Nature? Most of us city dwellers aren’t paying attention, we’re so busy multi-tasking with text messages, emails, and the constant chattering in our head-phones, that even when a noisy flocks of parrots or crows flies over our heads, we don’t notice.
I dare you to put everything away (including and especially your cellular phone!) and with only a hankie in your pocket [!] take yourself somewhere far from city noises where all you can hear is your own breathing, so your eyes can see again.
It’s not difficult, just switch off everything and come with me.
First a general view of why I love to hike …
A view of the Backbone Trail in Los Angeles county
Another view on the Backbone Trail
Next some trees…
I photographed these two on Mount Baldy, which is about an hour from Los Angeles, and over 7,000 feet above sea level
I photographed the next two trees hiking near Big Bear Lake which is about two hours from Los Angeles and also over 7,000 feet above sea level
When you’re outdoors, don’t forget to look up….
The sky at the Museum
and to look down …
How many of you would believe me if I told you that a beautiful, delicate flower would emerge from a bunch of thorns? Have a look for yourself…
A cactus flower
What is this? Do you think it’s important to know whether this is a weed or a wildflower, or can you just enjoy the beauty of the textures?
Weed or a wildflower?
As you might expect I have many photos I’d like to share, but WordPress’s new Media system won’t allow me to upload any more pictures. I get the message:
I’d love to hear what you think after seeing these few pictures.
- I hope you take up my challenge and go on a walk with only a hankie in your pocket.
- Did you manage to stop the chatter?
- When was the last time you heard yourself breathing?
- Did you have a favorite photo?
This post is part of the on-line adventure travel magazine LetsBeWild.com’s Weekly Photo Challenge for bloggers. The Challenge this week is Texture in Nature!
Check out the other entries here.
I too love getting out for a hike in nature. That’s when I feel most at peace. I can actually hear myself breathe. I love the photos of the two trees and that weed/wildflower is something I’ve seen often in Oman. Thanks for taking us along on your hike!
By the way, when I’ve gotten that message, “an error occurred in the upload,” I’ve just clicked in the upper right corner where it says “dismiss errors” and then the upload continues. I’ve uploaded up to 33 pictures on a recent post with this new media feature.
Hi Cat,
It’s easy to tell from the photos you’ve shared of your hikes around Oman that you’re a kindred spirit who loves hiking, and like me finds peace and happiness out in nature. It’s a great gift to to know how easy it is to find our happy place.
It makes the world so much smaller to know that you see the same white wildflower all the way over there in the desert kingdom where you live.
I clicked the “dismiss errors” message and retried at least half a dozen times because I really wanted to put a photo of a bird in a tree… I thought I’d give it a break and took the dog for an hour long walk – but it still didn’t work when I came home.
Well, I’m glad it finally worked. And yes, I think we are kindred spirits wandering through deserts on opposite sides of the world. I am definitely happiest when outside walking.
Thanks for your wonderful comment!
I just went back and tried to upload some photos and this time I was able to do it, so the bird is in.
All right!
Some wonderful photos here.
My quiet brain time is when I’m gardening. But walking is good too.
I’m lucky. I manage to get out in nature a fair bit — but not often enough.
Thanks for the reminder.
I know from reading your blog that you love hiking with your dogs Sybil, but I didn’t know that you love gardening – talking of which I don’t know whether I’ve ever shared my love of gardening here. It’s so satisfying to dig in the earth and sit back and watch everything growing. You’ve reminded me that I should write some gardening posts….
A day without nature is . . . wasted.
Exactly and well put Nancy!
One of my favorite things to do in life is to have a day just as you describe, Rosie. And I know I’m doing something right when I now have my little granddaughters commenting on some of the same things. The other day one pointed to the mountains and commented and I knew we were making progress!
I love your photos of the tree bark, and the flowering cactus! I still want to take a hike with you sometime! 
Have a great weekend, Rosie. oxo
What a thrill to discover that your little granddaughters enjoy exploring the mountains with you. Have you taken them to the Nature Center in Eaton Canyon?
So many kids have their noses stuck in their hand-held devices they forget to look up and see the world. It’s really sad to see them walking through the museum looking down at their iPads.
I also like the tree bark and the flowering cactus. I photographed the cactus flowers in the Huntington Gardens.
I’d love to go on a hike with you Debra. There are hundreds of hikes around Pasadena that I haven’t explored.
Amen. Except for my addition to my laptop, which is strictly an indoor activity, outdoors is for enjoying, technology-free.
Gorgeous photos and well-said!
Yaay Tara, I’m so glad to know you also go outside with only a hankie in your pocket – or am I assuming that you use a hankie when you’re a Kleenex woman?
Thank you for your encouraging comment.
Ooh, I absolutely love the cactus flower photo. Gorgeous color. We really want to take the kids outside today to get some fresh air, maybe go down to the ocean,but it’s only 15 degrees out. We might not last very long.
Have you ever seen a cactus blooming Darla? I’d love to take you to see them. I hereby extend a personal invitation to you and your kids to come on over.
Did you manage to go to the ocean today? I don’t think I’ve ever been on a beach when the temp was only 15 degrees. Sheesh that’s cold.
Great pictures Rosie, my favourite is that twisted tree!
I always feel humbled by those trees Andrew. How does it continue to survive without complaint when it’s so twisted?
Thank you for stopping by.
The first tree is so appealing – rough and knotty with all its gnarls – what a story it must have to tell… The second one makes me wonder how such a great piece of driftwood wound up so high above sea level! And the third one looks like it is looking right at your camera with two little eyes – what kind of a tree is that? The natural world surrounding you is so different than the one surrounding me. It makes me appreciate all the more that the never-ending surprises and wonders of nature can be found in so many different places.
The third tree is a Lodgepole Pine.
Whenever I feel tired or grumpy on a hike I just turn to the trees and get strength to carry just thinking how they managed to survive in such difficult circumstances. Even though these photos were taken in Southern California where we don’t get snow, they were also taken at elevations of over 7,000 feet where the wind and the snow and the cold must be relentless.
I get so backlogged, I still haven’t done the post on our hikes in the Big Bear Lake region….
Thanks for your comment Barbara.
Beautiful rocks. Amazing how the west zooms from sea level to 7,000 feet elevation so quickly. The mountains certainly take my breath away. Beautiful collage. I look forward to more.
People in Los Angeles point out that you can swim in the ocean in the morning and go skiing in the afternoon… It’s true: Mount Baldy, Lake Arrowhead, Big Bear Lake are all an hour or two from L.A. and 5,000-8,000 feet above sea level.
I also love the rocks in the first picture.
Beautiful, beautiful — and I can’t STAND the new Media Manager — how about calling it what it is : Media Control Freak. But you prevailed and how much do I love those tree trunks and cactus flower??? Lovely!!
Happy to hear I’m not the only one who has problems with the Media manager. It seems to me that as soon as we’re comfortable using something WordPress changes it.
You must’ve seen some beautiful trees and cactus on your travels this year!
Wow. These are lovely shots, especially the gnarling trees. Very inspiring indeed.
Thank you for your kind comment Renee. I find it very humbling to walk past gnarly old trees like these and hope my little camera captures it all.
When I posted my newest entry, all of my photos were messed up. I went to the forums and they were saying several bugs had emerged in the new media manager. I think they’re getting them taken care of, one by one. I didn’t have any trouble the second time I tried last night, after I’d cleaned up some strange html that kept popping up.
Your photos are beautiful. The bird looks like a Western Scrub Jay – do you happen to know? We have blue, green and Mexican jays, but not the Western Scrub. I just found out there’s an island scrub-jay, too, that lives out on Santa Cruz island. Whether it’s limited to the island I’m not sure.
As for putting away those gadgets – no problem here! I understand that I live quite a different life than many people, but I’ve made a bundle of choices that are re-shaping my life. No tv, no iGadgets, no texting….
I live mostly in silence at work, although I will occasionally turn on my AM/FM radio. They’re wonderful little gadgets.
Working outside is one of the greatest gifts I’ve given myself. It’s not always fun, but it suits me. And I get to hear myself breathe. I do need to do more walking, though. Your posts are a real encouragement.
Thanks for explaining the situation Linda. I feel much better knowing it wasn’t that I didn’t understand how to post photos with the new Media manager, but that there were problems with it.
Thanks also for identifying the bird as a “Western Scrub Jay. I didn’t know which one it was.
I love the sound of your job: you are independent and get to work outside where you can hear yourself breathe… What do you do when it’s raining? Do you work under some kind of canopy thingie, or do you just stay home?
I think the easiest way to start hiking is to leave your car at home and simply go on long walks in your neighborhood. No pressure no stress…
I’m always the contrarian but I feel far more connected to nature when I am walking at a fast pace in NYC. I live in the country, surrounded by gorgeous nature preserves, streams, walking trails through the woods, horse trails, birds, deer, coyote, and fox but its easy to become immune to what is all around you when its there all the time. So oddly, when I am in the cement jungle, I hear and see far more things – like hawks nesting in building eaves, or flowers on someone’s stoop, or even a pretty weed growing up from a crack in the sidewalk. I think most of my NYC friends would agree how far more appreciative they are of nature when it isn’t something that they see all day every day. So, with that in mind, I’d say my favorite photo is at the museum, looking up at the clouds. As for being connected, I wouldn’t want to be without it, even for one day, because I’d miss talking to my mom, friends, and the kids. For that, I treasure being connected.
I’m fascinated to learn that you don’t notice the animals birds flowers streams surrounding your country home, but when you’re in NYC’s concrete jungle you get excited if you see a weed in a crack in the sidewalk. I’ve only spent the odd week or two in the country so I can’t say how I’d react.
I agree that it’s important to be connected to parents, kids and friends, but I think there are times to leave those interruptions at home. Are you able to just take a walk without a gadget in your pocket?
Rosie Auntie, you know how much I like your pictures. This time I just love that picture of cactus flower. I live in city, but believe me when I say I mostly stay away from cell phone. I use internet that for the sake of blogging. And my I too believe we need to appreciate whatever nature offers us.
Do you get that kind of cactus flower in your part of the world?
When you say you stay away from your cell phone, are you able to go outside without putting your phone in your pocket?
Yes we have that kind of Cactus flower here too. But they are very rare species here.
And yes, many times I go outside without putting my phone in my pocket. Rosie Auntie, I think it’s the advantage of having the relationship status as single.
Congratulations on publishing your book Arindam. I’m looking forward to getting my copy.
I thought singles never went out without their cell phones in their pockets. Good for you!
I so agree with you about getting away from the city. That’s one of the best things about getting out hiking, being in the present, and not having one thought about texting, cell phones, emails, Facebook or blogging for that matter. Beautiful picture your have submitted for this post. Rosanne.
Simply by going outside without one of those gadgets in your pocket you are living in the “here and now”…
Thank you for your kind comment re my photos Otto.
Dear Rosie, thank so much for the lovely photographs to encourage us to get out and enjoy nature. Unfortunately, I didn’t follow through on that plan. Instead I read a book that I suspect you, as a walker/hiker would truly enjoy. Its “The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry” by Rachel Joyce. The main character in this novel is retired and one day, when he receives a letter from an old friend, he takes to the road in southern England and walks over 600 miles to Scotland. The walk and his thoughts and his changing attitudes and new realizations make this an exceptional book.
Peace.
Thank you for the book recommendation Dee – it sounds wonderful.
I went to the library and put my name down on the list to read it. I’ll let you know when it comes.
I picked up the book from the library this afternoon (!). Its exactly what I feel like reading now. Thank you so much for recommending it Dee.
I love the twisted gnarled tree best.
Thank you Imelda.
Beautiful pics Rosie … especially like the gnarly tree. But to your point – no matter where one is, nature offers a lot to see to those who take the time to look … which is what you’ve done.
Thanks for your great comment Frank. It’s so easy to give yourself permission to stop and look around you, and when you do it can feel almost as if your eyes have been washed because everything’s brighter and you notice stuff you’d previously just ignored and walked past
Well said Rosie!
amiga! you knocked this one out of the ball park! grrrrrrrrrrrrrreat post!
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Thank you amiga! You’re toooooo kind.
Hiking is so relaxing, the quiet noises of nature and fresh air! Beautiful photos!
Always a pleasure to welcome someone new to my blog. Thank you for your kind comment. I can tell from visiting your blog that you also love being outdoors.
Great shots of texture – obviously all of us over at LetsBeWild are really into hiking and the outdoors too! Nothing can beat it! Thanks for joining in the challenge – hope to see you in the next one too: http://www.letsbewild.com/photo-challenge/wild-weekly-photo-challenge-9-peaceful/
Thank you Adventure Traveler Nick.
Beautiful series of images, Rosie. I can’t pick a favorite. I like them all.
I’m fortunate in that I get outside and walk with/in nature every day.
You really are fortunate that you live in such a beautiful part of the world Robin. I always enjoy the photos you share of your walks.
A wonderful post and I am going to follow your advice and do some hiking to stave off the loneliness over the holidays.
I’m so glad to hear you’re going to go hiking over the holidays Cin. Try find the hiking club in your area so you can go hiking in places like the Magaliesberg Mountains where one can’t hike alone.
My favourite photo is the one of the tree trunk that looks like a witch’s hat. So wow.
I hear myself breathe quite often, Rosie. I am damn out of shape!
And, oh. I like all the pictures! And the textures. And that you hike.
You’re too funny! Delighted that you like so much about the post.
I’m sure you could easily get into shape by taking your baby for long walks around your neighborhood.
If you didn’t see my message at Debra’s, you will enjoy this.
http://afrankangle.wordpress.com/2012/12/10/on-one-instrument/
Muchas gracias for inviting me to the concert Frank. Thanks to you I’m learning something about hand-bell choirs. I cannot imagine how the conductor manages to synchronize it all.
The conductor has to be knowledgeable of the music, the instrument, and the individual players. Fortunately, our church choir of volunteers has that.
A trail like no other. Full of fun, adventure and discovery. Beautiful nature’s Art. Thank you and a have a blessed day.
Nature is so generous but we’re so busy multi-tasking indoors that most of us don’t even notice when the night blooming cereus’s are blooming.
I wonder if your museum would consider an exhibition of your photographs. You’ve taken so many amazing pictures, all demonstrating your love of nature and a great attention to detail. (But I hope they’ll wait until I’m in California.)
You’re so kind Charles – without fail you always leave an encouraging comment. Thank you.
I can just imagine the Photography curator’s expression when I tell her that my friend BronxBoy says she should have an exhibition of my photos….
The varying textures of the bark on those trees is remarkably beautiful….and ahhhh…pretty clouds in the sky… : )
The clouds were like candy floss (I’m not sure what you call it in American English? … “cotton candy” perhaps?)
Beautiful photos! My favorites are “The sky at the Museum” and “Weed or a wildflower.” (Whether something is a “weed” or a “wildflower” is always just a matter of perspective.) I’m proud to be one of the seemingly few people in my generation who make a habit of turning my phone off from time to time, especially when going out to enjoy nature.
Hello Seas Reflecting Starlight, It’s always a great pleasure to welcome someone new to my blog.
I totally agree with you that whether something’s a weed or a wildflower depends on the person’s interpretation of it, and that interpretation can easily change overnight. I always think of dandelions – there are still people who spray their lawns to kill them, but they are really tasty and healthy to eat.
You make me really happy when you say you are able to turn off your phone from time to time. Congratulations!
I think dandelions are under-appreciated. They are beautiful both as little yellow blossoms brightening up a yard, and as puffballs of seeds (which can be oh-so-fun to blow around, not that my mom appreciated me doing so when I was a kid).