You would think that being on your own for two weeks would be all the solitude that a person needs.  But between a rough job search, pressures from friends, and demands of rehearsals, a person sometimes just needs to get away and spend time with her own thoughts.

It goes a bit beyond that though.  In a 24/7 world of internet, cell phones, video games, and 200+ channels to name just a few things, getting back in touch with nature is becomes a liberating and dare I say, a necessary experience.  So, yesterday afternoon, I decided to take a trip to Beaver Creek Conservation Area to wander through the trails by myself.  The lady in the interpretive centre gave me a map and a bag of black oil seeds and I set off on my way.

Of course, you don’t need to go too far there before you’re face to face with nature in the form of tiny little black and white birds who follow you around giving you looks that seem to say, “Come on, human!  Hand over the goods!”  Yes, those adorable little chickadees will come and eat the seeds right out of your hand!  It was quite a thrilling experience!  You’ll just start walking down the trail and a chickadee with fly on to the nearest branch to you and wait for you to offer some food.  But perhaps because the students haven’t started taking field trips there yet this autumn, the chickadees started getting a little viscous; fighting between each other for the chance to grab some free food.  Some even got a little pushy with me by buzzing past my head on the way to the nearest branch!

Besides the chickadees, I saw a few robins and sparrows.  I also watched a few tiny little chipmunks scamper around.  But mostly, I was treated to step after step of beautiful prairie scenery.  When people think of peace of mind, many imagine a person sitting on a yoga mat and meditating while saying, “Om”.  But a walk through the wilderness on your own can really focus one’s mind.  After all, if your not paying attention, you could trip on  something and wind up flat on your face…with the all the adorable woodland creatures rushing to grab the bag of seeds from your pocket!

I didn’t get to finish hiking all the trails but I will definitely be heading back soon.  I can’t wait to see who will greet me next time!