I have been visiting the Cuyahoga Valley consistently for the last 5 years. In all of the times I have set out on a trail there in the morning, each has been uniquely different. I woke up at about 6:00am, and got to the Virginia Kendall section of the park around 7:00am.

There was a tranquil silence as I get out of my car. The pines stood perfectly still. The pond sat pristinely blanketed with a thin layer of curling fog. The sounds of woodpeckers, cardinals, bluebirds, American robins, and bank swallows could be heard around the trail.

The natural fragrances of the Valley in the summer are really what make getting up early worthwhile. The dew covers the grass well into the morning, and seemingly absorbs the night air into small globes. The sun evaporates the dew throughout the morning, releasing a fresh, ambrosial smell of pine, herb, flower, and pond.

Nature is a place which lures me to think of the qualities of God. He is a master craftsman. His art lies before us, waiting to be seen and experienced by our senses. When free of distraction, there is nothing to do but wonder at it.