On a whimsical decision, I took off into the place I call home: the forest. Nature in its many forms helps me to get back to and understand the deep implications of “time”. It helps me to relate the concepts that I see in books day in and day out into a practical experience, most of the time in a way that is not describable in words or pictures. It speaks a different language. It helps me to see my place in the world and the direct resources and experiences that I am trying to preserve. And that is just on a night’s visit.

“The boy awoke as the sun rose. There, in front of him, where the small stars had been before, was an endless row of date palms, stretching across the entire desert.
‘We’ve done it!’ said the Englishman, who had also awakened early.
But the boy was quiet. He was at home with the silence of the desert, and we was content just to look at the trees.

He still had a long way to go to reach the Pyramids, and someday this morning would just be a memory. But this was the present moment, and he wanted to live it as he did the lessons of his past and this dreams of the future. Although the visions of the date palms would someday be a memory, right now it signified shade, water, and a refuge from war. Yesterday, the camel’s groan signified danger, and now a row of date palms could herald a miracle. The world speaks many languages, the boy thought.

[...] He had only one explanation for this fact; things have to be transmitted this way because they were made up from the pure life, and this kind of life cannot be captured in pictures or words. Because people become fascinated with pictures and words, and wind up forgetting the Language of the World.” - The Alchemist

That being said, here are some pictures from my visit, as it is one way I can try to share the beauty - just don’t forget the Language of the World. To see all of the pictures, click on the photo albums link on the right side of my blog (or click here) and then the Fall 2007 Efficacy Album.