I was climbing up the side of my hill in Montana (a hill there is what I thought was a mountain because it was so big). Anyway, it was in the middle of winter, snow went up to my knees, and I was fully equipped with my snow gear. I scaled up the side of a small cliff to get to the massive hill on the other side. The wind was particularly brutal that day and my nose felt the worst of it.
The trip required me to walk another mile to get to the path that winds up the opposite hill. The ice coated the path making the way very slippery. Eventually, I reached a flat area that stretched for at least 50 meters. I stop to make a small fire and regain my energy.
The next thing I know, I hear a soft thumping sound. Then this white cloud appears about 25 meters away. About 12 deer with a buck in the lead charge from somewhere I couldn't see. Next comes the howling. Wolves appear on top of a ridge overlook the area the deer were running from. They give chase.
I hunkered down just to be safe. But, it was one of the coolest thing I've ever seen.
Went to the beach lately and was in awe with what I saw. Many Portugese Man o Wars had washed up along the shore. They happen to be my favorite invertebrate, so I was mystified. If you've never seen them, they are incredibly beautiful creatures.
Walking my dogs outside when I saw a cluster of palm trees. I normally avoid such things, as snakes can actually climb up them (miraculous, I know). However, as I approached today, I saw a dead rat laying at the base of one. As an avid collector of bones and animal bits, I was pleasantly surprised. The recent rain had completely cleaned the skeleton, for the most part, and all the meat and fur had washed away. The skull was perfectly preserved and so I took it home, cleaned it and am now debating how to use it.
Re: Nature Experiences By: SilentSyren
Post # 11 Jan 27, 2017
I love going to this one park with my favorite tree. I believe there is a Dryad spirit inhabiting the tree which my spouse has seen and I can feel. We like to walk there for exorcise and I like to just sit under the tree to meditate, calm myself, relax, eat a snack, read a book, etc. I would like to get closer to her and learn her name and other things about her. When I go there I come with two big tea jugs to water her with since the area there doesn't have sprinklers or anything. I would like to plant flowers by her and put a hand made bracelet high up in her branches where people won't easily see it as a present for her to keep. So yeah, that is just my little nature spheel heh. ^.^
Re: Nature Experiences By: TempestQueen
Post # 12 Jan 30, 2017
So this is a bit of a sad nature story, but one worth telling even though it is sad, in honor of the tree and tree spirit it is about.
There used to be a big, old, mature maple tree in our backyard. I loved that tree so much and I suppose I still do. It's branches stretched way up into the sky, up and out. It was large enough that I couldn't wrap my arms around the trunk and so tall you could see it from the front yard though the tree was in the back of the house. Crows in the neighborhood loved to perch in it too and I even saw a hawk up there once or twice. By the time my husband and I moved into the house as a married couple, the tree was already being strangled with ivy, like thick ivy all around the trunk. We would try pulling as much of the ivy off as we could, but if you have ever had to deal with ivy growing rampant, you most likely understand that it is an invasive species of plant that kills trees and other plants for breakfast.
So we would fight the ivy every week and really not get anywhere. The poor tree was dying and we couldn't help it. That fact was so sad to me, but I kept up hope that we were making a difference in some way. One day I was in the back of the house, inside the house but right near the area the tree was in. I heard this ruckus coming from the tree, like there were many birds just cawing away.
So of course I ran outside, and I saw what had to be over 20 crows all perched in the top branches of the tree. They were making so much noise I heard it from inside with the air conditioning on and everything.
As I was watching they all got quiet for about a minute, like a moment of silence and reflection, then all took off at once cawing loudly again. It was so beautiful! Black wings everywhere and such a beautiful sound :)
I had never seen so many crows in the area we live in at once. It felt as though the whole thing was a send off for the spirit of the tree. I couldn't explain exactly why at the time it felt that way, but it did. It wasn't super sad at that point, as it felt kind of glorious and purposeful.
So about a week later, there were some very strong winds that we get here every year. They are winds that come in from over the mountains and are hot and very strong. It was the middle of the day, and my husband and I heard a loud and thunderous crash. It was the old maple tree. It had been blown over in the wind because the ivy had officially killed it. It ended up falling and crashing down our fence in the backyard. Luckily no one was hurt from the falling and crashing, of course except the tree.
That was when I put two and two together. The crows I had seen the week before were now in my mind definitely taking the tree's spirit home and that gave me some comfort. Even though the tree is now gone, I still remember it fondly. It was truly a magnificent tree and tree spirit. I am honored and glad I got to live near and be part of such a meaningful transition.
I went for a walk in south Lebanon last week, it's absolutely stunning! The nature is wild, colourful and rich ... It looks like a oasis in some places with desert like places surrounded with palm trees, olivtrees and beautiful old Lebanese houses
Re: Nature Experiences By: SilentSyren
Post # 14 Aug 17, 2017
There is a sycamore Dryad at the park closer to my house who has been extremely welcoming and kind to me each time I go. She has given me perfect branches to use for supporting my flowers and making a wand out of. I can always feel her subtle greeting when we walk by her so I always say hello and goodbye at the very least. When I go to see her next I will be bringing a large jug with me to water her and some used tea bags as they make excellent compost for plants. It will help nourish her. I know how hot it is for me so I can only imagine how she feels being in the heat all day everyday.
Went to a local park today. It was too nice to sit inside. I got some exercise in, as well as some time with nature. It is very calming to be among trees, even if it's just for a little while.
Re: Nature Experiences By: Paian
Post # 16 Aug 20, 2017
A couple months ago I was camping in Tahoe with my half sister's family. I had been going on hikes every day from morning to evening and on the last day, my younger sister and her cousin wanted to come with me. We left in the afternoon and were gone having fun until about dusk. Right before we were going to head back to the campsite we were hanging out on a big log, just talking and laughing. Suddenly we heard heavy rustling in the brush and out popped a big ole black bear! I was, of course, surprised but he wasn't angry or hostile, simply curious. I felt a little uneasy, but not at all threatened. In fact, I was more intrigued and confused with how the animal was responding to us rather than uneasy. The bear ended up about three feet away sniffing me up and down. At one point I made eye contact him and I was just in awe. I had thought about reaching out to try and touch it but I felt I was already pushing it.As soon as the bear had even shown it's face my little sister and cousin took off running. The entire time they were screaming at me from atop a hill to get away from the bear. After about five minutes the bear calmly walked off and we all made our way back to camp. I couldn't get the smile off my face even after being yelled at by my sister's mom. It was one of the best experiences I've ever had. I was probably being foolish and I definitely got many lectures from the adults but I don't regret a darned thing!
Re: Nature Experiences By: Paian
Post # 17 Aug 20, 2017
To be clear none of us were carrying food. And I'm sure the bears in Tahoe are accustomed to seeing humans all the time, but it was still awesome!
