Heart of the Redwoods

Focused on the cool joy of a promising precious paradise, I recently motored through the searing heat of the summer desert for two very, very long days to reach the heart of my destination: the Redwoods (a home that had embraced me with heart for over four years while I expanded my learning heights at the Humboldt State University in northern California).  

Yes, the goal of the trip was to connect, through a camera lens, to the magnificence of this ancient treasure; but, after the grueling journey to reach this destination, it became far more about reconnecting with the heart of the Redwoods themselves; their souls (old, old souls). 

During my college “stay” in the Redwoods, most of my memories were of being dripping wet, mostly chilled to the bone, and damp, damp, damp. That, of course, was because the school year went from September to very early June – the “rainy” (not-stop) season.  

Most often with my nose stuck in a book and trying to escape the never-ending drizzle, I did not spend a great deal of time out-and-about hiking through the trees. I sludged up to school (which sat on the hill, overlooking Humboldt Bay) and sludged home – always in search of something dry to land upon. 

Now I had arrived in the middle of Summer! The non-rainy season. It was a whole new eye-opening, heart-opening experience. Coming across the desert, where the temperature hit a high of 114 near Redding (I was coming in from the central valley of California, after the trek across the desert landscape of Nevada and Utah — from my home in Colorado.)

It was horrendously hot. Panicking that my car would need gas or that I would need a bathroom break, I ignored every opportunity to stop (and/or for my car to stall in the heat, which was not acceptable at all, especially since I had my Cattle Dog, Whitney, with me – and neither one of us could handle that heat without the modern amenities of cool, sweet air conditioning). 

One eye on the heat, one eye (okay, mostly both of them) on the road, I watched the needle on my gas gauge drop (bummer) as the needle on the temperature dropped (yay!). Tight ride!  But I made it!

Sailing into Arcata around 8 p.m., I was wrapped in utter delight as the heat dropped to a mere 63 degrees. Are you freaking kidding me?!! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. 

I could have danced through the streets (you know, after I let the dog out, dragged bags into my motel room, crashed on the bed, and smiled through the ceiling into the heavens). Yep, I fell asleep. By the time I woke up, it was long past time for dinner, so it was all about undressing and climbing into slumber – the photos and eating and dancing could wait until the morning. 

Or the next three mornings. Yep, for the next three days, cameras always at ready, I felt like I was dancing through the giants in a mystical wonderland of pure ancient wisdom and pretense-less (yeah, I can make up words) perfection. Yes, many photos; however, I do confess, more gawking and smiling and hiking up and down, in and around, just to be in my trees. 

Photos are difficult in the Redwoods. You pretty much have to lay on your back and shoot up; then there’s the pesky (not really) sunlight and odd extraneous lighting and shapes and dark and moody shadows mixing with bright angel-wing clouds – and, well, yeah, photos are difficult in the Redwoods. 

When I was in school, getting my journalism/political science degrees, I learned a lot. A lot, lot. And, when I graduated and left Humboldt County, I thought I knew the Redwood boundaries and its beyond-beautiful groves of treasures as well as anyone could. 

Ha! With rain not dripping from every eyelash, this summer I learned to see my trees through a much greater lens. A new facet of heart.  

This summer, I learned that cameras are but an extension of heart and soul; they can never ever truly “capture” the eternity of beauty beyond – the beauty only we can experience if we open our own eyes and our own heart and soul completely. With each photo I took, I smiled into the depths of heart and soul — and I offer my Redwood photographs, as I offer all of my photographs on fun, smile-inspiring products – to your heart and soul.  

After all, the heart of the Redwoods belongs to us all. We are Redwoods.

A heart in the Redwoods... to keep time with mine (and yours!)