Nostalgia Along the Coosawattee River

There are numerous memories I cherish from my childhood growing up in the north.  My family lived in a very rural location and we had access to thousands of acres of wilderness, lakes, streams and miles of trails to ride ATV's and motorbikes.

 

The winter time always invokes special memories of walking along the edges of frozen streams and lakes watching the frigid water rush past the snowy banks.  Icicles hung from frozen vegetation, dangling precariously above the freezing waters.  I would often just sit in the snow along the water's edge and listen.  It was amazing how silent the forest became in the winter.  If you sat totally motionless you could almost hear the snowflakes land on the shoulders of your coat.  The heavy blanket of snow created an insulator to the sounds of the forest, but if you watched closely the forest came alive.

 

Wildlife was all around you.  Squirrels scurrying about the trees, deer cautiously nosing through the wind driven snow searching for a morsel, an occasional fox with last season's pups closely in tow and birds dashing about the trees and brush searching for berries and nest material.  It was all too easy to take the beauty of nature for granted unless you stopped and made yourself aware of everything around you.

 

This past week provided me a glimpse back into my childhood.  The dusting of snow we received made me long to relive the discovery of nature's wonders as you can only find through the innocence of a child.  I simply could not resist stopping at River Park on my way back to the house.  As I got out of the car the crisp winter air immediately began to sting my face.  This didn't bother me, though.  This was an all too familiar feeling.

 

I walked to the river's edge and looked into the pristine waters.  The reflection of the fingers of the bare trees reaching toward the grey winter skies served only as a reminder of the lush green canopy they provided in warmer months. The crisp air providing a familiar and fresh smell that one can only find when the mercury heads south for the winter. And to think, I spent many an afternoon only months ago floating this very stretch of water on an inner tube.  However, unless I found some ice, or lost my footing, I had no intention of getting in the water today!

 

I meandered upstream along the banks of the beautiful Coosawattee River.  I could hear the rustling of wildlife in the woods to my right and the babbling of the water to my left.  Aside from that - silence! 

There was no better feeling than standing alone along the banks of the river in an almost meditative state watching the river's endless flow work it's way downstream.  And, doing as I did as a child, I stood motionless and took in all of the scenery around me.  I quickly realized I was not alone!  Numerous birds flocked along the shores of the river presumably seeking out their dinner.  A doe several hundred yards upstream was at the river's edge for a drink of water and a lone squirrel made a mad dash into the underbrush with a lucky find in his mouth.  It is a surreal feeling to find yourself standing amongst the wildlife and being part of the natural wonders occurring around you.  Surreal and peaceful - what a feeling!

 

I just smiled and realized how lucky I was to be able to enjoy this moment in time.  If only for a few minutes, I felt the same feeling of joy and discovery as I felt as a child.  Nature is awesome!  You just have to stop occasionally and enjoy everything that surrounds you. 

 

That's life along the Coosawattee River!

 

Take nothing for granted and enjoy every moment as if it will never be duplicated.  You don't always get a second chance to relive the moments in your life that shaped you. 

 

I feel very fortunate that I did.....