The Forest [publisher's letter]

As soon as I read the article in this month’s Inspiration section, “The Sweet Tapestry of Summer,” I couldn’t help but think of one of my favorite places to be in the summer—the forest. Specifically, a coniferous forest of spruce or pine trees. There is nothing like the scent of pine and sap wafting through the trees on warm days. I’ve always loved this woodsy “perfume” and have often thought that its extreme uniqueness would be impossible to replicate in another environment.

 

Even if you could find a candle or incense that captured the heady aroma, it would be missing a major ingredient: the quiet beauty of the forest itself. Quiet, except for the sound of the breeze moving through the trees, birds chirping here and there, and the odd chipmunk chattering away. But these sounds typically go unnoticed unless one is still for a time, relaxing and melting into the ambiance of nature.

 

Living on our horse ranch was wonderful because we were situated in the middle of 160 acres in a clearing with forest all around, and a river ran through the north end of our property. It was our own private nature reserve, with moose, deer, elk, coyotes, foxes, bears, mountain lions and endless bird species (eagles, owls, bluebirds and many others). The connection with nature was intense―we lived in a little house in the midst of it all. The wildlife just roamed around like we were part of the scene, because we were.

 

And the colors! How vivid they were: the deep blue of the sunny summer sky peeking through the forest canopy; the almost fluorescent appearance of the vegetation after a rain or on a cloudy day; the earthy tones―browns, tans, grays, greens; and the brilliant hues of the forest flowers and berries.

 

I think that those of us who take the time to sit still in the forest and smell the scents, listen to the sounds and view the colors are more likely to appreciate that this is a delicate ecosystem that we are part of, not separate from.