Story: Rejuvinating the Outdoors Way

When I need to cool my jets and let go of everything, I have always reached to nature for a helping hand. Hiking through the splendor of the forest or sitting on the shore of a lake or river waiting for the "big one" to bite has always been a way my body accepted to relax and be ready to go later.
Bernheim Forest is a large arboretum (large plot of land on which several species of trees and shrubs are grown for study) and research forest in Clermont, Ky, about 20 miles South of Louisville. I love walking or hiking the many trails available at Bernheim. I have been a steady visitor at Bernheim since about 1985 and it has amazed me to watch all the growth of the forest over the last 23 years. No matter the weather or the time of day there are always things to see and do at the forest. A short stroll down a paved path can take you to the tree canopy bridge. It is not a natural bridge but a man-made bridge that juts off of the trail at the cliff's edge and takes you into the tops of the trees and 75 feet off the ground. Heights have never bothered me, so I ;ike to stand at the end of the bridge looking out and down toward the sloping hillside below.
There are other paved and non-paved trails around Bernheim's many lakes. I always take the time to sit along the shores of the lakes and ponds to watch the ducks and geese swim by and to see the fish jump from the water trying to get an early morning snack. The soft breezes off the water soothe a tired body and mind. Sometimes, when the wind is right, you can gather in the smells from the Jim Beam Distillery just down the road. To a great many visitors the smell is not the best thing, but for someone raised in the area the smells of the distillery in the air are as fragrant as any spring flower around.
Watching wildlife is another part of Bernheim that rejuvinates me. There are plenty of chances of seeing white tailed deer, foxes, racoons, opossums, squirrels, and many birds including some from the Raptor family. There is also an area at Bernheim where wounded animals are kept in hopes they may be returned to the wild someday. I have sat along the Great Prarie at Bernheim and watched as a red tailed hawk swooped from the air to the ground to grab dinner and fly off high into the trees.
Bernheim Forest has become part of my life that I will never forget. It is like a best friend that you can talk to and it will listen. It speaks without words to let me know that everything will pass in time. It recharges me, helps me to breathe, and lightens my load.