Tuesday, January 20, 2009

All Alone

Empty Trails
Cincinnati Nature Center

The Frozen Falls on Avey's Run


It accentuates the absence of all else—the sound of a drip into water, round and clean, against the backdrop of stillness. While, throughout the darkened house, all other activities pause.
The silence then, so great, that it becomes, instead of absence, its own presence—a tangible thing.
Rarely unspoiled.

I ventured out into Friday’s frigid air and roamed the trails, alone. For these woods, so loved by so many on any other day, today, were barren.
And, beneath hat and hood, the stillness, very strange.

Several times I stopped and stood, puffing warm air into cupped hands and letting it rise to wash my face in steamy clouds. And found myself dressed in frosty lashes, squinting against the brightness of a cloudless January sky.

Watching Deer

In the distance, the call of a Barred Owl, this wintry day, his. And I imagined him fluffed against the cold somewhere, hidden against the brown and white of densely crossed winter branches, still.
While deer, frozen forms on a sheltered hillside, watched me pass.

Winter Light on Avey's Run

I hopped across the crossing stones frozen in the thick white stillness of the creek bed of Avey’s Run, the low light casting long shadows onto the steep hillsides on either side. All alone in the depths of these woods, I knelt in the middle on the cold and slippery surface. The waters that roar here each spring, now still.
To listen to the silence of the winter woods.
Drip, drip, dripping beneath me.

Ice

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37 comments:

Kerri Farley said...

Beautiful Nina! What a wonderful place to soak up nature!

bobbie said...

A beautiful post. It is so amazing to be alone in such a place.

giggles said...

A barred owl? Really? During the day?? I was once camping in WInton Woods (I think it was WW.....may have been another park around Cincy, though) with my nature friends and we called up a curious barred, but it was nighttime....we couldn't see a thing....but he was curious and we knew he had come close to check out the campfire....who, who who-whooooooooo???!!

Dawn Fine said...

Very nice...looks like i have missed your blog for a while..I will now read read and catch up on your posts.

Anonymous said...

Although, I love going out in groups to go hiking, sometimes, going out alone to contemplate nature is also necessary.

NCmountainwoman said...

Lovely quiet walk through the woods. It does a body good.

Cheryl said...

For one brief moment I was there you with you.......my mind had wandered into your world. Thank you.

Lisa at Greenbow said...

Gorgeous photos Nina. Thanks for taking us along on your walk through the woods. Those frozen falls realllllly look cold.

Rune Eide said...

That forest "smelled of tranquillity", but I fell for that small, frozen waterfall. A pearl.

naturglede/Randi Lind said...

A greate choise for the A.Love it! Have a nice ABC:)

Richard Lawry said...

Winter often leaves me with the feeling of aloneness. Solitude is OK in small doses.

An Arkie's Musings

Reader Wil said...

What a lovely post! You write so well: it's like poetry and the photos are great.

cestoady said...

What a fine, evocative picture of the forest and the stream in this photo essay. I am especially impressed with the great size of the trees in the 4 th. photo, "watching deer". It took me a little while to find the deer because they were so small compared to the magnificently large trees.

Michele said...

OH WOW... so special are these photos... wow... how I wish I could see these with my own eyes!

Fotosekken said...

Beautiful nature (and photos) are good for both body and spirit. I love the light in theese!

Anonymous said...

Beauty! I've never seen a frozen waterfall in person - loved your tour of the winter woods!

Heather said...

Whoa, those are tall trees. (To a prairie girl!)

Jane Hards Photography said...

Frozen waterfalls are magical. Enchanted post

Ruth's Photo Blog said...

Alone in the woods,what a lovely experience!The frozen water falls are beautiful.
Blessings,Ruth

jozien said...

beautiful!
And i love the picture in the last post, everything about it. How come it is so blue? what is it, water or sky?

photowannabe said...

Beautiful words and beautiful pictures. I love the frozen waterfalls. Wonderful choice All Alone.

Anonymous said...

Alone is the thing I fear the most. But great shots in this post.

My "A" photos are posted here and here. Please hop on by if you have time. Happy Wednesday!

Mary said...

You certainly know how to make winter wonderful.

Bradley Hsi said...

I love the pictures but afraid of the mood of loneliness that they projected.

Anonymous said...

Nina..the frozen waterfalls are fabulous..This reminded me that I want to go explore the wetlands this spring....

spacedlaw said...

Those frozen falls are magic!

nina at Nature Remains. said...

Giggles--Yes, I hear owls throughout the day, especially this time of year, when they are calling to mates. Dawn and dusk are more likely, but in a still woods, mid-day calls are heard.

And as much as the absence of everything may suggest aloneness that could be loneliness, I, like so many others look to nature to escape from a more hectic life.
There is no more satisfying feeling than to be smack dab in the middle of everything --and nothing!

Unknown said...

Very pretty. Desolate. I can hear the winter noises in my mind.

Anonymous said...

Oh wow! They're really great shots! Love nature photos and these are my fave so far.

Vickie said...

Beautiful post in word and photos. The images are wonderful. I could feel the silence as I looked at them.

Kathie Brown said...

How does that cold winter stillness make you feel so alive? I don't know, but it does, it really does. You have reminded me of winter in New England and that peaceful alone time in the woods.

nina at Nature Remains. said...

Kathie--I agree. Maybe the feeling comes from heightened awareness from the fingers to toes--you know...cold nose, frozen fingertips, chill on the cheeks,...hard to not feel alive!

Anonymous said...

Love the descriptions as if I am right there!

Unknown said...

Your words were moving, yet still. Thank you for sharing your experience and your pictures.

Tumblewords: said...

Beautiful! Beautiful!

Raven said...

Beautiful words and photos. Just exquisite.

Anonymous said...

The Frozen Falls shots are just gorgeous...