I close my eyes for a moment. I can imagine living in a world like this, undisturbed in near silence. I don’t have a phone vibrating in my pocket to remind me of my stresses and toxins from gasoline or a lit cigarette aren’t lingering in the air. Instead, the air is innocent and gentle to inhale. The temperature on this warm humid day drops instantly into a cool soothing breeze under the opaque forest covering. Immediately, I feel my neck ache fade away after built up anxieties throughout the day have put strain on my tired mind and body. It’s been a long school week and it’s only Wednesday. However, I feel better here, escaping busy life for a brief hour of my day.
Even though Blandford Nature Center might be a calm haven for me, the animals are constantly on the move. I hear the shuffling of tiny feet above and below me. Squirrels and petite chipmunks cover the forest floor, scurrying along before I can even get a decent look at them. Acorns thump to the ground, surprising visitors below who are not expecting anything to fall from the sky. I can hear various birdcalls from the towering trees and I wish that I could understand their conversations as they fly across the cloudless blue sky. I move further down a dirt path and stroll on a bridge over a stream in which fish actively hurry the opposite way with every move I make. Walking back and forth repeatedly, I humorously watch them dart left and right to avoid the pounding of my steps. Further down the path, I walk to pass by a pond and the chirp of crickets rings in my ears. I cannot see any, but their resounding noise is enough to believe that there are millions hidden in the forest greens. Unfortunately, though I probably should expect it spending time in nature, I catch a glimpse of a thick spider lying still on a walking deck as I have now moved further down the path. Normally, I would scream in terror if he were in my home, but this is his home and I am the invader. I move slightly closer, with persistent fear still overcoming my body, and observe the repulsive creature.
Not only do the wild animals thrill me, but the ones held in captivity as well. A bobcat sits in his cage, looking like a larger version of my pet cat at home. From a distance, I admire the cat that looks like he would be so gentle to play with, however, in the wild, I highly doubt that would be true. I also am in awe of the beautiful and mysterious owls. As I stop at his cage, an owl’s eyes pierce directly into mine. His eyes remind me of a human’s, making me feel very strange as I gaze into them and wonder if he can think like a human too! A different barn owl bobs himself to sleep high off the ground. The white feathers armoring his body make him seem so majestic.
I can’t get enough of the natural
beauty that surrounds me on every side. A pond here, a stream there, tall trees
above, and a luscious forest floor below are enough to make me never want to
leave. This is tranquility at its best.
