Back to the forest

Yes….alas. I have embarked upon re entering the realm of the woods. And above all I have decided that it is one of my favorite places to be. There is just something so calming, refreshing and healing about being in the presence of sheer nature. As I was focusing on pounding in tons of trees the other day I stopped to actually stare at the ground for a few minutes. It suddenly embarked on me that of all my years planting I rarely ACTUALLY look at the ground. The colors were stunning. There was sand mixed in with red pine needles, splash in a few shades of green, add some pine cones, bark, and tiny little purple flowers. I was almost brought to tears by the sheer beauty of the ground. Oh how little I am present sometimes. I forget to observe my surroundings and to remember that I am in paradise. And the only thing that keeps me from enjoying it is my own head trip.

Be still……

I think this year of planting will be quite different. It will no longer be about being the best or pounding in millions of trees until my body screams for no more. It will be more about trying to be present, trying to soak in what my surroundings are offering me. Of course doing this will not be easy for me. But probably really good for my pride.

I also find for some reason when I am in the woods my imagination becomes so much more alive, whirling with ideas and thoughts. Yes to all of you people who don’t know I actually write stories. I have about five or six that I have been working on for years. And for some reasons I was always ashamed of this. But I have decided once and for all that I am going to write my stories down. I have a brilliant imagination, a gift that has been bestowed upon me and for once I have decided that yes it is time. It is time to let my characters who have been developed and shaped in my mind come alive through the written word. I am not sure why tree-planting allows me to work on my stories all the more. Nature is just so inspiring. The woods are my haven.

Perhaps one day I will be brave and post parts of my stories here :).