As we approach the end of summer, I think about all the time that I spent outside. Every second away from a screen, desk or artificial light was one that I could enjoy and savor. Now we’re at the end and snow will be here before we know it and then there will be another tiring winter of dark, cloudy days. Until that time, I’ll keep trying to get out when I can and enjoy it in the best way possible… with only the sounds of nature accompanying me.

Scott McNaturewalks

The sun shining through the branches. Leaves rustle as a timid wind reveals itself, brushing against your fragile skin. Soil crunches beneath your feet, each step more relaxing than the last.

A stream rolls to your left, it’s tender current hiding a colony of wildlife, seemingly untouched by man. You can feel a coolness as water splashes up onto your ankles, reminding you of how you felt as a child, when you would run through puddles without worry of wet socks or shoes. Birds chirp above you, calls that you have become so used to that you never even notice them, but today they echo like the most beautiful voice you’ve ever heard.

To your right is a wall of rocks, taller than your own home. They’re not part of a mountain or a hill, but instead seem like the sturdy supports of the growing landscape. Water trickles down, drop by drop. Little puddles, no more than a few inches deep sit all around them. Just like the splashing from the river, you make an effort to step into them, not caring if you get wet.

Insects that would usually disgust you surround you, some in sight and some out. You feel like you belong in their world for once, and it’s beautiful. You are the trespasser, but you feel welcomed by the chirping of crickets and the buzzing of bees.

As you continue to walk, trekking through land that you so frequently forget to appreciate, you stop. You take a deep breath in. The aroma of the running water and the evergreens. The scents left from flowers and trees. Your senses are overtaken by this… this simple beauty that you so often ignore. But that doesn’t matter, for you are appreciating it now, and this moment will remain one of your fondest until the very end.