Hey Crim, it's been so long since you posted. You're out and about in communities, I hear you speaking, but I don't get to see through your eyes anymore. Get it together already, woman!
Agreed. At the busiest periods in my life, I value seeking stillness. It can be difficult to find some days, with how fast we move here.
I live in British Columbia, Canada, and it is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. (I know everyone says this about their home, and everyone to some degree is right in their assertion. It's sort of like how we each say, "My dog is the best dog!" and we're each completely correct. Love is the key ingredient.) I travel pretty often to all sorts of places, and even though working at a computer as much as I do encourages me to jump into the wind and fly away to exotic locales, my heart always returns right back here. I know this won't change, so I wanted to share some special glimpses of the little hidden gems around my province. Places that don't get much attention, that you won't find on "instagram-worthy" click bait lists, or in well planned expert travel guides. Just the spots that I've found wandering and appreciating my home, that fulfill me in ways that I need right when I need them.
A rolling stone gathers no moss. Neither does a person who isn't taking enough time to sit and breathe and recenter and focus. I realize that in this day and age, the proverb tends to be associated with attempting to avoid stagnation; I choose to apply the more historical caution that never stopping will never allow you time to cultivate self or responsibilities. Taking a break to stop and power yourself up to roll even better, harder, and more successfully is a good and necessary thing — plus, when you get moving again you'll have a bitchin' new superhero cape grown out of moss. It's about damn time for me to do some gathering, so I hike out to one of my hidden gems to reconnect with a tangible form of stillness in an attempt to keep my roll game strong. I haven't been doing this enough.
I never tear up the soft drifts of moss hanging from the trees overhead, but there's been a windstorm that has reshaped this area. Movement among stillness. For the first time, I'm able to hold some between my fingers.
The path winding up the side of the mountain is well worn, but if you split off at just the right place (the cliched road less traveled by,) instead of ending up at the scenic viewpoint the groomed trail leads to, there is a smaller, untouched knoll where the moss grows thick and untouched. This barely-there path has moss growing on it. The rocks; the boles; the soil is blanketed. Feet are infrequent and don't disturb it much. This is the first time I've seen any of it torn up, tossed, and crisscrossed with windblown deadfall. The sun rises higher as I climb, and springy moss absorbs sound and buoys my steps. It is impossible not to be peaceful here, even with the evidence of the storm ripping through.
Moss overhead, moss underfoot, running to the edge of a cliff and trailing over in a cascade. I come here to sit and practice growing a little of my own.
This ledge isn't as impressive as the one the main trails lead to. It's not as high, and you can't brag about how many steps you took on your activity counter to get there. But here, and only here, the moss grows as thick as a duvet in pale pastels and compresses under gentle, careful steps. It smells fresh and cradles your weight; it smooths the sharp edges of rock, and if you sit very, very still, you can almost feel it smoothing out your own ripples. The slope fits perfectly along the line of my spine when I stretch my arms above my head and lay back in the stillness.
I love everything I do here, and I know I'm good at never losing momentum... but if I want to be better, I'm going to have to take the time to find these hidden gems, and to sit still enough to grow moss.
These photos and words are my own work, inspired by travels all over this pretty blue marble of ours. I hope you like them. 🌶️
The color grading is sweet! Resteemed!
ǝɹǝɥ sɐʍ ɹoʇɐɹnƆ pɐW ǝɥ┴
I have never been to Canada but from the photos that I've seen on Steemit so far I can say that it's a beautiful part of world. I think that the place you chose and your photos are totally instagram worth. My favorite part is the last one with those small mushrooms. They look so adorable in the moss..
I agree with you about taking time for yourself.. time to breathe and energize. I'm learning this myself at the moment. I've always been a busy person, running around and getting things done but now I feel that I'm becoming exhausted.. and I don't like this feeling.. so I do try to take a moment just for me every day when I'm alone with my thoughts and I focus on breathing.. I feel so much better afterwards!
Thank you for sharing your lovely photos!
Gorgeous photos! I miss bc so much, hoping to move there someday.
Love livin' in BC! Awesome pictures, and great words! Interesting to see how some of the different parks were changed after the windstorm.
Is that Mount Work in Saanich in a few of those photos? Looks very familiar.
Hunkering down, because we're supposed to get some snow here in Victoria this week it seems.
Stay warm!
It is absolute heaven! I am jealous! I grew up near the forest; we would always go to play in the woods, ski or go to harvest berries and wild mushrooms. Thank you for the beautiful memories and the images!
what a stunning place!!!!! your description of it made me so wish I was there. I could hear the silence as you were walking.
Yes, You really need to get out and clear your head or soon you will not be able too. Nature is free. never forget to use it!! HUGS
All the colours, tones, lights and shadows, textures, patterns... Yep, nature is a thankful photo subject <3 Gorgeous!
Really nice pictures!
Living in the northwoods, I know of places near here that are similar to these pictures, but not this time of year...
That's awesome, the moss we get here is very different. Ours is always gray and makes things look extra spoopy on swamp tours.
Well, I'll concede that you live in one of the most beautiful areas on earth. Nobody, but nobody kicks Sam's ass. The dog question is off the table.
Now that we have that settled, I'm really, really happy to see you and your camera out and about. These are, per the normal, stunningly good photographs taken through the eye of a serious artist. Thank you for them.
It's part of my love of the desert you know. The stillness and the ability to become still there. A good friend said "You know it's really quiet when you can hear the blood flow in your ears."
Thanks Crim. A truly outstanding post.
I love nothing more than squishing my bare feet in moss, ahhhhh haven't done it in ages though.
Just stopping by to wish you a Happy Valentine's Day! @crimsonclad
Thank you for all your hard work and dedication to our beloved Steem community. You are appreciated! I hope you have a wonderful day filled with 😍
Stunning shots too! Geez I knew there was something I was forgetting in this message! Was quite blown away by the sun through the moss. You are very in tune with finding beauty and capturing it magnificently!
These amazing shots do make it a clear contender for the most beautiful place in the world to me, many of the shots remind me of what you see back home in NZ when you get out of cities and into the forest and nature
@crimsonclad, Sometimes stillness is important to find our best and eternal friend and that is our Intuition.
In my opinion sometimes places which doesn't receive much attention hold the essence of natural beauty and essence of natural blessings. Enjoy your time ahead.
Stay Blessed.
These are gorgeous!
moss.
Nice I might move to BC if I can find a job there
Beautiful pictures, thanks for sharing one captivating moment at a time.
!gif Your mossy green forest is dope!
worlds hidden within worlds
You live in a really gorgeous place @crimsonclad! You and ur dog are very lucky!I don't have those types of forest-looking landscapes near me, I only get bushes and small trees!
I know the feeling, even though I don't have that kind of gorgeous landscape I sometimes go for a run in the countryside, no people, no cars, nothing, just me and the environment, it's so peaceful!! I don't understand how some people are able to live their whole lives in big cities, I need to go into the stillness of the countryside at least once a month to relax from all the stress of life!
WOW
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There are such a awesome photograph in this article. It is really delightful to watching this pic. AWESOME.
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Some really amazing shots here!
Very green colorful and attractive. In which forest of British Columbia were taken those beautiful photos? It is told that the southern part of BC is warmer than Toronto (or southern Ontario) where I am currently relocated.
"Practice growing a little of my own" :) I like it.
An be still enough to grow moss? That may take some time lol :)
Great post, great read and stunning photography. Thanks so much for sharing
Nature
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