THE ART OF SITTING...IN THE WOODS

We call this spot, The Woodland Cathedral because, well, it just feels holy when you sit there. You will undoubtedly hear the crescendo of the Ovenbird song in the spring. Up on the ridge in the tangles of underbrush, a Hooded Warbler faithfully sings his "witcha-witcha-wee-oh" each summer.  A Pileated Woodpecker may also startle the silence with its loud, staccato call, as it swoops through the colored canopy in autumn.

This is a good place to contemplate whether your own voice is being heard in the world...




"Don't try to figure out what other people want from you; figure out what you have to say.  It's the one and only thing you have to offer.  
                       

 -Barbara Kingsolver

 If you prefer not to trek up the hill, another spot at the bottom of the trail awaits. This Adirondack chair sits across from a small patch of newly planted woodland flowers, anchored by one Mountain Laurel bush that I planted several years ago. This summer I planted Virgiania bluebells, Jacob's ladder and wild geraniums. If all goes well, next spring these will flourish alongside Giant Solomon's Seal, Bellwort, Mayapples and Two-flowered Cynthias.  

This is the third and final spot in the woods for reflection, should you come for a Personal Retreat.  There is nothing more relaxing...more quieting...more comforting than being surrounded by such beautiful gifts of creation.  

To find out more about taking a Personal Retreat visit the 
Heart by Nature Retreats Website

THE ART OF SITTING...BY THE POND

Pond -April 2006

Ahh...the pond...of Prairie Pond Woods.  To appreciate this tranquil, yet active, hidden spot, a little history is in order. 

When we first bought the property in April of 2006, the pond was a lovely, albeit strange, shade of turquoise...much like you would see off the coast of Bermuda. You could see straight to the bottom. Nothing lived or grew in it, except thousands of whirly-gig beetles...pretty creepy really. It just had no life.  

The pH was 3.86 due to the shale, clay and sandstone bedrock through which the water seeped up.  So, the following fall we threw agricultural lime into the pond to sweeten the water...and hopefully attract new life...which it did in the form of amphibians, herons, ducks, vegetation, damselflies and dragonflies.

                                                                     

Now, you can relax by the pond in the spring...and you'll probably hear the invigorating chorus of frogs...or you can enjoy watching mist as it rises in the morning hours...or take photos of the myriad of dragon and damselflies species flitting about as they defend their territories.

 

Yep...all those little metallic turquoise lines are damselflies!

THE ART OF SITTING...IN THE PRAIRIE

Continuing the series of where to sit and reflect when you visit...we move to the Prairie..of Prairie Pond Woods.
 
Now, this chair is not IN the prairie but possesses a wonderful view of the colorful grasses and forbs spread out across it in the summer and fall. Shaded all day by a wild black cherry and willow tree, and with the sound of the spring flowing just below the edge of the yard, it creates a peaceful and cool micro-climate.  

This is the perfect spot to bring a book or your journal while you listen to the sounds of birds overhead, peepers and tree frogs.

These are the views you would see from under the cherry tree...lavender wild bergamot, orange butterflyweed, and the blue-green blades of big bluestem grass above...the yellows of green-headed coneflower and black-eyed susans below.

If you want a little sunshine on your face, meander the mown paths such as this one (we call it The Refresher Course) through the prairie until you reach the upper ridge, where the soil becomes more acidic. Here, Virginia pines, black and white oaks, hickories and dogwoods surround you and will cool you off again. 

This is prime real estate in the spring to just sit back with a pair of binoculars and watch kinglets, prairie warblers and pine warblers. 

 






It is also a prime spot to experience a counter-culture form of silence and solitude. Are you willing to be still?

 “Our language has wisely sensed the two sides of being alone.  It has created the word    “loneliness” to express the pain of being alone.  And it has created the word “solitude” to express the glory of being alone.”

 

- Paul Tillich-theologian

                                 

 

THE ART OF SITTING...AROUND THE HOUSE

Sometimes sentences just come to me.  From where?  I do not know....

The other day I was sweeping the deck off, the last chore after a few hours of outdoor puttering, when this thought popped into my head:

" I love working my butt off at Prairie Pond Woods 

so that you can come and sit on yours."

That thought led to another:

"Why don't you show all the places where people can sit on the property...to reflect or take in the beauty?"

So imagine yourself sitting back and relaxing in them, as we take a tour of the first in a series of the many chairs where you can plant Le derrière and experience the "art of sitting in one place."

The Front Porch is one of the guest's favorite places to wake up with a morning cup of Birds and Beans coffee.  It is in shade until about 1 pm and dark enough until then to use a laptop.  A breeze always blows through it, keeping it very comfortable.  At night, with the candles lit, you can listen to peepers and toads at the pond or look out over the fields filled with a zillion fireflies!  While swaying on the porch swing, you can ponder areas in your life that might need to awaken or come alive...

Just off the front porch is another great place to sit and watch fireflies at night or the sun cast its warm light on the hills in the morning.  The field in front bursts with twinkling lights around 9 pm and if the stars are visible, the whole darkness glitters from the ground to the heavens!  This is a wonderful place to ask yourself if you are letting your light shine or hiding it for some reason...

We refer to this place as the Sunset View.  In the summer, this is the perfect spot to watch the sun go down over the prairie.  In spring you can hear the woodcocks and watch their erratic, spiral flight right from these Adirondacks.  With a cold drink, a cup of hot chocolate, a good friend, a soul-mate or all by yourself...this is a wonderful place to just let your thoughts meander... 

Lastly, there is always the back deck...and always a-flutter with butterflies, hummingbirds and other feathered friends at the feeder.  A great spot if you need a surface for writing or WIFI for communicating...and doing research for that novel you're working on... 

As my father used to say, "Come.  Sit a spell."

BEAUTYS & THE BEASTS

A Wildly Positive Retreat Focused on Beauty!
 

Imagine these flower surrounding you 360 degrees!
Absolutely Gorgeous!

Now imagine a day focused on all that is beautiful...in nature and in ourselves. This retreat weekend we will be accentuating the POSITIVE...all that's good and right in our world, with ourselves and one another! 

The retreat will kick-off Friday night with introductions, a beautiful sunset walk, then a relaxing movie in our jammies (movie TBD by vote...but definitely beautiful and inspiring choices), complete with popcorn and an assortment of movie candy! Because we're worth it! 

Saturday you'll be immersed in all things good...optional morning stretches while the birds sing, a guided nature walk, a natural beauty care demo, chair massages (for additional fee), time to take photos on The Refresher Course, read on the Pine Sanctuary swing, meditate in the woods, walk the Prayer Path and add your creative touch to the group painting or poem waiting in Kavanah.  A healthy, organic lunch and snacks will be served.  So come solo or bring a few good friends along...it's a beautiful way to spend a day!  

Reflective resources will also be provided. 

Upon Registration you will be emailed a Guest Packet,
containing directions and other pertinent information.

Bringing a journal, camera and binoculars is recommended.