Words from the Woods – Meet My Neighbors
Monday, September 14, 2015
Absolutely glorious morning as the woods come to life. I have much I want to accomplish today.
Worked at the picnic table – relaxing and wonderful, inspiring. Did a leaf painting for the Catoctin Forest Alliance journal (See photo of Alliance/Catoctin Mountain Park Journal), using one of my favorite mediums – Derwent watercolor pencils. I use these in every journaling program that I do. These provide an easy way to learn about laying down and blending color. (I will have an upcoming blog on these)
***I am a person easily distracted, but here in the woods the distractions become part of my art – sounds, movements in the grass, and my reactions to them land on my journal pages with a mention, a sketch, or identification. So far I have identified about fifteen species of trees, few wildflowers as there are not many left blooming, some insects and an American Toad.
I want to introduce you to some of my neighbors. I think I’ve mentioned Wally the Woodchuck aka Marmota monax (but we are on a first name basis at this point). He scoots through camp every so often. Several squirrel families work high above me during the day – Eastern Gray Squirrel, Northern Flying Squirrel, and Red Squirrel and keep me alert by dropping acorns in camp. When I walk down to the Ranger Office, an Eastern Chipmunk always crosses my path, no time to chat – he has things to do, places to go. Quiet and timid, two white-tailed deer sometimes snack across from my cabin in the late afternoon. A few smaller creatures like to hang out on my porch. Meet the cleverly disguised Walking Stick insect, the Carolina Mantid, the Pale Beauty moth, and a chorus of crickets.
Tonight I am to visit Ranger Peggie Gaul’s Girl Scout troop in Williamsport, Maryland for a session on nature journaling. Will report back on what should be a fun evening.
“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.”
– John Muir
