Trees and Tranquility

04/10/2026

Blue Mind Theory suggests that when we are in, on, around water, our mood lifts, our nervous system calms, and our wellbeing improves. I like this. Even with the din of the planes above, watching the water, rain drops radiating out, I found myself calming down, chill, enjoying the moment. 💙💧

04/10/2026

Blue Mind Theory suggests that being on, in, around water helps lift mood, calms our nervous system, and improves wellbeing. I like this. Even with the din of the airplanes above, watching the water, the raindrops hit the river, I could feel myself being drawn in, watching in sync with the flow of the river. Calmer, a bit more joyful.

04/09/2026

You know that smell of pine, or how the forest smells when you kick up leaves?! Or how about the smell of the air right before a good rainstorm? The air in the forest is filled with chemical compounds that when we breathe them in help reduce the stress hormone in our bodies. There is thought that air by bodies of water are ionized and that too helps calm our stress levels. Imagine what wander about the forest, by the river can do for you!

There are a few spots left for April Forest Bathing! Come check out the positive benefits of connecting with nature!

We changed our date for April Forest Bathing! Join us on Sunday, April 19th for a morning of relaxation, nature connection and tea! ☺️

04/08/2026

How lovely! Whether hearing the birdsong or feeling the vibration of birdsong in the air, what a lovely thing to experience in the morning time.

What do enjoy about the morning time?

Your yard has a setlist. And the opening act goes on before you're awake.

The robin starts singing about half an hour before sunrise. Not because she's excited about the day. Because cold, still, pre-dawn air carries sound farther than air at any other time. A song at dawn reaches much further than the same song at noon.

She sings first because she can see in near-darkness better than almost anything else at your feeder. Her eyes are large enough to detect predators before the light is good enough for smaller birds to risk an exposed perch.

🐦 The song sparrow goes second. About twenty minutes before sunrise. Smaller eyes, but a song that carries well through still air.

The Carolina wren goes third. Startlingly loud for a bird that weighs less than a handful of coins. She waits until there's just enough light to spot danger.

The cardinal waits for sunrise. His red is invisible in the dark — no point singing from a branch where no one can see what he looks like. His song and his color are a matched pair. One without the other is wasted energy.

The titmice, chickadees, and nuthatches fill in after sunrise. Canopy birds. They need full light to navigate branches safely.

🌿 About forty-five minutes. Same order. Most mornings.

How to hear it:

- Set an alarm for half an hour before sunrise tomorrow — step outside and listen
- The robin is first — alone in the dark
- Wait for each new voice — the order reveals itself if you stand still
- Try it twice in the same week — you'll hear the same sequence both mornings

The show runs every morning. No tickets. Same setlist. 🌱

04/06/2026

Weekend woodsy wandering.

04/04/2026

Excited to be partnering with and to offer Gratitude Gathering celebrating Earth Day and Faith In Action Week! Join us Monday, April 20th!

04/03/2026

We changed our date for April Forest Bathing! Join us on Sunday, April 19th for a morning of relaxation, nature connection and tea! ☺️

03/29/2026

Emerge: to rise from an obscure or inferior position or condition; to come out into view; to become known; to come into being.
There is strength in emerging, it’s illustrated by definition. The Springtime shows us this as we witness plants coming up from their grounded slumber; leaves unfurling. We marvel at this strength, welcome the return of flora, and delight in the presence of this turn of the wheel. We too are like the wildflowers..emerging from our slower, restful, wintry sleep, ready for what the Springtime brings us.

03/22/2026

Seven years of March. Noticing and appreciating all the ways that we engage with nature. Each image is one of many taken in the month of March from 2020 to March 2026.