Can you see the face of a turtle in this rock? I can but I’m also the type to see faces in clouds and wood grain. Maybe I go looking for these things but suspect I just have an open mind when it comes to seeing things in the world around me. And I’m delighted by the idea that simply being willing to see something unusual makes it possible to see something that others miss.
And now for a slightly less neurotic photo. It’s just a pretty scene from here in the Hocking Hills but I think it’s lovely as well.
All work and no play makes Jill a dull girl. That’s how I have felt lately. There just haven’t been a lot of opportunities to get out and explore. Even hiking has been a challenge this summer.
So when I learned yesterday morning that it was opening day for the sunflower patch at Walker Farms in the Hocking Hills AND when I realized I would be passing right by after work, there was no doubt I would go.
If you were there, I was the one in dress pants and chunky heels. If there were more than five people present the entire time I was there, I might have felt out of place.
Only about half the flowers were open and I saw just two varieties in bloom, but it was a lovely experience.
It was about 70 degrees, a far cry from the sweltering heat and humidity that have marred this summer. The sky was blue with some interesting cloud formations and it was a relief to be away from humans and among the living,
The living in this case consisted mostly of gorgeous flowers along with countless bees and some butterflies.
They have some fun props including a tricycle and some old doors that are perfect for photo ops. I imagine a lot of kids will do senior pictures there next month. There’s an old tractor and hay wagon that I believe they will use for actual hay rides on weekends during the u-pick pumpkin season.
I’m glad for places like this. For one thing, they give small farmers a different way to monetize their fields. They give kids and families a place to learn about farms and maybe learn where food comes from. They give everyone something beautiful and peaceful to enjoy. They also give pollinators a fabulous and safe playground.
We are all winners!
I stood amidst the flowers and drank in the fresh air. I could still hear traffic from the busy four lane highway nearby but it didn’t ruin the experience too much. I had been to training in Columbus and had seen and heard much worse on the way home in terms of traffic.
Planting my feet in a field was exactly what I needed.
It reminded me of the garden my grandparents grew when I was a kid. I remember “helping” when I was little. I’m sure I wasn’t that helpful but I do remember the smell of dirt and fresh beans, the taste of cold watermelon on the front porch, and the sticky silks of corn that we husked together.
I would love to have a garden like theirs but, in reality, it would be an impressive patch of weeds. They had both grown up knowing exactly how to best use their seeds by planting properly and at the right time. Growing vegetables requires more precision and patience than I will ever have.
So, instead, my vegetables come from the store but my memories come from somewhere far away. I harvest them when I can but nowhere are they richer or more alive than when I stand in a place like this sunflower field.
Farmers across Ohio now plant fields of sunflower and let folks visit for a few bucks. Find one near you and go enjoy!
The plan was to write something enriching for you today. It’s time to start getting back to some routine and I wanted to give you something interesting or thought provoking to read.
Turns out everything I tried to write took on a negative tone.
I wanted to tell you about hiking in Ohio’s Hocking Hills but I didn’t actually get to do that this weekend. On Saturday the parks were so overrun by tourists that any self respecting nature lover would find it easier to commune with nature on a city street than in the state park Saturday.
Negative.
So I tried to switch gears into more positive thinking about how scarcity gives us a sense of abundance. Sadly, my brain started down a garden path toward the American obsession with mass consumerism and how wasteful people are with everything from leftovers to water to fast fashion.
Negative.
And then I started thinking about lots of topics that bump up against American politics and I just don’t have it in me to go there.
Clearly, I need to get out on the road immediately, if not sooner, to look at some art, take a hike or just to stop and appreciate some pretty spring flowers.
If I’m no longer seeing the good in the world, it’s time to go looking for something better than what I can see from here!
Meanwhile, here’s some pretty daffodils blooming in the graveyard of a local church we explored when hiking was a bust on Saturday.
Aren’t they pretty?
Happy Monday, my friends. I know the world looks bleak right now but I hope you will take a moment today to look for some beauty or to create your own if you can’t find any out there!
Summer doesn’t officially begin for a few days but we are expecting heat and humidity to hit southern Ohio today and settle in for at least a couple of weeks. Since it will soon be dangerously hot, I hated to enter summer hibernation without a really good hoke under my belt. I was grateful to make it out yesterday for close to six miles and for the unexpected joys this hike brought.
Looking up made me feel small. It usually does.
Looking down introduced us to a new friend. He seemed altogether unimpressed by us but we liked him.
And spots like this one offer a solid reminder that there’s nearly always a way through.
If you are fortunate enough to live in a place where there’s outdoor access and you are able to go out and enjoy it, do yourself a favor and go. The good nature will do for your body, mind and spirit is immeasurable.
I hiked after work Thursday night. The trail was so busy that I immediately regretted being there and ended up hiking just 2.5 miles when I had planned for about twice that amount.
The few moments of solace were wonderful but those were rare and were overshadowed by people playing music on their phones and the fear that someone’s loosely supervised toddler would fly off a cliff.
Yet those quiet moments were ideal with plenty of birds and squirrels to keep me company and a beautiful forest to enjoy.
I was headed for the car when I encountered Betty, an older lady who was resting her bad knees while she waited for her husband to return. She seemed quite pleased to soak in her surroundings while the rest of the world was going by with phones in hand and seemingly ignoring the beauty of it all. In fact, it seemed time that they could have been power walking in a mall with just as easily was walking through these beautiful woods.
Betty and Joe were visiting to celebrate their 51st wedding anniversary and I learned when he returned that they both were as delightful as could be.
It brightened my day to chat with them for a few minutes and I left the park feeling a little better about the world.
Life is harder when you feel out of step with the world around you and I should know because I’m completely out of step with nearly everyone around me. Finding a kindred spirit feels like a breath of fresh air in a hot room.
Speaking of fresh air – if you have a chance to breathe fresh air and bask in the beauty of the world from beneath a canopy of trees, do it. And pay attention. Turn off the music, lower your voice, turn down the thoughts racing through your mind and pay attention. Use all your senses to see, smell, hear and feel the sensation of being surrounded by wild beauty.
You may find that it’s the very best kind of addictive behavior.
Churches are a common theme here on this blog but I have never shown you anything quite like this. Welcome to Chapel Cave, a recess cave with a chapel shape opening in Ohio’s Hocking State Forest. It’s one of the more off the beaten path destinations for hikers in that area and is located just off a bridle trail.
We hiked, of course. Part of the hike was beautiful. Most of it wasn’t much to talk about but we did have a pretty day to enjoy the hike last fall.
Horse people call it Twenty One Horses Cave because it’s supposed to be large enough to hold that many horses. I don’t know if that’s true but there was a guided group that came through before us and they all got a kick out of riding inside.
Once they emptied out, we had about a minute before a noisy family clamored into the opening for a looksee. For one shining moment in that brief quiet I realized that it really does feel like a chapel. Sacred and solemnly grounded, this place provided a beautiful moment and a breathtaking view.
This is why we explore. These special places and moments are the very best reason to keep searching and to keep looking for more.
