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| Listening to Mother Nature sing. . . |
- Parking: On site
- Washrooms: In the parking lot
- Paved and gravel path
Feeling Small
I've found some peaceful places in my travels this summer, but this was the first truly quiet walk I've taken. Well, quiet isn't quite the word, I suppose. I stopped at one point to tie my shoe, and suddenly realized that all I could hear were the sounds of nature: birds, insects, leaves rustling, tree trunks creaking - and an absolute lack of machinery or traffic noise. It reminded me what a controlled and manufactured world we have built around ourselves. Don't get me wrong - I'm a big fan of flush toilets and the automobile, but it was good for my soul to be surrounded by an environment that wasn't tailored to meet my needs. I felt small and unimportant, and wonderfully free!
I found this freedom while walking the Tiger Lily Loop in the Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park. The pathways wander through the foothills of Alberta, usually offering great views of the surrounding ranches and the Rockies to the west. But today the haze hid the mountains altogether, and each set of hills faded more and more into the distance, until it was a bit difficult to say just where the land stopped and the sky began.
This dim horizon was offset however, by the bright fall colors that have begun to creep in amongst the summer flowers. An all-star line up of plants - the best of both seasons! I'm a bit sad to see summer fade away, but the exploding seed pods, bright red rose hips and autumn leaves all have their own charm. I can't wait to watch it all unfold!
I've found some peaceful places in my travels this summer, but this was the first truly quiet walk I've taken. Well, quiet isn't quite the word, I suppose. I stopped at one point to tie my shoe, and suddenly realized that all I could hear were the sounds of nature: birds, insects, leaves rustling, tree trunks creaking - and an absolute lack of machinery or traffic noise. It reminded me what a controlled and manufactured world we have built around ourselves. Don't get me wrong - I'm a big fan of flush toilets and the automobile, but it was good for my soul to be surrounded by an environment that wasn't tailored to meet my needs. I felt small and unimportant, and wonderfully free!
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| A gopher, checking me out. |
I found this freedom while walking the Tiger Lily Loop in the Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park. The pathways wander through the foothills of Alberta, usually offering great views of the surrounding ranches and the Rockies to the west. But today the haze hid the mountains altogether, and each set of hills faded more and more into the distance, until it was a bit difficult to say just where the land stopped and the sky began.
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| Summer meets Autumn |
This dim horizon was offset however, by the bright fall colors that have begun to creep in amongst the summer flowers. An all-star line up of plants - the best of both seasons! I'm a bit sad to see summer fade away, but the exploding seed pods, bright red rose hips and autumn leaves all have their own charm. I can't wait to watch it all unfold!
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