I’m having an affair. I thought you should be the first to know. You’ve likely surmised as much if you follow my social media updates. But I thought I should come clean with my confession here, in a more intimate setting: I’m passionately in love with nature.
“Earth laughs in flowers.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Like a blossoming relationship (even though mine has been in full swing for decades), I tend to overshare my “dates” with the outdoors. So when it comes to my constant companion, Mamasita Nature, let me count the ways she woos:
Nature can be prickly…
Huge, lone Saguaro cactus, Scottsdale, Arizona
But also has a soft side…
Fluffy wildflowers, seen while hiking Santa Barbara
She inspires us to recreate…
Ruben, my tandem paraglider guide, getting our (yes OUR) chute ready for a soar over the Italian Dolomites!
Snowshoeing Idyllwild
And also contemplate…
Crystal sunset, Stonesteps, Encinitas
It shows off in big ways…
Half Dome and Nevada Falls view from the John Muir trail, Yosemite
Base of Franz Josef glacier, New Zealand
…impressing us with bold and bright colors…
Tree bark in Idyllwild
As well as more subtle hues and gifts…
A see-through tree trunk, Idyllwild
Crispy leaf on crunchy snow, Idyllwild
Nature is predator…
Badass and beautiful Diamond Back rattlesnake, Idyllwild, California
And prey…
Prairie dog, Arizona
It’s wildlife…
Snow owl in the snow, Garner Valley, California
And wildlife…
What happens AFTER the Twitter 140 conference
Hey, it’s in our nature 😉
We try to fence it in…
Italian Dolomites
But it’s always going to run wild…
Rushing mountain waters of Strawberry Creek, Idyllwild
She provides…
Plump cherries ready for picking, Cres, Croatia
..and she takes away…
The Ocean Grove boardwalk where I visited last summer, after Hurrican Sandy, photo by my friend Esta Singer
Squirrel breaking into my backpack at Half Dome, Yosemite
It can be shrouded and shy…
Mountains shrouded in fog, Dolomites, Italy
Or flamboyant and uninhibited…
"Jelly Fish" at the Newport, Oregon Aquarium
Rainbow over the desert, California
And at the end of the day…
Classic California sunset
…it’s all around us.
“Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.” ~ Khalil Gibran
Me and a damselfly, Oregon
If you still had any doubts about my love affair with nature, the rapture on my face here indicates a small portion of my commitment to this relationship. Thanks for joining me and I wish you a healthy dose of nature and the outdoors every day!
And the lead photo at the top is just a pretty one I’m sharing. Just because it’s lovely to me. And that’s the moon rising in the sky over a late hike.
All photos by Gina Stark, unless I’m in them (and the New Jersey boardwalk by Esta Singer)
For more nature fix, you may also like: Hiking: Looking for a Castle, and Discovering a Grotto
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Lovely photos and thoughts, thanks for sharing!
Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Hi Alfie and thanks! That Emerson quote is one I like to tweet out 😉 Thanks for sharing a love of nature. Cheers, Gina
This is my favorite blog by far !! you rock
!!
Thanks so much Ana! I really enjoyed compiling the photos and ideas together. 🙂 Cheers, Gina