Outdoor Adventures

A while back I wrote a post about the seasons but today I will write a post about how there are so many ways to experience the outdoors with other senses. I think I will start with smell. There are many bad smells that can become too much sometimes. They can be: exhaust fumes from cars and other such transportation. Garbage smells in some cities can also be overwhelming to the nose. Despite these disgusting scents though there can be beautiful smells such as the clean scent of ozone after it rains. If you are near trees you can also smell the scent of growing things. Trees, bushes, flowers, brambles, and almost anything that grows outside has such different smells and it can also be relaxing. Just walking threw a forrest brings so many experiences. You can smell all the growing things and maybe even be able to tell the difference between them. If you are walking on a dirt trail you may be able to hear small dead leaves and twigs snap beneath your feet. You can touch all the different plants just be careful of poison ivy and poison oak. Some plants are sharp and others are so soft and fragile. You may also be able to hear a stream, creek , or river depending where you are walking. You can listen to how the water flows over the rocks and other debris that may be in it. If you wanted to you can also throw a rock to skip it over the water and listen to each splash. Lets say you are actually on the water. Many things that you can tell are the bobbing of the boat and even the smell of the water. You can tell if the water is flowing fast or slow and maybe you will even fall asleep. If you put your hand in the water you can tell if its cold or warm and if its warm maybe you can find out if its fed by an underwater source. Now lets say you are in a boat and you are fishing. You can feel the pole in your hand and feel if you catch something from the tug of the line. When you get the fish out of the water you can feel the weight of the fish and the strangeness of its scales. Once you pull the hook out of it you can toss the fish back and let it live another day. Maybe you want to climb a tree you will smell the bark and maybe even sap if the tree has it. You can feel the bark against your hands and tell weather or not its soft from earlier rain or its dry and hard from a drought. Maybe you will even scrape your self on the bark. Well maybe its not a good idea to climb the tree without climbing gear. What if while you are exploring the forrest you hear animals. You can probably hear squirrels, birds , and other small animals. If you want maybe you can even find out what some of the birds are and tell just by there call. You may be able to hear deer moving around but this one is very difficult because they are very quiet and most of the time you may only be able to see them. Lets think of other weather elements that can make our senses have different experiences. If there is a light rain you may just hear a pitter patter on the leaves above you. If there is a harsher rain though maybe you should leave the forrest. There are many bad things that can happen in a forest when there is a storm. Old large trees can fall over from the wind, the river may flood, and there can also be mud slides. So even in this beautiful environment there can be beautiful destruction that can pave the way for new growth. What if you are walking in snow. The snow can be cold but also refreshing. You may be able to feel the snow flakes fall on your face and hands. The smell of ozone is also strong with snow. You may be able to hear the crunch of ice beneath your shoes. There are so many ways to experience the world with other senses other than sight. How do you experience the world with other senses