Small Park Joy

Once a year, I visit this park. It’s a small, small town park. It’s really a modest patch of forest with a small path running through it. The path winds to a high point that overlooks the canal.

This park is off the beaten track enough that there just aren’t many visitors. Though it offers two places to park, and a meadow off to the side to camp in.

This park isn’t much, but it’s enough. And I love it.

I’m sitting on a hard dry moss bed, leaning against a birch tree admiring the view and appreciating the silence.

Once settled, I start to notice more: Four birches across from me, a gull floating on the water, a trail of slime from a slug. That cool breeze riding up the face of the cliff. A raven call.

I get up and walk a bit. No purpose, but to look at this section of forest. It has Sitka spruce and Western hemlock - no surprise there. I find devil’s club, and see what devil’s club berries look like. It’s the first time I’ve seen them. The devil’s club has good medicine to it, and I admire this plant’s healthiness.

Down low in an Alaskan rain forest is where the treasures lie. I find mushrooms, the softest down feather in the world, a black raven feather, and my prize!

The Shingled Hedgehog Mushroom!

What a beauty! I’ve never found one of these before. I feel its pattern, cool and dry. I sense it’s healthiness… this mushroom is in it’s prime. To me, there’s nothing more fun then finding a mushroom in it’s prime. What a treasure!

I try a few angles with my camera and give up. I’m pleased and happy. It’s time to go home. It’s time to go back to work.

I like this place. I like this small park. I like visiting it once a year. Each visit let’s me see more. Each visit resets my soul for another year, when I can come back and enjoy this park.