The
Place I Love...
This place I love to visit has deep seated roots in my life. Especially during my formidable years. Our large family took refuge here and it became our "escape" from city life.
High in altitude and serenity, this place managed to set aside my worries and fears and let me soak in nature, in it's purest form. There was never a shortage of wildlife, and beauty. Towering firs and pine trees clung to their colors year round, yet the seasons changed the landscapes dramatically. Fall was a patchwork of vibrant colors portraying hues of red, orange, and yellow that couldn't help but create a masterful canvas.
Winter months were scenes right out of a modern Currier & Ives, and they were colder than cold! It was not unusual to see drifts of snow 6 - 10 feet high while temperatures fell below zero consistently. Christmas time was filled with tobogganing, snowmobiles, and bonfires. Winter break never lasted quite long enough...
Spring equated to hillside wildflower beds with sheets of yellow and purple blossoms. The intensity of chores climbed at this time of year, but I looked forward to reaping the rewards of my work at harvest time.
The snow melt created a temporary creek through the middle of summer. And it became our respite for relief during the blazing afternoon sun. It was hard to escape the summer heat, with temperatures averaging in the 90's and more often than not, reaching somewhere in the 100's, unabashedly. When the snow melt ceased to feed the creek, we were grateful for the bubbling spring that took over. And if that didn't provide enough relief, if we were lucky, we fled to town, to open swim in the river.
What I loved most about this place, and it was usually in the Summer, was the smell. The sun created a fragrance that I don't believe can be bottled. It was a combination of pine needles and sap mixed with the heat of sun rays, and clean air. I haven't returned to this place in a few years, but sometimes when I'm out walking I'll pass an area where the sun is beating down and that familiar scent rises up and touches my senses. I immediately feel an overwhelming calm and I let it bring me back to that place I love.
I commented on:
http://eng101bg.blogspot.com/2015/10/where-sea-meets-sand.html#comment-form
and
http://charlottels.blogspot.com/2015/10/favorite-place-to-visit.html?showComment=1444257782777#c2777087651994991178
I love the way you describe how this place makes you feel. "Sheets of yellow and purple blossoms" is my favorite line. Great job!
ReplyDeleteThank you Britainy. It brought back a lot of memories...
DeleteAwesome job! I especially love your second paragraph where you describe the pine and fir trees and how they "clung to their colors year round." I could easily picture this place in my mind with the vivid details you provided. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteThank you Marissa. I tried to view your blog, but it would not let me access it...
DeleteI like your last two sentences, you made me feel like I could feel it as well as you could. So where is this wonderful place?
ReplyDeleteThank you Charlotte. This amazing place is located in Eastern Washington, between Leavenworth and Wenatchee. My parents purchased a 400 acre parcel of land with an old farm house and barn. We, my 7 siblings and I, considered it our "home away from home" - back in the early 1970's.
DeleteI can practically smell the pines! Beautiful description. I think you could have possibly elaborated more when you referred to the winters as "colder than cold", but otherwise I was really able to visualize this place. I genuinely enjoyed reading this!
ReplyDeleteI instantly connected with your post after seeing the picture and your first paragraph labeling this place your "escape". Reminds me of all the summers I spent in Eastern Washington at the cabin that looks very similar to yours. My favorite lines you used were, "The sun created a fragrance that I don't believe can be bottled. It was a combination of pine needles and sap mixed with the heat of sun rays, and clean air." Puts me right in that place, almost able to smell it :) great job.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful place, Cathy! I, too, like the description about the colors yar round and the sun fragrance, as well. Excellent show vs. tell details. Looks like the perfect "escape." :)
ReplyDeleteWOW. You blew my blog completely out of the water. I didn't write even half as much as you did. I really like how you described everything including the colors and smells
ReplyDelete