Horses can make us feel 10 feet tall, or very small.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUn5u4vIK7BOwanqA75Xg9uvPnhKXGSaNsxjqM4Fpj1CFs4Rwd5Ihveuobmhra4Ic81-VPMVeP__uGsMQbBxzwzez8feHr9XQkT7Ck5re-zAk0bx89EPPAyZ5uKjHbekWR10duK9BzXris/s400/twisty-oaks.jpg) |
twisty oaks |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZuQdU1t2x4lcoL-XrvmpMOIt1Zg6L8dUMJYRHpnLkYkmFKcZg0ENLp-_fylay3WONMopiGIMgttny54HB3G7UA92MhWJwYkVQxojYwZSGpUdxpz5ldH21aZqRSv1IWfFMOPopdokxbm-K/s400/waterfall-tangle.jpg) |
waterfall tangle |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0HZgQECpAjE8ZCDn7Y9Cgsa7tkARIvrCfYmspuTp0-_dGPPrBxYneCOStVl7zC0Usju0m3bUWy9Q9PvMpUN2H3NotJ9tZ_d_2rZq3H-WevMzJxBjx7gvlObMfOSZYVZVaW0bR9JDxYQJg/s400/tree-fern.jpg) |
tiny tree ferns |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcWg9KFo_NQwkmpAXeWdbiiyern2DqcQFJGw6VnM-EhoJYvxFPPjK2ZCQyKnQ-LNOsZApjQ3qACWfwDojv-GnVUeHwvpDtFqf8JXpCS75ZcWAn_i3ib1X8YDLPJvUm4RgH_JC5moxcs7OM/s400/orange-leaf.jpg) |
found some orange, a last autumn leaf |
So can the world around us. Exploring in the rain I felt a small part of such a large world. Maybe because the trails were empty and quiet, huge gray pines leaned precariously along cliffs, and the 700+foot tall bridge loomed above, but all the tiny things were abundant.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij3aLZdb3J7GQ_y3S2TATzf5w6kR4clHC-3MLYdsQ-gQPtwgJe6XR2My_Xx6bxNV2eygF1H23v2RUwCc9ussqghBFsT86IoIOr_K5pzFIEo0id-oD3Y4jSLSUUNMgi3NTj8owbccNBPRct/s400/towering.jpg) |
towering bridge |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPhvMuAEXJvIDuEvwxT2bADjvfhBOxxOB3UdW0twDUre4aTOtkqlJUp0n-ucgewqiSa1L3OsPy0KaI_lE9M4hEgge7jYZtW8FtKtX0Vn3bRGrrMM57VK8K3Bm88oAMc7UP7sMkEPa8BPoc/s400/bridge-supports.jpg) |
UFO graffiti, complete with alien |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaLFTbPQkzHgtKxoco_IfGtmTiV0AgS7C1bYiB_ojMq2Uf_tFYUDaoVy5wpUELYY1OHatdzxpBTZ_9k53qiTtcb8zJG2F5ExIzp8f9afg2B1DBKEr672oo9LW02dGmQMud9nJfSDRyB_-W/s400/bridge-scale.jpg) |
For scale: I'm there, on the upper tier corner, a tiny figure in green. |
Raindrops glistened on leaves, the roar of the river below
almost deafening, towering oaks covered in tiny ferns, the view from
above of the beloved No Hands bridge, a tiny span in the distance.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9lfU-FWMNPgIhVks7G-I1RkkH_sI8mRDRdMf3kpYdujvyqVEdge-SHnN758jSSbchckIddQQ7N0M2ghKVq6X77Q0faXqV-KBZZHqHfO0zvi1rmEM7xRl8gCEzCyT__06YfMvnbkezXMiL/s400/between-oaks.jpg) |
No Hands peeks from between oaks |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgujaW697y5kpBRXzRQdo_-kFiTuqo8tCAn7QEKexBrtr08ctvBYsxEtO-iBTkDJzi9ChSjewtKFAcNNwP99v9LKsfrOhHS32zC8SaiYmxJoJknPO2_RoRAPsIFIHmZjlIWIuelrU3NpKd2/s400/bridge-car.jpg) |
No Hands and our tiny car |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBEziFbyFYu_AVDmf02p5JpNCCwpEcsqw96LsZqxooTUJF5UULHsQkWR-QtjVotNYijT-D65qzy_9_PCrJDzyAEk_cfi-DJksVEY4DK_PfeUHitQYsVD5FrE32XJ0H1UnfFnKtn2cvvZKd/s400/creeks-to-cross.jpg) |
creeks to cross |
Sometimes I see the horrible impact we have made on this planet and feel despair. Plastic flotsam along the river bank, clearcut for a new development, burned truck along a trail, paving another oak woodland for a superstore. But usually it feels right to be in places where the human imprint feels a bit smaller.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVSnwod8lYvAO-l5izxZT9T3tHdlqNcgFXL12KdRM6P8Y5cAE9vOLcN9QJqrzb8bgSLeCc4K6DSrkZf8ooSp84dRx8qOPsIW6yGSm205PmKd-TZUv5rGB-APYeHSXzPUvjephAh0M1Ye3l/s400/ferns-moss.jpg) |
ferns and moss |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_A16GRNZLsNdUJZWLfXdB0qfl_jO5GWSywnC_GI-9ALT-I-mbrF9ra-QhjFRbkCNM6niobtZC3Y7Nz9BdQ8HPqHdX0B0e5UgLmMx8hMsRYREAi_WBdC7s30aYsXzssevUqe11ll5GJo5x/s400/yellow-flower-gnat.jpg) |
yellow wildflower with tiny gnat too |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVhlQ3nBM8lSI5cMfLrLX7v4i2gZK06IKLwbzcCeu3JmbJaAdjqPX5PUkdcGpCqTTOujTRLhM7AoDDAVEP9tlOANcxGCEL8wzbf1vEIu20hBrjG4v1-KE8KdOQRiyKtb13ana5exCQAt5L/s400/poppy-water.jpg) |
a poppy stays closed until the sun reappears |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM4ylV-228PnMqLMXilzQyCaO-bmRMWRSQ8j2QczEzssrudt9OLlZADUQ4Xw2v6nH5vErXFC-gPnCH6BKonSevqU0tP-hVe88XV9i5wdJq58vlnM8eRPO-OA_linnEISilzaV2zgHFQo0H/s400/purple-rain-flower.jpg) |
purple rain |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNiCTBYOqpqTiYNMRfuWC7bvZIyjHrLw2QxmhpdfBGtkUsP06KATt5EqKRwyUYCzWTQDAKAnPAbmdI05XFA1t6Q1q0ssyhyphenhyphenKH66aEyLdDm7sTGIoh8RNSX4VIZWkUT8Yv9CWY2w2ziJK6/s400/red-wildflower.jpg) |
glowing red |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUlfwdccYnZ7pv5otZyDtTrfUQCapaGQ2w1_QKW1yIYoKnqcgsYMvF7YTklWXr6RKmir5lBw21rdF6ydTP87QbyAOPkQUCUcI19l-y_9fWSUxXw5kSE__b85rj0gl6yiZyEH8bg_GK-Eoh/s400/raindrop-shamrock.jpg) |
3-leaved almost-shamrocks feel at home |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc6rBIQWMndHZ5lwn0PjxYyoLjAPNoi1IHTQ3Bw95IoriajyYhYuPcRJqUH08pTLI9oq8kDMh2diotbKrO3Nn76x0GZbI9yiQNJiTiHL5PqyrByTi6SnNkegvu20TM7nNuuJKoNsHqCrdq/s400/silver-raindrop-leaf.jpg) |
silver sparkles |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyA9UJ8t8iRoilmYrpmqyzz4eldHitX5F3tk94c0qzSQBdRkADr5pN6CZ21eNUxFB9A06zs6dZsckfWKZfIlpS91I7Lf2wXaQch3vTE-jlCJXbykudzyymVMZyvsS6_2A1GxG98Iy0PoLL/s400/poison-oak-lichen.jpg) |
even poison oak and lichen are lovely |
And given enough time, the trails will grow over, the roads crack, the bridges fall. Still the raindrops, leaves, flowers and creatures would go on.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhayTuyW3SgVdz5qc2PC-3QZVWMgEyfnt-_vdfTcBvKQ2FXy1wKg8l19SFZLUkhY0NWjYvM6zcFwRwaYoLqc74KqXJS0NrhaBNEBHrarT5SABPuVkesgfmUtCA9aEcRPDzVEQOS3_h6F9SV/s400/butterfly-staying-dry.jpg) |
black swallowtail |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUQKtuURU3J-chPIyjY8zkP54LybMsE0JUt4_WkBVnTv32WnpvUcgp279NYe9WL5BC4HtN4ZDaTP27xhU_cmvJKDjQSpKzWvZshK9tBv6UpkB4auqtujhv3fcwm5h9Y5dMhBlS6GZ65EGO/s400/butterfly-wildthing.jpg) |
wild things doing the wild thing |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigkgenJLRQ7pwjdEw2RlQq6Jr_eOKPfayUNTP6WYgT3Uls5wq8A9xfxEuyXGIazEaPgYSEy3He5htCupH44mF895zm2ihdg-JmCCAykFV4Gfms9643RoGJU2w1Ss3SgwbWL7coZOeeVjAq/s400/banana-slug.jpg) |
watch your step: even banana slugs have the right of way here |
It felt good to be small. Some people feel more important when they see the things humans have built. Instead I prefer to enjoy what will still be there long after we are gone.
(If you want to read more on the subject, there is a great book about our lack of lasting impact: The World Without Us by Alan Weisman. I read it many years ago, and have read it again a couple times. Check it out!)
Stunning photos. Wow.
ReplyDeleteSeeing the world through your eyes is always a beautiful thing! Gorgeous photos as always.
ReplyDelete