a geography of grace

Walking along Division Creek near the Sawmill Pass Trailhead. Robin L. Chandler, 2023.

“Away from the sounds of roads and the glare of carbon-arc streetlights, it is quiet here. Some would say it is peaceful, but that is not the right word. This land throbs with life in every season and at every hour. And the quiet itself is not truly quiet. In the absence of the noise of jets and air conditioners, internal combustion engines and recorded music that blankets our perception in most of the human environments of America, ten thousand subtler voices may be heard.”

Excerpt from Joseph Bruchac’s book At the End of Ridge Road.