A Walk On The Trail

I recall a time when I was listening, just listening - do you ever do that?

There have been times when I have listened in an area that is quiet. I don't initially notice any sound but after a time I begin to hear small sounds - the rustling of leaves, a feeling in the air - is that a sound?

You know, sound and feeling are very closely related. After all, scientifically speaking sound has to do with motion and even getting past the scientific the sensation of feeling is present. You have perhaps been around sound and noticed that your body reacts.

Well I was in this quiet place out in the forrest and as you know that's one of the reasons we go in the forrest because it is quiet and I remember hearing a little sound - very little, it's something I can't quite explain but it was an attractive sound.

This was a trail that was rarely used by people so I moved forward a bit and then I moved forward a little more and I noticed a creek. I didn't know that there was a creek there and I stopped and listened to it and after a while I noticed that there was a further sound and I walked a little further up the trail and much to my surprise there was a waterfall.

It wasn't a big one. It was the sort of waterfall where the water from the creek would roll over the edge of a rock ledge but since there were other rocks on the way down it didn't make too much sound but it was very beautiful and I stood there for a time and felt and observed.

I continued walking up the trail for quite a ways, listening as I was going. On the way up I saw birds, of course there were a few squirrels and eventually when I got there I had a pleasant surprise.

In the distance, quite a ways up the trail and off to the left of it was a small bear cub. He was hardly moving at all - just a little bit and if you were very quiet and stood very still the way I did he would begin to move a little bit and I saw off in the distance something else rustle so I stayed quiet and soon the bear cub disappeared towards that something off in the distance.

I've often thought that that was probably his mother and because we were at such a distance from each other everyone felt safe. There is something about distance when it comes to safety isn't it.

Well I just thought I'd report on that. It was a pleasant experience. I remember the walk back on the trail. I took a different route and it was a little drier and I didn't see the creek. I didn't see the falls. I didn't see any bears but it was very pleasant.

You know I - to this day cannot really remember where it was except that it wasn't very far from Sedona, Arizona in the general area of Oak Creek Canyon.

Goodlife.