A CALMNESS IN CASCADE VALLEY

Praise him, sun and moon;
    praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, heaven of heavens,
    and you waters above the heavens.
Let them praise the Name of the LORD;
    for he commanded, and they were created.

[Psalm 148:3-5, BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER, p. 805-806]

Since I’ve been spending a lot of time in Akron for a variety of reasons, I’m making it a point to take advantage of my newfound abundance of freedom and visit their metro parks.

This week I found myself near the Cascade Valley Metro Park in the northwestern part of the city.

To my detriment, I never plan ahead, and my spontaneity always leaves me wishing I had prepared adequately.

Again, the Cuyahoga River was my focus since I’ve not yet managed to find a satisfactory vantage point to get a good view of the Gorge Dam.

I tried again last Saturday, and my efforts yielded little success, complicated by a broken strap on one of my sandals, which, by the way, are not convenient for hiking on hilly terrain.

Had I checked, in advance, this mishap could have been avoided. The Summit Metro Parks website has a page dedicated to suggested photography locations. But I have been blessed – some would say cursed – with a stubborn streak that derives an invigorating degree of excitement from discovering those areas on my own.

It may seem that my fascination with this historic body of water borders on obsession, and to some extent, it could be. Once I get an idea in my head, I am relentless in my quest to learn all I can about whatever it is that grips my fancy at that moment. I don’t think I’m unique in that personality quirk. There are quite a few people I know that can claim that oddity.

As I’ve written before, I have also become rather persistent in improving my photography skills. The river and its natural surroundings provide a wonderful opportunity to apply those pursuits. And Monday (August 25) the weather couldn’t have been more accommodating for an interlude with nature.

I was able to capture the bees buzzing in their hunt for the pollen that they would later transform into honey.

I was also captivated by the cloud formations that dotted the blue canvas sky above the bed of green foliage of trees and grass below.

These recent re-encounters into the environment have sparked in me a long-dormant yearning for the outdoors; something which I’ve neglected for far too long. The office has been the predominant priority, and I’ve found more comfort sitting in front of a computer screen – ironically, as I am doing now – instead of breathing the fresh air of nature.

This will sound repetitive to my regular readers, but I cannot help but be reminded of how much the psalmists wrote psalms of praise to God for having created the earth and all that is in it.

Psalm 148 is another one of the Psalms of Creation.

This psalm in particular, was the one on which St. Francis of Assisi based his “Canticle of the Sun,” and provides the text for the hymn, “All Creatures of Our God and King.”

There was also an added, albeit unintended, benefit to this day of inspiring stillness. I walked a little over a mile in search of this soothing scenery. God knows I needed the workout! My recovery from a hip replacement has been agonizingly slow, partly because I have not been as dedicated as I should have in doing the recommended therapy exercises.

So, in spite of doing nothing purposeful on this day, it nonetheless had a productive outcome.

I find the flow of water calming, so in appreciation for your having read this, I leave you the gift of the following video of a minute of what I witnessed, in hopes you, too, will find it soothing and serene, and perhaps even sense the spirit of St. Francis watching alongside you.