Photos & Text by Barb Jenks Triffon
Beauty by Mother Nature
Beauty by Mother Nature
…, that the things of the night cannot be explained in the day, because they do not then exist....” Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms
With meteorite showers, thunderstorms, fireflies, hooting owls, noisy crickets and ghostly moonbeams, I truly believe there are few moments during the year as magical as a summer night.
And while there's no specific date for its seasonal debut, you'll know "nighttime magic" has arrived when dreams of all sorts roam the evening landscape and visions of other worlds come alive.
And while there's no specific date for its seasonal debut, you'll know "nighttime magic" has arrived when dreams of all sorts roam the evening landscape and visions of other worlds come alive.
“You may tire of reality but you never tire of dreams.” ~ L.M. Montgomery
This summer, the magic of summer nights arrived for me in early June.
As my husband and I slowly strolled Jeffrey Woods one peaceful evening, a soft whisper in the canopy above caused me to look skyward.
There, in the vanishing gold light of a late sunset, sparkling leaves reflected the last hints of sunshine.
And while there was really nothing grand or dramatic in the canopy – a soft, brook-like murmur caught my attention.
As my husband and I slowly strolled Jeffrey Woods one peaceful evening, a soft whisper in the canopy above caused me to look skyward.
There, in the vanishing gold light of a late sunset, sparkling leaves reflected the last hints of sunshine.
And while there was really nothing grand or dramatic in the canopy – a soft, brook-like murmur caught my attention.
As I think back, I’ll never know if a rather altered state of not feeling well that night had anything to do with what happened next, but I truly felt called (a command performance so to speak) to listen to the whispers from above.
Without thought or hesitation, I turned to my husband and warned: “Be careful of falling trees in the woods tonight.”
Without thought or hesitation, I turned to my husband and warned: “Be careful of falling trees in the woods tonight.”
What-the-What? We both knew how truly absurd that sounded, but we also knew to never question or minimize intuition!
Because our walk was short that evening, I turned to glimpse the last moments of a dusky woods before leaving.
And in that one split-second, a thunderous and horrifying noise started to build around us. The ground thumped beneath our feet and a series of deafening crashing sounds echoed throughout the woods and shook the very insides of our bodies.
One of the woodland's more senior trees had fallen about 30 yards from where we were standing, taking younger trees and branches in its wake.
We stood in silence. Dumbfounded. Mouths open - no words.
Don’t get me wrong. There was a logical explanation. A time- and weather-worn tree that had been devoured by ants from the inside out had fallen in the woods.
Because our walk was short that evening, I turned to glimpse the last moments of a dusky woods before leaving.
And in that one split-second, a thunderous and horrifying noise started to build around us. The ground thumped beneath our feet and a series of deafening crashing sounds echoed throughout the woods and shook the very insides of our bodies.
One of the woodland's more senior trees had fallen about 30 yards from where we were standing, taking younger trees and branches in its wake.
We stood in silence. Dumbfounded. Mouths open - no words.
Don’t get me wrong. There was a logical explanation. A time- and weather-worn tree that had been devoured by ants from the inside out had fallen in the woods.
But what really happened that summer night in Jeffrey Woods was a bit more complicated!
For me, a wise old soul had finally come to a well-deserved rest on the forest floor and the veil between the "seen & unseen" had momentarily opened. Indeed, my old friend had arrived!
Even by my standards, however, this was a pretty dramatic presentation of summer night magic!
Still, for those who both dare and delight in the mysteries of a summer night, there are so many other glorious (and less startling) sights, sounds, fragrances and natural wonders to experience that can never be seen or imagined during the day.
And, there are few places better suited for a midsummer night’s dream than Jeffrey Woods. It's truly the perfect setting for the stuff of dreams.
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Cautionary Note: Trees provide oxygen, clean the air, prevent soil erosion,
provide food, offer shelter and are just totally cool. Really!
TREES ALSO FALL
Please use common sense when visiting your favorite forest and stay out of the
woods during thunder, snow and windstorms.
__________________________________________
Cautionary Note: Trees provide oxygen, clean the air, prevent soil erosion,
provide food, offer shelter and are just totally cool. Really!
TREES ALSO FALL
Please use common sense when visiting your favorite forest and stay out of the
woods during thunder, snow and windstorms.
__________________________________________