March 25, 2019
It’s one of those days. Those afternoons when I just want to turn my brain off. To go on a small adventure with my dog and enjoy the natural world around me. Let’s be honest- I want to do that every day, but today I really need it. As one of those inclined to have a “brain tuned to nature”, it’s hard to turn it off. When everything you look at sparks you with curiosity, wonder and excitement. You crave to have an answer for everything you see. This is why it’s hard to calm your mind. When you go into nature to escape the fast-paced world it works in some ways. But in many other ways it opens your eyes to even more questions, to even more thoughts. But it’s a nice shift- I’d rather replace what’s on my mind with these new thoughts, these new inspirations. As I’m having this thought……literally as it’s occurring….my dog is “hoovering” goose poop off the grass. Yes, like a vacuum. Sucking it up “slurp, slurp, slurp” one at a time. Wonderful. Do you like the mental picture? Apparently, I was in a bit of a daze as this occurred- lost in my head as I often am. I pull him away with a gentle tug of his leash. One more quick grab of the forbidden fruit, and he’s off to a new activity- sniffing but not tasting. I prefer that version of the game.
The reason today is great is because it’s one of those times where the rest of the world, apart from us nature-folk, decided it was a grand idea to stay indoors. I on the other hand use it as an excuse to go outside, because the rest of the world won’t be there. It’s not that I need an excuse, but it generally warrants more personal and private moments with nature. I must also mention I’m not opposed to people, but sometimes I need to push the pause button, I’m sure we’ve all been there. Yes- it’s raining, it’s a bit overcast, gray and dreary- but it’s Washington- what else can you expect from our lovely state? So here we are. Green rubber boots walking the trail- one we’ve done many times before.
As I reach into my pocket for the tools to record a thought- the smell of sagebrush suddenly fills my nostrils. Definitely not a scent expected in the northwest rain I currently find myself in. looking down at my hand I see little sagebrush leaves (Artemisia tridentata), their three trident points a beautiful contrast to the leaves around me. Here they are delicately resting in my palm- stuck in my pocket from a trip months ago. Back to a beloved place of mine- central Washington. The channeled scablands, sagebrush shrub steppe- that’s where this pungent, velvety green plant is at home. Along with the coyotes, pygmy rabbits, Bighorn sheep, White-tailed deer, marmots and rattlesnake. Desert type critters. The fragrance I’m enveloped in is reminiscent of so many memories. It’s a welcoming scent. Now it mixes with the smell of the moisture in the air all around me- the cottonwood trees and their pungent sap, somehow exaggerated by todays weather. This fragrance takes me back to a summer I worked out there- a wonderful time in my life.
I absolutely love the sound all around me. The plinking of raindrops on the leaf litter at my feet- as they land on the tip of one leaf, dripping down to the next branch…..on and on it continues in a smooth descent- cascading down to the ground. This intricate, tiny process I can’t fully see- but I know it happens. It’s magical thinking about that- the process of falling water from so far up in the sky I can’t even imagine. And here it is landing right on my head, our noses and my boots. That dripping sound continues…..it’s a familiar, comforting and happy sound. Growing up in Washington its truly a part of me- engrained within my very being.
The geese stirred up before us take flight- in a loud honking chorus. Up and up and up they spiral, only airborne for a few moments, shifting a few feet over and clumsily descending into the lake. A predictable move they’ve perfected in unison. I watch the lake as they land- not very gracefully I might add- and see the ripples they create with the splash of their buoyant bodies and webbed feet. The movement of the water continues in an outward pattern until it reaches the shore, creating a small wave that hits the marsh grass. Mingled with the drips of the rain coming down the surface is no longer still.
We move onward a few paces. Pup stops to sniff- a tall cottonwood tree- and I decide to give it a sniff too. It’s a natural human sense many feel awkward performing, especially around others- but its well worth it. It’s a vibrant aroma hard to describe and encapsulate into words. Its an old, dry, weathered scent, somehow arid even on this wet day. Its sweet-yes- but the symphony occurring in my nose is so hard to express. How do you describe the odor of a tree without saying “it smells like wood” …..its spicy, earthen and dirt- it’s a tree. That smell, that pungent smell that eventually stains your fingers yellow when you’ve played too long with the cottonwood leaf bud scales that drop to the ground. The sticky resin that spills out of them an instant reminder of my childhood. Those moments I stuck them to my fingertips and pretended I had claws. The endless times I came home dirty as the forest floor I played on stuck to the wet resin adhered to my skin.
The ground is soggy and my feet sink in- squish, squish, squish. I kick up the leaves fallen from last autumn as I scuffle my boots through the wet moss and downed debris from the winter just passed. As I look up around me the trees are still bare-but there are buds on almost every branch. Soon enough, before one even notices, the leaves will come unfurled in a full bloom. As I look down I notice stinging nettle at my feet-luckily upon glance and not touch- so fresh, vibrant and green. I decided last spring that I was going to start foraging nettle for soups and teas. Such a rewarding experience to depend on the land for sustenance. I can’t wait to begin.
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