Monday, October 5, 2009

wet and wonderful


Near the summit on the west side of the Cascades about fifty miles from Bend, Oregon, at a campground, closed for the season, I wandered in a dense grove of old growth fir trees and big-leaf maples. In this region, thick, billowy clouds billet after a long march from the Pacific, and then sleep on the high granite peaks. This grey soggy cover creates rainforests in the canyons below. In the above picture, thick curly moss gathers on tree branches like wet wool. Sparse droplets of capricious light squeeze through the canopy and illuminate a few fortunate leaves fleetingly and then moves off to other secret spots. Here, the cool, highly oxygen-loaded air inflates my lungs with fresh vibrant energy and causes me to tick with ideas. Among such grandeur, and where the tune of nature's life-affirming lovesong chimes so melodically, I sense a renewal of spirit and a tenacious desire to prolong life as long as possible.

9 comments:

Sylvia K said...

What a moving and beautiful post, Lee! I'm so glad you find yourself in the place you write about. I do so relate, because I find myself in pretty much the same place and it's a wonderful feeling!

Have a great week!

Sylvia

Day4plus said...

Going up to the mountains make s me feel so darn good. MB

Lowell said...

You express so well what so many of us feel and can't express as well...

Beautiful photo, too, to back up your expressions.

I'm hanging on to life for dear life!

B SQUARED said...

The only thing I can add to you commentary is, amen!

tapirgal said...

I love this photo! The Oregon/Washington forests are very special. They were certainly an eye-opener to me when I got here in 2001. You've done a beautiful job of capturing the feelings and colors of the forest. I always find that it's hard to get the green to look real, and you've done that for sure.

Raksha said...

I love it when the leaves are illuminated like that by a shaft of sunlight coming through the canopy created by the taller trees. It reminds me of my own sacred place in the California redwood forest, that I haven't seen in way too long.

But more than anything I feel so much empathy with your beautiful words, twice as much as usual...but is it ever "usual"? Tonight it feels like a newfound miracle. Reading your post, I'm reminded of a saying by Joseph Campbell that I haven't thought of in a long time: "Follow your bliss." Truly words to live by.

cieldequimper said...

This is a postcard photo. No... A greetings card photo. It's superb.

laurelgrace00 said...

Only thing that came to mind was WOW! It is so beautiful, I would think that it would be very quiet there with a few birds singing in the tall trees.

Sueso said...

I feel most alive in a place like this, a forest primeval, or a windy beach...Was lucky enough to have lived on the west side of the Cascades near Mt. St. Helens when I was a little girl...Every day I would explore with my little dog, Buttons...I would see scenes like this and no one to share it with...