Natural Haven

I traveled to Stark, New Hampshire recently where I enjoyed a beautiful stay in an older home beside Crystal Falls. It was surrounded by some of the most gorgeous natural sites I have ever seen. Seconds passed to the peaceful sound of running water with little interest in the ticking of our clocks. When we opened the door to the back deck, the sound was reminiscent of a hurricane, and it was hard not to smile when you realized the rushing sound was not caused by wind, but instead the powerful water cutting through boulders.

The location of the home, beside Crystal Falls, was a blessing. It created the perfect environment for a weekend of unwinding and catching up on things that are pushed off while running in the rat race. After making a breakfast of french toast and bacon (or eggs), I sat on the railing of the back deck overlooking the water or crossed the bridge to sit on a rock with my bare feet in the rushing water. Despite the temperature of the water, the movements felt like a massage on my toes. When going on vacation I always bring a book (on this particular trip The Silkworm by Robert Galbrath was my companion) and I spent many relaxing moments sitting beside the water, or in the water, turning pages, and listening to the sounds of nature. The amazing thing about the power of the lake is that it drowns the other sounds in the area, making it the perfect location to focus on writing or reading. I often couldn't hear the voices of my companions until they were shouting in my ear to be heard over the crashing water. Along the water there are little nooks to sit in, either on rocks, tree trunks, or against the bark of a cedar, where you can write poetry, or work on the creation of a brand new story line. I wrote a few poems, and began writing a new novel that I had been thinking about writing before going on vacation. The water provided motivation in its swift movements to begin the dystopian novel I had been somewhat planning.

Crystal Falls and the home that I stayed in are the perfect location for finding creative fodder. The home that we stayed in on Dewey Lane sported wood floors, rustic decorations, and gorgeous bookshelves; one of these shelves was filled with Harvard Classics, which included poetry by some of the greats. The upper floor that remained locked off to visitors created the perfect tale for a mystery novel or short story (although I'm sure there is nothing hidden up there, I will be turning it into a short piece very soon). The path along the opposite side of Crystal Falls has solar lights to illuminate your way at night. Adventures through the trees (with bug spray) resulted in the creation of many poems.

While sitting on the rocks along Crystal Lake you may also meet a yellow lab that we nicknamed Crystal. She is super friendly, but will follow you with a tree branch that is longer than her, only to beg you to play fetch. The little town seems very pet friendly, and we had fun playing with the free roaming pup that continued to go in the water and shake droplets all over us. With the beaming sun, her little showers were welcome.

Along the route to the home there are fields of wild flowers creating a wonderful opportunity for photography, as well as poetic inspiration. I stopped countless times to try and capture shots to turn into poetry backdrops. There were blooms of lupine, wild strawberries, and flaming orange hawkweed (also known as the Devil's Paintbrush). They captured our attention every time we wandered the street with what we took on our journey.