Pics & Text by Barb Jenks Triffon
Beauty by Mother Nature
Beauty by Mother Nature
“The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes,
but in having new eyes.”
~ Marcel Proust
And there it is. One sentence, one thought, one philosophy and a great way of looking at life.
Had this been my quote, however, I would have finished it with, " … in having new eyes to see the beauty of the landscape wherever you're standing."
And there it is. One sentence, one thought, one philosophy and a great way of looking at life.
Had this been my quote, however, I would have finished it with, " … in having new eyes to see the beauty of the landscape wherever you're standing."
While I can’t boast of amazing travel adventures and have never seen some of the world's most iconic scenery, I’ve always had an uncanny ability to glimpse the world's most extraordinary beauty within the most ordinary landscapes of my surroundings.
I've seen the wonders of outer space through the sparkling stars that shine from early morning dew drops, the deep serenity of a mountain mist as a heavy fog blankets a woodland trail and the enduring faith of a newborn fawn as it patiently waits for its mother's return.
I've seen the wonders of outer space through the sparkling stars that shine from early morning dew drops, the deep serenity of a mountain mist as a heavy fog blankets a woodland trail and the enduring faith of a newborn fawn as it patiently waits for its mother's return.
As 2015 gracefully passes without remorse into a new year of possibilities, I'm thankful for many things – not in the least, fresh eyes to experience the world's beauty within the magic and mysteries of Jeffrey Woods.
Hope you enjoy my year of 2015 at Jeffrey Woods, along with some insightful thoughts from those who whisper wisdom in the night air.
Hope you enjoy my year of 2015 at Jeffrey Woods, along with some insightful thoughts from those who whisper wisdom in the night air.
January: I'm always thankful for the pristine beauty and new beginnings this month offers. Serene, captivating, thought provoking and a little scary are words and feelings that surface when standing alone in a snowy nighttime woods.
"It snowed and snowed, the whole world over. Snow swept the world from end to end. A candle burned on the table; A candle burned." ~ Boris Pasternak, Dr. Zhivago
"It snowed and snowed, the whole world over. Snow swept the world from end to end. A candle burned on the table; A candle burned." ~ Boris Pasternak, Dr. Zhivago
"Thank goodness for the first snow, it was a reminder - no matter how old you became and how much you'd seen, things could still be new if you were willing to believe they still mattered."~ Candace Bushnell
February: I pretty much love any month that celebrates love and friendship. And since I desperately miss "color" about this time of year, I also love the variety of reds that just seem to appear as if on cue.
"Wherever you go, go with all your heart." ~ Confucius
"Wherever you go, go with all your heart." ~ Confucius
March: It's coming! Spring is coming. I feel it. Everything in my body feels it. Even the woods have a hint of what's to come.
“It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.” ~ Charles Dickens, Great Expectations
“It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.” ~ Charles Dickens, Great Expectations
April: I love, love, love April in Jeffrey Woods, especially during a soaking rain when the past is washed away and new life is nourished. During this month, even the old trees have a new spirit. Leaves are swelling, buds are blooming and there is an energy that can't be described - only appreciated.
"April hath put a spirit of youth in everything." ~ William Shakespeare,
Shakespeare's Sonnets.
"April is a promise that May is bound to keep." ~ Hal Borland
May: May is a most delightful month in Jeffrey Woods. Flowering trees burst with blooms and fragrances and an amazing variety of wildflowers transform the forest floor into a Monet painting of fairyland colors. It's simply sublime!
One of my favorite wildflowers is the Grand Flora Trillium, also known as the Mother's Day flower (pictured left). It is so pure and fragile that even picking its flower kills the plant for years to come.
"The world's favorite season is the spring. All things seem possible in May."~ Edwin Way Teale
One of my favorite wildflowers is the Grand Flora Trillium, also known as the Mother's Day flower (pictured left). It is so pure and fragile that even picking its flower kills the plant for years to come.
"The world's favorite season is the spring. All things seem possible in May."~ Edwin Way Teale
June: While not quite summer, this month in Jeffrey Woods foretells of a special joy that's to come. About this time every year, I love to just sit in the park's meadow and soak in the gathering warmth of a reborn sun. The world seems happy and I'm at peace.
"I wonder what it would be like to live in a world where it was always June.” ~ LM Montgomery,
Anne of the Island
July & August: A summer at Jeffrey Woods has to be the quintessential dream for any child or would-be poet. These months are designed for discovering, walking, laughing, eating, swinging, swimming, firefly hunting, star gazing, imagining and leaving your bike unlocked. A great season for memory making.
"Summer afternoon - summer afternoon; to me those have always
been the two most beautiful words in the English language." ~ Henry James
been the two most beautiful words in the English language." ~ Henry James
September: I've always considered September a transition month. Not quite fall, but definitely not summer.
Because I can hear, smell and see the woodland's energy change as its plants, animals and people move on, I hold even tighter to the last remnants of summer under the delusion it will stay a little longer.
"The foliage has been losing its freshness through the month of August, and here and there a yellow leaf shows itself like the first gray hair amidst the locks of a beauty who has seen one season too many." ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes
Because I can hear, smell and see the woodland's energy change as its plants, animals and people move on, I hold even tighter to the last remnants of summer under the delusion it will stay a little longer.
"The foliage has been losing its freshness through the month of August, and here and there a yellow leaf shows itself like the first gray hair amidst the locks of a beauty who has seen one season too many." ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes
October & November: Both these months have their own special feel and gifts for those with eyes to see them.
October is full of silken spider webs, rainbow-colored leaves and a fall harvest of summer fruits. The sun casts brilliant orange rays through the woods and the aroma of fallen leaves fills the senses.
“Autumn...the year's last, loveliest smile." ~ William Culen Bryant
October is full of silken spider webs, rainbow-colored leaves and a fall harvest of summer fruits. The sun casts brilliant orange rays through the woods and the aroma of fallen leaves fills the senses.
“Autumn...the year's last, loveliest smile." ~ William Culen Bryant
On the other hand, I've always felt November is just cold and confused.
With only a few crinkled leaves left shaking in the wind, November's frozen branches scratch and howl in the night air.
"He found himself wondering at times, especially in autumn, about the wild lands and strange visions of mountains that he had never seen came into his dreams." ~ JRR Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
With only a few crinkled leaves left shaking in the wind, November's frozen branches scratch and howl in the night air.
"He found himself wondering at times, especially in autumn, about the wild lands and strange visions of mountains that he had never seen came into his dreams." ~ JRR Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
December: During this last month of the year, winter finally takes undisputed occupancy of the woods and the soul.
This month of cold & dark has its very own magic. Walking frozen paths in a December Jeffrey Woods brings a chilling warmth of remembrances and feelings of goodwill.
Beyond December's many ethereal benefits, it's more than exciting to witness an entirely different veneer on the same old woods. Watching laughing children sled down icy hills and following the footprints of woodland animals through the snow is always high adventure.
"I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape - the loneliness of it, the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn't show." ~ Andrew Wyeth
This month of cold & dark has its very own magic. Walking frozen paths in a December Jeffrey Woods brings a chilling warmth of remembrances and feelings of goodwill.
Beyond December's many ethereal benefits, it's more than exciting to witness an entirely different veneer on the same old woods. Watching laughing children sled down icy hills and following the footprints of woodland animals through the snow is always high adventure.
"I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape - the loneliness of it, the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn't show." ~ Andrew Wyeth
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Scroll Through The Many Faces & Feelings of Jeffrey Woods
January ~ December 2015
Scroll Through The Many Faces & Feelings of Jeffrey Woods
January ~ December 2015