Geranium Forest
Finding hiking trails barren to the public seems to be my specialty. These places are always so freeing to visit, the air purer, the energy more expansive, and nature the dominant force. With home base in a new area, there’s infinite possibilities to explore, and even so I don’t think tourists are flocking up here like they were in the old area I lived in. And maybe hiking isn’t on everyone’s priority list here like in other states like Arizona and Colorado. I don’t know for sure, but it sure is easy to find quiet places to hike. Since we dawdle on the trails and let the dogs roam free, having solitude from others being around makes me feel relaxed and open so I can connect more with my spirituality and creativity.
The hills are alive and finished their contrasting spring colors to blend beautifully into one pixilated color of “forest green.” All spring I watched the landscape change and speak to us in colors from afar, usually passing by in a car for how busy I was every day. I didn’t have much time to go into the forest and play, but now life is slowing down a bit and we are trying to go somewhere new each weekend until we leave in autumn.
As we drove closer to our destination in one of the valleys, the road began to narrow and turn to an asphalt gravel. A mile down the road we discovered the small parking lot and the all too familiar brown state park sign with white lettering, in some old typeface reminiscent of days when wildlife restoration was a booming topic. We all sprang out of the car, dogs first as always, and we realized we forgot Sparky’s leash! We’ve had to keep the dogs on a leash almost any moment they are outside of our camper because there’s so many people around now and they can come off as aggressive. Sparky barks and puts his paws up on people and Ollie must think he means business because he will nip people if they come too close. Since no one was there, we decided not to worry about it and tied the two of them together on one leash and let them run free. They wouldn’t get too far being conjoined.
An iron gate with the diagonal reflectors greeted us to the trail and an expanse of wild geraniums opened up as far as the eye could see. Pink plumes dancing in the wind reminded me of this time of year and how it is my favorite. I felt like I missed spring and the joy of seeing all of my flower family return to the planet. It seems like certain species of flowers will bloom and become the dominant flower every two weeks, geraniums just happened to be this week! I felt so alive, so free, and so one with nature and pranced around the walking trail of flowers, thousands of beings residing on the edge of the forest and hiking trail. Behind the carpet of geraniums towered the tallest ferns I’ve ever seen here in the Midwest, some must have been four feet tall and still growing! They reminded me of the days I’d roam around Oregon in the ancient forests filled with ferns and brambles. In between the geraniums floated dandelion wishes, centuries of them, all ready for sending off potentials of possibilities into the quantum field.
We lingered around as I took pictures of every flower, every detail I could see. The natural world intrigues me, how certain plants grow together and form relationships with each other. I love identifying everything I can, as if I can officially greet and know the beings around me and show them understanding and resonance. Plants have a consciousness too and are intelligent. They like to be acknowledged and loved just like humans do, and the way to communicate with plants is to empathize with them, to send them energy, and speak telepathically. It is quite the psychic experience! Of course we can nourish them with things like compost and organic fertilizers, yet they have an emotional side too worth getting to know.
All the flowers had me twirling and spinning with joy! I’d never seen so many healthy geranium flowers. Then I noticed much of the plants here are native to this area, invasive plants were very few and far between, and more rare plants like Golden Alexander sprang up to fill in the taller spaces of the forest hedge. Elms of antiquity rose high into the sky and the grand cottonwood flittered it’s leaves for perhaps the 50th spring. Of course, this place was probably perfect for foraging morels this spring, but alas I was late. The ecosystem seemed to be in a beautiful harmony here with an abundance of beauty around every corner. The park was called an “experimental woods.” What I read briefly online about it was that it was recognized as a park in 1989 and conservation efforts were made. I thanked the people who decided that planting thousands of geranium seeds along a 1.5 mile trail was a good idea, and became inspired to restore a forest as well. Perhaps in a more “Johnny Appleseed” sort of manner. I already collect seeds of native species, why not spread them and create beauty and originality where I know it is needed?
The dogs waddled around against each other like they always do, such silly and squirrelly dogs. Both of them were panting with happiness for being able to run free and hike in a quiet woods. They’ve adjusted well to our new life. Each day they get to come with us on our window washing excursions and lay chained in the yard. At the campground, we go on several walks daily and there’s always something new for them to see. Luckily, the campground is 80 acres at least and has a trail system for walking along a creek called “Sand Creek.” White and red pines dominate one part of the forest, seemingly planted in neat rows and the understory booming with saplings of both. The other part of the woods is deciduous with elms, wild cherry, oak, cottonwood, maples, pretty much any kind of tree you could think of.
We made a few wishes for a more work-life balance on the two foot long dandelion stems and headed back to the car. Enchanting indeed this day was, disappearing into a field of geraniums sharing their essence of love, play, and innocence, feeling more at peace for the direction life is taking me.
Thank you so much dear reader for spending some time with me today, I’m so grateful to be able to share my adventures with you!
Sending you much love,
Ashley