"Midway along our road of life I awoke to find myself standing alone in a dark wood."
Dante Alighieri
Green is my calming color. Walking through the lush green that is the valley floor at Silver Falls State Park, is my time to shut out the rest of the world and let my mind be. The clamoring in my mind can be set aside for a time as I take in the green. This path is one of serenity and inner focus. Water flows by, and depending on the rocks it flows over, speaks different languages. Here is a fierce rush, and there is a bubbling sound, like water into a wooden cup. No two are alike. The softer sounds allow me to meditate and quiet the noise in my head. I am fortunate in that there are hardly any other people around to distract my focus.
I was walking back from the falls along the road and decided to pick up the trash I found for the next couple of miles to the campground. I started out picking up a Gatorade bottle. I was going to fill it with the trash I found and that worked for a while until I found a Bud Lite can (apparently the can of choice to be tossed out of a car is Bud Lite, both here and at Yosemite). So I put the can in my waist pack and continued to stuff trash into the bottle until I found a ice bag. Then all the trash went in there until I filled it. I looked in my waist pack and found a large trash bag, so everything went in there. By the time I got to the campground, it was about 1/3 full. My way of giving back to this beautiful place.
The following pictures are from the waterfalls and surrounding trails and streams of Silver Falls State Park. I am a terrible note taker whilst out and about, so please look at the link to see a very nice brochure with pictures of each of the falls and their names. Come on, there are 10 of them, my pencil broke, I pulled a hammy, and the sun was in my eyes.
The previous picture was my repacking effort. I like puzzles. This park was outstanding and highly recommended. Stay during the week and enjoy!!
Off to Seattle now, peace.
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