I am participating in my ninth Slice of Life Story Challenge run by the team behind the Two Writing Teachers website. We are challenged to write a blog post a day throughout the month of March.
I set my alarm last night, but woke up a half hour before it went off; my body knew it wanted to make the most of this last half-day in the woods.
Morning page by lantern-light again. I had turned on the under cabinet lighting to make breakfast, but the light bounced off the picture window and obscured the view. A line came to me: The light within can keep the dark at bay. Great for a story about good versus evil, tucking that away for future use.
Then this happened. I noticed the light from the bathroom door was reflected in the window, making a magical portal into the woods.
And then the blue skies bloomed with the dawn. Yes, one more venture outside is called for!
But first, breakfast. I had to stop myself from shoveling it down in my haste to enjoy the sunshine.
I found myself looking up more this morning, loving the peek of sun through the trees. Everything looked different in this light.
The moss seemed to glow in the light;
fungi looked more like blooms than mushrooms.
All the plant life seemed to be stretching for the sun. I was enamored with the drops of rain and dew on these slender stalks.
It was cool on the trail, the sun barely peeking through the trees,
until the trail would turn towards the valley, and there would be that blue sky again.
Looking down, I caught another small act of strangulation. Vines are all over this forest, big and small.
The trail continues...
This is such a lovely wrap of a wonderful respite to nature. That portal! That breakfast! That fungi! I so enjoyed traveling with you this week, and very curious to know how different your everyday life back at home is! XX
ReplyDeleteI now have a new place to "go" in my mind when I feel stressed--I can take a deep breath and pretend I'm on a trail, breathing in that crisp, cool air in the quiet morning. Very helpful back at work!
DeleteMy six-word memoir: Nature speaks to me. I listen.
ReplyDeleteYour line on the light within hooked me before you ever mentioned Narnia but what you have done here is reminded us of the sacredness of the woods, of nature, of the longing in the human soul to live in close proximity to it. Nature IS a magic portal. You have infused so many of my life's loves here. I like to think that you and I and the trees speak the same language, Chris. "Further up and further in!"
It really was "further up and in", Fran, with those trails and hills! I thank you for sharing the sentiments. My dream home would be located right between a forest and a beach, within an hour of both...wonder if that exists anywhere?
DeleteThat line and the magic portal. But maybe it's the light within that draws one to the portal? I enjoyed traveling with you on this trip. Thank you for sharing it with us.
ReplyDeleteOooh, I like that, Alice--light being drawn to light. You are adding to my story already! Thanks for walking the trail with me.
DeleteThanks for taking us along on your walk down the path. The way you woke images and words together as you stepped through the woods made me feel like I was right there with you. Such peace.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you are enjoying the scenery with me, Cathy! It was fun to weave words with the pictures. Amazing what writing can happen without the intrusion of work or news.
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