Nature – Valerie's Voice

Trees

I noticed the other day, we have tree images in every room in our house. We never planned it that way.

This canvas print of the Sycamore Gap tree, that was felled by vandals last year in Scotland, hangs in our foyer.

I do love trees. And I do love nature.

A water color by local artist Kathy Miller…of trails on St. Olaf campus. This painting hangs in our dining room.

I love birds and critters, sky and clouds, flowers and trees, sunrises and sunsets.

My own artwork, while creating art with my granddaughter. I hung it on the refrigerator! 😉

I try to be out in nature whenever possible, and I try to bring some of it indoors.

These three metal trees hang in our sunroom.

I took photos of my tree images to share. They are as varied as live trees themselves.

Another metal sculpture that hangs in our living room area.

Also in our living room – an old piece of folk art – a jewel tree made by my late Auntie Doll.

And I am reminded of the “tree poem” by Ilan Shamir that “gives advice from a tree.” The poem is often abbreviated, and seen on bookmarks or plaques.

And this photo of the Lake Superior shoreline hangs in our bathroom.

Advice from a Tree

Stand tall and proud.
Go out on a limb.
Remember your roots.
Drink plenty of water.
Be content with your natural beauty.
Enjoy the view.

The entire, beautiful Advice from a Tree poem gives even more advice. You can read it here.

This back-lit tree plaque hangs above the fireplace during winter months.

A print of an illustration from a children’s book, hanging in our bedroom.

Truthfully, there are even more tree images (and flowers and birds and…) around our house. We were surprised when we realize how many we had hanging around, or should I say, standing tall.

On our recent trip to visit our son and his family in North Carolina, I brought along my rock painting materials. I had collected several smooth stones for the grandkids to paint, and I prepared them ahead of time by painting the background black.

We set up our work area by placing a cheap, plastic table cloth over the kitchen island. We put on old t-shirts to protect our clothing.

We took out the paints and put a few drops of paint in each indention of the little palettes I brought along. We set out our paint brushes, and a glass of water in a plastic glass to clean our brushes in-between colors. Then we sat down to paint.

We each painted about 6-8 rocks with non-toxic acrylic paints. We painted some designs but mostly words (and some design with words). Our intent was to bring them on our next hike and place each stone strategically along a path for others to find the painted rocks.

The kids loved that idea, although they did want to keep a couple rocks for themselves. I sprayed lacquer, to set the paint color, on the two they wanted to keep.

The next day we went to the near-by nature preserve, which we visit often. On our hike we stopped occassionally, to place a painted rock on the ground next to the trail, hoping someone would enjoy finding these special treasures.

I know I always enjoy finding positive messages in unexpected places. A good time was had by all, and hopefully for those who find the rocks.

The Seaside Seabird Sanctuary

While visiting with our friends near Clearwater, FL they thought we would like to visit the Seaside Seabird Sanctuary, and they were right.

We enjoyed seeing the beautiful coastal birds, which included owls, egrets, herons, and several other birds we see back in Minnesota.

We walked alongside this beautiful great egret.

Up close and personal with a great egret.

Although most of the birds in the sanctuary have been injured somehow, it was great to see them recovering and walking or flying around…some up close and personal.

Many of the birds were in enclosures by themselves, or in large pens with multiple birds. Some were walking the grounds and others were flying freely.

One example of an enclosure for multiple birds.

Of course, the risk is one may get bombed with a plop of bird poop. One such plop landed on our friend’s cell phone.

The sandhill cranes were in an enclosed pen, but I was able to zoom in for a picture. I’ve only seen them in flight, or in a field before, so it was special to see them so close.

Some of the birds may be perfectly healthy, but they know where to find an easy, free meal. Part of the sanctuary is open to the seashore, along the intercoastal waterway.

I’m grateful for the people who run this small, but intimate bird sanctuary that is free and open to the public (donations accepted). It’s a way to help the birds, and to introduce the birds to anyone who stops by.

A serene photo of a sailboat on the beautiful water.

Hiking

The grandkids have gone home and the Christmas decorations and beautiful Christmas tree have been taken down, and it feels too quiet in the house.

A brochure with a map was at one entrance to the trail.

Nature always offers healing energy and is good for the soul, so we have done some hiking to help move on and to take advantage of this mild December/January weather (and no ice).

Over the past few days, we have hiked at Big Woods Nerstrand State Park, walked the Dundas Trail and on paved paths in the north section of town, and hiked in the lower Carleton arb with the Faribo Flyers bike club. There is a lot of evidence of beaver activity along the river in the lower arb…well over 50 trees taken down.

Swirls of white snow and ice make pretty pattern on Heath Creek.

We also hiked on a trail in the St. Olaf College Natural lands. There is a well-defined, wooded trail that meanders along Heath Creek, and it is a hidden gem. The winter landscape is pretty for this time of year; there is light snow and ice forming patterns around the rocks in the creek, the forest floor is full of brown oak leaves. The water is flowing strong and you can hear the sound of the babbling brook as you walk along side it.

There are many mature oak trees on the trail, and some with unusual characteristics that is noticeable without its foliage. One has a branch growing straight out from the trunk, another tree has six sturdy trunks coming from one lone trunk. A very huge oak tree has fallen over the river…the enormous root system upended on one side of the creek, the trunk laying across the creek, and the upper part of the tree with its large branches on the other side of the creek…it almost could be a bridge across. (I couldn’t capture it on photo).

This oak tree has a branch growing out at a perpendicular level.

We had hiked this trail before, maybe a year ago, but now that we’ve rediscovered it, I think we will be hiking it more often.

I didn’t recognize this reddish tree. My app told me it was a red cedar.

It’s nice to have so many green spaces (natural spaces – as they are not so green in the winter) to access within such a short distance of Northfield. Each hike this week was enjoyable in its own way, and rejuvenating.

Good medicine for the soul.

Lake Superior

Our trip to Duluth to see the Bentleyville “Tour of Lights” also provided an opportunity to witness some beautiful and interesting scenes of the magnificent Lake Superior.

Sand and snow on the shore of Lake Superior.

A sandy beach on Park Point, Lake Superior.

We arrived on a bright and sunny day. Except for an small accumulation of snow -remnants of a recent snowfall- the shores of Lake Superior look like an ocean beach. There were no tropical temperatures though!

As the sun set, the skies remained clear so we could see the full moon rise and shine (however, the clear skies kept the temperatures below freezing!)

Morning light: 6:39 am the next morning.

The next morning a cloud bank appeared over the lake.

The silhouette of a ship in the mystical misty fog rising from Lake Superior.

A freighter heading towards the canal in the early morning light.

I went out on the balcony, which faced north, to take a few photos. As I leaned over the balcony and turned to the east, I saw the stunning sunrise and images over the lake.

I’m not even sure how I captured this zoomed photo, but I like it.

I do so enjoy this lake! It’s very entertaining.

Where sky and sea meet on Lake Superior. This photo was taken at 9:10 am, a few hours after the beautiful orange, sunrise.

Second Summer

The term Second Summer is now being used instead of Indian Summer, which was the terminology I grew up with. Although the name Second Summer is preferred by the Native Americans, it doesn’t change the fact that is a great event to experience during autumn in Minnesota. According to Wikipedia, “A(n) ~~Indian Summer~~ Second Summer is a period of unseasonably warm, dry weather that sometimes occurs in autumn in temperate regions of the northern hemisphere.”

Sakatah Singing Hills Trail, November 12, 2023.

We had a beautiful, Second Summer Day over the weekend and decided to take our bikes out (which we thought were tucked away for the season) for another ride.

We went to Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail. It was delightful. We added an extra layer and felt warm enough as we cruised down the paved trail. It felt good to be out in the fresh air, soaking up some illusive sunshine. We’ve had many cloudy days lately.

Sakatah Lake. The 39 mile trail goes along several lakes.

The leaves are all off the trees and the scenery on the trail looks a bit different than during the summertime. You can see more of the lakes as you ride by, and you can see into the woods and the forest floor. There were several other folks on the trail this day.

After our ride we took a quick detour to an out-of-the-way boutique filled with Christmas crafts and decorations. It’s called, A Touch of Class. We walked around the stable-turned-boutique and got some fresh ideas for the upcoming Christmas season. I always wait until after Thanksgiving to start decorating for Christmas, but it was a fun place to peruse, and get in the mood to decorate for the holidays.

4:56pm, November 12, 2023 (sunset was 4:48 pm)

As we drove home, the sky had a pretty glow as it was near sunset, which of course is very early these days, in Minnesota.

There is supposed to be a couple more Second Summer days in the coming week…maybe we’ll get out on the bike one more time?

Sunset

We went out last night for the first time in a week. We’ve been sick at home. We were greeted with a spectacular sky and sunset.

Praise God for this amazing evening greeting.

Medley of Flora and Fauna

During our time in Scotland we were on the lookout for the Highland Cattle, affectionately called Hairy Coos. After a few days we were excited to spot several of them in a field.

They are unique creatures, with shaggy coats and long horns, and they originated in the Scottish Highlands. They are friendly and cute. One of them ate grass from my hand.

Harry Coos are very popular on goods in the Scottish Highlands…from tins and magnets to coasters and towels and shopping bags…they are fun!

Of course we saw sheep…they seemed to be everywhere! Thousands of them…but I didn’t grow tired of seeing them…

They usually were in settings that were pastoral and calming.

Sheep sharing the path along Hadrian’s wall.

And I always like to see horses in a field…

And cattle…

Silhouettes of cattle in a field along Hadrian’s Wall.

We missed the peak season for the bright purple heather on the hillsides. I saw photos of heather in their prime season and it looked stunning…just like when we see the fall color peak in Minnesota.

Heather grows all over the hills and rocks.

But we did see a lot of heather past peak, and it was still pretty. The picturesque Scottish Highlands are a perfect backdrop for the muted colors of the heather.

More than the average colorful hydrangea’s in many places…blues and pinks and deep purples.

Flower pots and window boxes are a bright spot when the weather is overcast and dreary, which they say is a lot of the time.

Rosebay willowherb was another wildflower that was in bloom.

Rosebay Willowherb in the forefront, along Loch Ness.

We also saw many rainbows during our time in Scotland. This full rainbow was taken on our last day, before we boarded our flight home.

Scotland bids us farewell with a beautiful rainbow.

Hadrian’s Wall Path

I didn’t know much about Hadrian’s Wall when we chose to hike it. I loved the idea of hiking from inn to inn, and I’ve enjoyed seeing pictures of England’s countryside, so why not there? We hiked a thirty-four mile section of the Hadrian‘s Wall Path, which is an eighty-four mile coast-to-coast trail in northern England.

It was interesting to learn about this path that follows the course of an ancient Roman fortification wall. The construction of the Roman wall began in AD122 under the orders of Roman Emperor Hadrian. It was considered both a defensive barrier and a marker of the northern reaches of the Roman empire.

The original wall was 20 feet high and 10 feet wide. At each one-mile interval they had stone structures called milecastles which housed 32 soldiers.

Evenly spaced between the milecastles were two stone observation posts called turrets. Additionally, the Romans had built numerous forts in proximity to the wall.

Back in its day, there was a garrison of around 20,000 soldiers from across the empire at Hadrian’s Wall. After three centuries the Romans left, and many stones were pilfered to be used to build stone fences, and stone houses, by the local people.

John Clayton, in the 19^th century, spent 50 years excavating Chesters Roman Fort and many other Hadrian’s Wall sites and is credited for saving Hadrian’s Wall. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is a museum along the way, next to Chesters Roman Fort, with amazing artifacts that John Clayton excavated and collected. It was fascinating.

Today, the stone wall is intact in several places, up to 20 feet high, but then only a remnant stone, or nothing visible, in other places. Foundations and remnants of forts, milecastles and civil settlements were enroute with spectacular English country landscapes as the backdrop.

We hiked mostly in open countryside, although there were trees in the periphery… in the farm pastures and beyond.

One lone sycamore tree at the bottom of a gap along the Wall is very picturesque, and been seen in several movies apparently – one being Robin Hood. If you hike along the Wall path, it takes you down the gap to the tree, and then you walk back up the other side. The tree is stately and magnificent (and 300 years old!) The area is known as “Sycamore Gap”.

There was a small portion of the trail that goes through a wooded area…a fairy forest we called it.

And there was a copse of trees with protruding roots that provided a perfect place for us to sit and eat lunch one day.

Beauty surrounded us on our hike, and we were grateful for the opportunity to walk this Walk through this amazing setting.

Sheep, Boots and Inns

We saw thousands of sheep on our recent trip to Great Britain.

Sheep, sheep…I took lots of photos of sheep!

Thousands.

Pastoral setting…sheep, and trees, and green pasture, and blue sky, and Hadrian’s Wall…

I’m thankful they were sheep and not goats. I like sheep – goats, not so much.

Not only were the sheep in fields along the highways and byways, but we walked right next to them in their pastures as we hiked along Hadrian’s Wall in northern England. The sheep didn’t seem to mind us hikers. They tolerated our presence and our antics towards them.

Docile sheep looking at my fellow travelers.

But the sheep also didn’t care about where they did their business as we had to carefully (and constantly) step around all the sheep droppings. They chewed their cuds as they watched us make our way through all their poo, maybe with smiles on their faces. I still think they’re cute.

The four of us at the beginning of our hiking adventure.

Our first steps on the first morning – walking on the road to get to the trail.

Sheep on one side, Wall on the other, expansive views of beautiful English landscapes surround us.

Only two times did we miscalculate our steps, and needed to stop and clean out poop from the cervices of our hiking boots.

There were also stone steps in a few places.

We were prepared for what is typical Scottish weather, cool and rainy, on our four-day trek along Hadrian’s Wall. Instead, we had unusually warm, humid and sunny weather. Although we were hot and sweaty as we hiked, it was preferred to the cold and rain.

The white acorn was the trail marker for Hadrian’s Wall.

The terrain was more rugged than we anticipated, but it also made for interesting scenery and amazing vistas. We walked a total of 34 miles in four days. We were hiking from inn to inn.

Hadrian’s Wall…following it up and down…

At the end of the day, we hiked off road to an inn where there were rooms reserved for us, and our luggage was waiting for us.

The Battlesteads B&B…located in an International DarkSky Place.

As we hiked, we only had to carry our backpacks with water, our lunch and a rain jacket (which we didn’t need).

All the inns provided for our needs of a place to sleep, dinner options, breakfast the next morning, and packed lunches for the trail.

Twice Brewed Inn, in the town of Once Brewed! Love the names!

Pastoral scenes, beautiful and expansive vistas, Hadrian’s wall, sheep, various cattle, personal and lively conversations, and occasional fellow pilgrims on the trail provided our entertainment.

Walking along the trail…sometimes we could see Hadrian’s Wall, sometimes not. It’s old. It was built in 122 AD, by the Romans in Britain, as a former defensive fortification, during the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian.

And we had a marvelous time!

Tag: Nature