the Woods

If you know me well, then you know I love trees. I am at home with the underbrush and the dappled light. Growing up, I lived in a house at the edge of the woods. One of my earliest memories is going into the backyard woods with my mom and climbing and walking on a fallen down log and also hunting for mushrooms. In kindergarten, the land behind our house slid. They thought it was mine subsidence, but eventually ruled against it I think. It changed the landscape of our backyard, and many trees came down. We no longer walked on the log, and I don't think we ever found any morels after that either.

But as I got bigger, I started going further into the woods. I remember trying to follow my sister and her friends on a hike by the creek and not being able to keep up. I couldn't make it from rock to rock like they could to make their way up the creek. I kept growing though and I came into my own relationship with the woods.

I had my favorite spots... the old girl scout camp, the double sycamore on the hill, the clearing, and most of all the tiny waterfall (like 1 foot high) right behind my house. When I was young there was a giant log that stretched across the steep banks of the creek. It was covered in ivy and made a curtain hanging down to the creek, and when you passed through it, there was the waterfall! Just above the shelf of the waterfall, the creek took a couple turns and was spread out over a wide rocky bottom. Frequently, the water did not cover all the rock so soft moss did instead. It was beautiful.

In grade school, I occasionally used the woods as a short cut to get to or from a friend's house and I would use the ivy covered log as a bridge. I even made the trek barefoot once, just because I could.

Most of the time I would spend my time among the trees alone, but sometimes, I would take my friends for adventures. My best friend and I tried carving our initials into a tree along the bank. I still know which tree it is, and there's still a mark at the bottom that looks like it could be my "A" but I don't know for sure.

The woods were an endless source of treasure and history for me as well. Old glass bottles were a common find (I think we even used a couple for our wedding centerpieces) and old bricks and railway markers from the coal mining days. In fifth grade we read Where the Red Fern Grows for school. It was such a sad book, and I will always remember the ending. He left his ax stuck in a tree in the woods, and describes many years past when the handle will be rotted off. Well, my friend and I happened across a fallen rotting tree, and in the hollow of that tree we found a rusted ax head just like the book. I kept that ax head for years and years up until we moved out of that house a few years ago, and between my parents and us I think we still have it somewhere...

For a short time during my childhood, the woods got really popular because of a rope swing that someone made. It was really quite dangerous, as you started on a steep slope and swung out very high above the rocky creek. It didn't take long before someone fell and got hurt. Either the rope broke during the accident or someone cut the rope high enough that it couldn't be reached anymore, but that piece of rope still hangs there today.

When I first brought Tyler to my hometown, it was important to take him through the woods. It seems like an essential part of really showing people who I am... Hi, I'm Amy. Please meet my woods! They are a big part of me.

We've since had plenty of our own memories in the woods, including finding our wheel (which we have displayed proudly in our front yard)!

Yesterday was a special day. We took Hazel for her first hike in my woods. She slept most of the way but she was awake at the beginning and could hear our feet crunching through the leaves.

I desire to provide Hazel with a special childhood. I want it to be full of wonder. I dream of fairy forests, mushroom tea parties, and lightning bug firework shows. I think spending time in nature is the best source of wonder and humbleness. It is incredible in its power and stillness. Through the calm of a peaceful day the woods are still bursting with life and possibility. Within their boughs, the trees hold a magic that whispers to my heart and I hope the same enchantment will grow within her as well.

Hazel woke up in time to enjoy the beautiful sun shining through the clearing at the end of our hike. We soaked up the warmth of the sun after walking through chilly shadows.

We played together on a mossy log, just like I did with my mom.

{  and I'm lucky to have a husband who knows how special it is to me - who also captured it so beautifully  }

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