Storyteller's Journey

The Olympic National Forest

Nature's Wisdom & Strength

There are numerous blog posts, articles, and even books devoted to the subject of a writer's muse: Whether there is validity to a muse or not, and if so, where and how to find it. I've always known who my muse is, and where my inspiration primarily comes from: NATURE. However, I not only find inspiration to write from the great outdoors, I find wisdom and strength, to deal with all of life's challenges, there, too.

I first learned this personal truth while attending a camp for Campfire Girls in the Columbia River Gorge when I was about ten-years-old. The swimming lessons, artsy crafts, and songs around the campfire were all great, but it was my own personal walks in the woods that touched me in a way I'd never known. The gentle breeze through the tall evergreen branches, the enchanting call of a colorful loon from the lake, or even a rascally raccoon racing across my path, were all gifts from Mother Nature. They reminded me that I was not really alone in the dense, coniferous forest. They were all my friends, each one.

To this day, when I need to clear my mind, or search for wisdom, it is to the forest that I go. Thankfully, I leave near a wooded area that is home to many little critters below its broad cathedral-like canopy. I've always felt small, even protected below the giant guardians, so it's no wonder that I feel closest to God in the woods as well. Time seems to stop while I meditate on my blessings, my life, and also my problems.

It is because of my bond to trees, and the critters that live near them, that every tale I've ever written includes the hidden hinterlands we call forests & the community of creatures that mystically reside in them.

I've yet to meet a human being who is as wise as a towering evergreen or as loving as a mother bear.

HAPPY EARTH DAY !