Unexpectedly finding Eden
A short bike ride away I found a little paradise I had no idea existed. A higher area, in this flat plain town, with some exposed bedrock which is rare in this old lake bottom countryside. What is now a hilltop was probably an island 15 centuries back, and the Iron Age people buried their dead there and marked the graves with rings of stones. The graves are long overgrown but clearly visible as raised, grass-covered circles a few meters across. This was the first day of gentle summer weather and I was defenceless against its loveliness. Carrying my shoes in my hand, I wandered barefoot over the soft grass and moss, from one grave mound to the next, under the trees that are still in the process of budding. There was a little pool of water, although I have no idea what it was doing way up there. I sat down leaning my back against a tree and sank into it all. The faint wonderful smell of warm sun on living wood. The warm air moving against my skin. All those different birds singing, singing, singing. I could see white wood anemones from where I was sitting and I had yellow cowslips right next to me. Every care and worry went away and I was filled with a sense of paradise.
I sensed a presence a couple of times, nothing worrying. After a while I saw a shy wood squirrel hopping closer. He sat absolutely still for a minute, maybe because he knew I was watching him. Then he started hopping towards me, looking right at me. It looked like the squirrel was curious about me, but I think I was just in the way sitting against his favorite tree. He climbed into the next tree and out on a limb, and jumped from there to a limb of my tree. If the highway is blocked, take the byway. :) It was funny to see him shake his tail violently up in the branches, just like a cat that's thinking about taking a jump.
After a long peaceful while, I started wandering around some more. I looked at the different trees and touched their budding leaves. Birches. Pine trees. Lots of different kinds of trees I have no name for. I wandered over the ice-smoothed bedrock that looks so exotic around here. Something made a sound in the bushes, and I turned to see a big fluffy hare hopping away in no particular hurry. First hare sighting of the year. Happiness. :)
I was smiling goofily on the entire bike ride home. Students in tailcoats and gowns were walking into town for the student spring ball. A couple of guys came up behind me on their bikes, wearing tailcoats, practising some harmony singing. It didn't feel at all out of place to be smiling.
I sensed a presence a couple of times, nothing worrying. After a while I saw a shy wood squirrel hopping closer. He sat absolutely still for a minute, maybe because he knew I was watching him. Then he started hopping towards me, looking right at me. It looked like the squirrel was curious about me, but I think I was just in the way sitting against his favorite tree. He climbed into the next tree and out on a limb, and jumped from there to a limb of my tree. If the highway is blocked, take the byway. :) It was funny to see him shake his tail violently up in the branches, just like a cat that's thinking about taking a jump.
After a long peaceful while, I started wandering around some more. I looked at the different trees and touched their budding leaves. Birches. Pine trees. Lots of different kinds of trees I have no name for. I wandered over the ice-smoothed bedrock that looks so exotic around here. Something made a sound in the bushes, and I turned to see a big fluffy hare hopping away in no particular hurry. First hare sighting of the year. Happiness. :)
I was smiling goofily on the entire bike ride home. Students in tailcoats and gowns were walking into town for the student spring ball. A couple of guys came up behind me on their bikes, wearing tailcoats, practising some harmony singing. It didn't feel at all out of place to be smiling.