In which The Mrs. takes a walk and has an epiphany

The Man has been up in DC for the weekend with his daughter, so I took advantage of a little me time to go out and explore a little bit…

The day before yesterday I went to Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve, a lovely spot along the Mount Vernon Trail. Japhy and I didn’t walk too far, but we did go far enough in the see a bald eagle! Unfortunately, I was too surprised to make the camera work properly, so I have no proof other than my word. Sure was nice to see a bald eagle along the Potomac- what a surprise!

Yesterday Japhy and I went to explore a bit of Prince William Forest Park, located about 30 miles south of here. Truly a gorgeous place!

It’s funny, I have always thought that the rainforests of Oregon and Alaska are far superior to anything else North America has to offer in terms of forests. I mean, it’s pretty hard to compete with Sitka Spruce large enough for 20 people to hold hands around, and Western red cedars 8 feet in diameter, surrounded by ferns as tall as I am! The rugged beauty of these forests has long been a major source of comfort and peace for me.

The beauty of the forests here is very different- I experience a sense of serenity in these woods that is different from that which I have experienced elsewhere. There is so much texture, so much color… there is a gentleness to these woods, and strange though it may sound, a decidedly more female energy about the trees… they have such sinewy and elegant forms.

It’s funny- so much of how I orient myself to my environment is by knowing and understanding the plants- what they are called, how they are classified, and how they can be used. I told a friend of mine yesterday that if the world ends tomorrow, I’m a bit screwed because I will have no idea what to eat on this side of the US! Quite a change from when people sought out my expertise on the plants of Kodiak… but I must confess, there is something delicious about being in a place where things seem downright exotic and there exists the delightful mystery of not knowing my flora. Like this:

(Which I learned, thanks to my new Audubon Field Guide to the Mid-Atlantic States, is called a strawberry bush [Euonymus americanus].)

And although the forests are still lush and green, autumn is definitely on the way...

... and so I leave you with this parting shot, which reminds me of an old-school Japanese watercolor. In case you are wondering what the epiphany of the day was, it was that beauty and light can be found anywhere- as long as you know where to look. Elizabeth