Kelly Cooke: nature and place 12/3

Nature and Place

Kelly Cooke


Thanksgiving break prompted a lot of visits in my calendar. I spent time with friends and family, but I also spent time at WAAAG, the nonprofit animal rescue I work at. While on shift, I tend to the animals and take the dogs on hikes through the forest and winery grounds. The rescue is extremely secluded, placed in the middle of the Mountains on a winery and general wilderness. It is the most seclusion I've experienced in a long time. We walked for miles and miles of silence. The only sounds were branches and leaves crunching under my sneakers. I think I could definitely experience flow in that environment because of the peace. Another thing I noticed was certain details about the surrounding I was in. While walking, I took into account the close look at nature we took at the Lion's Bridge. I plucked leaves and evaluated their shape and smell, I also stopped to notice small details like birds nests and flowers being crowded out by weeds. Overall, I took the time to stop and truly experience nature. I'm not sure if I could truly experience spiritual journey through long distance hike, but it seems like a possibility based off of my prolonged hike through seclusion. 

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