Soul Time

tanjabrittonwriter 39 Comments

One of my favorite destinations in neighboring Teller County had been beckoning for several months until I could wait no longer. Arriving at Manitou Lake at 7 AM on a weekday in early June, I shared the parking lot with only a few other early risers, most of them here to fish.

My goal was to get away for the day, to this marvelous setting, where Pikes Peak’s north face looms large, to allow my soul to “dangle its legs,” in accordance with the lovely German saying “die Seele baumeln lassen.” After an extended stroll around the lake and the adjoining woods, both replete with animal encounters, I searched for a solitary spot where I could read and write.

American White Pelican
American White Pelican
American White Pelican
Canada Geese
Canada Goose Family
Goslings
Common Merganser Family
Squirrel

As the sun moved across the sky, so did I across the earth. Different picnic tables served me for a while, as did a soft spot on the ground covered with pine needles, next to a flat slab of rock, which became my writing desk. Eventually I found my refuge at the far end of the recreation area, away from the growing crowds which included not only anglers, but also kayakers, and a large group of people who preferred to listen to music, instead of the birds and the wind in the tree branches.

Canopied by Ponderosa Pines that were bearing their sexual organs without shame, and pollinated by a yellow powder each time a breeze breathed on their boughs, I listened to the whistling of Red-winged Blackbirds, the humming of myriad insects, and the buzzing of hummingbirds, while the man-made noises receded into the background.

A dense cloud of insects
Female cones of a Ponderosa Pine
Male cones of a Ponderosa Pine
My writing desk on the forest floor
Red-winged Blackbird

On a bench in the shade of the venerable pines that provided respite from heat unseasonable and folks unreasonable, I was able to let my actual and proverbial legs dangle.

39 thoughts on “Soul Time”

  4. What a beautiful place, and I will never understand why people leave their cities to enjoy nature and then bring their noises with them ! Why not just enjoy the stillness and the peace that surrounds them!

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  6. Tanja – Once again, you have such beautiful photos of the place and the animals. I was particularly drawn to the family of ducks and geese. What a wonderful experience. Thank you for sharing it. -Jill

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    • Thank you, Jill. I think nature is so beautiful, and so therapeutic, and I am convinced that we are hard-wired to interact and benefit from it. Our modern lifestyle creates the illusion that we can do without it, but I think something gives.
      I hope you are well.
      Tanja

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      • I couldn’t agree with you more. There are two places where I feel the most at home and happy: creating art in my studio/space and hiking on the trail. Hope you have a wonderful day!

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  8. Hi Tanja. It really looks like a great place to be. I can imagine nothing better for the soul than nature. You have such a sharp eye for birds and other creatures in your surrounding! 🙂 The blackbird is so pretty. And the squirrel hehe – the squirrels here are red/orange but in Nepal where I am from they are more similar in color to the one from your photo.

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  17. What a beautiful place (and beautiful photos!). I agree with everyone else that the expression ‘to allow my soul to “dangle its legs”’ is a wonderful saying! I think it perfectly describes the feeling. 🙂

    -Emma

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