October 13, 2017
This past trip to Boulder fell on the chillier side, with degrees ranging in the 50s. This trip differed from the last in a few ways. It was a cloudy day and it was later in the afternoon. My friend lent me her car to take to the park by myself this time. The weather was noticeably cooler and the leaves were brighter and more brilliantly colored. The leaves had not only changed but had started falling at this point. Some yellow leaves scattered the muddy path.
This picture contains vibrant thin-leaf alder trees as well as pine-like western larches. The creek that is also pictured ran off into the path creating a blue iridescent color trickling down the mud. There was quite a bit of water overflow possibly from rain from earlier in the week.
This time I decided to take a different route and explore the area a bit more. To my surprise I discovered some fields of wheat. It amazes me how I have now visited the park three times and there are still things I have not discovered. The area holds so much more than I know and I cannot wait to continue to explore.
By the time I made it up the rocks, the sun had already began to set and a dusky demeanor set in, creating a beautiful, foggy atmosphere. Colors of blues and pinks painted the sky. The rocks stood out dark and shadowy against the colorful, setting sky.
This time differed from the last because I was by myself which meant a lot less talking and a lot more listening. I never heard the sounds of the stream or the breeze before. This idea of lonesome in nature reminded me of Thoreau’s writing and how much time he spent alone in the wilderness as well as how much time he spent pining about it and why it was so important. Sharing experiences as beautiful as these with good friends makes good memories and is an overall happy experience. But, witnessing this kind of nature and taking this time on my own creates a whole new and different kind of experience. It gave me much more time to think and appreciate the world around me in a completely new sense.
With or Without Nature 