Hub City Times

Top Menu

  • Contact Us
  • E-Editions
  • Subscribe

Main Menu

  • Home
  • News
    • Around the County
    • Arts & Ent
    • Education
    • Government
    • Local
    • Police / Sheriff Calls
  • Covid 19
  • Opinion
  • Sports
    • Sports News
    • High School Sports Scores
    • Wisconsin Rapids Rafters
  • Coming Events
  • Business
  • Obits
  • Classifieds
  • Military Photos
  • Contact Us
  • E-Editions
  • Subscribe

logo

Hub City Times

  • Home
  • News
    • Around the County
    • Arts & Ent
    • Education
    • Government
    • Local
    • Police / Sheriff Calls
  • Covid 19
  • Opinion
  • Sports
    • Sports News
    • High School Sports Scores
    • Wisconsin Rapids Rafters
  • Coming Events
  • Business
  • Obits
  • Classifieds
  • Military Photos
Opinion
Home›Opinion›Natural wonders

Natural wonders

By Hub City Times
April 4, 2015
760
0
Share:
Baer

Chasing the feeling of childlike awe nature once inspired in me


By Patricia Baer

Featured Columnist

Spring is finally here. With it comes the rain to wash away any last bits of slushy snow that remained on the ground. For whatever reason, I found myself looking forward to spotting my first rainbow of 2015 the other day. I could not remember the last time I had seen one. I am sure I did at some point last year, but I cannot recall the last time I actually stopped to appreciate one.

Rainbows are one of those naturally occurring events that have always inspired childlike wonder in me. Somewhere in my boxes of photos I have yet to unpack and organize is an album with three overlapping photos that form the nearly perfect arc of a rainbow I came across once on a trip from St. Paul to Marshfield, or maybe it was vice versa.

It is not a very good collection of shots. They are slightly out of focus, and the centering is off, but I have kept the trio to remind me of that sense of awe and excitement the moment gave me.

Lightning bugs are another one of those things in nature that make me think, “Hey, isn’t that cool?” each time I see them. However, these I am less certain I have seen recently.

My memories of childhood summers include fireflies flitting through the night air. I am almost afraid a quick internet search on their whereabouts will lead me to a tragic tale similar to the honey bee, so I have avoided researching it. Instead, I will hope to catch a glimpse of their lights sparking around my backyard this year.

However, what I would most like to witness this year are the northern lights. When I was a kid, the eerie images of a sky glowing in a rock concert-like display fascinated me. It was not hard to imagine how myths in which the lights signaled the return of angry ghosts or rallying warriors developed around this phenomenon.

I was convinced that one summer during a visit with my grandparents I was going to be treated to that spine-tingling collection of pulsating colors on the horizon. Unfortunately, each year I ended up like Linus waiting for The Great Pumpkin, disappointed but refusing to give up hope that someday I would catch its appearance.

I might need to take a road trip further north to pursue this desire. If it is not too late, maybe I will add it as one of my New Year’s resolutions or at least promise myself to pause and appreciate the natural world a little more in 2015 with the hope to recapture some of those feelings of childhood awe.

TagsFeaturedfeatured columnistlightning bugsnaturenorthern lightsnostalgiaopinionpattipatti baerrainbows
Previous Article

Stratford softball wins opener at Medford

Next Article

Journey to wellness: Understanding the ego

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Related articles More from author

  • Sports

    Marshfield swim takes fifth in Sheboygan

    January 16, 2018
    By Hub City Times
  • LocalPhoto Gallery

    Highlights from Little Miss & Little Mister Maple Fall Fest

    September 18, 2016
    By Hub City Times
  • Arts & EntertainmentVideo

    Video: New Visions Gallery Director Betsy Tanenbaum steps down

    April 21, 2015
    By Hub City Times
  • Girl Scout Cadette
    Local

    Girl Scout Troop 6158 cadettes work toward Silver Award

    November 25, 2017
    By Hub City Times
  • EducationLocal

    Leifheit, Yakaites victorious in school board race

    April 5, 2016
    By Hub City Times
  • Local

    Longtime local architect dies at 66

    August 29, 2017
    By Hub City Times

Leave a reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

About Us


Hub City Times is published by Multi Media Channels LLC, N2919 County Road QQ Waupaca, WI 54981.

Timeline

  • January 18, 2021

    Redistricting in Wisconsin

  • January 17, 2021

    MACCI turns 75: Up in the air

  • January 16, 2021

    From the Wood County Health Department: COVID-19 Vaccine Phase Update

  • January 15, 2021

    Main Street hosts virtual Downtown Awards Bash

  • January 14, 2021

    New Marshfield utility facility gets green light

Find us on Facebook

Copyright © 2020 Multi Media Channels, All Rights Reserved. Designed by MMC Team Awesome
×