In the still wetlands and canals at the nature preserve, the herons and egrets reign in silent majesty, nimbly and patiently feeding in the shallows as the wind blows over the marsh and stillness and peace prevail.  They are perfectly at home in this sanctuary, a safe haven for the birds and for me as I wander the paths on a sunny Sunday afternoon in winter.

The flow of water

Years ago when I lived in Columbia, S.C., there was a little creek that flowed through woods near my apartment.  Some afternoons I'd walk a path to the railroad tracks, follow the tracks a little distance and then head down to the stream to a favorite spot where I could sit on a log and watch the water flow steadily and constantly through a chute that made it seem like a mountain creek rushing over rocks.   I'd gaze at the water.  It's movement soothed and and reassured me.  The seemingly endless flow of the water as it made its way to the ocean allowed me to contemplate the wonder and permanence of the natural world, which will be here long after our concrete jungles have been reclaimed by the inexorable, unchanging forces of Nature.  I felt an intense oneness with Nature at this particular spot, hidden from the city all around it, a oneness that has rarely, if ever, been duplicated.  

Visions of Spring

Looking over photos I have taken, I came across this view of Congaree Swamp taken last May when the woods were lush and green with new Spring life, and the grass in the open areas between the trees was as verdant as I ever remember seeing.   Evidently there had been good rains that Spring.  

Looking back at this photo after we have had such a string of very cold days this January reminds me that the season of new life is just around the corner.  In another month or so here in the South Carolina Lowcountry we will be seeing daffodils and other signs of the season approaching.  I am looking forward to that very much.  

Waterfalls

Crabtree Falls on the Blue Ridge Parkway is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the Appalachian Mountains in my opinion.   A two-mile hike takes you to the base of the waterfall, through deep woods along a fairly level trail.   I made the trek this past October, 20 years after I had first seen the falls back in the late 1980s.  What a memorable re-visit it was! 

 I can't think of anything more calming and peaceful than a waterfall.   Standing or sitting before one of this magnificent falls, no matter what size or amount of water flowing over them, I am centered and reminded of the miracle of creation, and I realize that something this beautiful was not made by chance.    Waterfalls, sunsets and sunrises, woodland paths  -- they all have this effect on me -- intense reverence for Nature and the lessons I have learned over so many years in solitary contemplation of natural wonders. 

Sunshine

Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees..

John Muir

Blue Ridge autumn

It's hard to believe it's been almost three months since a golden few days spent traveling along the Blue Ridge Parkway near Asheville at the height of Fall color.   I was awed by marvelous show of oranges, reds and yellows as the oaks, maples, sweetgums, hickories and other trees lit up the mountainsides with their splendid and extraordinary colors.   It had been many years since I had seen such a sight, so it was a glorious experience.  

Clouds and a winter sky

Today it's cold and clear.  Not a cloud in the blue sky outside my window.   I love these crisp, clear winter days, so much like the season is supposed to be.  But we've had a good bit of mild and almost warm weather lately, and thus interesting cloud formations high in the sky.   Here is one of my favorite recent photos of clouds in the sky above the state park a few days ago not long before sunset.

Shadows and light

I love the way the shadows and light illuminate the state park on late afternoons in January.  This photo, taken on Jan. 2, is one of my favorites.   Live oaks provide the perfect setting for my walks.   And of course, that is the tree I grew up with in New Orleans, and thankfully, they are abundant here where I live now.   I feel a special kinship with all the oaks because of this live oak association going back to childhood so I photograph them whenever I can.

Clouds

Along the marsh at the state park, the horizon opens up briefly along the trail and on days when the clouds are abundant, I like to take a sequence of photos, for the sky and clouds change almost moment to moment as I keep looking up in the sky.   Nothing so stirs my imagination and uplifts my mood like clouds on a beautiful afternoon, bordered by blue skies, or when they are part of an awe-inspiring colors of a sunset.

Camellias

Camellias are the flowers of wonder and delight in Charleston during the winter.  They bloom in all their varieties in the coldest part of year and seem to thrive when temperatures are in the 30s.  So extraordinary.    When all the other flowers and shrubs are in their winter sleep, the camellia delights us with its beauty.  Shrubs are full of blooms and they keep blooming until early Spring.  What a gift Nature provides us in the middle of Winter.

Peaceful path

The paths in the large informal English garden at Magnolia Plantation near Charleston are beautiful to walk all during the year, for at each season there are flowers and blooming shrubs such as the abundant camellias which greet me all along the way.     This is a place of great natural beauty, a place where the outside world is kept at bay for awhile as the peacefulness of the gardens calms the soul and offers weary sojourners respite.