nancy

Approaching the Canadian Rockies, in a VW van (1971) <BR> there was a full moon, and also northern lights flashing in green., purple and white. <BR>The landscape just got higher and higher and then they, the mountains, just loomed in front of us. <BR>(I thought I was doing you -know -what, but I wasn't.) <BR> <BR>Sitting on a Redwood tree in California, that was at least4-5 ft. in diameter.What an old tree, and what must have been going on there when it was a baby tree. <BR> <BR>Standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon. <BR>It does not look real. <BR> <BR>In Iowa, the summer of 1972, I had a temp of 104F, and was alone in the house and watched a tornado blow past, maybe a half mile away. <BR>I know it was not me being delusional,that happened later when I "slept" and had a scene from the trilogy by C.S. Lewis, play out in my head.(one of the books was Perelandra.) <BR> <BR>In Tobago, when the afternoon rainstorms would blow through and be gone in 15 mins. <BR>It POURED! <BR>also plants there with leaves the size of big dinner plates. <BR> <BR>Sitting in a small commuter plane, with my husband and some french tourists. <BR>We were traveling from St. Vincent to Grenada, and passed through a storm. <BR>that little plane bounced around, and all the video equipment the french group was holding flew through the air. <BR>Was not sure what was going to happen. <BR> <BR>When I was a6, and home with my mother and sisiter. <BR>It was summer, a storm came in, lightning hit the metal fence about 15 -20 ft. away. <BR>It made our ears ring, eyes go all strobe-light like, and hair stand up . <BR> <BR>My husband just returned from a job out in the Moab Desert, Utah. <BR>He says THAT is really awe inspiring! <BR>And of course, a beautiful early summer morning here in Vermont, with the birds singing and the moisture rising in the woods, with the sunlight streaming through it. <BR> <BR>Sorry to be so rambly! <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>

Capo

I've felt in awe of nature during every October I've spent driving around New England, especially on smaller rural roads where one can drive through a flaming tunnel of red, orange, and yellow foliage.

Greg

Yeah, I was at ground zero of an F# tornado in 1998. That storm took of the north end of my home and uprooted every single old tree in my yard. My neighborhood look like someone dropped a bomb. That'll get your attention from Mom Nature real fast! <BR> <BR>Walking up to the 10,000 plus level Schwartzhorn from the First station above Grindlewald made me sit back and go WOW! <BR> <BR>The last 30 minutes of that hike required the hiker to pull themselves up by a chain while you carefully placed your boots on the rocks. One wrong placing and boom, tha's all she wrote paley! LOL

De Anna

Watching the sun rise at 4:45 AM from ABOVE the clouds on top of Mt. Haleakala in Maui.

Shanna

The aftermath of Hurricane Andrew when my whole life had blown into the Everglades. Nature and I don't always see eye to eye, especially since I almost drowned off Virginia Beach at age 10. Got stranded in the "snowstorm of the century." And right before I moved from Mississippi, the river had been 8 feet above flood stage for 6 weeks; the Corps of Engineers just "didn't know" if the levee would hold. I'm always in awe of nature; mostly wishing it would leave me alone. I've seen a lot of beautiful places, but I prefer my nature outside. Except when I'm on a sailboat: anchored on a moonless night in the Caribbean. The stars brilliant, thick and heavy and twinkling, sprinkling down all over. Swim in a dark ocean and rise from the water glowing with phosphorescent algae. Like stars living inside you and shining through your skin. Strange and yes, awesome.

linda

When I gave birth to my daughter. Oh, not that kind of nature. I'll vote for the Grand Canyon, Cappadocia, Jungfrau, and Lake Tahoe.

Ursula

Another vote for Cappadocia, the desert in Morocco, the Swiss Alps from a plane, <BR>the olive trees in the hills of Tuscany.

John

October in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. <BR> <BR>Snow-capped Southern Alps in New Zealand South Island. <BR> <BR>Otago Peninsula in Dunedin, New Zealand. Breathtaking. <BR> <BR>Architecture and natural beauty of Edinburgh.

Capo

Re: "When I gave birth to my daughter." <BR> <BR>Very sweet, Linda...thanks for the smile. <BR>

Al

Going down the Grand Canyon in a rubber boat for 10 days. <BR> <BR>Hiking over McKinnon Pass on the Milford Track, S. Island, New Zealand, in driving rain and high winds. <BR> <BR>Suddenly passing through a stone archway and seeing Machu Picchu all spread out at our feet. <BR> <BR>A cloudless October day near the Elora Gorge, Ontario -- with all the trees ablaze with color. <BR> <BR>Summer evenings in Arizona with great bolts of lightning criss-crossing the sky. <BR> <BR>Parisian twilights with music somewhere in the distance. <BR> <BR>A hurricane at sea off the Virginia Capes, with our ship taking water over its stern.

nancy

Capo, <BR>Yes, what linda said *was* very sweet, but I do not think that was exactly what I was feeling when I gave birth to my 2! :-0

Capo

Although, being a man, I'm never going to experience that, Nancy, I can certainly understand what you mean. <BR> <BR>You might want to include your experiences under the "When did you feel in awe of, and also curse, nature?" thread. :~)

nancy

Cute, Capo! <BR>How about, (forgive my rude language) <BR>" When Were You.....pissed at nature" <BR>Have a great weekend. <BR>Hope it is sunny and warm where you will be. <BR>In Vt, it will be clouding up and in the 50's, ick!

Stephanie

Have to endorse one's first view into the Grand Canyon, especially on a partially cloudy day. <BR> <BR>...the Grand Tetons, jabbing into the blue from Jackson Hole, WY <BR> <BR>...the wooded trails of the Saalach Valley in Austria in early Autumn <BR> <BR>...descending from Durango, CO through the mystical red rock formations of Cuba, NM <BR> <BR>...ALL of Monument Valley <BR> <BR>...the azure lagoons of Moorea, and their tiny violet fish <BR> <BR>...the primordial tree fern forest at Volcanoes National Park in Hawaii <BR> <BR>And a local heart-stopper, time and again: the view from the crest of Hwy. 154, northbound, across the Santa Ynez Mountains near Santa Barbara, layer after layer of purple and blue, dotted with huge oaks in grassy fields. <BR> <BR>

gb

I am lucky to live in Colorado where it is easy to be in awe of nature. When I can't travel to wonderful places mentioned I just look around. Today, I am in awe of the lilacs. I don't think I ever saw them as beautiful as they are this year. (I might have said that last year too.) If any readers are in Colorado, aren't the lilacs really beautiful this year?

Michelle

Years ago, I (unintentionally!) capsized my small sail boat while sailng in the Persian Gulf and, being too exhausted to right it, just floated in the water close to boat until I got my breath back. Within minutes I was surrounded by a whole school of dolphins who swam around and around me and the boat. They were so close I could put my hand out and touch them. They stayed with me for about 20 minutes and only left as another boat approached. I've seen many beautiful natural sights but that experience was, to me, truly joyous.

beth

I've lived in Arizona my entire life and we also love spending time in Sedona. For some reason, to me the Grand Canyon is so photographed, I always come away feeling like "it looks just like the pictures". <BR>But . . . my most religious-nature experience was standing at the top of the Schilthorn and seeing the 360deg view including the Eiger, Monk and Jungfrau. I had never seen anything like it and it almost brought me to tears.

Kathleen

A family adventure to California included driving from Reno to Tahoe over little used and steep road with incredible vistas, with the new views from each corner evoking sighs and oohs and aahs. Arriving at Yosemite at the Arrawana hotel, being led to our little cabin at the base of 3000' cliffs. That night there was a full moon, so bright that my husband took a slow exposure of the lodge and cliffs bathed in the most gentle of lights. We felt the valley was truly blessed and sacred place, and our trip was the most magical ever.

nancy

Michelle, <BR>Dolphins are definitely a cool species. <BR>I sometimes wonder if they have the same level of intelligence as we humans, but have channneled it into a better path. <BR>When the Memorial Service was held for the Challenger ( shuttle disaster,) 7 wreaths were tossed into the ocean at the site the capsule went down. <BR>At the moment the wreaths hit the water, 7 dolphin broke surface at that exact spot and did a dive. <BR>I have NEVER seen it on any clips of the Service since and began to doubt my husband ad mine memories. <BR>But, I was going through old New York Times I have saved, and there is an article about the surface and the dolphins are mentioned. <BR>So it really did happen! <BR>Sorry to make this so long, but watching THAT , and even remembering it today, gives me chills down my spine. <BR>The dolphins protected you.

topper

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