Top of the Heap!

Monday's Riddle took you into the thick of it, opening up our woodsy theme this week. Lizzy reviewed the rustic historical fiction novel, Beneath the Slashings by Michelle Isenhoff, telling us the story about twins, Grace and Samuel, and their experiences living at a logging camp deep in the forest. Today, we want to share with you our thoughts about the magic found in these vast arenas of natural wonder. It was truly a pleasure for Lizzy and I to chat about this topic and we had fun putting together this tribute to one of nature's most amazing canvases.

This week's top of the heap: Great forests

Lizzy: Going into the woods to play or hiking to a beautiful area are two of my favorite ways to spend a day. Living in the city- I don’t get to do either as much as I would like. I have been lucky enough to go on a couple of really cool family vacations. My dad took me and my brother to Yellowstone National Park a couple of years ago, and I fell in love with it. I even became a junior ranger while I was there, which I thought was pretty awesome. There is so much to love about forests, trees, and nature in general. Yellowstone is my favorite park and the variety of forests there is astounding. One thing that amazes me is that even though there have been massive fires in the park, new trees grow, and the park continues to change. Yellowstone has a variety of different landscapes, and it is fascinating to see trees in such unique places. If you look at the forest from far away, you get one image and, as you zoom in, all types of things come into focus. When I am in the forest, or at Yellowstone, I can feel the magic of the woods and I just know that there are many secrets hidden within them. I feel at peace in the forest and I believe that way back my ancestors must have lived in the forest, because for me it just feels right. If you haven’t been to Yellowstone National Park- I highly recommend it. ~L

Fairday: I cannot help but enjoy the freedom of being alone in the woods. I always find that I feel very small, but connected to nature at the same time. It's like how I feel about life-  that it's as big or small as it is, and functions harmoniously without any interference. There is a constant flow of creation and destruction, and in this place of peace, there is always an underlying tone of excitement: an eagle hunting, a fox trotting by, fish gathering in a babbling brook. The stillness and movement of nature is forever at ease, bringing a sense of security amidst the perfectly organized disorder. I tend to stroll, rather thank hike, when I walk in the woods. I usually have my camera and truly enjoy capturing the magic happening all around me. There are so many different dimensions to it when you start to look around. Suddenly, light pours through a silk spiderweb, or a magnificently bizarre bug emerges from under a rock- I find these small, insignificant things to be so enchanting, and, when examined with a quiet mind, the images emerge into what seems like an endless dreamscape of color and creativity- completely and utterly miraculous. I absolutely love how dramatic the trees often seem, and I cannot walk by a patch of moss without touching it ~ F