Nature is Crazy Good Help
And I have some for you
You’ve heard about how important it is to be in nature; it is calming, energizing and a great stress reducer. Of course there’s much more impact of nature on our lives and health than that.
Academic studies and the relatively new ecopsychology movement are examples of sources of information about the many benefits of being in nature. If you want to improve your life, knowing the value of nature is essential, so find out all you can.
But what if you want to be in nature and you’re stuck somewhere with no chance. On the 23rd floor in a small apartment? Many blocks from any park? Tired of walking the perimeter of your yard?
Well, there are videos, slide shows, photos. So look through all that and find what helps you.
Meanwhile, I can put you on the shore of my lake, and give you the mental images of what I experience in a real place.
You will probably find more value in experiencing a short piece more than once, than a long piece once.
So come with me in your head.
This morning at seven I went down to the lake and stood on the shore of our little bay in the dark. The temperature was 30 degrees, with no wind.
Right there, on that little bit of level, I’m surrounded by white and red pine trees trying to be taller than each other. A large cedar right next to me is just being a tree — round and still.
Across the bay I can see the haphazard lineup of old cabins on a hill. The hill means some of them have steps or stairs down to lake level, where right now there is a little cover of clean snow. No one is there.
The rocks on the shore are an icy barrier in the dark, so I stayed on my level spot, in the leaves and pine needles, not trying to get on the ice, but close.
No wind, no people, no light. Just me and the ice. The big, wide, four inch thick layer of frozen lake water.
And I could hear that smooth, dark layer of ice making noises.
Yesterday it was popping and burping. It sounded musical. This morning in the dark I heard low, soft, watery growls — almost an animal sound.
These sounds aren’t constant; you have to wait for it, but not long. It was dark and there are no other sounds. Just the melody of the ice. Like a concert.
Later in the winter there will be different sounds from the ice. It will creak and groan and snap, especially at night. But now it’s my favorite song. I listened, standing still.
Then I watched it get light.
