Tom Lybeck Original From the Timber to the Lake

From the Timber to the Lake

As I left, the quiet prayer that is carried inside me became audible that day.

Being in nature helps me to sort things out about my life. It provides the calmness I need to cope with all the busyness that goes on during the winter months. Being free on the earth to explore new areas is a sure cure for “spring fever” when it strikes me.

Sometimes I get off into the thick of it and the going is a little rough, especially if I see what I call the reward at the end of the hike. This day I chose Staunton State Park because the landscape is so Colorado. I can’t get enough of it. In an effort to get down to the shoreline of a lake, barriers of fallen timber obstructed my view, but I pressed on because of birdsong and the fragrance of the forest. A kingfisher stopped by briefly but vanished as I drew close. For me, seeing something in the wild has a lasting impact and I always want to freeze that memory in my art.

As I left, the quiet prayer that is carried inside me became audible that day.