Mornings are a glorious time in the Elm Creek Park Reserve. I started my walk the other day with a brief visit to one of the coolest trees I’ve ever met. What first caught my eye were the two huge burls that give it a feminine appearance (you know what I mean). In my attempt to get more attuned with nature, I walked off the paved trail to touch the tree and get better acquainted.
Apparently I had first viewed the back of the tree. What a sight to behold when I walked around to the front – this tree has a face! And it’s a wise old face at that (see photo below). The nose and eyes remind me of an elephant, or maybe a wizard. From this angle, the burls look more like hair. I haven’t learned how to talk to trees yet (a lot of people do – Google it and you’ll find a video and even a Wiki-How with photos), but I did hear this tree say, “I’ve lived through a lot of hard times, my friend.”
After a brief visit with ol’ Burl, I headed down the path and was treated to a rousing chorus of birds, frogs, geese and who knows how many other creatures. Pure joyful praises. No matter how pessimistic a person feels, no matter how low her spirits have sunk, these sounds of sheer excitement at the beginning of a new day of life can’t help but uplift.
Grateful for the concert, I observed a few birds along the way as I climbed a small hill. That’s when I heard a strange noise in the distance. It sounded like the muffled school teacher’s voice in Charlie Brown episodes. Now this freaked me out. I wasn’t sure what tune of nature I was tuning into. Was I getting a message from the Universe? Did the deer take up karaoke? As I crested the hill, the sound became clearer. It was voices singing The Star-Spangled Banner. Really? In the middle of a park reserve at dawn’s early light? The only thing I could figure was there must have been a race event getting an early start at the picnic pavilion off in the distance. Either that or the wild animals have a hilarious sense of humor. Well, pretty sure it was humans, and I have to say the animal chorus was much more “on Key” (does that qualify as a pun? you know … Francis Scott Key).
My final thrill for this walk: I saw the breath of a trumpeter swan when it let out a trumpet blast into the cool air. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Another heavenly morning in the park reserve.
