked into the park, my eyes went immediately to the colorful array of leaves scattered on the ground like colorful candy sprinkles. At once, I noticed the beautiful silence, with only the sound of the of the raindrops kissing the surface of the lake. I glanced around to catch a glimpse of the ducks, but I did not see them from where I sat. I walked further down around the lake and still did not spot them. I wonder where they went?



A beehive

Colorful leaves











I looked up at the trees, and noticed a few with bare branches, the wind propelled the leaves off the branches to the ground. As I walked around to take pictures, the ground was wet and muddy in some areas, so I got a little mud on my shoes. This did not bother me at all, as I actually welcomed the touch of earth on me. I sat back down at the picnic table, and a soft breeze blew a few leaves down from the trees, like rain from the sky. As I walked along, I noticed a beehive nestled in a tree, at least I think it is a beehive!

I saw a man walking his dog around the lake, and this made me miss my dog.  He loves to visit this park, and with my hectic schedule, I rarely have time to bring him anymore.  I make a mental note to try to bring him here tomorrow, which is my day off from work.  I hope the weather is nice and not too cool or rainy.  Like the short seasons that come to pass, each day of my life seems to go by so quickly.  It seems difficult to find time for the ones I love because I am pulled in a million different directions from daily obligations.  I always feel a need to spend more time in nature, with my dog, and with my family and friends.  I also feel like I go through the motions of life too quickly and do not take the time to enjoy the moment and the beauty right in front of my face.



View of lake and orange tree in distance



The leaves on the ground and some bare branches indicated more changes in the season, as in life. Fall would come to an end soon, and winter will cover us with a blanket of white. I did not feel sad about this, but at peace. Change is inevitable, and the change of seasons only reminds me of the changes in my own life, from moment to moment, I change.



Beautiful red leaves



















Entry #3- The Wisdom of Nature

October 4, 2013
2:03 PM
Weather is warm, in 70's, sunny with fluffy white clouds

Today the weather is sunny, comfortably warm with a soft breeze, and they sky is baby blue interspersed with puffy white clouds that look like cotton candy.



I sit on a bench in the middle of the park, nestled in the middle of tall trees, a canopy of outstretched limbs. I feel a bit sad today, not exactly sure why, but I relish in the solitude nature provides. I really don’t feel like interacting with other people today, I need time alone with my thoughts and feelings. I can only stay for a short time before I venture to work, where solitude vanishes the moment I walk across the threshold. I enjoy my privacy, solitude, and quietness in my favorite place. I take a few deep breaths, purifying and renewing. I can breathe here. It is intoxicatingly quiet.

As I sit on the bench, a few bugs decide to land on my arm, but I try to brush them off gently, so I do not hurt them. No matter how small, how hideous some appear, they are still living things, and I do not feel like I have the right to kill one for no reason. I glance up at the trees with their colorful leaves towering over me, and feel small in their presence. An array of leaves in different shades of brown, yellow, red, and orange, decorate the green grass like confetti, as if the trees threw a party in celebration of fall.

I set eyes on a handful of ducks that sit on a path by the lake. I admire the peacefulness they radiate, how they rest without a care in the world. The elements of nature take on the role as my teacher, and I welcome the wisdom. The ducks urge me to quiet my mind, to rest, to take time to sit and do absolutely nothing but enjoy the present moment. The trees, like wise elders, remind me I am never alone and my problems only seem immense and unsolvable sometimes, like trying to piece together a puzzle with missing pieces, but in reality they are not as complex as my mind makes them. I can choose to label situations in my life as problems, or as opportunities to change and grow. It is much easier to take on this attitude with “small” problems, not the “big” ones in my life, like a sick family member. How can I feel peaceful and at ease in the midst of these types of problems, when fear grips my heart like a vice? Hopefully nature reveals her secrets, I trust she will.

Nothing but the sound of quiet pervades my surroundings. The wind makes her presence known by gently rustling the leaves in the trees, touching my face with her soft hand, blowing my hair gently with a gust of her breath. I need to come back here often, more than once a week. My soul craves this solitude, peace, and quiet like an addict craves a drug. My soul needs this like a daily dose of medicine, as a treatment to the chaos of daily life, the chaos of my mind. Life reveals itself all around me, without another human being in sight.

I don’t want to leave, but I check the time and I cannot be late for work. I will leave the solace of this place for now, but I will return soon. I can still feel nature’s presence as I drive to work, she promises to keep me company until I can return again.

Entry #2- Risking the Rain

Date- September 21, 2013
Time- Around 2PM
Weather- Rainy, damp, cool

Picture of the Lake

I walked by the lake, with my reliable little umbrella above my head, shielding me from the raindrops falling from the sky. I laughed to myself as I imagined what I must look like, a girl at the park when it’s pouring down rain, walking around with an umbrella in one hand and a notebook in the other. A quick glance around the park revealed two other people who braved the rain, they sat on a bench under the pavilion which surprised me, because it was not the typical sunny day to spend at the park.

The raindrops hitting the lake's surface

The sky appeared much different from my last visit; it looked white as chalk, with no color and no clouds. I felt emptiness inside, sadness, much like the sky feels without any color, without any clouds, without the sunshine. At this time of year, I always feel a little gloomy with the end of summer.  I glanced down and noticed the rain hit the surface of the lake, creating a pattern of circle-like shapes, like a patchwork quilt covering the water.



I took some pictures of the scenery, and noticed a tree, with a few red leaves, painted early by Fall's strokes of color. Besides the red leaves and a few wildflowers, the scenery lacked color, with only the green trees against the white sky. This small pop of color brightened its surroundings, and it filled me with hope. I reflected on feelings, and how one minute I can feel peace and joy inside, and then the next moment I can feel sadness inside. Our world is constantly changing, never standing still, just like I am always changing, evolving, and growing. No matter how terrible I feel at certain moments, I know these feelings will pass. Hope always remains inside, as the flowers, trees, and animals go through a rough winter, they emerge in the spring renewed and splendid.




I did not notice as many creatures roaming the wilderness like my last visit, most likely caused by the rain. However, I spotted a flock of ducks, most likely the same ones I saw last time, floating across the water, effortlessly and peacefully. The rain and lack of sunshine did not seem to hinder their agendas for the day; they carried on just like they would if the sun shined down. As I reflect on the amazing resilience of these ducks and nature as a whole, I am reminded I too come from Mother Earth, I am part of nature, and I too possess


Wildflowers

amazing resilience to the ever changing seasons of my life.














 



Entry #1- Burrell Lake Park

A turtle sitting on a branch in the water

Time- 2:14 PM, Friday, September 6, 2013

Weather-  Sunny, breezy, warm

I arrived and sat on a bench, shaded by a tree.  I heard distant voices of kids playing on the jungle gym at the other end of the park.  A few people were fishing, and a young woman was walking around taking pictures of the beautiful scenery.  Although there were other people there, the park was still quiet.  I could hear the sound of the breeze blowing across the lake and the sound of the quacking of the ducks. 

I saw about 20 ducks all in a group, sitting on the grass in the shade of some trees. As many times as I have been at this park, I never saw this many ducks, and never saw them all out of the water sitting together. As I was jotting down some observations, I heard this duck make a coughing sound. I looked over and saw one duck by itself, walking towards me. I smiled and began to talk to it, yes I talk to ducks. It got close enough to me that I could reach out and touch it. He, or she, was making a coughing sound every few seconds, and I wondered if it was sick. I felt really bad for it because it seemed to be ostracized from the group of ducks sitting close by, or maybe it chose to stay away because he didn't feel well. I made a note to research what illness ducks are prone to, and if they are ostracized from the pack of ducks when they are sick.

I spoke to the young woman who was taking photographs of the scenery, and I explained that I was writing a nature blog for one of my graduate writing classes.  She said she was taking pictures for fun.  She pointed me towards the end of the lake where a turtle was sunbathing on a branch lodged in the lake.  I walked down towards the branch and smiled at the sight of a turtle just sitting there, without a care in the world.  He picked the perfect spot to get some sun.

I also met a man who was fishing, and he heard us talking about what we were working on, and he pointed us towards a snake that was in the water, trying to eat a fish.  I inched up to the lake, looking in the direction he was pointing, trying to catch a glimpse of the snake through the grass.  It was dark brown, not very long, and had a piece of fish in its mouth, presumably its dinner.  The man and I discussed what type of snake it was and if it could possibly be a poisonous Copperhead, but we were not sure.  I will have to look more into the different species of animals that inhabit the park's lake.  As I was watching the snake, I was struck by how leisurely he was in eating his dinner.  It looked as if he wasn't even moving for awhile and just had the fish in his mouth.  I thought back to the turtle, and reflected on how he was just enjoying the moment, perched on a branch in the middle of the lake, enjoying the warmth of the sun on his shell. 

The connection I felt to the different animals, along with the people I had a chance to talk to, gave me a feeling of community with my fellow nature lovers and observers.  I looked up at the sky, and the white clouds looked like swirls of cotton candy against the beautiful blue.  As I was taking in all of my experiences in a short half hour, I was overwhelmed with the flashes of nature all around me. It was an intense feeling; everywhere I looked I was attuned to all of the beautiful nature around me. I saw different color flowers, yellow, and purple, white. I noticed the bugs floating on the surface of the water. I took one sheet of paper with me to record my observations and both sides were filled in 20 minutes. I had an amazing experience, and it struck me on how much I really can see when I am paying attention.

A duck relaxing under the shade of a tree