What compels me to keep visiting Hamlen Woods? I think it is the nearly hypnotic trance I fall into as I walk the perimeters of the creeks and ponds, all linked and providing rich habitats. I become hyper aware of sounds, color, and especially the way time seems to slow down as I watch leaves float and spin on the currents, or the way pine needles hover on the surface, collect, and then disappear. Maybe it’s the way silently observing the pond takes me completely out of myself, as if I weren’t there. Or maybe it’s getting to know the place so well that every tree limb, lily, and frog feels like an old friend. I just love it. Details from Slow Drift below. Enjoy.