Dear Friend in Peace,
Going within has literally flowed for me prompted by a beautiful ceremony yesterday led by Pam Cooper and the physical transition of our beloved friend Phil today. The experience and photos are from last year but waited for this day of introspection to be shared. Please join me as we journey to Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines in the Panhandle of Florida. May you feel the joy and peace of this precious part of Mother Earth.
No one could have prepared Ernie and me for the majesty and challenges afoot in exploring the Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve via the Garden of Eden Trail. We arrived with detailed maps of the Preserve and the knowledge it was a revered spot of nature-lovers world-wide. While the photos and words could never replace the experience of being there physically, may they and final poem entice you to go within and to seek out natural places in which to restore your soul.
As we carefully worked our way down, down, down into the ravines and then back up what was a mountain to we flatlanders; each foot difference in elevation presented new plants, new sounds, and new smells. We could tell when we were coming near the bottom of a ravine because we would begin to hear insects, birds, frogs, and gurgling stream water. I found it particularly exciting to reach the bottom of a ravine since it entailed crossing the water on a wooden bridge inches away from the flowing water.
We recommend this place and cannot say enough good things about The Nature Conservancy which owns and manages this land and many other precious natural lands around the US and the world. https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/places-we-protect/apalachicola-bluffs-and-ravines-preserve/
